Previously in the Summer Secrets universe… In the first story, the girls plot to get the boys into romantic situations, while the boys plot to avoid them. Meanwhile, each group sets up a clubhouse and Trixie tries to solve a mystery of Jim’s behaviour. In the second story, the boys are employed by Mr. Wheeler on a project of his, building The Pavilion, on the far side of the lake, Brian keeps his plan to go to Africa a secret and Di and Mart break up. Before the third story starts, Brian breaks up with Honey, Di gets together with Dan and Honey starts dating Mart. In the third story, a mystery package arrives for Trixie directly after her high school graduation. The mystery that ensues leads the Bob-Whites to Kentucky where Jim and Trixie lose their heads in the face of the curse and elope. They later disprove the curse and decide to keep their marriage a secret. The fourth story deals with Honey’s attempts to find out a romantic secret that Mart is keeping from her and Jim’s efforts to deal with a blackmailer. During the fifth story, Trixie inherits a house, Mart and Honey get married and Dan and Di break up. Which brings us to the present… Another year has passed and Trixie is now twenty-one years old.

Part One

She Said

“Hello, handsome,” Di greeted, as she approached the table in the small, casual restaurant. “Fancy meeting you here.”

He rose from his seat to give her a kiss of welcome. “I’m glad you made it. I’ve got an outline of the plans and I thought we’d better discuss them.” He drew a breath. “It’s going to cost a bit.”

Di took a seat across the table from him and began to read the paper he offered. “That does seem a little expensive and, since I don’t really want to just spend my father’s money…”

“I’ve thought of something we could do to reduce the costs,” he told her. “I’m not sure you’ll like it, though.”

She inclined her head, contemplating the expression on his face. “Do tell.”

He Said

Jim stared at the letter in his hand, feeling bereft. His carefully made plans had fallen through, leaving him in a position rather different from the one he had intended. He and Trixie had arranged matters in such a way that they would both leave their upstate New York college and not return until classes were about to start. Despite the disruption it would cause to their relationship, they had chosen Sleepyside as their base, with the intention of spending a lot of time away. Now, it seemed, he would remain where he was, but Trixie’s plans were set and she would have to go. It was a big disappointment, and he still had to share the fact with Trixie.

She arrived while he was still contemplating how to break it to her.

“What’s that?” she asked, entering through the open door.

He tossed her the page. “Read it, if you like. In summary, though, our plans are shot. It looks like I’ll mostly be staying here, with a few side trips into places you’re unlikely to be.”

Trixie grumbled under her breath. “I suppose that means you’ll be sharing with Brian all summer.”

Jim nodded. “He confirmed to me this morning that he’s staying here. I’m really sorry, Trixie. I didn’t want it to be this way.”

“Neither did I,” she answered. “It’s bad enough you living with him when school’s in, but the summer as well?”

“I can’t exactly tell him that I’m staying here, but go and live somewhere else, though, can I? It wouldn’t make sense. He’d be suspicious.” He sighed. “So, are you going to be okay?”

She gave him a weak smile and a nod. “I have a few things I need to attend to. I’m sure that between all the projects I have going at the moment I can find enough to keep me occupied.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask, how are things going in Kentucky?” he added. “You haven’t mentioned the foundation much lately.”

She shrugged. “There’s not much to say. Your father’s advice was exactly right. Everything is running smoothly, without much input from me.”

“That’s good,” he answered. “It’s just how you wanted it to be.”

She nodded. “It is. I don’t need to be thinking about it all the time – it brings other things to mind and I don’t want to be thinking about them.”

“Like Mr. Englefield?” The name brought a cringe to her face.

“I’m just glad I don’t have anything else to remind me of him, since I gave the family back their ugly statuette.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s not exactly my favourite person.”

“No, I suppose not. What about the clock?” Jim asked, as if it had just occurred to him. “Did you forget that it’s taking up half a shelf in my closet?”

“I’d forgotten it even existed,” Trixie admitted. “And I’ve completely forgotten to have it looked at. I guess I’d better see to that soon. So, I do have something else of his.”

