The Mystery of the Missing Pint (A Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys FanFiction)

Chapter Seven: Guests

Nancy raced into the kitchen, "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! We figured it out. We figured out the origin of the treasure."

"And now we're here to enjoy its pleasure," Brenda smiled.

"Oh, yes?" Elizabeth knelt down.

"Yes," Nancy said, "You're the origin of the treasure. You came up with it and you hid it."

"You are all very clever," Mrs. Drew smiled, "The treasure is-" Hannah made a drum roll with two wooden spoons on the counter. The children smiled. "Ice Cream!" Mrs. Drew exclaimed.

The children squealed with delight, jumping up and down. They chanted over and over, "Ice cream! Ice cream! Ice cream!"

"Now you'll have to wait until after dinner," Hannah shook her chowder spoon at the children.

They all moaned, "Awww!!!"

"Now gather around, children," Nancy's mother sat in a chair at the kitchen table, "I want to explain." Nancy climbed into her mother's lap. She sat on one knee and Bess sat on the other. George stood beside Nancy. The other three stood facing Mrs. Drew. "Today Bess, George, and Nancy went to get haircuts at Jane's salon. Jane's father stopped by as they were getting their cuts," she continued, "He said that he was soooo impressed by their behavior that he wanted to treat them to ice cream. He gave Hannah some money and told her to buy them and their friends all some ice cream. So, you each get one pint of ice cream all to yourselves." The children cheered loudly. "And," Mrs. Drew raised her voice to be heard over the screaming children, "I expect you all to make a thank you card for Mr. Gotto. I will give it to Jane tomorrow and she will see to it that he receives it."

"Yes Ma'am," they all chorused. Ned looked at Nancy's mother, "Can we see the ice cream? I mean I know that we can't eat it yet, but can we look at it...just for a second?"

Elizabeth laughed, "All right, but just for a second. You don't want it to melt." She took out eight pints of ice cream and placed them on the table. Four were Double Chocolate, one was Orange Sherbet, and three were Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia.

"I want Double Chocolate," Bess handed one to Mrs. Drew to return to the freezer.

"Me too," Deirdre handed another Double Chocolate to Nancy's mother. Soon all of the children had claimed the pint that they wanted. Nancy and George took Cherry Garcia while Brenda took the Orange Sherbet. Bess, Ned, and Deirdre took Double Chocolate. That left one Cherry Garcia and one Double Chocolate.

"Who are the other two for?" asked Ned, "There are three grown-ups, but only two more pints."

"Excellent observation, Neddie," Brenda smiled sweetly at him.

"None of the adults are going to eat ice cream," Nancy's mother said.

"Then why are there two extra pints?" asked Deirdre.

"For the two guests I have brought for you to play with, of course," Carson walked into the kitchen from the garage door. Following him were two more adults- one woman and one man. Hiding behind the woman's skirts was a blonde boy about the same age as the Nancy and her friends. Standing between his parents stood a dark-headed boy who looked curiously upon the group.