Bewitching Boots (7 page)

“And to you, Tilly Morgenstern.” I decided to keep the conversation on a polite, Renaissance level. Visitors stood all around us listening to what we said. I didn’t want an incident at the museum. This was my life now. It was important to me.

“I wanted to get your opinion on some wonderful new sandals your fine cobbler is making for me. It seems he’s not here, but I ask for your judgment nonetheless. What say you?”

I was completely aware of her constant companion, Leo, who was always close to her. He was as tall as Chase, but not as broad as Bart. His shaved head was tattooed, and his empty white eyes gazed blindly around him. To make matters worse, Tilly claimed he’d had his tongue cut out by pirates.

All together not a pleasant sight, and frightening to have around, knowing how she felt about me. I wasn’t the only one in the Village who saw them as a witch and her zombie. We were all too scared to say it, but we thought it and kept it to ourselves. I certainly didn’t want Chase going up against the pair.

“The sandals are quite remarkable.” I studied the design for them as they lay on Bill’s cutting table. “Master Warren has done a wonderful job of creating them.”

“Yes. That is exactly what I thought as well. Thank you, Lady Jessie.” Tilly grinned, showing sharp white teeth. “Perhaps you and I might have a word in private.”

Manny was standing behind Leo where I could see him, but Tilly couldn’t without looking away from me. He was frantically shaking his head and waving his arms as he silently mouthed the word
no
over and over again. He knew about Tilly’s threats against me.

But what could I say? I couldn’t tell her I wouldn’t speak to her—that would be inviting further reprisal when I kept hoping she might soften her stance against me. We both lived in the Village. If we couldn’t be friends, I at least hoped we wouldn’t be enemies.

I curtsied slightly, showing respect but without the sincerity that a deeper curtsy would convey. “Of course. Please step back here.”

It was unlikely that she’d try to kill me in my own museum, right?

Chapter Five

Tilly followed me into one of the secondary rooms of the museum. All around us were historical artifacts, documents, and pictures of shoemaking. They’d taken me months to collect for the exhibit. Some were on loan from other museums.

Surprisingly, Tilly made a hand gesture as Leo started to follow her. He nodded and stayed where he was.

I gulped, and Manny’s eyes got wide. Maybe Leo was blind, but he could certainly tell his mistress’s wishes. It was part of what was creating their reputation in the Village.

“My dear,” Tilly began as she studied the pictures on the wall. “I am also here to offer my services. I hear that you and the Bailiff are having some problems of a
personal
nature.”

I took a deep breath. It was bad enough getting offers of help from my friends over an imaginary fight between me and my husband. It was far worse talking about it with Tilly, who I’d come to think of as my enemy.

“I assure you, Madame, that the Bailiff and I are not having any problems of a personal, or any other sort of nature. I don’t know what services you’re referring to, but please don’t trouble yourself on my behalf.”

She smiled in a predatory way and shrugged her bony shoulders. Her diamond-hard eyes stared through me. “They say some wives are the last to know. I never took you for a fool, Lady Jessie. But if you learn the truth, and are looking for a spell to bring back a wandering husband, please know that my magic is
always
available to you.”

Tilly having magic—some kind of dark magic—was easy to believe. It was much different than believing in Bill’s elf magic. Magic shoes seemed friendly, maybe even helpful, despite Bill thinking Isabelle could have danced off her terrace. I hated to think what Tilly’s magic could to my relationship. I felt sure it would be worse than a rumor.

I wanted to storm out of the room. After all the evil things she’d said to me since she’d arrived at the Village, thinking that I would come to her for help with
any
thing was crazy.

But I had to stay calm. Not only because I was afraid of her, but also because there were visitors and residents watching to see what would happen next. If I wanted to squash this rumor about me and Chase, smiling and thanking her was the way to do it.

I briefly inclined my head. My neck felt so stiff with anger, I worried it might snap. “I certainly appreciate your offer of assistance. I hope you pass a pleasant day.”