Jim gave a casual shrug. “What does it matter? I know you can’t get rid of the house, due to the conditions of the bequest, but why be worried about the other things?”

She shrugged. “No reason, I guess. It’s just that he’s tied up in our history, now, and I wish he wasn’t.”

Jim nodded, looking away. He wished their history was not tied up with Lucius Englefield, either.

She Said

“Oh, it’s so good to see you both! I’ve missed you so much!” Honey cried, as she led her two best girlfriends into the living room of her new house. “I can’t believe we let it be so long.”

“Some of us did have finals to study for,” Di pointed out with a grin. “It’s not our fault that you’re a lady of leisure these days.”

Honey screwed up her nose. “Being ordered to rest by the doctor is not the same as being a lady of leisure, let me tell you.”

As she eased her heavily-pregnant frame into a chair, she urged the others to have a seat.

“Well, you know who to blame for that,” Trixie suggested. “Mart.”

Diana spluttered with laughter. “I don’t think that’s quite right,” she answered. “I’m pretty sure that Honey was the one who wanted to start trying for a baby right away.”

Honey nodded. “I was, and you both know it.”

“Then you have nothing to complain about.” Trixie raised an eyebrow in challenge to her logic.

“I don’t. But it is kind of embarrassing,” Honey confided. “I mean, I know that we got married with the intention of trying for a baby right away, but I never really expected it to actually work so quickly. I thought I’d have to wait years and that it would be difficult and we might need medical intervention. To be pregnant in less than two months kind of defeated the purpose.”

“But you got what you wanted,” Di pointed out. “The purpose was to actually achieve a pregnancy. Who knows whether that would have happened if you’d waited? You don’t need to feel bad about this, Honey. It’s a good thing, really.”

Her friend nodded. “I’m glad, I really am. It’s just that it looks like I was wrong in being in so much of a hurry.”

“It’ll only be wrong if, in ten years’ time, you have eight kids,” Trixie told her, laughing.

Honey blanched. “Eight? No, thank you, Trixie. I’m pretty sure we’d stop before we got as far as eight.”

“Trixie might have eight,” Di suggested with a giggle. “Not because she meant to, just because she got carried away.”

Honey joined in the giggling, while Trixie choked in horror.

“Jim would love to have eight kids, I think,” Honey considered. “He would be so happy about that.”

“He’s not getting a chance to find out.” Trixie shook her head, hard. “No way! And if either of you try suggesting it to him… let’s just say you won’t like the consequences.”

“How about you, Di?” Honey asked. “Who are you going to have eight kids with?”

Their friend laughed and shook her head. “I don’t think I’m ready to choose a life-partner just yet – but, whoever he might be, I won’t be having eight kids with him!”

“You never know,” Trixie contradicted, shaking her head. “It might be his life’s ambition.”

Honey rolled her eyes. “Whoever heard of a man who wanted eight kids?” She shook her head and changed the subject. “Anyway, I was thinking that we should set aside some time for us next week, too. If we don’t those boys will take up all our time we’ll be left with nothing.”

“Saturday night’s good for me,” Trixie suggested. “Are we all free then?”

“I think I might be busy just then.” A secret smile curved Diana’s lips as she spoke. “Let’s just say I have some plans.”

“Plans? What kind of plans? You’ve got a new boyfriend, haven’t you?” Trixie accused, eyes narrowed. “Who is it? Is it anyone we know?”

Di flicked back her hair and shrugged. “I’m not ready to tell you.”

“That bad, is he?” Trixie screwed up her forehead in thought. “We know it’s not Dan, because you’ve already done him.”

“Trixie!” Honey squeaked.

“I didn’t mean ‘done’ as in ‘done’, just as in… well, dated,” Trixie explained. “Keep your mind out of the gutter.”

“That’s going to be difficult for her.” Di shook her head in mock seriousness. “From her condition, we can tell what she’s been up to.”

“Don’t want to hear about it.” Trixie shut her eyes and put her hands over her ears. A moment later, she dropped them. “But you can’t distract me that easily. I want to know who he is.”

