Page 20 of Forbidden: Claude

Chapter 6

Claude directed the horse toward the coast. Rose sat on the bench seat next to him, looking as beautiful as ever with the sun making her golden hair glow. It was a sunny day and quite warm. A walk near the ocean would feel nice. Claude enjoyed his time alone with Rose, but what he didn’t like was the fact that they’d had to bring his squire and the nursemaid along.

He glanced over his shoulder to see Felix sitting on the back of the open wagon, dangling his feet over the edge. Evelina sat with her back against the sidewall, clutching the basket of food in her arms.

“Where would you like to stop to eat?” Claude asked.

“Anywhere,” grumbled Evelina. “It is so bumpy in the back of this cart it is making me feel ill.”

“I was talking to Lady Rose,” Claude told her.

“Oh.” Evelina threw him a disgruntled look and turned her head the other way.

“Stop up ahead, just under that large tree.” Rose pointed to where she meant. “It is where Toft and I often have an outing. I wish he could be here with us today, don’t you, Claude?”

“Aye,” he answered, hearing Evelina release a puff of air from her mouth from behind him.

Claude stopped the wagon and put his hands on Rose’s waist to help her from the cart while Felix took the basket of food from Evelina and headed over to the big oak tree.

Evelina wasn’t usedto riding in the back of carts. She stood up just as the horse moved and she almost fell.

“Oh, Claude, help Evelina from the wagon as well,” said Rose.

“I don’t need help,” she spat, taking a step forward, getting her foot caught on the hem of her gown and almost falling again.

“Squire, get over here and take care of the horse,” Claude shouted, stomping over to the back of the wagon and holding out his hand. “Come,” he told her.

“I said I don’t need help,” Evelina repeated.

“Lady Rose asked me to help you and so I will. Besides, if I don’t, you might land flat on your face. You act as if you’ve never ridden in the back of a wagon before.”

She had ridden in the front of wagons, but the back was always for servants. If her father knew she was dressed in a coarse, brown, woolen gown and riding in the back of a hay wagon, he would be furious. Then again, if he knew she was working as a servant, he’d be madder than hell.

She wondered if her father had his men out looking for her and how long it would take him to figure out she had stowed away with a mercenary to England.

“Come on,” said Claude impatiently, closing his hands around her waist and lifting her from the cart.

“Oh!” she cried out, holding on to his strong shoulders so she wouldn’t fall. He set her on her feet. When she looked up, he was staring down at her mouth. His hands lingered on her waist. Mayhap it was only her imagination, but she felt as if he wanted to kiss her. A shiver of desire swept through her. This was the second time he had touched her and, both times, she felt a heat spiraling through her with his contact. She didn’t understand it at all. Memories of yesterday filled her head of how she thought he was going to kiss her then, too. Then she remembered how foolish she felt when he hadn’t. She didn’t want to go through that again.

Quickly removing her hands from his shoulders, she stepped back, biting her lip and looking at the ground. “Thank you,” she said in a breathy whisper, barely able to talk.

“Of course,” he mumbled. She thought he would leave her then but, instead, he stayed with her. Her eyes lifted in question.

“Was there something you wanted to say, my lord?” she asked, wondering why he hadn’t walked away.

He hesitated before he answered. “Nay. It’s just that you have a piece of straw in your hair.” He reached out and plucked the straw from her unbound hair. The ride in the back of the wagon had been windy and she had lost her wimple. Then, the ribbon holding back her hair came untied, and she lost that during the ride, too. “That’s better,” he said, showing her the piece of straw and dropping it to the ground. The wind picked up and blew her hair across her eyes. To her surprise, he brushed the hair from her face, gently tucking a strand behind her ear.

Their eyes interlocked and at that moment, the world stood still. As she stared into his eyes, her heart beat faster. He was looking at her like a lover, not like a man who didn’t want her in his bed. Perhaps, he had lied yesterday when he turned her away. But his eyes didn’t lie now. What she saw was a man’s interest in a woman, and it wasn’t Rose. It was her this time. He skimmed his fingers lightly across her cheek as he moved his hand away.

“My lord,” interrupted his squire, suddenly standing at their side. With the squire’s presence, the moment was gone. “Lady Rose said to hurry before the ants figure out we have food.”

“Aye,” said Claude, clearing his throat and taking a step backward. “Tend to the horse, Felix. And if you want any food you’d better not tarry. After all, I’ve worked up quite an appetite and might eat it all myself.” He hustled across the grass, making a beeline toward Rose.

“Aye, my lord,” answered Felix, talking to Claude’s back as he hurried away.

Evelina stood frozen for a moment, trying to decipher what just happened. Had she imagined that they’d shared an intimate moment? And why had she enjoyed it so much? She didn’t even like Claude. He was an arrogant, pig-headed, ridiculous boy trapped in a man’s body refusing to live in anything but the past.

She straightened her gown, brushed back her hair and pinched her cheeks for color. It never hurt to look good, even around wretched curs like Claude.