* implied violence, very mild sexual reference

Disclaimer : Trixie Belden® and the Bob-Whites are the copyright of the Whitman Pub. ; I do not have permission to use them, but I hope like everyone else who visits this site, I have the publisher's blessing in loving these characters. Likewise, I do not have permission to cite Stan Roger's Mary Ellen Carter or Jane Siberry's Are you shining little candle.

Time to Say Good-bye

by Marty

Chapter 1

Trixie Belden and her best friend, Honey Wheeler walked down the hall of the hospital to report for Volunteen duty. By the time they reached Mrs. Lee’s office, most of the others had already been given their assignments. "Trixie, Honey, I’m going to put you in the children’s ward today," said Mrs. Lee. "We’ve had a donation of some toys and books for the children. Honey, you can read to the children in the dayroom and bring in some new games for them to play. Trixie, you can start giving some toys to the to the children who aren’t well enough to get out of bed and play with the others". The girls hurried to the brightly coloured newly-renovated children's ward. This was their favorite assignment; even the very sick children were fun to play with and entertain. The girls separated when they reached the dayroom, the sun poured in through the large windows and skylight. It was difficult to associate the sunny, laughter-filled space with illness or death. Trixie started pushing the cart around the ward looking for rooms that were still occupied.

"Hi, Tommy," she said, "how’d you like to pick out a new toy to play with? There isn’t much left to choose from, but you might like this car. My brother, Bobby, has one and he loves it. Oh, I’m sorry, Doctor Carter, I didn’t realize you were in here."

"We’re just about finished here anyway." Dr. Mary Ellen Carter, the new pediatrician at Sleepyside Hospital, stood up and turned around. "Actually, Tommy’s going home today, but there are still a few things we have to finish first." Trixie looked at the small boy who was busy decorating a large cloth with fabric paint, glitter, paste gems, and other craft paraphernalia. "Your parents will have some paperwork to do when they get here," said Dr. Carter, "but there is something I need you to sign as well." The doctor handed the child a piece of paper and pen. "This states that you are sufficiently recovered as to be able to go home and go back to school next week. If you agree with my assessment, you sign here, I sign here," she paused and looked at Trixie name tag, "and Trixie will sign here as a witness."

The two women smiled at each other as the boy bent over the paper and concentrated on using his best printing. He looked up; "This is the first time I’ve ever had to sign something in my whole entire life. Do I use my full name or is just ‘Tommy’ okay?

"Tommy would be just fine." The Doctor signed and dated the document and then Trixie added her name. The doctor gave Tommy the original and took a copy for herself. "I’ll keep this for my files and I’ll be back a little later to pick up my lab coat."

When they reached the hallway, the young doctor thanked Trixie for her help. "It was fun, but I’ve never seen any of the other doctors have children sign anything. Umm ... what’s he doing to your labcoat?"

"Going home from the hospital is a big deal for a child, especially after an extended stay, the ‘discharge form’ I designed on my PC gives the child something to remember it by. Kids are really antsy the day they’re being discharged because they’re so excited. I get my patients to sign my labcoat or decorate it somehow, it gives them something to do other than drive the nurses and volunteers crazy until their parents arrive. A hospital can be a scary place for a child and a strange grown-up in a white coat prodding and poking you doesn’t help and the coat of many colours makes me a little less scary. Besides," she confessed, "white really isn’t my best colour. Until I get a tan, it makes me look like a cadaver."

As they entered the dayroom, Honey looked and waved. Trixie heard a sharp intake of breath near her. She glanced at the doctor and thought she saw a dazed expression on Dr. Carter’s face as Honey approached, but it passed so quickly that she wasn’t sure. Trixie introduced Honey. Honey smiled, "The children have been telling me about Dr. Carter, you seem to have quite a fan club."

"Dr. Carter to Emergency, stat. Dr. Carter to emergency, stat." The doctor nodded to Honey and Trixie and hurried off to answer the page.

At the end of their shift, Honey and Trixie walked over to where they had parked the Bob-White station wagon. Honey got behind the wheel and turned the key. Nothing happened. "Oh, no," Honey cried. "I just filled up, so I know there's gas. Why won't it start?" Trixie and Honey got out of the car and lifted the hood. They stared at the engine block and then at each other. "Maybe it's the battery," Honey said.

"Problem?" asked a voice behind them. They explained that they were having car trouble. Dr. Carter brought her car around and attached the booster cables. "OK, try it now," she said to Honey. When the car still didn't respond, she offered to give them a ride home. "Theoretically, I’m finished for the day and I sometimes like to go for a drive to unwind. There is still quite a bit of Sleepyside and its environs that I haven’t explored."

"Thank you, Dr. Carter, but we don’t want to put you to any trouble," said Honey.

"It's no trouble at all," the doctor assured them. "Who wants to sit in front and be navigator and who should I drop off first? You wouldn't want to rely on my sense of direction to get you home."

"You can drop both of us at Manor House," said Honey, "we still have to exercise the horses in the game preserve before it gets too late. Take the next right. Do you ride Dr. Carter?"

"I loved riding when I was younger, but I haven't been near a horse for a long time," answered Doctor Carter. "Do you have your own horses?"

"Honey's family has several horses. My brothers and I get to ride those horses. I've always wanted a horse of my own" said Trixie. "My oldest brother, Brian, wants to be a doctor; he's in university. Mart is in high school and my little brother, Bobby, is eight."

"Now I know why your name's familiar, said Dr. Carter. "Mark Jacobs asked me if I would help someone named Belden prepare for his MCATs next month. I guess that must be your brother. I'll give you a card with my number. Tell him to give me a call when he gets home. Although, I suppose if he's in the middle of term, he already has enough work to keep him out of trouble."

"I'm sure Brian would appreciate anything you can do. Brian always stays out of trouble, he's the sensible one." Trixie replied.

"But someone else isn't?" the doctor sounded amused.

"My brother Mart is eleven months older than me. We're called 'almost twins' and he teases me unmercifully. Bobby is eight and he can be a pest; but he's awfully cute, which Mart definitely isn't."

The doctor laughed and turned to Honey. "Is your little brother a pest, too?" she inquired.

Honey looked puzzled. "No, Jim is in university as well. He and Brian are in the same dorm. Take the next left and then the third driveway." Trixie noticed a slight frown and look of confusion on the doctor's face as Honey answered.

The car pulled up and stopped outside the Manor House. "Thanks again for the ride," said Honey, as she took her bike from Dr. Carter. "Would you like to come in and see the horses, or, do you have time for a short ride?"

"Thank you, that's very tempting," responded the young doctor. "But," she held up her pager, "a doctor's work is never done. The battery's in my cell phone is dead. Is there a phone I could use?"

"There one in the garage. I'll show you," said Trixie.

When they returned from the garage, the doctor walked to her car and waved to the Honey and Trixie. As she drove off, Mrs. Wheeler joined them. "Mother, when did you and Daddy get home?" Honey asked as she hugged her mother.

"Your father is still in Houston. He's so busy with his meetings that we weren't spending much time together and I decided to come home early. Who was that just leaving?" Honey explained about the car trouble and the ride home. "She seems familiar; perhaps I met her at a hospital function."

"She didn't mention anything about having met you and she hasn't been at the hospital very long," said Trixie.

"We better tell Tom about the station wagon and arrange to get it fixed." Trixie reminded her friend. "The guys will never trust us to drive it again, if we caused it to break down."

They saddled Strawberry and Susie and the two friends rode into the game preserve. Trixie told Honey about the doctor's reaction when she had seen Honey at the hospital. "She looked like she had seen a ghost. I think it's very mysterious, don't you?"

"Oh, Trixie, you always think everything is mysterious," laughed Honey. "She probably just saw all those sick children jumping around and thought that she'd be working all night getting them calmed down. Besides, I liked her and the kids at the hospital adored her. You'd have to be awfully nice for a kid to like someone who might stick needles into him."

"I guess," said Trixie, "I can't imagine a dozen sick, cranky, overtired Bobbys without feeling dread. At least, I don't have to baby-sit tonight. Moms said I could spend the night at your place."

Honey and Trixie hurried to her room to dress for dinner. Dinner at the Wheelers' was formal even though there were only the girls, Mrs. Wheeler and Miss Trask at table. Trixie often felt restrained in Mrs. Wheeler's presence. This night, however, Mrs. Wheeler seemed distracted; she played with her food and didn't attempt to join in what little conversation did take pace. Following dinner, the girls watched a movie in the home-theatre in the basement. As they passed the living room on their way to bed, they could hear Mrs. Wheeler playing the piano. They stopped in to say good-night.

"Good-night, Mother," Honey said, pausing at the door to the living room. Mrs. Wheeler continued to play. Honey addressed her mother twice before Mrs. Wheeler looked up. She smiled and bade the girls good-night. As they left the room, they could hear her resume playing.

"I don't recognize the music your mother was playing, do you?" Trixie asked as they prepared for bed.

"It's seems sort of familiar, I think it's a Christmas carol," Honey responded after a few moments thought. "But, Christmas was months ago, maybe I'm wrong."

At first, Trixie didn't know what had awakened her. Then she heard the scream. Honey was shaking Trixie's arm. "Trixie, it's Mother. Something's wrong." They met Miss Trask in the hallway and went to Honey's parents' room.

They could hear the Mrs. Wheeler crying out. "Amanda, where are you? Answer me. Matthew, can you see her? We have to find her! AMANDA!!!" When they reached the room, Honey ran to her mother who was sitting up in bed, gasping for breath. Her face was stained with tears. Miss Trask brought a glass of water from the bathroom. When Honey asked her mother what was wrong, Mrs. Wheeler responded, "I had a nightmare. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to rouse the whole house. "

"Is there anything you'd like me to get you, some herbal tea, perhaps? Would you like me to sit with you or is there anything else I can do?" Honey asked, reluctant to leave in mother in distress.

"Thank you, darling, herbal tea would be lovely," Mrs. Wheeler answered.

Honey and Trixie went to the kitchen. While Honey made the tea, Trixie asked, "Who's Amanda?"

"I have no idea," Honey replied. "I don't know anyone named Amanda."

As they reached the Wheelers' bedroom, they heard Miss Trask ask if she should call Mr. Wheeler. "No!" Mrs. Wheeler said sharply. "I mean," she continued in a calmer voice, "there's no need to bother him. It was only a dream. I'll just read for a little while," she said indicating a copy of Sense and Sensibility. Mrs. Wheeler hugged Honey and waved everyone out of the room. "Go back to bed, I'll be fine."

The girls returned to bed. Honey settled down very quickly. Trixie lay awake wondering about who Amanda was and why Mrs. Wheeler was so desperate to find her. She found that she was tingling all over at the thought of another mystery to solve.

 

Chapter 2

Trixie reached over to jostle Honey's arm. Honey hadn't responded when Mr. Harris called on her. Honey sat up abruptly. "Am I boring you, Miss Wheeler?" asked Mr. Harris, the history teacher. "We're discussing the role of Elizabeth I in the English reformation. Perhaps, you'd like to explain this to the class, if you feel that I am not providing a stimulating enough lecture."

