Disclaimer: I do not own Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, or any of the other characters in these books. This is merely for entertainment and something that I enjoy to do in my free time.
When Nancy and her friends finished the lunch that Hannah had made, she led them all to the den where they could figure out everything they still needed for the party.
"Has everyone gotten their outfits?" Nancy asked as she sat down on her sofa.
"Joe and I have gotten ours." Frank said.
"So have I." Bess said.
"I still need to go pick mine up. The shop had to do some alterations to my dress." George said.
"I have to pick mine up too, so we'll go while the others head back to the mansion to finish up." Nancy said.
"I think we can handle that." Frank said.
"Great." Nancy said. Then she turned serious. "I found out something that you guys need to hear. I've already talked to Frank about it and we both agree it's something you need to be aware of. After that murder last night, Frank started to get suspicious of Aiden. Of course, I didn't want to hear anything about it. But i talked to Hannah this morning and now I'm starting to side with Frank. Aiden was lying when he said that Ernest was his uncle. Hannah said that Ernest was an only child."
"Why would he lie?" George asked.
"I don't know. But I'm hoping to find out." Nancy said.
"Did he murder that girl?" Bess asked.
Nancy sighed. "Again, I don't know."
"Have you heard anything else about the murder?" George asked.
Frank shook his head. "Phillips hasn't called us with anything yet."
Nancy stood up. "We better get going. I told Aiden that we'd meet him back at the house in an hour."
"What do we do about him?" Joe asked.
"Just act natural for now. I don't think he even suspects that I know anything, so let's just keep it like that." Nancy said. "George and I will pick up our dresses and then meet you over there."
When Frank, Joe, and Bess got to the house, Aiden was waiting for them in his car. He got out when they walked up to the house.
"Where's Nancy?" He asked.
"She had to go pick up her dress." Frank said as he unlocked the door.
"Oh." He paused. "So she's coming back?"
"Yeah. She'll be here soon." Frank said. "Joe, you and Bess finish up in the kitchen. Aiden, you can help me set up all th tables we need."
Joe shot Frank a look and Frank sent him a look that said, I just want to talk to him.
"Come on Bess. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we get to go home." Joe said as he led her into the kitchen.
Frank went over to a closet where the tables were being stored.
"So Nancy says that you just got into town." Frank said as he pulled out a table.
Aiden reached in to help him. "That's right. I came to visit my family and to see where my uncle lived."
"How long do you plan on staying?" Frank asked.
"I'm not sure yet." Aiden said. "Look, I can tell that you don't trust me. Why don't you just come out and say it?"
Frank turned to him. "Fine. I don't trust you."
"May I ask why?" Aiden asked politely.
"Because you just arrived in town and you happen to be gunning for my best friend. A friend that I would give my life for before I let anything happen to her. I don't want anything to happen to her. I don't want her hurt."
"I'm not going to hurt her, Frank. I care about her. And it's obvious you care a lot more about her than you let on." Aiden said.
"We decided to be friends and I respect that. It doesn't mean that I don't love her." Frank said.
"I can see that." Aiden said.
Frank looked him dead in the eye. "And if you do anything, and do I mean anything to hurt her, I will hunt you down and make sure no one ever finds out where your body is. Do you understand?"
"I do." Aiden said. Then he turned his back on Frank. "She's lucky to have a friend like you. Not many people would do that."
"I need to get some air. I'll be back." Frank said and went outside. He went to his car and sat on the hood. It wasn't long before he heard the front door open and the sound of footsteps approaching.
"That was real smooth back there." Joe said as he sat beside his brother. "You okay?"
"I know that wasn't my usual way of handling things, Joe, but I couldn't help it. He had to know what would happen if her hurt her." Frank explained.
"Do you think he will hurt her?" Joe asked.
Frank shrugged. "I don't know."
"Well, like you said, he'll have to deal with you. And when it comes to Nancy, you are the last person I want to deal with." Joe patted him on the back.
Frank smiled at his brother. "Thanks, Joe."
Nancy arrived at the house with George a couple of hours later. She had barely gotten through the door when Aiden came up to her.
"Hey." he said softly. "Can I talk to you?"
"Sure." Nancy said and they walked to the parlor.
Aiden closed the door and turned to her. "Your bodyguard had a talk with me."
"Frank?" Nancy asked.
"Yeah. He set me straight on a few things." Aiden said.
"I'm sorry about that." Nancy said.
Aiden held up a hand. "Don't be. You're lucky to have someone like that. But that's not why I wanted to talk to you."
"Oh. What did you need to talk to me about?" Nancy asked.
"Were you going with Frank to the party tomorrow night?" He asked.
"We were going as a group. Why?" Nancy asked.
"I was wondering if you would go with me." Aiden said.
Nancy smiled. "I would love to."
"Great!" Aiden said.
"We better get back to work before they come looking for us." Nancy said and opened the door.
Aiden smiled as she walked out the door.
The house was finally done about nine that night. They all walked out of the house, tired.
"I'm going home to get some sleep. I have to come back early tomorrow to make sure everything it set up." Nancy said, yawning.
"Do you need help?" Frank asked.
"Nah.I'll be fine." Nancy said.
"See you tomorrow, Nan."Frank said and kissed her on the forehead.
"Night." Nancy said and got into her car. Aiden walked up to her car. "I'll see you tomorrow, Nancy."
