Bewitching Boots (25 page)
Why am I here?
There was a light on the terrace. I opened the glass door and walked out. Isabelle was standing in the light, or the light was coming from her. I wasn’t sure which. The one thing I
was
sure of was that she was dead. I might have been wrong about my arm being broken, but I was sure about that.
She turned to face me, dressed in the same outfit she’d been wearing when she died. She even had Bill’s magic slippers on her feet. “Jessie. Thank you for everything you’ve done. I wouldn’t have thought you’d care one way or another about what happened to me. I guess I trusted the wrong people. Maybe you and I could’ve been friends—if you hadn’t stolen Chase from me.”
“Isabelle, even dead you’re wrong. I didn’t steal Chase. You lost him, and he and I found each other. You have only yourself to blame. I thank you for that.” I nodded respectfully. I
was
dealing with a ghost after all.
“Perhaps.” She smiled radiantly. “Anyway, I just wanted you to know. I’m glad you aren’t dead too. You might not believe it, but I cared deeply for Chase. I’m glad he still has you.”
“Thank you, Isabelle. I’m sorry about what happened to you.”
“Me too. On the other hand, I don’t need magic slippers to fly. Goodbye Jessie.”
I watched as she slowly drifted off the edge of the terrace, into the trees and the night, before she disappeared. I know I should’ve been in awe at seeing her, but all I could think about was that she wouldn’t be hanging around the Village like Wanda.
I was going to have to work on my attitude. I couldn’t let one wicked ghost ruin my whole life.
And then I was awake.
Really awake
. The pain in my broken arm was excruciating. My head hurt so bad that I thought it might pop off, and my lungs were still burning from the abuse Victoria had given them. I could barely breathe despite the oxygen mask on my face. I was lying on the cobblestones, but it was only a moment before two paramedics lifted me and put me on a stretcher.
“I’m her husband.” Chase’s voice was tortured. “I want to go with her.”
“Sure,” one of the paramedics said.
“Wait!” I glanced around the crowd of residents that surrounded me and moved the oxygen mask. “Where’s Katharina?”
“I’m right here, Jessie.” She took my good hand and smiled into my face. “You’re going to be fine.”
“What about you?” I asked. “Are you okay?”
“She was a mean little witch, but I’m not damaged. Between us, we took her down. Thank goodness Firefox was spooked by something just as I was about to ride by the Dutchman’s Stage. I’ve never seen him act that way before. I actually lost control of him. He ran right to where you were and then threw me off. I’ve never been thrown from a horse before. It was like he
knew
what was going on.”
I heard Wanda’s laughter, but she didn’t appear. I wasn’t sure why she’d bothered saving me, but I was grateful. If there was a price to pay for it in the future, I’d be willing to pay it.
Chase leaned close to me as he replaced the oxygen mask. “We have to go to the hospital. Your arm is broken, and you might have some other injuries.”
“Wait a minute!” I removed the mask again as the paramedics started moving toward the Main Gate. “I have to know what she was using. It wasn’t a baseball bat.”
Rita was there. She brought the weapon—complete with both our blood on it. “You’ll probably recognize this now that she isn’t trying to kill you with it. They used them in the laundry when they had the old washtubs. You remember?”
I touched the wood cudgel. “I remember. They were stored in the basement. Who knew they could do so much damage?”
Detective Almond snatched it from both of us. “That’s evidence in two assaults, if you don’t mind. I have a confession from Isabelle’s maid. It seems Sir Dwayne
was
the cause of all this. Not sure he even knew it.” He glared at the paramedics. “Get her out of here. I think she’s caused enough trouble for one night.”
* * *
I was back at the Village in a few days. Manny had stepped in splendidly to make sure Bill’s personal items and shoemaking supplies were moved from Fred’s house and the museum. Bill’s new shop and housing looked wonderful.
Bewitching Boots
was going to be a hit.
The king and queen threw a party at the castle to celebrate Bill’s new shop and to welcome the group of new performers to the Village. Out of three hundred actors who’d auditioned, fifteen were chosen to become full-time residents. Another twenty were tagged to be part-time actors with a chance of being full-time in the future.
The throne room was full of older residents rubbing elbows with newer ones. A huge feast had been laid out by the kitchen staff. Rita directed her workers, despite her injuries from Victoria.
I could see there were several interesting new characters that would be roaming the cobblestones. Some of the actors were a little chagrined to be taken on to replace others who’d left instead of being able to create new characters, but everyone seemed happy to be there. The big, white angel had made the cut as a new character with his questionable ‘costume.’ So had some steampunk characters.
Chase came to me with a glass of champagne for my good hand. “I have secured a small table for us to share, my lady. Please accompany me.”
His words matched his blue velvet doublet and black satin breeches. He even wore the jaunty new blue velvet cap I’d bought him for his birthday. It was a good fit.
He’d helped me into my blue velvet gown that made sure everyone knew we were a couple. He’d been wonderful with everything since I’d been injured, even though he’d spent a lot of time on the phone and the internet with his brother and father. Chase still wouldn’t talk about what they were doing. I tried not to worry.
We’d given our statements to the police—no way I
wasn’t
pressing charges against Victoria. I didn’t know what would come of that, but I hoped she would be put somewhere she couldn’t hurt anyone again.
One thing I hadn’t mentioned to anyone—not even Chase. I’d found Isabelle’s purple velvet cloak in my closet when I got home from the hospital. It was the same one I’d admired in her closet after she’d died. I didn’t ask how it got there. I accepted it as a token from her. Maybe that was crazy, but it had been a crazy time.
Chase and I sat at the table he’d managed to find in the crowded hall. He went to fill our plates at the banquet table, and Bill joined me.
“I’m glad you’re up and around, Jessie. Business is
so
good. I can’t thank you enough for bringing me here. And look—the Village costume shop ordered sandals for all the fairies. I think you’ll like them. I have a pair for you too.”
As I watched, several fairies that were flirting and carrying on did a few pirouettes. One of them laughed as she leaped at least five feet straight into the air, whirling madly as though she really had wings.
Bill smiled and winked at me. “Elf magic. It works every time.”
About the Authors
Joyce and Jim Lavene write bestselling mystery together. They have written and published more than 60 novels for Harlequin, Berkley and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications.
Pseudonyms include J.J. Cook, Ellie Grant, Joye Ames and Elyssa Henry
They live in rural North Carolina with their family, their cat, Quincy, and their rescue dog, Rudi. They enjoy photography, watercolor, gardening, long drives, and going to our local Renaissance Fair.
Visit them at:
www.renaissancefairemysteries.com
www.Facebook.com/JoyceandJimLavene
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AuthorJLavene
Amazon Author Central Page:
http://amazon.com/author/jlavene
Other books in this series
Book 1 – Wicked Weave – ISBN 9780425223307
Book 2 – Ghastly Glass – ISBN 9780425230305
Book 3 – Deadly Daggers – ISBN 9780425236444
Book 4 – Harrowing Hats – ISBN 9780425242773
Book 5 – Treacherous Toys – ISBN 9780425251584
Book 5.5 – Perilous Pranks – a novella ASIN: B00EJMVTDM for Kindle
Book 6 – Murderous Matrimony – ISBN 9781494874919 –
ASIN:
B00GOA74N6 for Kindle
Table of Contents
