AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Aye,” said Earl Alnwick, rubbing the ruby against his tunic to shine it. “And this isn’t leaving my possession until I meet with the king. I won’t take the chance of it disappearing again.”
“I am so happy you’ll be able to continue your plan of guarding the border and possibly making an alliance with the Scots,” said Willow.
“Aye,” answered the earl. “If John of Gaunt would have gotten hold of my castle, there would have been no chance for peace in the future, ever. This is a miracle that I found the missing ruby.”
“Miracle, bah!” spat Bedivere, looking over the earl’s shoulder. “It seems a little suspicious to me that all the stolen items are suddenly showing up. Don’t you think so?”
“Bedivere, what are you saying?” asked Alnwick.
“I’m only saying that perhaps the thief is still here, right in the castle and only wants us to think that the items were misplaced.”
“I don’t believe that at all,” said Conrad. “Why would a thief steal something just to give it back? That is highly improbable.”
“That’s right,” said Willow. “So that proves they were only misplaced to begin with.”
“I never, and I repeat never, misplace a weapon,” Bedivere told them. “I am not that careless. Someone stole it from my room, I tell you. And when I find the culprit, I will make him pay.” Bedivere stormed out of the great hall and headed toward his room.
“Conrad,” Willow whispered. “We’ve got to stop him. There is no way Hazel has done her task yet.”
“Do you think there is still a thief in Castle Rothbury?” the earl asked Lord Beaufort. Commotion started up, and the crowd seemed to go into a frenzy from Bedivere’s suggestion.
“I’ll take care of Bedivere,” said Conrad, but Willow stopped him.
“Nay,” she whispered. “You need to stay here and convince everyone it was just a coincidence the missing objects are all showing up at the same time. I’ll stop Bedivere.”
“I don’t want you going anywhere near the man,” Conrad answered.
“Don’t you trust him? Or is it me you don’t trust instead?”
“Willow, don’t,” said Conrad, clenching his jaw.
“If you believe I am not who the rumors make me out to be, then you will let me handle this, and you will stay here.”
He took a moment to answer but finally nodded slightly. “Be careful,” he warned her. “I don’t trust the man at all. There is something about him that I don’t like. He seems to be hiding something.”
“I’ll be careful. Now, hurry and stop this chaos before everyone thinks there is still a thief amongst us.”
Willow hurried up the stairs and headed toward Sir Bedivere’s solar. When she got to his room, she saw Sister Adeline trying to talk to him and distract him, but Bedivere pushed her aside and entered his room, slamming the door behind him.
“Willow,” called out the nun, hurrying to meet her. “Hazel is still inside his room. She didn’t have time to leave, and now he is going to discover her.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t let him hurt her. Go down to the great hall and tell Conrad what happened.”
The nun ran in the opposite direction as Willow opened the door and stepped into the room. Bedivere had Hazel cornered, and the girl had her hands behind her back and was crying.
“What are you doing?” Willow rushed over and stepped in between Hazel and Bedivere.
“I think I just caught the thief,” sneered the man. “And there is no way in hell I’m going to let the wench get away with this.”
