I do not own Trixie or any of the other characters. They are borrowed from Random House. I am not making any money off of this story. Thanks to El for her wonderfu, prompt edit!
Spring: A Time for Changeby JodiG
Late April
"But, Diana," Mart cried desperately. "It doesn't have to end like this."
"Yes, it does, Mart. You know how I've always dreamed of going to Paris and now I'm getting to live there," Di tried to reason. "I don't want to live across an ocean for a year and make your life miserable."
"And you think not having you isn't going to make me miserable?" Mart asked incredulously. "I think you just don't want to make yourself miserable."
"That's not true!" Di shouted. "We've talked about this. We're young. We don't need to be completely tied to one another. I want you to be able to date others while I'm gone."
"I don't want anyone else. I want you!"
"Mart, I really wish I could say the same thing, but I--I just don't want to be tied down. How can we be sure we're right for each other if we don't ever go out with anyone else? I just want to be able to explore my options and--" her voice trailed off. "I hope you understand. My plane is about to leave and I don't want to leave feeling like you hate me. I couldn't stand it. I still want us to be close."
Mart took a deep breath. "Ok. We'll see what happens, but I want things to be left open. I don't want us to be over forever." He took both of her hands in his and willed back the tears that were threatening to fall.
Diana couldn't hold back her tears. She nodded her head, "That's what I want too," she whispered. "We'll see what happens when I get back."
"Flight 419 bound for Paris, France will be boarding in five minutes."
"That's me," she said softly. "We better get back to the rest of the group."
Diana's parents and her younger twin brothers and twin sisters had accompanied her to the airport along with most of the members of the Bob-Whites of the Glen or BWGs for short. Diana and Mart were two members of the club. The other members were Mart's younger sister Trixie, Honey Wheeler and her adopted brother Jim Frayne. Last but not least was Dan Mangan the newest member of their club. Brian, Trixie and Mart's older brother had left a few weeks earlier with a medical mission team to Russia. He was about to start medical school and was spending the summer overseas gaining very valuable experience.
"Yeah," Mart agreed. "We probably should head back. I'm going to miss you." He pulled her into a tight hug.
Diana returned the hug and tried to keep more tears from falling. "Am I doing the right thing?" she asked herself."I love you," Mart whispered in her ear.
Diana gave him a weak smile and wiped away her tears before she turned and walked around the corner to where the rest of her farewell party was waiting.
"Di," Trixie said as she came back. "We're going to miss you, but we know this is something you have wanted for a long time. I can't imagine--a whole year in Paris right after graduation. I'm nervous enough about starting college here in New York. I can't imagine starting college in a whole new country."
"Okay, Trix. That's enough," Jim warned. "We don't want to make her more nervous than she already is."
Everyone laughed at Jim's remark, but Trixie noticed that Mart did not even attempt a smile. "Hmm. Di looks like she's been crying. I wonder what just happened between them. They said they were going for coffee," she thought.
"Flight 419 bound for Paris, France is now boarding."
"Well, I guess this is it," Diana said. She reached out and hugged Trixie and Honey at the same time. "I'll miss you two so much!" All three girls were struggling to hold back their tears. Diana finally released them and went on to hug Jim and Dan. She gave Mart one final squeeze then went on to her family.
"Honey," Trixie whispered. "Mart just wiped away tears."
"Oh, how sweet," Honey said quietly. "He's going to miss her so much."
"I don't know. He seems upset about something other than just her leaving."
"Now Trixie, there's no need in jumping to any conclusions," Honey warned, sternly. Then she nudged Trixie with her elbow and said, "We'll just grill him later."
Trixie giggled. "Sounds like a plan. We need to be sensitive though. I know I complain about Mart a lot, but I really feel bad for him right now."
"Yeah, me too. I know how he feels." Honey had thought that her relationship with Brian was moving in the right direction but he had broken it off with her right before he left saying he wanted to be able to concentrate fully on his work. They too had left things open for the future.
Diana finally finished hugging everyone and rushed off to board her plane. The BWGs turned and started for their station wagon.
