“Rose, ye have already lost two bairns and canna risk losin’ another one,” Isobel warned her.
“I suppose you’re right,” said Rose with a sigh. She struggled to stand up. Claude shot across the room and was there at her side immediately. With his hand on her arm, he guided her, not letting go even when her balance was secure.
“Thank you, Claude. I am so glad you are here to help me.” Rose covered his arm with her hand.
“It is my pleasure, my lady.”
There was no mistaking the look of love in Claude’s eyes. Evelina shook her head, getting to her feet as well. Didn’t the man realize how foolish he was acting? Perhaps, she would have to point it out to him again.
“If I can’t mount a horse, then I want to ride in the wagon,” Rose announced. “It is a beautiful day, and I would like to take a basket to the coast and sit on the grass as we eat the food. I long to walk barefoot along the shore and let the waves lap at my feet.”
“Rose, that is no way for a lady to be actin’,” Isobel reminded her. “How will it look if ye are seen with a man who isna yer husband and yer feet are bare?”
Rose chuckled. “I think the part that bothers you the most, Isobel, is the fact I will be shoeless. I doubt that you have ever been without shoes in your life.”
“Isobel is right. You should stay at the castle,” said Celestine. “You know your father doesn’t like you anywhere near the docks.”
“I won’t be by the docks. I just need to get out in nature,” said Rose.
“I will protect her, Mother,” Claude told Celestine. “I am a knight now, not a boy anymore.”
Celestine and Isobel exchanged glances. Isobel nodded, and Celestine smiled at Claude. “Of course, Claude. What was I thinking? I’m sure we have nothing to worry about if you will be with Rose.”
“I will take the nursemaid with us so there will be no chance for idle gossip,” said Rose.
“What?” Evelina looked up in surprise. The last thing she wanted was to have to go along as a spectator with those two. “I have to look after Harry,” she said, splaying out her hand to the little boy sleeping on the bag of wool.
“We’ll take my squire instead,” Claude blurted out, giving a sideways glance to Evelina.
“I’ll watch my son,” said Isobel. “Evelina, ye go along with Rose in case she needs another female.”
“Yes. We’ll take your squire as well,” Rose told Claude. “That way, Evelina will have someone to talk to.”
The look of disturbance on Claude’s face almost made Evelina laugh. But he didn’t say a word against the idea. Instead, he forced a smile and patted his hand atop of Rose’s.
“Whatever you wish, my lady,” Claude answered. “I will have my squire make the preparations right away.”
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 used to 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 happene
d. 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.
Claude tended to Rose’s every need as they ate their food sitting on a blanket on the ground. Felix and Evelina sat on the edge of the cart, chatting as they had their meal. Claude poured some wine into a cup, bringing it to his mouth as his eyes focused on Evelina. With her long, oaken hair loose and flowing in the breeze, she reminded him of a fae.
He hadn’t wanted to help her from the wagon, but when he touched her body, something odd happened that he couldn’t explain. That damned rosewater drifted from her body again, filling his head with thoughts of sensual pleasures like kissing her neck or possibly her lips. He had almost kissed her last night. When he stood so close to her and gazed into her beautiful eyes, he couldn’t stop himself from reaching out and feeling her silken hair as well as her skin. Thank goodness, she believed he was only brushing the hair from her eyes.
“Claude? Claude?” Rose leaned forward and pushed her face up to his.
“My lady?” It took him a moment to realize he had poured the wine for Rose and was drinking it instead of giving it to her. “Oh, the wine. I’m sorry.” He handed her the cup. She took a sip, smiling all the while.
“Why are you smiling so much?” he asked. He heard Evelina giggle and his eyes darted back to the cart. He wondered what Felix had said to her to make her laugh.
“She’s pretty, isn’t she?”
“Pretty?” His eyes shot back to Rose. “Who?”
“Well, I’m not talking about Felix.” Rose laughed this time, putting down the cup and reaching for her feet. “Claude, I want to walk in the water barefooted.”
“Aye,” he answered. He picked up the cup and drank the rest of the wine, sneaking a peek at Evelina again.
“I am having a problem reaching my feet.”
“My lady?” He looked back at Rose, realizing she needed his help in removing her shoes. “Oh, I’m sorry, Rose. Let me help you.” He reached out and slipped the shoes from Rose’s feet.
“I’m glad you came to England because you are my good friend and I really missed you.”
“Aye. I’ve missed you, too.”
“I’m worried about you, Claude. Why aren’t you married by now?”
“Me?” He looked up, holding her shoe in his hand. “I’ll get married. Someday. When I find the right woman to be my wife.”
“I had the feeling you left England because you were in love with me while I was in love with Toft.”
He cradled the shoe in his hand, examining the stitches in the leather rather than looking at her when he lied.
“Nay, that’s not why. My grandfather left me his castle and estate when he died. I had to go back to France.”
“When you first returned, I thought, perhaps, you were hoping we could be together. But now I see that I was wrong.”
“Rose, I have no idea what you mean.”
“I think you do.” She held out her arms. “Help me up, Claude. I feel like a whale.”
He helped her to stand.
“Rose, I am here because you asked me to be. I want to help you any way I can.”
“I saw the way you’ve been watching Evelina.” Rose smiled a wide smile. “Perhaps, she is the one.”
“The one? For what? The girl is a common servant with a brash disposition. I was only watching her because I thought someone should reprimand her before she gets out of control.”
