AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 7
“This garden is beautiful,” exclaimed Hazel, slipping off her horse and heading toward the beds of overgrown flowers and weeds.
Willow wanted to share her secret place with Hazel so the girl would feel special. It was evident that she had a low self-image since she usually remained as quiet as a mouse and blended in with the wall. Even when she did talk, she kept her eyes focused on the ground.
At first, Willow wanted nothing to do with Hazel, but now she changed her mind. Undoubtedly, Hazel was pathetic, and that made her a challenge to work with. However, Willow liked challenges. She also secretly always wanted a sister. Being the only girl in the family made her feel lonely. She had her cousins, and they were close to her like sisters would be, but they weren’t here now. She fancied the idea of having another girl to talk with.
Being taken away from Naward Castle and her family at only the age of eight made her feel unwanted and invisible, just like Hazel. She knew what the girl was going through, and wanted to help her. Perhaps Willow’s skills with people as well as with words could be beneficial in this situation.
“This is the secret garden of Imanie,” Willow told her, tethering their horses and walking through the tall grass to join her.
“Imanie?” Hazel scanned the garden. “Is that her house?”
“Was,” Willow corrected her. “Imanie was a mentor to me as well as my cousins, Maira and Fia.”
“Where is Imanie now?”
“Right there.” Willow pointed to the grave.
“Oh, no.” Hazel held her hand over her mouth and made her way to the gravesite, falling to her knees. “It’s so overgrown, I can barely see her grave marker.” Hazel started pulling up weed after weed.
“Nay. What are you doing?” asked Willow, taking Hazel’s hand and dragging her to her feet.
“Doesn’t anyone care for the grounds now that’s she’s dead?” asked Hazel.
Willow surveyed the unkempt garden and shrugged. “Nay, I suppose not.”
“Why don’t you do it?”
“Me?” Willow laughed and brushed back a stray lock of hair. “Don’t be silly. Gardening is a chore for servants, not noblewomen.”
“I thought Imanie meant something to you.”
“She did.” Willow fingered Imanie’s bracelet around her wrist.
“Then why don’t you show her some respect by keeping up her garden now that she’s gone?” Once again, Hazel dropped to her knees and started pulling weeds.
“Hazel, you are a noblewoman and shouldn’t be doing this. Now get up.”
“I will not.” More tears flowed from her eyes as she pulled weeds faster and faster. “I lost my mother recently and wasn’t even allowed to mourn her death before my brother dragged me away.”
“I’m sure he did it for your own good.”
“Did he?” She stopped pulling weeds and looked up. Anger showed in her eyes. “He came to Rothbury to leave me with Lord Beaufort, but even the earl doesn’t want me. I’ll end up in a nunnery someday because no one wants me near them.”
“That’s not true, now stop talking that way.”
“Do you want me here?” asked Hazel, putting Willow on the spot. Willow hesitated, not sure how to answer.
“Mayhap I didn’t at first, but now I don’t mind the idea as much,” she admitted.
“You don’t want me, just say it.” The girl put her face in her hands, trying to hide away from the world.
“Willow? Hazel? Are you here?”
Willow turned to see Branton entering the garden on horseback with Conrad and Toby right behind him.
“Branton, why did you bring them here?” she spat. “You know this is a secret place.”
