The Secret of the Other Mansion

Part Two

Author’s note:

In Part One, we learned that Brian, Mart, and Jim are away at camp. Matthew and Honey Wheeler have moved to Sleepyside after Madeleine’s death. They are preparing to take a horseback ride to explore their property. Katie and James Frayne are still alive in this universe, although there were hints that Uncle James isn’t in the best of health. Now, for the second part of “The Secret of the Other Mansion.”

Chapter 4

Matthew and Honey turned their horses northeast, following one of the many trails in the forest preserve. Matthew led the way on his big black gelding, Jupiter, while Honey followed on her horse, Strawberry. Both were relatively quiet as they took in the sights of the land around them.

“Where are we riding to, Daddy?” Honey asked, breaking the silence.

“I want to show you the game preserve,” her father explained. “Someday, I’ll hire a gamekeeper to put out salt blocks. That way, we’ll be able to watch the deer that come to lick them.”

“And will we just watch the deer, or do you have more sinister intentions?” she inquired with a giggle, knowing her father’s love of hunting.

Matthew grinned. “My lips are sealed, sweetheart.”

It was good to hear Honey’s laugh. She had been a jovial baby, good-natured and well-behaved. Once she was old enough, Madeleine had shipped her off to boarding school and summer camps. It was then that his daughter’s health problems began. Matthew suspected that her poor health stemmed from unhappiness, but even if he explained this to his wife, he knew Madeleine wouldn’t believe him.

It had been almost a year since Madeleine died. In that time, Matthew and Honey had grown closer. He refused to send her back to her boarding school, instead hiring Miss Trask to be her instructor, as well as her governess. Honey liked that arrangement, and slowly, her health began to improve. Matthew wasn’t sure where she would attend school this coming year, but it was only July. He had over a month to worry about that.

“So, how do you like the property?” he asked.

Honey looked around at the forest and smiled at the wonder of it all. She’d been used to city life, and the woods here seemed like something out of a fairy tale. “I love it,” she replied honestly. “Do we own all of it?”

“Most of it. And if I have my way, we’ll own all of it eventually,” he said with a grin. He had plans to offer Elijah Maypenny a good chunk of change for the pie-shaped parcel of land in the center of the preserve. He was sure the old hermit would take him up on his offer. “Do you like the servants?”

Honey nodded. “Yes, they’re all very nice. I don’t think Rachel is happy, though. I heard her complaining to Miss Trask about the late supper hour. She’s used to preparing dinner much earlier.”

“Well, if she wants to quit, I’m sure we can find another cook to replace her.”

“How do you like the servants, Daddy?” In spite of Honey’s nonchalant tone, she had an impish twinkle in her amber-colored eyes.

Matthew glanced suspiciously at his daughter. “Any particular servant you’re wondering about?”

Honey giggled. “Oh, I was just wondering how you liked Celia.”

He groaned and rolled his eyes. “I specifically told the employment agency that I didn’t want any single ladies to be suggested for any position. A wealthy widower has to be on the lookout for money-hungry scavengers. But, what do they send me? A young, pretty blonde on the prowl for a husband.”

Honey tittered at her father’s disdain. “Oh, so you think she’s pretty,” she teased.

Her father gave her a stern look and playfully tapped her knee with his riding crop.

“Yes, she is pretty, but she’s a bit too young for me,” Matthew admitted. “Besides, I’m wagering that she only has dollar signs in her eyes when she looks at me.”

“There’s more to you than money, Daddy,” she argued. “For an old guy, you’re very handsome.”

Matthew grinned and shook his riding crop at his daughter. “For an old guy? I’ll have you know that I’m only thirty-six! I don’t think the nursing home is ready for my application, yet.”

“You know what I mean, Daddy. I think you’re very good-looking. I don’t blame Celia a bit for flirting with you.”

“I have half a mind to fire her—”

“Oh, Daddy! You wouldn’t fire Celia, would you?” Honey interrupted, worry evident in her voice. “I know she bothers you, but she’s been very kind to me. Most of the servants are stuffy, but she’s been a real friend. I like her.”

“Well, if you like her so well, I suppose I’ll give her a second chance. Maybe I’ll just hire a young, handsome chauffer to distract her,” Matthew suggested with a wink.

The pair came to a fork in the path. Tails swishing, the horses stood still waiting for their riders to choose a direction.

“Which way do we go, Daddy?” Honey asked.

“Let’s try this way,” he answered, turning Jupiter to the wooded path to the east.

