Meg Mackintosh peered through her binoculars at the medieval castle. "Look!" she exclaimed. "They're lowering the drawbridge so we can cross the moat!"

"Dundare Castle is the perfect place to relive the Middle Ages," Mrs. Spencer told the history club. "Now don't forget your notebooks!"

As Mrs. Spencer, Nick, Simon, and Liddy started for the drawbridge, Meg quickly checked inside her knapsack. Along with her notebook, she had packed her camera, flashlight, and detective kit — just in case. She swung her knapsack over her shoulder and ran to join the others.

"Welcome to Dundare Castle!" A friendly woman greeted them. "I'm Eleanor, Duchess of Dundare, but everyone calls me the duchess. When I was about your age, my family built this castle to look just like our medieval home in Scotland. I've opened it as a museum, and today you're lucky enough to get a private tour."

"Look at her hat!" Liddy whispered to Meg, after Mrs. Spencer had introduced everybody.

"My hat is called a wimple," the duchess explained, overhearing Liddy. "It was worn by ladies in the Middle Ages. My entire staff — Knight Henry, Squire Alfred, Lady Rose, Cook Bernard, and Monk William — all wear authentic medieval costumes. And all of them have experience in the theater, so they know how to speak and act just like people living in the thirteen hundreds.

"Now, before I forget, here are some maps of the castle." She passed them out and then marked an X on her own. "We're standing here, at the entrance to the courtyard."

"What's a solar?" asked Nick, examining the map.

"That's my private sitting room," answered the duchess.

"Is that where you keep the chalice that once belonged to a king?"

"A king! It must be worth a fortune!" Simon interrupted.

"I've heard of the chalice," added Liddy. "It's a big silver cup covered with gems."

"It is extremely rare and valuable. It's been in my family for generations," the duchess stated proudly.

"Has anyone ever tried to steal it?" asked Meg.

"Oh, a few times. But it's well protected in the abbey — Knight Henry is on guard."

While the duchess spoke, Meg watched an older man wearing a tunic and tights enter the courtyard and begin replacing the burned- down candles in the candelabra with new ones. After lighting them, he turned to the group and said sharply, "Keep the door shut! The wind keeps blowing me candles out!"

"Fine, Squire Alfred," the duchess replied, as the gruff little man returned to the drawbridge.

"He's not very chivalrous," Simon muttered.

"Candles? No electricity?" asked Liddy.

"Not in the thirteen hundreds," Meg replied, loading her instant camera.

Nick walked over to a suit of armor. "Primitive! They even had metal masks for their horses!"

Mrs. Spencer laughed. "The knights were the faithful protectors of the castle. In medieval times, they wore those heavy metal suits in battle. It took three strong men to dress a knight in his armor."

"Say 'cheddar cheese,' Nick!" Meg said as she snapped a photo.

Meg was about to take a second photo when she heard footsteps racing across the stone floor. Suddenly, a dark-cloaked figure dashed out of the shadows and ran across the courtyard. Just before he disappeared into one of the doorways, Meg quickly snapped another shot.

"Who was that?" she asked the duchess.

"That was Monk William. He's been here for ma