“Sure,” said Alison, happy to leave the others to the decorating. She enjoyed the outcome of decorating a Solstice tree far more than the process itself.
Weyland led Alison inside the shop and to a counter where he kept the finer goods. He pulled out a small velvet tray and handed it to Alison.
“Here are some of the options,” he said, continuing a conversation that had been cut short a few days earlier by Keir’s arrival. “There’s the typical gold, of course. Dwarven steel is strong.”
“Too strong,” said Alison, picking up a ring inlaid with a knotted design. “Keir says they’re difficult to cut off in an emergency.”
She’d been fishing for information to inform the wedding band Weyland had agreed to make for weeks.
“There are jeweled options too,” said Weyland, holding up a ring set with a large diamond. “You could match your sapphire.”
Alison couldn’t picture Keir wearing jewels. “He’s too practical for that.”
“Maybe a signet ring? The Ainsley family crest? I imagine he won’t receive one from his father.”
Signet rings were popular with some of the nobility, but Alison didn’t think Keir would want to flaunt his family name in such a way. “I don’t think so.”
She picked up the rings one by one until at last she spotted a silver band with a delicate filigree. “What about this? Could you make it a bit simpler? Remove the leaves, make it in gold?”
“Hmm,” said Weyland, examining the ring. “Simple design. Soft. Just enough detail to be interesting. Sounds like Keir.”
Alison laughed—she knew Weyland meant the ring, but it wasn’t a terrible description of Keir himself.
“Now I could use your opinion on something,” said Weyland as he brought out another tray.
This tray held rings sized for smaller hands. “For me? But I just want a simple gold band to match my engagement ring.” She had already told Weyland this.
“No, for Lady Sibba,” said Weyland.
Alison couldn’t believe it. “Do you mean—”
“Shh,” said Weyland. “I’m not sure yet. I don’t know if it’s something she’d even want.”
“But you want to marry her!” Alison whispered, struggling to contain her excitement. “Weyland, congratulations!”
“I originally thought Solstice could be the moment. But Sibba hates the cold so much, I don’t know. I want it to be special.IfI go through with it.”
“What did you get her for Solstice?”
Weyland rubbed his red beard anxiously. “Nothing as of yet.”
Alison rolled her eyes at him. “It’s next week. If you aren’t going to give her the ring, you better think of something.” Honestly, men were hopeless.
Well, some of them. Alison suspected the cupboard in Keir’s house that he tended to stand in front of whenever she visited might be hiding something. She had stuffed her own cupboard full of gifts (including a couple made by Weyland himself) several weeks prior.
Weyland, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as much of a forward thinker. He was a good man though, really, and he meant well. Alison would just have to help him a bit in the romance department.
“She does wear a lot of jewelry,” said Alison. “If not a ring, what about a necklace?”
“I was thinking—never mind, it’s a silly idea.”
“What? Come on. I won’t tell anyone. What is it?”
Weyland came out from behind the counter and led Alison to a desk in the back. In a drawer, he pulled out a brochure.See the Rock: An Unforgettable Island Holiday.“I got it in Sudport on the way back. There’s a ship that leaves from there.”
“It’s perfect! She’s been talking about going for ages. You could meet her family. That would be a lovely place to propose,”said Alison, pointing to an illustration of a sheltered cove surrounded by palm trees. “And even if you didn’t, think of the art you could make while you were there.”
“I wanted to talk to you about that too,” said Weyland, putting the brochure away for now. “I’ve decided to sell Strelka the forge. There’s enough coin coming in from the generators to keep me going without it.”