Father and daughter hadn’t gone far before they realized the wooded path led to a driveway. Matthew gasped as he spied the name “Frayne” on the mailbox and immediately thought of his best friend from his college days.

“Daddy, this is somebody’s driveway,” Honey remarked nervously. “What if they don’t like us riding our horses up here?”

“I just want to see where it leads,” her father explained.

Suddenly, a large, freshly painted gray and yellow house appeared. Although it wasn’t as big as Manor House, it was almost as grand. Colorful flowers lined the beds in front of the house. The hedges were neatly trimmed, and the grass was freshly mown.

“What a beautiful house!” Honey gushed. “I wonder who lives here.”

“I’m not sure. The only neighbor I’ve met so far has been Peter Belden, the banker.”

“Is he the one with the daughter?” she asked hopefully.

“Yes,” her father mumbled. He was wondering who by the name of Frayne lived here.

Could it be some of Win’s family? he thought to himself.

“I hate to cut our ride short, Daddy, but what if Mr. Belden’s daughter comes by the house? I wouldn’t want to miss her visit. Maybe we should head home.”

Matthew looked curiously at the gray and yellow mansion, and then back at his daughter’s pleading eyes. “All right, Honey. Let’s go home.” He turned Jupiter down the path leading to the Manor House.

I’ll come back later and meet these neighbors, he promised himself.

Chapter 5

Trixie spent her morning caring for her six-year-old brother, Bobby. She wistfully stared out of the living room window, wondering how her day might’ve been different if she had a friend that lived nearby. The Beldens and Fraynes lived farther out in the country than most of her friends at school, so with Jim and her brothers being away at camp, Trixie was very lonely.

As Trixie and Bobby finished their lunch, the phone rang. Helen hurried into the room and picked up the receiver.

“Belden residence,” she politely answered. “Hello, Katie…How awful! I’m sorry to hear that…Yes, maybe you can make the next one…Hope he gets to feeling better…Let us know if you need anything…Goodbye.”

Helen hung up the phone. She grinned as she felt her daughter’s curious gaze upon her. “That was Mrs. Frayne,” she explained. “It seems Uncle James has become quite ill, and she needs to take him in to see Dr. Ferris. He collapsed after he returned home from your walk.”

“Gleeps!” Trixie exclaimed. “I hope he gets better. I sure would hate for anything to happen to Uncle James, especially with Jim away.”

“Mrs. Frayne will take good care of him,” Helen assured, trying to hide the worry from her voice.

“Oh, Moms, I’m so glad that Jim’s mom is there! Why, if she hadn’t been there, Uncle James might’ve collapsed in the driveway and just laid there for hours!”

“Yes,” Helen agreed. “Katie and Jim’s presence has been the best medicine for James.”

“I ‘dore Uncle James. He lets me chase Queenie,” Bobby replied, finishing up his Crabapple Special. “Me an’ Reddy almos’ caughted her, too.”

Trixie smiled. Before Jim and his mother moved here, Uncle James would’ve never allowed that. Quite often, he had chased Mart and Trixie out of his yard.

“Bobby, you be careful,” his mother cautioned. “That nasty old hen could scratch you.”

“Oh, Moms!” Trixie giggled. “Bobby can’t catch Queenie, anyway. But he sure has fun trying. And if you ask me, Uncle James almost has as much fun watching.”

“Uncle James readed Peter Rabbit to me a zillion times when I was sick last summer from eatin’ that poison ivy,” Bobby proclaimed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Somehow, he had managed to smear peanut butter and crabapple jelly in his blond eyebrows.

Helen sighed. “I remember that. I hope you learned your lesson and never try that again.”

Bobby’s eyes grew wide, and he vigorously shook his sandy curls. “I learnded my lesson, Moms. But it wasn’t my fault. I heared Mart an’ Brian talkin’ ‘bout the Indians gettin’ ‘munity by doin’ that, an’ I thoughted I try it. I won’t ever do it again.”

He took a rather noisy gulp of his milk. “Mart an’ Brian don’t know nuffin’, anyways,” he continued after wiping off his milk moustache. “I still gotted poison ivy after I eated it.”

“What did Mart teach you about poison ivy, Bobby?” Trixie prompted.

Bobby stuck up three gooey fingers. “Leaflets three, let ‘em be.” The sticky little boy grinned impishly and started giggling. “Or as Mart put it, ‘Avoid trifocal leaves’.”

Trixie laughed as well. “You mean ‘trifoliate’, not ‘trifocal’.”

