Fatal Fairies (Renaissance Faire Mystery Book 8) (7 page)

And I didn’t care. The whole thing had worked out to my benefit. He wanted me to help him figure out who did it. That was exactly what Starshine had said I needed. I was feeling triumphant.

“I hope you got the right costume from Portia this morning,” he said. “Our joust is in fifteen minutes. Make sure you’re there.”

“I will.” I closed the car door and walked quickly through the employee’s gate.

“I’d say you made real progress with Chase.” Starshine ambushed me as I entered the Village. “That was a brilliant plan, Jessie.”

“Thanks,” I muttered. “I didn’t know if it would work, but we’re okay. At least on the murder investigation part. I’m not sure about being his love interest, but I’m working on that. At least he forgave me for putting him into the middle of the investigation.”

She giggled and kicked her tiny feet as she buzzed along beside me. Lucky for me that half the people in the Village talked to themselves or some imaginary person most of the time. No one paid any attention.

“You were right to send me to Chase’s dressing room, even though it was embarrassing. This way I’m his squire, and squires do some pretty intimate stuff for their jousters. I think this could work.”

“I’m sure it will. Just be careful. Once you and Chase begin asking questions in the Village, you could be in danger. Someone killed Apple Blossom. He or she might come after you.”

“Thanks. This isn’t my first rodeo. I can handle myself.” I glanced at my watch. “I have to run. Chase needs me at the Field of Honor in a few minutes. I hope I can sneak in and out of the Dungeon without running into Canyon.”

“I’m sure I can grant that wish.”

As I blinked my eyes, I was inside the apartment in the Dungeon. I glanced around, getting my bearings after my abrupt move from the parking lot. There was no sign of Canyon. I immediately started changing clothes.

“Surprise!” Canyon put his hands over my eyes. “We’re both here at the same time. It doesn’t get much better than that. Looks like you were thinking what I was thinking—let’s get naked and have some fun.”

I pushed him away, but I did it with a smile. “I’m so late for work. I have to go.”

“Come on, Jessie. You’re always in such a hurry. I know that Paul Samuels fired you today and got another apprentice. You can’t hide the big, important things from me. I’m the Bailiff. I know everything that goes on here.”

I stripped off my jacket but didn’t dare remove any more unless I wanted to end up in bed with him. “Did you get those reports from Detective Almond?”

“Yes.” He sighed impatiently. “They’re on the table.”

I grabbed the few clothes I had there and shoved them into a tote bag with the reports. This time wasn’t real anyway, at least not if I could change it. What difference did it make what else I left behind?

“How about your search through Chase’s things? How did that go?”

“Not much. If he killed the fairy, he hid it well. Why are you so interested?” He cocked his head to the side. “You do have a thing for Manhattan, don’t you? You’re dumping me.”

“I’m sorry, Canyon. I’m sure it’s been fun, although I can’t recall any of it. But yes. I love Chase, and I’m going to work for him as his squire. I’ll get the rest of my stuff later.”

“You can’t dump me.” He grabbed my arm. “Girls don’t dump me. I dump them.”

I could see his blue eyes were serious despite his crazy words.

“If it makes you feel any better, you can dump me. Or at least tell everyone that you dumped me. I don’t care.”

“What about Princess Isabelle? Chase isn’t gonna leave anyone that fine and lose his place at the castle. You’re dreaming, Jessie. You better wake up before it’s too late.”

“Thanks for the tip. I’ll see you around.”

I was quickly out the door, tote in hand. I realized I was faced with the dilemma of where I could change clothes. I barely had time to make it to the
Field of Honor
before Chase was ready for the joust. Tony’s place was on the other side of the Village. I wouldn’t make it there and back in time.

Starshine wasn’t around to wish me into my squire’s clothes and up to the Field of Honor, so I had to run down the cobblestones. It only took a minute for me to realize that my heels weren’t going to make it. I shed them in the trashcan as I went past the tree swing that was between the Dungeon and the privies.

“Run, Jessie, run!” Merlin encouraged in his star-studded purple robe. He held his wizard’s hat on his head to keep the wind from blowing it away.

