After two cups of warm, spiced mead and a bowl of hot pottage, Evelina finally stopped shivering. Her clothes were still wet as well as her hair, but they had no chance of drying now that the inn was crowded with travelers all gathered around the fire.

Felix came in from outside, barely able to close the door since the winds were so strong. Tree branches and leaves flew through the air. Out the window, she saw the waves hitting the cliff and splashing up so high they were almost touching the inn.

Felix wove his way between the soldiers, peasants, and merchants that filled the inn. Finally, he made it over to where Evelina and Claude were sitting.

“My l-lord, the h-horses are s-secure in the b-barn for the night,” he said, shivering worse than before Claude had sent him out in the storm.

“Good job, Squire.” Claude pushed a bowl of pottage across the table. “Now have some food and warm up.”

“T-thank you, my l-lord,” he said, taking the bowl in two hands and gobbling down the food.

“I’ll get you some spiced mead as soon as I can get the server’s attention.” Claude raised his hand in the air, but the place was so crowded that no one even saw him.

“Here, take the rest of my mead,” said Evelina, handing Felix her cup.

“T-thank you,” said Felix, drinking it down quickly. “The s-storm is bad out there, my lord. I d-don’t think we should go anywhere yet.”

“I agree,” said Claude.

A fat, smelly man squeezed onto the bench next to Evelina, looking over and smiling at her, almost making her gag from the smell of his breath.

“My lord,” said Josephine, making her way through the crowd. “Your bath and room are ready. It is room number one up the stairs and at the end of the hall.”

“Thank you,” said Claude, handing the woman a coin.

“I put your package as well as the soul cakes in the room,” the innkeeper’s wife explained. “With the crowd in here tonight, I didn’t feel they would still be here come morning.”

“Good idea,” he told her. “I wouldn’t want to disappoint Lady Rose.”

Evelina was becoming quite disgusted hearing Claude talk about Lady Rose all the time. She also thought it was rude of him to secure a bath and room for himself while she and Felix were cold, wet, hungry and tired.

As soon as Josephine left, Claude stood up. “Come,” he said.

“Where are we g-going?” asked Felix, looking up from his mead.

“I wasn’t talking to you, Squire. I was talking to Evelina.”

“Me?” She stood, only because she felt the fat man’s hand wandering over to her leg and she was in a hurry to get away from him.

“I’ve had the innkeeper prepare a hot bath for you. You’ll sleep in the room on the pallet tonight.”

“What about m-me?” asked Felix.

“You’ll stay here by the fire with me.”

“It’s c-crowded in here. C-can’t we all share the room?”

“Nay. It wouldn’t be proper. The room is only for Evelina.”

“I d-don’t think she’d m-mind,” said Felix. “Would you, Evelina?”

“If you don’t like the arrangements, you are welcome to stay in the barn tonight with the horses,” Claude announced.

“N-nay, my lord. T-this is fine.” Felix buried his nose in the cup of mead.

Evelina followed Claude up the stairs, glad to be away from the crowd, the drunks, and the noise. When they got to the end of the hall, he reached out and opened the door. She was about to enter the room when he stopped her.

“Let me make sure it is safe, first.” He drew his sword and walked into the room.

Evelina thought he was overreacting. “I hardly think it is -” She stopped speaking when Claude pulled someone out of the shadows and held his blade to the person’s throat. It was a young boy perhaps ten years of age. He had the package in his hands.

“You thought you’d steal from me, did you?” growled Claude.

Evelina stood there with her mouth hanging open.

“Please, don’t kill me, my lord,” begged the frightened boy.

Claude ripped the package from the boy’s hands and threw it onto the pallet. “Why are you in here?”

“I am just a peasant,” said the boy. “I work for the innkeeper and just finished bringing hot water for your bath.” He pointed to an empty bucket on the floor.

“You were trying to steal my package,” said Claude, using a voice that sounded very threatening. “You should know thieves stealing from nobles have their hands cut off.”

