Chapter 4
When it was time to leave Mrs. Vanderpoel's, Trixie suppressed the urge to call Mart to come and pick Bobby and herself up. She really didn't care to walk alone through the woods, since she had heard of the man dressed all in black. And, she felt sure he was staying in the old abandoned house behind Mrs. Vanderpoel's.
I have to find out who he is, she thought, as she and Bobby walked to Crabapple Farm. Bobby had a tray of warm, fragrant, windmill cookies that Mrs. Vanderpoel insisted that they take to the rest of the family.
As they trudged down the wooded trail, Trixie remembered that night last February, just before the antique show, when she and Bobby were robbed of an antique desk, in this very area. Thinking about it made her want to get home as quick as possible. "Hurry up Bobby," she said, rushing him.
"But, Trixie, I can't walk fast or I'll drop the windmill cookies on the ground," he told her exasperatedly.
"Let me carry them for you." She grabbed hold of the tray.
"No, I want to give Brian and Mart one, all by myself," Bobby replied, snatching the tray out of her hands.
"Let me carry them most of the way," she suggested, gently prying the tray out of his hands. "And then I'll give them back to you when we're almost to our house."
While she and Bobby were having this exchange, she looked up and saw someone coming up the path. She jumped, frightened, because the sun was in her eyes and all she could see was a silhouette, but then she realized who it was. "Jim!" she said, excitedly. She wanted to hand Bobby the cookies and run into his arms, but she and Jim both knew they had to be very discreet.
"Why'd you jump when you saw me?" he asked, smiling.
She felt a little self-conscious. He is so gorgeous, Trixie thought. I hope my hair looks okay.
Trixie wasn't ready to talk about the mysterious man yet, so she said, "I was just thinking about last year when Bobby and I were robbed on this trail, and then to look up and see someone coming, it was unnerving for a second." Trixie wished she could hug Jim.
They both looked at Bobby and then toward each other, where their eyes met. They knew that they had to be very careful in front of him, he would tell Moms and everyone else whatever he saw. "I'm glad you're here," Trixie told him, shyly.
"I'm glad I found you," he told her, falling in step beside her. "I was heading to Mrs. Vanderpoel's to walk you home, Dad and I just returned from the city and I walked over to your parents house, Brian told me you were still at Mrs. Vanderpoel's." The three walked on in silence, since they continued to be mindful of the fact that they had to be careful what they said in front of Bobby.
When Trixie and Jim and Bobby walked in the back door of Crabapple Farm, Moms was finishing lunch preparations. It smelled delicious, but Trixie was still full of windmill cookies and milk, which she had consumed at Mrs. Vanderpoel's.
"Moms, can I go next door? Jim, Honey and myself are going horseback riding this afternoon."
"Well, I guess you can Trixie, especially since you spent the morning keeping Bobby out of my hair," Mrs. Belden told her, wiping her hands on her apron. "But, I need you to be back in time to help with dinner."
"Sure," said Trixie. She wanted to run upstairs and freshen up, but she didn't want to have to figure out a way to explain to Moms why she wanted to look nice just to go horseback riding.
Trixie and Jim started up the path to the Manor house. As soon as they were out of sight, Jim pulled her into his arms. "You are so beautiful," Jim said, as he kissed her.
"I don't feel so beautiful right now," Trixie said, touching her hair self-consciously.
"You're always beautiful to me, Trixie. And I don't want you to change anything about you. I wish we didn't have to spend so much time apart."
"I know, Jim," she told him. "I've been thinking about broaching the subject of dating with Moms and Dad again. I know, in a sense, we're already dating, because the Bob-Whites go places in a crowd and we sort of pair off, but I would like for us to be able to go out alone. Even when I'm sixteen in May, they still are only going to allow me to double date. It's all because of Moms unfulfilled dreams. She married young instead of going to college and she's so afraid I won't fulfill mine."
"I don't blame them, Trixie. And I feel like a louse sneaking around like this."