“I wish you were a real wizard,” I said before I realized what the words could mean. “Just kidding. I don’t really wish that at all, if you’re listening. Cross that one out.”

My feet were sore by the time I’d reached the
Field of Honor
. I ignored them. My soggy boots were at the Dungeon. I had big feet for a woman, but Chase’s feet were much larger so I couldn’t borrow boots from him. I was going to have to be a shoeless squire.

He wasn’t in his dressing room when I got there.
Huzzah!
I immediately stripped down to my underwear and started putting on my britches and shirt.

“I guess you got here just in time,” he said from behind me.

What was it with men sneaking up on me? First Canyon and then Chase. Not that I minded Chase seeing me in my pretty pink bra and panties. After all, getting him to notice me was a big part of what I was doing.

“Sorry. I’ve got clothes. I just needed somewhere to change, and Tony’s place is all the way over on the other side.”

I purposely put on the blousy white top most people wore in the Village and left it open while I pulled up the britches. The pants were a tight fit—what was Portia thinking? But I got them fastened and was happy to see that Chase was still staring at me. I left the shirt open more than usual.

“You need your armor.” I fetched it from the spot where he’d left it after the last joust. It hadn’t been cleaned, but it was going to have to do.

I picked up the breast plate and fastened it on him. He wore light chain mail under it, on top of his shirt. There were many times when the fake jousts got a little too real, and jousters were most vulnerable in the chest area.

“Let me get your helmet,” I said. “Sorry this is such a rush job. I’ll have your armor shining before the next match.”

“Where are your shoes?” He glanced at my feet.

“I had to ditch the heels and forgot the boots.” I shrugged. “I’ll be fine. It’s just dirt and sand.”

“And heavy hoofs,” he added. “Find something you can wear. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I won’t.” I handed him his gauntlets. “You have to be on the field right now. Let me worry about my feet. Good luck.”

There wasn’t time to ask the other squires if they had any smaller boots they could loan me. I got Chase out of the dressing room and on his horse before I handed him his sword. His lances would be out on the field. I’d give them to him as needed.

He was jousting against Sir Reginald, one of the older knights who was a royal favorite. He was the only knight who lived at the castle besides Chase. In my Village, he’d had a heart attack after jousting with Chase and had gone into semi-retirement, working as a sort of majordomo at the castle. His daughter actually became the first female jouster—a title I had coveted years before but had been denied.

Of course that didn’t seem to be the case now. There sat Sir Reginald beside the grandstand, his squire carrying his standard.

I grabbed Chase’s standard on my way to the field. It held a great lion on a field of green. I pushed it into his station where I would wait for him and his lances were kept.

Our side of the field was full with spectators who shouted
Huzzah!
loudly as he took the field. He held his broadsword before him and smiled into the sun. He never put on his helm, as Sir Reginald had, until his fans had a chance to see his face.

Chase’s cheerleader was more focused on watching him than leading her spectators to boo his opponent. She was besotted like all the other females, including me. Even Sir Reginald’s cheerleader had accidentally led her people into cheering for Chase.

This wasn’t the King’s or Queen’s Joust, so neither of them was present in the grandstands. I saw Princess Isabelle up there with her court of followers. Her eyes were pinned on me instead of Chase.

I wasn’t wearing the dark-rimmed glasses, but it was still likely that she recognized me from the police station. That meant she would give Chase hell when they saw each other again in private. I was sorry for that, in a way. On the other hand, I planned to steal him from her as I had years before in my Village. Maybe this was a way to let her know I was after him.

Lord Dunstable was still dropping the kerchief to begin the joust from the grandstand. Another older knight, he only performed this function at the King’s Feast in my world, but I understood he’d once done it at every joust in the Village. Strange, the things that were the same and those that were different. How much was affected by my wish for Chase not to be Bailiff?

There was no time to ruminate over the answers. I handed Chase his helm and took the sword from him. I gave him a lance and then stepped back. My feet were killing me on the rough mixture of sand, gravel, and dirt. Even the hay poked into them.

Chase was a strong jouster. Very few knights could stand against him. He’d started jousting right out of college when he’d first come to the Village. At the time, it had been the only thing he wanted to do.