Trixie noticed that Mart was lagging behind the rest of the group, so she stopped to wait on him. He was walking with his hands shoved deep in his pockets and his head down. "He looks like a little lost puppy," Trixie thought.
"You okay?" she asked him. Mart didn't say anything; he just shrugged. He was afraid if he tried to talk he would begin to cry.
Trixie linked her arm through his. They caught up to Honey and she linked her arm through his other one. Mart managed a lopsided smile and the group caught up to Jim and Dan. Diana had broken his heart, but he knew his friends would help him mend.
Three days later
Mart was sitting on the edge of the dock at the Wheeler's lake. He threw a rock as far as he could into the lake and watched as the ripples spread out wide and disappeared.
He could see Trixie and Honey across the lake helping his ten-year-old brother, Bobby, try to fly his kite. It was a cloudy, windy afternoon but the temperature was just right for being outside. He smiled as the kite suddenly fell out of the air and hit Honey on the head. Bobby was rolling on the ground laughing and Trixie was trying to get the string and the kite untangled from Honey's hair.
"Hey, Mart! Bobby and I are going to go on home. It looks like it's about to start raining. We'll see you later on at the house," Trixie yelled.
"Okay," Mart shouted back. "I'll be there in a little while."
He watched as Honey walked around the lake and came to join him on the dock"Need a friend?" she asked quietly.
"I know I was," Mart admitted. He brushed a piece of Honey's hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. With his other hand he flipped on the radio on the table by the couch and tuned it to a local station. They soon learned that their area was indeed under a tornado warning and everyone was being urged to take cover.
Mart smiled, "Everyone needs a friend like you, Honey."
Honey blushed at his comment. She took off her sandals and sat down beside him, dangling her feet in the cold water. "It's not easy, is it?" she asked.
Mart pulled another rock out of his pocket and chunked it into the lake. "No, it's not. I miss her a lot."
"I still miss Brian, but I promise it does get easier. Of course, I might miss him more were we actually still together."
Mart gave a sigh, "Yeah, I know what you mean. I got basically the same speech from Diana as you got from Brian."
"Ah, I see. She's not much for long distance relationships, huh?"
"Nope. She also said she wanted to 'explore her options,'" Mart said, making quotation marks with his fingers.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know," Honey said. "It was hard for me to tell everyone about me and Brian breaking it off too."
"Yeah. I couldn't believe he did that. He seemed to love you so much, and I'm sure he still does."
"Sometimes loving someone means letting go," Honey said. "I had to let him go and he didn't want me to just sit back here and wait on him. I'm sure that's how Diana feels too."
"You're probably right," Mart agreed. "Thanks, Honey. I'm glad you came and talked to me."
Honey smiled sweetly at him. They sat in silence for a few moments, staring at the lake and splashing their feet in the water. "It looks like it's about to storm," Honey said. "It's getting really dark."
"Yeah, we should probably head inside."
"Oh, no!" Honey said. "I took some stuff down to the clubhouse earlier and I think I forgot to shut the windows. Everything will get soaked."
"Come on," Mart said. "If we hurry we can get them closed before it starts." He pulled her to her feet and they took off running down the Wheeler's driveway to the old gatehouse that served as the BWG's clubhouse. The rain started when they were about halfway there. They quickly unlocked the door and rushed in to close the windows.
"Whew!" Honey exclaimed. "We got to them before everything got all wet. It's really pouring out there."
"Well, you know what they say. April showers bring May flowers," Mart said with a shrug.
"I think this qualifies as more than a little shower. I hope it doesn't get too bad." Honey jumped as a clap of thunder shook the little building.
Mart smiled at her. "It's okay. It's just thunder."
"I know," Honey said wrapping her arms around her wet body. "It just st-startled me."
Mart walked into the storage room and came out drying his hair on a large beach towel. "I was afraid all of these were in the boathouse but it looks like we left a couple here at some point." He wrapped the other towel around Honey's shoulders and ran his hands up and down her arms trying to warm her up. "You're shivering."
"I'm fr-freezing."
Mart lifted a corner of the towel and wiped some of the rainwater off of her face. Honey jumped at another clap of thunder and Mart slipped his arms around her. "Shh. We're okay."
