Return to Caer Lon by Claude Dancourt Read Free Book Online Page B

the wall and she nearly sighed in relief at the idea of hav ing the thick barrier in her back. Murmurs of thanks evanesced from her lips when she saw Derek take the bench near the wall while he invited her to take the open one.
    “I prefer having my eyes on the room instead of it watching my back.”
    So do I. Sacha thought bitterly . She preferred swallow ing her comment . No need to let her discomfort show. He would be too happy. Instead she s at down, trying her best to look poised and at ease with her neck expose d to curiosity.
    A waitress with an outrageous neckline showed up within minutes with two cups and a jug. Derek did not let her enough time to take a proper look at them before he declared , “We need a room for the night and baths. Our horses are in the back.”
    “Yes; m y l ord.”
    Her low bow exposed more cleavage when Derek placed a silver coin in her hand to punctuate his list of requirements. Sacha quirked an eyebrow; the smirk on her companion was insufferable. As for the absurd behaviour of th at woman... The waitress left, and Derek looked back to her, apparently sure she was shocked by the amount of money he offered, and obviously amuse d by her silent blame .
    “There ha s to be some interest in winning tournaments.”
    Escorting her was the only valuable reward to the jousts. Knights told her so every single time, before Derek beat them methodically to win the day.
    She fought not to slap his grin off his face. His smirk grew some more, as if he could see the wheels turning in her head. Sacha bit back a comment about greed, her cheeks burning. Couldn’t her mind shut up about the way he glimpsed at that woman? He’d never looked at her that way. Not that she wanted him to. Did she? No. Of course not . She wasn’t interested in the slightest in Derek or his frolics …
    “My l ady, m y l ord, your room is ready. If you please follow me…”
    T he young woman jumped to her feet to follow their guide upstairs. Derek imitated her with a glance toward the bar. Sacha did her best to ignore his hesitation. Her hands trembled with out rage.
    Fortunately, Derek stayed in the room just long enough to pe e k at the two small beds and make sure their bags were intact. Satisfied, he ordered the tub hidden behind an overused screen to be filled for bathing immediately and left her blissfully alone.
     
    oOo
     
    The tavern’s main room was filling up quickly as the morning bloomed. Locals and merchants alike poured through the door for a drink or to exchange the current gossip, which was fine with him. Rumours travelled faster than light. By experience, Derek knew one could learn far more by listening rather than asking questions. Unfortunately, that took time, and time was a luxury he had not.
    A bunch of old men now occupied the table by the wall. Derek overlooked his previous observatory to walk to the back of the room. The barman nodded at him, never stopping mopping the wooden surface.
    “What’s for you, lad?”
    Derek fished a silver coin from his purse, and put it on the counter.
    “Information.”
    The barman shrugged. Derek pushed the coin forward. The man stayed still, looking straight at the young man. After a few seconds, he grunted, “I have ale or cider. Wh ich one do you want?”
    Derek frowned. The barman held his stare steadily. Derek tried to think fast. Why offer a choice of drink when he had made it clear he didn’t want to drink? He took a wild guess.
    “Give me a pint of cider.”
    Apparently satisfied, the barman put a chop in front of him. When he glanced down, Derek noticed the money had disappeared. One coin of silver was way too high a price for cider, but at least he…
    “You’re lucky. Last bottle from a bunch I bought last winter. Was pretty surprised to have goods from the other side again at the time.”
    Derek sipped the beverag e tentatively. His mind worked in a frenzy to process the two words the barman had put emphasis on. His mother often prized Camelot’s