Honey started. "I'm sorry, Mr. Harris," she apologized, stammering. "I ... I'm not feeling very well today."

"Indeed; perhaps, you should see the school nurse or stay at home if you're too ill to concentrate on your studies." Mr. Harris said sternly, then continued with the lecture.

The bell rang to indicate lunch break. As they walked to the cafeteria, Diana and Trixie saw that Honey had tears in her eyes. Di said sympathetically, "Don't you mind what Mr. Harris said. He's just being mean; I think he likes to yell at the class. Anyone could see that you don't look well today. You look like you haven't slept in a week. We were awfully worried when you weren't on the bus this morning."

"I had a spare first thing this morning and Miss Trask let me sleep in. Tom drove me here in time for my first class," Honey told them as she gulped down a sob.

At the lunch table, Mart and Dan noticed how ill and upset Honey looked. Honey explained, "Mother's still having nightmares. It's getting so that I can't sleep either."

Trixie said, "I wish you would stay at my house. You know you're always welcome and Moms would take good care of you."

"No, thanks anyway, Trixie. With Daddy and Jim away, I'm the only one of the family at home. I can't desert Mother."

Dan said, "I don't understand why your father doesn't come home if everyone at Manor House is so worried about your mother. Surely, his business can't be more important than she is."

Diana remarked, "I thought the doctor had given your mother something to help her sleep."

"He did; but Mother doesn't like taking those pills. She says she doesn't like the side effects. She can't take them for too long because they're addictive and then she'll need to take them to get any sleep. Mother is adamant that she doesn't want Daddy or Jim to know. She says she doesn't want Jim distracted from his studies. Besides, after last night, Daddy does know."

"What happened last night?" Mart asked.

"I couldn't sleep and went into Mother's room to check on her. She wasn't there! Miss Trask and I searched all over the house. It took ages before we found her in the attic. She'd been sleepwalking and didn't remember getting out of bed or anything. When Mother saw me, she called me 'Mandy' and she didn't recognize Miss Trask at all.

"After we put Mother back to bed, Miss Trask called Daddy and told him everything. He was furious that we'd waited so long to tell him, even though Miss Trask explained that Mother gave orders that he wasn't to know. He wanted to know what had happened to upset Mother so much because she only sleepwalks if something dreadful has happened. He said that Mother could hurt herself while she's sleepwalking. And then he said that he thought he could depend on Miss Trask to take care of us and that, obviously, he was mistaken and could he at least rely on her to make sure that Mother's door was locked so that she couldn't get out of her room in case she starts sleepwalking again." Honey started to cry. "Daddy is catching the first flight back. I'm afraid he'll want to fire Miss Trask."

"Jeepers," said Mart and Trixie together. The Bob-Whites were horrified. Miss Trask was one of their best friends. What would Manor House be without Miss Trask? If she left, Honey might not be able to stay in school in Sleepyside. Honey's parents were often away from home. If Miss Trask was gone and Jim was away at school, they wouldn't allow Honey to stay alone in Sleepyside with just the servants to take care of her. Would this be the end of the Bob-Whites?

Dan tried to reassure them, "Honey, your dad has a quick temper and he probably spoke without thinking. I'm sure he'd never fire Miss Trask, he was probably just worried about your mother. I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Dan's right, Honey." Trixie looked thoughtful and asked, "what was your mother doing in the attic?"

"She was looking in some of the boxes and trunks from our old apartment in New York," Honey replied. "She was looking at old photographs and crying."

After school, the Bob-Whites hurried to the Manor House. Miss Trask met them, "Honey, your father called. His flight was delayed, but he should be here shortly. He wants to talk to you when he gets home." She grimaced, "he's already talked to me on the phone."

"Oh, Miss Trask, is he still angry? I hope he wasn't too hard on you," Honey said sympathetically.

"He's still quite upset, but he didn't say anything I didn't deserve." Miss Trask patted Honey's hand. "Try not to worry. Should I ask Celia to get some refreshments for you? Where will you be?"

"Oh, boy, food sounds great to me," Mart said, happily. "Detective work always makes me hungry."

"Is there anything that doesn't make you hungry?" Trixie demanded. "We still want to check the attic," Trixie reminded them. They climbed the stairs to the attic. Trixie had never seen the Manor House attic in such a state of disarray. "There's a awful lot of stuff in here. I 'm not even sure what we are looking for. I guess we should start with whatever your Mother was looking at last night. Do you remember what that was?"

"It was this trunk over here," Honey lifted the lid and began to take items from the trunk. "Look at this picture, 'Mandy and Mario, Venice'," and she read the inscription on the back.

"She sure looks like you and your mother. Maybe she's your aunt or a cousin. I don't remember seeing anyone who looks like that around here." Mart said, studying the picture. "Mandy could be short for Amanda."

Honey shook her head. "Mother's an only child," she said. "I suppose she could be a cousin."

Trixie peered into the trunk. "Riding boots, a riding cup, a copy of Sense and Sensibility," she opened the book, 'To my Marianne from your Elinor, Happy birthday, Much love, Madeleine'," she read.

"Here's a photograph of your parent's wedding," Diana said. "Your mother looked beautiful." She turned the picture over. "'Maddie's wedding.' I can't see anyone calling your mother Maddie. Ooh, look at this ring. It's gorgeous." Di held an amethyst and diamond-studded ring.

"Mother has earrings and a pin just like it; she inherited from her grandmother," Honey explained. "I wonder why the ring is up here instead of in the safe." She looked at the photograph, she had held earlier. "The woman in this picture is wearing a matching necklace. I guess she must be a relative."

"This looks like your watch, Honey - the one Luke stole," said Dan. Trixie blushed, shamefacedly, as she remembered how she had prejudged Dan and falsely accused him of the theft. Her mistake had almost sent Dan to juvenile detention. The experience had taught her valuable lessons about tolerance and not jumping to conclusions. Even now, years later, she still had nightmares in which she didn't find out the truth about Dan in time to prevent Regan from sending him away.

Honey went to her room and returned with her watch. While she was gone, Trixie, Mart and Di continued to look through the trunk. Dan stretched and walked away, looking through the debris of Mrs. Wheeler's late night visit to the attic. "You're right, they're identical. Even the inscriptions are the same except that one says Madeleine and the other Amanda. With love, Mum and Daddy. I wonder why we have all these things. Surely, Amanda, whoever she is, would have kept them."

Mart looked at Honey, "I think the appropriate word is was. Look at this stuff, Honey. It's a shrine. You don't generally keep a shrine to someone who's alive."

"You think Amanda died?" Honey asked.

"Yes, she died." Dan said. "I found this over there." As he spoke he spread the newspaper he was holding onto the floor and pointed to a picture of Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler and a small, serious Honey placing a wreath on a grave. The text below the photo read 'Time to say goodbye - Madeleine Wheeler bids a final farewell to her aunt, Amanda Hart'.

"She was mother's aunt," Honey cried. "They must have been very close."

 

Chapter 3

The Bob-Whites jumped as Matthew Wheeler's voice echoed in the large room. "Miss Trask told me I'd find you up here."

"Daddy, you're home," Honey cried, hugging him.

"Yes, and I would have been home sooner if I'd known your mother was ill. Why didn't anyone tell me?" Mr. Wheeler looked grim.

"Mother didn't want us to. She said it would pass." Honey paused. "Daddy, you're not going to fire Miss Trask, are you?" she said asking the question all the Bob-Whites were afraid to ask.

"Whatever gave you that idea? Of course not." Mr. Wheeler asked, astonished. "She should have called me about your mother, but she's been a wonderful addition to our household. She does seem to be in the dark as to why your mother is having nightmares."

"She's dreaming about someone named Amanda," Honey told him.

"I know that; Miss Trask told me. I don't understand why. It's not Mandy's birthday or the anniversary of the accident or anything like that. Did something happen?"

"Mrs. Wheeler's aunt was killed in an accident?" Dan asked.

Trixie noticed Dan's closed expression. His father died in a car accident when he was younger than Honey was in that photo. I hope this isn't difficult for him. Dan never spoke much about his father, probably because he didn't remember Tim Mangan very well. Regan had been very young when his sister had eloped and didn't have many clear memories of Dan's father either. Dan occasionally mentioned his mother and all the Bob-Whites knew that, in spite of a good home with Bill and Peri Regan, he still missed his mother very much. They knew, too, that Dan could talk about his mother with both his uncle and aunt. As they had been raised together at the orphanage, his uncle and aunt had fond memories of Colleen Mangan to share with him. Often, the Bob-Whites would find Dan reciting stories and rhymes his mother had told him to his small cousin, Billy.

"Amanda was Madeleine's sister, Honey's aunt," Mr. Wheeler responded. "She drowned in a boating accident about twelve years ago."

"Sister!?" Honey exclaimed. "I didn't know Mother had a sister."

"Your grandparents were so upset that they wouldn't allow anyone to mention Amanda's name," her father told her.

"What happened the day she died?" Trixie asked.

"Madeleine, Amanda and I went sailing. We didn't intend to be out very long, but we had engine trouble and couldn't get back to shore before the storm started. Captain Henderson and I were busy trying to get the engine started. Mandy said that she would go up front and deal with things there. The captain and I returned to the cabin and your mother asked where Mandy was. When we realized that she hadn't returned, we searched the boat. We found her yellow slicker, but there was no sign of Mandy. We turned on the searchlights and scanned the water, but we couldn't see her. The captain radioed ashore for help. Your mother was frantic, she kept screaming for Mandy."

"Poor Mother," Honey murmured, "it must have been dreadful for her."

"Couldn't she swim? Wasn't she wearing a life jacket?" Mart asked.

"She could swim very well. Nobody spends that much time at camp without learning to swim. The most likely explanation is that she hit her head when she fell overboard and that's why she couldn't swim or answer when we called. Her life jacket must not have been fastened properly; it washed ashore a few days later. That was all we ever found."

"Mother kept all these things to remember Amanda," Honey said, "that's so sad."

Mr. Wheeler sighed and shook his head, "Not initially. She kept them so that Amanda would have them when she came home; she said Amanda would want those things. We checked with the hospitals in the area, but no one answering Amanda's description was discovered. It took a long time for Madeleine to accept that Amanda was gone. She insisted that if Amanda was dead she would 'feel it'. She was angry that the police were concentrating the search in the water and on the shoreline because she said that Amanda wasn't dead. At one point, the police even suggested that Amanda might have committed suicide. It was awful for the whole family."

"Is it possible that she might have killed herself?" Dan asked

"No," Mr. Wheeler stated. "Suicides almost always leave a note. If Amanda had been so selfish as to commit suicide, she would have left a letter for her sister. Besides that, she would never have killed herself in such a way that Madeleine might witness her death or find her body."

"Why would the police have suspected that?" Honey asked.

