Trixie Belden and her friends are the property of Random House. I am not making any money off of this story, it’s just for fun and enjoyment for myself and hopefully for those reading it. I know the time-line is a little warped in accordance to Honey’s birthday being in August, but for my story’s purposes, that’s where it fit. I hope you enjoy it! Remember, this is my first attempt at this.J

The Mystery at Lake Cheridan

by JodiG

Chapter 1

"I got here as fast as I could!" Trixie Belden exclaimed as she rushed into the clubhouse, almost knocking over her brother Mart. Mart was exactly 11 months older than Trixie, and with their curly blonde hair and blue eyes they looked enough alike to be mistaken for twins.

"Watch where you’re going, my anxious diminutive sister. Just because you couldn’t get here in time to hear Honey’s exhilarating news doesn’t mean that you should harm the rest of us," Mart said. He loved to use big words to annoy Trixie.

"Dear brother, I do not have the time to construe the meaning of your excessive gobbledygook at the present moment," Trixie responded in what she hoped was a convincing manner. She glanced at her dark-haired eldest brother, Brian, who was sitting behind Mart. He gave her a small thumbs-up. Brian knew how much Trixie despised Marts large vocabulary when it was used at her expense, so he would often coach her on come-back phrases to use in moments like this.

Mart was too flabbergasted to say much, so he just huffily sat down in his chair at the meeting table. "Come on, Trix, sit down so Honey can tell you all our news before she bursts," Jim said while pulling out the chair beside him for Trixie.

"You mean she hasn’t already told you all? I didn’t miss it?" Trixie asked, giving Mart an evil glare.

"You didn’t think we would actually start without the co-president of our club, did you?" Honey asked. Honey was Trixie’s best friend. She and her parents had moved into Manor House, the large estate up the hill from the Beldens' three years ago. Her family had later adopted Jim Frayne. Trixie, her brothers, Jim, and Honey, along with Diana Lynch and Dan Mangan, had formed a club called the Bob-Whites of the Glen, BWGs for short. It was a semi-secret club devoted to helping those in need.

"Ok, I call this meeting to order," Jim said. "Honey, would you like to tell them the good news or should I?"

"I’ll tell them. Unless you want to, Jim, then you can," Honey said quietly.

" No, go ahead," Jim said.

"No, you c.."

"Enough already," Trixie said impatiently. "Honey, tell us the news."

"Well, my dad is thinking of making another business venture and he wants our help, kind of like when we went to Mead’s Mountain."

Trixie felt the excitement building up in her body. "That’s great! Where are we going? What will we be doing? Is your dad going with us?"

Jim placed a hand on Trixie’s arm, "Whoa, slow down," he said. "Let Honey finish."

"We’ll be going to a small lake resort about four hours west of here," Honey said. "It’s called Lake Cheridan. Daddy is thinking about going in with one of his fishing buddies to buy it."

"Right now it’s just a small resort with six individual cabins that they rent out by the week, month, or year," Jim finished for her. "Dad is too busy to go check it out himself, so he wants us to go. It’s also a birthday present for Honey since she’ll be turning 16 while we’re there. Miss Trask will be going with us to chaperone."

"I’m so happy we’ll be gone for my birthday," Honey squealed. "Mother was going to make me have one of those stuffy parties and invite everyone from school, when really I just want a quiet party with the Bob-Whites."

"I hate for you to be away from your parents for you sweet sixteen," Di said. "Is your mom ok with this?"

"She’s fine with it now that I talked to her about it and agreed to spend the day with her, Daddy, and Jim the day after we get back. We’re going to the city for a nice dinner and a Broadway show."

"So when do we leave?" Trixie asked, her eyes shining.

"Bright and early Sunday morning," Jim informed her. "So, can everyone come?"

"Well, we’ll need to ask Moms and Dad first," Mart said. "But I somehow doubt it will be a problem."

"What would you say if we told you that Mother and Daddy already spoke to everyone’s parents and they all agreed to let you go?" Honey asked.

"Are you serious?" Diana asked. "Did they all really agree to it? Can Dan actually go?"

"Yes," Honey replied. "It’s all set. Daddy talked to Mr. Maypenny and he said he thought he could spare Dan for the week. Everyone can go! It will be the first time all the Bob-Whites have gone somewhere together in a long time!"

"Wow, that’s great!" Dan exclaimed. "I’ve needed a vacation for a long time now."

Trixie noticed that Brian had been very quiet and was looking awfully forlorn during this whole conversation. "Ok, big brother. What gives?" she asked, crossing her arms and giving him an expectant look.

"Well," Brian started, "I kind of have a prior commitment for that whole week."

"Oh, no," Honey sighed. "So much for us all being together. I knew it was too good to be true. Ever since you guys went off to college it’s been impossible for all of us to be in the same place at the same time." She sank back in her chair. It wouldn’t have bothered her as much if it weren’t for the fact that it was Brian who couldn’t go. She was hoping this trip would deepen their relationship, whatever kind of relationship it was. She was never sure if they were just friends or special friends or if she was anything but another little sister to him. He was very special to her and this trip just would not be right without him. She blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall at any moment. She stood up and with a quick, "I have to go tell Mother and Daddy who all is going," she hastily exited the clubhouse.

