This story is set following the original Mystery Stories, to explain the minor differences in canon. Hope you enjoy!
Nancy Drew pulled her roadster to a stop in front of the handsome brick colonial on the tree-lined street. The heat of summer had not yet begun to abate, and the trees' leaves even seemed to droop a little. Nancy emerged from the car and smoothed the skirt of her pale blue and white checked dress, then placed her smart hat atop her golden curls, looking up at the house.
She had been coming here for three years now, and every time, her heart still beat a little harder. She wasn't sure why. The occupants had always been warm and welcoming to her, from the moment they had met. The call she had received a few days earlier, the call inviting her to make this visit... that had been just as warm and polite as any other.
She still felt nervous.
Nancy picked up her small purse and took measured steps up the front walk, moving with little haste despite the wilting heat. At nineteen, she was more mature than she had been; it made her smile when she realized she was now the same age Ned Nickerson had been when they had met. At the thought of him, his image came unbidden to mind: his dark, slightly curly hair, his expressive eyes, his square, handsome jaw and his muscular physique. They had both matured after they had met, and though they had been fast friends, he had become her special friend and her most frequent escort, and then their relationship had become more.
She didn't know exactly when his subtle hints that he saw their relationship eventually becoming permanent had gone from making her self-conscious and eager to change the subject, to quietly, even happily, accepting. He had been doing it for so long that it had become a joke among their friends, until Ned had been nearing graduation and the joke had gone from funny to pitiable. If Nancy hadn't returned his feelings, his clear and genuine affection for her, it would have been her responsibility to let him know, to release him so he could find happiness with someone else.
The thought of him with someone else, at first, had made her uneasy. Then she had realized that it made her feel an almost desperate jealousy. He was her special friend, her favorite escort. If he were to marry someone else, she would lose one of her dearest friends.
More than that, she would lose the man she loved.
A month earlier, before he had begun a training program in the city so he could start working at a large financial firm, Ned had taken Nancy to a beautiful French restaurant in the city. She had been able to sense his nervousness, so out of character for him, and had done everything she could to put him at ease. But a part of her had known.
By the end of that night—she glanced down at her gloved left hand, the bulge at the base of her left ring finger, as she climbed the steps up to the Nickersons' front door. By the end of that night, Ned had asked her to make him the happiest man in the world, by agreeing to be his bride. She had accepted with tears gleaming in her blue eyes.
Before she reached it, the door in front of her opened, revealing Edith Nickerson. Her future mother-in-law.
Nancy smiled immediately. "Good morning, Mrs. Nickerson. Thank you so much for inviting me."
Mrs. Nickerson waved a hand. "You've always been welcome here," she said, stepping aside so Nancy could come in. "Especially now. May I see it?"
Ned's mother hadn't seen Nancy wearing the ring yet. In fact, Nancy and Mrs. Nickerson hadn't seen each other since the engagement. Soon after Ned's proposal, Nancy had been invited to her aunt's apartment in New York for three weeks. Eloise had been delighted to spend time with her niece before the new school year began, and happy to discuss possible wedding plans with her.
Nancy took her glove off and displayed the ring for Ned's mother, who smiled happily. "Oh, Nancy. It looks so beautiful on you. I'm so glad you said yes."
Nancy blushed prettily. "I was so happy that Ned asked me," she admitted.
The kitchen windows were open to allow a breeze into the house, and Nancy watched as Ned's mother tied an apron around her waist. The radio was playing from the next room, and Nancy smiled at the orchestral swell before the singer's crooning voice came in, sweet as dark honey.
"I thought that we might make a few of Ned's favorite recipes for dinner," Ned's mother said. "So I can show them to you. I have some poached chicken, so we can have chicken salad for lunch and then get started." Ned's mother looked over at her with a smile, her intelligent blue eyes fixed on Nancy's face. "Does that sound all right? Ned should be home for dinner, so we can have a nice meal together."
"Oh!" Nancy smiled broadly. "Oh, yes, that sounds lovely, Mrs. Nickerson." Nancy hadn't seen Ned since she had returned from New York; he had been busy in the city, preparing for his job. Ned was so eager to start earning money, so he could set up a household and provide for Nancy.
Edith patted her arm. "Call me Edith," she said. "You'll be my daughter-in-law. I would like us to be friends."
"I would love that, too," Nancy admitted. "Edith."
Over lunch, Nancy shared the nascent plans she and her aunt had made during the trip, and Edith made gentle suggestions. She pulled out her wedding album and Nancy was fascinated by the photos of Ned's parents twenty-five years earlier. Ned very much resembled his father, and Nancy had always been sure that Edith must have been a beauty; she was still a very lovely woman. Nancy asked if Edith might want to come over and look at her own mother's wedding dress, veil, and accoutrements. Part of her discussion with Eloise was about how Nancy wanted to at least wear her mother's veil and pearl necklace, to feel like a part of her mother would be with her on her wedding day.
Nancy's mother had died when Nancy was young, and Nancy had been sad to realize that it was almost ten years ago, that her mother had now missed half her life. She couldn't introduce Ned to her mother and tell him how happy the handsome young man had made her. She couldn't tell her mother all about the mysteries she had solved, with Ned and with her good friends.
At least she had been able to have her mother for ten years. Nancy knew some girls who had never met their mothers, or who lost them at such a young age that they could hardly remember their mothers. Catherine Drew had taught Nancy well, though, and though she knew her father's household might go through some upheaval after her marriage, she was looking forward to being the mistress of her own home. It was going to be an adventure. Marriage to Ned was going to be an adventure.
