The Mystery of the Velvet Gown

wonder if she knows about it.”
    “Miss Trask doesn’t think she does,” Trixie answered.
    “Well, maybe the young man is innocent,” Mrs. Belden sighed. “Perhaps it was someone else in the jewelry store. He hasn’t been proven guilty yet.”
    “True,” Trixie agreed, “but—” She stopped, deciding it was best not to arouse her mother’s suspicions by showing too much interest in Peter Ashbury.
    “But what?” Mrs. Belden asked.
    “Nothing.” Trixie shrugged.
    Mart had been quiet throughout the conversation, but now he intervened. “Hey, squaw,” he teased, “there’s about an inch of dust on everything in the den.” He tossed her a dustcloth. “Flitting off to museums for the day doesn’t get your chores done.”
    “Oh, yes,” Mrs. Belden said. “That’s one of things I didn’t get done today. Would you please dust, Trixie?”
    “Sure, Moms, and thanks again for giving me the day off.”
    “I’m afraid you won’t have the evening off,” her mother told her. “Your father and I are planning to go into town to see a movie and then have dinner. I’ll have hamburgers and some other things ready for you here. I’m making plenty, so if you’d like to have Jim and Honey for dinner, it would be fine with me. You just have to be sure to keep Bobby entertained until his bedtime.”
    “No small feat, I might add,” Mart said. “That’s for sure,” Mrs. Belden sighed. “Between him and Reddy with that cast on, I’m surprised I got anything done today!”
    “Thanks, Moms!” Trixie cried, giving her mother a quick hug. “It would be perfectly perfect to have Honey and Jim come for dinner. In fact, I’ll call them right now.”
    “Dusting first,” Mrs. Belden reminded her, “and then the phone call.”
    “Okay,” Trixie agreed, and she headed for the den.
    Mart followed her. “You were just about ready to open mouth and insert foot out there,” he said in a whisper.
    “I know,” Trixie giggled. “Thanks for getting me off the hook by changing the subject. I almost said something about you-know-what.”
    She quickly dusted the room while Mart sprawled out, lounging lazily on the couch.
    “You missed a spot near the lamp”—he pointed—“and near the bookcase. I hope you’ll be able to pass the white-glove test,” he teased.
    “I think you’ve already passed the obnoxious test,” Trixie sniffed.
    “Peace, peace,” Mart begged. “I’m really anxiously awaiting for you to finish so I can haul you upstairs and get the rest of the story about ‘you-know-what,’ ” he whispered.
    “You wouldn’t think of helping me....“
    “Me?” Mart gasped. “Why, I—”
    Trixie laughed at his shocked expression. “Yes, you! Hey,” she said, suddenly changing the subject, “where are Brian and Dad? I haven’t seen either one of them today.”
    “Dad took the car in for a tune-up, and Brian is over at the Wheelers’ with Jim. They’re helping Regan with the horses. In fact, I just came from there before you got home. Regan is pretty annoyed with us, you know. Under the threat of never being able to ride again, we all have to get over there and exercise the horses.”
    Trixie groaned. “I do feel guilty about that. It’s just that it’s so hard to do everything. We’ve all been so busy lately. Regan is such a good sport about it, though—I don’t want to get on his bad side.”
    “Well, I think Regan’s good humor is fading fast, so I promised him we’d all be there bright and early tomorrow morning for a ride.“
    “Okay,” Trixie agreed. She finished dusting the last piece of furniture and went into the kitchen to put away the cloth and polish.
    Brian came in the back door carrying Bobby, who was covered with snow. “Look what I found in a snowdrift!” Brian laughed.
    “Brian threw me in the snowdrift, then he founded me there.” The little boy chortled happily as Brian set him down.
    “Oh, no!” Mrs. Belden wailed. “My clean floor—now look at it!”
    “Sorry, Moms,” Brian apologized as he scooped Bobby up in his arms again. “I’ll take him outside and de-snow him first.”
    When Brian and Bobby had returned and Trixie was helping her little brother out of his wet snowsuit, Brian leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Get on the hot line, kid. Your partner has something to tell you. She’s already filled Jim and me in on the Ashbury news.”
    Trixie nodded, then nonchalantly announced that she was going to call and invite Jim and