Brian leaned his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands. " Should I go after her or let her go?" he asked without looking up. "The last thing I wanted to do was upset her."

"She’ll be alright," Jim said. "You know how Honey is. She always wants everything to be perfectly perfect, and things rarely are."

"What is your prior commitment anyway, Brian," Trixie asked. "Couldn’t you get out of it?"

"I don’t know," Brian started. "It’s a really good opportunity and will look good on my resume to get into med school. I’m supposed to participate in a program at the hospital Monday through Friday of next week. It was a hard program to get into. I had to write an essay and fill out all this paperwork. It’s a big honor to be chosen and it’s supposed to be a lot of fun and a great learning experience. It will let me see the different areas of medicine and maybe help me decide what area I want to specialize in."

"Well, congratulations," Trixie said, without sounding at all like she meant it. "I just wish it was at a different time. I hate that you’ll miss out on this trip, and on Honey’s birthday."

"Me too," Brian said glumly. He stood up and headed out of the clubhouse. "I promise I’ll try to find some way to make it up to Honey, though," he called over his shoulder. He started to head down the hill to the Belden’s house at Crabapple Farm, but he looked up at Manor House and saw Honey sitting on the porch swing petting Jim’s Springer spaniel, Patch. ‘Well, I guess now is better than later,’ he thought, and he headed up to the house to talk to her.

"Hi, Honey," he said softly as he sat down on the swing beside her. "Look, I’m really sorry about not being able to go. It sounds like so much fun. It kills me to miss it, especially since it’s for your birthday."

Honey looked at him and tried to smile, not wanting him to see her cry. He put his arm on the swing behind her and pushed the swing back and forth. They sat in silence for a little while until Honey felt she could speak without losing control of her emotions. "I don’t know why I cry so easily lately," she said. "Miss Trask says it’s just part of growing up. Things have just been so different with you and Jim gone during the whole school year, and now Mart and Dan will be leaving too. I guess I just wanted us to be together one last time before you all head back to school."

"I know," Brian said softly, gently stroking her back. "I know this won’t really make up for me not going," he said, " but how about when I get back, I take you--just you--out for a nice birthday dinner and wherever else you would like to go."

"Oh, Brian," Honey said. "I would love that, but I don’t know if Mother and Daddy would let me."

"You’ll be sixteen, and you’ve always said that they told you that you could start dating when you turned sixteen. Plus, they like me, right?" Brian asked with a wink.

Honey’s huge hazel eyes sparkled. "That’s right. But don’t forget, you’ll probably have to get permission from Jim too, and that may be harder than getting it from my parents," Honey said, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, if he can date my sister, I don’t see why I can’t date his."

Honey laughed again. "I guess that’s true." She was starting to feel a lot better. ‘Wow, an actual date with Brian,’ she thought. ‘That’s definitely a plus to turning sixteen.’

 

Chapter 2

It was stormy the day that the Bob-Whites and Miss Trask left for Cheridan. Jim was driving the Bob-White station wagon that was packed to the brim with people, luggage, and fishing gear.

"I hope you can see better than I can, Jim," Trixie said. She was sitting in between Jim and Miss Trask in the front seat. "I can barely see two feet in front of us."

"Just quit worrying, Trix. I promise I’ll get us there in one piece." Jim said rather tensely.

"I’m not worrying," Trixie responded. "I was just making a simple observation."

"Here they go again," Mart groaned from the middle seat where he was sitting with Diana and Honey. "I swear you two bicker like an old married couple."

Trixie and Jim both turned bright red at his remark. "Can it, Mart," Trixie said sternly. They rode on in silence for the next few miles.

Dan leaned forward from where he was sitting alone in the backseat. "Honey, are you alright? You don’t look too happy for someone who’s getting to go on a fabulous vacation with her friends for a very special birthday."

"I’m sorry," Honey said. "I guess I just don’t feel very well."

"Do we need to stop?" Miss Trask asked.

"No, I’m fine." Honey didn’t really feel sick, just disappointed. ‘Why can’t I just get over this and enjoy myself,’ she thought. She couldn’t stop thinking about how sad Brian looked as he and Bobby, the Beldens’ youngest brother who was 9, had come to see them off. Brian and Bobby had stood and waved until they were out of sight. Brian had tried to be happy, but he didn’t pull it off very well. Honey thought back to what he had said to her before they left.

Brian had drawn her aside as the others were loading up the car. They had walked up to the swing on the Wheeler’s veranda.

"This is for you," Brian said, handing Honey a pretty gift bag.

"Do I have to wait until my birthday to open it?"

"No, it’s not your birthday present," Brian said. "It’s kind of an, ‘I’m sorry’ gift. You’ll get your birthday present when you get back." He had wanted to give it to her before she left, but he wanted it to be special and he hadn’t been able to think of a good gift just yet.

"You didn’t have to do that."

"I know. I wanted to," he said, taking her small hand in his. "But, you have to promise me that you won’t open it until you get to the resort."

Honey smiled and nodded her head, and for about the hundredth time that week she felt like tears were going to start flowing.

"Come on," Brian said, standing up and pulling her out of the swing. "I think they’ve got the car packed and ready." He gave her a quick hug and hand in hand they walked toward the station wagon.