"So do I, Jim. But, it's that or wait until I'm nearly eighteen to be able to single date. It's a drag."
They kissed again, then headed up the hill to Manor House.
Chapter 5
After an afternoon of horseback riding, as much as Trixie loved to spend time with Jim, she wanted to spend some time alone with Honey. She wanted to tell her about the mysterious man. She wasn't ready yet to tell Jim, or her brothers, or Dan.
"Honey, why don't you spend the night?" Trixie asked, while they were grooming the horses after the ride. "You haven't stayed over in awhile."
"I'd love to," Honey said. "Let me go tell Ms. Trask."
After she left the stables, Jim put his arm around Trixie. "I wish we could go out tonight," he said.
"Me too," she said wistfully.
"I've got some studying to do tonight anyway, though," he said as their lips met.
After Honey gathered some clothing, and came back to the stables, Trixie said a quick goodbye to Jim and the two girls headed back down the trail to the farm. Trixie dramatically told Honey what Mrs. Vanderpoel had shared that morning, plus the fact that she didn't believe the man she saw that night in the yard, was her imagination.
"Have you told Jim, yet?" Honey asked gravely.
"No," Trixie said. "I've wanted to, but I'm afraid that Jim would go charging to that house behind Mrs. Vanderpoel's ready to rip this guy's head off. And, we don't even know that the guy I saw that night is the one who is staying near Mrs. Vanderpoel's. I need to find out who he is and why he's here in Sleepyside, before I tell the guys anything."
"But, Trixie," Honey said seriously, "Your and Jim's relationship seems to be getting pretty serious and he may not appreciate secrets."
"I know," Trixie replied, troubled. "But, it's for his own protection."
"He may not see it that way," warned Honey reproachfully. "He may see it as an issue of trust."
As Trixie and Honey entered the kitchen of Crabapple Farm, the fragrant aroma of pot roast, chocolate cake and vegetables from last spring's garden wafted through the air to greet them.
"Uh-oh," said Trixie, as she put her lightweight sweater on the hall tree. "I was supposed to be back in time to help Moms with dinner. I didn't know we were so late."
The girls hurried into the kitchen.
"Oh, that's okay," Mrs. Belden told Trixie, smiling, after she explained why she was late. "You're really not that late. I started dinner early. And besides that, you're here now. You can help prepare the table and get Bobby ready for dinner."
"You owe me," Mart told Trixie, glaring at her. He was standing in the kitchen peeling potatoes, and cutting up onions and carrots for the pot roast. "This is your job." He noticed Honey's presence. "Hello, beautiful girlfriend of my brother," Mart said, as he gallantly bowed and kissed Honey's hand.
Honey pulled her hand away giggling. Over the past year since she and Mart had known each other, they had more and more of a comfortable relationship. Moms just smiled at the two of them.
"You aren't hitting on my lady, are you, brother dear?" Brian asked coming into the kitchen, Bobby in tow.
"Who me?" asked Mart, jumping to his feet. "I'd never. I was just admiring her beauty. I only wish our sister could emulate her."
"Oh, leave me alone, Mart!" Trixie said exasperatedly. She was about to tell him that there was someone who thought she was beautiful, but she glanced toward Moms and wisely kept her mouth shut.
Trixie's father worked at the bank on Saturdays. The bank was open in the morning hours and he usually spent the afternoon catching up on paperwork. Since this was Saturday, he arrived home just a little earlier than on weekdays.
Everyone was in the kitchen and dining room area working on dinner when he walked in the door. "When's dinner?" he asked, coming in and kissing his wife. "Oh hello Honey," he said noticing her and giving her a kiss on the forehead just like he always did Trixie. "It's nice to have you here." Then he turned back to his wife and said, "Did you know someone's renting the old Addison House, over there behind Mrs. Vanderpoel's?"
"You aren't serious are you Peter?" Mrs. Belden asked incredulously. "That place is barely livable."
Trixie and Honey looked at each other meaningfully, as they were taking out the plates from the cupboard. "Oh yeah dad." Trixie said casually. "Mrs. Vanderpoel mentioned that today. Um, what was he doing in the bank?"
