“I’m not feeling well, that’s all.” Hazel walked over to the window and peered out.
It about broke Willow’s heart that the girl was so glum. Conrad didn’t seem to notice. He kept busy practicing for the competitions that started on the morrow. Tonight was the festival of light. Lanterns and torches would be lit in the castle courtyard, outside the castle gate and even on the path leading through the woods. There would be a giant bonfire constructed just outside the castle for everyone to enjoy. Strolling musicians would play music, and the visitors would dance out in the elements as they drank wine, whisky, and ale.
Vendors from many towns would be here today as well as late into the evening. This was going to be a huge celebration and one she didn’t want to miss.
“How about if you and I choose what we’ll wear for the festival tonight?” Willow tried her best to cheer up Hazel. “Where are all your clothes?”
“I only brought with me what’s in my trunk.” Hazel pointed to a trunk in the corner that Willow forgot was even there.
“I’m sure we’ll find something in here that will make you feel beautiful.” She walked across the room and flipped open the lid.
“Nay, please don’t look at my things.”
The girl was even shyer than Willow had thought. Either that or she was embarrassed, and Willow could see why. As she dug through the gowns and shoes, everything was so ugly that Willow wouldn’t be caught dead wearing any of it. It only took a quick perusal of her things to realize this wasn’t going to work. “Where are all your good gowns? The ones you wear for dances and on special occasions? Did you leave them back at your castle?”
“You mean the manor house,” she said. “And no, I don’t go to dances or attend special occasions, so there is no need for me to have fine gowns like you have.”
“Conrad doesn’t have a castle?” This surprised her more than the fact that Conrad never bought his sister a beautiful gown. Willow had thought he’d have a castle and was disappointed to hear that he only had a small manor house after all.
“My family is not rich like you, Willow.”
“Oh,” she said, not knowing how it felt to be poor. She always had everything she needed living with the earl. Even when she was a child, her father made sure to spoil her.
“Those are all the gowns I have.”
Willow pitied Hazel. After all, every woman needed to have nice things. She had the feeling that Hazel had never known that and nor would she know it in this lifetime. Living with the earl, and being the granddaughter of a king, Willow had always been taken care of, even though her father was naught but the king’s bastard. Well, she decided, someone needed to take care of Hazel, too. She had no parents, and her only brother didn’t seem to watch over her half as much as he did Willow. She slammed down the lid and stood up, brushing off her hands.
“If you don’t have anything appropriate to wear to the festival tonight, then we’ll find you one of my gowns to wear instead. I think we probably wear the same size.”
Willow grabbed Hazel’s hand and pulled her to the adjoining wardrobe. It was a small room attached to her bedchamber where she kept her clothes and other personal items. After lighting a beeswax candle, she led Hazel inside.
“What’s this?” asked Hazel, stopping in the doorway and taking in her surroundings. “There are so many gowns and shoes that this must be where all the ladies of the castle keep their clothes.”
“Nay, these belong to just me.” Willow walked over and pushed a few of her hanging gowns aside, choosing one that was pretty, but not too ornate for the girl to wear. After all, Willow wanted to look the best at the festival. She didn’t want anyone to outshine her even though Hazel could never do that. “We’ll try this one,” she said, holding it up in the air to show the girl.
“That one?” Hazel reached out and touched it lightly. “It’s such a bright color.”
“It’s dark green,” Willow told her. “There’s nothing bright about it. Besides, you want everyone to notice you so this will help you stand out.”
“I’m not sure that my brother would approve of it. The bodice is so . . . low.”
“Nonsense. It’s not low at all.” Willow held the gown up in front of her to show Hazel. The bodice did show some cleavage but wasn’t nearly as low as many of her other gowns. “You’re just used to having a gown that is up to your neck, that’s all. I’m surprised you can breathe at all since your clothes look so restricting. Now believe me when I say it’ll get you noticed and make you feel pretty as well. Try it on.”
“I’m not sure,” said Hazel, her eyes fastened to the gown. Willow could see the way her eyes lit up with excitement and awe when she looked at it. She could also see that Hazel was afraid of what Conrad would say.
