by Ida Curtis
Justin paused before his next question. He wondered how Gilda would proceed, but he couldn’t ask for her comments. He knew the best strategy was for her to remain silent and share her observations with him later.
“Count Cedric, you have petitioned the bishop for an annulment. You have not been married long, and your brother has tried to speak to Mariel on your behalf. From what you have told me about Philip standing in for you during the marriage ceremony, there was certainly room for misunderstanding. The king will want to know why you do not give your marriage more time to work out.”
The count stood up and walked to the window, giving himself a moment before answering. He kept his back turned as he spoke. “I have come to believe the marriage was ill-conceived. I know the king is determined that we honor our marriage vows. But what if I persist in taking Mariel to bed, and the marriage proves to be a mistake? According to the church doctrine, I will be bound to her for life.”
When the count turned back to face them, his expression was determined. “I wish an end to this marriage. That is all I have to say. Now I have another appointment. We can continue with this discussion later in the day if you wish.”
Justin was puzzled by the fact that Cedric would already be thinking that his marriage was a mistake. From his experience it was often the case that it took a while for a young wife to adjust to a marriage. Cedric must know this. “Thank you, Count Cedric. I have just one last question. Is there someone else you wish to marry?”
Cedric’s face turned red and his eyes flashed with anger, but he managed to keep his words civil. “I suppose you’ve heard rumors. Lady Mariel has not been a wife to me. I suggest you concentrate on that fact.”
Struggling to avoid looking at Gilda to see how she was reacting to the count’s words, Justin stood. “We will definitely need to talk later, Lord Cedric. In the meantime, I would like to speak with your brother. Will you arrange a meeting for us?”
“I will,” he replied tersely.
Once outside the count’s chamber, instead of heading for their apartment, Justin led Gilda outside. Their living quarters already held too many memories of their personal relationship, and they needed to concentrate on the interview with Cedric.
He could see that Gilda was bursting with the need to speak about what they had learned, but Justin put her off. “We need to find somewhere quiet to talk,” he said.
As they descended the steps into the bailey, people heading for the marketplace surrounded them. Justin was afraid he’d lose Gilda in the crowd, so he took hold of her sleeve. “Let’s walk over toward the gardens.”
It didn’t take long for them to leave the main courtyard behind. Justin walked quickly, and Gilda had to run to keep up with him. She was relieved when they reached the gardens and Justin slowed his pace. There was a maze of shrubbery to the left of a garden of root vegetables, and Justin didn’t stop until he reached a secluded bench inside the maze. Although they were still within the walls of Mainz, the greenery gave them some privacy.
Gilda sat on the bench and looked at him expectantly. “Before we talk about the interview, I have something of a personal nature to say,” Justin said.
But instead of speaking, Justin paced silently in front of her. Already suspecting he was going to say something about her entering his bedchamber, and dreading the discussion, Gilda lost her patience. “Pray speak, what is it?”
He sat beside her and spoke quickly to keep her from interrupting. “I sent Leonardo to your brother’s manor to ask Chetwynd to approve our betrothal. I wrote a letter explaining the situation. The trip is not a long one, and I’m hoping Chetwynd will send back a reply with Leonardo either tonight or early tomorrow.”
Gilda gasped. “You go too far, Justin.”
“Hear me out. Last night we agreed on a trial betrothal. Chetwynd is like a brother to me, and I don’t want him to hear about this from someone else.”
Gilda sat on her hands and stared down at her feet under the bench. Nearby, one of Justin’s large boots was sprawled out in front of him, the other tucked under the bench. She couldn’t help but remember stumbling over the boots in his bedchamber.
“You had no right to do that without speaking to me, Justin. You’re making things worse by involving my brother.”
“Maybe I should have told you. But after what happened in my chamber, I felt an urgent need to do something. You were in my bed last night, Gilda. Nothing happened, but it could have. You have no idea how close I came to joining you there.”
Gilda flushed. “As you say, nothing happened. But there is a difference between having an understanding between us and involving my brother.”
“His approval will make our betrothal more believable.”
For some reason his words only served to make Gilda angrier. “We can seek Chetwynd’s approval, and we can pretend the betrothal is real. But remember this, I’m still a nun. I have a task to complete, and I can’t do it unless I’m a part of a religious community. That’s why the king appointed me. Our betrothal is not real, and it’s unlikely to last beyond our assignment.”
Justin wanted to point out that if they ended up in bed together, she might change her mind about desiring a marriage. But he thought better of it and held his tongue.
“I wonder what my brother is going to think when he receives your message. I doubt others will understand what is happening here.” She could have added, “I know I don’t.” Justin tempted her and made her feel things she’d never felt before, but she didn’t want to be married. If there was anything she’d learned during her years helping women, it was that nuns had a lot more freedom than married women. Their husbands ruled their lives. Justin was already causing havoc in her life, and they weren’t even married.
Gilda changed the subject. “I want to talk about what happened this morning.”
Justin was relieved to drop the subject of their betrothal. “I’m eager to hear your opinion on what we learned from Cedric,” he said.