Honey laid her head on his shoulder. "Why does this feel so comfortable? One of my best friends broke up with him three days ago and here I am in his arms--and I don't want to move."
"Mmm," Mart thought. "She smells so good."
"What's happening here?" Honey asked quietly.
"I--I'm sorry," Mart said backing away. "I didn't mean--"
"No," Honey said. "It's okay."
"Are you sure?" Mart asked, looking deep into her big hazel eyes.
Honey nodded and Mart led her over to the old couch that lined one side of the little room. He sat down at one end and pulled Honey down beside him. "I guess we may as well get comfortable and wait this thing out."
"Yeah. I'm glad you came down here with me. I would hate to be by myself with the wind howling like it is. Do you think there will be a tornado?"
"I don't know. It was awfully warm today and that means the conditions are right for one."
Honey shivered again and Mart put an arm around her shoulders. "It reminds me of the time in the Ozarks when we got caught in that storm and waited it out in the cave."
"Oh, don't say that," Honey warned. "If you remember, that storm ended with Trixie nearly being eaten by a catamount."
Mart chuckled and pulled her closer. "Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen anything as white as Trixie's face was that night."
"She doesn't get scared often," Honey agreed, 'but I think it's safe to say that we were all pretty shaken that night."
"What do we do?" Honey asked, rising to her feet to look out the window. "Should we try to make it to the house?"
As soon as the question left her lips a large flash of lightning struck a tree right beside the clubhouse. Honey screamed and moved even closer to Mart.
"A tornado has been spotted moving along Glen Road," the radio announcer warned. "I repeat; a tornado has been spotted on the ground along Glen Road a mile outside of Sleepyside. If you are in the path of this twister take cover immediately."
"I think we better just stay right where we are. The storage room would be a better place since there are no windows, but it would be too risky with all of the shelves and equipment."
"What are we going to do?" Honey cried. "There is nowhere for us to go!"
The wind and thunder was getting louder and louder. "I know," Mart said. "Grab the couch cushions!"
Honey did as he said and moved out of the way as Mart pulled the couch away from the wall. "Get behind the couch," he yelled. "This is the only wall without a window. Cover as much of your body as you can with the cushions."
Honey sat on the floor beside him with tears streaming down her cheeks. Mart pulled her close and held her tightly. "Shh. We'll be fine. It will blow over soon." "I hope," he added silently.
Back at Manor House
Jim was fixing himself a hotdog in the large kitchen when the lights started blinking inside the house. "I guess this storm is worse than I thought."
"Jim! Jim, where are you?" Miss Trask, Honey's old governess who now took care of the daily operations at Manor House, was frantically calling his name.
"In here, Miss Trask," Jim called, trying to chew his bite of hotdog at the same time.
"Jim, there is a tornado warning for our area. They are saying on the radio to take cover immediately. Have you seen Honey?"
"No. But relax. She was with Trixie earlier. I'm sure she's just down at Crabapple Farm. Let me go and call Trixie."
"Okay," Miss Trask said, looking a little relieved. "But you head down to the basement as soon as you hang up."
"Yes, ma'am," Jim promised. His mom and dad were out of town on business and Miss Trask was boss when they weren't there.
Jim shoved the rest of the hotdog into his mouth and walked over to the phone. Before he could pick up the phone to dial Trixie's number, the phone rang.
"Jim! Good, you are home," Trixie said anxiously. "Please tell me that Mart is up there with you."
"No, he's not. You mean he's not at home?"
"No, he was sitting on the dock when Bobby and I decided to go inside. He said he would be home soon, but he never came in and now there's a tornado and he's--"
"Shh, Trix, calm down. I'm sure he's okay. Maybe he took cover in the boathouse or the clubhouse."
"Yeah, you are probably right. We can't find Bobby's cat either, and he's really upset. She's pregnant and she's been missing for two days now. Bobby's really upset now that he knows she's out there in this storm."
"As soon as this storm passes I'll go out and look for Mart and the cat. You tell Honey to stay put until this is over and I'll drive down and--"
"Jim, Honey's not here," Trixie said quietly.
