Holding Court

by K. C. Held

  “Really? You’re going with an Eleanor Roosevelt quote? That’s so not what I need to hear right now.”

  “I know. You want me to tell you that you and Grayson are a perfect match and that everything is going to be peachy keen.”

  “Well, yeah. That’d be nice.”

  “Love is hard work, kiddo. Even if you’re lucky enough to find your soul mate.”

  “It’s a lot harder when your soul mate already has a soul mate.”

  “I think you need to be patient, Juliet. Things have a way of working out.”

  “Yeah. Great. Whatever. I’ll just forget Grayson and marry Prince Humperdinck.”

  “Who’s Prince Humperdinck?”

  I give an exasperated sigh. “Never mind. Let’s go have some hot chocolate before Cami burns it again.”

  “You need to call your mother.”

  “You told her about Floyd?”

  “No, but she’s going to find out sooner or later. It would be better if she heard it from you.”

  “Gran, I just can’t right now. She’s going to freak out and— Can I please call her tomorrow? It’s like five in the morning there, she won’t be coherent anyway.”

  “Fine. But you need to call her first thing in the morning, hear me?”

  “First thing,” I promise.

  I bring Cami and Gran up to date on all things Tudor Times, including Sidney and Whitney’s visit to the Maid of Kent.

  “You didn’t!” Cami squeals when I tell her about the reading I gave Sidney.

  “I did. And Grayson heard the whole thing.”

  “He did? What did he say?”

  “Basically, that he can’t stand Sidney either.”

  “Seriously? But she and Bree are total besties. Maybe he’s preparing for their breakup.”

  “What breakup?”

  “Grayson and Bree. When he finally realizes he hates her friends and secretly wants to be with you.”

  I grab her arm. “Cami, listen to me. You have to stop that.”

  “But Jules! It’s so obvious that he—”

  “Cami, I’m serious. I will never be Bree Blair, and I’m not going to be the kind of girl who goes after someone else’s boyfriend, either. So stop. I don’t want to talk about Grayson. Or your delusional conviction that he’s in love with me. I can’t be around him and have that in my head. It’s too much for both my hormones and my heart.”

  “Fine. But you’re every bit as awesome as Bree Blair. And someday, someone every bit as awesome as Grayson Chandler is going to see that.”

  “Thanks, Cami. And I love you, but you make the worst hot chocolate ever. So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go to my room to play angsty music super loud.”

  “Fine. I’m going to go practice singing ‘The Rain in Spain.’” Cami gives me a quick hug and takes off.

  I pour my hot chocolate in the sink. “How do you even screw up hot chocolate?” I ask Gran.

  “She has a gift. Please wear your headphones, dear. And remember, ‘With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.’”

  “Yeah, and, ‘Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line.’”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  He’s My Buddy

  When I tell my mom about Floyd the next morning she, predictably, freaks out.

  “I’m calling Hank again,” she says.

  “I’m fairly certain that if he could prevent anyone else from getting killed, just to avoid another phone call from you, he would. Besides, the murderer doesn’t need to kill me. I’m pretty sure the police think I’m a suspect.”

  “What?”

  Oops. “Did I not mention that part? They think Sarah, the dead girl, had an accomplice, and who better than the daughter of an antique shop owner who could use her connections to sell stolen jewels for her daughter.”

  “My connections? What connections?”

  “Right? And why would you tell Hank his necklace was fake if you were in on it? I mean, unless I hadn’t told you about my jewel replacement scheme yet.”

  “Does anyone else know about this?”

  “What? That I might be a murderer and a thief?”

  “Juliet Hope Verity, this is not funny. My business is very important to me and I can’t have—”

  “Your business? Are you serious? I’m having nightmares about dead people and you’re worried about your business?”

  “That is not what I said.”

  “Well, clearly you and Dad care way more about gallivanting off to foreign lands and going through other people’s stuff than you do about me.”