“I wasn’t stealing it,” squeaked the boy. “I was just curious and wanted to know what was in it. Please don’t cut off my hand, my lord.”

“Sir Claude, please don’t hurt the child,” begged Evelina. “I believe he was just curious, that’s all.”

Claude sighed and lowered his blade. “Take your bucket and go,” he told the boy. “Next time I catch you touching my belongings, you will find your hand next to you on the ground.” He gave the boy a push, and he landed on the floor next to his bucket.

“Thank you, my lord,” said the boy with wide eyes, still staring at Claude’s sword. He picked up the bucket and ran out of the room.

“Thank you for not hurting the boy,” said Evelina once the child had left the room.

“I wasn’t going to hurt him. I just wanted to scare him.” Claude slid his sword back into the scabbard. “If he doesn’t learn his lesson now, someday another lord will cut off his hand or do something worse. A little fear as a child goes a long way.”

Another rumble of thunder shook the building. Claude’s body became rigid. He hurried over to the window and secured the shutter.

“You seem a little jumpy tonight,” she told him, skimming her fingers over the surface of the bath water, sinking down to sit on the edge of the tub. The water felt hot and inviting. A fire burned in a small hearth at the other side of the room making it very cozy. The room was small and plain. The only other furnishings were a pallet lying directly on the floor and one chair.

“I don’t like storms,” he told her.

“Why not?”

“It doesn’t matter. Now use the bath before it gets cold. I will be sitting outside the room to make sure nobody enters.”

He grabbed the chair and headed for the door, but she reached out and touched him. He stopped and looked over his shoulder.

“Thank you, Claude,” she said, not using his title. Her eyes met his. She was alone with him and wanted to kiss him. Reaching up, she cupped his cheek in her hand. His eyes closed and he seemed to be holding his breath.

Evelina was taking a chance but she no longer cared. Claude’s eyes were closed, and she used it to her advantage. Standing on her tiptoes, she reached up and gently kissed him on the lips.

His eyes snapped open. He almost looked frightened for a split second. Then his gaze became hooded and he leaned forward, his face coming closer to hers. And just when she thought he was going to return the kiss, he stopped.

“You are wasting hot water. Now use it before I throw you in the tub.” With that, he turned and left the room carrying the chair.

Claude closed the door and sat on the chair, raking his hand through his hair in confusion. Evelina kissed him! And when she did, everything inside him came to life.

Damn, he liked it. The touch of her hand on his face and the gentle way she’d caressed his lips with hers about drove him out of his mind. He wanted to kiss her back, but he didn’t. His feelings for her made him want to throw her down on the pallet, strip off her clothes and make love to her, but something made him stop.

She was only a handmaid. He shouldn’t want her as much as he did. It was more than lust, and this is the part that scared him. He had a feeling deep down that somehow, some way they belonged together even if it didn’t make any sense. Claude was a noble, and she was only a servant. Nay, he couldn’t feel this way about her because love between a noble and a servant wasn’t right. It was forbidden.

He also felt that by feeling this way he was somehow being disloyal to Rose. He understood that Rose was happily married to Toft, but a small part of him still held a flicker of hope that they would eventually end up together.

That was why he’d never married. Rose had broken his heart years ago. If he became vulnerable by falling in love with a woman and then she said she didn’t want him, he wouldn’t be able to face the pain. Being rejected by Rose was bad enough. He didn’t need it to happen with another woman as well.

“God’s eyes,” he spat, hating himself for feeling this way. Rose didn’t want him and made it very clear that they were only friends. So, why couldn’t he let go?

He wanted Evelina, but the part of him that was still in love with Rose wouldn’t let him feel the same way for Evelina. He leaned his head back against the wall and groaned. His body ached to have Evelina, but something was different than with past servants. He cared for her in a different way. She wasn’t like any of the girls he’d bedded before. Something about her was special. Thinking about making love with her almost seemed sacred in his mind. When she looked into his eyes, he felt as if she could see into his very soul. She seemed to know him better than he knew himself. It wasn’t just feelings of lust filling his emotions anymore. He cared about her as well.

