“I don’t believe that’s the case at all,” said Conrad, watching Willow sweep across the courtyard, stopping to chat with several lords and knights along the way. She smiled and giggled and seemed like an entirely different person now. There was no sign of the angry girl who had left his side just moments ago. Willow could turn her emotions on and off at the drop of a gauntlet. Very interesting, indeed.
“My lord, she did seem cold to Hazel,” Toby pointed out.
“It’s me that she doesn’t like,” Conrad explained, holding on to the stable gate, still staring out the door. Willow flitted from one man to the next like a butterfly testing the nectar of each flower. To him, she was cold and cruel, but to these total strangers, she held all the warmth of the sun. “She doesn’t like me,” he repeated. “But I intend on changing all that very soon.”
“Earl Alnwick, is it true you are transporting a ruby the size of your palm to King Richard’s court?” Willow had managed to avoid Conrad during the meal, as well as his sister, Hazel. She wore her crown, one of her best gowns, and Imanie’s jewelry. Having stayed at her guardian’s side all evening, the earl, Lord Walter Beaufort, introduced her to all the nobles at the celebration. One by one, Willow had the chance to meet the earls, barons, knights, and lords. There were no other women besides the earl’s wife included, so she got all the attention. Willow always loved being the center of attention, and especially when handsome men were involved.
“My dear, that isn’t a proper thing to ask the earl,” Walter’s wife, Ernestine, scolded Willow.
True, Willow had pushed her luck asking such a question, but she had to know for sure. She had never seen a gemstone that large and wanted not only to see it, but also to hold it in her hand.
“Why, yes, it’s true,” said Earl Alnwick, his facial expression telling her that he was surprised she knew. “I am transporting a ruby, but I’m afraid to say it is more the size of my thumbnail than my palm,” chuckled Alnwick.
“Earl Alnwick, perhaps it isn’t a good idea to speak of the stone with so many ears listening,” warned Beaufort.
“I suppose you’re right,” answered Alnwick.
Willow didn’t want the conversation to end this way and had to do something fast to change Earl Alnwick’s mind, or she would never have a chance to lay her eyes on the gemstone.
“Oh, I’m certain Earl Alnwick has already considered this and has the gemstone well-guarded. Don’t you, Earl Alnwick?” Willow purposely used the man’s name twice and would use it a few more times before her conversation was finished. By complimenting the man and having him hear his name springing from the lips of a young, attractive girl, she was sure she could convince him to show it to her after all. “You are known to have the best guards in all of England and the most expensive and ornate secure chests in which you keep your jewels. Earl Alnwick, I am amazed that my cousin, King Richard, hasn’t asked you to join his court as one of his advisors by now. I am sure there is a lot you could teach him.”
Lord Beaufort let out a sigh and shook his head. “Lady Willow, I’m sure the earl doesn’t have time for small talk and would like to be seen to his chamber since he has been traveling today.” He raised his hand and snapped his fingers, calling over one of his pages. “Please escort the earl to his solar in the east wing.”
“Aye, my lord,” answered the boy.
“I had hoped to see the ruby and learn more about it,” Willow continued in one last attempt. “After all – Earl Alnwick – I only wanted to compliment my cousin, the king, on the expensive present you are bringing him. I will tell him myself that you would fit in nicely not just at court but also close to his side.”
“Really?” The earl perked up at hearing that, and his spine straightened. He stood a little taller.
“Lady Willow, that’s enough,” warned Beaufort, having learned of her power to persuade. After being in his care for nearly ten years, he grew wise to her ways. But even knowing what she was capable of doing, he still fell prey to her persuasion as well. It was because of her that she and her cousins were able to keep leaving the castle unescorted to meet in the queen’s secret garden.
“What’s this about a ruby?” Two men walked up to join them, having overheard the conversation. One was tall and very thin and the other short and stocky. Willow realized many people probably heard them. The room was so crowded with everyone coming for the festival that they were all bumping elbows.