  “Don’t you dare lump me in with your father. This is the first time I’ve been out of the country for work since we moved to Lunevale. And do you know one of the reasons I took this job, Juliet?”

  “No. Why?” I ask, even though several answers come to mind: Europe has way better old stuff than America, spending the summer in France is clearly superior to spending it in Lunevale, etcetera.

  “I took this job so we could use the extra money to buy you a car.”

  “Oh.” Holy Guilt Trip on a Stick.

  “So don’t you dare imply that my work is more important to me than my family. If my business is going to be implicated in some kind of jewelry theft, of course I’m concerned. That business is the primary means of financial support for our family.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry.” I should know better than to underestimate my mom.

  She lets out a gusty sigh. “But there won’t be much of our family left if you get yourself killed and I go to jail for killing both Gran and Hank Bacon for not keeping you safe.”

  “Oh, come on. I’ve got a stun gun and a knight in shining armor to protect me. What could go wrong?” I say in an attempt to lighten things up.

  “Who’s this knight in shining armor?”

  “Well, technically he’s a squight, but only because he isn’t eighteen yet. Don’t worry, I’m sure he’s a badass with a sword. Both right- and left-handed.”

  “Juliet, what are you talking about?”

  “Hank assigned me a bodyguard.” I don’t tell her that I’m hoping to get him unassigned as soon as I get to work. My goal is to stay as far away from Grayson as possible until my brain finally convinces my heart that he’s truly off-limits.

  “Oh. Good. I’m going to call Hank and remind him that I will eviscerate him if anything happens to you.”

  “Okay, good luck with that. Tell him I can’t wait until he’s my new stepdaddy.”

  “Wait, what? What did you just say?”

  “Auras never lie! I would totally throw down an Eleanor Roosevelt quote right now but I’ve purged them all from my brain.”

  “You know what? I don’t even want to know.”

  “Good choice.”

  “Be careful, Jules. And call me if you need me. I can be on the next plane home.”

  “I’m fine, Mom.”

  “Good, because if you get yourself killed I’m going to eviscerate you, too.”

  “That doesn’t really make sense, Mom.”

  “Good-bye, Jules. I love you very much.”

  “Love you, too.”

  When I arrive at Tudor Times, I’m told that Hank wants to talk to everyone before we begin our shifts. I get changed into my Maid of Kent costume and report to the Great Hall. I find an empty seat at one of the long tables and listen to the whispering going on around me.

  “Someone killed Floyd?”

  “Yeah, they found him in the dungeon.”

  “I heard they found another dead body in a secret passageway.”

  “No way! There are secret passageways? That’s awesome!”

  “I heard the new nun found the body.”

  “Good people, may I have your attention, please?” Hank booms. “I am afraid I have some rather shocking news.” He waits until everyone settles down and gives him their full attention. “I am deeply saddened to tell you that Floyd Bean, or as he liked to call himself, the Keeper, is no longer wi
th us. His body was discovered yesterday evening in the basement of the castle.” He pauses and looks at us all and I see the deep sadness in his eyes. “He appears to have been the victim of foul play.”

  This announcement is followed by gasps and murmurs of alarm.

  “We are also concerned about the whereabouts of Sarah Buckley, our Wardrobe Mistress. She has not been seen since late Friday. The police have set up an interview room in the Buttery, and they will be calling each of you in over the course of the day. Please give them your full cooperation so that we may resolve this terrible situation and achieve a measure of justice for the Keeper.”

  People are starting to look around at one another as if assessing who might be responsible for Sarah’s disappearance and Floyd’s death.

  “In the meantime, I am instituting a new security policy. No one, at any time, is to be allowed anywhere in the castle alone. If you have a position that requires you to complete a task you have previously done alone, you have been assigned a buddy. The list of buddies has been posted in the staff dining room. Until we get to the bottom of this tragedy, you will make sure your buddy is never alone. Understood?”

  There are murmurs of assent, although not everyone looks happy about this turn of events. Which is not all that surprising, given that it involves a fellow employee being stabbed to death.