“I’ll make sure to talk to Conrad, so don’t worry about him. He’ll agree with it,” she tried to reassure her.
“Do you really think so?”
“There isn’t a man yet I haven’t been able to convince of anything. Aye, I’m sure.”
“All right then.”
Willow took it as a challenge to make Hazel into the lady she was meant to be. When she got done with Conrad’s sister, no man would ever ignore her again.
Conrad paced back and forth in the courtyard, waiting for Willow and Hazel to join him. Being the girl’s guardian was proving to be much more of a chore than he thought it would be. Lord Beaufort kept him busy practicing, drinking, and talking with the men for much of his time. Conrad couldn’t deny the earl his request since he was the host of the festival. But because of it, he wasn’t watching Willow the way he should be. He also hadn’t seen much of Hazel lately, and that bothered him. Hazel was so shy that she was spending most of her time in Willow’s chamber hidden away. She wasn’t a typical girl and had many problems. She often acted in ways that could prove to be troublesome. Conrad couldn’t wait for Lord Rook to return, to serve as the girl’s guardian and mentor. Perhaps the man’s wife would be able to bring his sister out of her shell and get to the root of her problems.
“I cannot believe it is taking them this long to change their clothes,” Conrad complained to his squire. “Mayhap, I should go up there and drag them down here myself. It’s already nightfall. The festival of lights is starting.”
The courtyard was filled with people from nobles to servants and even merchants and serfs. Tonight was the part of the festival where everyone stayed up till the wee hours of the morning, celebrating, dancing, eating, drinking, and making merry. It was also the time when the competitors could get to know the prize brides and decide which one they wanted to compete for to win her hand in marriage. The bonfire would take place outside the castle gates but far enough away from the travelers’ tents that were pitched, lining the area just outside the castle.
“Lochwood, have an ale with us. You look uptight,” said Lord Beaufort. He and Earl Alnwick approached with tankards of ale in their hands. Pie vendors, alewives, jugglers and merchants from town filled the area. Small children chased after a barking dog while nobles tossed coins to some of the children or beggars outside the gate.
“Two pies for a penny,” said an old woman with a tray of small fruit pies that were only the size of one’s hand. She picked up a bilberry pie and held it in front of Conrad’s nose. The fruity aroma wafted up making him salivate.
It smelled delicious and was one of his favorite things to eat, but he needed to look for Willow and stay at her side. He needed to focus. “Nay,” he said, dismissing her with a wave of his hand.
A group of men, mostly nobles and knights, caused a ruckus just outside the keep. Conrad couldn’t see what was going on, but the men were all crowding around in a circle. They were becoming rowdy, and he wasn’t sure a rumble wouldn’t start soon.
“If you’ll excuse me,” he said to the earls. “I need to find Lady Willow.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to look too far,” Toby told him, stretching his neck to see over the crowd of people.
&nb
sp; “What do you mean?” he asked.
“Look.” Toby pointed to the group of discordant men. Conrad glanced over at the men. His mouth dropped open. As the group parted, Willow emerged from the center. She wore a burgundy gown that clung to the sensuous curves of her body, leaving little to the imagination. Her hair was loose and hung down around her shoulders, looking shiny in the firelight of the torches. Queen Philippa’s crown was balanced precariously on her head, the jewels winking as she strolled across the courtyard laughing and talking in a singsong voice. The men followed her around like puppies.
“Willow,” he said in a low voice, not liking what he saw. Her bodice showed cleavage that he could see all the way from across the courtyard in the dark. It was like a beacon signaling every man there as if she were advertising her wares. “Nay you don’t,” he growled, storming across the courtyard, ready to wring her neck. “Lady Willow, I’d have a word with you.”
She looked up; her big, brown eyes drawing him in like a moth to a flame. The firelight of all the torches lining the area made her skin glow. She was the shining vision of loveliness, and he couldn’t deny it.
