Excerpt: Otherwise Engaged

Preface

The elegant Landau glided gently over the cobblestones, the reins of the coach and four carefully in hand by the driver. Despite the early morning hour, the inhabitants of the vehicle laughed raucously, inspired by a significant amount of drink and the delirium of a late night. As the driver began to slow down in front of the row of imposing townhomes on Wilton Road, two men emerged from the darkness.

They were dressed in black, but in excellent fashion. Their faces were covered by dominos, as one might wear to a masquerade. One trained a pistol on the coachman and motioned him to stop. The other leapt gracefully to the door of the box, with one hand holding the the top of the carriage. With a sweeping gesture he made an elegant bow, balanced on the running board.

“Do pardon the intrusion -- I believe you might have something for me, my dears.” His voice was low and seductive, as if he was asking for a dance instead of their valuables.

There was nervous tittering from inside the carriage – but they knew what he asked for. In fact, it was a sign of status that the thief had chosen them. The papers had all been atwitter over this daring rogue who brazenly robbed the Ton as they departed society events – many had taken to adding armed coachmen to their carriages.

“Only a token, my darlings.”

As his pistol was pointed to the gentleman of the coach, an elegant blue velvet bag with gold tassles was gently tossed to the matron. This was the method of the robbery – not asking for all, but just a token from each inhabitant added to the romance of the event. The two young girls inside the vehicle began pulling at earbobs or peeling off their gloves to unfasten their necklaces.

“How dare you?” The elderly man blustered in anger, but being well-oiled with liquor, made an ineffective defense. When the blue velvet bag came to rest in his lap, he began to holler loudly. “Help! A robbery! A highwayman!”

The thief’s countenance hardened, eyes narrowing behind the mask and deliberately cocked the pistol.

“Henry, shh…” The matron across fluttered a lacy bit of handkerchief before him. “Don’t provoke him!”

After the old man blustered another moment, the thief plucked the gold-tipped walking stick from between the older man’s clasped hands and snatched up the bag in one fell swoop. “Ladies?” As he dropped gracefully from the side of the Landau. With the flick of his fingers, an elegantly engraved card with the words ‘It has been my pleasure to serve you,’ dropped into the matron’s lap.

The man at the front of the carriage, who had not spoken a word, flipped a gold sovereign to the driver. This too had become part of the legend, and valuable insurance that the driver or groom of any party so targeted would be compliant to their demands.

As they disappeared into the darkness, the heels of their boots clicking against the cobblestones in the distance, the inhabitants of the carriage slowly came to life again. The two young ladies began whispering excitedly. The story of their encounter with the robbers would circle the best drawing rooms tomorrow, making them the centers of attention.

The Gentlemen Thieves had struck again.