  “Dude. How do we know our buddy isn’t the person who killed the Keeper?” someone behind me whispers.

  “All right, everyone,” Hank tells us. “You may return to work. Check the buddy list and if you have any questions or concerns, be sure to voice them to the police during your individual interview.”

  The room is buzzing with excitement and speculation. I wonder if anyone will quit for fear of being the next victim. I look around the room and am surprised to see Angelique sitting at one of the other tables. She gives me a wave and makes her way over to me.

  “What are you doing here?” I ask. “Are you coming back to work already?”

  She laughs and pats the tiny bundle nestled on her chest. “Nope. I came to pick up my last paycheck. I’m taking this little guy to San Francisco.”

  “You are? Oh my gosh, can I steal a peek at him?”

  “Augustus Theodore, meet Jules Verity,” she says, pulling aside a bit of fabric so I can see the tiny baby face inside.

  “He’s beautiful.”

  “I know.” She grins, then her expression grows serious. “Damn. Things have gotten crazy around here, huh?”

  “Yeah, they have.”

  She must see something in my face, because she says, “Let’s walk. I never got the chance to say good-bye to the Oratory. And I have a confession to make.”

  We head out of the Great Hall and down the hallway to the stairs. I avoid looking at the alcove with the suit of armor as we pass by.

  Angelique waves and smiles and calls greetings to people on our way down the hall, but as soon as we’re in the Oratory she shuts the door and leads me to a chair. “Sit. Tell me what’s going on with you.”

  “Oh, you know. Just doing the nun thing.”

  “Don’t bullshit me, Jules. Sarah’s obviously the girl you saw in the passageway.”

  “Yup. Except I’m the only one who seems to think she’s dead.”

  “Yeah, I heard about her stealing Hank’s jewels and replacing them with fakes. Not a bad scam.”

  “Seriously? That’s your take on it?”

  “Well, killing people is going too far. Obviously.”

  “The police think she had an accomplice. It looks like it might have been Floyd, but if Sarah’s dead, then who killed him?”

  “Good question.”

  “Also, the police think I’m hiding something and that I’m somehow involved in Sarah’s scheme.”

  “Are you?”

  “I’m so not. I’d never even met Sarah before I found her in the passageway. But they’re not taking me seriously because of the whole blurting thing.”

  “Not cool.”

  “Yeah, it really sucks.”

  There’s a knock at the door and it starts to open before Angelique or I have a chance to get up.

  “There you are, buddy,” Grayson says, smiling at me. He’s wearing his flowy white shirt and tights and I’m pretty sure a small sigh escapes me. “You’re not supposed to go anywhere without me.”

  “What?” I say, wondering if I’m daydreaming. I look over at Angelique, and she’s studying Grayson with narrowed eyes.

  “Hey, Angelique,” Grayson says. “Congratulations on the little guy.”

  “Thanks,” she says and smiles down at Augustus.

  “Listen,” Grayson says. “If you’ve got Angelique here I’m going to run down and tell Sir Drew I’ll be up here again today. I don’t know if he checked the buddy list or not.”

  “The buddy list?”

  “Yeah, I’m officially your buddy. Although I think I prefer the term ‘knight in shining armor.’” He strikes a cheesy pose and grins.

  I’m so doomed. Insisting I drive myself to work so I could avoid Grayson as much as possible has done absolutely nothing to convince my traitorous heart that he’s off-limits.

  “I’ll be back in a minute,” Grayson says.

  “Hey, wait! You’re not supposed to go anywhere alone,” I remind him.

  “Oh, right. Crap.”

  “Here”—I jump up and reach into my nun pocket—“take Hot Lips.” I hold up my stun gun.

  He laughs. “Thanks, but I’ll stick with my sword. I’ll be right back, I swear. Good to see you, Angelique.” He gives us a wave and takes off.

  “Wow,” Angelique says.

  “Wow, what?”