Honey vowed to try to be happy and look forward to getting home so she could go on her date with Brian. Her birthday was on Wednesday and they would be back on Saturday. Sunday she was going to New York with her family, but maybe they could have their date that following Monday evening since school would still be a couple of weeks away. She settled back into her seat and closed her eyes. She was feeling better and she couldn’t wait until they got to their cabin so she could open the gift.

The rain was finally letting up and the conversations in the car had become much happier. Trixie was reading the map and telling Jim which turns to make. "I think we should be coming up on the resort any minute. According to the directions, it should be on the right."

Within five minutes they could see the waters of what they assumed was Lake Cheridan. Soon they saw a group of cabins and a sign that said "Welcome to Cheridan Pines Resort."

"We’re finally here!" Di cheered. "The rain really made that a long trip."

Everyone voiced their agreement and began to get out of the car and stretch and breathe in the fresh air around them. "It’s really beautiful," Trixie said. "This is going to be a wonderful week, right?" she asked quietly of Honey, giving her arm a little squeeze.

Honey smiled at her best friend. "That’s right," she said, and she meant it.

The Bob-Whites followed Miss Trask into the main lodge. On one end of the room was a reception area with a high counter. On the other end was the dining area. A sign above the door that led out of the dining area read ‘Game Room.’ The guys went to explore that room while the girls and Miss Trask rang the bell and waited at the front desk.

Soon a very old man came to the desk and greeted them, but not very warmly. "Can I help you?" he asked rather impatiently.

"Yes," Miss Trask said, always polite. "We have a cabin rented for the week under the name of ‘Wheeler.’"

"I don’t see that name here on the list," the old man said. "But then I don’t see much of anything. Let me go get my son." The man shuffled off very slowly, leaning hard on the cane in his right hand.

The women tried to subdue their laughter, but a few small giggles escaped them anyway. "Wow," Honey said, smiling. "I thought he was really mean at first, but now I think he’s kind of cute."

The others were nodding their agreement as the old man came slowly back into the room. "My son is busy but he informed me that you do indeed have reservations. Here are your keys and all the information you should need about boat rentals and such," he handed Miss Trask a large manila envelope. "So what brings you youngsters to our wonderful resort?"

"Well, my father is thinking about buying the place and expanding it," Honey said. Then she wished she hadn’t said anything at all.

"Buying the place," the old man almost shouted. "You must be mistaken because this place is NOT for sale."

 

Chapter 3

"Oh," Miss Trask said. "I’m sure there must be some kind of misunderstanding. Why don’t we go get settled in our cabin and we can speak to your son and get this straightened out later when he’s not so busy." Trixie had already excused herself to the game room to get the guys and they all headed out to the car.

"We’re in cabin 4," Miss Trask informed them. They located the cabin and Jim drove the car to it while the others enjoyed the walk down the hill. They unloaded the car and settled into their rooms.

The cabin had three bedrooms. Two of the rooms across the hall from each other each had two sets of bunk beds and the third room on the other side of the cabin had one large bed. That room was to be Miss Trask’s. There was a large sitting area with French doors opening out onto a large balcony from which there was a wonderful view of the lake. There was also a good size kitchen and dining area. Everyone put their stuff in their rooms and gathered on the balcony afterwards.

"Wow," Honey said, sitting down on one of the many patio chairs that adorned the balcony. "This is some view. Is that our dock and the boat we get to use?" she asked, pointing to a covered dock with a pontoon tied to it just down the hill from their cabin.

"I believe it is," Miss Trask said. "I think it’s wonderful that boat rental is included in the price for the week."

"I can’t wait to start fishing," Mart said. Jim and Dan voiced their agreement and they decided to head on down to the lake and fish from their dock rather than taking out the boat since they had arrived later than expected.

"That’s fine," Miss Trask said, "but be back up here in time to get cleaned up for dinner. This sheet says it’s at 6:00 sharp." Miss Trask was reading the papers in the manila envelope the old man had given them.

"I wonder what is up with the old man in the main lodge," Trixie said, thoughtfully. "He sure acted mysterious when Honey mentioned her dad buying the lodge." The girls had already filled the guys in on their conversation with the man.

"Here we go," Mart said exasperatedly. "She’s on the trail of another mystery."

"Come on, Trix. We came here to have a nice, relaxing vacation. Don’t go jumping to conclusions," Jim scolded.

"Well, he did act rather strangely," Honey said, coming to Trixie’s defense. "I wish I hadn’t said anything. He obviously hasn’t been told that the resort is up for sale."

"You didn’t know that," Dan said. "You don’t need to feel bad about it."

"Let’s just forget about if for now and head down to the lake," Jim said giving Trixie an apologetic look for scolding her. "I didn’t mean to yell at you, Trix, it’s just that we’ve not even been here half an hour…"

"I know, I know," Trixie said. "I promise, I’ll try to just ignore it and have fun. Who all is going fishing?"

"I think I’m just going to go unpack and try to get some rest," Honey said. She wasn’t all that fond of fishing and she was very anxious to have some time alone to open the gift Brian had given her. "The rest of you go on and have fun. I just kind of want some time to relax."

"Are you sure?" Di asked. "I wouldn’t mind at all to stay back with you."

"No," Honey said, perhaps a little to quickly and forcefully. "I just want to get some rest."

