Free Dae's Christmas Past by Joyce Lavene, Jim Lavene Page A

organizations so they already knew the plans. We’d been asked to come up with discounted merchandise for the promotion too.
    I got the door open to the shop just in time for the UPS man to arrive. My usual driver was on vacation, but Josephine was helpful and picked up my packages in no time. She was immediately followed by my first customers of the day. Jessie Morton, and her husband Chase Manhattan, were visiting from Myrtle Beach.
    “What did you have in mind?” I asked the attractive couple.
    “I’m always looking for antique craft items for Renaissance Faire Village,” she told me. “Chase is just along for the ride.”
    “Unless you have any swords or interesting horses,” he called back from the side of the shop where he was already perusing my merchandise. He was a large man with big shoulders and a long brown hair tied back on his neck.
    Jessie was average in appearance except for her height. She was tall, like Heidi Palo.
    Mary Catherine and I exchanged curious glances when Chase mentioned horses. She continued to eat her bagel and drink her coffee.
    “What kind of interesting horses?” I wondered if he was really a reporter and had already heard about what had happened last night.
    “He collects horse figures,” Jessie explained. “He’s a knight at the Ren Faire and trains jousters and knights. He’s also a member of the Templar Knights. He isn’t too fussy about his horses. You have the wild horses here, right?”
    “What about this sword?” Chase took one of the more valuable pieces off the rack. “What’s its history?”
    “You’ve got a good eye,” I complimented, glad that we’d gotten away from the subject of horses. I was also happy that he didn’t immediately ask how much. That was one of my rules for selling some of my more valuable possessions. “That sword belonged to the first mayor of Charleston, South Carolina. They said he was originally a pirate that couldn’t be defeated by the English so they bought him off with a land grant and position.”
    He examined the sword closely. “I like the hilt, but it doesn’t look English. French, maybe.”
    “You’re right about that.” My little heart thrilled when an educated collector came to Missing Pieces. “The sword was given to him by his French wife. She’d sailed with him when he was a pirate. They settled down, married, and had ten children. I came upon this sword at an estate sale in Charleston. The last member of their family had died. All their possessions had been kept so well. This sword was the best of the lot.”
    Chase smiled at Jessie.
    She rolled her eyes. “Really? You have a lot of swords.”
    “And you have a lot of other things. Besides we have more room now. There can be more swords and horses.”
    “Whatever.” She turned her back to examine an old spinning wheel.
    “I’ll take it.” Chase put the sword and his VISA card on the glass counter.
    “I’m very happy it’s going to live with someone like you who’ll appreciate it.” I wrapped the sword in protective paper and processed the transaction.
    I tried to help Jessie find something too, but she couldn’t settle on anything. Happily, the purchase of the sword was enough to keep Missing Pieces open for a few months. I didn’t sell many items this valuable, but when I did it was a big help, stretching my money to make ends meet.
    “Was all that true about the sword?” Mary Catherine asked after Jessie and Chase were gone. “Did you hold it?”
    “I knew almost everything about it before I held it. There was a bloody history with it from the mayor’s pirate past, but I saw it as a love story too. Those two people were very happy together. I hope it brings the same luck to Jessie and Chase. Imagine living at a Renaissance Festival.”
    “I’ve been there, but only for a short time,” Mary Catherine said. “I had a wonderful weekend with a man who was king of the village. I think his name was Harold. It was a while back.”
    It