Disclaimer: I own nothing
Authors Note: This story requires you to have read at least one of the Trixie Belden Novels, The Ruby Redfort Books and The Nancy Drew Stories, just so that we're all on the same page. Sorry that things jump a little bit in this first chapter but it had to start somewhere. Enjoy😊
10am in Twinford...
"Are you dressed nicely Ruby? The Wheelers are very impressionable people I hear!" Sabina Redfort called up the stairs.
"Yes mum,"
"Are you sure? It's not to tacky or... whatever, just go hop in the car honey!" Wearing a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt with the rather obtrusive word 'Bozo' scrawled across the front, Ruby quickly tied her sneakers in a rough bow and grabbed her overnights bag before slipping downstairs and waiting in the the Hitch's car.
"Where to today?" Hitch asked as if he was the cab driver.
"Yeah, yeah, Bozo!" Ruby laughed. The Wheelers sounded like a bit of a bore to be truthful - social butterflies had never interested her, and neither did the countryside - but a lawyer named Drew was supposed to be there, who had blitzed many crimes with his daughter, and sleepyside was where the girl Trixie, who was always in the paper was from, right? It would be a good holiday. And plus, there was no way the Count could get her when she was all the way away, was there?
...
Meanwhile in River Heights...
Nancy Drew waited in her new car as Mr Drew packed up his final belongings into a suit case. "Don't be gone too long!" their housekeeper, Hannah called after them. "And don't get caught up in another mystery Nancy."
Nancy smirked at her latter comment, knowing that mysteries were inevitable in her father's line of work and that she was always going to end up tangled in them.
"Who are these Wheelers anyway, dad?" Nancy queried as her father hopped in and she started the car. "
"You'll see!" he replied with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, shrugging Nancy stepped on the accelerator.
...
"Moms!" Trixie belden came rushing into the cosy cottage at Crabapple Farm. "The Wheeler's are having visitors over, some girls named Ruby and Nancy and they're staying for a week or two at the inn down Glen road and Nancy's Father is a lawyer and they're just about my age and I will die if I can't see them and can I please be dismissed of the chooks today to see them? And make sure that they are comfortable and see what they're like and...and..." *puff* *puff* Trixie's little word triathlon had run out of steam. Leaning on the kitchen table she threw one last comment across to her mother. "Nancy's a detective!"
"hmmm...well..." Mrs Belden looked down at her daughters expectant face,"Fine. Okay. You can have the day off, but I'll need some more help tomorrow!" Mrs Belden relented.
"Thanks moms! You're the best!" squeezing her mum quickly, Trixie turned to leave.
"One last thing Trix," Mrs Belden said with a twinkle in her eye, "Don't distract Jim from his studies, okay?"
"O..kay! Su- sure! Yup!" Trixie stammered, her face as red as a beetroot. Trixie ran from the room. Mrs Belden smiled as she fingered a picture of her husband and her in their early teens.
Trixie raced to the wheeler mansion and almost ran right into the wheeler's groom, Regan. "Whoa! Watch it Trix!" Regan frowned but his eyes twinkled. "Do you want to take the horses out with Honey and Jim when the guests arrive?" Trixie loved the horses, and a chance to ride them with some new friends sounded to good to be true! "I will, and I promise we won't sprint them and we'll groom them all properly and everything... We'll teach the city girls how to do it!"
"If you say so," shrugging, Regan went back to his priorities.
"Trix!" Trixie heard a yell from across the garden. Honey was in her bathers and making her way to the lake."Wanna take a dip before people come? They should be arriving in about half an hour, so we have plenty of time!" Trixie frowned. She'd left her swimsuit at Crabapple farm, but tactful Honey had already found a solution. "You can borrow my other pair, they're down at the boathouse!"
To trixie it sounded like heaven on earth, "Sure thing!" she called, "Race you!" they sprinted across the grass, down the hill and into the boat house. "You win," panted Trixie.
"Only by a hairbreadth," counted Honey politely.
Trixie changed and was just exiting the boathouse when Mart, Brian and Jim came down the hill with the same idea. "May we perhaps juxtapose you ladies to resuscitate in the reservoir?" Mart baffled them with his vocabulary.
"He means we would love to join you beautiful girls swimming if you don't mind," translated Jim.
"Mrs Wheeler-Frayne," Mart addressed Trixie in all seriousness, "May I help you?"
Trixie completely ignored his comment and whispered something in Honey's ear. Honey whispered back a quick response and they both giggled. "3..2..1..go!" Trixie called.
The two girls raced to the jetty and jumped, they both executed a perfect dive together and came up beside each other a few metres from the end of the jetty.
"Good job Trix! You've really improved since Honey moved here!" Brian shouted to his sister, before attempting to copy their graceful dives.
Twenty minutes into their swim Trixie suddenly silenced everyone. "Is that a car?" she listened intently to the rumbling noise as a sleek, silver convertible rolled up the winding drive way of the Wheelers.
"Hello, I'm Matthew Wheeler," Matthew greeted the guests as they came out of the car.
"Nice to meet you Matthew, I'm Brant and these are Sabina and Ruby, my wife and daughter." replied Brant, "This is a beautiful place you have here..."
Just then they were interrupted by the sound of another car coming up the driveway. "Aah! These must be the Drew's now!" Matthew explained. "Hello, I'm Matthew Wheeler, and these are Brant, Sabina and Ruby Redfort," Matthew echoed his greeting.
"Nice to finally meet you, I'm Carson and-"
"I'm Nancy Drew," Nancy finished.
"Hello! Now Nancy, Ruby, if you make your way down to the lake there my daughter and her friends are playing, do you have your swim things?"
"Yes," chorused the girls and off they went.
Sorry this chapter was so short, hopefully you understood what was happening.
This is my first story so I'm welcome to any ideas or constructive criticism.