The Mystery of the Velvet Gown

trip’ with Reddy. He’s made a tent with an old blanket.”
    Trixie related the whole story to her brothers. “And what do you make out of all this?” Brian asked when she’d finished.
    “That’s the trouble,” Trixie sighed. “I definitely think those costumes and the catalog have something to do with it, but now we know that Peter Ashbury is a gemolgist and that he’s married, and I can’t figure out if Miss Darcy knows it, too, and is working with him, or—” Trixie stopped and her eyes widened. “That’s it! He must be blackmailing her. Maybe he knows where her father is!”
    “But the newspaper article said that Ashbury’s been living in New York for the past six months,” Brian pointed out.
    “That’s true,” Trixie mused. “But those costumes are from England, and that’s where Miss Darcy’s father is. And come to think of it,”
    Trixie said slowly, raising her eyes to look at her brothers, “that’s where Miss Darcy was—up until six months ago...
    At that moment, Bobby came running into the kitchen. “Hey, you guys, me and Reddy’s tummies are grumbling.”
    “And what are they grumbling about?” Mart teased.
    “They’re hungry!” Bobby exclaimed. “And Reddy’s tired of playing camping trip.”
    “Oh, no!” Trixie cried. “I completely forgot about the baked beans Moms left in the oven.” She quickly grabbed two potholders.
    “Hmmmm, charred beans is going to be more like it,” Mart said, surveying the steaming dish Trixie had gingerly removed from the oven.
    “Mart, why don’t you try helping instead of criticizing,” she snapped.
    “Okay, okay!” he cried. “I’ll fry the hamburgers. At least we’ll have something to eat.”
    After dinner, Brian said that he and Mart would do the dishes—overriding Mart’s howl of protest.
    “I’ll read to Bobby for a while,” Trixie offered gratefully. She helped the little boy get ready for bed, then tucked him in. She began to feel very sleepy herself, though, as she read to him.
    It's been a long day , Trixie sighed to herself. She glanced at Bobby. He was sound asleep, holding his teddy bear. Trixie kissed him lightly on the forehead and crept downstairs, where she found Mart and Brian watching television.
    “Well, are you ready to tell us all your fantastic deductions, Miss Sherlock?” Mart asked.
    Trixie yawned and stretched. “I’m too tired to tell deductions from reductions right now.” She yawned again. “I’m going to hit the hay. See you bright and early for our ride.”
    It wasn’t that she didn’t want to tell Mart and Brian what she suspected, Trixie reasoned as she climbed the stairs. It was just that she wanted some time alone to really think things through, and she was exhausted. As she drifted off to sleep, though, questions kept running through her head. What's the connection between the costumes and Peter Ashbury? she wondered. And where does Miss Darcy fit in all of it?

    Trixie awoke the next day to bright winter sunlight streaming through her windows. She got up and quickly pulled on a pair of dungarees and two heavy sweaters. Got to bundle up for the ride, she reminded herself.
    Mart and Brian were already in the kitchen eating breakfast when Trixie came downstairs.
    “We were just about to come up and shag you out of bed, sleepyhead,” Brian said.
    The trio finished eating and donned heavy jackets. The morning was peacefully quiet as they walked over to Manor House. The only sound was the crunching of their footsteps through the crusty top layer of icy snow. Their boots sank into the six inches of soft powder beneath.
    Jim and Honey were waiting for them at the stable. Regan had already saddled the horses. “I have to encourage you to ride these poor brutes as much as I can,” he said gruffly.
    “Gee, we’re sorry, Regan, but it’s hard to get away sometimes, with all the other things we have to do,” Trixie explained.
    Regan sighed, but his green eyes were twinkling. “Well, you’ll only have yourselves to blame when spring rolls around and all we’ve got is a stableful of fat, lazy horses when you want to go riding every day.”
    Trixie swung up onto Lady, Honey took Strawberry, Jim rode Jupe, Brian chose Starlight, and Mart took Susie. They all started off at a slow gait.
    The horses picked their way along the snow-covered path, their breath creating smokelike clouds in the cold air.
    “They seem glad to be out,” Honey said, gently stroking Strawberry’s neck.