Corruptable

Chapter 3

Chapter 3: It Was a Dark and Stormy Night...

The duo of carriages seemed to have been traveling for hours, and without a single landmark in sight, Robert worried he was beginning to get lost. Every now and again, he would hear the sound of rushing water, and he did recall a river nearby, but he wasn't sure how close it was to the road. About a quarter mile back, they had encountered an overturned delivery wagon. There was no evidence of any sort of accident, and there were no witnesses, no driver, nothing. The incident seemed fairly recent, and all that was left of the load was a crate of tea.

By now, there were no longer any lamps to light the way, but the bright moon casted an eerie iridescence over the fog. Before long, a shadowy colossus came into view. The huge brick manor loomed out of the darkness. The central tower seemed to stare down at the carriages ominously as they pulled up. From the tower, two buildings spat out diagonally, as though the whole manor was reaching out like a claw. On the right side of the mansion, a rounded conservatory sat with its pointed roof overlooking the forest before it.

Perhaps the mansion's most ominous asset was the enormous graveyard that seemed to encompass the whole building, spilling out onto the front lawn. A stone staircase poured out of the large wooden doors in the front of the mansion.

The carriages passed through the open gates and wheeled by an overgrown rose bush that had enveloped a crumbling fountain. They reached the end of the roundabout and were brought to a creaking halt.

"We've arrived, m'lady" the driver called to his passenger.

Sarah Slater opened the carriage door and stepped out. She wore a small, velvet cranberry capelet lined with a thick, white fuzz to match the lining of her velvet bodice. From said bodice popped two puffy sleeves which hung just below the shoulder. Each was white on top and pink on the bottom, tied off with a matching pink ribbon. The lower portion of the bodice came down to a point, from which a simple white dress emerged, spotted with simple green flowers, each with twelve thin petals and a small central dot. On each hand a white glove and on each foot a pink slipper. A pink hem at the bottom of the dress tied the whole ensemble together in a perfect bow.

She swung her parasol over her shoulder and looked up at the foreboding manor. Her expression became pale.

"Y-You're sure this is the right place?" She asked her capped chauffeur.

"Quite" he replied, mockingly.

Without warning, the door of the carriage behind her own suddenly blasted open, making her jump. Out stepped a stout man, blustering in another language. Upon seeing Sarah, he approached her with a fierce countenance, and in such an aggressive and intimidating way, she stepped back a little. Realizing he may be her secret admirer, or at least a friend, she recomposed herself. He was ugly, and old, but he also looked rich and powerful.

When the man got close enough, Sarah held out her hand. To her surprise, the man took it firmly in his grip and began shaking it vigorously.

"You must be from the Committee, yes? Ambassador Nitrokoff, you know me, I'm sure, the pleasure is–"

"Pardon me, sir," Sarah exclaimed, ripping her hand from his grip, "I'm sure I don't know what you mean. I'm to attend the ball, not represent some committee!"

The man's expression became something between angry and confused. He broadened his shoulders and sturdied his posture until Sarah's forehead was at his eye level.

"What do you mean, ball? This is meeting of the Committee of Societal Development, you must know!"

The two chauffeurs were now standing beside each other, leaning against the first carriage. The Ambassador's driver must have been at least a foot shorter than the other, but at least twice his age.