Finn nodded but rushed to the shelf. “He dropped me off in the Western Past.”
Conrad’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “That’s over a day away.”
He ran his hand across the shelf, searching. “Sir John gave me a ride back. Otherwise, I would not have arrived until after the contest.” His hand swept over barren wood.
“We should tell Lord Walter. Kage can’t get away with this.”
Finn’s stomach twisted into knots as a wave of absolute dread washed over him. “It’s gone.”
Conrad furrowed his brow in confusion, then slowly followed Finn’s gaze and muttered, “What’s gone?”
“The horse. My horse. The one I was going to gift to Ari.” Finn spun, his eyes darting before settling on Conrad. His fists clenched in fury, and he gritted his teeth. “Kage,” he growled, the name sounding like a curse word. “He took it to win. Ari will think I entered the contest. If she picks the horse, she’ll have to marry Kage.” Fear ate away at the sanity in Finn’s mind, but he stubbornly pushed it aside.
Conrad backed to the door. “I’ll tell Lord Walter.”
Finn shook his head. “That won’t stop Kage. He’ll make up some lie.”
“Deceitful rogue,” Conrad mumbled. “Then I’ll tell Ari.”
Finn nodded somberly. She had to know. But what if she didn’t believe Conrad? He feared the truth would be swallowed by Kage’s lies and desperate manipulations. His heart raced with dread at the thought of not being able to reach Ari in time.
Conrad paused at the door. “Finn, the contest is after the evening meal tonight.”
Finn desperately searched for an answer. He knew Kage would enter the contest with his horse, and the thought sickened him. All that work for Ari, only to be stolen away from him. Tainted. The thought made him seethe with anger. He shook his head. He couldn’t think of that now. He turned and picked up a pair of prongs. “I’ll create something else. Something Ari will choose over the horse.”
“Finn,” Conrad said sympathetically. “You worked on that horse for two years. How can you make something better in one day?”
“I can do this. Ihaveto do this.” With that realization came resolve and determination. He would fight for her. He knew her better than anyone—loved her more. She belonged with him. “I can’t let any other man win this contest. It has to be me.”
A weight was lifted off his shoulders with his resolve to win her. He was confident he could build something for her that would win the contest, her heart, and her forgiveness.
Chapter Nine
When the sun was overhead, Ari watched as a newborn foal fed from its mother in the stables. A strange mix of emotions swirled within her. On the one hand, she was so happy this baby was healthy and strong. But on the other, her mind was cast back to when she was young, watching with Finn beside her as a dead colt was pulled from its mother. She could still remember the sorrow and loss that day, and now the same feelings surged through her body but for a different reason.
She shook her head and gritted her teeth. Did all her memories have to be tied to Finn? No matter how hard she tried, she could not make the aching she felt for him disappear. During those two years she had been away from home, his memory had kept her company through that lonely time. The thought of seeing him again had been the only thing that comforted her. It made her continue because she knew each moment was a moment closer to seeing him again.
Now, he was no longer that encouragement. She loved him so much, but he did not feel the same. She would continue, just as the horse that lost her foal had. Yet this time, she felt no joy or excitement for what the future held.
She was nervous as the contest drew near. Her suitors had stopped hounding her, and she believed they were preparing their gifts. Instead of spending this time with Finn, she found herself alone.
She turned away from the horses and spotted Sir William standing near the entrance. Strangely, she had seen him numerous times since she broke her fast. Suspicion churned in her stomach, and she walked up to him where he lounged against the wall of the stables.
“Sir William,” she greeted.
“Lady Arianna,” he replied with a nod. His brown hair was fashioned in a bowl-cut manner. His jaw was clean-shaven, which accented his hooked nose.
“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be on watch?” Ari asked.
“I’m checking on the horses.”
She narrowed her eyes slightly. “You haven’t been inside the stables.”
“Yes. Well.” He rubbed the back of his neck as his gaze dropped to the ground. “I can see them from here.”
She crossed her arms. “Did my father tell you to follow me?”
His eyebrows rose in surprise, and he sucked in his lips. “Why would you think that?”
