CHAPTER 4

Dot had happily accepted the Bobwhites invitation for a potluck and game night, and she, Trixie, Honey, and Di spent the next few days talking via telephone about plans and getting to know each other. Even Trixie, who wasn't much for 'gossip and gab', as Honey and Di put it, enjoyed their conversations and all four reflected on the convenience of the conferencing features added to Manor House's new telephone systems.

Thursday came much quicker than Trixie expected, and she spent the morning making a potato salad for the evening's festivities. Mart had already prepared a vegetable platter, and Brian promised to pick up drinks once he and Mart finished work that afternoon. Di was planning to bring her famous brownies, Dot promised freshly baked rolls, Dan would bring sweet corn fresh from Mr. Maypenny's garden, and Honey and Jim would supply fried chicken. All in all, it would be a feast.

In the meantime, Trixie needed to finish the potato salad and get through her daily chores before heading up to Manor House. She was thankful that Bobby had matured a bit in the past year and wasn't quite as demanding as he used to be, although he still demanded plenty of attention! But now, at least, she could count on him to help a bit more with tasks, like that morning when he had helped gather eggs from the chicken coop. He could also be relied upon to clean up his room and help with basic tasks like setting the table or folding towels.

"Trixie?" Helen Belden entered the kitchen, interrupting Trixie thoughts on her little brother. "Once you're finished with your potato salad, can you run up to Lytell's for me? We're somehow almost out of laundry detergent. I can't believe I didn't notice it the last time I placed a grocery order."

"We probably weren't low then, Moms," Trixie replied cheerfully. "Mart and Brian have been washing their work clothes everyday and they probably used it all."

"Probably," Helen agreed. "I'd wait until the next time I order groceries to get more, but I've already stripped all the bedding and have a small mountain in the laundry room now."

"No problem," Trixie gave one final stir to the potato salad and placed a lid on the bowl. "Let me get this into the fridge and I'll go get more."

"Hey! Where are you going?" Bobby demanded as he came upon Trixie putting her shoes on in the mudroom off the kitchen.

"Lytell's," Trixie replied. "Moms needs more laundry detergent. Want to tag along?"

"Yes!" Bobby yelled, grabbing his own shoes, and plopping down on the floor to put them on.

"You'll have to ride your bike," Trixie warned him. One of the things Bobby had improved upon over the last year was his bike-riding. Trixie knew he'd be able to make the short ride down the road towards the little country market owned by their neighbor, Mr. Lytell.

"I can do it!" Bobby insisted.

"I know," Trixie reassured him. "I'll let Moms know you're coming with me. Go grab your helmet and pads so we can go."

A short ride later, and Trixie and Bobby pulled up in front of the small, two-story building. The lower floor held the market, while the upper floor was the spacious apartment occupied by Mr. Lytel himself. He was a nosy, somewhat crotchety old man, Trixie reflected, and he certainly didn't like her all that much. But he had a great deal of respect for her parents and was always kind to them.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Lytell," she greeted him cheerfully and she and Bobby entered the store.

"Good afternoon, Trixie Belden," he returned the greeting with less cheer, but still politely. "And young Bobby Belden, good afternoon to you, too."

"Afternoon," Bobby smiled at the old shopkeeper. "Trixie said I can have a candy if I'm 'specially behaved."

"That sounds like quite a reward," Mr. Lytell almost, but not quite, smiled at the boy.

"Stay here and decide what you'd like," Trixie instructed her brother, pointing at the rack of candy near the register. "I'm going to get the detergent."

As she walked down the short aisle to the soaps and detergents, she heard the bell above the door ring as someone else entered the shop. By the time she found the correct box and returned to the register, two strange men were talking to Mr. Lytell.

"Here you are, Mr. Murray," the shopkeeper handed a box of pipe tobacco to the taller man. "Put it on your tab?"

"Yes, thanks," Mr. Murray replied. As he turned away from the counter, he caught sight of Trixie. "Well, hello, there. I'm guessing you're Trixie Belden."

"Yes," Trixie answered in surprise. "How did you know?"

"I've met your mother and you look just like her," Mr. Murray chuckled.

"Are you Dot's father?" Trixie asked.

