The Storm And The Maiden

by Jamisia Shido

©2004

 

David turned off the weather forecast and watched the overhanging clouds worriedly. All day reports had been coming in about the storm that would hit the country in the evening. It was said to bring 'extremely bad weather' and was supposed to rage through the night. There would be rainshowers, thunder and possibly fog. Apparently, as the weatherman told it, it had been coming in from the Atlantic and had been slowly gaining in strength, only to release all of its fury on land.

Of course, it just had to be their land. David had left office early. He hadn't been the only one, something for which he had been glad. He felt awful about it, because he had a record off always being one of the last to leave, but he and Cassie had only purchased this house a month ago and he still felt anxious about it. In many ways, he still couldn't believe the..., well, "mansion" was more appropriate a word, was his.

But even though expensive, the house was worth every penny. It featured two garages, four bedrooms, two large living rooms, a very well outfitted kitchen and a practically enormous wine cellar. The house old, the real estate agent had told apologetic, and due to it's look and peculiar groundplan, had been hard to sell. David had silently agreed that it had an distinctly oldfashioned look about it. But a peculiar groundplan? He and Cassie had nearly leaped with joy, when the agent had shown them around the house.

They'd been living in a cramped apartment in the City until then and had desperately searched for a home that suited their needs. Truth be told, he thought in the back of his mind, their needs were far more 'peculiar' than any groundplan. The apartment had been a real find in itself and they'd grown accustomed to it. But it 'was' small and the more they played, the more it's size had gotten in the way.

So they had started to look for something new. On their combined salaries they could afford something larger than the apartment, but it had not been easy. David had let Cassie make the choice, simply because that was the way they did things. Many agents expected the women to make some contribution to the final choice, certainly with regard to kitchens. So no-one had given it another thought that David was silent throughout the matter and Cassie did all the talking. Another windfall: stereotypes fit their way of life.

Except that he was hardly the stereotype of masculinity. David only stood 1.65 and barely weighed 110 pounds. Cassie was hardly any taller or heavier. That was another advantage, their similarity in size and weight. They made a lovely couple and many of Cassie's collegues complimented her on her choice of husband. David in turn had noticed that some of his collegues appeared to be jealous. They had come on to Cassie, but to their blatant surprise had been turned down. What on earth could a scrawny little bloke like David have on them?

David put the car in the garage and smiled. Yes, he thought, What indeed? He hurried inside as it was already raining. Not the predicted heavy downpour yet, but more than enough to make one wet. And he hated to get his best suit wet. First of all, because it was easily the most expensive suit he owned and secondly, because it had to be sent to a drycleaner. The nearest one was in one of the suburbs and David did not feel like going there at all. Every so often, of course, he had to, simply because it must be kept clean. But he preferred to avoid certain people and places, whenever he could.

It wasn't that he hated certain ethnic groups, not at all. He just didn't think of them at all. David liked it that way and so did Cassie. When they dated, it had been a real surprise to both of them to find they were both conservative. Or rather, they were both oldfashioned. David frequently wished he had been born in the nineteenth century, preferably at the start or somewhere in the middle of Queen Victoria's reign. It had been a shock to find that Cassie felt much the same. He had never been so excited in his life when he heard her talk about all the dresses she owned.

She obviously couldn't wear any of that to her work. It was after all, the beginning of the twentyfirst century and not somewhere in the 1880's. Both Cassie and David worked in the legal professions: she as a judge, he as a sollicitor. These jobs allowed to be somewhat oldfashioned about their mode of dress as they went about doing their daily work, but not as much as they wished. And Cassie could hardly have been appointed a judge in the heydays of the victorians.

It had been a shock to her to find that he too vastly preferrred victorian dress. Though not in the way she at first imagined.

'So, you like a tophat and tails?' she'd laughed.

'Er...n-no,' David had finally stammered. He'd blushed, deeply ashamed of himself. He didn't like showing his emotions, but he was never able to hide anything when Cassie looked him in the eye.

'Then, what?' She asked him, puzzled and winking at him. 'Edwardian dress? Good Lord, it's hardly any different. If anything, I think it's even a bit more constrictive.'

'Certainly for the women.' It had slipped from his mouth before he even noticed.

'It's a good thing Bertie lived as long as he did,' she said thoughtfully, 'He wouldn't have lasted in the new world.'

