Part III

Trixie’s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the sound of her mother calling up the stairs.  Trixie opened her bedroom door and stepped out in the hall.  “I already finished with Bobby’s room, Moms” she yelled down the stairs.

“That’s not why I’m calling you,” answered Moms.  “It’s time for dinner and I need you to set the table.”

Trixie trudged down the stairs and into the kitchen where her mother was bustling around getting dinner on the table.  Trixie pulled out the plates and placed them around the table.  She added the silverware and glasses.  A few minutes later Mart entered the room, smelling like his freshly applied aftershave.

“Hmmmm, whatever it is, it smells good,” said Mart as he sniffed the aromas emanating from the stove.

Trixie sniffed around her brother.  “Gleeps Mart, how can you smell anything with that much aftershave on?” she said.

“You know Beatrix, you could take a lesson or two from Diana on how to clean yourself up.”

“Mart, I just hope ...,”  Trixie’s response to her brother’s baiting was interrupted by Moms.

“If everybody helps, we can have this food on the table in a jiffy,” said Moms, effectively putting an end to the bickering between the two.

Mart and Trixie helped Moms carry in the pan of baked beans, a platter of sizzling hamburgers and a big tossed salad.  Moms called Bobby to the table and Peter followed his youngest son.  Although the food was delicious, dinner was a quiet affair.  Helen and Peter glanced at their three preoccupied children.

“Anything new today?” asked Peter.

Trixie shrugged her shoulders.  Bobby looked at his father, but said nothing.  Mart set his hamburger down on his plate and began explaining how he thought a more efficient manner of lawn mowing should be adopted by the Belden household.  For once, Trixie was grateful for Mart’s long-winded story.

When dinner was finished, Mart pushed himself away from the table.  “That was a delicious repast, Moms.  But then I would expect nothing less from such a talented maternal unit,” he said.  He gave his mother a quick kiss and then left, anxious to pick up Diana.

Trixie and Bobby cleared the table.  Trixie was filling the sink with hot, soapy water when she heard her cell phone ring.  Checking the caller ID, she quickly answered the phone.  “Hi Honey.”

“Hey, do you want to spend the night here?” Honey asked.

“Let me ask my mom,” Trixie answered.

“Wait, what’s wrong?  You sound kinda down. Did you find more papers?”

“Oh Honey, the mystery is solved,” Trixie wailed.

“What?  You solved it by yourself?   How?  When?” Honey demanded.

“I’ll tell you in person.  Let me talk to my parents and I’ll call you back.”  Trixie slid her phone back into her pocket and finished cleaning up the kitchen.  When she wandered out of the kitchen a short time later, she sought her parents’ permission to spend the night at the Wheelers.

 Her mother hesitated.  “Trixie, you didn’t exactly help Bobby when I asked you to,” she pointed out.

Trixie nodded at her mother. “I know,” she said.

“But,” her mother continued.  “you did help him eventually and I do appreciate that.”

Her father jumped into the conversation.  “Helen, You and I agreed that Bobby should have cleaned up that mess by himself.  After all, he managed to make it.”

“Yes, Peter, we did.  I guess I was hoping that Bobby’s room would have been resolved sooner and with fewer reminders.”

Helen and Peter looked at each other and then at their daughter’s hopeful face.

All right, you can spend the night at the Manor House.”

Trixie smiled at her parents and hugged them both.  “Thanks.  And I promise I’ll keep a closer eye on Bobby next time so we don’t have this problem again,” she said, remembering how Bobby had wrecked his room while under Trixie’s care.

Trixie ran up to her room and grabbed the few items she would need and then trotted up to the Manor House.  Her rapid knock at the door was opened by her eager best friend.  “Hey Honey,” Trixie grinned.  “I’m here for the night.”

Honey grabbed Trixie’s hand and dragged her upstairs to the privacy of her room.  After shutting the door, she pulled Trixie over to her bed where they both sat down.  “Okay, tell me everything,” Honey ordered.

Trixie recounted how she had found more papers in Bobby’s trashcan while helping him clean his room.  She shared how determined Bobby had been to keep the papers and his failed club a secret, but that Trixie had finally gotten him to tell her what was going on.