However, she wasn’t honest, and that bothered him. She never answered his questions directly or made it clear why she was in England in the first place or where she’d lived in France. He couldn’t let down his guard and feel so strongly about a woman who was being deceitful. She might end up breaking his heart. He had to forget about Evelina. Nay, he had to forget about Rose. His head spun in confusion. The problem was he never wanted to forget either one of them, and that made him feel as if he were going mad.

* * *

Evelina removed her wet clothes and shoes and laid them on the floor in front of the fire, then slipped into the hot tub. Resting her head back against the side of the tub, she let out a satisfied sigh and closed her eyes. The water warmed her cold body. It felt comforting not to be in the tavern downstairs with a room full of smelly, drunken men.

Yes, she missed her life as a lady and decided it was time to make her identity known. She had a feeling Rose already knew she was a noble even though it was never mentioned. Evelina didn’t think Rose or Isobel would blame her for taking on an alias trying to escape a betrothal and find love on her own. After all, both of them seemed to have found love with their husbands. Why couldn’t it happen to her as well?

Even though she felt hurt that Claude hadn’t returned her kiss, in a way it was probably for the best. She didn’t want to deceive him anymore. It was time to tell him the truth. Evelina decided she would finish her bath and then tell Claude everything.

She hadn’t meant to fall asleep. But she was so tired that when she awoke, the water in the tub was already cold. Climbing out of the tub, she dried herself with the towel that the servants left on the pallet. Finding a small vial next to it on the bed, she popped it open and took a sniff.

“Rosewater,” she said with a smile, dabbing some behind her ears. The innkeeper must provide rosewater to the nobles who stayed there. She was about to see if her clothes were dry when she spotted the package on the bed.

Needing to look at the gown again, she decided to open the package. It was a beautiful gown, made for a lady. She had been wearing the clothes of a peasant for weeks now and longed to feel silk and velvet next to her skin once again.

With a quick glance back to the door, she checked to make sure no one was there. She would very quickly try on the gown to see if it fit. Hurriedly untying the twine, she opened the package and sighed when she laid eyes on the gown again.

Evelina decided to try on the undergarments as well. She quickly dressed, loving the feel of the clean, new clothes against her skin. The gown fit perfectly, making her feel pretty for the first time since she had left France.

Having no brush, she used her fingers to smooth and untangle her hair, quickly braiding it and throwing it over one shoulder. Now all she needed were the shoes Rose gave her, and she would feel like a lady once again. Happiness filled her being. She let out a squeal of delight.

The door banged open behind her. Evelina spun around to see Claude standing there with his sword in his hand, looking bewildered. His hair was mussed, and his eyes were half-closed. She figured he’d fallen asleep in the corridor.

“I heard you scream,” he said with intensity to his words. His eyes made a quick sweep of the room. “Is everything all right? Did another thief enter the room?”

“I didn’t scream. I squealed,” she told him. His eyes settled on her, and he perused her from head to foot.

“What are you wearing?” he asked.

“It’s the gown I bought. Do you like it?”

He took a moment to study her and then shook his head. “Take off Lady Rose’s clothes, anon.”

“It is not Lady Rose’s gown,” she explained. “It is mine.”

“Yours? I don’t understand.”

“Come in and close the door, Claude.”

“Sir Claude,” he corrected her, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.

“You see, Sir Claude,” she started, stressing the word Sir. “Lady Rose gave me money to buy a gown for myself.”

“You shouldn’t be wearing that, Evie.” He slid his sword back into the scabbard.

“What did you call me?” she asked, surprised by what she heard.

He cleared his throat and ran a hand over the back of his neck, looking down to the floor. “Evelina. That’s what I said. Evelina.”

“No, it wasn’t,” she said with a smile. “You called me Evie.”

“Mayhap I did, but I was half-asleep. It won’t happen again.”

“Nay, I like it,” she said, walking toward him slowly. “You can call me Evie if you want. Or better yet, you can call me . . . Lady Evelina.”