"Well, then where the heck is she?" Jim shouted. "She's not here either."
"Maybe she's with Mart," Trixie said. She sat quietly listening to the radio and her face went white at the announcer's words. "Jim, hurry and take cover. Bobby and I are going to get in the bathtub under a mattress. There's a tornado on the ground on Glen Road heading our way. Be careful!"
"Trix, you be careful. I love you. I'll be down as soon as this is over and we'll go look for Honey and Mart."
"Okay. I love you too."
Trixie hung up the phone and grabbed Bobby by the arm. They were home alone and she was scared, but she couldn't let Bobby know that.In the clubhouse
"Honey," Mart said, over the roar of the storm. "If we make it--I mean, when we make it through this, will you consider going out with me sometime? I'm not talking about anything serious, just dinner and a movie. We'll take it slow and get to know each other."
Despite the conditions Honey started laughing at Mart's last comment.
"What's so funny?" Mart asked, feeling offended and embarrassed. "I'm sorry Honey. I shouldn't have asked. I should've known--"
"No! No, Mart, that's not what I was laughing about," Honey assured him, placing a hand on his chest. "I just thought it was funny when you said we would take it slow and get to know one another. We've been friends for ages. We already know each other pretty well if you ask me."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Mart agreed. "It's just different to date someone than it is to be someone's friend."
"Maybe so, but it seems like we would have less work to do than if we were starting out as strangers. I mean I already know what I like about you."
"Really?" Mart asked. "And what would that be?"
"Hey, listen," Honey said. "It sounds like the storm is dying down."
"Don't go changing the subject on me," Mart said, poking Honey in the ribs.
Honey laughed and poked Mart back. "I wasn't changing the subject. I was just observing that the storm seems to be letting up. Let's see what the radio is saying."
"Ok," Mart agreed. "You stay right there, I'll get the radio." Mart crawled out from under the cushions and grabbed the small radio off the table and adjusted the volume.
"The tornado warning has been degraded to a tornado watch for the Sleepyside area. Please stay tuned for more weather alerts and information."
"It sounds like the worst is over," Mart said. He offered a hand to Honey and pulled her to her feet. "So, back to what you were saying," he teased with a wink.
"I just meant that I like you because you are fun to be around, you like to take chances and be spontaneous, you are smart, hilarious, and quite a clown, but you also know when to be serious. You are also caring, and kind, and it doesn't hurt that you are also very handsome." Honey blushed as she finished. "I cannot believe that I'm actually saying all of this to Mart Belden. I don't know if I ever said anything like this to Brian when we were together!"
"Well, that's certainly very obsequious," Mart said with a wide smile.
Honey laughed. "There you go using those big words again. I was beginning to think we had broken you of that habit. I assume that you meant my words flattered you."
"See, that's what I like about you. You're smart, you laugh at my jokes and you understand what I'm saying."
"Oh, is that all?" Honey asked jokingly, fluttering her eyelashes in his direction.
"That's not even the beginning of it," Mart said, suddenly very serious. He took both of her hands in his. "You are sweet, caring, kind, you put everyone else before you, you are a wonderful friend, and an awesome listener--I could go on for hours."
Honey blushed again and looked at the floor. She loved his compliments, but she knew that she could never compare to Diana's beauty in Mart's eyes. But that was okay. "She did only leave three days ago."
"Honey," Mart continued, "you are one of the most beautiful people I know--inside and out. I really mean that. I don't think I've ever told you how I feel, but your friendship is something I have always cherished."
Honey's eyes were brimming with happy tears as Mart leaned down, his lips just inches from hers. Their lips were about to meet when suddenly the clubhouse door burst open.
"Honey? Mart?" Trixie asked in confusion as she and Jim stood in the doorway looking rather shocked.
Mart and Honey jumped away from each other as quickly as possible. "Hey guys. We were um--just about to head up to the house to let everyone know we are okay," Honey said, tactful as always. "Silly me forgot to shut the windows and Mart came down to help me and we got stranded down here until the storm blew over and--"
"We're just glad you are both okay," Jim said, crossing the small room to give his sister a hug. "We were worried sick."