'Well,' David replied, glad to get away from the subject, 'I'm sure he would have like the Roaring Twenties.'

She laughed and nearly choked on her drink. 'Yes, I'm sure he would've,' she said, still giggling and hiccuping.

They'd been silent for a moment, each lost in his own thought. 'David,' she carefully asked, 'Are you a member of a reenactment society?'

David breathed a sigh of relief. 'No, I'm not,' he said apologetic, 'I'd love to, but I simply haven't got the time.'

'Why not? You just have to make the time. I know I do. It's a hassle, but it's always great fun.'

'I'm sure it's fun,' David replied, 'But I had hardly any time in college between classes and I haven't got any time at all now that I'm in.'

'Hmm. I find, that when it's that important to you, one simply makes the time or one's drops the hobby. And something tells me you didn't let go.'

David was silent for a long time. 'Well, no,' he finally admitted.

'But...?' She laid her hand on his and looked straight at him. 'David, if there's something, you must tell me. I really like you. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a man, or simply anyone, who likes what we like?'

David blushed again. He cleared his throat. 'I have some idea,' he admitted.

'Then tell me. Please David, what is it that you like?'

'W-when I was young,' he said after some time with difficulty, 'I frequently spent the holidays with my grandmother.'

'And you found her dresses? Oh, me too!'

David laughed. 'Well, no,' he said, againg blushing.

'You must do this more often,' she said, grinning at him like a cat, 'It's really lovely.'

He took a deep breath and said: 'All right, I did find her dresses. But I don't think they were your kind of dresses.'

'Oh?'

David swallowed. Well, here goes, he thought. 'They w-were from when s-she was w-working,' he managed to say.

'Working?' Cassie had raised her eyebrows and David squirmed in his seat. He thought his must be how defendants felt under her gaze.

Before he could explain what kind of working however, it suddenly dawned on her.

'Oh!' she said characteristically, mouthing her lips around the word perfectly.

'I see,' she said, sipping from her drink, 'Well, well.'

David sighed deeply. He too drank and let his head hang.

He took out his wallet and rose to get his coat.

'What are you doing?' Cassie appeared shocked.

'I'm leaving,' David answered truthfully.

'No, you're not!' Cassie said forcefully, 'Sit down!'

From the way she looked at him, David understood at that moment exactly what was going to happen. His stomach fluttered and he was sure he was shaking on his legs. But he sat down and put back his wallet.

'There,' Cassie said, 'That's better. Now, how long have you been doing this?'

'From the moment I discovered her dresses,' David said honestly, 'And I think I was thirteen or fourteen.'

'Hmm. And how many have you purchased for yourself?'

'What?'

'You heard me, David. I'm sure that you obtained some for yourself. If you're as obsessed with it as I am, and I think you are, than I'm sure you must have.'

David sighed once more. 'Well, yes I have,' he said, feeling the blush rise, 'One for each day of the week. I even bought a few mo...'

Cassie cut him short with a short gesture. 'I'm not interested in the so-called modern variety. The other ones a7re all victorian?'

'Well, yes,' David admitted, 'The ones for the week certainly are.'

Puzzled, he saw her take a deep breath. But he was really stunned when she asked him: 'Will you show me?'

David did not reply. 'Aren't you offended?'

She looked at him wonderingly. 'Should I be? Well, according to the morale of the day, perhaps I should... But let me explain. You know I'm part of a reenactment society. When one is into this sort of thing, one easily meets, shall we say, all sorts of people. For one thing, we - I mean the society - are very lucky to have two couples, female, where the more dominant of each likes a tophat and tails precisely for being what it is. Men couldn't possibly care less.'

David could only stare with his mouth hanging open.

'Oh, stop looking like that!' she scolded, 'Will you show me?'

Dressing and undressing under her critical eye, he did show her. David knew he'd found what he'd been looking for for so long. The only question was: had she?

They were married a month later.

 

A low rumble, still very far away, brought David back to the present. He quickly closed the garage and hurried into the house. He picked up the mail first, recognizing most of it as rubbish instantly. He didn't throw it away however. Cassie would need to look at it too. Only then was he allowed to throw it away.

Seeing that it already was five in the afternoon and knowing that it wouldn't be long before Cassie arrived, he raced upstairs, the excitement building in his system.