Having seen the gift Brian had given Honey, Trixie knew that she just wanted some time alone. She knew she needed to make sure Diana came with the rest of them to the lake. "Come on, Di," she said, grabbing her by the arm. "If we don’t go, who will keep these guys in line?" They all headed inside and grabbed their fishing gear and headed down the hill to the dock.

Honey watched them leave, then got up slowly and went to the room she was sharing with the other girls. She sat down on the bottom bed of the bunk bed where she and Trixie would be sleeping. She picked up the gift bag and started removing the mounds of tissue paper that Brian had stuffed in it to keep her from getting even a glimpse of what was inside. She reached in the bag and pulled out the softest, cuddliest teddy bear she had ever seen. It was a light golden brown color with big black eyes and a soft nose. Honey hugged the bear tight and let the tears she had been holding back for days flow freely now that she was alone. She still didn’t know why she kept feeling like crying, but it felt good to finally let it all out. She eventually calmed herself down and started to stuff the tissue paper back into the bag. That is when she realized there was a card in the bag as well. Her name was centered neatly on the front of the envelope in Brian’s perfect script. ‘He has the neatest handwriting of any guy I know,’ Honey thought with a small smile reaching her lips. She opened the envelope and pulled out the card. It had a colorful bouquet of flowers on the front. On the inside it read:

Dear Honey,

I hope you aren’t mad at me for not being able to come with you all. I hate to miss your birthday, but I promise, I’ll make that part up to you. I saw this teddy bear at Crimper’s and it made me think of you. I hope you like it.

There has been something that I’ve been meaning to tell you, but every time I try, I chicken out. Maybe it will be easier for me to say in this note, but I hope you don’t think badly of me for doing it this way. You have always been special to me, ever since I first saw you that day you came running down to our house to talk to Trixie not knowing that Mart and I were back from camp. Over the last three years I have really grown to appreciate you and admire you for all that you are. You are no longer that frail little girl, you have grown into a beautiful young lady that I admire, respect, and cherish. I’ve never felt about anyone the way I feel for you. I just want you to know that you are very special to me. I hope you have a wonderful birthday and that you enjoy every minute of your vacation. I don’t want us to rush into anything, but when you get back, I have something very important to ask you. Until then, be careful, have fun, and don’t you and my sister get yourselves into any scrapes, you hear? I just had to throw that last part in since I’m not there to say it in person. Have a great week! I’ll be thinking of you and the rest of the gang (mostly you, though) often.

Love,

Brian

P.S. Did you notice the teddy bear’s name?

Honey picked the bear up and looked at the tag on its ear. She flipped the tag over to look at the back. The bear’s name was ‘Honey.’ A smile came to her face, a true smile this time. She placed the bear on her pillow and walked out of the cabin and down to the lake to have fun with her friends.

 

 

Chapter 4

"I hope the fish bite better tomorrow than they did today," Mart complained as they walked back up the hill to the cabin. "I never even got a nibble."

"Neither did I," Jim said. "Maybe it will be better when we get out to the deeper part of the lake on the pontoon."

Trixie smiled smugly and held up the three brim she had caught. "If you men ask nicely, maybe I’ll share mine with you when we have the fish fry for Honey’s birthday."

The three boys looked at Trixie with dark glares. Then Jim gave her a wink to let her know that he wasn’t really upset. He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "I may not have caught anything, but I’ll claim part of Trixie’s glory since I taught her how to cast last summer."

"Brian and I taught her how to cast long before that, dear friend," Mart said. "She’s just too scatterbrained to remember how to do it from one fishing expedition to the next. Either that or she just relished the thought of a handsome redhead standing close behind her with his arms around her teaching her how to do it."

Trixie blushed ferociously and gave Mart an angry glare. She couldn’t think of anything to say because whether she liked it or not, Mart was right. She had known how to cast last summer when she went fishing with Jim. In fact, she could cast just as well as he could, but Honey and Di had convinced her that sometimes she needed to pretend to be helpless and not always try to show up and compete with the guys. She was so embarrassed at Mart’s remark that she couldn’t bear to look at Jim. He and Dan were still laughing and joking about what Mart had said.

Trixie fell back to where Honey and Di were walking behind the rest of the group. "Forget what I was saying about sharing with you guys," she began. "I have three fish and there are three of us ladies. I don’t think there will be nearly enough for the rest of you." Everyone laughed and they made their way up the rest of the hill to their cabin.

The girls hurried to their room and its adjoining bathroom to get ready. Di was the first one in the shower and Honey and Trixie sat down on Honey’s bed to talk. "So, did you like Brian’s gift?"

"Of course," Honey said, her face turning pink. "It really cheered me up…and make me miss him more at the same time." She grabbed the bear and held it tight. "Did you know what it was all along?"

"Yeah, I was with him when he saw it at Crimper’s," Trixie told her. "But I promise he picked it out and when he read the name on the tag he just had to get it for you. I told him I thought you would love it." After a little bit of silence, Trixie asked, "Honey, are you ok? You’ve seemed, well, different lately."