"We're fine," Mart said.
"Sure looks that way," Trixie commented with her arms folded over her chest and a bewildered look still on her face. "I think we should head back up to Manor House. Miss Trask is really worried." The group trudged up the hill to Manor House observing the damage as they went. The Clubhouse seemed to fare well even though there were several trees down all around it. Parts of the roof would need to be fixed, but other than that it was untouched. Many of the Wheeler's trees had been uprooted but none of the buildings seemed to have much damage.
"How is Crabapple Farm?" Mart asked, not wanting to hear the answer.
"A tree fell on the back porch, but other than that, everything is still standing--well, except for a couple of crabapple trees," Trixie informed him. "Moms is going to be upset about that. The radio announcer said that the tornado didn't stay on the ground long. It lifted before it reached us, thankfully. I'm just glad none of us were hurt. We may not have been hit by the tornado, but the winds were very strong."
"Yeah," the others agreed. They all knew they were going to have several days of hard work laid out for them, but they were all safe and that was what mattered.
As they were walking up to Manor House, they heard an odd noise coming from under the front porch.
"What is that?" Trixie asked.
"It sounds like an animal in pain," Honey observed.
"Where's it coming from?" Trixie asked of no one in particular as she bent down and started looking for the hurt animal.
"Great," Jim said, "another mystery. There goes any help from these two shamuses for the next few hours at least. We may as well get used to the idea of picking up all of these broken limbs on our own, Mart."
"Look," Trixie said. "It's Bobby's cat, Penelope. She sure chose a strange time to have her kittens. One, two, three, four and oh, my here comes another. What are we going to do with them all? Come look you guys. They are all different colors. There's a black one, two orange ones, a black and white one, and a calico."
"How cute," Honey cried as she crouched next to Trixie. "Jim, go get a box to put them all in so Trixie and Mart can take them home."
"And tell Bobby to come out here and look!" Trixie said. "He was afraid Penelope had disappeared and we would never find her. He's going to be so happy."
Trixie and Honey reached in and each scooped up a small kitten. Soon Bobby came running out of the house barely able to contain his excitement.
"Penelope, you rascal," he said. "I didn't think I would ever find you or your kittens. How many are there, Trixie?" Bobby was trying to crowd in between the two girls to see the little balls of fur.
"Five," Trixie answered. "Here hold one of them for a minute, and then we need to put them back down. They probably need to nurse for a little while."
Jim and Mart soon came back out with a large box and placed the mama cat and her babies in it and carried them to the porch. The group sat staring at the marvel of life for a long time.
"I didn't think much good was going to come out of today after that storm," Trixie said quietly, "but now I know I was wrong."
The next week
Honey looked at herself in her full-length mirror with a nervous expression on her face. She, Trixie, Jim, and Mart were all going to a carnival in Sleepyside. She and Mart had avoided talking to one another since the day of the storm, but she knew they couldn't avoid it today.
She hadn't managed to avoid talking to Trixie about it, but surprisingly Trixie was happy that she and Mart were interested in one another. Honey figured going to the carnival was some kind of set up. Trixie and Jim would accompany them and then conveniently desert them for the biggest part of the day. Dan wasn't going with them because he still had a lot of cleaning up to do in the game preserve after the storm.
Honey took one last look at her reflection and smoothed her light blue Capri's and white tank top before Jim knocked on her bedroom door.
"Ready to go?" he asked, sticking his head in the door.
Soon they were in the BWG station wagon heading toward Crabapple Farm. After a few minutes of playing with Penelope and her kittens, they were on their way to the carnival with Mart and Trixie.
"What do we want to ride first?" Trixie asked after they entered the carnival and bought their tickets.
"How about the Tilt-a-Whirl?" Mart asked. The rest of the gang agreed and they went off in search of the popular ride.
They rode several rides and went to several booths throughout the afternoon. Jim won a large stuffed cat and a plastic air-filled saxophone for Trixie. Mart had tried his hand at several games but only managed to win a small stuffed bunny for Honey, but she didn't care. She loved it anyway.As it was getting dark, Jim said that they had time for one more ride. The group chose to go to the Ferris wheel.
