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“Your sister is four and ten years of age and doesn’t need someone to watch over her. What she needs is a brother to let her know he cares.”
“That’s silly. Of course, Hazel knows.”
“What do I know?” Hazel came down the corridor to join them.
“Never mind,” said Conrad. “I was talking with Willow.”
“Conrad, were you talking about me?” Hazel asked meekly.
“Come, Hazel. We need to prepare for the competition, and your brother needs to go.” Willow took Hazel’s hand and pulled her into the room, slamming the door in Conrad’s face.
“Sometimes your brother can be a real –” Willow stopped in midsentence, not wanting to upset Hazel. The competitions started in one hour. She had a lot of work to do beforehand. “Hazel, I need you to meet me down in the lists in an hour.” Willow went over to the washbasin and started to clean up.
“But I thought you said we were going together.”
“We will be there together. However, first I have something I need to do.” Willow went to change her clothes. That is when she noticed that her heart brooch was missing. She looked on the floor and on her dresser but didn’t see it anywhere. “Oh, no! I think I lost my brooch. I don’t have time to look for it.” She hurriedly dressed and changed her shoes, running for the door. “Hazel, you’ll be all right without me, won’t you?”
“I – I suppose so.”
“Remember, meet me down at the lists in an hour.” She opened the door and just about banged into Lord Bedivere – just the man she wanted to see.
“My lady, do slow down or you will risk the chance of running someone over,” said the man.
“Lord Bedivere, how are you?” She looked back over her shoulder to see Hazel watching her. She didn’t want her to tell Conrad she was talking with Bedivere. She closed the door and hooked her hand onto his arm.
“What’s this?” asked Bedivere with a chuckle. “I thought you’d be with Sir Lochwood.” His eyes roamed down to her hand. She only had a short time to find out if he was the one to steal the ruby. She needed to get into his room, and she had to do it quickly. Once the competition started, it would be too late. The winners would choose their wives, and she wouldn’t have the opportunity to talk to the men alone again.
“Sir Conrad has already left for the competition. I was hoping you could escort me there.”
“I’d be delighted to, but what about Lady Hazel?”
“She’s – she’s not going,” she lied. “Not feeling well again.”
“The woman seems to be sickly.”
“Enough about her, now tell me more about you.” They headed down the corridor. Bedivere had a smile plastered on his face.
“Lord Bedivere, there you are.” Branton hurried down the corridor to meet them.
“What is it, Page?” asked Bedivere.
“Lord Beaufort sent me to get you. It seems he has misplaced his signet ring. Since he and you were drinking in the great hall the last time he saw it, he wanted to know if perhaps he dropped it and you found it.”
“Nay, I didn’t,” said Bedivere. “It seems my jeweled dagger has gone missing as well. I just came from my room and cannot find it anywhere.”
“Then the thief has stolen more than just Earl Alnwick’s ruby,” said Willow, thinking of her heart brooch missing, too. She didn’t remember taking it off, so it was either stolen or perhaps came unclasped, and she lost it in travel. It broke her heart to no longer have it and she hoped to have time to look for it later.
“Lord Bedivere, perhaps you should go help Lord Beaufort look for the ring,” said Willow, trying to get him to leave. “After all, if it slid off his finger and into the rushes, you would be the one to spot it. You don’t miss a thing, do you?” She added a smile and batted her eyes, trying to compliment the man. Her trick worked when he stood up straight and nodded.
“Aye, I suppose if anyone can find it, it would be me. I might have left my dagger there as well.”
“I’m sure that’s what it is. I will meet you in the lists if you like. Since you no longer need to compete, we can watch the games together. Mayhap we will get a chance to know each other better.”
“I would like that,” he said, bowing. “Until later, my lady.”
As soon as the men left, Willow hurried to the solar where Lord Bedivere was staying. To her relief, the door was not locked. She scanned the corridor quickly, and when she was sure no one was watching her, she slid inside the room and closed the door. She had work to do.
* * *