"Mandy was moody and distracted in the months preceding her death. For the first time in her life, she didn't confide in her sister. I know it hurt your mother very much when Amanda shut her out. They told each other everything and I do mean everything. Mandy knew personal, intimate things about our marriage. Her habits changed, too. She spent less time with Madeleine. Usually, they either saw each other or talked on the phone every day; but, during the last few months, they might not see each other for a week. I thought it had something to do with her new boyfriend. She moved into her own apartment, mostly, I think, so that she and her boyfriend could be alone. Your grandmother didn't exactly roll out the red carpet for him."

"I don't remember any of this," Honey said, "I guess I must have been away at camp."

"You were only four," Mr. Wheeler reminded his daughter. "We sent you to camp when your mother had to be hospitalized for severe depression. You mother suffered a miscarriage shortly after Amanda's death. She was hoping for another daughter so that you might have the chance to share in a relationship like the one she had with her sister. We were going to call the baby Amanda if it was a girl. When she lost the baby, it was like losing Mandy all over again. Once, I accused your mother of liking Amanda better than she liked me and being sorry that she had married me; it was our first real argument. After Amanda died, Madeleine lashed out at me. She said 'You must be happy. Now, you'll never again have to wonder if I like you best.' For a while, I think she hated me. She blamed me for Amanda's death and the baby's death. One day I came home from a business trip and your mother was gone. She'd moved back to her parents and wouldn't come out of Amanda's room."

Matthew Wheeler shuddered at the memory, then continued his story. "Your grandparents had sent you to camp while I was away. I agreed to let you stay there because I needed to concentrate all my energies on trying to help your mother get well. After she was released from the hospital, we had to see therapists and marriage counselors. It was several months before she came back home. By then, you were in the middle of term at boarding school and we were reluctant to interrupt your schooling. I had ignored most of my business interests during your mother's illness, and when she was well enough, I insisted she travel with me. I was too afraid to leave her alone. When we got back home, you were at camp again. Your mother and I never intended for you to be raised by servants. If I had to do it all again, I would never permit the Harts to send you away. Madeleine might have responded to her child more quickly than anyone else. I don't want to see your mother suffer like that again."

"Isn't it possible that Amanda didn't die?" Trixie asked. "Her body was never found."

"No," Matthew Wheeler shook his head. "The police were very thorough in the search for Amanda. Her body probably washed out to sea. If they had found her, Madeleine might have had some kind of closure. Madeleine and Amanda were devoted to each other. They were best friends as well as sisters. Amanda would never have allowed her sister to go through the difficult months that followed the accident."

"What was Aunt Amanda like?" Honey asked, "I wish I could remember her."

"She was rebellious, reckless, stubborn. She hated the whole social scene, and would bring home the most inappropriate boyfriends. Your grandmother quite despaired of her. She was very passionate. She would get involved in causes ; environmentalism, feminism, gay rights, volunteerism - I think she got involved in every -ism at some point. Most of them didn't last. But, while her latest craze lasted, she would care very deeply and have no sense of humour about the issue, which made it fun to tease her." Mr. Wheeler smiled as he remembered. "Her favorite place was the stables; she was crazy about horses.

"I asked Amanda to help me choose your mother's engagement ring because she knew her sister's tastes so well. I made her swear not to tell Madeleine about the ring and she made me promise that I would always be good to Madeleine and always take care of her and love her. After I promised, Amanda said she knew I meant it because whenever I made a promise, I kept it. Mandy said that she was never sure if her father's promises were real promises or political promises ; and that was one of the things Madeleine loved about me.

"She could see no wrong in the people she loved. Amanda adored your mother. She thought Madeleine was perfect; the best and the brightest and the strongest. Mandy was always being compared to her older sister, usually unfavorably and usually deservedly. The odd thing is that she didn't seem to be jealous. Did you know that Madeleine finished in the top three percentile on her SATs? Amanda thought that Madeleine should do something more with her life than just get married and do charity work. She thought that I pressured your mother into an early marriage because I felt insecure. She said that we should wait until Madeleine had finished university and explored other options. Mandy was going through her feminism craze.

"My relationship with Amanda soured after Madeleine and I were engaged. Madeleine had less time for Amanda as her social obligations grew. Amanda saw me as a threat to the relationship that she and Madeleine shared. Once, Madeleine and I broke up over a silly misunderstanding. After a few days, Amanda came to see me. I thought Amanda came to gloat because she'd have Madeleine to herself; but I was wrong. She couldn't bear to see Madeleine crying and wanted to let me know that it was all my fault, and what was I going to do about it.

"I guess I was just as jealous of Amanda as she was of me. After we married, I thought that Madeleine wouldn't need or want anyone else but me. I didn't understand that I was her husband, but I could never be her sister or best girlfriend. A couple of months after we got married Madeleine told me that she and Amanda were going away for a few days. Apparently, this was something they always did before Amanda went off to school and they intended to continue the practice. I was angry because she cancelled our plans to be with her sister. In fact, most of our early arguments had to do with Amanda, one way or another.

"She doted on you, Honey. She would often call and say she wanted to have a 'baby-fix'. She would pick you up and take you to the zoo or the park, or for an adventure. One day, she kept you for eight hours. Your mother was concerned that you were gone for so long, but said that you were perfectly safe if you were with Amanda. I was livid because we had no idea where she'd taken you. After that, your mother or I would tag along whenever Amanda picked you up."

He stared at the newspaper. "Your mother never did say good-bye to Amanda. When your mother finally admitted that Amanda had died, the doctors said she would start to heal. Instead, she gave up hope; in some ways, that was worse."

After Mr. Wheeler left the room, Diana said, "That's such a sad story. We have to help your mother, Honey. Do you think it's possible that your aunt could still be alive?"

"I don't know," Honey admitted. "Daddy doesn't think she could have survived and he was there that night."

"I guess we know what happened to Amanda. If your parents were there that night, I'm sure they tried everything they could to save her," said Trixie. "Maybe your mother feels guilty because she wasn't able to help her sister."

"I guess, but I still wish I knew what set Mother off. I can't think of anything out of the ordinary," Honey replied.

"Gleeps, look at the time," cried Mart. "We'd better hurry home."

 

Chapter 4

When Trixie arrived home, her mother said, "I picked up your dress for the dinner dance at the university next month. Try it on and see if I need to adjust the hem now that you've bought your shoes." Trixie ran up to her room and looked at the beautiful simple blue sheath dress, hanging on the back of her door. She and Honey were looking forward to the dance. The one that they had attended at Christmas had been a lot of fun. Some of the girls at school had tried to tell them that university parties could be wild, but Trixie knew that Jim and Brian wouldn't take them to those sorts of parties or go themselves. The only downside was that Mart, Diana, and Dan wouldn't be there as well. When she turned and looked in the mirror, she hardly recognized the young woman staring back at her.

When she came downstairs, Bobby said, "Gosh, Trixie, you look pretty."

"Thank-you, Bobby," Trixie said, hugging him. "It's the dress, you know, fine feathers." She turned to her mother. "It feels fine, Moms, but I'll have to get a strapless bra to wear with it."

"You're not wearing any feathers, Trixie," Bobby said, puzzled.

Mart came in the room and stared at her. His expression said 'Wow' but he couldn't resist the urge to tease her. "Trixie, if you didn't have hands, would you wear gloves?"

"No," she answered absently as she watched her mother adjust the hem.

"If you didn't have feet, would you wear shoes?" he persisted.

"No," she responded, suspiciously.

"Then, why wear a bra?" he asked in a puzzled voice.

"Martin Harold Belden," Mrs. Belden was appalled. "You apologize to your sister this minute and tell her how beautiful she looks."

"Sorry, Trix. I was only teasing. You look great." Mart said. "Jim is going to flip when he sees you in that dress."

He quoted as he left the kitchen.

"She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes"

"I'm not used to getting compliments from Mart. I think I liked him better when he described my figure as a perfect thirty-six ... twelve, twelve, and twelve. Honestly, Moms, he's gotten worse since Brian left. I can't decide if it's because Brian was a good influence or if Mart thinks he has to tease me enough for both of them. Why didn't you drown him at birth?" Trixie asked her mother.

"You don't really mean that, Trixie," her mother said. "You'll miss him next year when both he and Brian are gone. You know how lost you were when Brian and Mart were away at camp before Honey moved to Sleepyside."

"I know, Moms," she replied, hugging her mother. "I just wish he didn't tease me so much. Jim doesn't tease Honey like that."

"Jim and Honey were older when they became brother and sister. No matter how close they are, it's not the same as a relationship between siblings who've known each other from the cradle."

The Bob-Whites went riding after school on Thursday. Honey was so tired and distracted that she forgot to check the cinch on Lady's saddle and nearly fell from her horse. Regan took one look at her troubled, sunken eyes and decided to forego the lecture Honey knew she deserved. While they cleaned the tack, Mart asked, "Is your Mother any better, now that your father is home?"

"Not really," Honey replied. "She woke up screaming early this morning and Daddy stayed awake all night so that he could watch over her. I think he's afraid of what she'll do if she sleepwalks."

"I have to stop by the clubhouse." Trixie told Mart as they walked home, "Tell Moms not to send out a search party. I'll be home in a few minutes." As Trixie walked toward the clubhouse, she thought, "Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler have been so good to all the Bob-Whites. I hate to see Honey so unhappy. What could have happened to remind Mrs. Wheeler of the accident?" She noticed a light shining in the window of the clubhouse, "That's strange. Who could be in there?" Suddenly, the door opened and the person standing in the doorway waved. "Jim," she called, running to him, "Nobody told us you were home."

"Nobody else knows," Jim replied, hugging her. "Brian and I just drove down and I wanted to stash some of my winter sports equipment in the clubhouse. I haven't been home yet. It's good to see you. I'm glad that your break coincides with ours; we can have more fun if all the Bob-Whites are together. So, do you have any mysteries to keep us busy until spring break is over?"

"Well, there is something going on, but I'll let Honey and your father fill you in about it. I have to get home for dinner or Moms will wonder what's happened to me." Trixie raced down the hill to Crabapple Farm.

She arrived and ran to welcome her brother, Brian. It was wonderful to have whole family around the table again. The family sat around the table long after they'd finished dinner, joking and talking. Trixie told Brian about Dr. Carter's offer to help him study for his MCATS. "That's great," Brian said, "I'll give her a call tomorrow."

"Me and Larry and Terry are going to play together on Saturday." Bobby announced, while Mrs. Belden was in the kitchen getting dessert.

His mother, on returning to the dining room, said "Bobby, I told you that you have to clean your room on Saturday. There are so many toys on the floor that I can't remember what colour the carpet is supposed to be. If you want Larry and Terry to come over and play, your room will have to be cleaned."

"That's OK, Moms. I called Terry and he said we can play at his place instead," Bobby explained, glad to have escaped cleaning his room. "Mart, can you give me a ride to Terry's house?"

Mart choked back a laugh. His mother told him that he could play at the Lynch's in the afternoon if he cleaned his room in the morning. Bobby reluctantly agreed.

When the phone rang, her mother said, "Trixie, it's Honey. Don't talk too long. You still have homework."

"Hi, Honey. Guess what? Brian's home."

"I know Jim told me. I should have known that Jim would find a way to see you before his own family," Honey teased. "Is Brian happy to be home?"

