At the party, everyone was awaiting the arrival of the young countess.
"I'm sure she is simply nervous."said Tia Petra.
"Of course."replied the captian.
"Go and see what is holding my niece."she whispered to one of the maids.
When she went into the room, and saw that there was no one there, she almost had a heart attack, and ran back to the party.
"Excellency! Excellency!"she gasped. "She's not here. She's missing! She's gone!"
"What!"exclaimed Tia Petra.
"I went into the room and..."
She pushed the girl aside, and went upstairs herself.
"Come with me, Ricardo."
"What's wrong?"
They went up, and just as the girl had said, there was no one there.
"Fernanda! Fernanda!"
"She's not here."
"This is partially you're fault! You humor her so much! She's probably hiding somewhere around here. Search the entire building, the grounds, the gardens, everywhere! That girl has to appear!"
"Yes, of course."
Soon, they were searching every square inch, but nowhere was the girl to be found.
"You will forgive me,"Javier was saying to his father and aunt. "But I think everyone is getting rather...impatient."
"She simply does not appear anywhere!"
"Oh, well. The captain and my Tio Prisco ask to speak to you privately."
His aunt looked ill.
"Well, we should speak to them privately, then."she said.
"What kind of a joke is this?"demanded Fernando Ortiz.
"I honestly do not know what you're talking about."
"This party is supposed to be given in order to annouonce my engagement to the young countess, Excellency."
"And that is just how it shall be."
Fernando looked angry, and Prisco nervous.
"Where is Fernanda, Tia?"he asked.
"Why, here in the Palace, Prisco, where else do you suppose she could be?"she laughed, nervously.
"Then I would guess it is advisable that she come downstairs."
"I agree, General."
One of the pages came, and asked to speak to the count.
"Ah, I must attend this with my nephew."said Tia Petra. "If you'll excuse me, gentlemen?"and she rushed out.
"Did you find her?"she whispered urgently.
"No. And apparently, they haven't found one of the caballerangos, either. Her mare is also missing, along with the horse she had given that young man as a gift, also."
"What!"
The count grabbed the boy by the collar.
"What do you mean to say!"
"I'm not sure, Excellency."
"Forget about the boy! Out! What we must do now is figure out what we're going to do."
"What can we do?'
"They can't get far, can they?"she said, desperately.
She went back into the room where the captian and the general were waiting.
"I am sorry to say that my niece seems to be...ill. She says she isn't feeling too well."
"Ill? Tonight?"
"Well...these things can come just suddenly. It seems she has come down with something."
"Is she all right?"asked Prisco.
"Of course. She'll be back on her feet in no time. Meanwhile, I guess, we shall enjoy the party."
Fernando walked out angrily.
"The captian must think we made a fool of him! But when they find that girl...!"
"Enough, Tia, enough!"the count said. "The important thing now would be to find her. You really don't suppose the boy kidnapped her, do you?"
"No, no, no, no! I think she went with him! The eunuch isn't here, either."
"Oh, my! But where could they have gone?"
"Certainly those friends of his must know something. I will go and apologize to the guests right now, and then we'll take care of those boys."
Pietro, Toad and Blob were asked to go the count's study, and wait there, as his Excellency wished to speak to them.
"What do you suppose they want now? Either of you do anything wrong?"
Before the other two could answer, the count, his sister, his son, and his aunt stormed in.
"I demand that one of you tell me where your friend went, and where he took my niece!"demanded the count's aunt. "And it is best that you speak up!"
"What?"
"We don't know anything."
"Don't you!"
"Uh, no."
"You will say what you know one way or another."
"We don't know anything."
"Cirilo! I want these three put to the bastinado now! We shall see if they don't know anything, and even if they don't recall anything by then, then they will each receive a hundred lashes with the whip, and not be fed anything until they are ready to speak!"
"What!"
"AAAAHHHH!"
Several of the guards came in, and subdued them, ready to take them to put them to the bastinado.
"No, no, no, no, we're innocent!"screamed Toad.
"Oh, you're being a little harsh, Tia."said Javier. "They probably don't know anything."
"Don't you question me!"