“I didn’t think you could do it, Willow, although I had hoped so.”
As soon as they returned to the castle, Willow hurried up to her room to clean up. Conrad was right on her tail.
“Willow, slow down. I want to talk to you.”
“I have nothing to say.”
“The competition resumes in an hour. I have to get out to the field and don’t want to leave you this way.”
“I’ll be fine, Conrad.” She stopped at her door. “Don’t worry about what I do.”
“You’ll be at the archery even as well as the joust, won’t you? You said you’d watch over Hazel, so I’m hoping you will bring her with you.”
“Your sister is four and ten years of age and doesn’t need someone to watch over her. What she needs is a brother to let her know he cares.”
“That’s silly. Of course, Hazel knows.”
“What do I know?” Hazel came down the corridor to join them.
“Never mind,” said Conrad. “I was talking with Willow.”
“Conrad, were you talking about me?” Hazel asked meekly.
“Come, Hazel. We need to prepare for the competition, and your brother needs to go.” Willow took Hazel’s hand and pulled her into the room, slamming the door in Conrad’s face.
“Sometimes your brother can be a real –” Willow stopped in midsentence, not wanting to upset Hazel. The competitions started in one hour. She had a lot of work to do beforehand. “Hazel, I need you to meet me down in the lists in an hour.” Willow went over to the washbasin and started to clean up.
“But I thought you said we were going together.”
“We will be there together. However, first I have something I need to do.” Willow went to change her clothes. That is when she noticed that her heart brooch was missing. She looked on the floor and on her dresser but didn’t see it anywhere. “Oh, no! I think I lost my brooch. I don’t have time to look for it.” She hurriedly dressed and changed her shoes, running for the door. “Hazel, you’ll be all right without me, won’t you?”
“I – I suppose so.”
“Remember, meet me down at the lists in an hour.” She opened the door and just about banged into Lord Bedivere – just the man she wanted to see.
“My lady, do slow down or you will risk the chance of running someone over,” said the man.
“Lord Bedivere, how are you?” She looked back over her shoulder to see Hazel watching her. She didn’t want her to tell Conrad she was talking with Bedivere. She closed the door and hooked her hand onto his arm.
“What’s this?” asked Bedivere with a chuckle. “I thought you’d be with Sir Lochwood.” His eyes roamed down to her hand. She only had a short time to find out if he was the one to steal the ruby. She needed to get into his room, and she had to do it quickly. Once the competition started, it would be too late. The winners would choose their wives, and she wouldn’t have the opportunity to talk to the men alone again.
“Sir Conrad has already left for the competition. I was hoping you could escort me there.”
“I’d be delighted to, but what about Lady Hazel?”
“She’s – she’s not going,” she lied. “Not feeling well again.”
“The woman seems to be sickly.”
“Enough about her, now tell me more about you.” They headed down the corridor. Bedivere had a smile plastered on his face.
“Lord Bedivere, there you are.” Branton hurried down the corridor to meet them.
“What is it, Page?” asked Bedivere.
“Lord Beaufort sent me to get you. It seems he has misplaced his signet ring. Since he and you were drinking in the great hall the last time he saw it, he wanted to know if perhaps he dropped it and you found it.”
“Nay, I didn’t,” said Bedivere. “It seems my jeweled dagger has gone missing as well. I just came from my room and cannot find it anywhere.”
“Then the thief has stolen more than just Earl Alnwick’s ruby,” said Willow, thinking of her heart brooch missing, too. She didn’t remember taking it off, so it was either stolen or perhaps came unclasped, and she lost it in travel. It broke her heart to no longer have it and she hoped to have time to look for it later.
“Lord Bedivere, perhaps you should go help Lord Beaufort look for the ring,” said Willow, trying to get him to leave. “After all, if it slid off his finger and into the rushes, you would be the one to spot it. You don’t miss a thing, do you?” She added a smile and batted her eyes, trying to compliment the man. Her trick worked when he stood up straight and nodded.