"That was just a coincidence," Trixie blushed. "I'll ask Brian after he finishes putting Bobby to bed. Bobby insisted that Brian do it and he has to read a story for every day he was away." Trixie laughed, "Brian should be finished that in time to go back to university next week. We were all glad to see Brian. Moms is a little disappointed because Brian didn't bring home his laundry. She thinks her baby is all grown up and doesn't need her anymore."

"We were all happy to see Jim, too. Mother looks happier tonight than she has been in weeks. I don't think she would consider dirty laundry as a sign of affection, though." Honey laughed, then sobered. "I hope now that Jim and Daddy are home, Mother will feel better."

"Have you told Jim about your mother?" Trixie asked.

"Not yet, we didn't want to discuss it at dinner and Jim is still talking to Mother and Daddy."

"I'd better go and do my homework. Brian wants to say hello." Trixie handed the phone to her brother.

 

Chapter 5

"Listen to that wind howl," Di shivered. "That can't be thunder, is it? I thought it was too cold for a thunderstorm."

"I think we're in for quite a storm," Mart agreed. "I hope Brian gets here soon. He and Dr. Carter were reviewing something unpronounceable when we left Crabapple Farm."

"He said he'll be here as soon as he can. He didn't want to cancel his first session with Dr. Carter since she's doing him a favour." Jim reminded him. "If there is a storm coming up, we should probably go home. We can call Brian and tell him to met us at the Manor House instead of the clubhouse."

It was very dark when the group went outside and rain was starting to fall. Thunder rumbled in the distance. The lights from the Manor House shone brightly, leading them home. "That's odd," Jim said, "why are there so many lights on?" As they hurried toward the house they saw each window light up as if someone was searching each room in turn.

Miss Trask met them at the door. "Oh," she said, "I'm so glad you're here. Have you seen Mrs. Wheeler? We can't find her. She isn't in her room." The Bob-Whites could hear thumping from upstairs as Mr. Wheeler ran around, throwing open doors, and calling for his wife.

"No, we didn't see anyone outside." Jim glanced at Honey, who looked as if she was about to faint. "We'll find her. Don't worry. She may be in the attic again."

The Bob-Whites raced to the attic. There was no sign of the missing woman. "Look everywhere," Jim ordered, "I'll get Tom and Regan."

The group searched the house from top to bottom. "She's not in the house. We'll have to search the grounds," Mr. Wheeler ordered.

"How long has Mother been missing?" Jim asked.

"I'm not sure. I got a phone call about twenty minutes ago. She was asleep in our room and I didn't want to disturb her, so I took the call in the library." Mr. Wheeler frowned. "I should never have left her alone."

"Mr. Wheeler," Trixie said, "I think I know where she is. She's trying to find her sister. She's at the lake."

As they started to race toward the lake, a car pulled into the drive and Brian and Dr. Carter got out. "What's going on?" Brian demanded.

"It's Mrs. Wheeler, she's missing. I think she's sleepwalking and looking for her sister." Trixie explained.

"Did you search the house?" Brian asked. Trixie nodded.

"How close are we to the river?" Dr. Carter asked, looking worried.

"I think she's headed for the lake," Trixie said. She watched as fear and comprehension dawned in the eyes staring at her.

"Show me," said the doctor. They climbed in the car and headed for the lake. It was hard to see due to the driving rain. The car stopped a short distance from the lake. Trixie, Brian and Dr. Carter got out saw Mr. Wheeler shine his flashlight around the lake. In the middle of the lake was the overturned rowboat. Floating nearby was a white form that could only be Mrs. Wheeler.

"Madeleine," Mr. Wheeler called. "We're coming to get you."

"Mother," yelled Honey. The Bob-Whites peeled of their coats and boots. They ran into the water and began to swim toward the overturned boat. Honey reached the still woman first and began to tow her to shore, being careful to keep her face out of the water.

Everyone rushed toward Honey and her mother. They could hear her mumbling irrationally, "Mandy, where are you? I can't find you." As they removed her from the water, she lost consciousness.

Dr. Carter pushed past Mr. Wheeler. "Who are you?" Matthew Wheeler demanded, grabbing her arm.

"I'm a doctor," the woman responded. "Your wife needs medical attention." She knelt near the Mrs. Wheeler and opened her medical bag. She inserted an infrared thermometer into Mrs. Wheeler's ear. "Brian, there's a cell phone in my bag. Call 9-1-1." She ordered. "Tell them we have an unresponsive adult victim of cold-water immersion. Tympanic temperature is 33° Celsius. Breathing is shallow and pulse is weak. The paramedic unit should bring a unit for inhalation rewarming." She paused and looked up. "We have to get her out of this wind. Find something we can use as a stretcher and some warm dry blankets or sleeping bags to keep her warm and dry. Someone should meet the ambulance at the drive and direct them here." Dr. Carter draped some of the Bob-Whites' coats over the shivering woman.

"I'm freezing," Honey said, her teeth chattering. "Mother was in that water longer than I was and she's stopped shivering. I guess she's warming up."

"She's too cold to shiver." Brian told her. "Shivering is one way the body warms itself. You mother has lost too much body heat to rewarm herself."

"I'll unlock the boathouse," Mart offered, while Tom offered to meet the ambulance.

Dr. Carter quickly, yet gently, examined Mrs. Wheeler as the others rushed to carry out her orders. "Brian, her temperature is now 32° C and her pupils are dilated. What are we looking at and how do we manage her condition?"

"She has moderate hypothermia," he answered. "The first thirty minutes are critical. We need to keep her alive and warm until the paramedics get here. Prevent further heat loss and protect her from wind chill. Remove her wet clothing and warm her with blankets or heating pads. Monitor temperature and vital signs. There isn't much more we can do without heated IVs and equipment to warm the body core. In the hospital, rewarming is done using heated, humidified oxygen, warmed saline IV using a central line, peritoneal dialysis and pleural lavage." Brian paused.

"Good. You've been doing you homework," Dr. Carter observed.

Mart returned with a board. He, Jim, Brian and Trixie helped Dr. Carter move Mrs. Wheeler onto the makeshift stretcher. "Careful. Keep her as horizontal as possible. Move her very gently as we don't want to induce cardiac arrest."

When they reached the boathouse. Dr. Carter knelt beside Mrs. Wheeler and checked her breathing and pulse. "She in fib. We must have jostled her too much. Brian, help me. We have to start CPR. You do the breaths and I'll do compressions."

When she took scissors out of her bag and started to cut away Mrs. Wheeler's clothing, Mr. Wheeler started to object. The doctor silenced him, "We need to get her out of her wet clothes and I need access to her chest to perform CPR. Right now, your wife has no breathing and no pulse; brain damage starts after four minutes without oxygen. So, Matt, unless you like the idea of being married to a vegetable or being a widower, I suggest you get the hell out of my way."

Matthew Wheeler moved aside wordlessly. He took the distraught and shivering Honey in his arms and gently rocked her back and forth. Jim put his arms around his father and daughter. The Wheelers watched with anguished faces, oblivious to everything except their pain and fear. The rest of the Bob-Whites, Regan, Tom, and Celia stood apart not wanting to get in the way and not knowing how to help. All they could offer was their prayers that Mrs. Wheeler might be saved. The group watched as Brian and Dr. Carter knelt beside the unconscious woman and began the process of two breaths, checking for a pulse, and fifteen chest compressions. They could hear the wail of the siren getting closer.

The ambulance pulled up and two paramedics got out. Dr. Carter updated them on Mrs. Wheeler's condition, told them CPR had been in progress for three minutes. "Bring the portable defibrillator and let's get her intubated. Brian, the protocol for VF resuscitation in hypothermia calls for a maximum of three shocks at 200, 300, and 360 joules. Clear." The heart monitor showed a straight line and a continuous buzz. Finally, after the third shock, they heard a series on beeps. The paramedics quickly got Mrs. Wheeler onto a stretcher and loaded her into ambulance. "I'll go in the ambulance and Mr. Wheeler can accompany his wife. The rest of you change into some dry things and you can meet us at the hospital. We don't want any more cases of hypothermia to deal with tonight." She reached over and squeezed Honey's arm. "Chin up, kiddo, your mom will be fine."

Tom drove the Bob-Whites to the hospital as the Bob-Whites were too shaken up to drive. When they reached, the hospital, the nurse at the station told them that Mrs. Wheeler was being assessed and that they could wait in the lounge. Mr. Wheeler was waiting for them, wrapped in a blanket. He hugged his children and Honey gave him a small bag with some dry clothing. "They are rewarming her now and have to run some tests. I'm still waiting for the results. I'll stay with her, you don't have to stay. I'll call as soon as I know more."

Honey and Jim assured him that they wanted to stay at see their mother and everyone settled down for a long wait. After a while, Brian went to get Cokes for everyone. "I'll go with you," Honey said, "it will give me something to do." After they had left the group, Honey turned to Brian, "Thank you for saving Mother's life."

Brian stopped. "I'm not the one you need to thank."

Honey nodded. "Dr. Carter and the paramedics. I'll try to find them."

Brian shook his head, "That's not who I meant. I meant you."

"Me?!" Honey asked. "I didn't do anything except swim and we all did that."

"It was a situation where every second counted. You're the best swimmer. No one else could have reached your mother and gotten her out of the water as fast. You were a big part of the rescue." Brian took Honey in his arms and kissed her forehead. "Your mother is going to be as good as new in no time, you'll see." He bent down and kissed her lips. "We better get back and see if there is any news." When Honey opened her eyes, she saw Dr. Carter staring at her and Brian.

Trixie sat on the sofa beside Jim. He had been awfully quiet. "Mrs. Wheeler will be fine, Jim. Are you OK?"

"I know and I'm glad," Jim said quietly. "But I can't stop thinking about my own parents. As I stood there and I thought Mother was dead. I couldn't stop thinking that I've already lost two parents and now it's happening again. I couldn't help any of them. I hate feeling helpless. When my parents died, it was as the result of long illnesses and I had time to try and prepare myself. This time, it came out of nowhere. I'm not sure what I'm feeling. It doesn't feel like someone has tried to rip out my chest the way it did my parents died. Maybe, I'm numb and it hasn't sunk in yet."

The attending physician joined them. "Mrs. Wheeler is doing well. She'll have to spend a couple of days in hospital for observation and to monitor for postresuscitative complications. I think you should go home and get some rest. The family can see her for a few minutes, but don't excite her. Mr. Wheeler, your wife is asking to see her sister, is she still here?"

There was a long pause. Mr. Wheeler and the Bob-Whites stared at the doctor. Mr. Wheeler explained, "My wife's sister died many years ago..." he began.

The doctor nodded, "I understand. Occasionally, patients who have near-death experiences report encounters with deceased friends and relatives. It can be a little confusing."

Trixie's parents were waiting for them when they reached Crabapple Farm. "Miss Trask called and told us what happened and that Mrs. Wheeler will be home soon. We're so proud of you son," Mr. Belden said.