“You can’t keep it a secret forever,” Honey pointed out. “Sooner or later, you’ll have to tell us who he is.”

Di shrugged. “Maybe. Or, maybe it won’t go anywhere and we’ll just break up. Then there wouldn’t be a point to telling you, so I could just keep the secret.”

“You wouldn’t really do that to us, would you?” Trixie clutched at her curls. “Please, Di! We’re just dying of curiosity. Can’t you give us a little hint?”

Their pretty friend smiled and shook her head. “I’m enjoying this too much. I think I should keep secrets more often; it’s fun.”

Trixie frowned, thinking. “Well, if you’re not going to tell us, we’ll just have to deduce the answer for ourselves. Watch out, Di! The Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency is on your case.”

Di glanced from one friend to the other, but only laughed.

He Said

Jim was working on the same day that Trixie journeyed away from him. On his lunch break he decided to run a couple of errands and it was during this time that he received a shock. Striding down the street towards him was the man who had tried to blackmail him two summers before. Worse still, he was making a beeline for Jim.

“Just the man I wanted to see,” he greeted, turning to walk alongside Jim.

“I’m afraid I can’t return the sentiment. If you’ll excuse me…”

The man shook his head. “We have business to discuss.”

Jim stopped and faced the man. “I told you my answer two years ago and it’s still the same. It’s not changing, no matter what tactics you try on me.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure.” He flicked a photograph out of the large envelope he held. “I’m sure you wouldn’t appreciate the likes of this being circulated.”

For a moment, Jim stared at the grainy shot. He silently cursed the multiple items he was holding, which included a set of plans for the house he and Trixie hoped to one day build at Ten Acres; they made it difficult to make a quick getaway.

“My answer still stands.” He side-stepped the man and continued on his way, only to be followed. “Now, if you will leave me in peace, I have things to do.”

“You’re not going to get any peace,” the man answered in a low voice. “Not from now on. Not until you give me what I want.”

Jim repressed the shiver that threatened to run through him, but his blood ran cold at the thought.

She Said

Staying with her part of their original plan, Trixie continued on her way back to Sleepyside after her time with Honey and Di. There were things that she had neglected over the last few months that needed her attention. With that end in mind, she had packed up enough clothes for a week and on leaving Honey’s house headed for Crabapple Farm.

Remembering her conversation with Jim, Trixie had also called in at the apartment he shared with Brian to pick up the clock on the way past and left it in the trunk as she completed her journey. On reaching her parents’ home, she took it out and carried it inside. She would not be able to drop it off at the place she had arranged to take it until the next day and thought she might need the space in the trunk in the meantime. As she shifted it under her arm, Trixie heard the muffled sound it made and her curiosity got the better of her. Instead of setting it aside and getting on with something else, she fetched a screwdriver and carefully opened the back.

Her brow creased as the back panel came off and the cavity was revealed. In the small space below the workings of the clock was a small yellow envelope. It was marked with a network of crease marks, as if it had been crumpled and smoothed multiple times. She reached in and pulled it out, feeling the lump of something hard within. Her fingers fumbled as she tore it open. Within, she found a single sheet of paper and what appeared to be a coin, similar in colour to a quarter, but perhaps a little larger.

In that spidery, old writing that she had come to loathe, she read, ‘My value lies not in money, but in what I can tell you.’ Trixie frowned and read it through again, without any further enlightenment. Then she took the metal disc and began to examine it more closely.

Her instinct, when she first felt it, was that the disc was not a real coin and that proved to be correct. On closer examination, the coin did not have the name of an actual country on it, nor did it carry a denomination. She came to the conclusion that it was not intended to be mistaken for real currency, but she could not guess its purpose.

She also could not guess Lucius Englefield’s purpose in leaving this to her. That it contained a specific message for her she was certain, but what that message could be eluded her. Setting both paper and fake coin aside, she took another look inside the workings of the clock, but without discovering anything else of note. She refastened the back with slow movements, deep in thought.

He Said

Arriving home from a frustrating day’s work, Jim stopped to pick up the mail, finding a single letter in an ordinary, white envelope, along with a bundle of advertising material. He carried them up to the apartment, his feet dragging wearily all the way. The door swung open as he was inserting the key and he found himself face to face with Brian.