Honey listened intently as Trixie told her tale.  She looked closely at her friend.  “Are you disappointed or relieved?” she asked.

“I guess I feel a little bit of both.  I had Dan, Mart and Regan trying to figure out if there was some stranger running around the preserve.  I had myself convinced that those papers were actually some kind of top secret code.  I really thought that I had found a big mystery that you and I could solve.  But I am also glad that there isn’t anything going on and you and I can ride and hike through the preserve whenever we want.”

“And,” Honey urged Trixie to continue.

“What more is there?” Trixie asked.

“You tell me Trixie.  I just get the feeling that there is something else bothering you about this case.”

Trixie remained silent.  When she looked up, Honey was still watching her.  “Fine,” Trixie exhaled.  “I kinda feel guilty because all Bobby wanted was a club like ours.  I   knew he wanted to be a Bob-White, I just never realized how much he wanted what we have.  And here I am, running around, trying to help people.  But I totally missed how much I could have helped Bobby.  Oh Honey, he was doing all this on his own.  I guess he’s not such a little boy any more.”

“Of course not, Trixie.   Bobby is almost ten.  You and I will be seniors in the fall and Mart and Dan will be starting college.  We’re all growing up.”

“I know, I know.  But Bobby?  What happened to the little boy that I spent most of my summers watching?”  Trixie fell silent for a minute and then looked up at Honey and grinned.  “On the other hand, maybe this means that I will never, ever, ever, have to read Peter Rabbit  again.”

“I seriously doubt that, Trixie,” Honey remarked.

Trixie looked at Honey and the two shared a grin.  “Yep, I guess you’re right.  So Miss Wheeler, what is on the agenda tonight?”

Honey suggested the two watch a movie so they knelt down and went through the selections of DVD’s that Honey had in her room.  A short time later, the two were lounging on the plush carpeting, a bowl of popcorn between them, as they laughed at the antics of Sandra Bullock  in Miss Congeniality. 

Sunday afternoon, Trixie and Honey called the Bob-Whites together so they could update them on the mystery regarding the old schoolhouse and the papers.  The five sat clustered around the table in the clubhouse and Trixie explained how she had stumbled onto the answer to all their questions when she cleaned Bobby’s room.  When Trixie was done with her tale, she looked around at the group.

“Tsk! Tsk!  If only you had helped young Robert when Moms asked you too.  We could have avoided this so-called mystery and my audio orifices would have been spared from all the vocal discord,” said Mart.

Diana tossed her hair over her shoulder,  “Well, I can’t believe the twins made a huge mess at your house and didn’t help clean it up.  I am going to speak to them.”

Trixie smiled at her friend.  She watched as Mart took Diana’s hand in his and kissed her fingertips.  Trixie rolled her eyes and looked at Dan, who grinned back at her.  “So, there is no stranger wandering around the preserve.  Mr. Maypenny and I can rest now?” he questioned Trixie

Trixie nodded.

Chatter continued around the table as the group discussed Bobby’s attempt to form his own club.  Trixie listened, but said nothing.   Although she tried to put on a happy face, Trixie’s eyes revealed the confusion that still plagued her mind.  After a bit, the conversation turned to the upcoming high school graduation of Mart and Dan and the return of Brian and Jim from college.  Trixie remained quiet, sitting in her chair, slightly removed from the circle of friends.

Dan watched Trixie’s face, her demeanor puzzling him.  Suddenly he stood up and announced, “I hate to break this up, but Trixie and I have to put the old schoolhouse back in order.”  He shrugged at Trixie.   “Sorry Trix, Mr. Maypenny’s request.”

Dan stood and waited for Trixie to follow.  The two left the clubhouse and began walking down the path toward the old schoolhouse.  Neither spoke as they traveled under a canopy of tree branches.  Finally, Trixie burst out,

“Really, Dan?  Mr. Maypenny wants us to clean up the schoolhouse again?  Did Bobby mess it up more than I thought?” she asked.

Dan shook his head. “Nope.  But I just wanted a chance to talk to you privately.”