  “You got it bad.”

  “What are you talking about?” I ask, avoiding her gaze. She’s looking at me with that intense stare she uses to decipher the tourists’ innermost truths.

  “Is he the guy? The unattainable guy you’re in love with, or is he someone new?”

  “What? No. Grayson has a girlfriend. Bree Blair? She plays Catherine Howard?”

  “Uh-huh. That doesn’t answer my question.”

  “We go to high school together, and he was there after I found Sarah. He’s been trying to help me find the body, since no one else believes me that she’s dead. We were looking for Sarah when we found Floyd. He told Hank he’d keep an eye on me. That’s probably why Hank assigned him to be my buddy.” I stop babbling and sneak a peek at Angelique’s face.

  She’s gone very pale.

  “Are you okay?” I ask, suddenly alarmed. “Are you sure you should be out and about so soon? You just had a baby.”

  “Be very careful, Jules,” she says.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m not sure Grayson is someone you should be alone with.”

  “Don’t worry, I know he has a girlfriend. I would never go after someone else’s boyfriend. Especially Bree Blair’s boyfriend. There’s no way I’d have a chance in hell with him anyway.”

  “I’m not talking about stealing boyfriends, Jules. You said the police are sure that Sarah had an accomplice, right? How did you know where to look for Floyd?”

  “We weren’t looking for Floyd. We were looking for Sarah. Floyd’s the one who told us to look in the iron maiden.”

  “Did you tell Grayson that?”

  “Well, yeah, of course I did.”

  Angelique grabs my hand. “Jules, promise me you won’t go anywhere alone with him.”

  “Whoa. You’re freaking me out here.”

  “How long have Grayson and Bree been together?”

  “For, like, ever. Since sixth grade when he moved to Lunevale and got assigned the seat next to her in homeroom.”

  “And has he ever given you the time of day before?”

  “What? What do you mean?” I don’t know where this conversation is going, but I’m starting to get the same feeling you get in a scary movie when the ominous music starts to play.

  “I mean, were you friends with Grayson before
you took the job here? Before you found Sarah’s body?”

  “No. I was friends with Bree. Well, it’s not like we still hang out all the time, but she’s always really nice to me. Grayson just sort of…”

  “Just sort of what?”

  “Seemed to avoid me. Like everyone else who wasn’t busy making fun of me.”

  “But now?”

  “But now…he’s my buddy,” I say and I can hear how stupid it sounds. “But I swear it’s just because of the murders.” Oh God. Why do I feel so guilty all of a sudden? And scared?

  “That’s what I’m afraid of,” Angelique says. “I told you I already knew about the secret passageway behind the suit of armor because I’d seen someone coming out of the entrance and into the hall, right?”

  “Right.” And the ominous music builds.

  “But I didn’t tell you who that person was.”

  “Who was it?” I ask, even though I know I don’t want to know.

  “Bree Blair.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  I Know Where the Body Is

  Grayson comes back dressed in his squire tunic and I’m completely mortified when Angelique stands up and gets in his face.

  “I’m onto your girlfriend, buddy,” she says. “And I’m letting you know that if anything happens to Jules here, I’m coming for you myself.”

  “What are you talking about?” Grayson looks totally bewildered.

  Augustus starts bawling.

  “I’m going to go feed my baby, and then I’m going to have a word with the police. So don’t get any ideas, Prince Charming.” She turns back to me. “Remember what I said, Jules.” Then she blows out the door, Augustus’s wails trailing behind her.

  “What was that all about?” Grayson asks.

  “Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden, Grayson?” I’m furious with Angelique for holding out on me and furious with myself for actually believing, I’ll admit it, that Grayson liked me. As in, liked me, liked me.

  “What? You’re mad at me for being nice to you?”

  “Before I found Sarah’s body, you wouldn’t give me the time of day. It was almost like you avoided me on purpose. And now you’re offering me rides to work and you even get yourself assigned as my buddy.”