"Nancy, you've been looking at dresses for hours now! Haven't you found a wedding dress yet?"

Nancy turned away from a rack of dresses she was looking through to smile at her friend. "Bess, you should know that I want my wedding to be perfect. And that includes finding the perfect dress." She turned back to the rack, taking a dress off the rack to hold it up to her. "Besides," she added. "Since when do you of all people get tired of shopping?"

"Since I became hungry hours ago," Bess retorted. "Now can we please finish up here? We can even come back if you want."

Nancy turned back to her friend. After a moment, she finally said, "All right. But we're coming back. I'm not going home until I find a dress."

"Fine. Let's go!"

They found a café not far from the bridal store. It was a small, quiet place, and the perfect place for relaxing.

Bess came to the table with a tray of food. As she sat down, Nancy asked, "So what's George up to that she couldn't come dress shopping with us? I was hoping she would come with us."

"Oh, she just said she would go, but not with me. Apparently she says I get easily distracted or something." Bess shrugged. "But whatever."

"I hope she doesn't mind the pink colored bridesmaid's dresses," Nancy said.

"It doesn't matter," Bess replied. "She had the opportunity to come, but she didn't, so she'll have to deal with it. Besides, it's your wedding, not hers. Our opinions don't matter."

Nancy smiled. Suddenly, her cell phone rang. She took it out of her purse, looked at the caller ID, then looked at Bess with an apologetic smile. Bess just rolled her eyes.

"Just answer it," Bess said, knowing it was Nancy's fiancé, Ned Nickerson.

As she opened the phone and put it to her ear, she looked at her friend and mouthed a silent 'thank you' before walking off for privacy.

"Hello?"

"Hey. How's it going?" Even as he spoke, Nancy could hear the smile in Ned's voice.

"Great," Nancy said. "Bess and I are dress shopping. I think I've just about narrowed my search down."

"That's good," Ned said. "Then you should be free this evening?"

"What did you have planned?" she asked.

"Dinner, sometime around seven tonight? At that Italian restaurant we like."

"Sounds good," she said. Then her voice changed as she softly said, "I love you."

"I love you, too," he replied. "See you tonight."

When Ned picked her up at quarter to seven that evening, she was ready at the door. When Ned noted her flowing white skirt along with a tank top and high heels, making her outfit dressy but not too dressy, he whistled, a playful grin on his face. She blushed. "Are you ready?" she asked him, and he nodded as he took her hand gently in his.

"You look great," he said, giving her a quick kiss.

"Thanks," she replied. She took his hand as they walked toward his car. "You look pretty good yourself."

He sighed dramatically. "I try," he said.

Nancy laughed as Ned opened the passenger side door for her. He waited until she was in to get in on his side. They then left her house.

--

They arrived at the restaurant at seven o'clock sharp. They were seated in an especially quiet area of the restaurant that gave them plenty of privacy.

"It seems like we can never get a moment alone anymore," Nancy commented.

"I know," Ned replied. "The wedding takes a lot of work."

"It's very time consuming," Nancy agreed, then added, "It'll be worth it, though."

Ned smiled back and kissed her. "Of course it will."

The waiter brought their food then, and the topic was changed.

When they finished eating, Ned paid the bill and the young couple left the restaurant, hand in hand.

--

They chose to take a stroll on a nearby path that led to the lake. They had gone down this trail several times, one time being the evening Ned proposed to Nancy—the night she officially became engaged. It was a very romantic place to be for any couple, but especially for them.

Ned pulled her close as they walked, and she rested her head on his shoulder. Ned kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Nancy Drew," he said.

"I love you, too," Nancy replied. She sighed. "I can't wait for the wedding."

"Me either," Ned said.

"It'll be wonderful," Nancy said softly.

They walked in silence for a long moment. Suddenly, Ned stopped short.

"What's wrong?" Nancy asked.

"I thought I heard someone," he replied. They were quiet a moment.

"I don't hear anything," Nancy said.

"Maybe I'm hearing things," Ned said.

But he wasn't. When an unknown person jumped out at Nancy, Ned was ready and immediately reacted. However, he soon found himself being pulled back by a second attacker.

The man holding Nancy had a hand clasped tight over her mouth, using his other hand to hold her hands behind her. Ned fought until he was able to break free temporarily. He immediately yanked the other man away from his fiancé.

"Nancy, run," he yelled. "Get out of here. Get help."

Nancy turned very reluctantly and started to run, but wasn't completely surprised to be grabbed once again. She managed a scream before the attacker held a cloth soaked with what had to be chloroform over her nose and mouth. She struggled and struggled, but knew it was useless. Nancy managed one last short struggle before suddenly, she lost consciousness.