Every muscle in my body felt so rigid that I could barely force my legs out the door. How dare she ask such a thing? Like I would trust her with anything that might be close to me and Chase. There was no telling what kind of curse she’d put on us.

Tilly and Leo left immediately. I was so relieved to see them go. I sat at Bill’s table as dozens of visitors came through the museum door. I hadn’t been prepared for that discussion. My hands were still shaking.

 Bill popped his head around the doorway just behind some fake Siamese twins. I was so glad to see him. “You got out!”

“I have elf magic.” He grinned and hugged me before he sat at his cutting table. “Looks like sales have been good so far.”

“They’ll be better with you here.”

Chase followed Bill inside. He was so handsome in a plain gray suit, white shirt, and red tie.

I pulled him into the room where Tilly and I had just met and put my arms around him. “How did it go?”

“The DA refused to charge him. He said there were too many variables that didn’t add up.” He kissed me. “I think it was the elf magic that made everyone uncomfortable. They were afraid he might be crazy, just not crazy enough to have killed Isabelle.”

“Elf magic is good for something after all.”

“It got him out. But Detective Almond still thinks Bill is mocking the system by confessing and claiming it was magic shoes. He’s not going to be far away from him until he can prove Bill is guilty, or find someone who is.”

“I’m sorry. That’s going to be hard for you.” I touched his handsome face.

“For a while. I hope we can find the real killer quickly. You know we’re gonna be swamped with reporters speculating on it until we do. I dislike reporters more than police.”

“Who else do the police think could have killed Isabelle?” Manny joined us.

“I don’t know. They’re looking into the backgrounds of everyone in her retinue, and everyone working in the castle.” Chase shrugged. “And keeping an eye on Bill. One wrong step and the DA could decide to change his mind about magic shoes.”

I could see Chase was ready to get out of his suit and tie. “You should go home and change. I’m sure they need you at a hundred different places already.”

“Yeah. I took texts all morning.” He kissed me quickly as a new flurry of visitors to the museum came in behind him. “Looks like the museum is enjoying good attendance. Adventureland will like that. That will make it easier to get your next show funded. I’ll see you later.”

The crowd kept us busy until noon. It slowed to a trickle then, as visitors headed to the various eateries for lunch. I knew they’d be back later when the heat of the day was growing. Everyone looked for cooler, inside fun after lunch.

“Lunch?” Manny suggested. “Even with Bill here, I suppose one of us should stay. I’ll take the first shift.”

“Thanks! I’m going to try to get to the bottom of all these rumors about me and Chase. There’s
something
going on. I don’t know what it is yet, but I’m going to figure it out. I bid you good day, sir. I shall see you in an hour.”

“Good fortune to you, Lady Jessie!”

“Hey—will you bring me back a sandwich and a tankard of ale?” Bill requested. “I probably shouldn’t leave again after being gone all morning.”

“Sure.”

I started down the cobblestones, not sure where I was going. Dozens of archers in brightly colored leather hailed me, their broad smiles interested, and muscles rippling. I was sure Robin Hood was checking them out. He was always looking for new Merry Men—and Women.

I thought Chase might have time for lunch. He had to eat, right? If I could catch him before he changed clothes and went back out, we could have lunch together.

I walked into the bottom floor of the Dungeon where the cries for help from jailed prisoners rent the air. They were just mannequins made up to look like pathetic people who’d been tortured and left to die. I scared two young boys who were wandering by the cells when I closed the outside door.

I have to admit that the crying and wailing isn’t too bad during the day, but when Chase accidentally leaves the soundtrack on at night, it can be a little unnerving.

“Excuse me, good sirs.” I made a curtsy to them and smiled to let them know it was still safe.

“Uh-hi.” One of them smiled and spoke back.

“Have you seen the Bailiff? A big fellow with a braid wearing brown leather.”

They glanced at each other. “No,” the same child answered. “But we just got here.”

“Thank you, my lads! A good day to you!” I checked upstairs anyway, carefully locking the door to the apartment after I went inside. I didn’t want the kids following me. Chase had already changed and was gone. His gray suit and tie were on the bed.

