Gilda leaned into her brother. “We already know we have to be careful, Chetwynd.”
“Maybe you two should marry. My presence would be a good excuse.”
“No.” Gilda pulled away. “We won’t marry to keep people from whispering about us.”
“You could have more to worry about than whispering, Gilda,” her brother said. “Your mission is in jeopardy. I suggest you find a way to pacify the count and the bishop.”
“I agree with Chetwynd, Gilda. We have to reassure them in some way. Perhaps let them know we believe that the count did not consummate his marriage to Mariel. If they think we will work for an annulment, they will want to make sure our reputations remain intact.”
“I hate to think we’re giving in to the pressure,” Gilda replied.
“Don’t worry, Gilda, if we discover anything different, we’ll do what needs to be done.”
“It’s a good plan,” Chetwynd added. “Is there anything I can do before I return home?”
Justin was about to say no when he remembered what they had learned from the Abbot and Brother Arnulf. “Do you know Lord Metcalf?”
“I met him once. His reputation as a soldier was legend, but he was old by the time I joined the king’s service. Why do you ask?”
“Perhaps you should pay him a visit before leaving Mainz. He might talk to you more freely than he would Gilda or me. You’d be a young knight paying his respects to an old warrior. See what you can find out for us.”
“Justin, what a good idea.” Gilda grabbed his arm then quickly let go as her brother watched her with a raised eyebrow.
“I’ll find out what I can tomorrow morning,” Chetwynd promised.
CHAPTER SIX
At breakfast Count Cedric informed Justin that he was available for a meeting that morning. Gilda and Justin took a few minutes to bid Chetwynd goodbye and then hurried off to the count’s living quarters.
“Do you really think Chetwynd will discover anything useful by visiting Metcalf?” Gilda asked as they wound their way through the busy bailey.
“Probably not, but it gets him out from underfoot for a while. He has a keen eye, and so far, he has been using it to watch me.”
Gilda chuckled. “To watch us. I’ve felt his eye on me as well. He should be returning home soon. Are you still planning to give the count some reassurance that we believe his story?”
“I want to ask a few questions first, but I think it’s a good plan. It’s not much of a compromise as we have come to believe his marriage to Mariel wasn’t consummated.”
Gilda shrugged. There was something about the count that still bothered her. Perhaps it had to do with his giving up on one marriage as soon as a more advantageous match presented itself.
Cedric’s greeting was gruff. “I’m sorry I broke off our last meeting so abruptly. I did have another appointment.”
Justin ignored his defensive manner. “Since our conversation, we have talked with both Bishop Gunthar and your brother Philip. I’d like clarification on a few of the things we discussed earlier, my lord. You said you had come to believe your marriage to Lady Mariel was a mistake.”
“That’s correct. The marriage should never have taken place.”
“I wonder about the timing of your decision. From what we’ve heard, you had already decided it was a mistake before Mariel arrived. Yet you told us that Lady Mariel was the one who refused to consummate the marriage.”
The count frowned. “She didn’t want anything to do with me. I told you the truth.”
“That may be,” Justin replied. “The question I’m asking you is whether you made an attempt to consummate your marriage.”
There was a long pause while Cedric considered his answer. “No, I did not,” he finally admitted. “To tell the truth, I was happy that she did not wish the marriage any more than I did. But she did bar the door and made up her wild story about being married to Philip. Our marriage was never consummated; that’s the important thing.”
The count was still blaming Mariel, and his answer irritated Justin. “I can understand why you wouldn’t want us to find out that you were seeking a different match before Mariel even arrived in Mainz, my lord.” Justin’s tone, as well as his words, revealed his feelings. “But did it not occur to you that sharing that information might have convinced us that your marriage was not consummated? After all, why would you bed Lady Mariel if you wished to have the marriage annulled?”
The count’s eyes grew wide as he considered Justin’s words. “I’m afraid I’ve made a tangle of things, Lord Justin. I thought you would believe I was trying to rid myself of Mariel so that I could marry Lady Emma.”
The count’s face flushed red at his own words, since that’s exactly what he had been doing. Justin waited for the count to continue, curious about how he would cover the truth that his mouth had already poured out.
“I discussed the matter with Gunthar before Mariel arrived. By that time Metcalf had approached the bishop about a match with Lady Emma. We thought it best to seek an annulment and figured it would be an easy enough matter. The bishop advised me to stay away from Mariel, and I did.”
Instead of letting his explanation stand, Cedric became defensive again. “But Lady Mariel acted strangely from the minute she arrived. I allowed her to go on a religious retreat, thinking that would help, but she refused to return. Instead she took refuge at the abbey.”
If Cedric had not added his attack on Mariel’s behavior, Justin would not have felt reluctant to give the count some indication they believed his story. He was not used to making concessions before all the information was in, but he remembered Chetwynd’s concern for his sister’s reputation. He knew he was to blame
