Prologue
17th century England-
The horse drawn carriage flew down the dark country lane. The portly man sitting up front, driving the carriage was not keen on traveling at night. Highwaymen where notorious for there daylight robbery, that is what had prompted the young couple who sat in the carriage compartment to request night travel, but in all truth they preferred the cover of night.
Hence the driver cracking his whip to get the horses moving, keen to get out of the countryside and into the safety of the large town which was the young couples target destination. The young man had muttered something about visiting relatives. The young lady had sniffed and looked away pointedly as if the sight of the driver had quite ruined her day. They clearly were of high status, as stated in their choice of clothing.
They were entering a neck of the lane where a few tree's lined the road, dappling moonlight across the lear covered ground. It wasn't magical it was just plain eerie. The driver was keen to hurry up.
If he strained his ears he could hear the young couple's conversation.
"Goodness, Harold. I feel quite sick." Moaned the young lady.
"What do you want me to do about it?" Snapped the young man. There was a pause in which the driver suspected that the young lady was glaring at the man.
"You know, I think I might tell the driver to slow down a bit." Said the young man weakly as if suffering under the young ladies glare. "Driver, driver." He called out, rapping his fist on the compartments mahogany door.
"Yes sir?" Said the driver politely.
"Slow down I say." Said the man in a haughty voice.
"I'd rather not do that, sir."
"Why ever not?"
"Because there are highwaymen in these parts, sir."
No sooner had he said that the horses pulled to a panicked stop. Something had unsettled them.
"Whoa, easy girls, easy." Soothed the driver, cooing through his front teeth. And then he realised the reason the horses had stopped was the figure mounted on a horse, cloaked in shadow, blocking their path.
"What is going on? Why have we stopped?" Came the shrill tones of the young lady.
The figure in front of the horses slowly raised a pistol.
"Stand and deliver, your money or you life..."
To be continued...