Helen smiled at her children. “Well, leave it to Mart to turn something so simple into something confusing.” She glanced at the apple-shaped clock on the wall. “Oh, dear. It’s time for me to leave for my Garden Club meeting. Will you two be all right here by yourselves?”

“We’ll be fine, Moms,” Trixie assured her with a nod.

“If you could do some weeding in the garden, I’d appreciate it,” Helen instructed as she gathered her purse and car keys.

Trixie followed her mother outside to the car. “I’ll do the weeding, and I’ll take good care of Bobby, Moms.”

Helen opened the driver’s side door and then slid behind the wheel of the family station wagon. “You might keep him with you while you’re in the garden. You never can tell what kind of trouble Bobby will get into.”

“You can say that again!” Trixie snorted.

“Don’t forget to gather the eggs and feed and water the chickens,” Helen continued, ignoring her daughter’s remark. “I made a big pitcher of lemonade and put it in the fridge. There are plenty of cookies in the crock in case you want a snack later. Please don’t let Bobby eat too many.”

Trixie leaned into the car and gave her mother a swift kiss on the cheek. “Have a great time, Moms!” She waved as her mother pulled out of the crabapple tree-lined driveway.

True to her word, Trixie went back inside and washed the lunch dishes and did a little dusting. After Bobby rested for a bit, she decided to take him outside so she could weed and gather the eggs.

“Come on, Bobby. Let’s go outside for a little bit.”

The little boy pouted grumpily. “I don’t wanna go outside. It’s too hot.”

“I need to pull some weeds and gather the eggs,” Trixie informed him.

“If we go out, can I put on my bathing suit an’ have you squirt me with the hose?” he inquired hopefully.

“Maybe later,” Trixie placated. “Right now, I need to weed the garden. Can you be a big boy and help me?”

Bobby cheered up immediately. “I can holp. Moms let me holp her this morning.”

“Afterward, we can have lemonade and cookies on the terrace,” she said, holding out a sandal for Bobby to put on his foot.

His pout returned. “I don’t wanna wear sandals. It’s too hot, an’ they make my feet stink.”

“That’s true,” Trixie giggled. “I suppose you can go without them, if you promise to be careful.”

They made their way to the garden out back. Bobby ran ahead of her and tripped over an exposed tree root.

“Oh, Bobby,” she cried impatiently. “Must you trip over roots every single time?”

“Not every single time. Once I tripped over a big black snake, right here. He was so long,” he said, stretching out his arms full length. “An’ he didn’t even bite me, or anything.”

“Of course he didn’t bite you. Snakes don’t go around biting people.” Trixie left her little brother alone in the garden and went to feed and water the chickens. She returned to the garden and began carefully pulling out the weeds. “These tomato plants are awfully dry. I’d better water them.”

She hurried to get the water hose from the side of the house. While she was unwinding it, her eagle eyes caught a red blur moving around the clearing at Ten Acres. Trixie squinted her eyes and tried to focus on the blob.

Could Jim have come home early? she wondered.

Trixie moved closer to the Belden-Frayne property border to get a better look. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she decided to investigate. She ran back to the garden to get Bobby, but she didn’t see him anywhere.

“Bobby!” she hollered. “Bobby, where are you?”

After what seemed like an eternity, she heard his shriek. Panic seized her at his cry of alarm. When Bobby sounded like that, it usually meant that he was in serious trouble.

“What’s the matter, Bobby? Where are you?” she called.

“I’m here,” he called, waving a forked stick. “I was chasin’ a snake, but you scareded him away when you yelled.” Once again, his pout returned.

“Is that all?” Trixie huffed in exasperation. “I was afraid you’d gotten hurt. Now, leave that stupid snake alone, and come with me. We’re going to Ten Acres.”

“Why are we goin’ there?” Bobby asked.

“I need to investigate,” she explained patiently. “I saw something, and I want to see what it was.”

“After we’re done ‘vestigatin’, can I poke that snake again?”

Trixie rolled her eyes and pulled her little brother toward the path leading to the Fraynes’. The large copperhead that had been ready to strike slithered off into the woods.

Credits:

Thank you once again to my stupendous editors, Kaye and Kathy! You all are the best! Love you both!

Thank you to Carol for finding the perfect graphics.

For the record, I quoted some of “The Secret of the Mansion” as well as “The Gatehouse Mystery.”

Since I’ve tortured Bobby so much in some of my stories, I decided to let him skip the snakebite. Who knows what awaits the Bobster in the future!