Gilda relaxed her shoulders, putting her personal problems away and recalling how Justin had conducted the interview with the count. “I think you did a brilliant job of uncovering several important facts. That Philip stood in for Cedric in the marriage ceremony was most interesting. Philip and Mariel could have formed an attachment.”
Justin interrupted, “Let’s not leap to conclusions about an attachment.”
“For heaven’s sake, open your eyes. Remember the incident in the garden shed I spoke to you about last night? Mariel was expecting Philip. They could have arranged to meet there, then Mariel took the sleeping potion to give him a scare. Perhaps she was afraid that he’d take her back to his brother.”
“You start off with facts, then spin a fairy tale. Now you’ve invented a reason for why she took the sleeping potion. Before, you thought she took it to treat her nerves. Can’t you stick to what we know for sure?”
“And what about you? The fact is I was in your bed last night. The fairy tale is that something could have happened.”
Justin’s eyes widened, and Gilda cursed herself for getting off the subject. No matter how hard she tried, her relationship with Justin intruded on her thoughts. “Sorry, that wasn’t a good example,” she said softly.
Justin shook his head and began to chuckle. It was clear Gilda was having as hard a time forgetting last night as he was. It was a relief for him to realize that, and he threw his head back and laughed.
More relaxed than he had felt all morning, he saw that Gilda was also smiling. “No, it wasn’t a good example, Gilda. Go on. What else did I do that was brilliant?”
Her eyes sparkled as she spoke. “The question you asked about whether he wished to marry another was a stroke of genius. His reaction proved that this is a much more complicated matter than we expected. Whatever made you ask that question?”
“Cedric must know that it sometimes takes a while for a young wife to adjust to marriage. Mariel is only fourteen. I assumed there must be some other reason why he thought
the marriage had been a mistake. It was a fortunate guess. Do you have a theory about that?” he asked in a teasing manner.
“Now that you asked, consider this. The count may be using Philip, either with or without his knowledge, to rid himself of an unwanted wife. I think Cedric may have consummated the marriage before he found a more advantageous alliance. He persuades Philip to declare his love for Mariel, and they plan to run away together. Then Cedric pretends he hasn’t consummated the marriage and asks for an annulment, so he is free to marry someone else.”
Smiling, Justin shook his head back and forth. “You’re amazing. Why do you believe Cedric succeeded in bedding his wife?”
“Simple deductive reasoning. Cedric said he left Mariel alone for some weeks after she arrived. If you were married to a beautiful woman, would you wait several weeks to take her to bed?”
As soon as the words were out, Gilda remembered the hard pressure of Justin’s arms as he lifted her and carried her to his bed. He was staring at her, and she knew he was remembering the same thing.
“I don’t think you really want me to answer that, do you, Gilda?” he asked.
She shook her head vigorously.
“For the sake of argument, let’s say Cedric was telling the truth and didn’t consummate the marriage,” Justin suggested. “Perhaps Mariel ran away to avoid his bed, as simple as that.”
Gilda paused for a minute. “There’s another reason I think the marriage was consummated. When Mariel was hysterical, she shouted, ‘There is no baby.’ She may have been afraid she was pregnant, then discovered she wasn’t. If that’s what she feared, she had intimate relations with someone.”
Justin had been absorbed in listening to her theories, but he frowned at her words. “You never mentioned this before, Gilda.”
“She was hysterical, Justin. Her ravings didn’t seem important until now. I forgot about them.”
Justin wished he had been present at the interview with Mariel. “Is there anything else you neglected to tell me?” he asked.
“No. I didn’t withhold the information on purpose. I suppose I thought it was rather intimate and not important. I never thought the count was going to claim the marriage had not been consummated.”
“From now on, we share all information, no matter how seemingly unimportant. Understood?” When Gilda nodded, he continued. “Perhaps we can learn more from Philip. Mariel may have confided in him.”
“We should also find out what Bishop Gunthar knows about the marriage. The bishop may have suggested that Philip stand in for Cedric in the marriage ceremony. If so, he gave poor advice.”
“We’ll talk to him after Philip. I’ll be interested to see what story you can weave about the good bishop.”
“Be careful, Justin. You may become addicted to my theories.”
He thought he might become addicted to more than her theories. She was a pleasure to talk to, and her smile made his heart twist in a way that was becoming all too familiar.
A messenger sought them out as they were leaving the garden. Justin was summoned to the family’s quarters for the second time that day. When he arrived with Gilda, Philip seemed surprised and embarrassed by her presence.
“I assumed you’d come alone, Lord Justin. We are discussing a delicate matter.”
“Your brother has been most frank, and I assume you will be the same. Sister Gilda represents the religious community in these discussions, and she is experienced in dealing with delicate matters.”
Philip addressed Gilda. “I understand you are betrothed. I didn’t realize a nun could be betrothed. I hope I didn’t cause you any embarrassment,” he said, making clear why he felt uneasy.
Since he appeared sincerely apologetic, Gilda smiled to reassure him. “I can understand your surprise.”
He returned her smile with a charming grin. “You gave me a bit of a start when I saw the two of you together in that garden shed.” There was a hint of sparkle in his eye.
“It was a surprising evening for us all, Philip. But you should remember that I’m a representative of the king. My betrothal is not being investigated. We have some questions for you about your appearance at the convent.”