"Well Trixie" her father told her. "I can't discuss bank business with you. But, I could certainly tell he wasn't a local."
"What did he look like?" Trixie asked.
"Oh, he was probably six-four, very tall, shaved head, dressed in black." Trixie and Honey stared at each other but didn't say anything more. After a delicious dinner of pot roast with vegetables, Moms homemade rolls, peas from last summer's garden and a vegetable casserole, everyone was almost too full for chocolate cake.
"If you want chocolate cake, you better get it now," Bobby told Honey after asking for a piece.
"Why is that, Bobby?" Honey asked innocently.
"Because Mart will eat it up. He eats everything up."
"Isn't that the truth?" said Trixie.
"Are you attempting to cast aspersions on my spotless reputation for gentlemanly behavior?" Mart asked, in mock offense.
"What did he say?" Bobby asked, looking to Brian who usually deciphered Mart's big words for him.
"Oh, nothing important." Brian said smiling, as he patted Bobby on the head.
Chapter 6
After their early dinner, Trixie and Honey persuaded Mart to take them to the new movie rental place, which was beside Wimpy's. Mart grumbled and complained as usual, but the girls knew he really didn't mind.
"Oh Trixie, I want to see this one," said Honey, clutching a movie carton to her chest.
"Oh, I know," said Trixie.
"You girls need to find some Jet Li or Jackie Chan movies," Mart told them.
"Why would we want to see all that fighting?" asked Honey.
Mart shrugged and walked away from them.
"Trixie, why don't we buy some micro-wave popcorn and cokes while we're here?" Honey asked, looking at the prices.
But Trixie wasn't listening. "Honey, look," she whispered, "That's him!" They watched the tall, bald guy walk buy the big plate glass window toward Wimpy's.
"Oh my gosh Trixie, he looks scary!" exclaimed Honey. "Not bad looking, if you like that particular look, but definitely scary!"
"I wish we could go to Wimpy's and spy on him," Trixie said as she stared regretfully after his retreating back.
"You know Mart would never go for that," Honey replied. "He wants to take us back to your house, so he can go see Diana."
"What are you two whispering about?" Mart said from behind and both girls jumped. They didn't know he was so close by.
On the way back to Crabapple Farm, Mart began to question them. "So what's going on in that empty and cavernous cranial cavity of yours?" Mart asked Trixie.
"Nothing," she said, almost defensively.
"You can either come clean, or I shall have to use my powers of deduction to ascertain what the two of you are contemplating, but rest assured, I will discern your intent," he told them as they pulled into the driveway of Crabapple Farm.
Shortly after they arrived home, Mart left to go on a date with Diana. Trixie, Honey and Brian settled into the study to watch the movies they had rented.
"I think I'll go up to Manor House and study with Jim," Brian told them, standing and stretching. "These movies you girls rented somehow just don't appeal to me."
"Oh you," Honey said, throwing a couch pillow at him. He bent down to kiss Honey and headed upstairs to his room to grab his books.
"I wish Jim were here," said Trixie, grabbing a handful of popcorn and popping it in her mouth.
"You two just can't stand to be apart, can you?" Honey said, laughing.
They watched TV and talked until around eleven and then cleaned up the popcorn and drinks and headed upstairs to Trixie's room.
"How do Jim and Brian spend a whole evening studying?" Honey asked. "Brian hasn't even returned yet."
"Oh, I bet they aren't studying," Trixie said. "They probably drove into town or something. Or they may be watching movies with Regan and Dan."
"What time will Mart arrive home?" Honey asked, after they had gotten into Trixie's room.
"His curfew is 11:30, so he probably will be here in about thirty minutes," Trixie said, standing at her window. "Look out there, that's where I saw that guy that night."
Honey came over to the window. "Gosh, Trixie, that must have been scary!" Honey said. "I mean, if that were me, I'd have been terrified."
At that time, they heard the backdoor open downstairs and both of them jumped.