"I am," he nodded. "It's very nice to meet the young lady who helped my Dottie. Thank you for what you did."

"Oh, you're welcome," Trixie blushed. "I'm just glad I was in the right place at the right time. Anyone else would've done the same thing."

"Well, we appreciate you more than we can say," Mr. Murray gestured towards the man standing next to him. "This is Jack Bartlett, a colleague of mine from Iowa. He's visiting for a few weeks to help get the satellite office up and running."

"Hello," Mr. Bartlett greeted Trixie politely.

"Hello," Trixie returned the greeting. "This is my little brother, Bobby."

"Hullo," Bobby nodded over his shoulder before returning his focus to the candy display.

"Hello, Bobby," Mr. Murray replied. "Well, we should get going. It was nice to finally meet the girl I've heard so much about from my wife and daughter. I'm glad Dottie's found some friends already."

"I'm glad, too," Trixie replied before turning back to her little brother. "Okay, Bobby, which one did you choose?"

Later that evening, Trixie and her older brothers walked up the familiar path to Manor House. Seeing Jim, Honey, and Dan already on the veranda, they joined them, setting their food offerings up on the sideboard with the others.

"Yum!" Trixie exclaimed at the smells. "I can't wait to eat. It all smells so good!"

"Mart, is that you?" Jim teased her, affectionately tugging on one of her curls.

"Hardy har har, mister," Trixie stuck her tongue out at the tall redhead.

"If you keep making that face, it's going to get stuck like that," Jim returned the gesture, sticking his tongue out at her.

"That's just an old myth," Trixie tossed her curls before joining Honey over at one of the tables.

"Hi, Trixie," Honey smiled at her friend before turning her attention back to the board games stacked in front of her. "Do you think we have enough games, or should I get more from the library?"

"Hi, Honey," Trixie laughed. "I think you brought out plenty. Is Di on her way yet?"

"She called and said she was on her way about ten minutes ago," Honey replied. "Dot also called right after and said she's on her way, too. Her mother is dropping her off."

Just then, Di arrived. Mart rushed to greet her, although Trixie reflected that she wasn't sure if Mart was more excited to see Di or the brownies she was carrying. He gallantly took the tray from her to place with the rest of the food, and Di joined Trixie and Honey at the table.

"Hello!" she greeted them happily. "I've been looking forward to this all week."

"Me, too," Honey agreed. "It's been a long time since we've done a Bobwhite game night."

"It has," Trixie agreed, glancing around at the group gathered. Mart and Dan were fiddling with the boombox Honey had brought outside, while Brian and Jim stood near the veranda railing. She could hear enough of their conversation to know they were discussing their travel plans for the summer camp the four boys would be working at for the next two weeks. As she looked at Jim, her stomach tightened slightly. She knew he liked her, at least a little bit, in the same way she liked him, but would that change now that Dot was going to be around?

It might change, she reflected, but she wouldn't let that get in the way of her new friendship with Dot. She wouldn't let it get in the way of her happiness at all. She would be a friend to both, a Bobwhite to all, and keep her head held high.

Deep down, though, she hoped it wouldn't change anything.

"There she is," Honey hopped up from the table and hurried down to greet Dot's mother's car in the driveway. Trixie followed, while the others remained on the veranda.

"Hi!" Dot emerged from the front passenger seat of the car, balancing carefully on one leg and her crutches.

"Hi," Trixie and Honey chorused.

Mrs. Murray emerged from the driver's door and hurried around to help.

"I'm okay, Mom," Dot told her. "Can you please just grab the basket of rolls? Maybe Honey can take them?"

"Of course," Honey accepted the basket Mrs. Murray handed her from the back seat.

"Okay, Dottie," Mrs. Murray said. "Have fun and call me when you're ready for me to pick you up."

"Oh, Mrs. Murray," Di called from the veranda. "You don't have to pick Dot up. I asked my parents, and we're happy to bring her home when our driver comes for me. It's no problem at all."

"Thanks, Di," Dot replied. "I won't be late, Mom."

"Well, alright," Mrs. Murray agreed. "Please thank your parents for me, Di."

"I will," Di assured her.