Mrs. Belden made hot cocoa for everyone, "I want you to go upstairs and go to sleep right away. It's been a long evening and you've had quite a shock. I don't want you all getting pneumonia as a result of your late night swim." Trixie realized how tired she was now that it was over. She drank her cocoa and said good-night to everyone.

Mart stood in the doorway to Trixie's room. "It's been quite a night, are you OK?"

"There's something that still bothers me, but I can't put my finger on it. Did you notice anything odd when we were down by the lake?" Trixie asked Mart.

Mart rolled his eyes. "Do you mean apart from the fact that Mrs. Wheeler's apparently lifeless body was pulled out of the lake, you girls were crying, and we were all praying that Dr. Carter and Brian would be able to bring her back? Gee, Trix, other than that, I'd say it was business as usual for the Bob-Whites." He added, "Dr. Carter sure can be forceful when caring for a patient. I didn't think anyone could talk to Mr. Wheeler like that and live."

"That's it," Trixie shouted. "She called Mr. Wheeler 'Matt' as if she knew him, and her voice seemed different somehow. Don't you find that suspicious?" Mart groaned and went back to his room.

 

Chapter 6

The Bob-Whites met early the next morning at the clubhouse so that Jim and Honey could go to the hospital and visit their mother as soon as visiting hours began. "We called the hospital this morning. Mother is doing well and should be home in a few days.

Jim turned to Brian, "We can't thank you enough for what you did last night. You deserve a medal."

Brian looked uncomfortable with the praise. "Dr. Carter and the paramedics did most of the work," he replied. 'I'm just happy to have been able to help until the ambulance arrived to take your mother to the hospital."

"Wasn't it eerie when your mother asked to see her sister?" Diana asked, shivering. "I had nightmares about the ghost of Amanda Hart all night."

Trixie said, "That's because Amanda was there last night."

"In spirit? Wooo-wooo," Mart laughed. "I think you listened to too many of Mrs. Moore's ghost stories when we visited Uncle Andrew."

Trixie shook her head emphatically, "That isn't what I mean at all. She was there in person. Amanda Hart is alive and I know where she is!" Trixie announced to the astonished Bob-Whites. "Think about it, Honey," Trixie said, "when did your mother start having nightmares?"

"They started the day she got back from Houston," Honey replied after a moment.

"And what else happened that day?" Trixie urged. "Dr. Carter gave us a ride home. And Dr. Carter was at the lake last night. Amanda Hart is Dr. Carter."

"That's ridiculous," said Mart, "Dr. Carter doesn't look anything like Amanda Hart. Her eyes are brown; Amanda had hazel eyes like Honey and Mrs. Wheeler."

"You mean her contact lenses are brown," Trixie corrected him.

"She has had extensive plastic surgery," Honey remarked. "A lot of Mother's friends have had plastic surgery and I noticed the scars when she drove us home. She may have been hurt in the accident and needed reconstructive surgery. Her chestnut hair colour could be dyed."

"I'll bet she has amnesia," Trixie continued. "Remember Mr. Moore in the Ozarks; he had only vague impressions for years. Before she gave us a ride home, Dr. Carter had some kind of reaction when she saw Honey. Honey does look like her mother."

"But Mother has never met Dr. Carter," Honey reminded Trixie.

"No, but she saw her briefly the day we got a ride home with her. Remember, Honey, she asked who Dr. Carter was and said she seemed familiar."

"That's true," Honey admitted, "but she only saw her wave and get into the car."

"And I'll bet your mother saw Amanda do that a thousand times." Trixie insisted. "I didn't realize that until I recognized Jim standing in the door of the clubhouse."

"But, Trixie you could see me," Jim said.

"No, I couldn't. The light was behind you." Trixie reminded him. "All I could see was a shape and movement when you waved. I knew it was you immediately even though we weren't expecting you so soon. There was a 'Jimness' about the person standing there. I could never have mistaken you for anyone else."

"So, what you're suggesting is that Mrs. Wheeler recognized Amanda at a subconscious level and it came out in her dreams." Brian remarked. "And Dr. Carter recognized something about Honey when confronted with a face like that of her sister. Makes sense."

"But, Trixie," Diana said, "why doesn't Dr. Carter know she's Amanda Hart? Juliana got her memory back when she saw Hans."

"You weren't with us at Uncle Andrew's cabin when Mr. Moore recovered his memory." Trixie reminded her, "He had seen his wife and daughter but didn't know them until after he had another blow to the head."

"Great plan, Trix," said Mart sarcastically, "Are you seriously suggesting that we assault Dr. Carter? Sergeant Molinson will just love that."

"Don't be silly, Mart Belden, I'm not suggesting anything of the kind," Trixie stormed. "I'm just saying that maybe if we get Mrs. Wheeler and Mary Ellen Carter together, they'll recognize each other. In fact, I think we should tell Mrs. Wheeler that we know where she can find Amanda."

"I don't think so, Trixie," Jim said thoughtfully. "I'm as concerned about Mother as anyone, but, what if you're wrong? Mother could end up in a worse condition than she is in now. You theory is interesting and your guesses are often right, but you can't tell Mother that her sister is alive without more proof."

"Okay," Trixie agreed reluctantly, "but, how do we arrange for them to meet, accidentally on purpose?"

The Bob-Whites tried to think of a way to test Trixie's theory without further upsetting Mrs. Wheeler. As they sat in silence, they heard Dan whistle a tune softly to himself. When he realized that the others were staring at him, he stopped abruptly. "Sorry, I was thinking about my mother. She used to sing that song to me."

"What song?" Honey asked. "I'm sorry, Dan. I guess last night must have reminded you of your mother's death. We were thinking only of ourselves." Honey was always concerned for other people's feelings.

Dan nodded and smiled. "Mary Ellen Carter; it's a song by a folksinger named Stan Rogers. It's about a boat that sinks and the crew go back and fix her up and raise her to the surface. It's also about enduring and overcoming your troubles." He sang softly.

Rise again, rise again
Though your heart it be broken
and life about to end

No matter what you've lost
Be it a home, a love, a friend

Like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again

"That's lovely," said Diana. "You must miss your mother very much."

"See," insisted Trixie, "her name is from a song about coming back from a watery grave. It's obviously an alias. Now do you think we should tell your mother?" She looked at her brother. "Brian, you're going to see Dr. Carter later on today, couldn't you find out something"?

"Trixie, I'll see what I can do. I know there's no use in trying to talk you out of it." Brian looked uncomfortable. "I just don't like the idea of spying on Dr. Carter."

Chapter 7

Trixie rode to the hospital with the Wheelers. Honey, Jim, and Mr. Wheeler went off to visit Mrs. Wheeler. Trixie had some time to kill before her Volunteer shift started and she sat lost in thought. A hand on her shoulder roused her; she turned and looked into the grim face of Dr. Carter. "I think you and I need to have a little chat," the doctor said, "I want to show you something. Come with me. It shouldn't take long."

Trixie accompanied the doctor into the doctor's lounge. After they entered the room, the doctor locked the door and motioned for Trixie to sit down. She went to her locker and handed Trixie a card she had taken from her purse. "Brian told me your interesting theory. This is my birth certificate; note the name 'Mary Ellen Carter'. Who else have you shared this fairy tale with, might I ask?" the woman demanded coldly.

"Just the Bob-Whites," Trixie responded. "I thought perhaps you had amnesia."

"There's nothing wrong with my memory." the doctor insisted. "Look, I'm sorry that your friend's mother is going through a rough time. However, if she's obsessing about her sister's death, she needs professional psychiatric help. What you're doing is dangerous and irresponsible."

Trixie bit back the tears. "I was only trying to help," she stammered.

"By driving her mother to the brink of insanity?!" the doctor scoffed. "That's an interesting concept of friendship, one with which I was previously unfamiliar. The night at the lake, I was dropping Brian off on my way home and happened to be in the right place at the right time. I'd appreciate it if you keep your fantasies to yourself. I trust I've made myself perfectly clear." Trixie nodded and ran from the room, tears stinging her eyes.

Trixie's performances of her Volunteer duties that day was less than stellar, earning her a mild reprimand from Mrs. Lee for her inattention. When her shift was finished, she met the Wheelers near Mrs. Wheeler's room. On the way out, Mr. Wheeler stopped at the desk to enquire after Dr. Carter. The nurse said, "Dr. Carter has been by several times to see your wife and check her chart. I think it must have been while you were dozing or in the cafeteria. I know she's in today, working a double-shift. She has a patient that she's worried about in post-op. I can have her paged or get a message to her, if you'd like." Mr. Wheeler responded that it wasn't necessary.

The Wheelers were so relieved and happy after visiting Mrs. Wheeler that they didn't notice that Trixie was strangely subdued on the drive back to Manor House. Dr. Carter had given her a lot to think about.

Trixie, Honey and Jim met the others at the clubhouse. Mart cornered Trixie. "So, have you established that Dr. Carter is Amanda Hart?" he demanded.

Trixie told the others about her confrontation with Dr. Carter. "I guess I was wrong about her. I'm glad we didn't say anything to Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler. Jim's right, it would only have made matters worse. But if Dr. Carter isn't Amanda, why is Mrs. Wheeler having nightmares?"

"Face it, Trixie, we may never know what started this whole thing," Brian told her. "The human psyche isn't well understood. She may have seen a news report about a similar accident or heard someone call out the name Amanda or a hundred other reasons. I just hope there aren't too many more incidents like last night. I don't think Honey and Jim could stand it."

"Did you notice anything when you were at Dr. Carter's apartment?" Dan asked.

"No, it's a furnished sublet. She's only in Sleepyside for a short time. She may not have thought that it was worthwhile to bring a lot of stuff with her."

"She must have some personal mementos, photos, things like that," Trixie said.

"Actually, she doesn't. I mentioned that I keep pictures of my family and friends in my dorm room. She said that her parents house burned down the year she graduated from high-school and they lost all their belongings. She doesn't have anything left from her youth." Brian told her. "She has a few classic medical texts and her music collection, but I really can't tell you anything else."

"When we learned that Mrs. Wheeler was missing last night, where do you think we should look first?" Trixie asked.

"The attic," the other Bob-Whites chorused.

"That's where Miss Trask and I found her before when she was sleep-walking." Honey said.

"Brian, what did Dr. Carter say when I told you Mrs. Wheeler was looking for her sister?" Trixie demanded.

"She asked about the river," Brian said after a moment's thought. "She probably was thinking about the possible hazards a sleepwalker could run into outside."

"But why the river? If you want to talk about hazards; the lake, the game preserve, and the bluffs are even closer. Dr. Carter didn't know about the lake and may not have known about the bluffs, but we told her about the game preserve when she gave us a ride home. Sheesh, Glen Road is even closer and it's poses just as much danger to a sleepwalker. Dr. Carter's driven there. Brian did you tell Dr. Carter anything about Honey's mother?"

"No, of course not," Brian answered.

"Well," Trixie continued, "how do you explain that Dr. Carter understood the reference to Mrs. Wheeler's sister? Not only that, she associated it with a body of water. When I told you I thought Mrs. Wheeler was headed for the lake, Dr. Carter looked afraid and concerned, but she didn't seem at all confused and she should have been. Amanda would know that the last place Mrs. Wheeler saw her sister was on a boat."