“What’s that you’ve got there?” Brian demanded, causing Jim to frown in confusion.

“Junk, mostly. And a letter.” Jim held it up, address foremost.

“That’s mine,” Brian snapped, snatching the letter from between his friend’s fingers, “and you’ll kindly forget you ever saw it.”

Until that moment, Jim had not given the letter, or its potential contents, a moment’s thought. He had barely even glanced at the return address, which did not even give the name of the sender. Brian’s possessive behaviour, so out of character for his normally easy-going friend, rang all sorts of alarm bells.

“If it’s so important,” he replied, slowly.

The suspicion on Brian’s face increased markedly. “I don’t want to be investigated.”

Bewildered, Jim asked, “What? Why should I want to investigate you, Brian? And how would I even know where it’s from, since I don’t think it even says?”

“You might have guessed,” Brian answered.

“How? Last I checked, I wasn’t psychic.”

“Sorry,” his friend muttered. “I’m not feeling well. I over-reacted.”

Without another word, he went into his room with the letter, closing and locking the door behind himself. Jim shook his head and went about his business, putting the strange little incident out of his mind.

She Said

When Trixie arrived back at the farm that day it was to find that a plain envelope with her name on it had been shoved under the front door. It was unsealed, still crisp and white. The hand that had inscribed its front was angular and narrow, written in ordinary blue ball point pen.

Curious, she opened the flap and slid out a single sheet of ordinary copy paper. The image printed on it was grainy and dim. Two things were evident, however: for one thing, the man in the photograph was Jim; secondly, the woman was a stranger to Trixie. Long, straight, dark hair fell around her shoulders and, in spite of Jim’s arm in the way, it was clear that she had a slimmer waist and more pronounced curves than Trixie would ever have.

For several seconds, Trixie just stared at the image, anger and hurt battling for supremacy. A moment later, her detective instincts kicked in. Hold on, she told herself, firmly. Maybe this isn’t what it seems. Maybe this is one of the photos the man in the red car tried to blackmail Jim over the summer before last.

Doing her best to keep her emotions out of it, she studied the image. There were few clues as to where and when it had been taken. Jim’s jeans and T-shirt were like any in his wardrobe over the last eight years. The girl in the picture was wearing a knee-length dress in some dark colour, which offered no particular clue to either her identity or the time it was taken. There was so little definition to the background as to render it almost invisible.

Trixie took a few deep breaths. Okay, so it’s not conclusive in any way. I can’t tell who it is or when it happened. I could handle this two ways: either I ask Jim, or I forget about it. She paced back and forth while she considered her position. Coming to a sudden decision, she crumpled the paper into a ball. Heading for the kitchen, she pulled a box of matches out of the pantry, tossed the paper into the kitchen sink and set it alight.

She watched as the flames consumed the paper, waiting until it was nothing but ash before dousing the lot with water. Black smudges against the stainless steel were all that remained, but Trixie found to her dismay that the image remained in her mind. No matter how hard she tried, she could not forget the sight of Jim kissing someone else.

He Said

In a dingy room on Hawthorne Street in Sleepyside, a man sat on the bed and sorted through his papers. He was confident that his plan was going well, but thought it prudent to have another line of attack ready, in case it was needed.

He picked up one picture and considered it for a moment, shaking his head and replacing it in the pile. Two others were treated in a similar manner. On seeing the next, he smiled and nodded, knowing that he had found just what was needed.

As he gathered the papers back into their envelope, one document in particular caught his eye. He slipped it out of the pile and read it through. He had done so many times before and was still not certain of its meaning. He knew that if he could use this in the correct way it would be his ticket to Easy Street. On the other hand, if he blew it he would be in a lot of hot water. It needed careful handling and he was still not sure that he was ready.

He gathered his papers and put them away, a cruel smile on his face. The life he had always dreamed of was waiting for him and he needed only to grasp it. What did it matter if others suffered for him to get what he wanted?