The jousts were partially real in that two men on horses went at each other quickly with pointed objects in their hands. The lances were thin and mostly gave way when they hit an opponent. Sometimes there were injuries, usually from jousters falling from their mounts.

I shuddered in this case to imagine Chase knocking poor Sir Reginald from his horse. He wasn’t exactly elderly, but he wasn’t in great condition like the younger knights. Who’d set this up anyway? Even though this was a different Village, I wondered if this was the time that Sir Reginald would have a heart attack.

How could I watch and let this happen?

Answer—I couldn’t. It wasn’t me.

“Wait! Stop!” I ran between the two men, yelling and screaming like a banshee, waving my arms around. “Don’t joust.”

Sir Reginald’s horse reared up, and he lost his seat. He tumbled to the ground, but wasn’t hurt.

“You must curb your squire, Sir Knight.” His voice was loud enough to make a spectacle of it.

That was the whole point in being here.

People booed and yelled for me to leave the field. Chase stared down at me.

“What are you at, squire? Back to the station with you before I give you a good hiding.”

“Please, good Sir Knight.” I got on my knees and raised my hands to him in supplication. “Do not harm the ancient, frail knight. Allow him to go back to the castle in dignity and peace.”

“What?” Sir Reginald sounded amazed, his voice echoing from behind his helm.

Cheerleaders and spectators laughed like it was the funniest thing they’d ever heard. I didn’t care. Sir Reginald had almost died in my Village, and Chase had felt bad for weeks. There was no reason it should happen here. I could stop it.

“Get that varlet off the field,” the older knight sneered.

His cheerleader took up the chant, encouraging his fans to follow her. “Off the field. Off the field.”

I put my hand on Chase’s knee—that was as high as I could reach with him on horseback. “Please don’t let him joust.”

He raised his visor. His dark eyes were confused and curious. Yet as he was about to speak, a large cloud came up and began raining hard on us. There were deafening thunderclaps and strong winds that blew many of the banners down.

Spectators and Village residents ran to shelter. Sir Reginald’s horse bolted toward the stables. I didn’t move, wondering if this was the work of my fairy godmother. It seemed well-planned to me. Then lightning struck where Sir Reginald had been standing only a moment before. He was much faster getting off the field than I’d anticipated.

“I guess you get your wish,” Chase said. “Come on. Get up here.”

He put his hand down and pulled me on the back of his horse. We rode past his station, and I picked up his sword. I knew how important it was, made just for him.

After that, we got off the field and past the grandstand. The red and green bunting looked bedraggled in the rain. I could feel Isabelle’s eyes boring holes in me. I hoped she’d only continue being threatening without any physical complications until this was over. She had a nasty slap and sharp nails. Kind of like fighting a pretty cat.

We got off the horse in the stable as four or five other knights and jousters were leaving in disgust. Squires ran to take care of their wet animals. I knew Chase would expect the same of me—happily, no doubt, since I’d interrupted the joust.

“Be sure there’s fresh hay for him,” he instructed. “And get back to the dressing room right away. I thought you knew what you were doing out there. Squires don’t interrupt jousts.”

I was about to attempt some kind of explanation. He saved me from my whirling thoughts that made absolutely no sense. “Jessie, your feet are bleeding. I told you to find some shoes.”

 “There isn’t exactly a shoe store in your dressing room,” I tartly reminded him. So that was why my feet hurt so much. “I can’t wear your boots. I know my feet probably look big enough, but they aren’t.”

“Whatever,” he growled. “Here, boy!” He called to a young knave sheltering in the barn from the storm. “Dry my horse and I’ll give you ten dollars.”

“
Huzzah
!” the young man yelled and took the horse’s reins.

I didn’t know why Chase was giving the boy my job. Did that mean he was done with me? I couldn’t believe I’d messed up my advantage being his squire because of Sir Reginald. I’d never even liked him. He was always so pompous and self-important. 

“Let’s get back to the dressing room.”

“Chase, I—”

He bent slightly and lifted me in his arms like he’d always done, as though I weighed nothing.

“You can’t walk until we take care of your feet,” he said. “Just be quiet and hang on while I gallantly resist dropping you in the horse trough. What was up with you out there anyway?”