Duchess of Lamore

The trip was long and arduous. The seats on the train left much to be desired. His fellow occupants fell into the same category the further from London he went. He spent much of his time staring out the window of the train. It was a poor country. There were women washing their clothes in the streams. The roads were not much more than paths. And when they were populated, it was either mule and cart or the odd sole walking.

The train finally arrived at his destination. It was a small village containing the train depot and a few small stores. The inhabitants appeared to be well worn and somewhat ragged. It was if he had left civilization altogether.

He supervised the unloading of the Phantom making sure the utmost care was taken. Such a spectacular automobile looked so out of place in its current environment. It was a crime for such beauty to be regulated to such a place where no one could possibly appreciate it.

He stepped into the small store next to the train depot. The language barrier was sufficient to reduce any conversation past the barest of attempts. The shop keeper showed him a room above the store. There was no bed. At best it would provide a place to store his belongings until he was ready to leave.

That night he decided the best place to sleep would be the back of the automobile. It would be far more comfortable than the wooded floor of his room. And besides, he thought it best to stay with the automobile given his surroundings. Any damage to the automobile would simply be devastating and impossible to repair.

He woke the next morning to the splendor of the rear cabin. With the exception of a small kink in his back his sleep was restful. He walked into the little store to find the facilities for bathing or shaving. He was shown to a water pump outside and a bowl. He filled the bowl with water and used the vanity mirror in the back of the Phantom to shave. He then slipped into a fresh shirt from his bag, straightened his tie and walked into the shop for directions to the Peacock Palace.