He took off his expensive suit and hung it to dry. It had gotten a few raindrops, nothing serious, but he better be careful about it. His underwear and socks he dumped in the clothes basket.

A quick view in the long mirror in the bathroom revealed there was no need to shave. David hardly ever had to shave very much - he simply didn't have all that much body hair - but he felt anything left made him somehow less passable. It just didn't go with the image. It had to be complete or not at all.

David hurried to his special dressing room. It was a large bedroom over the garage. They had it built, especially for him. During special weekends or holidays he often slept there. They both felt it was only appropriate.

It had a bed, a desk, two large closets with a mirror on the inside and a small vanity. On the desk were some magazines and books of that era. They had not been easy to come by, but David enjoyed them.

Now however, there was no time. He took out everything needed for his other job and sat down to relax.

After a few seconds he noticed his heartbeat coming down and his excitement slowly fading. He looked lovingly at the garments on the bed. Granted, it wasn't a period piece. Some of the garments weren't even part of the original, but all in all, every time he looked at it, David found he had never seen anything more pretty.

He put on the chastity belt first. It was made of silver and was shaped like bikini panties. It had a small pouch where his penis fit in, which made it impossible for him to get an erection.

After that, he put the heavy black stockings on. Even though they were not the usual thin and satin material, he still had to be careful not to stretch them too much. The stockings ended just below his chastity belt.

To improve his shape, David first applied the glue and then attached breast prostheses to his chest. Then he wrapped the long corset around his waist. After lacing it tight - not the easiest job in the world when one is alone - he fastened the garters on the corset to the stockings.

Over the stockings and the corset came a pair of bloomers and a matching top in white, with laced edges. Almost there. He put on the full underskirt and stepped into the long, black dress. It had white cuffs and a high white collar. It was made of heavy cotton and he felt very comfortable in it. He put on a short blond wig.

Last were the long, white satin apron, which was fastened with a big bow in the back, the full white cap and a pair of modern high heeled boots.

He put on some lipgloss, mascara and small round earrings and thought he was more than ready now. When viewed himself critically in the mirror, he was proud to see the perfect model of a victorian maid.

David went to their common bedroom and made everything ready for Cassie to change. He laid down the dress he knew she would love to wear. He added the required undergarments and a pair of sensible boots, so unlike his own.

He hurried downstairs after that and started to make dinner. A guick glance out of the window showed that the skies had become even darker. It still wasn't raining very heavily, but it looked as if it would start any minute.

He also made a quick bite for himself. He was allowed to eat on his own time, since he could well be on his feet all evening once Cassie got home. The speed with which it went down revealed how hungry he was.

Once he was sure everything in the kitchen was almost finished, to be served when she arrived and had changed, he went into the living room and started to arrange the table.

It would be a table for one of course, no surprises there. While she ate, he would stand beside the door, waiting for whatever she wanted him to do. He also watered the plants and then went back to the kitchen.

It wasn't long before he heard the sound of a familiar engine. He looked out the window and saw that Cassie opened the garage from inside her car. Now the rainfall was steadily arranging. He quietly waited until she would step into the house, with his hands in his lap.

Cassie came in and threw down her suitcase. 'What a rotten day!' she muttered.

'Yes ma'am,' David said. She caught his eye and he immediately curtseyed.

 

* * *

 

Cassie frowned and said coldly: 'Help me undress, girl, and prepare my bath. I do hope my dress is ready.'

Daphne curtseyed again. 'Yes ma'am.'

Cassie followed her maid upstairs, where indeed her dress was laid out for her. The look of it made her feel better already, but she wasn't about to show that to her maid.

Her coat was removed and she stepped out of her pumps and her suit. She was pleased to see that Daphne hung it over an arm and quickly took it away.

When they justed started playing, they'd made an agreement that she - the mistress of the house - would remove her underwear. Cassie had been amused to see that Daphne was a bit of a prude. She'd wondered how experienced her maid was in more intimate matters, but she hadn't been let down in that regard. David didn't disappoint her in bed and she had no complaints about Daphne's performance. What a lucky girl I am, she thought to herself.

A moment later Daphne came back to announce that her bath was ready. Cassie liked it that way. She didn't want her maid to prepare her bath long before she came home, since it usually meant that the water was lukewarm or even cold when she arrived. And who was Daphne to disagree?

