The Wedding Gift Goof

  The Wedding Gift Goof

  When Nancy got home, there was a message waiting for her: “Call Bess right away.”

  Nancy carried the portable phone up to her room to call Bess. “Hi,” Nancy said. “What’s up?”

  “Something terrible,” Bess said. Her voice was shaking. “Remember that envelope that had the money for the wedding gift?”

  “Yes,” Nancy answered. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s gone!” Bess cried.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  A MINSTREL PAPERBACK Original

  A Minstrel Book published by

  POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc.

  1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  Copyright © 1996 by Simon & Schuster Inc.

  Produced by Mega-Books Inc.

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  For information address Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

  ISBN: 0-671-53552-8

  ISBN 13: 978-1-4424-6769-9 (ebook)

  First Minstrel Books printing July 1996

  NANCY DREW, THE NANCY DREW NOTEBOOKS, A MINSTREL BOOK and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster Inc.

  Cover art by Aleta Jenks

  Contents

  Chapter 1: Ms. Spencer’s Secret

  Chapter 2: Wedding Plans

  Chapter 3: Wedding Woes

  Chapter 4: No Money, No Gift

  Chapter 5: Thanks a Lot, Rebecca

  Chapter 6: No Clues

  Chapter 7: Party Poopers

  Chapter 8: Happily Ever After

  THE

  WEDDING GIFT GOOF

  1

  Ms. Spencer’s Secret

  Guess what?” Bess Marvin gasped. “We’re getting a new teacher! A man!”

  Eight-year-old Nancy Drew frowned. “How do you know?” she asked.

  “That’s him,” Bess said. She pointed to a man in the school playground. He was standing beside their third-grade teacher, Ms. Spencer. The man had curly black hair and a dimple in his chin.

  Bess pushed her long blond hair out of her face. “I don’t want a new teacher. Not now—not ever! Ms. Spencer is the best.”

  Nancy was about to agree. But just then George Fayne ran up to join them. George’s curly dark hair bounced as she ran. She was Bess’s cousin and Nancy’s other best friend.

  “What’s wrong with you two?” George asked. “You look upset.”

  “We’re getting a new teacher,” Bess repeated. “A man.”

  George put her hands on her hips. “Who told you?” she asked Bess.

  “Well,” Bess said slowly. “It’s just a rumor. I guess it might not be true....”

  George pointed a finger at her cousin. “Who told you?” she asked again.

  Bess’s cheeks turned a little pink. “It was Brenda Carlton,” she admitted.

  “Brenda Carlton?” Nancy asked. Her eyes opened wide. Brenda was the most gossipy girl in the third grade.

  “I wouldn’t believe anything Brenda says,” George said with a laugh. “She makes up stories all the time.”

  “I know,” Bess said. “But Brenda promises it’s true. She heard Ms. Spencer talking to him. Ms. Spencer said, ‘I haven’t told the class yet.’ And then she said something about leaving.”

  Nancy turned to watch her teacher carefully. Ms. Spencer and the man were looking at a piece of paper. Nancy wasn’t sure what the paper was. She thought it might be a list.

  “She has been acting weird lately,” George said. “She whispers to the other teachers all the time.”

  “And she’s been writing something secret,” Bess said.

  “You’re right,” Nancy said. “Something is going on. I’m going to see if I can find out what.”

  Nancy straightened her bright blue sweatshirt. Then she tightened the matching blue scrunchie in her hair. It held her reddish blond hair in a ponytail.

  I don’t want my new teacher to see me looking sloppy, Nancy thought.

  “Should we come with you?” George asked.

  Nancy shook her head. “Wait here.”

  As soon as she neared Ms. Spencer and the man, Nancy slowed down.

  I can’t just walk right up to them, Nancy thought. Maybe I can see what’s on that paper if I stand on something.

  Nancy looked around. There was a tire swing nearby. She walked toward the swing. But just as she reached for it, Mike Minelli ran up and grabbed it by the chain.

  “Ha, ha. Got here first,” Mike called as he climbed on the tire.

