Murderous Matrimony (Renaissance Faire Mystery) Read online

  I was on the verge of a meltdown.

  I saw Master Archer Simmons with his team of archers practicing for the wedding, despite the rain. It would be quite a show—if I lived to see it. For the moment, it looked like something familiar, a sanctuary from my crazy world.

  “Lady Jessie!” Master Archer Simmons greeted me. “I’m so glad you’re here. You can give us your opinion of our performance. We’ve been working very hard on this.”

  “Gladly.” Anything for a distraction. What would it look like if I inscribed You shot an arrow into my heart inside Chase’s ring?

  No. That was too plain. Anyone could say that. I was pretty sure the little heart-shaped candies that were out at Valentine’s Day said something similar.

  The archers lit their arrows—difficult because of the rain and mist. They took aim, and fired into the dull, gray sky. The arrows flew true, some extinguishing from the moisture, others returning to the earth, still on fire.

  The archers ran to retrieve their arrows.

  “Wonderful.” I applauded. “That was really exciting.”

  Could I have Your love is my aim? inscribed in Chase’s ring?

  No. I had to think of something better than that.

  “Do you think we should aim at a different trajectory?” Master Simmons asked.

  “I think that was fine.” I was only half paying attention.

  “If you don’t mind the royal court going up in flames.” Wanda’s mocking voice interrupted my thoughts. “Why do you think they used to shoot flaming arrows at their enemies? Use your head, Jessie. I want to be the one to spoil your wedding, with no help from you.”

  “I suppose you should position the archers so the arrows drop into the lake,” I suggested.

  Master Simmons looked surprised. “That’s probably a good idea. I’m not sure yet where everyone will be sitting. The king told me that the plans aren’t finalized. I’ll be sure to tell him of your suggestion.”

  What about: You’re the king of my heart?

  No! That was awful.

  In the meantime, the archers continued lighting their arrows and shooting them off until the whole area was smoky.

  It was a good time to ask Master Simmons about why he was at the museum the night Dave was killed. “I’ve heard you were outside the museum that night? Is that true?”

  He sighed and hung his head. “I was afraid you might hear of that.”

  “Better me than the police. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I wasn’t there with Dave. Phil and I had a few drinks and we were talking about my missing crossbow. One thing led to another, and we were arguing about it. I felt that he could have paid more attention, you know? Done a better job protecting it. The crossbow was valuable, and only on loan. I was supposed to get it back a few weeks after the museum opened.”

  “Did you see Dave when you were there?”

  “No. Although, as usual, there were several people out and about. I saw Shakespeare, and his new paramour, sneaking into the museum. There was an archer out too, dressed in black.”

  “That was Shakespeare’s new girlfriend, Sofie.”

  He frowned. “No. This was someone else. I tried to see the face, but he or she wore a hood. Shakespeare had already gone inside with Sofie.”

  “Can you describe the archer?”

  “It was dark, but I’d say tall and thin. He or she carried a long bow, not a crossbow, so it couldn’t have been Dave’s killer. That’s about it. I’m sorry.”

  “That’s okay.” I took it all in. “Thanks for your help. I’ll try to keep you out of this, but there are other lives involved too.”

  “I understand. Do what you have to.”

  I started back toward the museum, thoroughly soaked by then. The pretty umbrella wasn’t much good against real rain.

  The crowds had thinned out even further as people began to realize that the weather wasn’t going to clear. That was the only trouble with paying so much to get into the Village for the day with no pass for rainy weather. I felt sorry for those families that had paid for a few adults and several children. I hoped they’d return on a nice day.

  “I know who you are now,” a soft voice said near my ear.

  I turned, and saw the Village’s newest resident, Tilly Morgenstern, beside me. She kind of just appeared. Where did she come from?

  Beside her was her assistant, Leo. He stood there like a huge statue, unblinking. It was hard to tell if he was even breathing.

  “Yes,” I agreed. “We sort of met the other night when you were moving in. I was with the Bailiff. Jessie Morton.”