Edith closed her wedding album with a fond smile, and Nancy was glad she was finally feeling relaxed around the older woman. "I'm sorry that your mother won't be here to help you, but if you need anything, anything at all, please let me know. Marriage can be hard, sometimes. You both have strong personalities. But I know that Ned loves you very much."
Nancy blushed again. "I love him too," she said softly. "And... thank you. You and Mr. Nickerson have always been so wonderful to me. I'm so happy that Ned's invited me into your family."
"As far as James and I are concerned, you're already a part of it." Edith smiled at her. "And, if I might give you a tip... Ned has always loved good food. Any sort of disagreement, you can probably smooth over with a slice of chocolate pie. And I'll show you how to make it."
Despite her misgivings, Nancy loved learning from Ned's mother, imagining herself in a frilly apron preparing pot roast and chocolate pie for their dinner. Being a gracious hostess at a dinner party with a few other couples—Bess had married Ned's friend Dave Evans earlier in the summer, and now that Nancy and Ned were an engaged couple, Bess had been gleeful about planning a dinner party to celebrate the engagement in a few weeks.
Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Nickerson. Ever since she had begun to imagine that Ned's hints had been serious, more than just teasing, she had found herself both nervous and eager for that commitment between them. Picking out china patterns and silverware sets, and furniture for their new home.
Living with Ned. Being there for him when he came home from work, and just maybe, on the weekends, persuading him to help her investigate mysteries.
Edith clearly hadn't told Ned about her plans. When he came in, dressed in a well-tailored suit, his hair slightly rumpled from running his fingers through it, Ned was mid-word when his gaze fell on Nancy—and his face lit up in a wide, genuine grin. "Nancy! You're back!"
Nancy nodded. She had taken off the apron Edith had let her borrow and freshened up before Ned and his father had arrived. "Hello, Ned."
She stepped close to him, and instead of taking her hand, Ned wrapped her in a brief, gentle hug that made her warm inside, almost melting with joy. "It's so good to see you," he murmured, so softly, just for her to hear. "I missed you."
"I missed you too," she said, and she couldn't stop herself from grinning too.
Ned was so effusive with his praise of dinner, and so was Mr. Nickerson. Nancy had a feeling it was just because they had heard that she helped and they wanted to make her feel good, but she was still proud. Hannah handled the majority of the cooking and baking responsibilities at the Drew home, but Nancy had been taught by her mother and was a good cook.
She valued Edith's praise more. Edith had been pleased at how easy it was to teach Nancy the recipes; she was a diligent student, especially because Ned was concerned. "You'll be happy to know that Nancy helped with dessert, too," Edith told Ned and her husband, and Nancy rose to retrieve the pie from the icebox.
After the last fork was returned to a cleaned plate and all the dishes cleared, Ned asked Nancy if she would like to take a walk with him. The air outside was still warm, but far more comfortable than it had been, and she smiled at him when she took his arm.
"My two favorite women," Ned said with a smile as he and Nancy walked down the front steps. "Nancy, dinner really was wonderful. I can't believe you were here tonight... I wanted to see you so much, and there you were."
"I wanted to see you so much, too."
"You look beautiful, by the way."
"And you look very handsome," she told him. "Did you have a good day?"
"I did. I'm having a wonderful day, especially because you're here."
Nancy laughed softly. "I'm going to love being married to you," she admitted, hardly believing she was actually saying it.
Ned turned to her, his eyebrows up. Then his face lit up with a warm, glowing grin. "I'm going to love being married to you, too," he said, soft as a secret. "I've wanted this so long, and I'm so glad you said yes. I'm so glad. For a while, I..."
And then his voice faltered, and she touched his arm, gazing up into his face. "You didn't think I'd say yes," she realized.
He shrugged. "When we met you were sixteen," he said. "And beautiful. So beautiful. I knew you weren't ready to settle down yet, but from the moment I met you... I just knew that I wanted to be with you. I just had to wait until you were ready. If you ever would be."
"How long would you have waited?" she asked.
"Forever," he told her softly, and Nancy melted at the warm expression in his eyes. "I would have waited forever for you, and more. That's how much I love you."
She had known it for months now, but every time he told her he loved her, she thought she might just dissolve with joy. "I love you too," she whispered, and his grin made everything feel right. It was perfect. So perfect. "I love you forever."
"And next year..." Ned sighed happily. "Next year our life can start."
She shook her head. "Let's start it now," she said, her heart beating faster. "I know we won't be living together, we won't be—experiencing that part of it yet. But I want to know everything about you, Ned."
He chuckled. "You already know a lot about me."
"But not everything. I... I want to share your life, like you share mine. I want to be there for you."
Ned's steps slowed, and then he turned to face her as they finally stopped. He reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek. "And I want to be there for you," he said softly, gazing deeply into her eyes. "I've always wanted that."
He leaned down, and Nancy's lashes fluttered down as he brushed a soft, sweet kiss against her lips, then another. Her heart was beating so fast as he slowly, cautiously, slid his arm around her waist and held her. She reached up to cup his cheek, and the world was just the two of them. Just the two of them.
"I love you so much, Ned Nickerson," she whispered, and his face was still so close to hers that she shivered when she looked into his eyes.
"And I love you so much, Nancy Drew," he murmured, and his face lit up with the grin that always made her knees weak. "Always have, always will."