  He started swinging as hard as he could. He came much too close to Nancy. She jumped out of the way.

  Nancy crossed her arms and turned around. She marched back toward George and Bess. They ran to meet her.

  “I saw that,” Bess said. “What a creep!”

  “I don’t care,” Nancy said. “I couldn’t see the paper from there anyway. It was too far away.”

  Just then the bell rang. Everyone started running toward the door.

  “Come on,” Nancy said, smiling. “Let’s go in. We have a mystery to solve.”

  “A mystery?” a voice near Nancy said. Nancy looked over and saw Rebecca Ramirez. She was walking right behind Nancy, Bess, and George. “What mystery?”

  “We’re getting a new teacher,” Bess answered.

  Instantly, Rebecca put her hands up to her face. “Oh, no!” Rebecca cried. “How awful for you.”

  Nancy smiled. Rebecca wanted to be an actress when she grew up. She always acted very dramatic.

  Very happy. Very sad. Very upset. About everything.

  “How can you stand it?” Rebecca said, grabbing Nancy’s arm.

  “We don’t know if it’s true,” Nancy said. “It’s just a rumor. But we’re going to find out.”

  “Well, let me know after school,” Rebecca said. Then she hurried to her own third-grade class.

  Nancy and her friends moved quickly through the hallway.

  “I’m going to stand at the pencil sharpener by Ms. Spencer’s desk,” Bess announced. “Maybe I can get a look at that paper when she puts it on her desk.”

  “Okay,” Nancy agreed. “George and I will try to get Ms. Spencer’s attention.”

  But as soon as Nancy took her seat, Ms. Spencer walked in. The paper was in her hand. Bess didn’t have time to go to the pencil sharpener.

  “Class, take your seats please,” Ms. Spencer said. “I have something to tell you all.”

  Uh-oh, Nancy thought. Here it comes.

  Nancy felt her throat get tight. She didn’t want a new teacher. Ms. Spencer was the best teacher Nancy had ever had.

  “Please quiet down, everyone,” Ms. Spencer said. She walked around to sit on the edge of her desk.

  The class got quiet very quickly. I know what you’re going to say, Nancy thought.

  “I have something very important to tell you,” Ms. Spencer said, smiling. “Something very nice. In a few weeks, I’m getting married. And you’re all invited to the wedding!”

  2

  Wedding Plans

  Getting married?” Nancy said, her eyes lighting up.

  Nancy glanced over at Bess, who sat beside her in class. Bess’s own eyes were big.

  “A wedding,” Bess whispered, clapping her hands together. “Goody!”

  “Oh, no,” George said, rolling her eyes. “I can see it all now. Bess thinks she’s in charge.”

  Nancy l
aughed, and everyone in the class began talking at once.

  Mike Minelli turned around and started singing “Here Comes the Bride.” Jason Hutchings made very loud kissing sounds with his lips.

  “Class, settle down,” Ms. Spencer said, still smiling.

  Nancy squirmed in her seat. A wedding. It was so exciting!

  Ms. Spencer was probably marrying the man with the curly dark hair, Nancy thought. He wasn’t a new teacher. He was Ms. Spencer’s fiancé.

  Nancy liked the word fiancé. It was French. It meant the person you were getting married to.

  Ms. Spencer reached into her desk and took out a stack of thick, cream-colored envelopes.

  “These are wedding invitations,” she said as she started down the aisle. “One for each of you.”

  When she had passed out the invitations, Ms. Spencer sat on her desk again. She answered questions about the wedding. She said her fiancé’s name was Martin Reynolds and that after the wedding she would be called Mrs. Reynolds.

  Finally it was time for art class. Ms. Spencer walked the class down to Ms. Frick’s art room. It was in the basement.

  “I have an idea,” Bess whispered on the way. “Let’s give Ms. Spencer a party. A surprise party.”

  “A party?” George said softly.

  “Yes, in school,” Bess said. “On the day before her wedding.”

  “Great idea,” Nancy said.

  “Hey, that is a great idea,” Lindsay Mitchell said. Lindsay was eavesdropping on Nancy’s conversation. As usual. “We can have cake and punch.”