"Okay," Honey thought. "This is it. They haven't managed to ditch us all day, but they are going to stick us on that Ferris wheel together and we'll have to talk."
Jim and Trixie stood in line in front of Mart and Honey and soon it was their turn to get on. They boarded the ride and waved to Mart and Honey as they were lifted off the ground.
Mart offered Honey his hand to help her step into the ride. Soon they too were being lifted off the ground. Neither one said a word for a while as they rode in circles looking at the people and buildings below.
"Are you okay," Mart asked.
"Hmm?" Honey asked, having been lost in thought. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"I don't like Ferris wheels too much," Mart said.
"Me either," Honey said with a shy smile.
"Honey, why are we doing this?" Mart finally asked in frustration. "I was so comfortable with you that day in the clubhouse. I could have told you anything. It was like we were meant to be together. What happened?"
"I don't know, Mart. I guess I got kind of apprehensive about it. I don't want to hurt anyone and I'm not sure that can be avoided if we end up together. Plus, I'm afraid that we both just needed someone and happened to find each other. I'm not ready for things to move so fast and I don't know if I'm ready for another relationship just--"
Mart silenced her by putting a finger to her lips. "Shh, it's okay. I don't know if I'm ready either. I don't want you to be a rebound. You are much more special than that to me and I don't want you to ever feel like I'm using you. Do you understand?"
"Yes, and that's how I feel too," Honey said, taking his hand. "You were right when you said we should take it slow. We may have known each other for a long time, but only as friends, not in a romantic sort of way."
"Okay," Mart said. "We agree to take it slow, get to know each other better, and make sure we're not just on the rebound, right?"
"Right," Honey agreed.
"But there is one thing I want to finish," Mart said, "if it's okay with you."
"What's that," Honey asked.
Mart put his arm around her and pulled her close. "This," he said, as he gently brushed her lips with his.
"Yeah, that's fine with me," Honey said with a giggle and a dazed look in her eyes. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed contentedly.
Neither of them knew where their relationship was going to go in the future, but they both knew they would have fun finding out.
The End
by Scarlett
14-year old Trixie Belden rushed into the cheery red and white kitchen of Crabapple Farm letting the screen door slam behind her.
The Bob-Whites were a semi-secret club that included Trixie, Mart, their 17-year-old brother Brian, Honey Wheeler, Honey’s adopted older brother Jim Frayne, Diana Lynch, and Dan Mangan.
“It’s a beautiful sunny day!” She exclaimed as she grabbed an apple from the bowl on the counter and started munching merrily.
Mrs. Belden, who was busily preparing potato salad, took a moment to look up at her daughter and, smiling as she saw the excited gleam in Trixie’s eyes, said, "When I woke up this morning, I was so relieved to see the sunshine. After that awful rainstorm yesterday, I was beginning to think that today’s party would have to be canceled.”
Trixie’s older by 11 months brother, Mart sauntered into the kitchen, stole a carrot off the vegetable tray that Mrs. Belden had put together only moments before, and said, “Well, you know what they say,” as he crunched down on the carrot.
“April showers bring May flowers!” Trixie cheekily finished for him.
“Well, I’m just glad that this particular April shower let up for our party. Now, I’m just worried that the ground will be too muddy,” added Mrs. Belden as she rearranged the vegetables that Mart had dismantled.
"I just came from the Wheelers’ grounds, Moms, and everything looks fine! They were setting up the ferris wheel and carrousel in front of the lake when I left. Miss Trask was overseeing to make sure it’s all exactly how we want it,” Trixie reassured her mother.
“Wonderful! That’s one more thing we won’t need to worry about. I don’t know what I’d do without Miss Trask, and it was so nice of the Wheelers to offer their lake for the party.” Mrs. Belden said in relief.
“Oh, I know, Moms! Isn’t Miss Trask terrific? And the Wheelers too! Can you imagine what our lives would be like if the Wheelers hadn’t moved into The Manor House?” pondered Trixie.