Justin suppressed his own grin as he watched Gilda set the young man straight. He approved the tactic as he suspected Philip was trying to charm her with his apology and easy smiles.
A chastened Philip motioned for them to sit down. Gilda could see that he was even younger than she had supposed. In spite of his unruly brown hair and freckled face, he was a handsome lad. She could understand how Mariel might prefer him to his older brother.
Justin began the interview. “Your brother has told us that you stood in for him at the marriage ceremony with Lady Mariel. At that time, did she give you any reason to believe that she thought she was marrying you?”
“No,” he answered quickly. Then, as though remembering the scene, he added, “Her father took care of everything. I didn’t speak with her until we exchanged vows on the porch of the chapel.”
“And after the ceremony?” Justin asked.
“It was a long journey, and we started back to Mainz that very day.”
Hoping to shock Philip into an admission, Justin decided to be blunt. “As you say, it was a long journey back to Mainz. Did you at any time share Lady Mariel’s bed?”
“No, of course not.” Although Philip spoke with conviction, his eyes shifted away. Whether because of embarrassment or guilt, Justin couldn’t be sure. “Nothing like that happened,” Philip added, looking back at Justin.
In the interview with Count Cedric, Gilda had let Justin ask the questions, but she didn’t hold back with the younger man. “A long journey is often an opportunity for people to become well acquainted. Did you and Lady Mariel talk much during the journey?”
Philip stared at her for a minute, then nodded.
Following Gilda’s lead, Justin asked, “Would you say you became friends?”
“Yes, I suppose that’s true. Mariel had never been away from home, and I felt sorry for her. She needed someone to talk to. She is very young, my lord.”
“Surely not any younger than most brides,” Justin replied.
Philip just shrugged.
“Why did you travel to the Convent at Saint Ives, Philip?” Justin asked.
Philip twisted in his chair as though seeking a more comfortable position. “I was worried about Lady Mariel. I wanted to see if she was all right and convince her to return to her husband.”
“Did Lady Mariel know you were at the convent?”
“Yes, she did,” he admitted. “I saw her when I first arrived, but we were unable to talk privately. We arranged to meet in the garden shed that night. It was her suggestion.”
Justin paused, remembering that night and how they had found Mariel. “And you say you went to the convent to persuade her to return to your brother?”
Philip nodded eagerly. “Cedric said Mariel told him she thought she was married to me. I didn’t believe him at first, but then I began to wonder if she could have gotten the wrong impression. I stood in for him at the ceremony, and we did talk a great deal on the journey. I went to the convent because I wanted to talk to her.”
“Your brother told you Lady Mariel thought she was married to you?” Justin asked.
“That’s what he told me. But I didn’t bed Mariel. You have to believe me,” he pleaded. “I can’t help what she thought.”
Gilda tried to calm the now-nervous young man. “It’s understandable that you would be concerned about the situation, Philip. You and Lady Mariel are friends.”
Eager to be understood, Philip appealed to Gilda. “That’s right, Sister. Mariel fled from Mainz because she was afraid. When she wasn’t in the shed, I thought she was afraid of me too. I came back to Mainz to try and find out why she was so scared. My brother said he never laid a hand on her, but I know she was frightened of him.”
“And did you find out why she was afraid of your brother?” Justin asked.
/> Philip shook his head no, but before he could say more, he was interrupted by a loud noise that startled them all. Bishop Gunthar, carrying a large walking stick that pounded the floor with each step he took, entered the chamber. Gilda couldn’t help but wonder if he had overheard what had been said and was making a timely entrance to cut Philip off.
“Count Cedric told me you’d be meeting with Philip. I thought I’d come along to lend a hand, Lord Justin.”
Gunthar nodded toward Gilda. They had met briefly after morning worship when he welcomed the two nuns from Saint Ives to Mainz. As he thumped into the room, Gilda couldn’t help but remember that Freda had called him a toad. He had almost no neck, and his small head sat upon his large, short body.
Philip’s expression made it clear he resented the intrusion, but the young man was silent. Justin sensed he would be reluctant to say more in front of the bishop. “Actually, we’ve finished talking with Philip, your grace. But perhaps we could have a few words with you.”
Philip smiled at this, clearly eager to listen while someone else was questioned. Justin hated to disappoint him, but he knew he’d learn more from the bishop if Philip wasn’t present. “We’ll talk more later, Philip,” Justin promised, making his dismissal clear.
The young man reluctantly took his leave as the bishop settled his bulk into a large chair. “What did Philip have to say?” he inquired.
“He’s concerned about Lady Mariel,” Justin answered. “You must know that he stood in for his brother at the marriage ceremony. Did you suggest the substitution to Count Cedric?”
“As I recall, there was a problem. Cedric was unable to travel to Bordeaux, and Lady Mariel’s father was eager for the marriage to take place right after the Spring Assembly. I realize the practice is no longer in use, but I’m not aware it’s against any papal edict.”
Gilda watched Justin, wondering if he would press the issue. Instead he changed the subject. “After Lady Mariel arrived in Mainz, did she speak to you about her marriage?”
