My Knight In Shining Armor (Sue Thomas FBEye)

Chapter One

"Your Aunt Gertrude is something else," Lucy said with admiration. "That's what my Grams is going to be like if she ever lives to be a hundred a four."

"Is she really that old?" Sue asked, shimmying into a delectable frothy white nightgown that definitely belonged to another time period.

"Don't forget your cap," Tara teased, slipping the sheer lace onto her head and tying a bow under her chin while Lucy and Sue giggled some more. "And Aunt Gertie has the birth certificate to prove it. Okay – all ready?"

"We look like something out of the middle Ages," Lucy joked, prancing around her white robe. "I'm Princess Lucy and you two are my ladies in waiting."

"No fair." Sue pretended to be miffed. "You chose the best role for yourself. I want to be a princess too." Her pretty pout was ruined by the comical wrinkling of her nose as she tried not to laugh.

"Children, children. We can all be ladies of the manor tonight. Come one, Aunt Gertie must be getting tired. She'll want to see us all decked out in our finery before she goes to bed."

***

"But you don't really believe that do you?" Sue asked skeptically. Tara and Lucy's rapt perusal of the Valentine's Mirror as Gertrude Williams called it, worried her.

"I'd give practically anything if it were true," Lucy sighed wistfully.

"There's no such thing as magic," Sue said firmly, trying to quell the unidentifiable stirring she felt in her bosom. "It's not possible to see your future by looking into the past... at least not this way."

Aunt Gertrude had retired for the evening after she had entertained her three guests with a superstitious story about the mirror that dated back to the Middle Ages and the knights of yore. "Back when men were strong and brave and true." The old lady had winked knowingly at them. "Isn't that every girl's dream – to have a knight in shining armor?"

"That was the plan," Lucy acknowledged somewhat sourly.

"And it still can be," Aunt Gertrude said with conviction. "When the time is right. I find it most providential that you three have been stranded at my doorstep on St. Valentine's Eve. Mind what I said. Each of you give it a good polish on Valentine's Day and see what you spy... Use a nice soft cloth and some elbow grease and you just may be surprised at what you see..."

And no matter how Lucy and Tara had begged, Aunt Gertie wouldn't tell them any more.

Lucy walked back and forth in front of the mirror, watching her distorted refection in the antique, smoky glass. She laughed as her reflection shimmered. "It sure looks like there's something inside there – this mirror has more depth than any I've ever seen."

"Of course it does. It's ancient. They don't make them like that any more. Honestly, we're not twelve year olds on a sleepover pulling out the ouja board. We're grown women and you two are acting like you've been cast under a spell. Here I'll show you." Sue marched up to the mirror and began to give it a vigorous rub.

"Stop! It's not time!" Tara cried, pulling her friend away. "You're not supposed to do that until Valentine's Day. You'll jinx it, or us, if you do it earlier."

"Oh for pity's sake. Nothing happened. Nothing's going to happen." Sue exclaimed in exasperation.

"Right, time for bed before we get into an argument. I say we meet back here first thing in the morning and each give polishing the mirror a try. Until then..." Lucy zipped her lips. "Agreed?"

"Agreed."

***

Moving stealthily and quietly in the darkened hallway she made her way down the stairs, her white gown billowing about her bare feet. Once in the hallway below she practically floated into the formal living room and came to a halt in front of the Valentine's mirror.