Murderous Matrimony(20)

Bart bowed. “I shall endeavor to do the appointed task.”

“Thanks.” I hugged him. I can’t really get my arms all the way around him, but I can hug most of him.

“If you find anything, call me first,” Chase told him.

“Okay.”

I left the castle with Chase. Gus saluted him as we walked by.

Sir Reginald, who’d served as a knight on the Field of Honor, wished us a good day for our wedding. He was hurrying into the castle as we were leaving. A large group of visitors were accompanying him. They were all dressed in expensive Renaissance garb.

He called attention to the fact that we were the couple getting married in the posters. “Lady Jessie and Bailiff Chase Manhattan are exemplary figures here.” Sir Reginald rarely spoke to either of us on a normal day. His stiff collar and snooty nose only allowed him to look at important people in the Village.

There was no doubt the group with him fit in that category, if they were receiving a personal tour of the castle from Sir Reginald.

Chase and I hurried away after smiling, bowing, and curtseying.

“Do you think you might have kept a copy of Manny’s application?” Chase asked as we took the cobblestone walkway that led to the other side of the Village, away from the Main Gate.

“I don’t think so. I can check in my office—as soon as they let me in the museum again. But I think I’d remember making a copy since they charge for it at the castle. I added Manny’s application to the basket of papers that need to be put into the computer, like everybody does. When I got the notice to hire him, I assumed everything was okay.”

“I’m sure you’re right. It’s what I do when I hire a new security person too. This was a bad time for something to get lost.”

“I know.”

We walked past Polo’s Pasta. It was still closed. People were standing outside the door reading the notice that said when it would re-open. It would probably be the most popular place in the Village for a while.

“What happened with the reporters?” I asked him.

“What always happens—they get a free pass to the Village, take pictures, and talk to whoever they want. If it was up to me, they’d have to clear their pictures with security before they post them all over the Internet. But that’s not going to happen.”

“They’re bound to hear some stories about Wanda.”

“Let’s hope the stories are enough to make the Village sound more interesting, and not so scary that no one wants to come. They call her the Blue Lady now. Have you heard that?”

“That means there are some people who can see her, besides me and Shakespeare. I think a blue ghost is a little out of the ordinary.”

Chase was bound for the Field of Honor. “We’ve had a lot of complaints up there today. Wanda’s been busy.

“I wonder if Sir Marcus is still jousting since Wanda’s death.”

“You mean the young one all the wenches are sighing over?” He laughed. “I think I’ve seen him up there a few times in the last two weeks. Why?”

“Well, you know he was Wanda’s lover right before she died. When I talked to him the day she was killed, she attacked him. But she wasn’t as strong as she is now. She could only throw a few leaves around. If he’s still jousting, she could make things a lot worse for him.”

“Let’s check it out.”

I wasn’t looking forward to searching for Wanda. She’d been quiet. I was grateful not to have her in my face.

But when we reached the Field of Honor, a joust was in progress, and Wanda was doing her best to cause trouble. The horses were especially vulnerable—which put the knights riding them in a dangerous position.

Wanda was flying up and down the dirt field, scaring the horses into throwing their riders and running away. She laughed as she tossed clods of dirt and horse manure at visitors in the stands. The two young cheerleaders—one for the queen’s knight and one for the black knight—were running off the field to get away from the chaos.

Chase saw a young squire, probably sixteen or so, trapped on the field by the frightened movements of the horses. He dashed in and grabbed the boy, tossing him across his shoulder.

The queen’s knight fell a second later—heavy with armor and weapons—exactly where the boy had been.

“Thanks.” The handsome lad wiped dirt from his face and smiled at Chase, his clear blue eyes sparkling. “I don’t know what was wrong in there today. It was like the horses were crazy.”

Chase rumpled the boy’s red hair. “Just stay out of the arena for now until we can figure it out.”

“Not a problem. You’re the Bailiff, Chase Manhattan, right? I’m Tim.”