When she was lying in the steaming water, Cassie thought about what she would do to her maid. With all the worries and frustrations of the day out of her mind, she remembered that today was a special occasion. She wondered if Daphne knew it as well. Probably not, she thought. Cassie was well aware how absorbing dressing could be.

She knew some perfectly wicked things, but most of those she regularly did to Daphne, to the poor girl's detriment. Today however Cassie felt like doing something unusual. At that moment the storm really broke loose and a true rainstorm came down from the heavens. Cassie listened to the sound of the rain for a few seconds. Why not go for a few classics? she thought suddenly. And with that thought came another, wonderful to make life difficult for Daphne.

Cassie got out of her bath and slowly dried herself. She went to her bedroom and reveled in putting on the undergarments and the dress. She grabbed what she needed for Daphne and walked downstairs with a pair of low heels on her feet. Of course, Daphne was of course waiting for her.

As soon as she had heard Cassie preparing herself, she had put everthing on the table, ready for her mistress.

'Lift your skirts,' Cassie demanded.

Daphne knew better than to disobey. 'Yes ma'am.'

She pulled up her skirts and allowed Cassie to put on readymade kneecuffs on her legs. Cassie was amused to see the worry in Daphne's eyes. That worry was more than confirmed when Daphne had to turn around and had her wrists tied together with another pair of cuffs.

The maid thought Cassie was done after that, but not so.

Smiling devilishly Cassie put a small collar on her maid, with a long lash hanging over the apron. Last, but not least, a wide strap went over Daphne's mouth, effectively silencing her. Cassie tied it severely, ensuring that Daphne's cheeks bulged over the wide leather strap. Again, the maid knew better than to make any sound. She finished the setup by putting padlocks on the cuffs and the strap. The keys she put tantalinsly on her wide belt.

Only after that, was Cassie done. She grinned.

'There,' she said haughtily, 'For not remembering our anniversary, you are to remain silent for the remainder of the evening.'

Her maid closed her eyes for a moment. As Cassie had thought, she'd all but forgotten.

'This means that I will have to do everything myself,' she continued coldly, 'But rest assured that your stupidity has earned you more punishment to-morrow. Now go stand in your usual place.'

She was satisfied to see the poor maid swallow. It was very amusing to watch Daphne hobble to her place. And yet, in spite of her threat, she thought she saw a glimmer of excitement and anticipation in Daphne's eyes.

While the wind howled around the house, Cassie ate. From time to time, she glanced at her defenseless and helpless maid, knowing very well how much she feared and enjoyed the torment.

She had, however, barely finished her meal when a blinding flash, almost immediately followed by enormous thunder, caused a blackout. Suddenly, Cassie found herself sitting in darkness as all the lamps went out.

'Shit!' she muttered.

Because there was no light on the streets anymore either and no moon due to the black clouds, the house was covered in near darkness.

She got up and saw Daphne trying to move. 'Stay where you are!' she said to her maid. 'I'll see if I can find a lamp or some candles and find out what happened.'

There was no point in taking the silverware with her. That would just have to wait until everything came back on. Or until the morning when she could at least see. She hurried into the kitchen and felt guilty about tying her maid, when she passed her.

But Cassie wasn't used to moving around in a dark house and she stumbled. With a dull thud she fell on the cold and hard tiles and cursed loudly. When she slowly got back on her feet again, she noticed that the keys were missing. Sensing what was to come, she tried to search, but she really couldn't see a thing.

In the drawers she found no lamp. In the kitchen cabinets, no lamp. Carefully she went into the garage, trying not to bump into anything and hurting herself, but she again found no lamp. Cassie started to feel frustrated. She knew there must be a lamp somewhere. She thought her maid had at least stocked some candles, but Daphne was in no position to answer.

Cassie stood about for a moment and thought hard. But she really couldn't think where in the world the candles or a lamp could be. She went back into the house and step by step went up the stairs.

Since their house was fairly well removed from other houses, Cassie didn't think any help would be forthcoming. So it made sense to go and get it herself. No one lived in the vicinity, so she would hardly be in any danger. She walked to her bedroom, while keeping her fingers on the walls, to know where she was going.

Inside she knew exactly where she was and where Daphne had put everything. Tidy as the maid was, she always put things back to where they obviously belonged. One thing about having a maid, Cassie thought with some relief, You know where things are. She felt her way towards the bed and put on the jacket that went with the dress. Then she went to the closet and grabbed her two cloaks. With those over her arms she walked downstairs again.

