“I need to talk to you, Freda,” Gilda said, rising from her seat.
“But you haven’t touched your meal. Aren’t you feeling well?”
Freda saw the color drain from Gilda’s face as she glanced one last time at the high table. Without another word, the older woman stood, following Gilda from the hall. By the time they reached their rooms, Freda was out of breath from rushing up the stairs to keep up with Gilda. The older nun lowered herself to a bench and watched Gilda pace the floor of the common area.
Gilda forgot about Freda as she tried to imagine what had taken place at the high table. There seemed little doubt that the young man had made an accusation about her association with Justin. What would Justin tell the count? Why did he have that strange look on his face?
She remembered that Justin hadn’t wanted her along in the first place. Perhaps to explain the situation, he was telling some story about her trying to seduce him. She dismissed the idea at once. Justin was an honorable man. She knew that. He said he would take care of it, and she believed him. But how was he going to explain what had happened in the shed without giving away the fact that they were hiding Lady Mariel? She hoped he wouldn’t need to do that.
Gilda was flushed with embarrassment as she remembered the scene. At the time, she hadn’t minded the heady experience of being lifted in Justin’s arms. But now she realized that her reputation could be severely damaged by their embrace. It would mean the end of her opportunities to work outside the convent. No one would seek her help. Because she was burning up, she pulled off her head covering and shook out her hair.
“Gilda, stop pacing. You’re making me light-headed. You said you wanted to speak to me, so speak.”
Reminded of Freda’s presence, Gilda rushed to sit beside her and took her hands. “Justin embraced me in the shed at Saint Ives. The young man at the head table was surely telling the count about it.”
The puzzled look on Freda’s face told Gilda she was making a muddle of her explanation. “Remember the night we found Lady Mariel asleep in the garden shed? Two men arrived on horseback. We feared they were looking for Mariel, and Justin hid her. Then he embraced me as the men opened the door of the shed. The embrace was meant to be a distraction. One of those men, the younger one, was at the head table tonight. The one sitting beside the count.”
“Was that the only distraction Lord Justin could think of?”
“That’s what I asked him!”
Freda’s puzzled expression had disappeared, and she seemed to consider what Gilda had told her. “I understand your concern. But Lord Justin is used to dealing with the most powerful men in the land, including the king. His reputation for solving problems and negotiating between enemies is legend. He’s sure to think of a way out of this predicament,” she assured Gilda.
Gilda nodded, but her eyes were full of doubt. She couldn’t help but feel she carried a lot of the blame for Justin’s choice of a distraction. It was that disastrous kiss at her brother’s manor that had begun the whole thing.
When the door opened, Gilda jumped to her feet. She saw that Justin was holding his mouth in a tight, narrow line. She was sure he had bad news to relate.
“What happened?” she asked, before he could say a word.
“Maybe you should sit down, Gilda.”
“Justin, just answer my question,” she replied, refusing his suggestion to sit.
“All right. It’s just that you appear a little distraught.”
Actually, Justin thought she looked beautiful. Her cheeks were rosy, and her golden hair was a flowing cascade against the black background of her habit. There was an edgy excitement to her as she faced him in a challenging manner. He wondered how she would look when she knew what he had done. He had to make her understand and go along with the story he had made up to defuse the situation.
“The young man beside Count Cedric at supper is his much younger brother, Philip. His half brother, actually.”
Gilda gasped, but Justin rushed on. “When I asked him why he had been at the Abbey of Saint Ives, he became upset. It was clear that Cedric didn’t know anything about his brother’s journey. At first Philip refused to talk about the incident. Then he suddenly changed his mind and told the count about finding us together.” Justin stopped speaking and looked over to Freda.
“I told her about what happened in the shed,” Gilda assured him.
“Good. That will make things easier. I think Philip brought up the subject to detract attention from himself and keep from explaining his own presence. He said he happened upon me having carnal relations with a nun and pointed at you.”
Gilda blinked at the words, as they sounded even worse than she’d expected. “It was an embrace! What did the count say?”
“He asked for an explanation.”
“You didn’t tell him about Lady Mariel, did you?” she asked.
“No. But I’m glad to hear you wouldn’t approve of that explanation.”
Freda spoke for the first time. “Maybe you better tell us how you did explain the situation.”
Justin glanced from one woman to the other. He folded his arms across his chest as though to protect himself. “I told him I innocently embraced Gilda because we had just become secretly betrothed.”
Gilda’s first thought was that he was jesting. When he attempted an encouraging smile, she realized he was serious. “Are you mad?” she asked.
“Quite possibly,” he replied. “I think we should become betrothed in case someone makes inquiries. I’m sure your brother will give his permission in place of your father. Lord Chetwynd owes me a favor.”
Moving forward quickly, Gilda grabbed the front of Justin’s doublet with both hands, forming fists in the soft material. “I’m a nun. What makes you think I’d become betrothed to you? Who would believe that? You are mad.”
He smiled down at her. “You’re touching me again.”
Gilda immediately pushed him away and turned to Freda for help. “What can I do? This man is ruining my life. I won’t marry him.”
Justin’s voice cut into her plea. “I didn’t say anything about marriage. We’ll become betrothed for a while. Then, when we’ve finished this assignment and things return to normal, we’ll find a reason to break it off.”
Gilda could tell he thought his words should appease her. In fact, they made her even more angry. “I’m a nun,” she repeated. “If you can’t think about my position, think about your own. What will Lady Lilith think about our betrothal? From what I’ve heard, you and she are lovers.”
“I don’t think I wish to hear this,” Freda said. “I’ll go to my room.”
“I need you here, Freda,” Gilda pleaded, and the older nun sat down again.
Justin answered her question. “The rumors you’ve heard are very old. The lady remarried several months ago.”
The cold tone of his voice extinguished Gilda’s anger. There had been much speculation about Justin and the beautiful widow. She had two sons, and it was said that she feared to marry and jeopardize their inheritance. Clearly the lady had found a husband who was wealthy enough so that it didn’t matter. Gilda wondered if Justin’s cold words were meant to cover up his hurt.