“Lady Willow, have you met the Barons George of Canterbury and Chester of Ashington?” asked Beaufort.
“It’s my pleasure to meet you,” said Willow extending her arm. First, the stockier man, Chester, kissed her hand and then the tall one, George. They were both handsome and were sure to have land and money since they were barons.
“And I’m Sir Bedivere of Gaunt, my lady.”
Willow turned to find the dark-haired knight staring into her eyes. His gaze was mesmerizing. For a moment, she almost lost herself in his dark orbs. He had a mustache and partial beard that was neatly trimmed. He looked to be only a few years older than her. He bowed and took hold of her hand and kissed it – letting the kiss linger. Her heart fluttered. So many handsome men who were all nobles. She enjoyed every minute of it but needed to know if they were married.
“I’m pleased to meet all of you.” Willow nodded. “I would love to be introduced to your wives as well. Or didn’t you bring them along?” Willow scanned the room quickly and waited for their answers.
“Oh, nay, we’re not married,” said George, speaking for him and Chester.
“Neither am I,” said Bedivere, flashing her an enticing smile. “But I hope to change that soon.”
“My wife stayed back at Alnwick Castle,” the earl told her. “She insisted I could guard the ruby better if I didn’t have to watch over her, too.”
“Speaking of that . . .” To Willow’s dismay, Conrad pushed his way through the men, standing close to her.
“Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse Lady Willow, I need to escort her to her chamber anon.”
She straightened the crown on her head that had once been the crown of the late English queen, Philippa. Alnwick’s eyes roamed up to her head, and she smiled inwardly, knowing she’d caught his attention. That’s when she saw him nod and press his lips together. She was sure that meant he would show her the ruby once they left the great hall.
“Earl Alnwick, my chamber is next to yours,” said Willow. “Would you escort me on your way to your solar?” She smiled and tried to sound charming.
“Why, yes, I’d –”
“No need, but thank you,” said Conrad, taking her by the elbow and whisking her away. Willow struggled against his hold as he all but dragged her from the great hall.
“Let go of me!” she spat, trying to pry his fingers from her arm but he would not release her. He climbed the stairs to the second floor, making sure she was in front of him. “Didn’t you hear me? Release me anon.”
“Not until we get to your chamber.”
“I’m not going to my chamber. The dancing hasn’t even begun yet.”
“Dancing is out of the question unless you plan on dancing with another girl.”
“A girl?” The thought appalled her. “Of course not! I’m going to dance with every man here.”
“Not while I’m your guardian, you won’t.” He stopped outside her chamber door. “Your father instructed me to keep you away from the men until his return, and that is exactly what I’m going to do.”
“He’s not here, and you’re not my guardian, so leave me alone, Conrad the Cur.”
“Calling me names isn’t going to change the situation. Now, my sister, Hazel, is already inside your chamber waiting for you, so let’s hurry.” He knocked quickly on the door and opened it, guiding Willow through the entrance first.
When he turned to close the door, Willow saw Earl Alnwick walk by. She nodded, giving him a coy smile.
“Stop flirting with every man here.” Conrad slammed the door and stood gla
ring at her with his hands on his hips.
“I’m not flirting with every man, so don’t make it sound as if I’m a strumpet.”
“Name one man that you haven’t flirted with, and I’ll guarantee that you will try to do it before this festival is over.”
“You,” she said, smiling slightly. “I have not flirted with you and neither will I ever want to flirt with you since I despise you. So that ruins your theory.” She turned away from him.
Conrad somehow felt slighted that she said this about him. Not wanting to flirt with him was one thing, but did she really despise him? No man wanted a beautiful woman to hate him. That only made Conrad want to try harder to get her to change her mind.
“Conrad?” came a soft voice from the other side of the room. Conrad had almost forgotten that his sister was there since she was so quiet. Willow’s presence was domineering, flamboyant, and overwhelming. When she was in a room, all eyes were on her. Even Conrad had found himself drawn in by not only her physical beauty but by the way she spoke and acted. It was as if each word was calculated to serve a purpose. But, at the same time, the tone of her voice made it seem effortless and spontaneous . . . and innocent. But innocent was a word that Conrad would never associate with this girl.