“Your life especially!” Mart teased Trixie.
Mrs. Belden smiled as Trixie blushed. Mart, of course, was referring to Jim Frayne, the Wheelers’ adopted son, who often appeared to have fond feelings for Trixie.
“Mart! You know perfectly well that I was talking about, well . . . . all of us Bob-Whites! If Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler hadn’t purchased The Manor House, then I never would have met Honey, and we never would have found Jim, and then we wouldn’t have formed the Bob-Whites, and we never would have had any of those exciting adventures and helped all of those people!” Trixie hotly informed Mart.
When 14-year-old Honey, whose nickname came from her golden, sometimes brown, sometimes blonde, honey-colored hair, had first moved to Sleepyside with her parents, she had been a frail, sickly girl, but lively Trixie had soon changed that. The girls quickly became best friends, and their first adventure together had been finding Jim Frayne, a redheaded boy on the run from his evil stepfather, Jonesy. The Wheelers had adopted Jim, and, soon after, the Bob-Whites were formed.
One adventure had led to another adventure. Two of those adventures had involved the last two Bob-Whites to join the club – Diana with her phony uncle and Dan with his troubled past. Whether it was finding diamonds or uncovering counterfeit rings, mysteries just seemed to attract Trixie, and she and Honey had future plans for a Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency. Jim had inherited half a million dollars from his great uncle and planned to someday use the money to open a school for orphaned boys. Brian was going to be the school’s resident physician, and Mart was going to be the agricultural director for the school. Dan, nephew to the Wheeler’s groom, Regan, and who currently lived with Mr. Maypenny, the Wheeler’s gamekeeper, was a former gang member and had future plans to be a police officer. Di, with her violet eyes and black hair, was the prettiest girl at Sleepyside Junior-Senior High School and was the artist of the group.
Trixie sighed as she thought of all the happy and exciting past adventures of the Bob-Whites. She hoped things would stay the same even after Brian and Jim left for college in the fall.
“Mart, don’t tease your sister,” Mrs. Belden admonished gently. “Now, let’s see what else do we need for the party?”
“Gleeps, Moms! What else? You’ve got enough here to feed an army!” Trixie exclaimed.
Mrs. Belden glanced at Mart who was rummaging through the refrigerator and wryly stated, “Well, when it comes to you kids, sometimes enough to feed an army still isn’t enough!”Mart backed out of the refrigerator and tried to look innocent as he asked, “How are we getting all this stuff to the Wheelers’ lake?”
“Well, I’ve put the backseat down in the Belden buggy and planned to just drive it over. Maybe it would have been easier to have had the party here,” replied Mrs. Belden uncertainly.
“But, Moms!” Trixie said, “A spring carnival theme was a perfectly perfect idea for the party! And, you know, we never could have fit a carrousel and ferris wheel in our backyard!”
“Yeah! Wasn’t it cool of Mr. Wheeler to rent the rides once Honey told him about the theme?” Mart asked.
“Very cool, Mart,” Mrs. Belden agreed. “And, when your father and I protested that it was too much, Maddie said that it would be their birthday gift.”
Trixie, who was helping Mart get the plates of food ready for the car, suddenly looked up. “Moms! Where are the hot dogs?”
“I can answer that one!” Mart responded. “Brian took the meat and buns to the boathouse earlier this morning. He and Jim were going to get the grill ready.”
“We couldn’t forget the hot dogs, Trixie. It wouldn’t be a carnival birthday party without the hot dogs!” Mrs. Belden laughed.
“And Miss Trask and Celia are taking care of the drinks. So, that’s just leaves the cake and the presents,” reminded Trixie.
Mrs. Belden answered, “Your father took the cake over to The Manor House for me last evening after I finished decorating it. I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“And we hid the presents in Brian’s jalopy which he drove to the boathouse this morning.” Mart added.
“Oh, good!" said Trixie and then added, "I hope that the kite that I got for a present is okay.”
“Trixie, dear, that’s a perfect present because after the gifts are opened, we’ll have a kite-flying contest,” reassured Mrs. Belden. “Now, are you two ready to lend me a hand with all this food?”