“Aye, I suppose if anyone can find it, it would be me. I might have left my dagger there as well.”
“I’m sure that’s what it is. I will meet you in the lists if you like. Since you no longer need to compete, we can watch the games together. Mayhap we will get a chance to know each other better.”
“I would like that,” he said, bowing. “Until later, my lady.”
As soon as the men left, Willow hurried to the solar where Lord Bedivere was staying. To her relief, the door was not locked. She scanned the corridor quickly, and when she was sure no one was watching her, she slid inside the room and closed the door. She had work to do.
“Toby, are Willow and Hazel in the lists yet?” Conrad prepared for the archery competition, feeling less than confident since this wasn’t one of his stronger events. His strength was the joust that would be the last competition of the day.
“Nay, I don’t see them.” Toby stretched his neck and held his hand up to his eyes to block the sun.
“I don’t like this. Something is wrong.” Conrad paced back and forth.
“Give them time, my lord. I’m sure they’ll be here.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Lochwood, you’re up,” said Sir George. “Let’s see you beat my score.”
With Conrad’s first few shots, he managed to do well. But when he saw Hazel from his peripheral vision and Willow wasn’t with her, it distracted him. He missed the target altogether on the last shot. “Damn,” he spat as the crowd cheered for Sir George who had won the archery competition. Conrad threw down his bow and stormed over to the lists with Toby on his heels.
“Hazel, where is Willow?” growled Conrad. “She was supposed to be here with you.”
“I don’t know,” said Hazel, holding her hands in front of her and staring at the ground. “She told me to meet her here right after she left with Sir Bedivere.”
“She’s with Bedivere?” he snapped, not wanting to hear this.
“I don’t know,” said Hazel softly.
“That’s it. I’m putting an end to this right now. Toby, stay with Hazel until I return.” He started to walk away.
“But my lord, the joust is starting soon, and you cannot miss it.”
“I’ll be here, mark my words. And I promise, Willow will be here with me.
Willow searched through Sir Bedivere’s things, going quickly so she could get down to the archery competition before Conrad realized she was missing. She rummaged through his trunk and then lifted up his mattress and gasped at what she saw.
At least a dozen knives, daggers and even a few swords were hidden under the pallet. Some had curved handles, some had two-toned hilts, and one sword had a wooden hilt with at least ten notches carved into the handle.
“He’s an assassin,” she said aloud, shocked by what she saw. Only a man hired to kill would own so many different blades.
“Well, I see my secret is out.”
She dropped the pallet and spun around to see Bedivere standing in the doorway. He walked in and closed the door behind him.
“Lord Bedivere,” she said, terrified to see him there. “I thought you went down to the great hall to meet Lord Beaufort.”
“I was on my way when I looked over my shoulder to see you sneaking into my room.” He stalked toward her looking very dangerous. “Why are you in here, Lady Willow?”
“I – I –” She had to think up something fast or risk gett
ing her throat slit. Not wanting to do it, she reverted to the only skill she had. “I was hoping you’d notice I came in here. I wanted to spend some time alone with you before you chose your wife.”
“So you weren’t trying to steal from me?” he asked, sounding as if he didn’t believe her.
“Steal from you?” She laughed and held her hand to her chest. “Of course not. I don’t want to admit it, but since you caught me, I have no choice.”
“Continue,” he said, stopping right in front of her. Never had she felt so frightened in all her life. Here she was alone with an assassin, and no one knew she was here. There was so much commotion from the competition outside that even if she ran to the window and screamed, no one would hear her.
“I was here to seduce you,” she blurted out, holding her breath and waiting to see his reaction. The stern look on his face disappeared and was replaced with a smile.
“Seduce me? Why would you do that?”
“Because I want you to choose me for your bride.” It pained her to say this and nauseated her at the same time. Bedivere was the last person in the world she’d marry. She would be a nun before she was stuck with the likes of him.
“And what were you doing looking under my mattress?” he asked.