"I know," Honey began. "I honestly don’t know what’s wrong with me, I just don’t feel right. I don’t feel well emotionally or physically. One minute I’m happy, then the next I’m sad. I keep having a sharp pain in my side and I don’t know why. I should have asked Brian about it before we left, but I didn’t want to worry him." Honey was very proud of the fact that Brian was going to be a doctor. He was always studying medical books and knew everything about first aid and many other aspects of medicine. "Don’t say anything to the others about me feeling bad. I don’t want to ruin the vacation for anyone."

The girls finished getting ready for dinner and met the boys and Miss Trask in the living room to walk up to the main lodge. They would be having most of their dinners there, but Miss Trask had promised to fry the fish they caught and to bake a cake on Wednesday night for Honey’s birthday.

They went through the line and got their food when they reached the lodge, then they sat down at one end of a long row of tables. Soon a man came over and began talking to them. "Hi," he said. "I’m Robert Adams, Jr. Call me Rob. My father goes by Robert, and I go by Rob to keep things from getting too confusing. I’m sorry I was busy when you all checked in today. That was my father you met and I’m sorry if he seemed rude to you. His mind is starting to slip, I’m afraid. The doctor’s call it Alzheimer’s. I hadn’t told him yet that the lodge was up for sale. See, he’s lived on this land his whole life and I just hadn’t been able to bear breaking the news to him, so it came as quite a shock to him. I had intended to tell him before you arrived, but it just slipped my mind."

"I’m so sorry," Honey apologized. "We weren’t aware that he didn’t know."

"It’s fine, child," Rob said. "Don’t you worry about a thing. It’s my own fault for not having already told you."

"If it’s not too pushy of me to ask, sir," Jim said, "why are you selling the place? I mean it’s so beautiful here, I can’t imagine why you would want to leave."

"I don’t mind telling you, son," Rob said. "You see, the trouble is a new resort has opened down the road. With it being newer and bigger, it’s running us out of business. I can’t afford to fix this place up and if I raise my prices to get the money I need, I’ll lose business. My prices are already a little higher than the prices at the new resort, Lake Hills I believe it’s called. But don’t you worry, once your father buys the place and fixes it up real nice and makes it bigger and better, he’ll have no trouble getting business year round. This place is wonderful for fishing and boating in the summer, but it’s also prime hunting ground in the fall and winter."

"There she is!" came a loud voice from the other side of the room. "There’s the little rich girl whose daddy is going to buy this place and turn it into some horrid tourist trap. You just wait and see if I let that happen, you just wait. No one’s going to come in here and disgrace the land my family has lived on for centuries, you hear!" This tirade was coming from none other than Robert Adams, Sr.

 

Chapter 5

"Dad, please calm down," Rob said, taking his father’s arm and trying to lead him out of the dining room."

"I will not calm down, Sonny. You have no right to sell this place to someone who is going to come in here and mar this land and all it means to me. Not only that, but once you sell this place, I know what your going to do with me. Your going to put me in one of those horrible nursing homes and I just won’t stand for that, Sonny."

"Dad, this isn’t the place for us to be discussing this. We’ll talk about it tonight after dinner. Please just go down to your cabin and get some rest."

"I’m sorry," Rob said to the Bob-Whites and Miss Trask as he led his father out of the room. We’ll talk more later. I’m really sorry."

The Bob-Whites were to startled to say anything. Miss Trask mumbled a quick, "It’s alright," as the Adams’ were walking away.

Trixie looked across the table at Honey. Her face was white as a sheet and she looked like she was about to cry again. "Hon, are you all right?" she asked.

"I..I…don’t feel so well. I think I’m going to go lie down. I’ll see you guys when you get back to the cabin. Please, excuse me."

"Of course, dear," Miss Trask said. "This has all been very disturbing and I’m sure you are still tired from the trip." Noticing that Mart had already devoured all of what was on his plate, Miss Trask said, "Mart, would you please walk Honey down to the cabin?"

"Sure, Miss Trask. Come, fair Madeleine," he said, holding his arm out to Honey. Madeleine was Honey’s given name, but she was rarely called that by anyone. Honey started to protest, but as she stood up, her knees went weak and she looked as if she were going to faint. Mart quickly grabbed her by one arm, while Jim, who was sitting on Honey’s other side, grabbed her by the other to keep her from falling.

"Honey, are you alright?" Jim asked concernedly. They eased her back in her chair and Trixie held her water glass to Honey’s lips. "Drink some, sis," Jim said, "then we’ll get you down to the cabin." Honey drank some water and attempted to eat a little more of her food until she felt a little stronger. By this time the rest of the group had finished eating and were all ready to go back to the cabin. Honey still felt rather weak, but with the help of Jim and Mart she was able to walk out of the lodge. Once out the door, Jim scooped her into his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the cabin. Honey felt weak enough that she didn’t protest.

"Where’s Brian when you need him," Trixie said quietly to Diana as they walked along behind the boys to the cabin. "He’s the one who would know what to do for her, and he’s not even here. I have half a mind to call him and tell him he had best forget that program at the hospital and get down here."

"Oh, Trix. She’s just feeling a little overwhelmed by all the excitement and the fact that she hasn’t felt well for the last week has just added to it. Besides, you know how much that program at the hospital means to Brian. You wouldn’t really want him to give it up."

"Maybe not," Trixie replied. "But I know how much Honey means to him as well, and I think he should be here."

