Author's Note

Enid Blyton employed a floating timeline in the Famous Five books, meaning that like the Simpsons, time passes but characters do not age at the same rate. Blyton tells us that they were 10, 11 and 12 in book one, and that in Five Fall Into Adventure, Julian is 16. Where possible I will use these ages when referring to them and their adventures during the Blyton years. However, I will on occasion allow my timeline to float a little too. I will not draw upon any adventures or incidents in the Famous Five books by other authors.

And finally, the usual disclaimers apply. I am not Enid Blyton not least because she died in 1968. I don't make any money from this. I am just a massive fan for whom the Famous Five was a huge influence during my childhood, and I enjoy seeing them grow up.

Chapter 1- An Unwelcome Reunion

'You were fantastic darling!' said Terry. 'I really should talk you into performing every night.'

Gina laughed and gave him a hug. 'I don't think I'd be up to performing every night. I'm exhausted, I'm not in as good shape as I was.'

'You look pretty good from where I'm standing?'

'Stop that!' she said, giving him a playful swipe.

'What? Just because a painting isn't to my taste, doesn't mean that I can't appreciate its beauty.'

'You do say the sweetest things… I think' she said, giving him another squeeze. Drawing back from the embrace, Gina noticed her personal assistant, showing a man into her office. He looked over and as their eyes met, she had to clutch Terry's arm to steady herself 'Oh god, no!'

'Darling, what's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost.'

'My cousin's here.'

Terry turned in time to see only a leg vanishing through the doorway, he smoothed a hand over already impeccable hair. 'Excellent! I haven't seen Dick in ages.'

'It's not Dick. It's one of my other cousins, Dick's brother actually, but we don't get on. I suppose I'd better go and see what he wants.'

'Do you want me to come with you?'

'No, it's fine, I'll see you later.'

55555

Gina took a deep breath before entering her office, I'm not a child anymore, Julian has no authority over me, she though. She decided against changing her clothes, dealing with Julian whilst still dressed in a costume of glittering sequins and skimpy lace would, she thought put him on edge.

'Julian,' she said, gliding into her office in heels that made her almost as tall as him,' I'd say what a pleasant surprise, but then we'd both know that I'm lying, wouldn't we?' She walked straight past him, sat down in her office chair, and met his thunderous glare with one of equal ferocity. Sitting whilst he stood would usually put her at a disadvantage, but as she crossed one toned leg over the other, she knew that she was presenting Julian with a revealing view. Nothing would make him more uncomfortable than trying to keep his eyes from straying.

'What was that? When your mother said you owned a club I had no idea that it was anything like this, does she? No,' he said, almost to himself, 'she mustn't know or she would have at least warned me. She wouldn't have wanted me to see you parading yourself like a common showgirl dressed like: that!

'How could you? I mean – you! George?' You hated being a girl all the time we were growing up and here you are. And let me tell you my girl, nobody in this club tonight had any doubts that you are a woman!'

'You actually saw me perform?' Oh, this just gets better, she thought as Julian's cool facade slipped, giving a rare glimpse of passion beneath that stiff upper lip. Gina laughed, the sound held little humour, but it gave her the discrete opportunity to take a couple of deep lungful's of air. Either the costume must be tighter than she had realised or her office was stuffy tonight.

'You find this funny?' he asked.

'As a matter of fact I do,' she said, swinging from side to side in her chair. 'And to answer your question, no Mother doesn't know what kind of club this is. She assumes it's a gentlemen's club, which to a certain extent it is. Don't roll your eyes at me like that Julian. Surely you're a man of the world?' Gina bit her lip, berating herself for failing to keep the trace of a question from the statement.

Allowing herself to look at Julian objectively, Gina had to admit that the years had been generous to him. Julian the boy, with his public school upper-class upbringing and a maturity beyond his years, had often seemed arrogant. Adulthood had transmuted this into the reassuring confidence required of the English ruling class. He could be the poster boy for the British Empire; with his blond hair, determined jaw, and a slight hint of stubble which only emphasised an otherwise flawless complexion. Only his eyes imbued with the silken warmth of melted chocolate prevented Julian from looking like he had been sculpted from ice. I doubt that he'd been hiding himself away since he broke off his engagement with Annabella, Gina mused before continuing.

'Surely you frequent clubs like mine from time to time?'

'No, as it happens I don't waste my time in places like this. I think you may be confusing me with Dick!'

