Page 14 of Forbidden: Claude

Chapter 4

Claude dipped his head under the water of the tub and broke the surface with a sigh. The hot bath felt inviting but was doing nothing to make him feel better. The nursemaid had made him look like a fool in front of everyone, especially Rose. It brought back too many hurtful memories of the past.

He was a knight now and wanted to leave the past buried of the days he was a frightened, angry, skinny boy with long hair in his eyes. He wanted his father to be proud of him. Hell, he wanted to look good in Rose’s eyes now that he could measure up to someone like her husband. But Rose laughed at him, and that only made him want to try harder to make her like him more.

Was he really unlikable? He scooped up some soft soap from a small dish hanging from the edge of the tub and scrubbed his body hard. He wanted people to like him. Too much of his life was spent feeling lonely, and he didn’t ever want to feel that way again.

A knock sounded at the door. He figured it was either his squire coming back with more wine or a servant bringing the towel they had forgotten to leave.

“Enter,” he called out, scrubbing the soap into his scalp and closing his eyes, dipping back under the water to rinse it.

Evelina clutchedthe towel in her hand, glancing down the corridor, hoping no one was watching. She had intercepted the servant and told the young boy she’d take the towel to Lord Claude. She wanted to talk to him alone and try to find out if he had any suspicion of whom she really was. This was the only way to do it.

Hearing Claude call out to enter, she nervously reached out for the door handle, hesitating a second, and pulling her hand back. He might already be in the tub. If so, she would be in the room with a naked man. Then again, perhaps he was fully dressed and waiting for the towel and hadn’t even entered the tub yet.

She heard voices down the corridor and quickly reached out and turned the handle, slipping into the darkened room so she wouldn’t be discovered. Silently closing the door, she took a minute for her eyes to get accustomed to the dark. There was a fire on the hearth and one small candle burning on a table near the bed.

Evelina scanned the room, seeing the tub of water, but not seeing Claude anywhere. She thought that mayhap she had imagined him telling her to enter and perhaps he wasn’t here at all. She turned around to leave and heard the sound of water splashing over the edge of the tub onto the floor.

“Bring me the towel quickly, servant. I have soap in my eyes.”

She spun around to see Claude standing up in the tub, rubbing his closed eyes. His naked, toned body glistened in the firelight as rivulets of water trailed down his sturdy chest, disappearing into the thatch of dark, curly hair at his groin. She lifted her hand to block her eyes from looking any further. She shouldn’t have entered the room after all.

“Hurry, give me the drying cloth,” said Claude, holding out one hand.

With her eyes turned downward, she slowly walked toward the tub, stretching to give it to him.

“Where is it?” he asked, his hand grasping at thin air.

“It’s right here,” she said, pushing it into his grip.

His fingers closed over her wrist and he pulled her to his chest. The air whooshed from her lungs and she crashed up against his naked, wet body.

“I might have soap in my eyes, but I would know that voice anywhere,” he growled. With one hand, he wiped the water from his eyes, still holding her wrist with the other.

“Let go of me,” she demanded, feeling her heart racing in her chest.

“Are you sure that is what you want, Nursemaid?” He put his mouth right next to her ear, causing her to shiver. “After all, the only reason I can see that a nursemaid would enter my chamber when I’m naked is that she wants to give me more than just a towel, if you know what I mean.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” she said, struggling against his hold, looking at the ground rather than looking at his naked body.

He ripped the towel from her hand and released her, sending her stumbling backward.

“Don’t worry; I am not interested in bedding you.” She heard the splash of water and then the rustling of the cloth. When she daringly looked up, he had stepped from the tub and had the towel tied around his waist. “So, don’t waste your time trying to get my attention because you are the last person I would ever take to my bed.”

That infuriated her. It was bad enough that he assumed she was there to throw herself at him. But now, he had to insult her by saying he didn’t want her?

“I assure you, having a tryst with you was the furthest thing from my mind when I entered the room.”

“Really?” He lifted a brow and cocked a lopsided grin. “Then what did you come here for, Nursemaid? To help scrub my back?”

“Nay!” she shouted. “I came here to apologize for what happened in the great hall.”

“Why should you apologize?” he asked. “It was the boy who did it.”

“Harry was only acting on my suggestion. If I had never told him to ruffle your hair, none of this would have happened.”

“Aye, that’s true.” He picked up a wooden goblet on the table, trying to get the last drop of wine from the vessel. “Where is that squire of mine?” he spat. “Mayhap, you should have brought wine along with the towel. Why didn’t you?”