With a sigh, I put them in the closet. At least he’d put his shirt in the hamper.

The boys downstairs were gone when I left the apartment. An older girl and boy had replaced them. They were flirting. He was trying to scare her. She was pretending that he was. Harmless fun.

I ignored them and went outside.

I glanced toward the Field of Honor. It was between jousting times so the large dirt field was empty. There were bleachers on either side where fans would cheer on their favorite knights. At the back of the field was the grandstand set up for royal personages and their guests. There was a joust in honor of the king and one in honor of the queen each day, as well as the Peasant’s Joust.

I knew Chase was interviewing potential knights and scouting for jousters. Maybe he went to the field. We might still have time for a big pretzel with mustard and ale from the cart near the field.

There were many knights who lived in the Village, but only a select few were chosen to be in the jousts. The candidates had to be good with horses, have large egos, and be willing to do anything for the sake of applause.

To be fair, it wasn’t easy working at the Field of Honor. I’d worked there for a few months as a squire one summer. It was amazing watching the riders as they went through their paces. They had to learn how to joust with another man coming at them with a large lance—making it appear real while not seriously injuring anyone.

But since the point was to knock your opponent from his horse, there were many strains, sprains, and backaches. None were life threatening because of the training.

Chase had worked at the field for a few years both as the Black Knight, and the Queen’s Champion. Everyone had loved him and had been sorry to see him go when he decided to take on the role of the Village Bailiff.

I leaned against the heavy wood fence that surrounded the field. Even though there were no jousts at that time, a few interested residents and visitors were in the bleachers watching as the potential knights trained.

There were twelve men wearing lackey’s clothes of colorful shirts and dark britches. They each wore a breastplate to protect their chests. Later they would be required to wear full armor if they made the cut.

I’d worn armor a few times for one reason or another. I’d never experienced anything hotter and more difficult to move in than a suit of metal. The ones used now were of lighter weight materials than they had been during the Middle Ages, but they were still like wearing a tin can with your arms and legs sticking out.

In the summer, that was like being in a soup can being cooked for lunch. Not a pleasant experience, yet hundreds of young men vied for their place to be jousters each hiring cycle. Not many lasted longer than a few months.

I’d been right. Chase was in the middle of everything. He’d left his leather at home, wearing his loose green shirt and brown britches with the breastplate that had been given to him by Queen Olivia. His dark hair was dusty and pulling free from his usual neat braid, but I could still hear girls sighing by the fence as they watched him demonstrate what would be required of a jousting knight.

He loved horses and had a large collection of miniatures he kept at the Dungeon. Horses seemed to love him too. They followed his slightest body movement and responded to what he needed them to do. It came easy for Chase. That’s why he’d been so good at it.

“We’ll be working with the lances today,” he told the candidates. “Not against each other—not until you’ve mastered using them against the dummies. Everyone grab a lance and a horse and then line up, six in front of each target.”

He hadn’t noticed me yet. I thought about all the times I’d watched him working out here before we were together. He was always the star of the jousts, whether he was the evil Black Knight or receiving a rose from the queen as her champion. People in the bleachers had screamed his name.

“He should do the whole show by himself.” A young woman wearing a knee-length blond wig and fairy wings was standing beside me. “I’d like to help him take off his armor
every
day.”

She smiled at me with her glittery fairy face, a Pan’s pipe hanging from her neck. Her dress, what little there was of it, was almost transparent in the sun.

I hated fairies. They might
seem
sweet and nice in stories, but here at the Village, they were devious and conniving. And they were always tiny and fragile-looking. None of them had size twelve shoes or were six feet tall.

“I don’t think so.” I smiled, wanting to run a lance into her. “You must be new here. He’s married.”

Her very blue eyes widened innocently. “I don’t want to
marry
him. I’d just like to spend some time in one of the fountains with him—
after
he takes off his armor.”

“Go away.” I turned, too annoyed to play games with her. “I have magic dust in my pouch that kills fairies. I’d hate to see you dead on the cobblestones.”