“Why, there you are, Sir Conrad,” she said in a sweet voice – too sweet of a voice that he was sure wasn’t meant for him. “We were looking for you.”
“We?” He didn’t understand who she meant until Willow walked back into the crowd of men and pulled someone along with her. “Don’t be shy, Hazel.”
“Hazel?” If Conrad wasn’t shocked by what he’d already seen, he most certainly was now.
His sister, Hazel, emerged from the crowd of men, holding Willow’s hand. For a minute, he didn’t think it was really his sister because he almost didn’t recognize her.
“Hello, Conrad.” Hazel’s voice was soft. She looked up meekly but kept her face turned toward the ground. She wore a flowing green gown with her breasts trussed up like a Christmas goose. Her hair was loose like a strumpet’s and blowing in the wind. No wimple covered her head, leaving her exposed to the elements and the eyes of every man there. And around her neck was a jeweled bauble that reminded him of a dog’s collar. She lifted her hand in a small wave, the bracelets around her wrist jangling as she did so. She wore a ring on almost every finger, and her nails even seemed to shine.
“Hazel!” he spat, pushing through the crowd, grabbing his sister’s arm and pulling her toward him. “Get away from them. And why are you dressed like a bloody gypsy?”
“What are you doing, Lochwood?” asked Sir George. “We were just getting to know Lady Hazel.”
“When did she arrive?” asked Sir Bedivere, stretching his neck to see her, collecting two goblets of wine off a server’s tray and handing one of them to Hazel. “Have some wine, Lady Hazel. I’d like to escort you to the festivities tonight.”
“She’d like that,” said Willow with a nod, speaking for the girl. “Wouldn’t you, Lady Hazel?”
“Well I . . .”
“Nay, she wouldn’t!” Conrad interrupted. “The only place you will be escorted, dear sister, is back to the bedchamber to change into more appropriate clothes.”
“Conrad.” Willow pulled him to the side. “Let her have some fun. She’s being noticed for the first time in her life.”
“Aye, but for all the wrong reasons. Let’s go, Hazel.” He held on to her arm, starting back to the keep. But Willow’s voice from behind him made him stop in his tracks.
“I’ve had so many of you offer to escort me to the festivities tonight, that I might just have to close my eyes and point to one of you to make my choice.”
“Here, use this as a blindfold,” offered Sir Chester, pulling a cloth from his pocket. “Then you can choose fairly.”
Conrad groaned. If he took Hazel back to the bedchamber now, Willow would have gotten into trouble before he returned. Nay, he had to stay at her side since it is what he promised her father. “Toby, take Lady Hazel back to the keep and then escort her to the festival after she’s changed into proper attire.”
“Aye, my lord,” answered Toby.
“But I’m ready for the festival now,” said Hazel.
“Not looking like that you’re not!”
“Willow told me this would get me noticed.”
“Aye, and that is the problem. You don’t want to be noticed in that way.”
“I don’t understand.” Hazel held out her gown and looked down. “Don’t you like the gown? It’s one of Willow’s.”
He did like the gown, but not on his sister. Willow was proving to be a bad influence on the girl. This had to stop immediately.
“Hazel, I won’t tell you again. Go back to your chamber and change your clothes before you return to the festival.”
“You don’t care about me, Conrad. You don’t want me to enjoy myself,” wailed Hazel. “Well, don’t worry because I’m not returning to the festival at all.” She ran off before Conrad could reply. He took a step to go after her but stopped when he heard Willow giggle. Then half a dozen men laughed as well. This could only end up being trouble.
“See to my sister,” Conrad told his squire. “I’m going to attend to Lady Willow before she ends up in a bad place.”
“Aye, my lord.” Toby took off at a run.
Conrad turned back, making his way through the crowd.
“I’m going to spin around with my eyes closed and whoever I point to is the lucky man who will be my escort for the night.” With a blindfold over her eyes, Willow spun in a circle with her arm extended while all the men there cheered her on.
“Get out of my way,” Conrad snarled, pushing a few men to the side, stopping right in front of her.
