The Mystery at Maypenny's

“My sibling the sleuth,” Mart said, making a teasing gesture of introduction.
    “I’m sorry,” Trixie said. “I spoiled your news.”
    Dan grinned. “Well, there’s more. I guess I’d better tell it right away, before you beat me to it again.” Trixie blushed as Dan continued. “David Maypenny got in late last night. And Mr. May-penny says that you’re all to come over tomorrow afternoon for a cookout, so that you can meet him and he can meet you.”
    “Neat!” Trixie exclaimed. “Oh, Dan, I can’t wait to meet him. What’s he like? Does he look like Mr. Maypenny? Is he nice? Do you like him?”
    “I only met him last night, and then just for a minute, because I had homework to do. It’s too soon for me to tell whether I like him or not,” Dan replied. His voice was casual, but Trixie thought he looked nervous as he spoke. His gaze, which was usually direct, went from the window to his schoolbooks to a spot somewhere above Trixie’s head.
    Oh , dear , Trixie thought. Dan doesn’t like David Maypenny. I just know it. But I wonder why not. She found herself looking forward to the cookout the next afternoon, when she’d have a chance to see David Maypenny and judge him for herself.

Two Visitors ● 5

    HURRY UP, BRIAN! Mart!” Trixie shouted up the stairs. “We’ll be late for the cookout at Mr. May-penny’s!”
    Brian came down the stairs, laughing. “Turnabout is fair play, they say. But I never thought the day would come when you’d be calling up the stairs to me.”
    “It is amazing,” Mart added, following his older brother, “how her perambulation improves when a gustatory occasion, not a scholastic one, is beckoning.”
    “If you mean I think a cookout is more fun than school, you’re right,” Trixie retorted. “But it isn’t the food that I’m excited about. It’s meeting David Maypenny.”
    “We’re all eager to meet him,” Brian said. “And we’re all ready to go. So....” Bowing low, he gestured for Trixie to go out the door ahead of him.
    As they walked through the kitchen, Mrs. Belden called out to them. “There’s a chocolate cake there on the counter for you to take along. Mr. Maypenny is an excellent cook, I know, but I don’t think he goes in much for baking. I thought a little dessert might be in order.“
    “Yummy-yum!” Trixie exclaimed. “Thanks, Moms! You’re wonderful!”
    The three Beldens went first to the Manor House to meet Honey and Jim. The two were waiting outside. Jim stood quietly with his hands in his pockets. Honey paced nervously, straining her eyes for the first sight of her friends. When she saw them, she waved excitedly.
    “It looks as though your fellow sleuth is eager to check out David Maypenny, too,” Brian observed.
    “You guys are just as excited about meeting him as we are,” Trixie said. “You’re just trying your hardest not to show it, that’s all.”
    Then, as she got closer to where Honey was waiting, Trixie burst into laughter. Her friend carried a plastic cake holder, identical to the one Mrs. Belden had sent along.
    “Miss Trask was afraid that Mr. Maypenny wouldn’t provide us with a dessert,” Trixie guessed.
    Honey started to giggle. Miss Trask had been hired by the Wheelers to be Honey’s governess. As Honey had grown up and become more independent, Miss Trask had stayed on and taken over the running of the busy Wheeler household. In a way, she was like a mother to Honey and Jim, since Mrs. Wheeler often went with her husband on business trips. “Isn’t it just like her to think of something like that?” Honey asked.
    “For reasons I cannot explain, I am suddenly overcome with anticipation of the evening’s festivities,” Mart said in a dry tone. “Shall we proceed?”
    Laughing, the Bob-Whites set off down the path to Mr. Maypenny’s.
    When they reached the tiny clearing, they saw the glow of the slow fire Mr. Maypenny used for outdoor cooking, with the big iron kettle hanging above it. Dan was tending the fire, and he waved as he saw his friends approaching.
    “Where’s David Maypenny?” Trixie asked.
    “Inside,” Dan replied.
    “Will you introduce us?” Honey asked.
    Dan hesitated for a moment. “Mr. Maypenny’s inside. He can introduce you. David’s his nephew, after all.”
    Trixie looked sharply at Dan. The boy lowered his head and pretended to inspect the fire. Again she was struck by the feeling that Dan did not like David Maypenny. Realizing that the others were going into