Hourglass → Ace; Nancy Drew [1]

xii. the hunt for liberation

THE HUNT FOR LIBERATION
CHAPTER TWELVE

"I think we deserve a little break, don't you?" Olivia leaned into Ace's side as they strolled down the marked path towards the crowd of wealthy men and women. Children laughed and screeched as they prepared to embark on what was once Olivia's favorite childhood adventure. For her, The Hunt was always the one social event that she could actually enjoy. She and her father would get way too competitive, and Olivia's mother would admonish their brazen attitudes, but they still loved it. Olivia missed the tradition of solving The hunt by her Father's side, but after the divorce, he'd taken to using The hunt as more of a business event than a father-daughter bonding activity.

"I don't know if I'd call this a break." Ace mumbled, eyeing the line of wealthy families dressed in very posh riding attire, despite the fact that The Hunt hadn't actually been a horse riding, hound chasing hunt in at least half a century.

"Relax," Olivia squeezed his arm lightly. "You'll be fine. I'll be by your side the whole time." Olivia's knee-high boots and navy blazer complemented Ace's deep orange jacket perfectly. They really did look like a respectable young couple. She smiled and nodded as one of the Marvin cousins waved politely from the refreshment table.

"I just don't think I really fit in here."

"You fit in just fine. Most of the upper crusts here aren't like that. And The Hunt is really quite fun once you get into it. Plus, you have me as a partner and I'm always one of the first to solve it." Her voice raised at the end to an optimistic tone, and Ace couldn't help but smile down at her childlike excitement. Suddenly he stopped short, pulling her to an abrupt halt a few yards from the top hat, and coat tail wearing grooms who were dispensing the clue baskets to the guests. His brow creased with worry as he spoke.

"Hey, um, before we head in, just a heads up, Bess is dealing with some personal issues right now." He bit his lip, trying to think of the right words.

"What's wrong, is she alright?" Olivia had lost her smile and now searched his face for any hint.

"Yeah, she just- she had a rough life before she came to horseshoe bay." He lowered his voice to a whisper, and Olivia continued to smile and nod at passing guests like nothing was amiss in the world. "I found out that she used to be married. Her ex-husband is in town and he's been putting her through hell. If you could be extra nice to her today it would mean a lot." He squinted his eyes as if to plead with her. It looked somewhat like a wince. Olivia placed a light hand on his arm.

"Ace, you don't need to ask me to be nice to your best friend. I love Bess, if she's going through something, I want to be there to help." Olivia tried her best to convey her true concern and sincerity while still keeping a mask of propriety for the sake of her societal image. Oh, how the rich loved to gossip. "But I thought she was only into girls?"

"She is- it's a long story, but thank you."

"There you are!" Bess called, she skipped towards them with two clue baskets already tucked into the crook of her arm. She was a vision in magenta, standing out in a sea of golden leaves and browned grass. Nick trailed behind her with his hands tucked into the pockets of his flannel, looking considerably less enthused to be there. "Nancy just texted. She and George are running late. This is for you." Bess held out a basket to Ace and Olivia. He took it with a smile and immediately fished out the roll of parchment that would have their first clue printed inside. Nick hummed a low note and followed Bess towards the beginning of the path.