“I’ll go see if the horses are ready,” he said, moving to the front door. “I will meet you out front.”
When he was gone, it was just the two of them sitting alone and silent at the table. They were still staring at each other. Rhys finally broke the spell, rising to his feet with a slow and deliberate move. Taking both of Elizabeau’s hands, he gently pulled her to stand next to him. Kissing both of her palms, then her wrists, he tucked one of her hands into the crook of his right elbow and led her out into the morning beyond.
***
David had two choices in riding for Whitebrook; either through the mountains or by the coastal route. In the wee early hours before dawn, David had mounted a contingent of twenty men and decided to take the coastal route. It was less strenuous on the horses and more easily traveled. Moreover, if Rhys was heading for Ogmore as he should be, it was more than likely the route he would be taking simply for ease on the lady. David instructed Lawrence and the other men to be vigilant in looking for Rhys and the lady.
So they rode hard into the pre-dawn hours, making their way to the coastal road and proceeding at a fast pace as the eastern sky began to turn faint shades of gray. They passed through some smaller towns along the way, beginning to come alive as the day advanced. But what David failed to realize was that in passing through the town of Bassaleg, he had picked up a tail.
David should have been more vigilant but he was more concerned with finding Rhys. The party that began to trail them in Bassaleg was perhaps no more than seven or eight men but they stayed well away from David’s party and trailed him from the northwest. While David and his men openly used the main road, the other party stayed to the smaller road and trees to the north.
The men sent to search for Geoffrey’s bastard had been carousing in the area for over a week. It was their job to keep an eye out for de Lohr and his men, escorting the princess to meet with her betrothed at Ogmore. Aye, they knew it was Ogmore; they had for several days. A contact from within de Lohr’s camp had told them so and gave information about the generality of their route. And so, they had been waiting.
The sighting of David de Lohr had been a pleasant realization. And the man had been riding like the wind. So being the cunning soldiers that they were, they quickly followed. If the earl’s brother was riding for hell, there must be a reason. And John’s men would know what the reason was.
Fortunately, the sun hadn’t risen yet so the party of the king’s men was able to follow de Lohr relatively unobtrusively. They had followed him into Newport where they had almost lost the trail, but managed to pick it up again on the other side. Still, de Lohr rode as if oblivious to all else.
David wasn’t oblivious but he was focused. When the party hit Newport, he had sent his men to some local inns to search for du Bois but they had come back empty handed. They had also veered off in Langstone because it was popular with travelers and had many inns, but again, they came back without du Bois. The next town was Caldicot.
The sun was just rising as they entered the town. Half of the men headed down to the taverns near the seaport while the other half, including David and Lawrence, went to the north end of the city to start their search. It was purely by chance that they came upon Rod de Titouan as the man was leading out two chargers near a cluster of inns. David was about to greet the man when Rhys, and Lady Elizabeau, emerged from one of the taverns.
“Rhys,” David hailed as he rode upon them. “What luck finding you. We had just about given up.”
Rhys looked up at David, somewhat startled to see him. “Greetings, David,” he said evenly, nodding acknowledgement to Lawrence. “What are you doing here?”
Lawrence ordered the men to spread out to keep an eye on the surrounding area as David dismounted his white charger. He removed one glove and then his helm, scratching at his sweaty blond scalp.
“Looking for you,” David noticed Elizabeau standing on the other side of Rhys. The woman seemed to grow more beautiful by the hour. “Good morn to you, my lady.”
Elizabeau nodded her head in his direction. “My lord.”
David’s gaze lingered on her a moment before looking to Rod. “It’s been a long time, de Titouan. How are the Marches?”
Rod grinned; he had known David for years as his liege’s brother. “Cold and wet, like always.”
David smirked and returned his attention to Rhys. “I need to speak with you,” he lowered his voice. “Is there somewhere we may speak privately?”
Rhys shrugged. “This is probably as good a place as any. There are people in the tavern that could overhear a conversation.”