The Mystery of the Uninvited Ghost

try to get out of saddling a horse, can’t I? I’m more at home on a motorbike!”
    “Let me help you,” Dan offered.
    “And don’t worry about cleaning tack when you get back,” Regan added. “I’ll see that Strawberry’s taken care of.”
    “I’m riding Strawberry today,” Di stated positively. “That leaves Starlight for you,” Regan told Hallie. “Are you sure you can manage?”
    Trixie doubted that her cousin could handle Starlight. Generously she told Hallie, “You take Susie, and I’ll ride Starlight.” Pertly she informed Regan, “And I’ll clean her tack, too.”
    “See that you do, missy,” Regan retorted.
    “That was nice of you, Trixie,” Honey said warmly. “Why not?” Trixie returned. “She’s my relative.” The girls enjoyed their ride to Mr. Maypenny’s cottage. The old gamekeeper had been told about the lost ring and asked if it had been found.
    “No, not yet,” Dan said firmly.
    The girls kept careful track of the time to be sure that they’d be home when Miss Trask returned from her shopping expedition. As they were leaving, Mr. Maypenny asked Dan, “Did Regan send an answer to my note?”
    Dan put a hand in his pocket. He looked worried. “I must have left my wallet at the stable. I’ll ride up for it later.”
    “Don’t bother,” Honey told Dan. “Trixie and I will be glad to bring it back to you.”
    “Thanks.”
    Unused to Hallie’s hands, Susie was becoming skittish. Dan spoke soothingly to the small black mare and smoothed a flank with a gentle hand. He stepped off the trail to allow the others to fall in line. He waved as they left the clearing but he didn’t smile at them. Dan hadn’t smiled much at anything lately.
    “Dan’s an okay kid,” Hallie declared. Trixie agreed.
    At the Manor House stable, Hallie asked, “This beast doesn’t bite, does she? Looks like I’m stuck with unsaddling her after all. I’ll stay close to Di and do what she does.”
    Trixie grinned and went with Honey to find Regan.
    “Dan must have left his wallet on my desk,” Regan told them. “He was messing around there when Tom asked him to give a hand with Jupiter.” Regan went to the ancient rolltop desk in the comer of the tack room and raised the lid.
    “Yep, here it is. Give me a minute while I write a note to Mr. Maypenny, will you?” Regan reached into a slot for paper but pulled out a folded handkerchief instead. “Now, how’d that get in there?”
    Regan was a careful housekeeper. In his stable, all must be in order, even notepaper.
    “That’s Dan’s handkerchief,” Honey said. “I embroidered those initials when I gave him a set of handkerchiefs for his birthday.”
    Regan thrust it forward. “Take it back to him and tell him to put it in his pocket, where it belongs, and not in my—” Regan’s words ran down. Slowly he unfolded the linen square. “There’s something here.” Trixie caught the glint of tiny rainbows. Then Regan exposed a golden tulip whose fluted throat was filled with diamonds!
    Honey clasped hands under her chin and squealed, “Juliana’s ring!” Trixie stared silently at her, and Honey finished slowly, “But—D-Dan said—”
    Trixie swallowed hard. “I know. We heard him tell Mr. Maypenny that the ring hadn’t been found yet.”
    “Yet?” Regan repeated. In the cup of his hand, the diamonds glinted like accusing eyes.
    “When he found it, why didn’t he tell us?” Honey asked. “He knows how upset Juliana is. He knows we’re all worried.”
    For a long moment, the three stared at the ring. Then Regan pushed it down on the tip of the little finger of his right hand. Anxiously Honey asked, “What are you going to do?”
    “I must give this ring to your mother, so she can return it to Juliana,” Regan said.
    “Regan, you can’t do that till we’ve talked to Dan,” Trixie argued. “Just because he—he—” Trixie couldn’t say “lied,” since she had no clue as to how that ring got into Dan Mangan’s handkerchief. Instead she pleaded, “Dan’s your nephew, Regan. You have to wait and hear his side of the story.”
    “I’ll return the ring, then talk to Dan,” Regan decided. He strode up the graveled path that led to the house.
    “Regan, please!” Trixie begged.
    Honey put a hand on Trixie’s arm to keep her from following. “It’ll be all right, Trixie. Miss Trask’ll take care of it.” Together, Miss Trask and Regan managed the estate, even to the point of advising or disciplining