 

Chapter 5

The next morning Honey was feeling much better and much more like her normal self. She and Miss Trask had gotten up extra early and had called the lodge to inform them that they would be having breakfast in their cabin. Then the two of them had driven ten minutes down the road to a small store and bought supplies to make a wonderful breakfast for the Bob-Whites.

Trixie awoke to the smell of bacon cooking and was surprised to see that Honey was out of bed. She put on her robe and walked out of the bedroom to the kitchen. "Well, I guess you’re feeling better," she said when she saw Honey standing at the counter kneading dough for homemade biscuits.

Honey smiled at her and said, "I think I was just extra tired. I didn’t get much sleep the night before we left."

Jim walked up behind Trixie and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Good morning. Didn’t think I’d be up this early, did you?"

Trixie gasped. "Jim, you’re not supposed to see me like this." She touched a hand to her extra unruly curls and then pulled her robe tighter around her body. She cringed as she thought about how her breath must smell. She broke loose from Jim’s grasp and looked at him. He was already showered and dressed in his swim trunks and a t-shirt.

"Go get dressed and freshened up and meet me out front. We’ll go for a walk while these lovely ladies finish cooking breakfast," Jim said.

"Oh, I can’t. I’ll need to help," Trixie protested.

"No you don’t," Honey said. "We’ve got it all under control. Go with Jim, it’s a beautiful morning."

"Ok, that suits me fine," Trixie said. "We’ll wash the dishes."

"Deal," Honey confirmed with a bright smile. Trixie rushed off to make herself presentable. Di was just finishing getting dressed when Trixie came back in the bedroom. "Hey, how long would it take you to French braid my hair?" she asked her.

"Not long," Di replied. "Are you wanting to look good for someone in particular?" she asked with a sly grin.

Trixie sighed, "No, not really, I was just hoping you could do something with my unruly curls since it’s so hot outside." Di had already ushered her into a chair and had started trying to comb through Trixie’s curls. "Plus, my hair is the longest it has ever been and it’s really starting to get in my way, especially when swimming."

"I think I can get it tight enough that it should stay all day even on the boat and while swimming. I’ll have to teach you how to do this so you can do it yourself now that you’re letting your hair grow out." Trixie had always had short hair but Honey and Di had convinced her to try to grow it out just to see how it looked. So far it was only down to her shoulders when wet, but her curls made it seem much shorter.

"There, all done," Di said about five minutes later. "I’m fast."

Trixie looked at herself in the mirror. "Wow, thanks Di. It looks great! Well, I’m going on a walk with Jim, so I’ve got to get dressed." She grabbed her clothes and ducked into the bathroom to change and freshen up. Ten minutes later she met Jim out on the front porch of the cabin.

"Where’d your curls go?" he asked with a pout. Trixie looked so disappointed at his comment that he wished he hadn’t said anything.

"I’ve spent most of my life trying to get rid of them," she said. "My hair is finally long enough for Di or Honey to French braid to keep them out of my way. I was hoping you would like it."

"I do like it. I just hope you don’t wear it like that all the time. I love your curls."

Trixie smiled. She never understood why people always seemed to love her curls when to her they were a big nuisance. Jim took her by the hand and they started walking off toward the lake laughing and talking.

"Don’t take this the wrong way, Trix, but I’m kind of glad Brian’s not here."

"Why?" Trixie asked with a grin. "He’s your best friend."

"Yeah, but without him here watching us like a hawk it’s much easier for me to do this." He spun Trixie into his arms and gave her a long kiss on the lips.

Trixie giggled and pulled away from him, "Maybe I’m glad he’s not here as well." She leaned into him and let him hold her standing there in the breeze for a few moments, looking at the pretty lake and the nature surrounding them.

After a while Trixie said, "Maybe Brian feels the same way about you. Maybe that’s why he hasn’t asked Honey to be his girlfriend."

"No, Brian’s problem is that he’s so concerned about his future that he can’t see what he’s missing right now."

"That’s a little harsh, don’t you think," Trixie said. "You know how much becoming a doctor means to him. It means as much to him as running a school for boys means for you."

"I know, I just can’t stand to watch Honey hurt like she is," Jim said. "Brian and I have talked about it. I’ve encouraged him time and time again to let her know how he feels because I know she wants to know-she needs to know. Brian realizes that, he’s just afraid that going to medical school will hurt their relationship if they get too serious right now. I’ve told him that there is no other guy I would trust to date Honey as much as I trust him. He’s said the same about me dating you, so I don’t really worry about him getting mad at me over anything between me and you."

"Well, I think Brian has made a little progress." She told Jim about the teddy bear and card Brian sent with Honey. "She didn’t tell me what the note said, but she told me before we left that Brian is going to take her out for a special birthday dinner after we get back."

"That’s great. I hope that cheered her up. She’s seemed really down lately, as I’m sure you have noticed."

"Yeah, she just told me that she hasn’t been feeling well for a while, but she told me not to tell anyone, so don’t say anything. I’m really worried about her, especially after last night, but she seems to be okay today. I guess we’ll just have to keep an eye on her and make sure she really is okay."

"We should head back," Jim said. As they walked back to the cabin Jim asked her what she thought of the events of the previous night. "Don’t you think it’s kind of strange that Rob hadn’t told Robert anything?"

