Forbidden: Claude (Second in Command #2)(28)

“Well, perhaps, we’d best be on our way then,” Evelina told Felix.



While Evelina would have rather had Claude take her to town, she was thankful to be with Felix as well. He was much easier to talk to. Claude seemed very upset and fidgety today and a few minutes away from him might prove to be relaxing for all of them.

“Here’s the clothier’s shop.” Felix stopped the wagon and tied the horse’s reins to a post outside the shop. The town was small but, for the most part, in good condition. Several dirt streets were lined with buildings. Peasants, merchants and stray dogs filled the street.

There was a church at the far end of town. A group of men and a few women who looked like whores congregated outside the brewery. She noticed a cobbler’s shop, a bakehouse, and a fishery on one side of the street. There was a furrier, butcher, and cordwainer’s shop on the other. She thought about Lady Rose and Lady Isobel going shopping together for shoes. A part of her wished she was with them right now. She had never had any close friends, and those two seemed so happy.

“Let me help you,” said Felix, guiding her from the cart to the wooden sidewalks.

“Thank you, Felix. I shouldn’t be long.” Evelina entered the shop to find a plump woman sitting in a chair, sewing. A man who was most likely her husband was standing behind a counter.

“How can I help you?” asked the man.

“I am here to purchase . . . some things.” She felt apprehensive asking the man for lady’s undergarments. Their store was a small shop with a few long, suspended poles with hooks in them holding finished gowns. On the table were bolts of material and in the corner behind the counter was a bin with what looked like undergarments.

“Well, what is it you need?”

She looked over at the woman. “Lady Rose of Sandwich sent me to get . . . undergarments.”

“Harold, I will help her.” The woman put down her sewing and pushed her plump body from the chair. “Right this way.” She led her over to the bin while her husband disappeared into the back room. “What size is Lady Rose?”

“She is nine months pregnant,” answered Evelina.

The woman chuckled. “I don’t have anything for pregnant women. Most garments are made to order, but I try to have a few things on hand. However, some of the things in this shop would fit you.”

“I didn’t think you’d really have anything to fit Lady Rose,” said Evelina, realizing this was Rose’s way of getting her alone with Claude. But Claude wasn’t even near her. “Lady Rose did tell me to choose something for myself.”

“A pretty young thing like you needs something like this.” She plucked a shift and a drawstring pair of drawers from the pile and held them up. “By the way, my name is Beatrice.”

“Thank you,” said Evelina. “Those will be fine. I would like to look at your gowns as well.”

“I think I have the perfect gown for you.” The woman led her over to the pole and pulled down a simple gown made of wool. It was more for a commoner and did not look pretty at all.

“What else do you have?” asked Evelina, looking through the gowns. Each one was just as drab as the one before it. She was never going to catch Claude’s eye wearing one of these.

“That’s it, Missy.”

Evelina noticed the gown the woman had been sewing when she walked in. It was made of purple velvet. “What about that gown?” asked Evelina.

“Oh, no. That is a gown for a noblewoman, not a commoner like you.”

“Can I see it?” Evelina was tired of pretending to be a commoner. Perhaps if she dressed like a noblewoman, it would make it easier when she revealed her true identity to Claude. Then again, she wasn’t at all sure that was a good idea. Everything confused her lately. Rose put thoughts in her head that Claude liked her, yet Evelina didn’t see it. Perhaps, she should tell him she was a noble. Then, mayhap, he would treat her the way he treated Rose.

“It is one of my best works,” said Beatrice excitedly, holding up the gown. “I even added lace on the bodice. Look at these tippets that trail all the way down to the ground.”

Evelina ran her hand over the velvet, feeling empty and sad inside. She couldn’t go on much longer pretending to be someone she wasn’t. She had thought by running away from her problems that she would be free. Instead, she had only created more. Would Rose and Claude hate her when she finally told them the truth? No one likes to be deceived. Even though she was a noble, she had deceived nobles. As far as she knew, she could be punished for that.

Perhaps, she should have stayed in France and married the evil Lord Onfroi of Grenoble after all. Now that she’d run away, her father was sure to be furious with her. And if Lord Onfroi was as evil as he was ugly, he was sure to raise a hand to her in punishment for trying to avoid him.

Evelina felt so alone with no one to confide in. Watching Claude and Rose had made her want the kind of friendship they had. Watching Rose and Toft made her feel as if she would never be in love the way they were.

“Evelina, are you almost finished?” Felix stuck his head inside the shop. “The sky is becoming very dark. I do believe Lord Claude was correct in saying a storm is brewing.”

“I’ll take it,” said Evelina, pushing the gown back into the woman’s hands.

“But I can’t sell the gown to you,” said the woman. “You can’t wear the clothes of a noble.”