“Hazel.” Conrad guided Willow with his hand on the small of her back as he headed toward his sister. Willow looked over her shoulder and then down his arm. Quickly, he removed his hold, feeling as if she didn’t want him touching her. After all, when a woman says she despises a man, the last thing on earth she would want is for him to make contact. “Hazel, I would like you to meet Lady Willow. You will be staying with her in her chamber during the duration of our visit. I’m sure you two will enjoy each other’s company.”
“Humph,” mumbled Willow, hurrying over to the window and throwing open the shutters. She leaned over the sill, trying to see the knights and lords in the courtyard down below. Conrad sighed and hurried after her.
“Hello,” she called out, waving to someone.
“That’s enough,” said Conrad reaching for her just as she turned around. He must have scared her because she jerked backward and lost her balance. He grabbed her with both hands and pulled her into his arms as she almost fell out the open window. “Be careful,” he said, his arms wrapping around her securely. She looked up at him and was so close that their faces almost touched. Her long, black lashes blinked more than normal, showing off her big, round, brown eyes. The girl’s skin was smooth like silk, and her wavy, dark tresses cascaded loosely over her shoulders. She didn’t wear her hair pulled back and tucked away beneath a wimple like a proper lady. He found himself liking the way it looked. “You could have fallen,” he said, staring at her full lips. They looked so moist and soft and as if they were in need of kissing.
“I – suppose so.”
When her focus shifted to his mouth, all sense left him. He became heady from the scent of lavender wafting up from her hair. She smelled fresh like a summer’s day after a light rain. She had him so mesmerized that he found himself longing to know how her lips tasted. It was almost as if he’d go crazy with want if he didn’t find out. Then, without thinking, he leaned over and brushed his lips gently against hers.
Excitement filled him at the contact and the taste of her sweet lips. It was like spring filled the autumn day, bringing with it a sense of rebirth.
The kiss lingered, and her head fell back as if she enjoyed it. When he pulled away, he noticed her eyes were closed.
“Conrad?” came Hazel’s voice from behind him. He jerked upright and dropped his hands to his sides. Then Willow’s eyes opened and just when he thought she was going to kiss him back, she slapped him instead!
“How dare you kiss me as if you had the right to?”
“Conrad?” Hazel spoke to him once again.
“Just a minute, Hazel,” he said, holding up his hand, not bothering to turn around to look at his sister. Instead, his gaze was fastened to Willow. “You wanted me to kiss you, just admit it. If not, you wouldn’t have been looking at my mouth.”
Willow’s brows arched high in surprise. “Why, Conrad the Cur, I see some things never change. You are no different than when I first met you when I was a child!”
“What?” He didn’t understand what that was supposed to mean.
“Conrad?” asked Hazel once again.
“What is it, Hazel?” He spun around with his hands in the air. His sister was at the door with a worried look on her face. In the open doorway stood not only Lord Beaufort, but also Earl Alnwick, the barons George and Chester, and Sir Bedivere. “My lords!” he said, abruptly moving away from Willow, feeling like a damned fool.
“What’s going on here, Lochwood?” growled Beaufort. “Lady Willow is my ward, and I don’t like what I just saw.”
“What did you see?” asked Conrad, dragging a hand through his hair. His back had been to the men, and he hoped they hadn’t actually seen the kiss.
“I saw Lady Willow slapping an honored and revered knight.”
“Y-you did?” he asked, not sure if he saw the kiss or not. It didn’t sound like it.
“Lady Willow, what do you have to say for yourself?” asked Beaufort.
“My lord.” Willow stepped forward, straightening her gown. “I had an excellent reason for slapping him. It was because he –”
“I had a mosquito on my face, and she smashed it,” said Conrad, stepping forward. “Was there something that you wanted, my lords?”
“Aye,” said Earl Alnwick. “Lady Willow’s words made sense to me. I’ve decided to show all of you the ruby.”