Cassie noticed it rapidly cooling down and she sighed. Of course, the heating was out as well. She quickly walked to her shivering maid.

'Hm?' inquired Daphne.

Cassie put on her long cloak. It fell just over her dress. It would keep her warm.

'I lost the keys in the kitchen,' she confessed.

'Hmmm!' Daphne mouthed. It sounded very alarmed.

'I know, I know,' Cassie replied, 'Anyway, I'm not going to look. I could be on my knees the entire night and still not find it. I need some light, before I can untie you.'

She heard the maid sigh behind her gag.

Cassie shrugged. 'Well, what am I to do otherwise?' she said, 'For all we know, this could well last all night. I'm not an expert on technical things, you know that, so I'm going out to ask for help. Right?'

Daphne mouthed something which sounded suspiciously like 'right'.

Cassie grinned. Once she finished tying the buttons of her cloak - it was very cumbersome in the dark - she took out the other one.

'I expect you feel a little cold,' she said, 'So I've brought you a cloak as well.'

Without waiting for an answer, which would hardly be anything intelligent, Cassie proceded to put the other cloak on her maid. It was a little easier, since she didn't have any arms to put in sleeves. Those remained firmly tied behind Daphne's back.

'I'll help you to the kitchen,' she said, grabbing her maid by the leash and moving forward step by step, 'You can sit there and wait for me to come back. All right?'

'Hm-mm,' mouthed the maid. Cassie took that as a "yes". In any case, the maid was not in position to protest. Leading her maid along, she couldn't help but feel excited. For a moment she wished she were able to do this in public.

Once Daphne was seated in the kitchen, Cassie made herself finally ready to leave the house and ask for help. Because she thought it prudent and did not want to get her hair wet, she went back to grab a hat and put it on. I could use some light, she thought, To see how I look. She crossed her fingers and wished the lights came back on, but nothing happened.

Because she couldn't go through the garage - it opened and closed electrically - she had to go by the kitchen door. It took a moment of fidgeting, but then she was ready to step outside. Cassie noticed how nervous she felt: not only about going out in the night, but also how she was dressed. It was all very well in her reenactment society, but something completely different in a strange environment.

When she'd stepped outside and closed the door, her mouth fell open. She looked around and felt ready to cry. This was not something she had anticipated.

Rolling around the house and over the countryside was the densest fog she had ever seen. How in the world am I going to find my way now? she silently cried. Her sight was even more limited by the heavy downpour, which showed no sign of stopping.

Another blinding flash lit up her surroundings for a second. That was more than enough however to show Cassie the way. She'd always been quick about that.

Taking a deep breath she started to walk. Now she was glad that she'd put on low heels, even though the clicking on the cobblestones sounded awfully loud in her ears. She still couldn't see very much, but with the thunderstorm directly over her head, she was assured of lightning every now and then.

She shivered and pulled the hat deeper over her ears. She was now glad for the long dress, the heavy stockings - Cassie had been very amused to find that there was no other kind, that she and her maid wore the same kind - and the long cloak. At least they kept her warm and provided some protection.

Cassie walked on and all too soon couldn't be seen anymore by the person inside the house.

 

* * *

 

 

'Come on, Geoff!'

'All right, Jeff, slowdown a bit. I'm coming already!'

Two heavyset men slowly approached the house. They moved from tree to tree and tried to keep a low profile. But even though they were fairly covered by the fog, the trees and the terrible weather, they were seen by someone.

Someone who was not only unable to speak but nearly unable to move as well. Someone who watched the flashes of lightning, listened to the thunder rolling across the landscape, indicating whether it was nearby or far away (mostly very close). Someone who observed the progress of the two men with trepidation. Someone who'd realized their intent instantly.

When he heard their voices outside the house, David suddenly very became very conscious of the cuffs just over the knees and the ones keeping his wrists together. He was also keenly aware of the strap covering his mouth. With a shiver he remembered only too well how good he looked the part.

From the moment he discovered that he liked dressing and acting like the maid, he'd found out as well that he needed very little make-up. It annoyed Cassie that she used more make-up than him. More than once, she'd called him her 'pretty boy'. He wondered how she was doing and hoped she hadn't met those two outside the house. David really wished she were here.

