Forbidden: Claude (Second in Command #2)(21)

“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.”

His father. As much as Claude loved him, he still had a hard time accepting the fact at one time long ago his father left his mother and she had to raise Claude by herself. He barely knew his father since he hadn’t met him until he was five and ten years of age. A father should be there for their children from the day they are born. He needed a father growing up and never had one until eight years ago.

“I am grateful Father saved my life. But remember, I haven’t known him any longer than I’ve known Rose,” he replied and headed out the door.



“My lady, I don’t understand why you called me to your chamber,” said Evelina. “I should be taking care of the children and getting them ready for mass.”

“Evelina, you won’t have to worry about the children anymore,” said Rose, struggling to get out of bed. Her late stages of pregnancy made it hard for her to move. Evelina hurried to her side to help her.

“What do you mean? And why don’t you have a handmaid?” she asked.

“I sent my handmaiden home to tend to her ill mother a fortnight ago. Isobel has been helping me, but I think it is time for that to stop. You will be my handmaiden now.”

“Me?” Evelina didn’t want to do it. She was hoping to be able to make distance between her and Rose after yesterday. She didn’t want to be around Rose or Claude because, for some reason, it bothered her to see them together. “I don’t know anything about being a handmaid.”

“There is nothing to know. I just need you here to help me dress. I can no longer reach behind my back, and it has been a long time since I have been able to touch my toes. I hope this baby comes soon because I’ve been getting fatigued. This will only be a temporary position until my handmaid returns in a week or two.”

“That long?” asked Evelina, not even knowing if she was going to be in England for another two weeks. Any day now, her father could send a ship full of soldiers to look for her and then she would have no choice but to return to France.

There was a knock at the door, and Claude called out from the other side. “My lady, I am here to take you to mass.”

“Hurry, Evelina,” said Rose. “Please, help me dress. I don’t want Claude to have to wait.”

“Of course,” she said, hurrying to help her while Claude continued to pound on the door.

“Please, tell him we are going as fast as we can,” said Rose.

“Aye, my lady.” She pulled the gown over Rose’s head and crossed the room to open the door.

Evelina didn’t like being treated like a servant. She was a lady and should have servants waiting on her instead. Sadly, it was because of her own deception that she was in this position, and she tired of it quickly. She ripped open the door to find Claude with one fist raised, ready to knock again. His other hand was behind his back.

“We are going as fast as we can, now please stop the obnoxious pounding on the door,” she grumbled.

“Evelina?” Claude raised a brow. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with the children?”

“Not anymore. Lady Rose has made me her handmaid.”

“Oh,” he said, bringing his other hand from behind his back. He held up a bouquet of fresh wildflowers.

“What is that?” she asked. Her eyes focused on the beautiful flowers. The heavenly sweet scent filled the air.

“Flowers,” he said, holding them out to her. “Here, take them.”

Her hand shook as she collected the flowers from him, feeling her heart swell. No man had ever given her flowers before. She could barely believe it. Perhaps he was attracted to her after all.

“Put them in water for Lady Rose,” he commanded. Stepping around her, Claude headed into the solar leaving her feeling, once more, like a fool.



By the time the morning meal ended, Evelina was so tired of watching Claude treat Rose like a goddess that all she wanted was to get far away from both of them.

He had brought Rose flowers this morning, stayed by her side during mass, and even cut her meat for her while sitting up on the dais with the rest of the nobles. She highly expected him to start kissing Rose’s feet next.

The musicians in the gallery started playing dancing music. She looked up to see Augustin across the hall trying to get her attention.

After a quick glance around her to make sure no one was watching, she hurried across the hall to join him. Taking Augustin by the elbow, Evelina led him away from the crowd. She stopped in the foyer area leading to the outside.

“What is it, Augustin?” she asked. “I told you never to bother me in the great hall.”

“I wanted to tell you I am boarding a ship back to France in the next hour. I found a merchant ship that is going that way, and I’ve secured passage for both of us.”

“What? Nay,” she said. “We can’t leave now.” Her thoughts went to Claude. She didn’t want to leave yet. She couldn’t stop thinking about him, and she had even been dreaming about kissing him. Even though she had been feeling as if she wanted to distance herself from him, France was a little too far away. If she left now, her life would be over. As soon as she returned to France, her father would make her marry Lord Onfroi, and she would never have a chance to find love. She would also never know how it felt to kiss Sir Claude Montague.