"You know, Trixie, I think you might be on to something," Jim said thoughtfully.

"Is your younger brother a pest?" Trixie said in a barely audible voice.

"Excuse me?" Brian said, "Bobby's not a pest, most of the time."

"I just remembered. Dr. Carter asked you about her younger brother when she gave us a ride home." Trixie and Honey looked at each other.

"We don't have a younger brother," Jim looked puzzled, "why would anyone ask that?"

"Honey almost had a younger brother or sister," Mart explained to Brian and Jim. "Mrs. Wheeler had a miscarriage after Amanda's accident."

"Exactly. Amanda would have known that Mrs. Wheeler was expecting a baby, but not that she'd lost it," Trixie insisted. "She told me that there was nothing wrong with her memory. I thought she was confused, but she was telling the truth. Dr. Carter's known all along that she's Amanda."

"Then why doesn't she come forward?" asked Jim. "She certainly can tell how badly this is affecting Mother. If she cared at all for her family, she'd want to give them peace of mind."

"My Uncle Monty didn't come forward until after we exposed the man who tried to take his place." Diana said. "Maybe Amanda only recently recovered her memory and doesn't know how to come home."

Dan agreed, "Amanda has been legally dead for years and she may think that it may do more harm than good to open up old wounds."

"Mrs. Wheeler could have died. If her body temperature had fallen even a few degrees lower or if medical attention had been delayed, Honey might be planning her mother's funeral rather her homecoming. How much worse could things be?" Brian looked grim as he spoke.

"She told you, Trixie, that you were irresponsible to encourage us to believe that Amanda was alive. No, if Dr. Carter were Amanda, she would have let Mrs. Wheeler know, especially after the other night." Jim said. "Remember how lost Juliana felt when she had amnesia. She was sick at the idea that someone might be out there looking for her and worrying about her. She wanted desperately to find out who she was and find the people who loved her."

That night, Trixie lay awake too keyed-up to sleep. In her mind, she kept replaying the scene in the doctors' lounge. Dr. Carter had been very angry, too angry. There was something else too, fear, that was it. Dr. Carter was afraid. Why should Dr. Carter be afraid of me? If she is Amanda, she should be happy to have her family back. If she isn't Amanda, why should she care what I think or who I've told? In any case, it sounds like she's trying to avoid seeing the Wheelers.

 

Chapter 8

The Bob-Whites gathered to welcome Mrs. Wheeler home. They were hanging a banner Honey had sewn when they heard a car pull up. "That's probably Mother and Dad now," said Jim.

A short time later, Celia showed Dr. Carter into the room. "I'm sorry to intrude," she said. "I left my car here the other evening and I would like to pick it up. I can't find it at the lake."

Miss Trask answered, "Tom put it in the garage. I'll show you where it is. If you'd like to stay, the Wheelers should be back soon. I know they both will want to thank you personally for your help."

Trixie could have kissed Miss Trask. If only they could keep Dr. Carter at the Manor House until Mrs. Wheeler arrived. Mrs. Wheeler just might recognize her sister.

"That won't be necessary. I was glad to be able to help." She added, "I do have to get back to the hospital."

"Very well, perhaps another time. Follow me." Miss Trask led her out of the room. The Bob-Whites accompanied her and met Honey's parents on the porch. "Mrs. Wheeler, this is Dr. Carter; you may not remember her. She was here the other night."

"I'm pleased to see you looking so much better, Mrs. Wheeler," Dr. Carter said stiffly.

Madeleine Wheeler stared at the doctor. "AMANDA," she cried and she hugged the other woman as Mr. Wheeler and Miss Trask looked on in astonishment.

A voice Trixie had heard only once before said, "I think of all relationships I've had in my life, yours has been the most special. Consequently, I've been more afraid of you than anyone else. I wasn't sure that I could fool you, Maddie." She put her hands to her eyes and when she removed them, Trixie gasped in amazement as Honey's eyes staring at them from Dr. Carter's face.

When everyone had gathered in the living room, Mary Ellen took out her stethoscope. "Is that really necessary?" Madeleine asked, "I was checked over before I was released from the hospital."

"Humour me. Take a deep breath and hold it," the doctor ordered.

"I want to know where you've been. I've missed you so much. You look so different. What happened?" Madeleine Wheeler tried to brush away the doctor's hand.

"Don't talk. Hold your breath, okay, exhale." The doctor put away her equipment. "It's a long story. I have a few questions for you first. Who's Jim? You were pregnant when I left, where is your other child? Was it a boy or a girl? What are you doing in Sleepyside?"

"We moved to Sleepyside a few years ago to give Honey a more stable home and adopted Jim shortly after that," Matthew Wheeler looked grim. "Madeleine started sleepwalking after your accident. I didn't realize how dangerous it was to awaken a sleepwalker. She slipped on the stairs ... and lost the baby." The look on his face clearly showed that he hadn't forgiven himself.

"I'm so sorry." Mary Ellen said quietly. "I knew you would be in pain after I left. But I also knew that, with Matthew's help, you'd get through it. If there had been any other way...."

"You don't know anything about what Madeleine went through after your accident." Matthew Wheeler said angrily. He grabbed the doctor's arm. "Your little stunt nearly cost Madeleine her sanity. It nearly cost us our marriage. We lost one child and our relationship with Honey was so damaged that she was thirteen before we were a real family again."

"I'm sorry, I never meant for any of that to happen," Dr. Carter said. "You hate me, don't you Matt?"

"I'm starting to," Matthew Wheeler answered coldly. "How could you leave like that? How could you put your sister through hell?"

"How did you recognize me? What did Trixie tell you?" Dr. Carter countered, shaking off Mr. Wheeler's grip on her arm.

"Trixie?" Madeleine and Mathew Wheeler chorused.

Miss Trask and the Wheelers looked at Trixie. She explained, "when Mr. Wheeler said that nothing happened in Houston, I realized that the only unusual thing that had happened that day was that Dr. Carter gave us a ride home. Dr. Carter looked shaken when she saw Honey at the hospital. After that, I just put two and two together. I thought Amanda had been scarred and had amnesia as a result of the accident."

"Sounds like you're quite a detective," the doctor said.

"She is," Matthew Wheeler said. "She and Honey have solved several cases and plan to open a detective agency someday." He went on to tell of some of their adventures.

"Really?" the doctor asked. "That is so cool!" Trixie was surprised. Adults often belittled their plans, but Dr. Carter's enthusiasm sounded genuine. "You know, doctors and detectives have a lot in common." Dr. Carter told Brian. "Trixie calls them clues and you call them symptoms. She calls it solving a case and you call it making a diagnosis. You're both using the same deductive reasoning," the doctor explained. "They're both professions in which you try to help people."

"I never thought of it that way," Trixie said. "I guess we do have a lot in common."

"I really should go," Mary Ellen said, after an uncomfortable silence. "I have to get to the hospital."

"Is that so?" Matthew Wheeler said. "I wanted to thank you before we left today. I was told that today is your day off. Now, I think you owe us an explanation."

"Yes, Mandy," Madeleine urged. "Please stay, I'll have Cook prepare all your favorite things. Celia, please bring some tea for our guest - Organic Earl Grey. I know that's your favorite."

Mary Ellen nodded. "Cook?" she repeated.

"We're having difficulty keeping a cook...," Madeleine started to explain before her voice was muffled as Amanda gave her a big hug.

"Oh, Madeleine, that's wonderful," Dr. Carter smiled, then grew serious, "I didn't see anything when I checked your chart at the hospital. The hypothermia could cause complications with the baby." The Bob-Whites looked at Mrs. Wheeler. Mr. Wheeler embraced his wife and started to arrange cushions to make her more comfortable.

"BABY!? No, no, I'm not pregnant. It isn't like that this time. We're just having a servant problem." Mrs. Wheeler assured her.

Dr. Carter turned to Honey, "When your mother was having you, she had very, umm, 'exotic' cravings. She ate things not even a cafeteria would consider food. They couldn't keep a chef because each one was afraid his reputation would be ruined." She glanced at Matthew, "do you remember the infamous blue-cheese-sardine-souffle-with-black-currant-coulis, yummy?" Mary Ellen patted her stomach.

Matthew Wheeler groaned, "that was when I decided to have something to eat on the way home from the office each day. I never knew what to expect for dinner."

"Her favorite snack was pig newtons," Mary Ellen laughed.

"You mean fig newtons?" Mart asked.

"No," Mr. Wheeler told him. "She means pig newtons; they're filled with Spam." The Bob-Whites grimaced; even Mart looked queasy.

Mr. Wheeler turned back to face Dr. Carter. "We're still waiting for an explanation. What happened on the boat the day you disappeared?"

"The story doesn't begin with that day on the boat. It actually starts much earlier. Do you remember what I was like in those days? I chose my fashions, my music, my hairstyles, and my boyfriends based on how much Mother would hate them. It wasn't a very mature attitude, but that's the way it was. Remember the guy I was dating, Mario? I really outdid myself, that time." Dr. Carter shook her head, ruefully.

"A few months after you disappeared, several members of his family were arrested and convicted of being involved in organized crime." Matthew Wheeler told her.

"I know," Dr. Carter said quietly.

"Of course, you were alive."

"No, I knew about it before that. In fact, it's the reason I had to leave. You see, I found some documents that I wasn't supposed to see. I took them to the authorities. They needed the information in those files to pressure other 'weak links' inside the organization. I agreed to gather evidence for them in exchange for my family's safety. My phone was tapped and my apartment bugged. No one suspected me; his family thought I was an airhead because I was a woman. There aren't any female mob bosses; yet another example of the glass ceiling.

"Anyway, when his family realized that someone was giving information to the feds, they started looking for the informant. Five people were killed because of what I was doing. I'm not saying they were innocent, exactly. But they weren't guilty of cooperating with the authorities ; I was. When the body-count started, it was time for me to disappear.

I'm not proud of some of the things I did back then. I kept telling myself 'You're working for the good guys'. Truth was, the lines got awfully blurry. Sometimes the only difference I could see between the good guys and the bad guys was that one group had badges as well as guns."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Madeleine Wheeler asked. "Didn't you trust me?"

"If I had told you, you would have been in danger. That was the corner-point of my agreement with the feds. I wanted my family safe. I could just imagine the headlines, 'Hart family linked to Mafia'; that would just kill Mother and Father. It would end Father's political career. I was convinced that the people I was dealing with wouldn't 'forgive and forget'. They wouldn't be satisfied with simply killing me, they'd see to it that everyone I loved was made to suffer. If I'd been alone, I probably would have continued working for the authorities and taken my chances; but there was Mother and Father and you. You had a husband, a child, another one on the way; I couldn't risk your lives as well. Our families were too well-known for all of us to simply disappear. So, we made a plan. Amanda Hart had to die and, because she was from a prominent family, she had to die publicly. There could be no doubt whatsoever that my family was in mourning. Later on, if anyone from Mario's family implicated me, it would look like a pathetic attempt to blame someone who couldn't defend herself. The feds would say that my apartment was under surveillance without my knowledge. They could still use the tapes and I wouldn't be blamed. More important than that, you wouldn't be culpable.