His heart nearly stopped when he heard one of the men trying the door.

'Geoff!' one of the men whispered, 'It's not locked!'

'Come on!' the other one shot back, 'It must be!'

'No, honest,' the first one said, 'Here, you try it.'

A blinding flash shot across the sky. For a moment the men froze, anxious not to let anyone see them. David tried to make himself a small as possible. He could only hope they wouldn't see him.

He felt a bit light in the head. He'd eaten, so that wasn't it and the bondage wasn't too strict, that wasn't it either. He had to be careful walking around. His heels clicked very loudly - at least to him - on the tiles, but the lightning was finally followed by thunder, David used the occasion to duck and dart to the most shadowiest place in the kitchen.

'Jesus,' Geoff whispered to his mate, 'It really isn't.'

'This must be our lucky day, then.'

'More like our lucky night.'

'What if there's someone home?'

'Don't be silly, Jeff. You know what Beth told us. Two women living in this big house. You can handle a girl, can't you?

'Well, sure, but... Wait, I thought I saw someone!'

'That's the fog playing tricks with your eyes.'

'I better stay outside when you explore the house.'

'Jeff, stop talking nonsense. The lights are out, there's no one home, this is our chance. You're coming with me. Unless of course, you want to get even more wet.'

'Err... no, thanks. All right then, I'm going in too.'

David swallowed, which sounded far too loud in his ears. But neither men appeared to hear him. He tried to push himself even more into the shadows. He had no idea if it worked. He would only find out if the men did not see him. It was not a guess or a chance David was very comfortable with. On top of that he was feeling so lightly now, he feared he might be dizzy and fall over. That would ruin everything.

The kitchen door was opened slowly and the two men stepped inside. Neither used a flashlight. David couldn't even see if they'd brought one with them. If not, all the better for him. Because the strap covered his mouth, he had to breath through his nose. It was a real challenge to breath as quiet as he could. He really did not want to be found out.

But the two burglars never to notice him. They moved straight through the kitchen to the living room.

'Will you look at this?' David heard one say.

David froze. One of the men flashed a light across the room.

'Well, that must be worth something. Right, take it.'

'Geoff, look! They haven't even cleared the table. You were right, there's no one about!'

'This silverware looks mighty expensive. Thank you, ladies. Jeff, why don't move upstairs, I'll check this room for anything more worthwile.'

'Don't forget the kitchen. They must keep this silverware somewhere. And if they are two of them.'

'Hm, good point. All right, I'll do just that. But don't you look for just silver, there's more to life than that.'

David heard Jeff laugh softly. While his heart beat loud in his chest, he listened how Geoff slowly walked across the room, shining the light at this and that. David winced as he thought of everything that they would steal, as there were quite some valuable items in the house.

But there was a more urgent problem. What was he to do? Geoff could finish his inspection of the two living rooms any minute and then come to the kitchen. If he used his flashlight and simply tried to be thorough, David would no doubt be discovered.

David did not want to go outside either. He didn't fancy walking around in the dark, not only in his maid's uniform, both bound and gagged as well. He wore a cloak of course, but that didn't cover his mouth. The strap would be open to see for anyone. And the collar and the leash as well. David felt a little less light in the head and he shivered.

Standing on his tiptoes, to ensure that his heels made almost no sound, David left his hiding place carefully. He did not want to alert any of the men to his presence. But he didn't think he had any choice. It was either allowing himself to be found, with everything that came with it, or going outside and trying to hide somewhere.

Using his elbow, David slowly opened the door. It wasn't easy, but he managed it. Fortunately the hinges were well oiled, so as the door swung open, it made no sound at all. Still trying to walk on his toes, David stepped outside.

He had barely enough time to duck when he saw the kitchendoor - inside the house - swing open. Geoff entered the kitchen and shone his flashlight at everything, all the while humming softly to himself. He paid a lot of attention to the contents of the drawers. David felt furious with both himself and the burglars, but there was nothing he could do about it. He hoped Cassie had more luck.

He thought he was safe but he watched with horror as Geoff stepped to the other kitchen door and shone the light about somewhat. David was unable to move as he saw the ray of light dart around in the darkness. He was sure he'd be seen any minute.

But Geoff seemed to be satisfied with a little investigation. At least, he didn't come outside. Instead he retreated the kitchen and closed the door. David swallowed as he heard the lock being turned.