“Sure you were. Don’t forget, now that the hair no longer hides your eyes, I can tell when you’re lying.”
“You and Toft asked me to stay and watch over you until his return.”
“Aye. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart. We are good friends, and that is the way I always want it to be.”
“What are you trying to say, Rose?”
“I’m saying that I’m in love with Toft and have always been. He is my husband, and we will soon have a baby together. I hope to have many more babies with him.”
“Why are you telling me this? I don’t understand.”
There was an awkward silence between them and then she shrugged her shoulders. “I suppose I am rambling on because I miss Toft and wish he were here with me when I give birth. But you are here, and that is the next best thing. Now, carry me down to the water because I should have waited to remove my shoes until after we were on the shore. I don’t want to step on a stick or rock and stumble along the way.”
“Yes, my lady,” said Claude, scooping her up into his arms. He let out an involuntary groan, and that made them both laugh.
“Claude de Bar Montague, if I hear you groan again I am going to think you are telling me I’ve grown fat.”
“Never, my lady,” said Claude, carrying her down to the water.
“Where are they going?” Felix asked Evelina, causing her to look across the grass only to see Rose in Claude’s arms. They were laughing as he carried her to the shore. Evelina had been having a pleasant conversation with Felix and enjoying herself. But now, all she wanted to do was go back to the castle.
“It looks like they are going to walk along the shore,” she answered.
“That looks like fun. Let’s go join them.” Felix jumped off the wagon.
“Nay,” she said, feeling her stomach form into a knot. “I’ll stay here. I don’t think I am up for a stroll along the beach.”
Now, she realized she must have imagined that Claude was interested in her. He still loved Rose, and it was obvious. Never would she be fooled by him again.
Chapter 7
Claude tossed and turned all night long not able to sleep because of all the turmoil in his brain. First, he dreamed of Rose. He was her husband, and she birthed a baby boy that looked just like him. But in the dream, everyone kept thinking the boy was a girl.
After that, he dreamed that Evelina was in his bed and they were making love. Just as he reached his climax, her eyes lit up with fire and she slapped him hard, telling him he was naught but the court fool.
Finally, he had a dream about his grandfather. Claude was in the tower of Castle Hastings in the midst of a storm. His grandfather was there, telling him that he had to choose. He held up Rose by the hair in one hand and Evelina by the hair in his other hand. They dangled like limp rag dolls, and both of them looked blue in the face as if they were being hung by a noose. Claude stood frozen, not knowing what to do. Then the floor of the tower gave way under him, and he fell into a dark, long tunnel. He screamed out. But before he hit the bottom, someone’s shout woke him from his sleep.
“My lord, wake up!” came his squire’s voice. “You were crying out in your sleep.”
Claude’s eyes sprang open. He shot up to a sitting position in bed, gasping for air. Standing at the side of the bed were his squire and his mother.
“Claude, mon fils. Qu’est-ce qu’il y a?” His mother asked him what was the matter. She sat on the edge of the bed and put her hand on Claude’s.
“Ma mère, j’ai eu un rêve horrible.” He told her that he’d had a bad dream.
“I had a vision that you were in trouble, that is why I came to your room,” said Celestine. “I didn’t expect to hear you crying out in your sleep the way your father used to do with his nightmare.” His mother often had visions and was very seldom wrong. She used her Tarot cards to tell the future but, to Claude, that was being a witch, and he wanted nothing to do with it anymore.
“It was just a dream,” he said, throwing his legs over the side of the bed and rubbing his hands over his face.
“Felix, will you leave the room so I can talk to my son in private?” asked Celestine.
“Aye, my lady.” Felix left the room and closed the door.
“Mother, if this i
s about my dream, you don’t need to talk to me. I will be fine.”
“Don’t forget the dream your father kept having for years and what happened to him.”
“I am not my father.” He got out of bed and pulled a tunic over his head.
“Let me read the cards for you, Claude.”
“Nay! I don’t want anything to do with that type of witchery. Mother, it has only brought strife and turmoil into our lives.”
“I suppose you are right.” Sadness swept over Celestine’s face. There was no doubt she was thinking about her parents and the horrible memories of her past. “You are acting strangely. Is something the matter? Does this have anything to do with your feelings for Rose?”
“Why does everyone keep saying that to me?” He continued to dress as he talked.
“Who else said it?”
“That nursemaid.”
“Evelina? She knows you still have feelings for Rose as well?”
“I don’t have feelings for Rose,” he ground out, picking up his weapon belt and fastening it around his waist.
“Are you sure? Because you know she is in love with Toft, not you.”
“Why does everyone have to keep reminding me?” He yanked his boots on and then headed for the door.
“Where are you going?”
“I am going to take Lady Rose to chapel for the morning mass and then to the great hall for a meal. And after that, I will rub her feet or brush her hair or do anything else she wants me to do, and no one is going to tell me otherwise.”
“Why are you doing all this, Claude?”
“I am taking care of her until Toft returns, just as I promised.”
“Are you sure that is the only reason?”
He stopped in his tracks and spoke without turning around. “I owe it to her, Mother. She brought me out of a dark place I was in many years ago. I owe everything to her. If she hadn’t been there for me, I might be dead right now.”
“It sounds as if you are placing too much importance on her random act of kindness. After all, your father is the one who saved your life and yet you very rarely spend any time with him.”
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