  “Of course.” She drew a gray shawl closely around her thin shoulders. It looked as though it had been woven with cobwebs. Her curly white hair held rain droplets in it. “You’re the woman who made the ghost blue.”

  “You can see her?”

  “Yes. You were fortunate that you didn’t go to prison for her murder, as my sister did.”

  “I know. It was a terrible thing. I’m sorry for you and your family.”

  She smiled in a way that sent tingles of alarm down my spine. “Those are just words. Come now. We are both women of the world. You could have walked away. You chose not to. You put my sister in that terrible place with your actions, and your testimony. That makes you responsible.”

  I wasn’t sure what to say. I hadn’t looked at it from that perspective. I thought I was doing what needed to be done.

  “I’m sorry you feel that way,” I finally said. “I wish it hadn’t come to that end. I really had no choice. She would have killed me.”

  Tilly looked away, her gaze following the trails of smoke left behind by the flaming arrows. Her nod toward Leo was almost imperceptible.

  He slowly turned his head and faced me. There were horrific scars on his pale face. His blank, white eyes made me shudder. He took one step toward me. His large hands became fists that he ground together.

  “It happened.” Tilly laughed in her strange little girl way. “I won’t forget it. I won’t let you forget it either. Sometime. Somewhere. There will be retribution.”

  I truly hoped she was talking about a bad prank, but I didn’t think so. I gulped. She scared me. I wanted to run away fast, but my feet wouldn’t move.

  You know how people say they were paralyzed with fear? I’m not kidding. I couldn’t move at all. Leo could have knocked me down. I would have fallen like a bowling pin.

  Instead, Tilly gazed at me malevolently, and Leo went back to his normal, zombie-like blankness. They walked away through the smoke and mist toward the tavern.

  “I don’t think she likes you very much, Jessie.” Wanda watched the two leave. “In fact, I think she might hate you. What do you think?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Feeling a little vulnerable, even though Tilly was gone, I ran into Eve’s Garden to try to wait out the new downpour—and to think about an inscription for Chase’s ring.

  It smelled wonderful in the garden shop. Flowers of all colors and sizes were growing there. I was ashamed to admit that I had no idea what most of them were.

  Eve, a quiet woman with long brown hair, tended this garden. She had the most gentle, sweetest manner about her. She knew everything about plants and herbs used during the Renaissance. She gave tours here each day, and shared her knowledge with visitors.

  “Lady Jessie. Come to choose your bouquet at last?”

  I hadn’t thought about that either. “Bouquet? Of course. What would you suggest?”

  “Lilac would be lovely.” She showed me the purple bloom with tiny flowers. It smelled wonderful. “It means love’s first emotions. A nice sentiment.”

  “Very nice.”

  “Or perhaps stephanotis. Very popular for wedding bouquets. It means marital happiness.”

  I looked at the trumpet-shaped flowers. “Those are nice too.”

  She kept telling me about all the flowers that would be good for the bouquet. It made me remember how I’d first decided to write my disserta
tion on my favorite subject—Renaissance arts and crafts. It also made me remember when I fell in love with Chase.

  I’d been working at the castle at the time. He was the queen’s favorite knight. All the ladies loved him.

  I was a castle drudge, one of many. I’d seen Chase from a distance, but had never met him. He was too busy with the royal court, and Princess Isabel, to notice much of anything else.

  I dropped one of the huge serving trays during the King’s Feast, an event that takes place every Sunday night. Hundreds of visitors pay premium prices to sit in an arena and eat Cornish hens and baked potatoes while swilling ale and watching knights and jugglers perform.

  I cursed without the fluency I learned later while I was on the pirate ship. There was nothing else to do but pick up all of the lost food and go back for more. Rita Martinez threw a few blistering words my way. That was way before we were friends.

  “Here, let me help you with that,” a warm, male voice said.

  Chase was dressed regally in blue brocade. The lights from the candles and lanterns in the Great Hall danced in his eyes. I thought I’d never seen anyone as handsome. I felt like Cinderella, and wished he was my Prince Charming.