'Don't you dare say a word against Dick. As if I could ever confuse the two of you. He was there for me, he treated me with respect, he didn't lie to me, he didn't...' Gina bit her lip. Even after all this time it choked her to think about it let alone to say his name. Not so long ago she had always tried to look and act like a boy, which included keeping tears at bay, and some habits were hard to break. Besides, she wouldn't give Julian the satisfaction of seeing her cry. 'And it's Gina now, not George,' she said, with a calmness that she didn't feel.

55555

Julian knew what Gina had been about to say, and what she was thinking. He would not have believed it possible that Gina's continuing hatred could cause him physical pain, but it did. He took a couple of steadying breaths, but her perfume infused the air and he felt like his lungs were filling with her, with Gina. Gina? He tried the name out in his mind and found that he liked it.

'I'm sorry; I didn't mean to be so angry, just it was a bit of a shock. When I saw you dancing up there, I just couldn't believe my eyes. You look so different now. You always hated being a girl but if your performance was anything to go by…' He felt himself flush by his admission of having watched her dance, 'well, you aren't boyish anymore.'

55555

If Julian had taken her regained calmness as some kind of conciliation on her part, he was mistaken.

'Why are you here?' she demanded.

'Your mother asked me to come, she's been trying to contact you for two days.'

Damn, she thought. She hadn't given her new address and telephone number to her mother yet. If she had, she could have spoken to her mother and avoided this unwelcome visit.

Until two weeks ago, Gina had lived here, in the flat above the club. She and Terry had been so busy establishing the club that she had never got around to finding herself somewhere permanent until recently. She didn't want to say any of this to Julian though; she didn't want to have to tell him where she really lived.

'I've had problems with the line,' she said, not meeting his eyes. Even now, despite everything, it felt wrong lying to him. 'Is Mother ok?' she asked.

'As a matter of fact she isn't. She isn't ill' he said, seeing the panic on her face. 'It's your father, he's gone missing.'

Gina set her expression to one of indifference. 'He's probably just wandered off with his test tubes and forgotten the time.' she said.

'So did your mother… two weeks ago… Now she's worried and so am I. There have been things, signs, just little things really that there may be some foul play. She needs you to go home, she wants us all there, Anne and Dick too. She's hoping that we may be able to work out what's happened.'

Gina laughed 'Don't you think we are a little old for adventures, Julian? Let the police handle it. If he's really gone, well, Mother will be better off without him. He's almost as bad a husband as he is a father.'

Julian's anger at her disrespect was such that it rendered him speechless for a few seconds. 'Your father is a great man; he has done amazing service for our country.'

'Yes well 'the country' never had to live with him did it?' Gina retorted. 'Don't be so surprised Julian, he was involved, I hate him just as much as I hate you!'

55555

Her words flew through the air and landed on Julian like a slap. He had hoped that in the three years since he had last seen her that she would have loosened up a little. Who was he kidding? Gina had always been stubborn, she would never let it go. He should have known that.

'Your mother wants you home, tomorrow. Pack some things; I'll be here in the morning at nine o'clock sharp!'

'Don't you dare order me around!' Gina jumped up out of her chair and squared up to him. 'You have no idea what commitments I may have. You just think I'm going to swan off with you when you turn up at my club out of the blue.'

'Listen, if you think I am relishing the idea of spending three hours in a car with you then you are mistaken. Aunt Fanny has been a second mother to me since I was eleven years old, and she wants us there. Regardless of your feelings for me or your father you owe it to your mother to be there for her.'

Gina broke eye contact, ashamed that Julian had thought that she was refusing to go to her mother's aid 'Of course I'll be there for Mother, but I'll go home because I want to, not because you're telling me to go,'

'Why must you make everything so confrontational? I've come here to this… place…because your mother needs us. Why can't you just accept my help and guidance for once, for her sake?'

'Your help and guidance? Why of course, you can help me decide what to pack, perhaps a few dresses like this one?' She pirouetted, giving Julian a 360-degree view, before moving closer to him; so close that, despite her heels, she had to raise her head to make eye contact with him. 'As for guidance, well, you never said whether you enjoyed my performance earlier.'

'You were very agile,' he offered. 'Enough! It's late. Be ready for nine. Don't keep me waiting.' With that, he turned and thundered out of her office.

55555

'Yes I suppose it is a bit late for you Julian, run home to your Ovaltineand slippers,' Gina countered half to herself. By the slight pause in his step though, she knew that he had heard.