“I did that?” asked Willow, sounding surprised. “And you’re going to let all of us see it?”
“He is, my dear,” said Lord Beaufort. “Since you pointed out that the earl has the gem guarded securely, he decided to show the stone to some of us.”
“You, too, Lochwood,” said Earl Alnwick. “And I’m guessing that is the sister you spoke of, so bring her to my solar as well.”
“Aye, my lord,” said Conrad as the men headed down the corridor. Conrad turned back to the women. “Hazel, you’ll join us,” he said to his sister. Then he took Willow by the elbow and leaned over and whispered into her ear. “For a girl who calls me a cur and supposedly hates me, you sure seemed to like the kiss.”
“Get away from me or I’ll slap you again. And this time, the earl will know it wasn’t a bug.” She hurried through the door, not waiting for Conrad to escort her.
“Conrad, I tried to warn you they were here,” said Hazel in her ever-so-soft, timid voice.
“Well, next time something like this happens, do me a favor and stop me from kissing her in the first place.”
“Don’t you like her?” Hazel looked up curiously and waited. It was a question he didn’t know how to answer. He thought he despised Willow just as much as she did him. But now she had him all confused because all he wanted to do was kiss her again, even if he received a slap in return.
“Sometimes a man gets confused and does things without even knowing why he did them.”
“She doesn’t seem very friendly. Lady Willow hasn’t even spoken a word to me. I don’t think she likes me.”
“Don’t take it to heart, dear sister.” Conrad put his arm around Hazel’s shoulders and guided her out the door. “Lady Willow doesn’t seem to notice anyone unless they are a man.”
Chapter 5
Willow reached out and carefully plucked the ruby from the chest that the earl’s guard held out to her with two hands.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, reverently holding it up in the sunlight streaming in from the window. The light filtered through the red stone, being the prettiest thing she’d ever seen in her life.
“It’s the sister stone of the Regale Ruby that King Louis VII of France gave to England two centuries ago,” said the earl.
“How did you get it?” asked Conrad.
“Where do we find more of these?” asked Sir George with a chuckle.
“My grandfather made a shrewd deal years ago and passed it down to me,” said the earl.
“Why are you giving it to the king?” asked Bedivere. “I would think you’d want to keep it for yourself since it looks to be very expensive.”
“I will admit only to the people in this room that it is crucial I give the gemstone to the king.”
“What do you mean?” asked Willow.
“He probably means he has a purpose that is honorable and doesn’t include doing or saying things only to manipulate people and situations,” said Conrad, glaring at her.
Willow quickly turned away. She couldn’t look into Conrad’s eyes because if she did, she would want to kiss him again. What was the matter with her? She didn’t even like him. Did she? “Earl Alnwick, I am sure you will be getting something of value in return,” said Willow, ignoring Conrad’s comment altogether.
“Well, that is yet to be seen,” said the earl. “However, I hope to use it to save my castle. Ever since I found out King Richard has had his eye on this ruby for some time now, I thought it might keep him from giving my castle to John of Gaunt.”
“You’ve got a border castle, don’t you?” asked Conrad.
“I do. I had hoped to keep patrolling the borders and eventually make some alliances with the Scots. If John gets it, he plans on using it to start more battles. He holds no love of the Scots and would like nothing more than to kill them all.”
“Then it’s important that the king receives this ruby,” said Willow. “It is worth much more than a castle, don’t you think?”
“What price do you put on alliances that keep people from both sides from being killed?” asked the earl.
Willow decided the man was doing a very selfless thing. If it were her ruby, she would have a hard time handing it over for trade.
“May I?” Sir Bedivere reached out for the ruby, but the earl stopped her from giving it to him.
“I will take that back now,” said Earl Alnwick, collecting the ruby from Willow. “I only wanted the young lady to know what it feels like to hold an expensive jewel in her hand. After all, she is the cousin of the king.”
Seductive Secrets (Secrets of the Heart Series Book 2) Page 4