Part 1: Stolen "-And I say, you simply had to be there to see the look on her face! The good Lady was terribly shocked to learn that throughout the exchange she had no clue what was going on. I mean " really! How can one not see that her husband was bedding the young maid " and why not" Why not I say! The woman is a fine specimen of what all women should aspire to be! Dutiful, clean, listens to a Gent's orders and acts accordingly," he lifted his laced handkerchief to his brow, ridding of the sweat that lingered there, "To continue the drama my good friend " anyway! So! She discovers this whole affair, and how may you ask" How indeed! For she found the maid with her underwear about her slender ankles bent over the Lady's own harpsichord that her husband had bought for her on their twenty-fifth anniversary, with none other the Lady's life-partner himself giving the beautiful little strumpet a right-old rodgering up the old rear!"

The man at across from him erupted into laughter, fanning himself with a tiny fan he had to whip out of his very expensive looking waist coat's breast pocket, just to calm the heat that was rising in his cheeks. "Such a dirty story, good sir, such a story " but I say, I never had thought the old man to be like that. He is such the doting Father, and quite far gone into age. I never knew the dirty swine had it in him."

"I tell you sir," he waved the handkerchief in quite the feminine manner, "If I am that old, I too would be doing the best I can to lay as many of the beautiful women as I can before I kicked the bucket!" He stopped his jovial smile when the carriage came to a rumbling stop. A sudden festering irritation came to his lips, and he scowled, knocking the roof with his ivory coloured cane, "I say driver, why have we stopped"!"

A voice muttered back, a deep baritone that was long cracked full of phlegm and disease, "Sorry m'lord, 'dere be a dead stag 'n the road..."

The aristocrat sighed, "Listen you in competent fool, we have a meeting to attend with two lovely ladies within the hour now at the banquet, now my good man, why don't you be so kind and go and remove the filth from the road so that we can make haste to our destination!"

"As ye' wish, milord..."

"I say dear friend," the aristocrat with the fan pointed to his companion, "You sure know how to deal with the servants....You're too soft, old boy! Use that cane and show some proper discipline " harsh words mean nothing to these folk. The cane is far mightier than simple speech. Beat some sense into them. Then they will listen." He laughed, grinning slowly as the other nodded in silent agreement.

After several minutes of silent between the two, they both finally looked at each other, then to the carriage's window, looking to see if the obstruction had been removed. Then, when the carriage rocked side to side, indicating the driver had returned.

There was but the single sound of a cracking whip, and they were off once again.

"....That was a bit tense for a moment, wasn't it?" The fan-wielding aristocrat joked, "For a second there I thought we were going to be robbed by highwaymen."

"Pish! Riff raff would not dare attack a nobleman's carriage of our prestige. So do not fret too much, sir, if you sweat too profusely the scented oils will run off your skin and onto your clothes and you will smell much like the common folk. Now we don't want that, do we?" He knocked the end of the cane against his companion's knee, laughing.

The other laughed to the friend jibe, "I put ten gold coins and my best horse to wager I will bed them both before you this eve....By the heavens and the wind I promise you that." Suddenly, he had to move his hands out against the walls of the carriage, as the road suddenly became a little unsteady, "Oh! Oh I say!" He quickly rearranged his neatly combed hair that was boorishly slicked back, "The driver is going a touch fast, isn't he?"

"Driver! Driver, when I meant haste I did not mean at full gallop!" The cane was smashed angrily against the roof again, but in a sudden reply, the carriage came to an abrupt, and both men were thrown onto one side of the carriage.

Both men were dishevelled, and red faced with embarrassment. It soon subsided, and both quickly exited the carriage, stepping out onto the sun-baked dirt road that ran through a portion of a forest that was close to their estate. As they adjusted their coats, they moved forward to confront the driver.

Unfortunately, there was no driver.

Stranger still...

What happened to the horses"

Both men looked to each other, stepping back from the possessed carriage that seemingly drove itself without the use of a steed or a locomotive engine....They drew their flintlock pistols, coming back to back, both panting heavily out of the fear and confusion as to what had just occurred.

"Monsters, no....Ghosts" Carriages that drive themselves....Disappearing drivers and horses," the cane was brought up, ready to be used as a baton if need be.

"It's demons! I've heard silly rumours amongst the common folk recently " they say there's some demon hunting these roadsides, preying upon caravans that pass by....I hear the people just disappear, never to be seen again-"

"Don't be outrageous, these things do not happen. They are all just hocus pocus, something to scare their brats."

"But " but, how do you explain all this....Wait, what?s that!"

Both men turned, aiming their pistols towards the first sign of movement. Out comes one of their horses, huffing, trotting back towards them. They sighed, holstering their guns, relief relaxing their tensed features.

"The reigns must have come loose. Thank god, for a moment there, I thought I was going to have to shoot some-"

"Thou's forethought must be held, mine Lord..." Came a sensually cold feminine voice. As both men turned about, a flintlock's barrel was thrust into one of their mouths while the other entertained a rapier's tip biting into the skin just below the jawline.

Before them was a woman dressed in men's clothing " a beautiful, beautiful woman with the coldest, bluest left eye they had ever seen. Unfortunately what got both men quaking in their boots was not the fact that they were being robbed, but that her right eye had the most unnerving blackness to it, with a strange wheel-like shaped iris, that burnt and shimmered in an unnatural red.

"T-take what you w-want..." Spoke the aristocrat that didn't have a weapon thrust into his mouth, which subsequently happened to be the same man with the cane. "J-Just don't hurt us."

The white haired woman tilted her head a little, as an eerie smile came across her lips. Revealing a set of fangs. "Mine Lord's carriage shall suffice....And mine Lord's invitation to the banquet. Or best I slay mine Lords both, and steal what mine heart's desire??