Trixie and Mart helped Mrs. Belden load the car with the many platters and bowls of food and then rode with her to the boathouse. As they were getting out of the car, Jim ran over to help carry the food to the tables that had already been set up.The sun brightly shone down on Trixie’s blond curls and Jim’s red head as the two walked side-by-side to the brightly decorated tables gaily festooned with balloons and streamers.
Jim smiled fondly at Trixie as she took it all in.
“Gleeps, Jim! Everything looks so wonderful! It’s a real carnival, isn’t it?” she exclaimed as she sat the bowl of potato salad down.
“It most definitely is!” Honey answered as she joined the two of them. Hugging Trixie, she laughed and said, “Look, we’ve even got carnival booths!”
“And a dunking machine!” Brian called from his post at the grill.
Dan laughed as he finished tying a string on a bright blue balloon, “Yep! And Mart goes first!”
“Oh! And, there’s the ferris wheel and the carrousel! And is that Tom and Regan dressed as clowns?” marveled Trixie.
Regan, hearing Trixie, winked at her beneath his white make-up, “I wouldn’t do this for just anyone, Miss Fidget!”
As everyone laughed, Jim bent down and whispered into Trixie’s ear, “And, Miss Fidget better save me a place next to her on that ferris wheel.”
Trixie smiled back at Jim as she felt her face grow warm. She then sighed contentedly and looked around. The sun shone in a blue sky dotted with white fluffy clouds as a gentle breeze wafted around them tantalizing everyone with the smell of the hot dogs and hamburgers being grilled. Carnival music played merrily from the boathouse’s speakers. Her parents were chatting with the Wheelers while Miss Trask and Celia filled paper cups with ice. The presents sat stacked on a table waiting to be torn into, and her Moms’ beautiful birthday cake was sitting in its place of honor amidst the many food platters. All the guests were here already taking turns on the ferris wheel and carrousel and throwing balls at milk bottles to win small stuffed animals. Everything was perfectly perfect, just like they all had planned for months. But where was the guest of honor?Mart, Trixie’s almost-twin who sometimes had an uncanny knack for reading her mind, came up behind her and said, “Don’t worry, Trix, they’ll be here. You know how Di is. It takes her forever to get ready. Plus, they have to get the kids dressed too.”
Just then, the Lynch limousine rolled smoothly up the pebbled drive to the boathouse, and a resounding cheer went up from the guests.
Diana laughed gaily as she stepped out of the limo and joined the other Bob-Whites, “I couldn’t decide if I wanted to wear my lavender blouse or my lavender twin-set!”
“You look lovely,” tactful Honey reassured her, while Mart just grinned at the pretty site of Di.
Mr. and Mrs. Belden hurried over as Mr. and Mrs. Lynch started helping the two sets of Lynch twins and Bobby, the youngest Belden, out of the car.
Young Bobby’s blue eyes were as wide as saucers as he looked around, “Wow! Is this a party?”
“You’d better believe it, son!” Mr. Belden said as he picked up Bobby and put him on his shoulders.
Together, he and Mrs. Belden walked over to the table with the birthday cake with the Bob-Whites following closely behind.
“Is that a birthday cake?” asked Bobby with awe in his voice.
“It sure is, Bobby! And we even managed to keep it a ‘see-crud’ from you,” giggled Trixie.
All the guests gathered round as Mr. Belden set Bobby down in front of the table. Bobby’s eyes filled with glee, and he clapped his hands ecstatically.
Mr. Belden cleared his throat and said, “Bobby, I remember the day you were born.”
“It seems like just yesterday,” sighed Mrs. Belden wiping away a tear.
“And,” added Mr. Belden, “We know how you’re heart has broken when all the other children have had birthdays and you’ve never been able to have one. So, this is just for you, Son.”
There wasn’t a dry eye to be found as all the guests sang.
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday, dear Bobby!
Happy Birthday to You!
And then Mrs. Belden showed Bobby the birthday cake she had at long last been able to bake for her youngest son. It simply said, “Happy 7th Birthday, Finally!”
The End