"The day I ... left, I went to the marina under police protection and met you at the dock. I was surprised to see you, Maddie. You weren't supposed to be there. Only Matt and I were scheduled to go sailing. I was going to tell Matt the whole truth so that he could protect you; but, when I saw you and Captain Henry, I reconsidered. Two hours later, Amanda Hart was dead. Someone had already tampered with the engine. The storm was a bonus; it made it easier for me to slip overboard. There was a police diver waiting for me in the water. She took me to another boat. I could hear you calling for me; I think that was the worst part of all. In fact, at one point, I almost answered you ... to let you know that I was all right and not to worry."

"You could have told us," Madeleine said, putting her arm around her sister. "We could have helped you."

"You did help me" Mary Ellen squeezed her sister's hand. "You have always been my 'tower of strength'. I used to ask myself 'What would Maddie do?' and that's how I knew I was making the right decisions. I remember how you would hold my hand while I cried when we were sent away to school and how you never cried. At night, when I had nightmares or if I was afraid of the storm, you would come into my room, snuggle up beside me and tell me stories until I fell asleep. I thought, if I tried, I could be strong ... like you. You always took care of me. Now, I had a chance to take care of you."

"Where did you go?" Matthew asked.

"To a safe house, at first. We created a new identity for me - Mary Ellen Carter. One of the agents was a big fan of folk music and chose a name based on his favorite song. I spent the next few months learning to be Mary Ellen. I had to learn to cook, do laundry, take public transit, balance a checkbook and other life-skills. I learned to talk with a different accent. It was easier after I had the plastic surgery and I was no longer seeing my own face in the mirror. After that, I moved to a new state, went to university and medical school and the rest is history. At the dorm, everyone else was just starting out as well, so I didn't stick out like a sore thumb. Sometimes, I almost forgot that Amanda was real; but, I never ever forgot my Madeleine."

"It must have been horrible for you," Madeleine said sympathetically.

"It was. One of the agents told me I was being very brave. He was wrong; I was just very scared. I didn't realize the implications of my decision. I could never see the people I loved again. I spent the next few years looking over my shoulder. I tried not to stay in any one place very long. I didn't want to put down roots. Amanda was, for all her faults, an open, friendly girl; Mary Ellen's too afraid to let anyone get close to her. I have colleagues, but no real friends. I was too afraid of saying the wrong thing. After all, I know what it is to betray someone, so I don't tend to trust people. Being a doctor allowed me to be a 'people person' on a temporary basis.

"In other ways, it was good for me. I had to learn to be self-reliant. I was finally in a situation where I wasn't always being compared to my perfect sister. Not that you could help being perfect. I was never jealous, exactly; but it would have been nice not to be second best, once in awhile. I'd have killed for your SAT scores. It wasn't as if you were using them; you went to a school to be near Matthew and you got married before you finished your degree. You went from being Richard Hart's daughter to being Matthew Wheeler's wife without taking time to be Madeleine Hart."

Madeleine sighed. "You haven't changed. We've had this argument dozens of times. I know that I didn't make the choice Gloria Steinem would have made, but I made the choice that was right for me. I have never regretted it. Freedom to choose isn't just the right to say 'yes', it's also the right to say 'no'. Someday, you'll meet someone and then you'll understand how I felt. " She changed the subject, "what made you decide to be a doctor? You used to be as squeamish about blood as I am."

"Matthew's face," Dr. Carter said, "the night Honey was born. Do you remember it?"

"I'll never forget the night I became a father," Matthew Wheeler reached over and tousled Honey's hair. "It was one of the happiest days of my life."

"It was also one of the most terrifying. We were pacing in the waiting room for the big announcement when Matthew came out of the ward. I was thrilled until I saw his face. He told us that there were complications and that you had to have an emergency cesarean. I've seen that expression countless times on the faces of families and friends of my patients. I call it the Pandora's box face; all the fear, horror and sadness in the world mixed with hope. I'd never seen Matt scared before. Matthew is so big and strong and powerful; I thought that he wasn't afraid of anything. That's what frightened me more than anything else did. How I wished that I could make it all go away. It didn't take very long for the doctors to deliver Honey, but it felt like days. Then the doctor came and told Matt that he had a daughter. She was beautiful and Matthew was so proud and happy. That's something else Amanda could never have done. In our social circle, a woman didn't become a doctor ... she married one, preferably a surgeon."

"Why did you come back to us, if it was so dangerous?" Matthew demanded.

"I didn't come back to you. I had gone to camp in the Hudson River Valley when I was young and liked it here. I wanted to come back East for a little while. I was offered a temporary job in Sleepyside as a maternity replacement. I figured that Sleepyside is far enough from New York City that I probably wouldn't run into to anyone I knew well and I wasn't particularly concerned that I would be recognized. I'd been gone so long and changed so much. The only person I worried about meeting was Madeleine, and I never supposed that was an option." She looked at her sister. "You weren't exactly a small town girl when I knew you, Maddie. The day I saw Honey at the hospital, I literally saw my lives flash before my eyes. I knew that I should get as far away from her as I could, but at the same time, the desire to know how you were was overwhelming. I couldn't help myself. I regretted it later."

"That's a very interesting story," Matthew Wheeler said, "but I don't find it convincing. Amanda's accident is a matter of public record. Madeleine's cravings were a family joke for years. Madeleine has been dwelling on Amanda's death recently and that may have made her open to suggestion. I don't believe you're Amanda."

"Good, you keep right on thinking that," Dr. Carter replied, "I don't want to be Amanda. If Amanda Hart comes back from the dead, things get very complicated."

"Of course, she's Amanda," Madeleine Wheeler said. "If you wanted to prove it, you could, couldn't you?"

"What kind of proof would you accept?" Dr. Carter asked, suspiciously.

Chapter 9

"There's a trunk in the attic. I'm sure you'll recognize the things in it," Madeleine Wheeler suggested.

"I'll show Jim and Brian where it is," Honey offered.

When they returned, Dr. Carter knelt before the trunk and started to remove items. She smiled as she touched the trophy, "I won this with Firefly; he was a magnificent horse. I'm sure he'd know me; do Mother and Father still have him?"

"Mum and Daddy sold him after the accident," Madeleine told her. "They didn't want to keep any reminders. I think it hurt them too much."

"How nicely you put it, Madeleine," Mary Ellen sneered. "I imagine they were so happy to get rid such a disappointing daughter, they probably danced on my grave singing 'Glory, Hallelujah'."

"That isn't fair, Mandy. Mum and Daddy may have disagreed with you, but they admired your spirit. They were distraught after you died." Dr. Carter looked at Mrs. Wheeler with an expression that clearly said 'yeah, right', but didn't comment any further.

"You gave me this book for my birthday the year I was sent to boarding school in Switzerland. You wanted me to know that I would always have my sister. You were Elinor: sensible, strong, smart, protective, always doing the right thing. I was Marianne: headstrong, ruled by her heart, romantic, whose involvement with the wrong man nearly destroyed her. I haven't read this in years. This was my reading copy; you also gave me a first edition. Mother and Father wouldn't let me touch that one." She opened the book read the inscription on the flyleaf.

Next she took out the boots, "these were the most comfortable boots I ever owned."

"You certainly wore them often enough," Madeleine Wheeler chuckled, "the main reason your junior bridesmaid's dress was ballet-length was so that Mum and I would be certain you weren't wearing your riding boots underneath it."

Mary Ellen laughed, "I thought it was because you didn't trust me to walk down the aisle without tripping. I was going through an awkward stage. I hated that dress; and to think I was this close to not having to wear it at all." She held up her thumb and forefinger mere millimeters apart.

"What do you mean?" Madeleine asked.

"You and Matt called off the wedding." Mary Ellen reminded her. "You cried for a week. We ate twelve gallons of ice cream. I got to say 'he's not good enough for you' over and over again. And you forced me to listen to depressing music; we listened to Springsteen's 'Nebraska' often enough that I could actually understand the lyrics. All this because you couldn't agree on the music for the ceremony."

"That's not what we argued about," Matthew Wheeler pounced. "We argued about the guest list. That's your second mistake. Your first was the captain's name; it was Henderson, not Henry."

"Madeleine was somewhat incoherent at first," Dr. Carter responded.

"You're both wrong," Madeleine Wheeler said. "We argued about our honeymoon plans."

"You called off our wedding for that?" Matthew Wheeler asked, astonished.

"No, I asked if you wanted to break our engagement and you said 'Yes, dear'," Madeleine reminded him.

"Oh, so that's how it happened!" Dr. Carter exclaimed. "Madeleine, don't you remember that Matthew's vocabulary was extremely limited during your engagement? For six months, the only words he said were: 'Yes, dear', 'Whatever you like, darling' and 'Anything you want is fine with me, sweetheart'. I was starting to wonder what he was going to say at the altar. Oh, yes, and he said 'Of course, Mrs. Hart." Everyone said yes to Mother."

"He still does that, whenever I'm redecorating," Madeleine agreed, "and he did say other things ... when we were alone." She smiled up at her husband and reached for his hand.

Matthew Wheeler smiled at his wife. "As long as you leave the library alone, you know that whatever you choose will be ... never mind." The Bob-Whites burst out laughing.

"That isn't too surprising. After all, he did learn the hard way not to interfere in one of your decorating projects." Mary Ellen grinned wickedly at Mrs. Wheeler, "for instance, Honey's nursery."

"Oh no, not that story." Mrs. Wheeler buried her face in her hands. "There were extenuating factors. I was having mood swings."

'Please, Maddie, your moods didn't swing," Dr. Carter reproached, "they did somersaults with a triple flip dismount. In the Olympic mood gymnastics competition, you were comfortably in line for the gold medal."

"I'll say," Mr. Wheeler agreed. "When the Lamaze teacher told the class that pregnant women could experience mood swings, I had no idea that she meant the last three months would be like living in the movie The Exorcist, except Madeleine made Linda Blair look well-adjusted."

"I think you're exaggerating, Matthew." Mrs. Wheeler admonished. "I may have gotten a little carried away. I just wanted the baby's room to be perfect."

"A little carried away?" Mr. Wheeler teased and began to tell the story. "I was sitting in my office in our apartment, minding my own business, when Madeleine walked into the room. She was practically dancing for joy, 'We have a motif'. I had no idea what a motif was, mind you, but, since it made Madeleine so happy, I couldn't help but be thrilled. I told her I thought that was marvelous and I went back to work. Then my beautiful little bride opened her mouth and her mother's voice came out: 'Are those papers so important that you can't spare even a few moments for your unborn child, Matthew?' I'd never heard Madeleine speak in that tone of voice before, so I said 'Of course, sweetheart, whatever you want.'