Honey took the basket of delicious smelling rolls up the short flight of stairs to the table on the veranda, and Trixie walked slowly beside Dot as they followed.

"Look at you go!" she exclaimed a moment later as Dot maneuvered her way up the stairs using the hand railing and one crutch. "It's hard to believe you've only been on those for a few days now."

"It's not my first time on crutches," Dot replied cheerfully, lowering herself onto one of benches at the table the girls had been sitting at previously. "I've sprained my knee ice skating more than once and pulled a tendon another time. I'm a pro at this point!"

"You're an ice skater?" Dan's face lit up and he sat across from Dot. "I'm Dan, by the way."

"Dot," the blonde replied, reaching across the table to shake hands. "I've heard a lot about you, including that you're the fastest speed skater around here."

"I'm okay," Dan replied modestly. "Do you speed skate, too?"

"Mostly figure skating," Dot answered. "I've heard the rink here is pretty good, although my parents said we'll probably have to go to White Plains for a coach."

"Probably," Dan agreed. "The rink here is good for practice, though. We'll have to go once your ankle heals up."

"I'd like that!" Dot's eyes sparkled. She turned to Brian, Mart, and Jim, who joined them at the table. "Hi, guys! Long time, no see."

The remaining Bobwhites all greeted her warmly, and Trixie was secretly pleased to see that Jim's greeting was friendly, but not overly so. The eight teens began building plates of food, with Trixie, Honey, and Di fixing Dot's for her. The meal was delicious, and everyone agreed that they ate entirely too much and decided to wait until later to sample Di's brownies. Honey promised ice cream to top them once they did.

After eating, they unanimously decided on Monopoly to begin the game night, and it was once they started playing that Trixie remembered the scene at Lytell's store.

"Oh, Dot!" she exclaimed while Jim, who was always the banker, doled out funds to everyone. "I met your dad today!"

"You did?" Dot asked curiously. "Where?"

"At Mr. Lytell's store," Trixie answered. "He was there with his coworker, Mr. Bartlett."

"Oh, him," Dot frowned slightly.

"Is everything okay?" Honey was naturally sensitive to everyone, and she couldn't help but notice the look.

"Yes," Dot reassured her. "Jack Bartlett is just a little… weird, I guess? I don't really know how to describe it, but he's always made me a little uncomfortable. He's never done anything wrong, but he just kind of creeps me out a bit. Maybe it's because he never talks, I don't know."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Di asked with concern.

"No, thanks," Dot smiled at her. "There's nothing to be done, really. He's not staying with us while he's in town, thankfully. He's at the Glen Road Inn, I think it's called? He's been over for dinner once and met up with my dad another time before they left for White Plains. Honestly, it's just a little strange that he's the one who came out, since he's a manager and normally one of the lower-level employees would be the one to come out and help. My dad said he volunteered, and he was just happy to see him. I guess they were friends back at the office in Iowa or something. But the whole thing is just kind of-."

"Mysterious?" Trixie asked her enthusiastically.

"Oh, no," Mart cried, tugging at his own blonde hair. "Not that. Not mysterious."

"What did I miss?" Dot laughed Trixie stuck her tongue out at her brother.

"Trixie is always finding mysteries," Brian rolled his eyes at the antics of his younger siblings. "She usually drags us into them right along with her."

"I've heard about that," Dot acknowledged. "But I also heard she solves them, does a lot of good in the process, and that the rest of you join her willingly."

"We do," Brian agreed. "Usually, it's to keep her from getting into trouble, but we do all join in."

"You all act like I go looking for mysteries," Trixie grumbled good-naturedly. "I can't help it if they find me!"

"They do seem to find you, Shamus," Jim agreed, affectionately nudging her shoulder as she sat next to him. "But right now, it's your turn to roll the dice."

The eight teens spent the rest of the evening laughing, playing games, and eating the entire tray of brownies along with a carton of ice cream. Trixie noticed that Dot fit right in with the group, and she hoped the others felt the same way. With Dot, the numbers evened up, no more odd man out, and her wit added to the general vivacity. Trixie knew that she would officially nominate Dot for Bobwhite membership at their next meeting, and she felt confident that the vote would be unanimous.