Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The two disappeared through the open door. The moment they had gone, Ben raised his hand and caught the attention of our waitress. Aida bounced over with a mischievous smile on her face. "You're meal isn't quite ready, sir. The cook's still trying to catch it."

Ben grinned. "I'm sure with his experience we'll soon be eating his catch, but I was wondering if this place was generally a haunt for the farmers."

Aida put a hand on her hip and turned her head to face the door. "You mean like those guys? I'd say it is. The Moon Palace is close enough to the main road that they have no trouble reaching it and just out of view enough if their wives should they drive into town for some shopping."

"Is Dugal a regular patron of the place?" Ben wondered.

She wrinkled her nose. "Not really. He comes in here on occasion, but he's been here these past few months to ring up quite a tab."

"He owes me a cool baron!" the barkeep chimed in.

I whistled. "That's a lot of drinks."

Ben stood and sauntered over to the bar. The keeper eyed him with a sharp look until Ben drew out his purse. "Then I'll see to that tab, if you don't mind."

The barkeep's eyes widened as he watched Ben draw out a baron and hold it out to him. The man took the coin and turned it over in his palm with his mouth agape. "Well, I'll be." He frowned and drew the coin to his mouth where he bit down hard. The man winced, but quickly tucked the money into his pocket and eyed Ben with new respect and more than a little curiosity. "What are you to him?"

"An old friend," Ben replied as he drew out another baron which he set on the bar. "And I hope this will cover his future expenses and ours today."

Aida slipped over to them and gawked at the coin before she turned her wide-eyed attention to Ben. "You must be something else to be trading barons like they were pennies."

The barkeep quickly pocketed the coin and smiled at Ben. "Whatever ya want, Aida and I will be glad to help. The name's Sid, by the way. I own the place, if ya haven't already guessed."

Ben leaned one arm on the bar and inclined his head to the proprietor. "A pleasure to meet you, Sid, and if I may be forthcoming, I'd like to ask you a favor."

Sid lifted an eyebrow. "That depends on what it is."

Ben nodded at the table recently vacated by the pair. "As the proprietor, I'm sure you overheard your customers and their conversation."

Sid bobbed his head. "I did. What of it?"

"I was curious where the Gebur farm is located."

Sid shrugged and resumed his glass cleaning. "Oh, is that all? You go through town and take the north fork for about a mile and it's the one on the right. There's a great big oak tree out front. You can't miss it."

Ben smiled and pushed off the bar. "Thanks. You've been a great help."

Ben returned to the table and resumed his seat. I leaned toward him and lowered my voice so the proprietor wouldn't also overhear our conversation. "I'm guessing we're going for a scenic drive northward."

Ben clasped his hands together on the table and nodded. "I'd like to know what had Dugal so interested that he frequented this place long enough to run up that high a tab."

I snorted. "Just hope this is the only place he's staked out or that purse will be drained by the end of the day."

"Food's up!" Aida shouted as she swept out of the kitchen with two hot platters in her hand. She set one down in front of each of us and stepped back where she folded her arms over her chest. "Eat up!"

A fresh aroma rose from the thick, heavy slice of pie. Chunks of meat and vegetables tumbled out, all swimming in a pool of thick gravy and crumbling crust. Though breakfast hadn't been that long ago, I picked up my fork and dug in.

Ben, too, took a large bite and grinned. He swallowed the mouthful and nodded. "Give our compliments to the chef. He cooks his pies to perfection."

Aida smiled and nodded. "I'll tell him just that. Enjoy."

She scooted away to attend to other chores. We dug into the meal, but our joy was interrupted by the arrival of three incredibly burly men. They wore v-neck and short-sleeved shirts that showed off their hairy and muscled chests and arms. Their pants were worn at the bottom hems and they walked with a strange sort of stumble, as though the shoes didn't quite fit.

They swaggered over to the bar where the barkeep set down the glass he was cleaning and glared at them. "I told you not to come in here again."

One of the men, the burliest among them, draped his arm over the bar and grinned at the proprietor. "We only want a drink."

"And to make trouble," the barkeep snapped back as he stabbed a finger at the door. "Now get out."

The leader shrugged and pushed off from the bar. "Suit yourself, but we'll be back. I can promise you that."

The trio sauntered toward the door, but one of the men caught sight of me. His eyes lit up with a gleam I didn't like and he veered off course toward our table. "Hello there, pretty girl. What's your-"

His ‘wooing' was cut short when Ben stood and stepped between us. Ben may not have been as broad-chested, but he was taller and his build was better put together. The man hesitated before a crooked grin slipped onto his lips.

He took a step back and held up his hands. "Easy there. I didn't mean anything by it."

Ben didn't so much as blink as he stared down the man. "Prove it by leaving."

The man shrugged and followed his companions to the door, though with a quicker step than before. The leader glared at Ben before they slipped out into the street. Ben resumed his seat, though with a fouler mood hovering over his head and his attention on the entrance.

I leaned toward Ben. "What was that about?"

His narrowed eyes didn't leave the door. "Werewolves."

My eyebrows shot up. "Those guys?" I thought about it for a second and my face drooped. "I guess that makes sense. They did act like animals."