  He got down on one knee, despite his finery, and began helping me pick up the mess.

  “You’re Jessie, aren’t you?” He smiled as he tossed dirty Cornish hens back on my platter.

  “Yes, my lord.”

  “I’m not a lord. Just a knight. I’ve seen you here before. You’re new to the Village, aren’t you?”

  “Yes. This is my first summer.” Nothing like a conversation with the most fantastic man in the world over a pile of spilled vegetables and chicken.

  “Are you having a good time?”

  “Absolutely.” I smiled and tossed my hair, which was long at the time. I knew I didn’t stand a chance with him, but what the heck? “I’m going to write my dissertation about Renaissance crafts.”

  Our eyes made direct contact, and my heart jumped right out of my chest.

  “Sounds great,” he said.

  Our hands met as he gave me the rest of the coarse bread to pile back on the tray. I wanted to rip off his clothes right then.

  Rita called out a sharp warning to get going. Princess Isabel personally came to take Chase away. The moment was over, but I never forgot it.

  It was years later that Chase and I finally got together. We were friends after that moment at the castle, but he had his lovers, and I had mine. Still, I always noticed when he walked by places where I was working. He never failed to call out a greeting to me when I watched him joust at the Field of Honor.

  “My lady?” Eve called. “I fear you are daydreaming about your wedding.”

  “Yes,” I agreed with a smile. “I suppose I was.”

  As a matter of fact, I’d come up with something to inscribe into Chase’s ring. Maybe it wasn’t much, but it was from the heart.

  I ordered some stephanotis for happiness, and red roses for passion for my bouquet. She smiled, and I was happy when I left the garden. I went right over to see Rene and Renee to tell them what I wanted inscribed in Chase’s ring.

  Maybe the wedding was going to be okay after all. If I was there with Chase, how bad could it be?

  The rain continued throughout the evening, at times torrential. I loved the scent of the sea that accompanied those storms, a reminder that just outside the Village was the Atlantic Ocean, and the party city of Myrtle Beach.

  The Main Gate stayed open until six p.m. as it was supposed to, even though there were very few visitors on the cobblestones by that time. Still there was music and laughter from the Tornado Twins, and the Green Man shook hands with visitors who were leaving. A few colorful fairies flitted around, their wings a little bedraggled by the weather.

  Night settled in early. Chase and I showered and put on our dress Renaissance clothes. Chase was handsome in midnight blue velvet. I wore a paler blue silk gown with a sapphire studded girdle about my hips. They were fake sapphires, but they looked pretty.

  There wasn’t much I could do with my hair. I added a short veil that was attached to a pretty blue comb. I put on a little light lipstick, and that was it. I probably should have worn my sandals, but I opted for my boots instead. No one could see them under my gown anyway. I didn’t want to ruin my good sandals in the rain since I’d planned to wear them for the wedding.

  “You look beautiful,” Chase said when I was ready. “You should’ve been a princess instead of just a Bailiff’s lady.”

  “Not unless you were the prince.” I kissed him. “I’d rather be a madman’s lady, if you were the madman.”

  He smiled a little sadly. “My mother was making the point today that I’m a madman.”

  That evil woman! “She probably wishes she could live here all the time too.”

  “Yeah. I’m sure that’s it.” He laughed and picked me up, spinning me around in the confined space of the apartment. “I love you. I hope I tell you that often enough.”

  “You must,” I replied with a smile. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  “I guess we should get going. I’ve arranged transportation, my lady.” He swept me a gallant bow. “The carriage waits.”

  I looked out of the foggy window. One of the Cinderella carriages was indeed waiting. My old friend, D’Amos Torres, was driving.

  “I suppose that means we should go.” I sighed. “No matter how much I’d rather stay here and eat a frozen burrito.”

  Chase offered me his arm, and we went down the stairs together.

  D’Amos jumped down from the driver’s seat, and took off his feathered hat before opening the carriage door for us. “Good evening, Sir Bailiff. You are looking lovely as always, Lady Jessie.”