She Said

The next excitement for Trixie came when she received a telephone call about the clock. She was just about to rush out the door when her mother, who had answered, called her back.

“Yes?” she asked, with just a hint of impatience.

“You dropped off a clock here yesterday, I understand,” the man began, in slow, measured tones. “I was wondering if you could tell me something about its provenance. I am finding it rather baffling, to tell the truth.”

“Provenance?”

“Where it came from,” he clarified. “What do you know about its background?”

“Hardly anything,” she answered. “An old man left it to me, along with some other white elephants. He seemed to think his family would be angry if they found out I had it, so I put it away somewhere and forgot about it until recently.”

“And where was this old man from?”

Trixie frowned. “Well, he lived in Corbin, Kentucky, when I knew him and I think that’s where his family was from – his name was Englefield, like on the clock. I think he did a lot of travelling in his life, but I don’t know where.”

“Most puzzling,” the man murmured. “I just can’t make it out.”

“What’s wrong with it?” she asked.

“To begin with, it’s not a real clock.”

Trixie’s mouth dropped open. “What is the point in that? Why have something that looks like a clock, but isn’t?”

“I have no idea,” the man replied. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

She frowned, trying to think. “Well, in that case, I don’t suppose you can make it go. I guess I’d better come and pick it up.”

“Perhaps it would be best,” he answered. “If you ever discover the secret, however, I would be glad to know what it was all about.”

“I’ll be sure to let you know,” she promised and they ended the call.

Afterwards, Trixie sat and thought for a few minutes, trying to fathom what the crazy old man had been up to this time. There seemed to be no solution to the problem.

He Said

A few weeks passed. To his dismay, Jim found himself trapped sharing with Brian, while Trixie flitted around the countryside working on half a dozen different projects at once. None of them, however, brought her anywhere near him. It was frustrating, to say the least, and he found himself missing her terribly.

Arriving home after a busy day, Jim collected the mail on his way past, glancing through it as he waited for the elevator. There were several bills, a couple of what appeared to be rejection letters addressed to himself and, to his mild surprise, a thick envelope addressed to Brian. Staring at this envelope, he recalled the incident a few weeks before when his friend had been strangely angry at Jim for looking at his mail. This letter had a similar appearance and perhaps came from the same place.

He opened the door and went inside, casually dropping the pile of letters on the counter, as if he had not even looked through the pile. With any luck, Brian would be home in a few minutes and he could avoid another scene. With that aim in mind, he took his time over putting away his belongings, but not until he had jotted down the mailing address, which was in Buffalo. The ploy worked. Only a couple of minutes after his arrival, Brian walked through the door.

“Did you get the mail?” he asked, without so much as a greeting.

“On the kitchen counter,” Jim replied. “I haven’t gotten around to sorting it, yet.”

Was that my imagination, he wondered, or did he just sigh with relief? A moment later, Brian put his head through the door and handed over a few envelopes before starting for his own room. Jim thanked him, noting with a grim smile that the thick envelope was nowhere in sight.

Shutting his eyes, he came to a decision. There’s something very strange about all this. For my own peace of mind, I need to at least try to find out where it’s from. His conscience chimed in, reminding him that this was not an admirable kind of action. If it’s all above board, I’ll forget about it and leave it alone, he promised himself.

The decision made, he did not delay in acting on it. Booting up his computer, he sat and frowned for a few moments before starting a search. The result did not surprise him. The address belonged to a highly respected medical facility. Jim frowned, considering the implications of this information. It seemed strange that Brian would be defensive about this; that a future doctor would have contact with medical establishments was almost a given.

He closed the browser and went to confront his friend. The door to Brian’s room was closed and Jim knocked on it, hearing a rather disgruntled ‘Come in,’ in reply. He opened the door, seeing Brian sitting at his desk, with no sign of the envelope.

“I want to know what’s going on,” Jim requested in a calm voice. “What are you hiding?”

“Nothing.” Brian turned away. “If that’s all, you can close the door on your way out.”

“It isn’t nothing. You’re being defensive, when there is no earthly reason why you should be. Forgive me if I find that suspicious.”

