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Chapter 4
“I’m sorry, my lord, but I’ll be leaving Rothbury anon and won’t be able to look after Willow after all.” Conrad stood in the stable telling Lord Rook, not at all sure why he decided to leave after he’d already accepted the man’s offer. Willow was the one who convinced him to do it. He’d never seen anything like it before. She had an uncanny power of persuasion. Before he knew what happened, she’d gotten him to agree to leave and proceeded to push him out the door.
“She paid you to leave, didn’t she?” asked Rook, peering down at Conrad from atop his horse. He frowned and his eyes narrowed. “How much did she give you?” Rook picked up his pouch and shook the coins inside. Rowen and Willow’s cousins were on the other side of the stable and looked up when they heard the jingling. “I’ll give you more. Price is no object. Just tell me how much you want.”
“Nay, my lord, you don’t understand,” said Conrad, raising his hands in the air. He felt as if he were caught in the middle of a challenging situation.
“Here. Take the whole damned bag of coins; I don’t care. Just please don’t leave her side until I return.” Rook tossed the bag to Conrad who instinctively caught it.
“Father, I came to say goodbye.” Willow’s singsong voice came from the door. Conrad spun on his heel to see her entering the stable. His squire and sister entered right behind her. “What are you doing?” she asked, making him feel like a scolded child. Her tone and the way she scowled at him made him feel as if he’d been caught doing something wrong. He followed her gaze down to his hands only to realize, to his horror, he held Rook’s pouch of coins, and it didn’t look good. “Why are you still here and what is that?” With a snap of her wrist, she pointed at the pouch.
“Lady Willow.” Conrad swallowed the lump in his throat. He couldn’t get over how pretty she was, even when she was angry. Even in childhood, Willow had been adorable. Her heart-shaped face was graced with the biggest, round, brown eyes he’d ever seen in his life. Everything about her was very feminine and perfect, from the way she stood and walked to the tilt of her chin that she raised ever so slightly in an intimidating manner.
“My father paid you to stay, didn’t he?” Willow’s eyes narrowed, just like her father’s.
“Nay, I didn’t take the money, although he offered.” Conrad reached out to hand the pouch back to Rook.
“I’ll not be outbid by my own daughter,” spat Rook. “Take the money, Lochwood. We had a deal.”
“You were supposed to be leaving,” said Willow, putting her hands on her hips.
“I can’t believe you let a woman outbid me,” came Rook’s reply.
“Stop it! All of you,” shouted Conrad. “I didn’t take money from either of you.”
“Conrad, what’s going on?” asked Hazel in a small voice from across the stable.
“Aye,” said Toby, glancing around the area. “Are we leaving or staying? I’m confused.”
Conrad looked first at Willow’s glaring eyes, and next his gaze traveled over to his sister. She seemed so frightened and insecure. Hazel’s grey eyes studied him anxiously. She needed guidance that he couldn’t give her. Then he looked over at Lord Rook who stared down at him from atop his horse. Conrad still held the bag of coins in his hand. He didn’t want the money. What he wanted was Lord Rook to be Hazel’s guardian. Rook’s wife, Calliope, was supposedly a kind-hearted woman who never turned away anyone in need. Yes, she could take his sister under her wing while Conrad looked for a wife and saw to things back in Scarborough.
“What’ll it be, Lochwood?” asked Rowen, leading his horse over to join them. Willow’s cousins were already mounted on their horses and headed over as well.
“Lochwood is staying in Rothbury to watch over Willow until my return,” announced Rook.
“Nay, Father. I will not have him dogging my heels everywhere I go,” complained Willow.
“You could always come with us to see Fia’s baby,” suggested Maira.
“Aye, my sister did request ye to come to the Highlands as well,” added Morag.
Conrad could see by the look on Willow’s face that she struggled with her decision. But if she went with them, the deal Lord Rook made with Conrad of being Hazel’s guardian would probably fall through. Hazel needed lots of care and attention. She had problems that Conrad didn’t know how to fix. That would take away from Conrad’s plan to find a wife to bring back to Scarborough. Nay, he couldn’t let Willow go to the Highlands with them. This was an opportunity he had to take.
“I’ll stay here with Willow, but I won’t take your money.” Conrad reached up and gave the pouch of coins back to Rook.
“Good,” said Rook, hooking the pouch at his side. “Willow, you will listen to Sir Conrad, and I don’t want to hear that you gave him any trouble while I was gone.”
“Father! How could you?” asked Willow in a huff.
“Come, girls, we have a long trip ahead of us.” Rook led the way with Rowen, Maira, and Morag following right behind him.
As soon as they left, Conrad turned to Willow. “Lady Willow, I would like you to meet my sister, Hazel.”
“Hello,” said Hazel, shyly, looking up with her eyes but not lifting her head.
“You’re his sister?” Willow looked at Conrad from the corners of her eyes.
“Your father said that Hazel will be sharing your chamber with you.” Conrad watched as Willow’s jaw tightened.