"Well, I think it’s strange, but I kind of understand. It would be hard to break news like that to someone whose mind is slipping anyway. I couldn’t believe the things Robert said to Honey, though. Right now I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. From what I’ve heard Brian say about Alzheimer’s, I know that it totally changes the person’s attitude and personality. He probably would have never said something like that to anyone before he was affected by the disease."

"Your probably right," Jim said as he opened the door of the cabin for Trixie.

"Don’t tell her that too much," Mart teased. "Her head is too big as it is."

Trixie turned and stuck her tongue out at her brother. Honey and Miss Trask were just finishing putting breakfast on the table, so everyone sat down and began eating.

"This is great!" Dan said. "You did a wonderful job on the biscuits, Honey."

"Just be glad that Trixie didn’t fix them," Mart said. "They would be hard as rocks."

"Leave her alone, Mart," Di said. "Trixie has become a really good cook lately and I’ve never seen you turn down anything she’s fixed for you."

Everyone laughed at Di’s remark and continued eating their breakfast. "So what’s on the agenda for today," Dan asked.

"I think we should leave that up to Honey since this trip is for her birthday," Jim said.

"Oh, no." Honey began. "This trip is for everyone. I refuse to make all of the decisions. However, I will tell you that Miss Trask and I bought the things to make sandwiches for lunch while we were at the store this morning, so we can pack the cooler for lunch and not have to come back here to eat."

"That sounds great!" Trixie exclaimed. "We can have a picnic on the boat. Jim said that even though it’s a pontoon and not a speedboat, we should still be able to ski and kneeboard behind it. I say let’s get this day started!"

"Sounds good to me! Let’s go! What are we waiting for?" everyone was saying something different at once.

Jim and Trixie gathered the breakfast dishes while the others packed the cooler and picnic basket. Once the food, towels, and other supplies were packed, everyone, including Miss Trask, headed down to the boat. The boys made sure there was plenty of gas and a life jacket for everyone, then they were off. The lake covered many acres and had several coves and tree lined shores. They just rode around in the boat for a while, looking at the pretty scenery and getting their bearings straight. When they got to an open stretch Jim killed the engine.

"Who wants to be the first skier?" he asked.

"I’ll go!" Dan said. "Say, couldn’t we hook up two ropes and go two at a time."

The boys tied a ski rope to the hooks on either side of the back of the boat. Dan and Honey were the first two skiers. All of the Bob-Whites were experienced skiers, but Honey and Dan were two of the best. All was going well until suddenly a small boat came out of nowhere, speeding right at Honey.

"Honey! Let go!" Jim screamed. The Bob-Whites watched in horror as the boat sped in between the skiers and the pontoon and sped off across the lake.

 

Chapter 6

Jim killed the engine and looked back to find Dan and Honey. They spotted both of them a few hundred feet from the boat. Dan was holding on to Honey and waving at them frantically. "Honey must be hurt!" Jim cried. He quickly started the engine and eased his way back to Dan and Honey trying to create as little wake as possible. When they got close enough they could see that both of them were conscious and neither seemed to be harmed too badly.

"Are you both ok?" Miss Trask asked.

"I’m fine," Dan said. "Honey’s just a little shaken up and the rope hurt her hand pretty bad."

The other Bob-Whites helped Dan and Honey back into the boat, being mindful of Honey’s hurt hand. "He hit my rope before I could let go."

Jim examined her hand. "I think we should go have it X-rayed," he told her.

"No, it’s fine," Honey said. "I can move it with no problem. It’s just bruised and burned." She had a bad rope burn on the back of her slender hand and her palm was bruised and swollen. Her face was very pale and she looked very weak. "I guess this means no more skiing for me while we’re here."

"I want to know who that guy was. Why would he do something like that?" Trixie asked. "I’m going to find out who it was and you guys are going to help me."

"Trix, just let it go. We’re okay and I just want us to have a relaxing vacation," Honey said.

"Honey, that guy could have killed you!" Trixie exclaimed. "We can’t just let him get away with it."

"Please, Trix. It was probably just an accident and he was too scared to face us, so he sped off," Honey protested.

"Okay, fine. I’ll drop it, but I can’t promise I’ll forget about it." Normally she wouldn’t have dropped the subject so quickly, but she could tell Honey didn’t feel well. He face was still pale and she looked as if she was going to be sick.

Jim joined the rest of the group from where he had been leaning over the back of the boat fiddling with the ski ropes. "Well, I don’t guess any of the rest of us will be skiing today unless we go back and get new ropes. Honey’s was split in two and Dan’s managed to break as well."

"Why don’t we just pull over into that cove and drop anchor?" Mart asked. "We can swim off the boat for a while then have our picnic."

"Don’t you ever stop thinking about food?" Di asked. Mart just shrugged.

"That sounds like a good idea to me, Mart," Miss Trask said.

Jim carefully guided the boat over to the cove and turned the boat off. Mart and Dan dropped the anchor. The water was fairly deep but the rope was long enough for the anchor to hit bottom and hold them in place.

"Jump in everyone!" Mart said. He dove off the side of the boat and Diana and Dan followed.

Trixie and Jim hung back for a minute. "Honey, are you sure you’re okay?" Jim asked. "You don’t look like you feel too well."

"I’m okay, but I don’t think I feel like swimming. You two go ahead and have fun. I’m just going to lie down and rest for a few minutes."

