Forbidden: Claude (Second in Command #2)(8)

“I am Evelina Du – Bisset,” she said, almost telling him her real name.

“Du Bisset?” He wrenched his face. I’ve never heard that name before. What part of France do you come from?”

She came from Tarbes in the Languedoc region near Toulouse but didn’t want him to know. She also wanted to find out where he was from before she answered.

“Where is your abode, Sir Claude?”

He dropped his hand to the side. “My, you are brash for a servant.”

“I – I’m sorry, my lord,” she stammered, thinking she pushed it too far. “I just meant, I’ve never heard of you and wondered where you resided.”

“I am Sir Claude Montague of Stonebury Castle in the north of France.”

“Oh. I come from the southern part of France,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t ask her more.

“My lord,” said the man’s squire, running on foot, entering the courtyard out of breath. “I have your present for your sister in the travel bag and forgot to give it to you. I hope it’s not too late.”

“Nay, Felix,” he said, thankfully taking his attention away from Evelina. “However, if I don’t get into the great hall soon, I’m sure my sister will be hunting me down to retrieve her present.”

“Come,” said Rose, taking Toft’s hand and heading toward the keep. “Claude, you’ll want to greet Lord Nicholas and his wife, Muriel, I’m sure. You should see how tall the twins, Nelda and little Nicholas, got in the past few years. They are eight now, and little Nicholas is already a page.”

“My, that time went fast,” said Claude.

“They have more children as well,” Toft told him. “Another boy and two more girls that are named Holly and Heather.”

“Holly and Heather? What kind of names are those?” Claude asked, making a face and shaking his head.

“I think those names are pretty,” Evelina blurted out, not able to stop herself from saying what she thought.

Claude looked over to her and narrowed his eyes. “Nursemaid, I was talking to Lady Rose and Sir Toft, not you.”

Evelina felt outraged but couldn’t say anything. She was supposed to be a servant but, at times like this, it was challenging.

“I like the names, too,” said Rose.

“How could you?” asked Claude. “I think Lord Nicholas has been letting his wife influence his decisions. What is their other son’s name? Clover? Or perhaps Dan – delion,” he said with a chuckle.

“It’s Glen,” Rose told him.

“Of course,” said Claude with a nod. “A glen for all those flowers.”

“What is the matter with you, Claude?” asked Rose. “My name is a flower. Do you think my name is silly, too?”

That shut him up, and Evelina was happy it did.

“Nay, of course not,” Claude apologized. “I’m sorry if I sounded blunt. I am only tired from the journey and not thinking straight, that’s all.”

“Let’s get you a big tankard of ale,” said Toft. “I’m sure that will fix you right up.” Toft put his arm around Claude’s shoulder, walking with him on one side and Rose on the other. Evelina followed behind them with the squire.

“Lord Claude seems very uncomfortable,” Evelina stated, hoping to find out more information about the man through his squire.

“Oh, that’s just because he is still in love with Lady Rose,” blurted out Felix.

“I can see that. What I don’t understand is how Lady Rose could have been in love with someone like Lord Claude. He is handsome but not very likable at all.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that,” warned Felix. “Lord Claude had a hard life. Did you know when he first came to England and met his father, Lord John thought he was a girl?”

“A girl?” She giggled, letting her eyes roam over to the back of Sir Claude. The man was well built with broad shoulders and looked to have muscles under his tunic and cloak. He wasn’t as tall as some of the other knights she’d seen, but he was still a good two heads taller than her. His face was covered with a dark stubble of whiskers. “It is hard to imagine that Sir Claude once looked like a girl.”

“I’ve been told Sir Claude was very skinny and soft-spoken,” the squire explained. “His hair was long and kept getting in his eyes. Supposedly, his own father took his blade to Claude’s hair because everyone kept calling him a girl and John didn’t want a son that they thought was a daughter.”

She giggled again, and Claude turned his head, looking back over his shoulder.

“Is something funny?” he asked. “Mayhap you would care to share it with the rest of us?”

Evelina looked at Felix and shook her head slightly. “Please, don’t tell him,” she whispered, not thinking Claude would appreciate his squire revealing all his secrets.

“Nay, my lord,” answered Felix in a loud voice. “I am just making conversation with the nursemaid. Evelina is very nice. And also pretty.”

“Why thank you,” she told him.

“Evelina is a lovely name,” said Felix. “It suits you.”

“Thank you, once again.”

Claude looked over his shoulder for the second time. Evelina couldn’t miss the scowl on his face. Something about Felix complimenting her and making her laugh seemed to upset him. Was there nothing that made this man merry?