“I sat on the bed to wait for you.” She tried to hide the fear in her voice. “That’s when I thought I felt something sharp beneath me. Why do you have so many weapons under your mattress?”
“You were right when you said I am a hired assassin,” he told her. “I had to hide the weapons there when the guards were searching for the earl’s ruby. No one knows of my secret profession, and I can’t let anyone spill the secret. Do you understand?”
He stepped closer and put his hands on her shoulders.
“Are you going to hurt me?” she asked.
“Nay. I don’t kill women, only men. However, if you tell any man, I will have to kill him because I cannot let the secret out that I work for the crown.”
“The king?” she asked in astonishment. “My cousin, Richard, hires you to kill? How could he?”
“I look out for him and fend off those who plot to kill him. I am his guardian in a way, the same as Lord Beaufort or Lord Lochwood are to you.”
“I see,” she said, trying to still her breathing. “Of course, I won’t tell a soul.”
She saw him staring at her lips and anticipated his next move, although she was powerless to stop him. He bent over and kissed her hard, forcing himself on her.
She put her hands up to his shoulders to push him away just as the door banged open and someone started shouting.
“Take your bloody hands off of her, Bedivere or I’m going to kill you, I swear I will.” Conrad stood in the doorway breathing heavily as if he’d run up the stairs. With his sword gripped tightly in his hand, his jaw stayed clenched, and a vein throbbed at the side of his neck as he slowly moved forward.
“Conrad!” she cried, pushing away from Bedivere and taking a step away from him.
“Willow, what the hell is going on here?” asked Conrad.
“She came to seduce me, Lochwood. Didn’t you, my lady?” asked Bedivere. With his head turned so Conrad couldn’t see him, his eyes darted to the bed in a silent warning. If Willow said anything to Conrad that the man was an assassin, Bedivere would kill him. Besides, if he was working for Richard, she couldn’t say anything because that might put her cousin at risk. Nay, she had no choice. She needed to stay quiet.
“I think, perhaps, it is time we head to the joust now.” Willow hurried across the room and stopped beside Conrad.
“I’m not leaving before I give Bedivere a piece of my mind,” Conrad told her.
“Conrad, it’s fine. Now, let’s go.” She pulled at his arm, trying to get him to the door.
“Willow, what’s this all about?”
“It’s nothing, now come on.” She pulled Conrad out into the corridor and all but dragged him down the hall.
“Were you really seducing him?” asked Conrad, sheathing his sword as they walked.
“Aye,” she said, not breaking the pace.
“What?” He grabbed her arm to stop her. “How could you, Willow? You swore to me you weren’t that way.”
“I had to do something when he found me searching his room for the ruby,” she whispered, looking back to make sure Bedivere wasn’t listening.
“Oh. Did you find anything?” he asked.
She did, but could never tell him. Never would she endanger Conrad or anyone else’s life by telling them Bedivere’s secret. God’s eyes, she wished now she had never gone into his room to begin with. She was finding out secrets of too many people that she wished she didn’t know.
“I found out that I would never, ever consider marrying the man. Now, if we don’t hurry, you are going to miss the joust. Did you win the archery competition?” she asked, hoping he had.
“Nay,” he said, gritting his teeth and shaking his head. “I was too distracted by your absence to concentrate. Sir George was the winner.”
“Then we’d better hurry. You only have one more chance to win and choose a wife.”
“I know that. You don’t need to remind me.”
As they made their way to the tiltyard, Willow’s stomach churned. What if Conrad didn’t win the joust? And what if he did? She had been granted the ability to agree or disagree with any proposals of marriage. However, she was not sure if Conrad won if he would choose her or if he’d choose Lady Anabel or Lady Grace instead. If he chose one of them over her, she didn’t think she could accept it. Conrad was the only man she wanted to wed and if she couldn’t have him . . . she didn’t want anyone at all.
Chapter 15
Willow watched in anticipation from the lists as Conrad prepared himself for the joust. It was down to two men now, and only one of them would win. Sir Chester was fierce with the lance, but Hazel had told her that this was Conrad’s best and favorite event.
