Philip nodded. “I’ll guard her,” he pronounced with boyish enthusiasm.
Justin narrowed his eyes and then, without moving toward it, stared at the door. Finally, he clasped Gilda by the hand and pulled her up from the bench. Gilda was afraid he was going to drag her from the cell, but instead he embraced her. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he whispered.
When Justin had departed, Philip said, “Is he always so intense?”
Moved by Justin’s embrace, Gilda didn’t reply for a minute. Then she said, “Justin is serious about everything, which is what makes him so very effective. How do you feel?”
Philip lifted his hand to his forehead. “I have a little headache. Do you really think Lord Justin can persuade my brother to let me leave with you? I’d hate to spend too much more time locked up.”
For the first time Gilda sensed the fear he kept so well hidden. “Of course he can. Don’t worry.” She changed the subject. “Tell me about Lady Emma.”
At once Philip’s face relaxed into dreamy contentment. “Emma is the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. When I was ten, I followed her around as she managed her father’s estate, and she was incredibly patient with me. She used to laugh when I told her I wanted to marry her, but she did it kindly. We were both lonely, and I appreciated her friendship. This spring, I noticed that she started to look at me in a different way.” He grinned.
He was a handsome, well-made lad; Gilda could imagine Emma taking note of the change he must have undergone. “And she started to take you seriously?”
“Emma fought it at first, but I was persistent. I wore her down. Then her father decides to marry her off. It’s so unfair. The old man kept her to himself all those years. I’m sure he only let me hang around because he thought I was no threat.”
“And Cedric never knew how you felt about Emma?”
“No. We weren’t close, and I didn’t confide in him. I was sure he’d laugh. Cedric assumed it was the old warrior I went to see, and I encouraged his belief. Metcalf gave me some training, and I told Cedric I wanted to be a soldier.”
Losing his enthusiasm, Philip leaned his head back against the wall. “Emma can’t marry my brother,” he whispered.
Gilda suspected that wasn’t true. “Do you really wish to become a soldier, Philip?”
He nodded, but he had closed his eyes. Clearly, he wasn’t interested in talking anymore. Gilda reached over to him. “Put your head on my lap, Philip.”
She thought he would object, but he paused only a moment before doing as she suggested. He was soon asleep. Gilda leaned her own head against the wall and realized she was hungry. She was missing supper, and she fervently hoped Justin wouldn’t be too long.
Justin returned to find both inhabitants of the cell asleep. Gilda’s head covering was holding her head in place against the wall, and her face was tipped upward. He might have thought she was praying if he didn’t know better. Philip looked entirely too comfortable. Justin clenched his teeth to keep from grabbing his shirt and pulling him forcibly from his position nestled on Gilda’s lap. Instead he patted him gently on his shoulder.
Philip jerked upward, then put his hand to his head. Gilda had opened her eyes. “Are you all right?” she asked Philip.
“He’s fine,” Justin said. “We have to get Philip out of here.”
Gilda blinked her eyes at him, then leaped up and hugged him. “You did it. I knew you would get us out of here.”
In spite of his hurry to rescue them from the dungeon, Justin pulled her closer and slid his hands up under her veil to her hair. It had been difficult to talk Cedric into allowing Philip to travel with them, and he had feared Gilda would refuse to leave the cell if he had failed. That fact had given him extra incentive to persuade Cedric. When he saw that Philip was grinning at them, he released his hold on Gilda.
“What happened?” she asked.
“I’ll tell you about it later. Right now, I want to get you out of here. We’ll talk in our rooms.”
Because Gilda read the urgency in Justin’s expression, she didn’t say anything further. As all three left the cell, Philip watched the guard, clearly afraid he would be stopped any minute. Only when they were safely behind a closed door did Philip relax and look to Justin for an explanation.
Justin addressed Gilda. “Cedric has agreed to let us take Philip with us. But I’m worried. Any minute he could find out about Emma and Philip. He’s going to be angry, and there is no telling what his next step will be. Rather than wait until morning, I think we should leave for Saint Ives tonight.”
“But Philip’s been hurt. He could use a night’s rest before we leave,” Gilda pointed out.
“I’m fine, Sister. I think Lord Justin is right. We need to leave now.”
Having the impulsive Philip agree with him did not reassure Justin. He could see that the cut on Philip’s jaw was still red and raw looking. “You said before that Lady Emma would hide you. Just how could she manage that?”
“There is a secluded cottage on the manor. We have used it many times. The tenant farmers who live nearby are devoted to Emma and won’t give us away.” Philip was grinning widely at the thought of seeing Emma.
“What are you thinking, Justin?” Gilda asked.
“Philip and I could spend the night at this cottage, then be on our way in the morning. That way Philip will be out of Cedric’s reach. You and the rest of our party can start out tomorrow morning, and we’ll arrange a place to meet on the way to Saint Ives.”
“It sounds