“I choose . . . you,” said Willow, giggling as she made her decision. With her arm extended and finger pointed, she stopped and pulled off the blindfold.
“Congratulations, Lady Willow,” he told her with a sarcastic grin. “It seems I am to be your escort for the evening after all.”
Her smile turned to a frown very quickly when she realized she was pointing right at Conrad.
“Let me try again,” she said, raising the blindfold to her eyes.
“There is no need because I will make sure I am standing in front of you every time. Now conduct yourself like a lady and join me at the festival of lights.” He held out his arm and waited for her to take it. Willow dropped the blindfold to the ground and gripped her talons into his arm. She smiled at the rest of the men and nodded as they headed away.
As soon as they were out of earshot, she let him have it. “Do that again, and next time I’ll poke out your eyes with my pointing finger.” Her words held venom as the two of them made their way through the crowd, but the phony smile never left her face as she nodded at one nobleman after the next acknowledging all of them but him in a friendly manner. This was going to be one of the longest nights of his life.
Chapter 9
With Conrad’s arm around her shoulders to keep her warm, Willow anticipated watching the dancing flames of the bonfire happening now outside the castle’s gate. The nighttime festivities were starting, and Willow was anxious to be a part of it all. At first, she had hated the fact Conrad was her escort tonight. She didn’t think she would have a chance to talk to any of the single noblemen, but that proved to be wrong.
“Sir George,” said Conrad, holding a goblet of wine in one hand, and keeping his other arm around her shoulders as they strolled through the courtyard. A crowd of merchants had their tables set up along the wall of the keep. They had been selling their wares all day. As the sky grew dark, they lit torches and lanterns hoping to make more sales during the nighttime hours.
“Lochwood, I came over here to get acquainted with the bride-to-be.” Sir George bowed and reached out for Willow’s hand.
“Sir George, that is so kind of you.” Willow extended her arm, letting the man kiss the back of her hand. Conrad’s hold on her shoulders tightened in what she knew was a silent warning of saying he didn’t like the kiss and that it was lasting too long.
“That’s enough, Canterbury,” Conrad remarked, clearing his throat.
“What’s the matter, Lochwood? Jealous that I’m kissing your girl’s hand?” George chuckled.
“I’m not his girl,” Willow stated, wanting all the men to know she was still available to marry.
“Nay, I’m not jealous.” Conrad nodded to someone behind him. “It’s just that Ashington and Gaunt want their turns as well.”
Willow turned to see Sir Chester and Sir Bedivere approaching from the midst of the crowd.
“Ah, there you are, Sir Chester. I wondered where you’d disappeared to,” said Sir George.
“I’ve been busy this morning.” Sir Chester kissed Willow’s hand next. “Sir Bedivere, I waited for over an hour for you in the great hall, but you never showed.”
“Good evening, Lady Willow.” Sir Bedivere kissed her hand next. When he touched her, Willow cringed but didn’t pull away since it wouldn’t be polite. “I don’t know what you’re talking about Sir Chester, I was waiting at the mews for you,” Bedivere told him.
“We were supposed to meet in the great hall.”
“My mistake. I suppose I was too engrossed in talking with the Ladies Anabel and Grace and must have forgotten. I do think any of the three ladies would make fine wives. Don’t you think so, Lochwood?”
“Mmmph,” Conrad grunted, taking Willow’s arm and escorting her away toward the stable. “Excuse us, my lords, but Lady Willow and I are going for a ride.”
“We are?” Willow looked back over her shoulder at the other men as Conrad guided her to the stable. “It’s the middle of the festival and the dancing is about to start. Why on earth would we go for a ride now? After all, we won’t see much in the dark.”
“Come, Willow,” was all he said, helping her to mount his steed that wasn’t even saddled.
“Wait,” she said, as his hands encompassed her waist and he lifted her atop the horse. “This horse isn’t prepared for an outing.”
“It’ll be easier for the both of us to ride without the saddle.” He climbed up behind her and reached around her for the reins.
Seductive Secrets (Secrets of the Heart Series Book 2) Page 8