“Do you think he’ll win?” Willow asked Hazel. Her fingers gripped the rail so tightly that they turned white.
“I hope not,” said Hazel in a soft voice.
“What?” Willow turned and stared at the girl in confusion. “Why would you say that about your own brother?”
“I’m sorry,” said Hazel, hanging her head as usual.
“Hazel, tell me why you said that. It’s all right, I won’t get angry.” She covered Hazel’s hand with hers. “Why don’t you want your brother to win the joust?”
It took some coaxing, but finally Hazel told her. “I don’t want Conrad to marry.”
“You don’t?” Willow asked. “Why not? Your brother needs to marry. You must understand that. Every knight wants to have sons and heirs. This is important to him, especially since you have such a small family.”
“I like it small,” she said, still staring at the ground.
Willow’s eyes narrowed as she started to understand why the girl said this. “You are afraid to be alone, aren’t you? You think if Conrad takes a wife, he won’t want you around.”
“It’s true.”
“Nay, it’s not! I am sure that whoever your brother marries will accept you with open arms. You need to believe that.”
“I’m not well, Willow, and I know that. Conrad said he can’t care for me. He will send me to an abbey if he marries. He might send me there either way.”
“I’ll not hear another word,” said Willow. “Any woman who marries your brother will accept you and want you to live with her.”
“Would you?”
That question took Willow by surprise. She didn’t know how to answer. After all, Conrad had already pointed out that Hazel needed care that he couldn’t give her. While Willow didn’t understand what was wrong with the girl, she knew she was not the person who could help her either.
“I didn’t think so,” said Hazel with tears in her eyes.
Willow couldn’t stand to see the girl so upset. She also didn’t like the fact that Hazel felt so alone. Something
inside changed and Willow realized that sometimes others’ needs were more important than her own. “Yes,” she answered, feeling good about her decision. “If I were Conrad’s wife, I would take you in with loving arms and never turn you away. You would live with us forever, Hazel, and never have to feel unwanted or alone ever again.”
“Then I want Conrad to win, and I want you to marry him. Thank you, Willow. I feel as if you are my friend.” She threw herself into Willow’s arms. Willow hugged her to her bosom, feeling like she made the right choice. It felt good to think about someone else’s needs. However, she couldn’t help but wonder if Conrad would choose her as his bride if he did win.
The crowd cheered. Willow looked up to see Sir Chester with his broken lance held high over his head. He was awarded a point. Conrad rode back to his squire shaking his head.
“Oh, no. That’s not good,” Willow told Hazel.
“Conrad, you have to win!” Hazel called out. Conrad turned around and looked over at the lists, having heard her. Willow smiled and waggled her fingers at him. He nodded and turned back to his squire.
“Was that Hazel yelling out?” asked Toby, handing Conrad a new lance. Conrad raised the visor on his helm and peered over at the crowd. “Aye, I think so. And Willow is waving at me.”
“Hello,” Toby called out, raising his hand in the air and waving back.
“Enough with the distractions.” Conrad secured his shield and slapped the visor down on his helm. Then he took the lance from Toby and held the tip in the air. “I’ve got to concentrate. This event is my last chance to keep the other men from marrying Willow.”
“But she won’t marry any of them even if they choose her. That is, if she decides she doesn’t want them. She’s been granted that right,” Toby reminded him.
“I know that, Squire. What I don’t know is if she would turn any of them away.”
“You’ll win, Sir Conrad, I’m sure you will. And then you can claim Lady Willow as your bride.”
“Perhaps,” he said, no longer sure if marrying her was what he wanted. Willow was a girl who demanded the attention of every man she met. Would she ever change, or would her looks always be the most important thing to her? And would he be able to trust her? The marshal swiped the flag through the air. Conrad gripped the lance tightly as he moved toward his opponent. “Yah!” he called out to the horse, trying to focus on naught else but hitting Sir Chester’s shield.
Seductive Secrets (Secrets of the Heart Series Book 2) Page 15