"Good night, Aiden." He bent down and kissed her softly.
She smiled as she drove off.
When Nancy and her friends finished the lunch that Hannah had made, she led them all to the den where they could figure out everything they still needed for the party.
"Has everyone gotten their outfits?" Nancy asked as she sat down on her sofa.
"Joe and I have gotten ours." Frank said.
"So have I." Bess said.
"I still need to go pick mine up. The shop had to do some alterations to my dress." George said.
"I have to pick mine up too, so we'll go while the others head back to the mansion to finish up." Nancy said.
"I think we can handle that." Frank said.
"Great." Nancy said. Then she turned serious. "I found out something that you guys need to hear. I've already talked to Frank about it and we both agree it's something you need to be aware of. After that murder last night, Frank started to get suspicious of Aiden. Of course, I didn't want to hear anything about it. But i talked to Hannah this morning and now I'm starting to side with Frank. Aiden was lying when he said that Ernest was his uncle. Hannah said that Ernest was an only child."
"Why would he lie?" George asked.
"I don't know. But I'm hoping to find out." Nancy said.
"Did he murder that girl?" Bess asked.
Nancy sighed. "Again, I don't know."
"Have you heard anything else about the murder?" George asked.
Frank shook his head. "Phillips hasn't called us with anything yet."
Nancy stood up. "We better get going. I told Aiden that we'd meet him back at the house in an hour."
"What do we do about him?" Joe asked.
"Just act natural for now. I don't think he even suspects that I know anything, so let's just keep it like that." Nancy said. "George and I will pick up our dresses and then meet you over there."
When Frank, Joe, and Bess got to the house, Aiden was waiting for them in his car. He got out when they walked up to the house.
"Where's Nancy?" He asked.
"She had to go pick up her dress." Frank said as he unlocked the door.
"Oh." He paused. "So she's coming back?"
"Yeah. She'll be here soon." Frank said. "Joe, you and Bess finish up in the kitchen. Aiden, you can help me set up all th tables we need."
Joe shot Frank a look and Frank sent him a look that said, I just want to talk to him.
"Come on Bess. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we get to go home." Joe said as he led her into the kitchen.
Frank went over to a closet where the tables were being stored.
"So Nancy says that you just got into town." Frank said as he pulled out a table.
Aiden reached in to help him. "That's right. I came to visit my family and to see where my uncle lived."
"How long do you plan on staying?" Frank asked.
"I'm not sure yet." Aiden said. "Look, I can tell that you don't trust me. Why don't you just come out and say it?"
Frank turned to him. "Fine. I don't trust you."
"May I ask why?" Aiden asked politely.
"Because you just arrived in town and you happen to be gunning for my best friend. A friend that I would give my life for before I let anything happen to her. I don't want anything to happen to her. I don't want her hurt."
"I'm not going to hurt her, Frank. I care about her. And it's obvious you care a lot more about her than you let on." Aiden said.
"We decided to be friends and I respect that. It doesn't mean that I don't love her." Frank said.
"I can see that." Aiden said.
Frank looked him dead in the eye. "And if you do anything, and do I mean anything to hurt her, I will hunt you down and make sure no one ever finds out where your body is. Do you understand?"
"I do." Aiden said. Then he turned his back on Frank. "She's lucky to have a friend like you. Not many people would do that."
"I need to get some air. I'll be back." Frank said and went outside. He went to his car and sat on the hood. It wasn't long before he heard the front door open and the sound of footsteps approaching.
"That was real smooth back there." Joe said as he sat beside his brother. "You okay?"
"I know that wasn't my usual way of handling things, Joe, but I couldn't help it. He had to know what would happen if her hurt her." Frank explained.
"Do you think he will hurt her?" Joe asked.
Frank shrugged. "I don't know."
"Well, like you said, he'll have to deal with you. And when it comes to Nancy, you are the last person I want to deal with." Joe patted him on the back.
Frank smiled at his brother. "Thanks, Joe."
Nancy arrived at the house with George a couple of hours later. She had barely gotten through the door when Aiden came up to her.
"Hey." he said softly. "Can I talk to you?"
"Sure." Nancy said and they walked to the parlor.
Aiden closed the door and turned to her. "Your bodyguard had a talk with me."
"Frank?" Nancy asked.
"Yeah. He set me straight on a few things." Aiden said.
"I'm sorry about that." Nancy said.
Aiden held up a hand. "Don't be. You're lucky to have someone like that. But that's not why I wanted to talk to you."
"Oh. What did you need to talk to me about?" Nancy asked.
"Were you going with Frank to the party tomorrow night?" He asked.
"We were going as a group. Why?" Nancy asked.
"I was wondering if you would go with me." Aiden said.
Nancy smiled. "I would love to."
"Great!" Aiden said.
"We better get back to work before they come looking for us." Nancy said and opened the door.
Aiden smiled as she walked out the door.
The house was finally done about nine that night. They all walked out of the house, tired.
"I'm going home to get some sleep. I have to come back early tomorrow to make sure everything it set up." Nancy said, yawning.
"Do you need help?" Frank asked.
"Nah.I'll be fine." Nancy said.
"See you tomorrow, Nan."Frank said and kissed her on the forehead.
"Night." Nancy said and got into her car. Aiden walked up to her car. "I'll see you tomorrow, Nancy."
"Good night, Aiden." He bent down and kissed her softly.
She smiled as she drove off.