Page 12 of Forbidden: Claude

“Hello, Evelina,” said Felix happily, squeezing into the empty spot on the bench next to her. “How is the food today?”

“We are sharing a trencher,” she said pushing the old, stale piece of bread being used as a plate closer to him. “I found it a little challenging to cut the meat without cutting into the trencher, so I apologize for the mangled look of the bread.”

“Oh, I don’t mind,” he said, digging into the food.

“I separated the food because I wasn’t sure if you cared for steamed cabbage. I am not fond of it, myself. However, the root vegetables are delicious today. The meat is a little tough and needs more sauce, but that was all I could manage to get. Some of the men at the table are very greedy.”

“Aye, it is always that way below the salt. If you were up at the dais where Sir Claude is sitting, you would have more than enough food to eat and have the first choice of the best cut of meat.”

“Sir Claude,” Evelina repeated, taking the wooden cup into her hands, looking over the rim as she took a sip of honeyed mead. Lady Rose smiled from ear to ear, holding up a piece of cheese to Claude’s mouth. He shook his head and flashed a smile, then buried his nose in a tankard of ale. “He is an odd one, isn’t he?”

“That’s funny,” said Felix, using his fingers to shove more food into his mouth. “He said the same thing about you.”

She jerked in surprise. “He did? He thinks I’m odd? How so?”

“He said you don’t act like any servant he’s ever known.”

She put down the cup, almost spilling the mead in the process. She needed to be more careful with her disguise. “What else did he say about me?”

“He said if you want to know anything about him that you should ask him instead of asking me.”

“He did, did he?” She used the spoon and scooped up a cooked piece of carrot, gently placing it into her mouth and then using the scrap of cloth to wipe her lips afterward.

“Just like that,” said Felix, nodding to the cloth.

“Like what?” she asked, neatly folding the cloth into a square and slipping it back into her pocket.

“He has never seen a servant use a cloth to wipe her mouth. He also said you are too dainty to be of peasant stock. And you smell like rosewater, and your hair is clean and smells like fresh air.”

“I smell like rosewater?” Her heart skipped a beat. Sir Claude noticed that she’d used a small dab of Lady Rose’s rosewater. She liked that he was so observant, but it frightened her at the same time. He was going to figure out her secret. Being from France, he could send a missive back to her father. If so, before she knew it, she’d be marrying the awful Lord Onfroi. She needed to be more careful around this French knight.

When the meal ended, there were games for the children to help celebrate the birthdays of Harry and Charlotte. Evelina went to help the children, hoping someday she would have children of her own.

The children played several games, and the last one had to do with balancing eggs on spoons as they hurried across the great hall, walking around a few obstacles and then back again. The minstrels in the gallery overhead played music. When the music stopped, they had to run back to the start with their egg, hoping not to drop and break it.

“It’s your turn, Harry,” said Evelina, helping the little boy balance his egg on a spoon. “You need to beat Charlotte if you want to win the race.”

“Charlotte, let me help you with that,” said Claude, making his way down the dais to help his sister.

“I don’t need help, Claude,” Charlotte told him. “I’m eight now and old enough to play the game by myself.”

“Hello, Evelina,” said Claude, looking straight ahead instead of at her when he spoke.

“Hello,” she said, looking down at Harry.

“Did my squire give you the message?”

“What message?” she asked, pretending not to know. It would be better if he didn’t realize she had been talking about him.

“Didn’t he tell you? If you want to know anything about me you are to ask me directly, not go through him.”

“There is nothing about you I have the desire to know.”

The music started up, and Evelina urged Harry forward. “Go on, quickly,” she told him, clapping her hands together. “But not too quickly or you will drop the egg.”

“Hurry, Charlotte.” Claude put his hands to his mouth to call out to his sister. “You need to beat Harry. Show him that the de Bars are not losers.”

“De Bars?” Evelina stood up so quickly at hearing him say that name that she lost her balance and almost fell. He grabbed her by the elbow and steadied her.