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“His solar?” asked Lord Beaufort. “Why not right here and I will join you?”
Willow and Conrad exchanged frantic glances. This wasn’t going to work.
“Lord Beaufort, I was hoping to have one dance with you before the end of the festivities,” said Willow, using all her charm. “After all, you have been so kind to me, and I feel as if I have caused you so much trouble.”
“Mayhap some other time,” said Beaufort, getting to his feet.
“Lady Ernestine,” said Willow, knowing the only way to get the man to do what she wanted at this point was to have another woman on her side. “You and your husband have been so kind to have me here at Castle Rothbury as your ward. You wouldn’t mind if I danced with your husband – just one dance, would you?”
“Nay, of course not,” said Ernestine, dabbing her mouth with a cloth.
“I said, not now,” replied Beaufort.
“Walter,” scolded Ernestine. “Your ward would like a dance with you, now do not disappoint the young lady.”
Beaufort let out a sigh. “All right, but just one.”
Willow nodded slightly to Conrad.
“One fast drink in your solar to send you on your way won’t hold you up too long, will it?” Conrad asked Earl Alnwick.
“Well, I suppose I’ll need a drink before I tell Richard the ruby is gone. Come on,” said the earl with a wave of his hand. “Mayhap, we’ll even make that two drinks, or three.”
Willow breathed a sigh of relief, walking out to the main floor to dance with Lord Beaufort as Conrad left with the earl. Hopefully, Hazel and Sister Adeline had done their job by now.
“I don’t understand why you want to dance with me,” said Beaufort, taking her arm and joining the others in dance. “After all, I thought you’d want to dance with Sir Conrad before he left and that you’d want to try to convince him to marry you.”
Willow kept her eyes on the door of the great hall as the musicians played a lively tune and she danced with Beaufort.
“I don’t know what you mean, Lord Beaufort. After all, I cannot make anyone do something they don’t want to.”
“Hah!” spat Beaufort. “I know you too well to believe that, Willow.”
“Sir Conrad explained to me that he will not marry me before he talks to my father, and I agreed. That is the right thing to do.”
“I suppose so,” he mumbled.
“Lord Beaufort, you never should have let me put myself up as a prize bride without first consulting my father.”
“Why not? I figured you’d talk him into it, just like you always do with everything else.”
“You weren’t just trying to get rid of me, were you?”
The look in the man’s eyes told her she’d figured out his motive.
“Nay, of course not. You can stay at Rothbury as long as you want.”
“Rest assured, Lord Beaufort, if everything works out the way I’d like it to, I won’t be your ward for much longer.”
Willow saw Hazel and Sister Adeline appear in the doorway and she breathed a sigh of relief. Then they disappeared to hide the last item – Sir Bedivere’s dagger.
Next, shouting was heard. The earl ran into the great hall with Conrad right behind him. “I found it! I found my ruby.” Earl Alnwick held his hand over his head, rushing in to show everyone.
“God’s eyes, Alnwick, did you really find it?” Lord Beaufort raised his hand to stop the music and rushed across the hall to join him. “We looked everywhere and searched everyone. Where did you find it?”
“It was stuck under the velvet casing inside the chest,” the earl explained. “I never would have seen it if Sir Conrad hadn’t asked to admire the piece. He’s the one who pointed out there was a bump under the velvet. I don’t know how I didn’t notice it before.”
“That’s wonderful!” exclaimed Willow, hurrying to the earl’s side. “Now you can give the ruby to the king in exchange for keeping your castle.”
