Meanwhile, back at the train station

"Those two women who left here a few hours ago," said the well-dressed English gentleman who looked like a doctor. "Any chance you know where they were headed?"

"I'm afraid not, sir," said the station manager. "And even if I did, it would not be my place to tell you."

"How about my friend Queen Victoria?" asked the English gentleman, handing the man a pound note. "Could you tell her?"

"I'm afraid not, sir," said the station manager, quickly pocketing the pound note. "But if there's anything else I could do for you..."

"Perhaps if my friend the Queen visited you again?" asked the English gentleman.

"I'm sorry, sir," said the station manager. "Even if I had such information, it would hardly be wise of me to hand it out to every passing tourist who walks by."

"Of course not," said the English gentleman, taking a quick sip from his hip flask.

He looked around for a moment, saw no one looking, and then asked, "I don't suppose you'd prefer to have a talk with my friend Mr. Hyde?"

"Why would I do that, sir?" asked the station manager as he turned away from the English gentleman. "I could think of nothing I could say to him that I'm not already saying to you."

"Well, you might say 'help'," said the English gentleman in an increasingly gruff voice.

"Help?" asked the station manger. "Why on Earth would I want to say -- " Then he caught a glimpse of the English gentleman -- or rather what had appeared in his place.

"Oh my God!" cried the station manager. "Help! Help!"

But by then, of course, it was too late.

xxx

"Excuse me," said Joan. "Did you two hear something?"

"Well, I thought I did," said Professor Van Helsing, "but whatever it is, stopped now. Must have been a wild bird."

"Why would a wild bird make a noise like --" Joan started to say.

But Professor Van Helsing's assistant Yosemite Tam simply shoved a sack of garlic into Joan's hands and said, "Oh, stop asking questions. We're already running behind as it is. Do you honestly think any intelligent vampire hunter wants to be traveling after sunset?"

"I told you before,"said Joan. "There's no such thing as vampires."

"If you really believe that, why are you traveling with us?" asked Yosemite Tam.

"Because I made a deal with the Professor in return for her giving me clothes to wear," said Joan.

"Why didn't you go back to your partner Sherlock Holmes?" asked Yosemite Tam. "He would have given you clothes."

"Er, I wasn't sure we could find him," said Joan. "And anyway, I feel safer right now in the company of women than I would with him, anyway."

"Does that mean you plan to pose again like one of those French girls once we stop for the night?" asked Yosemite Tam.

Joan blushed and said quietly, "If you insist. As long as it's behind closed doors."

Joan expected a rude remark from Yosemite Tam at this point but she just smiled at Joan as if she had already memorized every inch of Joan's skin and looked forward to yet another chance to see it.

Oh, blimey, thought Joan. Looks like it's going to be a long night...