Ben turned away from the door, though he kept one eye on the entrance. "We had better finish our meal."

I dug in, but with less enthusiasm. In a few minutes, I pushed my empty plate away. Ben had finished his meal ahead of me and was gazing out the windows at the road. The traffic had increased with the rising sun and a steady stream of people passed by the establishment. A few new patrons had sauntered into the bar for a drink and early meal, and by the time Aida came to take our plates, she was looking slightly more ragged.

Ben set a coin on the table and stood. "Thank you for the admirable service."

Aida's eyes widened as she beheld the coinage. "A half baron? Sir, that's too much, especially with the trouble with those men. . ."

He grinned as he pulled my seat back. "They're not a stain on the cooking or your service. Besides, the money is for the info, as well, and any future help we may need."

She pocketed the coin and nodded. "Of course, sir. Whatever you're needing."

We slipped out of the pub, mindful to step aside as a small group of farmers sauntered inside, and stepped out into the warm light of the sun. I stretched my arms above my head and sighed. "Now that's a good way to start the day."

"We may be grateful to venture northward today," Ben mused as he studied the cloudless sky. "It may prove to be a rather stifling afternoon."

I lifted an eyebrow at him. "Why do you say that?"

"The weather here is as predictable as a farmer's schedule," Ben told me as he nodded to the east. "There are clouds lurking on the horizon there that will bring quite a storm tonight."

My face drooped. "So we're going to have a dark and stormy night?"

"Undoubtedly."

I sighed and shrugged. "Of course there is. Well, I guess if the werewolves eat us then we won't have to worry about that."

Ben grinned as he helped me into the carriage and draped his arms over the walls on either side of the gap into the seat. "Would you like to meet them?"

I winced. "I'm not so sure. I like being at the top of the food chain."

"Some of them are quite harmless," Ben assured me as he climbed into the seat beside me.

"And others? Didn't you tell me they were different from the rest of society?"

"More or less. Come on, Ferox, to the Gebur farm!" The horse nickered and trotted forward down the street.

I grasped the side to keep myself from being flung backward and gave Ben a scowl. "Is it more or less?"

His eyes sparkled as he gave me a wink. "You'll see."

We rolled through the quaint town and our path soon took a turn northward. The neighborhoods gave way to dotted farmhouses, fields, and the ever-present looming forest. A few side roads on either side of the road led off to farther fields and meadows.

I noticed there was none of the fog that surrounded Rookwood, and I looked up at Ben to comment on that fact. There was a such look of distraction on his face, however, that all thoughts of the fog were driven from my mind. I leaned forward to catch his intense eyes. "You okay?"

He didn't turn his head as his words came out in a tense tone. "Don't look behind us, but we're being followed."

I had to resist the urge to disobey him and dearly wished for a rearview mirror. Instead, I whipped my face forward and clasped my hands in my lap. "Any idea who it is?"

Ben shook his head. "Only that they've been following us since we left the pub. It's a black covered carriage without ornamentation and driven by a pair of black horses."

"Somebody likes monochrome, but are you sure they're not just going our way?"

"There's one way to find out," Ben mused as he tightened his grip on the reins so that the slack tightened on the left-hand side.

Ferox took the hint and turned at the first left-hand road. The new road turned out to be quite bumpy and full of ruts. I grabbed hold of the carriage wall and made a quick look over my shoulder. A black-as-night carriage passed by our road and slowed to a stop a few yards beyond the mouth.

I squinted at the windows, but they were not only tinted but blacked out with thick curtains. One of the heavy clothes shifted and I glimpsed some white thing.

A gasp escaped me and I clutched my chest over my heart. Ben grasped my shoulders and his voice betrayed his worry. "What is it?"

I shook my head. "I-I'm not sure. I swear I felt someone wrap a cold hand around my heart." The carriage rolled forward and the feeling lifted. The vehicle disappeared around a wooded bend in a few moments and I dropped my hand into my lap.

"You're fine now?" Ben guessed.

I looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah, but who were they? Friends of yours?"

He shook his head. "My acquaintances have better fashion sense than that old style of coach. I haven't seen one of those on the roads for well over two decades."

"Maybe it's somebody coming back to haunt you," I teased as the dark cloud over my thoughts lifted.

"Perhaps." Ben examined me. "But you're sure you're alright?"

I poked his chest with my finger. "I'm just fine, but I would like to know what it was I saw peeking out from behind the curtain."

Ben lifted an eyebrow. "I saw no one."

I nodded at where the carriage had stood. "The curtains moved and I swore I saw a face. I can't be sure if it was a man or woman, but I know it was someone."

Ben pursed his lips as he gripped the reins. "I see. We may have to investigate this mysterious carriage."

I snorted. "Would that be before the evil fog or the mysterious attack on Gebur's farm?"

"They could be one and the same," Ben pointed out as he pulled on the reins and Ferox turned us around in a tight circle.

We returned to the intersection and I glanced down the road. My view was better than on the side street, but the road was still deserted. Goosebumps ran down my spine.

I looked up at Ben with some of the color drained from my face. "I was only joking about the haunting."

"I wish I could be so sure," he mused as we rolled onto the road and made our way northward once more.