The next morning Stiles was escorted to the railway station by two of the deputies and they stayed with him on the platform until the train arrived and boarding began.

"Remember what the boss said about showing your face here again," one of the deputies warned.

"And don't even think of jumping off as we ain't leaving here until the train is well underway and one of us are gonna follow on horseback until the train reaches the pass," the other deputy added.

Stiles gave them and angry look as he boarded and took a seat. "Well so much for that plan," he said to himself.

As Stiles chose a seat and settled in his mind was going over the most recent events. He knew he had been tricked because that wasn't the same woman that leapt across the table at him that night in the saloon. Oh it looked like her, but the eyes were the wrong color.The most burning question was how they managed to pull off this ruse. There was no back door and the only windows that one could reach and not lead to the saloon were on the second floor.

In the two days that followed Stiles departure Lafayette made a few more appearances around the ranch in his Holly disguise for the benefits of the ranch hands. He smiled to himself at the memory of this attractive girl slipping naked into his bed and embracing him. Now Lafayette had taken many lovers during his travels and not all of them were single, but this woman was a friend of a friend so he would not even consider it.

On Friday he was all packed to catch the 8:00 PM train and was taken to the station by Holly and Carpenter in their buggy.

"If there is ever anything I can do for you, you have only to let me know," Carpenter informed him and he embraced his friend.

"What you can do for me is talk to your pretty partner, she has feelings for you."

"Utter nonsense."

Lafayette's response was withheld as Holly approached. She gave him a hug and a kiss along with wishes of a safe trip home. Lafayette removed his handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes that were showing traces of blood tears. The train arrived and he boarded waving his final goodbyes from his window seat.

As they rode home there was a strained silence between them. Carpenter could not believe that she was so upset at Lafayette's departure so he questioned her about it.

"Did he tell you I tried to sleep with him?"

"No."

"He refused me because you are his friend and he says that you have feelings for me too."

Carpenter stopped the buggy and took Holly in his arms and gave her a passionate kiss. When he released her he saw that she was smiling and crying at the same time.

"Yes Holly, I have feelings for you."

"Now I feel like a whore as I was willing to do your friend for some attention."

"The fault is all mine."

"He said you turned me because you felt something for me."

"That is very true."

"You never said anything."

"Too many years being alone and too many disappointments."

"Am I a disappointment?"

"No my dear, you are not."

This time Holly leaned in an embraced Carpenter. When they reached the ranch they went inside and sat at the kitchen table where they talked all evening long.

"There are some that believe that our kind cannot love and are unable to perform the physical act of making love."

"Really? Those books say different."

"As I told you those books are a pack of lies and written by someone that encountered one of the true descendants of Count Dracula."

"I thought all our our kind were descendants of him."

"To a point, there are things that happen that change that."

"Things? What things?"

"We will discuss that at a later date. Suffice to say that the only act we cannot perform is to have children."

"Well I never wanted children anyway."

As the Sun began to rise Carpenter drew shut the heavy velvet curtains and triple locked the doors. He then stripped down and crawled into the large bed in his room where he bade Holly join him. They slept together in the large bed once before but were both fully clothed.

Holly shed her clothing and joined him and he took her in his arms and held her and she could not have been happier.

Again we turn back the clock to the point where the train carrying Stiles departed the station. He glanced out his window confirmed that fact that one of the deputies was following the tracks on the road that ran adjacent to the tracks.

As the was the train approached its first stop Stiles decided to get off. This was a very small community that had not yet been affected by the railroads presence. He deboarded and took a room at a local hotel and there he began to make plans to return and expose the girl for what she was.