  “Shhh!” Bess said. “Ms. Spencer will hear.” Bess lowered her voice, and the girls huddled together.

  “We can buy her a gift,” Bess went on. “A silver tea set.”

  Lindsay laughed quietly. “No way,” she said. “Silver things cost too much.”

  “Okay, then how about a lace tablecloth?” Bess said. “Or maybe a punch bowl?”

  “Let’s ask Ms. Frick to help us decide,” Nancy whispered. “And she can help with the party, too. Maybe we can make a big card for Ms. Spencer in art.”

  George nodded and Lindsay agreed. Bess’s eyes twinkled as she bounced into the art room.

  “Guess what?” Bess said to Ms. Frick. “Ms. Spencer is getting married—and we’re invited to the wedding.”

  Ms. Frick put her hand on Bess’s shoulder and bent down. “I know!” she said, sounding just as excited as Bess.

  “We want to give her a surprise party,” Bess announced.

  Ms. Frick smiled and cocked her head to one side. Her long earrings dangled back and forth. Ms. Frick was tall and had short, wavy brown hair. Nancy thought her colorful clothes and jewelry looked just right for an artist.

  “What a good idea,” Ms. Frick said. “A surprise party. Class, do you think you can all keep a secret?”

  Everyone settled down when they heard the word “party.” Then Nancy told Ms. Frick about her idea to make a huge card.

  “We could make it look like a giant wedding cake. And we could decorate it with all kinds of fancy colors—like icing,” Nancy said.

  Ms. Frick nodded. “And inside, each person could write a poem. Or a message. Or draw a picture of himself or herself,” the art teacher added.

  By the time class was over, everything had been decided. The surprise party would be on the Friday before Ms. Spencer’s wedding. Everyone in the class was going to chip in. Bess would collect the money and give it to Ms. Frick to keep. Then Bess’s mother would buy the present.

  The class had voted to get Ms. Spencer a special cookie jar shaped like a schoolhouse. The cookie jar was George’s idea. She had seen it in a gift shop.

  • • •

  “I still think we should get her a tablecloth,” Bess said after school that day.

  George rolled her eyes.

  “Get who a tablecloth?” Rebecca Ramirez asked. She walked up to join Nancy, Bess, and George outside.

  “Ms. Spencer isn’t leaving our school after all,” Nancy said. “She’s getting married. And our whole class is invited to the wedding.”

  Rebecca dropped her books on the sidewalk with a thud. Her eyes grew big. “A wedding? You’re going to a wedding?” she said.

  Nancy nodded.

  “Well, you’d better come over to my house right now,” Rebecca said. “I’ll tell you everything. What to wear. Where to sit. How to catch the bride’s bouquet. I know, because I went to my cousin’s wedding last year.”

  “We already know all about it,” Bess said quickly. “A friend of my mom’s got married when I was six years old. I was the flower girl.”

  “Oh, but this is different,” Rebecca said. “This is your teacher’s wedding. And anyway, being a flower girl isn’t the same thing as being a guest.”

  “Why not?” Bess asked, tossing her hair over her shoulders.

  “Because,” Rebecca said with a huge sigh. “You have to know things. Like where to sit in the church. In this case, you should sit on the left, because you are a friend of the bride. The friends of the groom sit on the right.”

  Bess rolled her eyes and glanced at Nancy. George made a face, too. Nancy gave them a small smile. But she also nodded at Rebecca.

  “I’d love to come over,” Nancy said. “But I’m getting a ride home with Bess and George today. Bess’s mom is taking us to the library.”

  “Oh,” Rebecca said. “Okay. Well, don’t worry. I’ll make a list of things you need to know about weddings. I’ll give it to you tomorrow morning on the way to school.”

  • • •

  The next day Nancy walked to school with Rebecca. Rebecca handed Nancy a sheet of pink paper. It said “All About Weddings” in pencil at the top.

  “Read it as soon as you can,” Rebecca told Nancy. “Then meet me after school and we can talk about it.”

