The Mystery of the Velvet Gown

her attention to the cast, Trixie walked slowly to the wings and began setting up the painting supplies.
    “What’s wrong, Trixie?” Jim asked. “I thought you were so excited about everyone working together on this production. Are you losing interest?”
    “Actually, Jim, my interest is somewhere else right now,” Trixie responded absentmindedly.
    “I’ve heard rumblings along those lines from Mart and Brian.”
    “What have they been saying?” Trixie demanded hotly.
    “Now, now,” Jim cautioned her. “You always blame my temper on my red hair. What am I going to blame yours on, those curls?”
    Trixie blushed and ran her fingers through her hair self-consciously. “Oh, Jim, you know how they make fun of me,” she cried, “and I know I’m right about this!”
    “Don’t underestimate them,” Jim said gently. “They just don’t want you getting too carried away. Besides, Trixie Belden, I have a bone to pick with you. Why didn’t you let me in on any of your suspicions? I realize that I’m not part of the Belden-Wheeler detective team, but I certainly have an interest in what you’re doing.”
    “It all happened so fast,” Trixie said defensively, “and you know Honey and me when things start to happen.”
    “I know, I know,” Jim laughed, “but just don’t go taking a swan dive before you know how deep the water is, Trix.”
    Trixie smiled and said, “We’d better stop talking and start working. Everyone else is already hard at work, and you’re supposed to be setting an example, Mr. Senior Aide,” she added teasingly.
    Jim laughed and went to help a group of freshmen work on one of the set designs.
    As soon as class ended, Trixie ran to the costume room to meet Honey.
    “Honey,” she whispered as the other students filed past, “are the costumes from England with all the others?”
    “No,” Honey answered. “I don’t know where they are. I haven’t seen them since Miss Darcy opened the boxes in the auditorium yesterday.“
    “Hmmmmm,” Trixie said. “Okay. Come with me.”
    “I hope we’re going to the cafeteria. I’m famished, and it’s lunchtime,” Honey said as she followed Trixie down the hall.
    “I’m hungry, too, but we’ve got to do some sleuthing first. We’re going to take a look at that catalog.”
    “Trixie!” Honey cried. “We can’t just walk into Miss Darcy’s office. What if she comes in, or Peter Ashbury shows up, or—or—anything?” she concluded in exasperation.
    “No, no, Honey!” Trixie cried in dismay. “We’re not going to sneak into Miss Darcy’s office! She’ll be right there! I’ve already got an excuse for going to see her,” Trixie explained. “I asked Miss Darcy if you could look at the catalog. I told her you were very interested in costume design.”
    Honey sighed and gave Trixie a dubious look.
    “Don’t look at me like that, Honey,” Trixie said desperately. “I thought we were a team. Don’t you want to solve this mystery?”
    “You know I do, Trixie, and you know I think you’re terrifically smart about clues, and I trust your feelings, but....”
    “But what?” Trixie asked cautiously.
    “Well, this time I don’t know,” Honey replied uncomfortably. “There doesn’t seem to be that much to go on, and Miss Darcy is a friend of Miss Trask’s, and the more I’ve thought about it— Well, couldn’t we just go to Miss Trask and ask her to talk to Miss Darcy? I’m sure she wouldn’t tell us if something were wrong, but she might tell Miss Trask.”
    Trixie’s face was set with firm determination. She looked directly at Honey.
    “Honey Wheeler, I haven’t heard such squeamishness from you since we found the diamond ring on the floor of the gatehouse and you kept wanting to turn it over to the police.”
    “I know,” Honey sighed. “But it just seems kind of hard to believe that someone as nice as Miss Darcy and someone as handsome as Peter Ashbury—”
    Trixie hooted. “So that's it! What’s that line from Romeo and Juliet : ‘What’s in a name?’ Well, what’s in a face, Honey? Good-looking people can be involved in crime just as easily as anyone else, and so can ‘nice’ people.”
    “I know that. I just mean—well, if someone looks so nice, how could they...? You know what I mean,” Honey finished miserably.
    “I know,” Trixie reassured her. “But we’re wasting time. If we want to get to the drama office and still have time to eat lunch, we’d better hurry. All you have