David went to the back of the garage, his heels clicking awfully loud. He was able to hide from the rain under the roof. Even though the rainfall seemed to slow down, David didn't feel like getting wet. And he certainly didn't want to move any further from the house. The fog was still extremely dense. David knew consciously that it would hide him pretty well, but his heart told another story. The strap and the glaring white cap would leave no doubt to anyone about his condition, or for that matter, his position.

It seemed to take the two burglars forever to get what they wanted. All the time David stood outside, shivering and trying to keep himself warm. He didn't dare much however, for fear of being seen.

When they were done, David felt his heart sink as he realized how stupid he had been. He really couldn't tell which was which, but he clearly saw the Geoff-guy close the door from outside. After that, the two men walked down the driveway and threw the keys to the house in the mailbox. David could have shouted and yelled to them not to do that, but of course he was unable to do so.

He himself had no keys and even if he had had them on him, he wouldn't be able to use them, because his wrists were tied. What was he to do? Ask the burglars for help? Even before he could contemplate the thought, he heard the door of a vehicle slamming shut, as if from very far, followed almost instantly by the sound of that vehicle driving away.

Where the hell is Cassie? David thought desperately.

He nearly fell over from an unexpected attack of dizziness, as another very bright flash of lightning shot across the sky. Whoa, girl, he thought, Do keep your balance. The heels weren't uncomfortable, far less than the strap over his mouth, but he had to wobble quite a bit to regain a proper balance.

The rain now stopped, David once again considered his options. He could stay here and wait for Cassie. He felt however that if she'd managed to get some help, she'd already be back. She couldn't possible have gone that long. No, David had a nagging feeling that something had happened to her. It was not a rational doubt. He shivered again.

On the other hand, he could try and follow her. He thought he had a pretty good idea of where the other houses in the vicinity were located. He could always walk there. It would be a long walk and then his feet would start to hurt, but at least he might be able to get some help from were their neighbours.

Once more, he shivered in the darkness. All of a sudden David noticed he wasn't leaning on the garagewall anymore. Startled, he stepped back. He turned around and was shocked to see he had been standing against a tree. What? he thought, Where did that get from? Where did the garage go?

He looked around frantically, totally bewildered by the disappearance of the garage. But it wasn't just the garage, the house too had vanished. It wasn't that it had been replaced by something else. As far as David could tell he was in a totally different place.

In a forest, to be precise. He appeared to be standing on a sandy road, virtually surrounded by tall dark trees. When he heard an unexpected sound, David jumped and gave a small yelp through his gag. Instinctively he looked up and saw an owl flying overhead. David sighed with relief. Stupid girl! he scolded himself.

He was about to look further and decide what to do next, when he heard the unmistakable sound of hooves approaching. With wide eyes David could do nothing but stand back and watch the horses appear.

His eyes became even bigger as he noticed they were pulling a coach. I'm dreaming, David thought as he watched the driver bring the horses to a halt and stop more or less right in front of him. The driver wore a tophat and had large sideburns on his face. He was chewing on something and observing David with what appeared to be more than ordinary interest.

'Why have we stopped, Jenkins? Are we there yet?' a forceful male voice called from the coach.

'No milord,' the driver answered. The first speaker obviously used the Queen's English, where the driver did not. That really told David more than he wanted to know.

'There's a maid standing beside a tree, milord,' Jenkins continued, his eyes narrowing, 'You might want to take a look at her.'

'Oh? Is she another wench like the last one?'

'I don't think so, milord. This one looks far more interesting. For one thing, she cannot speak. Milord may consider her to be a real find.'

David really wanted to run away, as fast as his heels would carry him, but he seemed nailed to the spot.

'Oh?' the lord said again, 'Well, then, let me have a look.'

The door of the coach swung open and out stepped an gentleman, whose suit, tie and hat bespoke not only of a good sense of fashion, but also of very obvious wealth.

He put on his monocle and eyed David, who couldn't move a muscle. David tried to make himself small under that unforgiving gaze, but to no avail. It seemed he was inspected from head to toe. David felt quite naked.

The lord smiled slightly and walked over to Daphne.

He grabbed her leash and pulled her along.

'Yes, Jenkins,' he said, with satisfaction dripping from his voice, 'This one is a gem.'

  

  

  

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