  “Okay,” Nancy agreed.

  “I wish I were in Ms. Spencer’s class,” Rebecca called as she headed toward her own classroom. “But even though I’m not, I’m going to get her a present. Crystal candlesticks. Your class should get her something nice, too.”

  Nancy sighed. Rebecca was her friend, but sometimes it made Nancy tired just talking to her. She thought she knew more than anyone about everything.

  • • •

  After school Nancy, Bess, and George stood in front of the building. Nancy showed the All About Weddings paper to Bess and George.

  “This is dumb,” Bess said. “Everyone knows that the bride feeds the first piece of cake to the groom. Why did she write that down for you?”

  “I don’t know,” Nancy said. “I think she wants to go to the wedding, too.”

  “Well, where is she?” Bess said, staring at the school door. “If she wants to talk about the wedding so much, why isn’t she here?”

  Just then the school door opened. Rebecca ran out. She had a serious look on her face. Her long black hair was flowing behind her.

  “I have horrible news,” Rebecca said, looking very upset. “Horrible. Get ready.”

  “What? What’s wrong?” Nancy asked.

  “The wedding is off!” Rebecca said.

  3

  Wedding Woes

  No!” Nancy gasped. “No wedding? But why?”

  Nancy glanced at Bess and George. They looked just as shocked as she was.

  “I heard Ms. Spencer talking to Ms. Frick,” Rebecca said. “She said, ‘I never liked him much anyway.’ And then she said that the wedding was off.”

  “No fair,” Bess said, stamping her foot. “Now we can’t have our party.”

  “I don’t know,” Nancy said slowly. “Are you sure, Rebecca?”

  “Well, I’m just telling you what I heard,” Rebecca said.

  Nancy looked at the kids streaming out of the school. It wasn’t hard for Nancy to spot Ms. Frick in the crowd.

  “Ms. Frick?” Nancy called, running toward the art teacher. Bess, George, and Rebecca chased after her. “May we ask you something?”

  Ms. Frick stopped on
the walkway. “Sure, girls. What’s wrong?”

  Nancy quickly told her what Rebecca had said about Ms. Spencer calling off her wedding.

  Ms. Frick shook her head. “Girls, you have to be careful about eavesdropping,” she said. “That’s a good way to start rumors. And rumors can be all wrong.”

  “But I heard her say the wedding was off,” Rebecca insisted.

  “Yes,” Ms. Frick said, nodding. “But Ms. Spencer was talking about her cousin’s wedding, not her own. She said she never liked her cousin’s boyfriend. That’s why she didn’t mind that the wedding was called off. See?”

  Nancy nodded. Rebecca blushed. And Bess clapped her hands together.

  “So the wedding is still on?” George asked, just to be sure.

  “Yes,” Ms. Frick said. “And so is our surprise party. So shhhh. Let’s keep it a secret.”

  • • •

  For the next two weeks, Nancy and the rest of Ms. Spencer’s class worked on planning the party. Nancy was proud of the wedding cake card, because it was her idea. It was big—bigger than a card sold in a store. There were swirling lace decorations on the front. The lace looked like fancy icing. On top were the figures of a bride and groom.

  Bess and Nancy bought new dresses to wear to the wedding. Even George, who didn’t like fancy clothes at all, got a new ribbon for her hair.

  Finally the week of the wedding arrived. After school on Wednesday, Bess, Nancy, and George went to Ms. Frick’s room to pick up the envelope of money.

  “Be careful with this,” Ms. Frick said. She handed a bulging white envelope to Bess. “We have fifty dollars in there.”

  “Oh, I’ll be careful,” Bess promised. “I’ll give it to my mom right away. She’s picking me up from school.”

  “Good,” Ms. Frick said.

  Nancy and George followed Bess out to the parking lot. Mrs. Marvin’s red minivan was parked near the playground. Two boys were sitting in the van. Mrs. Marvin stood outside.

  “Hi, sweetie,” Mrs. Marvin said to Bess. “Hello, girls. Could you wait just a moment? I need to talk to some other mothers about the food for the party on Friday.”