“It’s not suspicious and I’m not defensive,” his friend answered, in a tone that belied the words.

Jim’s temper began to flare and a piece of information slipped out of his mouth that he instantly wished had not. “I already know where the letters are from, so maybe you should relax a little and tell me what’s going on.”

Brian’s head snapped up and he scowled. “I told you that I didn’t want to be investigated. You’ve been associating with Trixie too long. Her curiosity is bound to get her into trouble, sooner or later, and yours is about to lose you a friend!”

“I wouldn’t have ever been interested in your mail if you hadn’t been acting so suspiciously,” Jim countered, rapidly losing what grip he had on his temper. “And even now I have no idea what the problem is. I told you before, Brian, I see no reason why you shouldn’t have correspondence with medical facilities since you are studying medicine and this place seems to be really very reputable.”

All of a sudden, Brian’s anger departed and his next words were spoken with a quiet dignity. “It’s more than just reputable; it’s a leading facility of its kind.”

Jim paused, unnerved by the sudden change in his friend. “That’s good. So, you’re aiming high. I respect that.”

“I’m not,” Brian answered, angry again. “I’m trying to get myself out of trouble.”

“You’re what?” Jim shook his head, confused.

“This is my last hope, Jim. If this man can’t help me, I’m finished.” Brian looked up. “It’s got to be a secret, though. I don’t want anyone to know. Not anyone.”

Jim frowned. “What do you mean by finished?”

“My whole career rests on this. If he can’t repair the damage to my back, then I won’t be able to complete my studies. It’s that simple.”

For several moments, Jim stared at him, stunned into silence. “Brian, I’m so sorry. If there’s anything I can do…”

“Just keep quiet about it. That’s all I’m asking.”

“Keep quiet? What possible good can you do by keeping this a secret?” Jim wanted to know. “Your friends could be helping you; your family deserves to know about this. It’s gone on long enough already and I don’t think I want to be party to this secret any longer.”

“I didn’t invite you to know these things. I never offered you this information. You took it on yourself to find out, despite my request that you leave it alone. I think you owe me confidentiality, Jim. Promise you won’t tell, or any pretence of friendship between us is over,” Brian demanded. “I’ll tell when I’m good and ready, not before.”

For a long moment, Jim considered his position. “Fine. I promise.”

“Thank you,” Brian replied.

“But remember: I think you’re making a big mistake here. When this all goes wrong, and it will, don’t blame me for not warning you.”

“It’s not going to go wrong, Jim.”

Shaking his head, Jim slowly walked away.

She Said

In the busy-ness of her many projects, Trixie came to a sudden realisation that she had completely forgotten to redirect her mail anywhere. She had not seen Jim in almost a week, so decided that the best course of action would be to go in person and collect it. With any luck, she might get some time alone with Jim while she was there.

Arriving at her apartment and finding her room-mates absent, she grabbed the pile of letters that awaited. Taking them inside, she soon found another pile belonging to her and started opening them. The first one was a credit card offer; she tossed it into the basket of items for shredding. The second was a bill, which she tucked into her purse to pay. The third she opened to find a print-out of a photograph. Typed underneath was a message: ‘There’s more where this comes from.’

Trixie stared at the image, so similar to the last she had received, though zoomed in closer. She could see the freckles on Jim’s face, his hand in the girl’s hair. There was something familiar about the girl, but Trixie could not place her. She crumpled up the image and tossed it across the room.

Her heart was beating faster and her fingers fumbled as she opened more envelopes, tearing several of them in her desperate attempt to push the image out of her mind. Papers were scattered on the floor now. She found another bill and shoved it, crumpled, into her purse with the first. The pile dwindled to nothing, but no more sinister communications were to be found.

Trixie stared across the room at the ball of paper. She felt as if it was taunting her. A part of her wondered whether she should show this one to Jim, but she shied away from the idea. Making up her mind, she strode across the room and picked it up. She treated it in the same way as she had the last, ending by washing away any trace that it had existed.

Her hands still shook as she gathered up the other papers and dealt with them, but she was determined not to let this get to her. She would not think of this again, if she could help it.

Continue to part two.