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As soon as the door closed, Willow ran to the corner and threw open a trunk and started digging through their belongings, hoping to find the ruby. In one trunk she was surprised to find needlepoint! She held up a cloth embroidered with colorful flowers, noticing Sir George’s initials on the bottom. She might have thought a lady had given it to him, but when she found more needlepoint that was in progress at the bottom of the trunk, she realized she had discovered an embarrassing secret.
She looked through Sir Chester’s trunk next, finding something she wished she hadn’t seen. Hidden beneath the man’s clothes were the clothes of a woman. She knew he didn’t come here with a lady, so there was no reason for him to be carrying the clothes. Then when she picked up a gown and saw it was large enough to fit a man, she realized Sir Chester had a secret life as well. Now, she wished she had never snooped at all because these were secrets she didn’t want to know.
* * *
Conrad closedthe solar door and stepped out into the corridor, having stopped at his chamber to pick up his dagger, after dropping off Hazel in her room. He halted and stepped back into the shadows when he saw Willow entering the solar down the hall – with both the barons, Chester and George.
“What the hell is she doing?” he grumbled under his breath. The door closed and the three of them disappeared inside the room. He took a step forward, meaning to storm the room and pull her out, but was stopped as his squire called to him from down the corridor.
“My lord? Were you coming back to the great hall for the meal?” asked Toby.
“Aye. I’ll be there in a minute. I need to check on Hazel once more first.”
“Shall I do that for you?”
“That would be fine. Thank you.”
As soon as his squire left, he turned around again, only to see Sir Chester exit the room in a hurry. Conrad stepped back into the shadows again as the baron walked past. Then Sir George hurried out, following his friend.
“What is going on?” muttered Conrad under his breath, storming down the corridor and throwing open the door to the barons’ room. Willow was down on her knees with her head buried in a trunk of clothes. “Willow!” he called out, surprising her. She jumped up and slammed the lid down on the trunk.
“Conrad. You frightened me.” She held her hand to her heart. “I thought you were one of the barons. What are you doing here?”
“I’d like to ask you the same thing.”
She ran over to the door and looked out briefly and then pulled him into the room and closed the door.
“Go away,” she whispered. “You are going to ruin everything.”
“I hope I do!” His fury grew wild. “How foolish of you to lure the barons to the room and be in here without an escort. Do you know how improper, not to mention how dangerous that is?”
“I had to do it. I am trying to find out if either of them is the thief.”
“You are playing with fire. Now, I want you out of here right now.”
“Nay,” she said stubbornly, looking around the room and then running over to the bed and patting it down, running her hands under the blanket and pillow. “I have to check the room and their things first to see if they’ve hidden the ruby in here. I don’t think it is either of them, but I want to be sure.” She ran across the room and started going through the pockets of a cloak hanging on a hook against the wall.
“That’s enough,” he spat. “You have no right to go through anyone’s personal belongings.”
“You can help me,” she said, with a nod of her head. “We only have a few minutes before they return so we need to move quickly.”
“Me? We?” Conrad shook his head. “Oh, no. I am not getting involved in your devious schemes, so don’t try to convince me to do so.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Besides, Lord Beaufort already had the barons, and their room searched.”
“The guards might have missed something. After all, the ruby hasn’t been found yet.”
“The thief is probably long gone from here.”
“Nay. I don’t think so. There are only a few people who knew about the ruby and where the earl was keeping it. Everyone who was in the room that night is still here at the castle, and a suspect. But once the competition is over with, it will be too late because they will all leave. I don’t have much time to figure out the answer. Look for any clue at all that might tell us the barons are lying.” She pushed him aside and searched a small table holding some things.
“You are crazy!” he exclaimed. “Willow, I am starting to believe that my sister’s madness has worn off on you. Why are you acting so reckless? Now, stop this anon.”
“Hazel’s madness?” She stood up and looked at him in question. “What does that mean?”
Before he could answer, voices were heard from outside the room.
“They’re back already!” she whispered, her eyes opening wide. “You’ve got to hide. They can’t know you are in here or they will start asking questions.”
“I am not hiding, nor am I leaving here without you. You are my ward until your father’s return. I am responsible for you and your obnoxious, outrageous behavior.”