"She dragged me into the nursery. The decorator had wallpaper, paint, and fabric samples everywhere. I looked around and said 'I like the lambs'. Huge HHuge mistake! I heard a whimper and when I looked over at Madeleine, her lower lip was trembling and tears were pouring down her face. 'I was thinking of a Teddy bears picnic motif, Matthew, but if you like the lambs better, we can do Old Macdonald had a farm or perhaps Mary had a little lamb.' At least now I knew what a motif was. So, I tried to calm her, 'I love the bears. I like them better than the lambs. The baby won't want lambs. The baby may be allergic to wool.' I babbled like a complete idiot for about twenty minutes before she finally stopped crying.

"Then she brought out paint samples. Fortunately, I'd figured out that when she asks my opinion about decorating, she doesn't want my opinion, she wants her opinion. So I merely said 'Darling, I really can't decide. Which one do you like?' and I agreed with her selection. Everybody was happy.

"The next morning, I woke up and leaned over to kiss my wife. She said that she would never kiss me again, not after what I'd done. I had no idea what she was talking about and she wouldn't tell me. I had to guess. For the record, I hate it when you do that," he told his wife. "I can't make things better if I don't know what's wrong. When, I'm upset, I don't keep it inside. You just say, 'If you don't know, I'm certainly not going to tell you.' That drives me crazy."

He returned to the story. "I started apologizing for anything and everything that occurred to me, including four things she didn't even know about yet. Eventually, I realized that she'd probably told Amanda and I called Mandy. Mandy couldn't believe that I didn't know why Madeleine was upset. She started singing Teddy bears picnic with particular emphasis on the phrase 'If you go out in the woods today, you'd better not go alone'."

"Matthew alternated between threats and begging." Dr. Carter picked up the story. "I told him that Maddie was angry because he called the decorator and changed the order for the nursery. He insisted that he hadn't, that he didn't even know the decorator's name and he wouldn't do that to Madeleine. He was very convincing."

"Why would Mother say that if it wasn't true?" Honey asked, confused.

"Yes, darling, why don't you tell her why you said that," Mr. Wheeler encouraged his wife.

Mrs. Wheeler blushed and looked down at the carpet to avoid the eyes that were staring at her. "Pregnant women have incredibly vivid dreams," she told them. "I dreamed it."

The Bob-Whites howled with laughter. Dan said, "at least, that settled everything and you didn't have to apologize."

The women in the room chorused, "of course he did."

Diana spoke up. "If she didn't believe, in her heart of hearts, that he was capable of doing that, she wouldn't have dreamed it in the first place." She explained as the others nodded their agreement.

Mart shook his head and threw up his hands. "I do not understand women," he said.

"Join the club," Mr. Wheeler said, dryly.

The guys groaned and rolled their eyes. "Dad can't be held responsible for something he did in one of Mother's dreams. There's no way he'd have had to apologize. Right, Dad?" Jim turned to his father.

"I apologized. Even though I agree with you, I wanted to be on good terms with my wife." Mr. Wheeler chuckled. "Once I realized her behaviour was related to her pregnancy, I did feel some responsibility for what happened." He looked across at Dr. Carter and abruptly changed the subject. "Each Christmas, Amanda and Madeleine sang What is this Fragrance at the family gathering. You planned to teach Honey the song so that she could join you when she was older."

"No, Matthew," Mrs. Wheeler stopped him, "we sang Are you shining, little Candle?"

"I know" Matthew Wheeler responded. "It's not a well-know carol. Perhaps you'd like to sing it for us, Amanda?"

Amanda crossed to the piano and began to sing.

Are you burning, little Candle?
High upon the Christmas tree
Symbol of a new beginning
Faith and hope and sweet release

Mrs. Wheeler joined in on the chorus. Trixie recognized the tune Mrs. Wheeler had played the night her nightmares began.

Remind us
Of the children's faces with their looks of wonder
Of the ancient old hands and wisdom of their touch
Of the worried brows that clear with the surprise of laughter
Of the troubled hearts that lift with joy at the touch of love

Shine your light on me, little Candle

Are you shining, little Star?
Shining in the skies above
Lift us up into the heavens
Symbol of the light of love

Remind us...

Shine your light on me, little Star

"OK, you don't need to sing the entire song. What's Madeleine favorite movie?" Matthew Wheeler asked.

"Casablanca," Amanda responded, "she also likes the opening jewels in Breakfast at Tiffany's."

"Everyone likes Casablanca," Matthew Wheeler said. "What was Honey's favorite bedtime music?"

"She loved the 'Classical Kids' collection, Mr. Bach comes to call, Beethoven lives upstairs." Dr. Carter smiled at Honey. "I remember one day, a few months before I left, your father and I had taken you on an outing. I don't recall where we were, but Jesu, Joy of man's desiring was playing in the background and you looked up at Matt and said very distinctly, 'Daddy, that's Bach'. I swear Matthew was fifty feet tall for the rest of the day because he thought his child was a genius. Do you remember that?" Honey shook her head. Mr. Wheeler nodded.

"Wow, Credence Clearwater Revival's 'The Concert'," Mary Ellen exclaimed looking at the CD she removed from the trunk. "This is such a great live album."

"Yes, it is," Mrs. Wheeler agreed. "But that isn't the reason I kept it to remind me of you, is it?"

"I don't want to play this game anymore," Mary Ellen said.

There was a long pause in the conversation as everyone waited for Dr. Carter's response. "I thought Madeleine told me everything," Matthew Wheeler said, "and I have no idea of the significance of this album. Obviously, it's something only Madeleine and Amanda would know. Who are you, really?"

Dr. Carter shrugged and said "Mondegreen."

"Who's Mondegreen?" Honey asked.

"It's not a who, it's a what," Mart explained. "A mondegreen is a misunderstood lyric. The word originated with a woman who misunderstood part of an English folk song, 'The Bonny Earl of Morray.' She heard the lyric, 'Oh, they have slain the Earl o' Morray and laid him on the green' as 'Oh, they have slain the Earl o' Morray and Lady Mondegreen'."

"That's right, Mart," Mrs. Wheeler agreed. "In the song, Bad Moon Rising, the correct lyric is 'There's a bad moon on the rise'. However, Amanda insisted that the words were...." She motioned to her sister to continue.

"There's a bathroom on the right," Dr. Carter replied with a grimace and the others roared with laughter. "Ok, if you're so smart, what's 'In-a-gadda-da-vida', Maddie?"

"In the Garden of Eden," Madeleine responded.

"Louie, Louie?" Amanda challenged.

Madeleine threw up her hands. "Pass, I have no idea."

Mary Ellen took a photo from the trunk. "Why did you keep this picture? I can't believe you wanted to keep a reminder of him."

Madeleine looked at her sister, "it was the last picture we had of you. There was a roll of film in your camera. I had it developed. I guess you didn't know the truth about Mario when you two went to Italy for a vacation."

"I knew. I was trying to keep him happy and distracted from any hint that I might be involved in a plot to destroy his family." She shook her head and gave a hollow laugh. "Fortunately, men are easily distracted. All I had to do was say 'Yes, dear' to anything he wanted. The strange thing is he could be very sweet and tender and romantic. But, once I learned the truth, I despised him. I felt so dirty and I didn't want you to know."

Mary Ellen started to cry. Mrs. Wheeler moved closer to her sister, put her arms around Mary Ellen and gently wiped away her tears. "Don't say that. I would never have thought that of you."

"That's how I felt," Mary Ellen sobbed. "My skin crawled every time he looked at me and I felt nauseous every time he touched me. At night, after he was asleep, I would take a long, hot shower. The sound of the shower masked the sound of my crying. I would scrub myself until my skin was raw, but I couldn't get clean. The feds were using me to get information. Mario was using me, too. He asked me to marry him, but I tried to put him off. His family liked to have access to legitimate business interests in order to launder money. Both Matthew and Father had irreproachable reputations and access to a vast corporate empire. It was too good an opportunity to miss. Matthew and Father might be charged with money laundering and racketeering. I couldn't let that happen."

"This story gets more fantastic all the time." Matthew Wheeler looked thoughtful. "There is some incontrovertible evidence you could provide."

"Such as?" Dr. Carter sighed. "More questions?"

"A blood sample," Matthew answered. "It would certainly resolve the issue once and for all."

"No, I won't do it," Mary Ellen said, shaking her head.

"Somehow, I didn't think you would." Matthew Wheeler jeered.

"That isn't necessary, Matthew," his wife disagreed. "I know that this is Amanda. Why can't you just accept that? Don't you think I would know my own sister?"

Dr. Carter explained, "unless you have some of Amanda's original DNA, you won't be able to prove my identity conclusively. Of course, if you cross-match it with Madeleine's, you will be able to tell whether or not we're closely related. I don't think that there are any other women unaccounted for in the family. If anyone were to figure out why you need genetic tests performed on blood samples, I don't even want to think about the consequences for all of us. I can't imagine that you would be stupid enough to do that. The risk is too great. I don't want anything from you, Matthew. All I want is to be allowed to live my life ... as Mary Ellen."

Mary Ellen looked down and picked up a box from the trunk. "My ring," she exclaimed and looked at her sister, "do you still have your pieces?" she asked. "Grandmother told us that people once believed that wearing amethysts brought good luck and warded off evil spirits. I hoped that was true because I needed all the help I could get." As she spoke, she drew out a matching necklace from beneath her blouse. "I always wore this. It would have seemed suspicious if I hadn't worn it that day. This is the only thing I took with me to my new life, apart from memories. "

The group gathered in the living room stared at the necklace. Mrs. Wheeler spoke, "Amanda would never have given away that necklace. It was her most prized possession. Now, do you believe me Matthew?"

"Actually, I did take something else with me," Dr. Carter corrected herself. "When I left, I was wearing that huge T-shirt Matthew gave me. You know the one designed to offend nearly everyone; 'Nuke the gay baby seals'."

"I remember that." Mrs. Wheeler laughed. "You were getting interested in the environment and didn't want Matthew to go deer hunting. You threatened to tell Honey that her father shot Bambi's mother. You said 'I'll report you to Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, DISNEY!!' Matthew bought that shirt to tease you."

"I still have that shirt; it's a bit threadbare after almost twenty years, of course. I wear it every now and then when I feel especially homesick or if I've had a bad day. It always makes me laugh." Dr. Carter smiled through the tears in her eyes. "When Matt gave it to me, I was furious. That was before I realized it was a joke. Like most adolescents, I could be pretty intense. I don't think I appreciated your finer qualities back then, Matthew. You made fun of my vehemence, but I noticed that you didn't go hunting that year. I don't think I ever thanked you for taking my concerns seriously, even though you pretended not to." Dr. Carter stood up, "I really should be going. You've had enough excitement for one day, Maddie, try to get some rest. You, too, Matthew, you were up all night. I'll drop by to see you tomorrow before my night shift starts." She kissed her sister, "When I came here, I just wanted to get my car and leave, I wasn't expecting the Spanish Inquisition."

Madeleine recited, "'NNNNobody expects the Spanish Inquisition. Our chief weapon is surprise, surprise and fear, fear and surprise. Our two weapons are surprise and fear and a ruthless efficiency...'" Mary Ellen laughed and blew Mrs. Wheeler a kiss. She was still laughing as she left the room.

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