  I dropped the Renaissance act long enough to hug my friend. D’Amos had once worked at the Columbia Zoo, which is where we’d met. He loved animals. Now he took care of all the animals in the Village.

  “I can’t believe you didn’t send a minion or a lackey to pick us up,” I told him with a smile. “This is not a fit night for man or beast. Yet here you are.”

  “I chose not to send minion, lackey, squire, or varlet because the night is bad. I told Chase I would take care of this for him. You know I’m not one to back out of a promise.”

  “I’m glad to see you anyway. There’s something I should tell you about the problems you’ve been having with the animals.”

  He nodded at Chase. “If you’re talking about Wanda’s ghost, Chase already filled me in. My grandmother was a great believer in spooks and such. I’ve heard those stories all my life. I never gave them much thought, until yesterday when I found a goat riding on one of the elephants. Now I’m looking for ghost repellant.”

  “If you find any, please let me know.” I glanced around us at the dark night. “She likes to shower with me. I could use all the help I could get.”

  D’Amos laughed. “I’m looking into some herbs my grandmother said would work for our problem. I’ll let you know.”

  We finally got into the carriage, and he drove us sedately toward the castle.

  “It’s still impressive, even after all these years,” I told Chase as I looked out the window at the lighted structure above the lake.

  “I know what you mean. I can’t imagine wanting to live anywhere else. I heard today that Mike Manchester at Sir Latte’s is retiring next month. That surprised me. He’s not that old.”

  “What’s he going to do?”

  “He inherited a schooner, and he plans to sail around the world.”

  “A worthy endeavor.” I thought about Lady Marion. “Have you heard anything about Robin and Marion breaking up?”

  “No. Why? Is she leaving the Village too?”

  “I don’t know.” I explained about her new career.

  “You know that kind of stuff goes on all the time, right?” Chase took my hand and kissed it. “People come and go here. They fall in and out of love, like they do everywhere.”<
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  “You know Wanda told me she purposely had women try to lure you from me while I was in Columbia.”

  “Really? I guess I didn’t notice.”

  “Liar.” I kissed him.

  “Never, my lady.”

  We reached the castle. D’Amos opened the carriage door and bowed as we got out.

  “Come in for dinner with us,” I invited.

  His older, dark face was comical in its terror. “I had the privilege of meeting the Bailiff’s parents already today, lady. I think I shall eat leftovers in front of my TV. Dancing with the Stars is on tonight.”

  “I don’t blame you,” I whispered. “Thank you, good sir.”

  Gus was at attention inside the doorway to the castle. He was dressed in his best armor, and saluted us as we approached. “Welcome Sir Bailiff and Lady Jessie. The king and queen wait within.”

  Chase and I were led into the castle by Sir Marcus Fleck who was once the Black Dwarf. He’d also played the Town Crier for a while. He seemed to like the castle where he was a royal herald and major domo.

  He inquired after our health as we walked into the castle. “Your wedding will be a joyous event! We’re all looking forward to it. I hope there’s plenty of champagne.”

  King Harold and Queen Olivia were waiting for us in the sitting room. Chase’s family was with them. It made me wish I’d thought to invite Tony since he was my only living relative. It was probably just as well, though it made me feel a little alone. Tony can be crazy sometimes. It was hard enough coping with Chase’s family.

  “Good evening, Sir Bailiff and Lady Jessie.” King Harold—Harry to those of us who knew him well—greeted us. “We are so glad to have you with us during this joyous time in your lives.”

  Queen Olivia, Livy—when we were talking about her behind her back—agreed with him. “Yes! We are very excited about your wedding, and looking forward to spending the evening with you and your lovely family.”

  Chase’s parents, and Morgan, sat like statues on the antique furniture that filled the sitting room. There were beautiful tapestries on the walls that had more life in them than Chase’s family did. Cold eyes regarded me as I was introduced to Chase’s parents, shook hands and prepared to spend some fun-filled time together.