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 happened. 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.