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‘You’d better try to keep him occupied and leave all the talking to me,’ Wulfram said quietly. ‘We don’t want him saying something he shouldn’t.’
I nodded and tightened my grip on Blaise’s hand as my brother led us inside.
The pub was a dark and dingy mess. Nothing like the sort of pubs you get nowadays, with their games machines, sound systems, gastropub menus and specials boards. It smelt strongly of fish and stale beer and was enough to turn my stomach. Then again, I remembered it had been dark and gloomy and definitely not to my taste even in my own time.
It was packed with loud and raucous people who, quite frankly, frightened the life out of me. I looked and felt out of place here. We were going to have to be very careful.
Blaise and I followed Wulfram as he pushed his way to the bar. Several heads turned in our direction and there were some nudges and sniggers. I wondered if women were supposed to be in here. There didn’t seem to be any other females in the inn.
‘What can I get you, sir?’ the barman asked, looking Wulfram up and down as if he couldn’t believe such well-dressed strangers had entered his establishment.
‘I was wondering if you had any rooms for the night,’ Wulfram said, sounding impressively businesslike and confident, despite his obvious exhaustion. ‘We’ll require two.’
‘Oh, will you?’ The barman frowned. ‘And who are you, might I ask?’
Hmm. He would never get a job in reception at the Premier Inn, I thought. Manners clearly weren’t his thing.
‘I’m—’ Wulfram hesitated, and I realised we hadn’t discussed the names we’d be travelling under. ‘I’m Lowen Ericson, and these are my friends, Mr and Mrs John Ford.’
He motioned to us, and I tried to look confident, too. A sideways glance at Blaise revealed that he, on the other hand, looked completely dazed.
‘He’s not sick is he?’ the landlord asked nervously.
‘No, no. Not sick. We’ve just had a long journey,’ I said hastily. ‘We’re very tired.’
‘Where have you come from then?’
Wulfram hesitated. ‘Cumbria.’
No, Wulfram!I remembered that Cumbria hadn’t existed back in 1673. Luckily, it seemed the translation spell had changed what he said, and the landlord had evidently heard the word Cumberland, as he merely nodded and said, ‘Ah, right. Long way to come, that. Business, is it?’
What did he want from us? Our names, dates of birth, national insurance numbers and dental records?
I don’t suppose they had the latter two in the seventeenth century, I thought. Luckily, Wulfram answered quite calmly and easily.
‘Bit of both,’ he said with a shrug. ‘So do you have any rooms, or should we look elsewhere?’
‘No need for that, sir,’ the landlord said amiably. ‘I do have two rooms as it happens. Mind you, they’re my best rooms, and it is short notice so I can’t let you have them for less than four shillings each. Of course, I’ll be happy to do you a spot of supper and breakfast in morning for that.’
‘That’s fine,’ Wulfram said, and I breathed an inward sigh of relief. I had no idea if he was ripping us off or giving us a bargain, but frankly I didn’t care.
‘In advance,’ our host added, somewhat cautiously.
Wulfram handed over some coins and he stared at them in delight. Clearly, he’d expected an argument. He beamed at my brother. ‘Would you like to dine downstairs or in your rooms, sir?’
It seemed he couldn’t do enough for us, now he realised we could pay. I stifled a smile.
‘If it’s all the same to you, I’ll dine with my friends in their room,’ Wulfram said. ‘We have business to discuss.’
Wow, go Wulfram!
‘As you wish, sir.’ The landlord bellowed over his shoulder. ‘Annie!’
A buxom woman with rosy cheeks appeared next to him.
‘Show this gentleman and his friends up to their rooms,’ the man said. ‘The two front rooms, Annie,’ he added, nodding furiously.
She looked impressed so I guessed that was a good thing.