“About what?” Trixie questioned.

“You,” Dan answered.  “Why so quiet and glum?”

Trixie shrugged.  “I don’t know. It wasn’t much of a mystery, was it?  I’m  kicking myself for not figuring it out.  If I had helped Bobby clean his room when Moms asked me to, then I wouldn’t have had people running around the preserve, looking for something or someone that didn’t even exist.”

Dan grinned at his friend.  “To be honest Trix, Mr. Maypenny never runs around the preserve.”

Trixie scowled and continued, “And I feel really bad that Bobby wanted a club like ours so much that he did all this.  Worse, nobody even noticed what he was doing, especially me.”  Trixie sighed loudly.

“Trixie, sometimes Bobby is your responsibility and sometimes he isn’t.”

“But I should have known what Bobby was doing.”

“Why?” Dan questioned.

“Because he’s my brother and because he was trying so hard to be like us, even trying to find a clubhouse.  We should have seen that.  I should have seen that.  It’s always been my job to watch out for him.  I always complained about having to babysit him but now he is starting to do things on his own.  When did everything change?” Trixie said unhappily.

“Uh-huh, I thought that was what was bothering you,” Dan said.  He grabbed Trixie’s hand as the two continued to wander along the path.

“Trixie,” Dan began, “let me make a few things clear.  First, you’re not totally responsible for Bobby or his social life.  He’s growing up and, if he wants a club like ours, then I applaud him for trying to create one.  But it is not your job to watch him constantly and figure out what he wants and then get it for him.  Those days are over, kiddo.  Second, he shouldn’t have been in the schoolhouse.  Mr. Maypenny and I keep our supplies in there and it’s definitely not a place where he and the Lynch boys can hang out.  And I think he knows that.”

Trixie tried to interrupt Dan but he shushed her.

“As for the secret code, I think Bobby was pretty clever.  But he wasn’t very careful with the papers or his trash.  He can’t leave litter in the preserve.  And finally, with regard to Bobby’s room,” Dan looked at Trixie and grinned.  “You’re on your own with that one, Belden.  I wouldn’t touch his room.”

Trixie smiled at Dan.  “Yeah, lucky me,” she lamented.

“Trixie, whether you like it or not, Bobby is going to grow up and do things with or without your input.  You won’t have to babysit him as much, but he might need you to be there to help him pick up the pieces or any other mess he makes.”  Dan chuckled.

“But what kind of detective will I be if I can’t even see what Bobby is doing when we are living in the same house?  I never saw a thing!”  Trixie moaned.

“Look Belden.  You saw the big picture.  You noticed that something was amiss in the preserve and you tried to figure it out.  You even went and got help from others.”  Dan winked at his companion.  “It seems that even the infamous Trixie Belden is growing up as well as her baby brother.”

The two continued to walk through the preserve, while Trixie processed what Dan had said to her.  She finally broke the silence.  “Thanks, Dan.” Trixie looked up.  “What would I do without you?”

He smiled down at her.  “Aw shucks,” He dropped his head as he pretended to be embarrassed.

Trixie squeezed Dan’s hand.  “So, now what?”

“Well,” Dan suggested, “I say we go back to the clubhouse, get Mart, Diana, and Honey.  Then we should go the stables where we can update Regan and then take the horses for a ride.  You game?”

Trixie hesitated slightly. “Dan, while we out riding, would it be alright if we kept our eyes open for a place where Bobby could have a clubhouse?” she asked.

“Sure.  You know Trix, there’s always the option of letting him use our clubhouse or maybe even making him part of our Bob-White club,” Dan suggested.

Trixie snorted, “Dan, I want to help Bobby, not take him under our wing.”  Trixie giggled and looked up at her friend.  “And before you ask, yes, pun intended.”

Dan laughed.  “Okay Trix.  We can keep our eyes open for Bobby,” Dan agreed, nodding approvingly.

“One more thing, Dan,” Trixie said.

“Anything,” Dan agreed.

“Last one to the stable has to clean all the tack.”  Trixie yelled over her shoulder as she quickly sprinted ahead of him on the shaded path.