Darrell was into ren faires the way people in Bigtime were into superheroes or the folks in Cloudburst Falls were into monsters. During the holiday party, he had talked my ear off about all the faires, festivals, and other events he attended in Ashland and beyond. He’d also whipped out his phone and shown me photos of the costumes, weapons,and more that he wore to the events, along with his other collectibles.
Darrell had proudly revealed that he had an entire room in his house devoted to his ren-faire treasures. One-of-a-kind this, limited-edition that, hard-to-come-by thingamabob. All his photos, items, and excited chatter had blurred together after a while, although I’d been shocked at how much some of the swords, jewelry, andcostumes had cost. Darrell’s taste for the finer (medieval) things in life was right up there with Finn’s insatiable appetite for Fiona Fine designer suits. Then again, Darrell and Finn were far less likely to get blood on their fancy costumes and sleek suits than I was on my generic clothes. But it was their money, not mine. To each his own.
“Thanks so much for coming,” Darrell said. “I knowyou won the tickets, but I think it’s so great that you and your friends wanted to volunteer.”
“Volunteer?” Finn muttered. “More like being coerced—”
Bria elbowed him in the side again, cutting off his complaint. Finn let out a strangled cough and rubbed his ribs. Darrell glanced at the two of them, but Bria gave him a bright, sunny smile, as though nothing was wrong.
Owen introduced Bria andFinn, then gestured at me. “And of course, you remember Gin from the holiday party.”
Darrell faced me. He drew in a breath as though he was going to murmur a greeting, but then his hazel gaze locked onto my royal-blue blouse with its shiny black thread, winking sequins, and mounds of fluttering feathers. His eyes widened, and his lips puckered into a silent O of surprise. I sighed. I had a feelingI was going to get a lot of those looks today. Even among all the costumes here, mine was truly horrific.
Darrell quickly smiled and stretched out his hand. “Gin, it’s nice to see you again.”
Despite the cold air, his hand was surprisingly warm and sticky, and I had to hold back a grimace as I shook it. “You too. Have you added any new treasures to your collection lately?”
He blinked, and hishead jerked back, as if the question surprised him. But after a moment, he smiled again. “Oh, just a few things. Nothing too spectacular. Although there is something here today that I have my eye on.”
I smiled. “Well, I hope you get it.”
“Me too,” he murmured. “Me too.”
Darrell stared at me a moment longer before turning back to Owen. “Actually, before we get started, I was hoping to stealyou away so we could discuss the Harrison account. I want to talk about how to get the forensic accountant set up when she comes in on Monday to review the files. Your friends could check out the faire while we talk. It shouldn’t take more than five or ten minutes.”
Owen shook his head and clapped the other man on the shoulder. “No business today. We’re here to help you, remember? We can talkabout the account audit when we’re back in the office on Monday.”
Darrell nodded. “Okay, then. First things first. We ask that volunteers turn off their phones while they’re working so that they can really focus on the crowd. It also helps to promote the magical atmosphere.”
“Turn off my phone? Kill me now,” Finn muttered.
Bria drew back her arm like she was going to elbow him again. Finn knewwhen he was beaten, and he quickly sidestepped her, pulled his phone out of his pocket, and powered it down. The rest of us turned off our phones as well.
Darrell nodded again and looked at his clipboard. “Okay, let’s get you guys to your stations.”
We followed him deeper into the park. In addition to the booths and tents, several small wooden stages had been set up so that minstrels, magicians,jugglers, and others could perform. Soft strains of music floated through the air, along with appreciative cheers, claps, and whistles.
But the pièce de résistance was the ship.
Well, it wasn’t an actual ship but rather an enormous stage that had been built to look like the deck of a ship, complete with a wooden railing, a brass steering wheel, and several small cannons. People dressed likesailors were scurrying around, checking the ropes and pulleys that hung across the stage like thick brown spiderwebs, as though they were preparing the vessel to set sail. In the center of the deck, a woman was hoisting a traditional skull-and-crossbones flag up the main mast.
“Is that a pirate ship?” Bria asked.
Darrell beamed at her. “It is. Well, not a real ship, of course. I couldn’t getone of those.” His lips puckered in disappointment. “But the highlight of the faire is our noon show, where the beautiful Pirate Queen Celeste will fight the evil Captain Walls.”
“It sounds like quite a production,” Finn said.
Darrell beamed again. “Oh, it is. You guys don’t want to miss it. But for right now, let’s get you settled.”
We dropped Bria off at Princess Penelope’s Pink Wardrobe,a tented area where children could try on everything from princess dresses to tiaras to fairy wings. Several kids were getting their faces painted, while others were running around with plastic swords and shields, as though they were gallant knights in search of monsters to slay.
A couple of little girls squealed with delight when they caught sight of Bria. “Look! Look!” one of them shouted.“It’s Princess Penelope!”
Bria smiled and stepped forward to talk to the girls.
Next, Darrell led us over to the Jesters Court, another tented area, which was full of, you guessed it, jesters. Men and women wearing costumes similar to Finn’s were juggling balls, engaging in acrobatics, performing pratfalls, and generally making fools of themselves, much to the delight and laughter of the onlookers.
“Oh, Finn,” I drawled. “You’re going to fit right in here.”