Jim pulled up the canopy that covered the back part of the boat so that Honey could lie down in the shade. She stretched out on the bench seat in the back of the boat and Jim covered her up with his large beach towel while Trixie retrieved some ice from the cooler for Honey’s hand. After making sure Honey was comfortable, they too dove into the lake.

 

Chapter 7

The Bob-Whites stayed out on the lake until mid-afternoon, then they returned to the resort. Jim, Trixie, and Miss Trask went up to the main building to report the incident that had happened on the water. The police said they would keep an eye out for the boat Trixie had described, but that was about all they could do.

After showering, the Bob-Whites went to the game room. There were pool, ping-pong, and foosball tables. Honey found that she could play ping-pong since it was her left hand that was hurt. She and Trixie took on Jim and Dan, while Di and Mart played foosball until it was time for dinner.

Dinner that night was less eventful than the night before. The Bob-Whites were introduced to some of the other guests who were staying in the other cabins.

"Hi! We’re the Andrews’," a pretty young blonde woman said, extending her hand to Miss Trask. "My name is Colleen and this is Michael. We just got married and are here for our honeymoon."

Miss Trask introduced herself and all of the Bob-Whites. Michael and Colleen sat down next to them at one of the long tables. "We heard about your accident today," Michael said. "We also saw and heard what happened last night. We hope your vacation starts getting better soon."

The Bob-Whites voiced their thanks and agreement. Surely it would get better soon. It couldn’t get a whole lot worse after the incident with Robert the night before and their accident on the water that day. They continued talking to the young couple, finding out where they were from. Trixie found it odd that they were so eager to introduce themselves to them and find out all about them, but when the Bob-Whites started asking the couple questions about how they met and where they were from, they suddenly found great interest in their pot roast and vegetables. Trixie decided to let it go for now. Maybe her brothers and Jim were right. She tended to jump to a lot of conclusions.

She finished eating and excused herself from the table; she had a phone call she needed to make. She knew there was a phone at the front desk, but everyone could see her from there. She headed down to the cabin and made her call from there. Today was Monday; it was still two days until Honey’s birthday. ‘Surely he could make arrangements to get here by then, even if it is just for Honey’s party. It wasn’t that long of a drive from Sleepyside if the weather is good,’ she thought.

She dialed her home number praying that Brian would answer the phone so she didn’t have to explain everything that had happened to her parents just yet. Brian did answer the phone. "Trix?" he said, sounding rather surprised. "Is everything alright?"

They talked for a while with Trixie telling him everything that had happened so far and how upset and under the weather Honey had been since they had left. Brian listened closely and told her how to treat Honey’s hand and to keep an eye on her because if it was her right side that was hurting, it could be her appendix, and that could get dangerous. He told her he really couldn’t manage to get away. He was supposed to be at the hospital early every morning and was there until each evening. Trixie let him know that Honey loved the teddy bear he gave her, and then they said good night. She didn’t plan on telling anyone that she had called Brian, but she didn’t know if she could pull off treating Honey’s hand without them knowing that she had talked to Brian.

Trixie walked back up to the main lodge. Miss Trask was at the front desk talking to Rob and his wife, Hannah. Honey and Diana were still sitting at the table talking with Colleen. Trixie walked over to them and found Honey telling Colleen all about Brian.

"…and he gave me a gift before we left and told me not to open it until we got here. It was the cutest teddy bear and the name on its ear tag is ‘Honey.’"

"How sweet!" Colleen squealed. "He sounds like a great guy."

"He is. Oh, hey Trix," Honey had just realized that Trixie had come back into the lodge. "We didn’t know where you disappeared to. We’ve practically told Colleen our life stories by now. The guys are in the game room with Michael."

"Here, Honey, I found this in our first aid kit. I remembered that when I got rope burned in gym class in grade school, they made me put stuff like this on it and wrap it with gauze," Trixie said. This wasn’t totally a lie. She had rope burned her hand in gym class but she really didn’t remember what the school nurse had done for it. Trixie pulled a chair over in front of Honey, sat down and began putting the ointment on her hand. Then she wound the gauze all around it and secured it tightly. "Not as good as Brian would do, but it works."

Soon the boys had come back from the game room and the group decided to play cards at the tables in the dining room. They all paired off into teams for Spades-Trixie and Honey, Mart and Jim, Di and Colleen, and Michael and Dan. They started out with the two girls teams playing against each other and the two boys teams each other, then the winners, Trixie and Honey and Michael and Dan, played each other for the championship. Trixie and Honey won by a long shot, however they had a little help from Jim because he was holding Honey’s cards since she was having trouble holding them with her hand bandaged as it was. They promised Michael and Colleen that they would play again the next night and everyone departed for their cabins.

When the Bob-Whites got back to the cabin they found a note on the counter from Miss Trask that said she had decided to go on to bed and that they needed to plan on being up in time to eat at the lodge the next morning.

Trixie groaned, "That means we have to get up pretty early."

"Oh, well, it will give us a good start on the day," Di said. "Let’s get some sleep."

Everyone agreed it was time to get some rest and after making plans for the next day, they said goodnight and headed to their rooms. Trixie, Honey, and Di talked for a short while until each of them drifted off into peaceful sleep.

 To Be Continued

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