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
