“I know. But I have to warn you. Chetwynd told me that Philip reacted stubbornly when he was questioned. The guards retaliated.”
Without a word Gilda moved even faster. There was a guard at the entrance to Cedric’s quarters, but Gilda slipped by while Justin spoke to him. She looked quickly about the room and found only the count and the bishop huddled in hushed conversation. When she approached them, they stared at her, shocked by her boldness. Up until now she had been content to let Justin lead the way and do most of the talking.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, Count Cedric,” Gilda said. “We understand that Philip has returned, and we wish to speak to him. It’s important to our investigation.”
While the two men were still recovering from their surprise at her entrance, Justin approached. He didn’t look at Gilda, but he moved to stand in front of her. He was relieved when she moved to his side but stayed just behind him.
“I know you’re eager for us to get to the bottom of this matter, Cedric, and the sooner we can talk to Philip, the better our chances,” Justin said. “Lord Chetwynd informed us that Philip has returned, so of course we hurried over to speak with him.” He thought it was best to allow Cedric and the bishop to think they didn’t know Philip had been seized.
“The fool resisted the guards, Lord Justin.” Cedric spoke in a clipped manner that revealed his impatience. “There was no need for violence. The guards have placed him in a cell so he can regain his composure. Perhaps you can see him tomorrow when he’s had a chance to settle down.”
“I understand. Young men can be impulsive and unreasonable. But Sister Gilda and I are eager to be on our way to speak with Lady Mariel and put an end to this business. We’d like a word with Philip now. He is an important link in our investigation. Once we have interviewed him, we can make our plans to return to the convent. I’m sure you agree that it’s best to settle this matter as quickly as possible.”
The count turned to the bishop, and Justin gave a silent sigh of relief when he saw that the bishop was not going to object. He suspected the two men knew nothing of Philip’s involvement with Lady Emma. When the bishop spoke, his theory was confirmed.
“You should remember that Philip was the only one who was alone with Lady Mariel. He’s an unreliable and rebellious young man, as you have seen. He may deny it, but we believe he betrayed his brother’s trust. If you can’t make him confess, we have our own ways of obtaining the truth.”
Justin nodded at both men, wondering if Gilda would realize what the bishop meant. When she pinched his arm from behind, he knew she understood and wanted them to hurry to see Philip. “We are here to seek the truth, my lord. We need to be on our way to Philip. Please have a guard take us to him immediately.”
Cedric nodded and instructed a guard to do as Justin requested. “Remember, he put up a fight when seized,” he warned as he sent them on their way.
As they left Cedric’s chambers, Justin rubbed his arm where Gilda had pinched him. “That hurt,” he whispered.
“It was a tiny pinch,” she whispered back.
They were led to the first level of the dungeon by the guard. Gilda shivered as she remembered Chetwynd being imprisoned in a similar cell and the beating he had received at that time. Like Philip, her brother had been impulsive. But Chetwynd had been defending Lady Isabel at the time. Gilda was puzzled about why Philip had lost control and antagonized the guards.
Justin remembered the same incident, and he wished to spare Gilda the sight of another beaten man. “You wait here, Gilda. I’ll make sure Philip is ready to speak with us.”
She didn’t bother to answer Justin but stepped into the cell right behind him. Philip was slumped on a narrow bench, his face bloody, but he jumped up when he saw his visitors.
Before anyone could say a word, Gilda took charge. “Bring me some clean rags and fresh water,” she ordered the guard as she eyed Philip’s bloody face.
“Sister Gilda, what are you doing here?” the young man asked, clearly embarrassed to have her see him in such a condition.
“Tending the hurt, as I have done a hundred times, Philip. Now sit down.”
“It’s just a scratch, Sister. Don’t be frightened.”
“She’s not frightened, Philip, so you may as well save your breath.”
Although Justin had wanted Gilda to stay behind, he was beginning to realize that was not her style. He examined the cut on Philip’s jaw. It was much more than a scratch, but it didn’t seem serious. However, both eyes looked bruised, and he imagined Philip would have two black eyes by morning.
The guard returned with the rags and fresh water that Gilda requested. She waved Justin out of the way so she could get closer to Philip. Sitting on the bench beside him, she gently cleaned his face, avoiding the cut on his jaw until last. Philip pulled back a little when she finally cleaned around it, but he didn’t make a sound.
“Face wounds bleed a lot. Now that looks better,” she assured him. In spite of her words, she saw that it was a deep cut and knew it should be stitched to avoid an ugly scar.
“I’ll send Sister Freda to stitch the wound. The bleeding seems to have stopped, but it would be best if it were closed up.”
“Please don’t bother, Sister.” Philip straightened up on the bench. “It’ll be all right. I’ve had cuts before.”
Rather than argue with him, Gilda decided to leave him to Freda. The older nun had a way about her that brooked no resistance. Instead she remained sitting beside Philip on the bench and signaled Justin with a