"We seem to be jumping a lot lately," Trixie said. They heard the refrigerator open and close and the sound of dishes rattling. "Well, I know that's not our man in black down there right now, not unless he's decided to come and eat up our leftovers."
"Yeah," Honey giggled. "Mart's home."
Trixie closed the bedroom door so Mart wouldn't come in her room and try to pump them for more information. After a few minutes, they heard Mart climb the stairs and go into his and Brian's room.
"I wonder when Brian's coming back," Honey said, yawning.
"Who knows?" asked Trixie. "I don't think he has a curfew for going to Manor house on Saturday night."
The two girls quickly went to sleep.
About 1:00 in the morning, Trixie was drifting in and out of sleep when she heard the sound of someone tipping across the back porch and then that weird little squeal when the back door opened or closed. I guess Brian's home, she thought, as she rolled over and went back into a deep sleep.
Chapter 7
Sunday morning breakfast at Crabapple Farm was more like a brunch. Everyone usually slept in and Moms cooked a lot of food. This was a Belden Family tradition. When Honey and Trixie sleepily arrived downstairs, Mom's had set up a buffet type breakfast on the sideboard in the dining room. There were tomato and cheese omelets; potatoes, thinly sliced and fried with mushrooms, onions and bell peppers; waffles with a container of warm maple syrup, as well as Moms homemade raspberry syrup; a basket of lemon-blueberry muffins; bacon; and very thinly cut breakfast pork chops.
"Make sure you get plenty," Moms told them. "You know this is the last meal until dinner tonight."
Mart was already eating as Trixie and Honey helped themselves to the delicious feast.
"Where's Brian?" Honey asked, noticing his conspicuous absence.
"Oh, you girls didn't hear the phone?" Mrs. Belden asked as she brought out some more waffles. "Shortly after Brian left last night, he called and said he'd be spending the night at the Manor House."
"But, I heard Brian when he came in the back door last night," Trixie said, a puzzled look on her face.
"Or, maybe it was Brian's ghost," Mart said, smiling evilly.
After breakfast, Trixie and Honey hurriedly helped Moms clear the table and wash the breakfast dishes, while Mart and Bobby left the table to do some chores outside. Then, they quickly dusted, cleaned the bathrooms and did all the other things Moms had Trixie do on Saturdays.
Trixie didn't think they would ever finish and when they did, she said, "Moms can I go over to Honey's and help exercise the horses?"
"Well, I guess so, Trixie. You've been so good about helping with chores and Bobby lately, without complaining, you can go, just be back to help with dinner this evening. Your father, Bobby and I are going into town to do some grocery shopping, so we won't be here this afternoon."
"Let's hurry and get out of here, before Mart finishes what he's doing and starts to question us," Trixie told Honey, as they rushed out the back door and down the steps.
As soon as the two girls were out of hearing range, Honey said, "Trixie, what was that all about?"
"Oh Honey, I think that man was in the house last night." Trixie told Honey about hearing someone come in last night.
Honey was very frightened. "Trixie, I think it's time we go to your parents and the police."
"Not until I find out who he is and what he's doing here," Trixie said.
"I don't like the sound of that," Honey replied.
Once they arrived at the stables, they saddled Susie and Lady and headed in the direction of the cabin in the woods. When they arrived, they tied the horses far off from the cabin and sneaked down the path to look in the windows.
"The windows all have some kind of thick curtain over them," said Honey, shivering as they stood at the side of the old house. The place looked so run down and awful, she couldn't imagine going in the front door, much less living here.
"I wonder if there's a way to get inside." Trixie looked around.
"Oh Trixie, let's please go!" Honey whispered fearfully.
All of a sudden, someone grabbed both of them from behind. "You girls looking for someone?" a gruff male voice asked them.
Honey stifled a scream as they both turned to see the man in black. Trixie tried to run but he grabbed her. "Since you wanted to see my home, I think it's time you come inside," he told them, grabbing them by their arms and dragging them toward the front door.
To Be Continued