The Secret of the Mansion

## Plot

"The book opens with thirteen-year-old Trixie begging her mother for a horse. Her two older brothers are away at camp for the summer, and Trixie is afraid she will be bored at their house, Crabapple Farm. The family cannot afford a horse, so Trixie is told she will have to save her money to buy one. She then sees a horse trailer outside a neighboring mansion. The Wheelers, a rich family from New York City, have just bought the mansion and are moving in with their teenaged daughter, Honey. Although tough Trixie thinks Honey is a sissy at first, they soon become fast friends. Trixie realizes that Honey really is a "poor little rich girl", her parents are never home, she has been very sickly, and she grew up at boarding schools, at camps, and with governesses. Trixie helps her new friend overcome these problems, while Honey balances Trixie's rash and impatient personality with her tactfulness and gentleness.

Recently, Trixie's neighbor on the other side was taken to the hospital with pneumonia. Trixie uses this chance to explore around the miser's rundown old mansion. Under the pretense of locking a window, Trixie and Honey climb inside to look around. They are shocked to find a tall, redheaded boy asleep on a mattress. The boy is Jim Frayne, the miser's 15-year-old great-nephew, who is running away from his abusive stepfather. The three become close friends, with the girls smuggling food to the mansion for Jim. Local legend says the old man hid his fortune in the house, electing to live in poverty after his beloved wife’s death. Honey and Jim are doubtful, but Trixie is sure the money is there somewhere if only they can find it before Jim's evil stepfather comes looking for him.

Eventually, Jonesy, the stepfather, does come after a newspaper article about an airplane crashing near the miser's mansion also features the news of the miser's death, the legend of the fortune, and a photo of a fireplace with Jim's silver christening mug on the mantle. Trixie finds the engagement ring that Jim's great-uncle gave his wife in a safe.

After Jonesy shows up, Trixie wakes up in the middle of the night and sees smoke from her window. The girls call the fire department and go to warn Jim. The mansion is burned almost to the ground, and Jim sleeps in the hidden summerhouse. When Trixie and Honey go there to the next morning to visit him, they find him gone and a note with the engagement ring in the summerhouse saying goodbye. He has run away again, this time in possession of some money he found hidden in the mattress he had been sleeping on.

The girls meet the great-uncle's lawyer, Mr. Rainsford, who tells them Jim's uncle set up a half-million dollar trust for him and that Jonesy will be replaced as the boy's guardian. He asks them to track Jim down."

## Characters

* Bobby Belden
* Celia
* Dr. Ferris
* Honey Wheeler
* Jim Frayne
* Jonesy
* Mr. and Mrs. Belden
* Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler
* Mr. Lytell
* Mr. Rainsford
* Miss Trask
* Regan
* Trixie Belden

## Chapter Titles

1. The Haunted House
2. Through the Hedge
3. A Scream and a Dog
4. The Brass Key
5. Copperhead!
6. A Runaway
7. A New Hiding Place
8. An Exploring Trip
9. Jim's Discovery
10. The Old Ladder
11. A Precious Piece of Paper
12. Jed Tomlin's Colt
13. Understanding Regan
14. A Night at the Manor House
15. Mr Lytell's Curiosity
16. Unwelcome Guests
17. Treasure
18. The Moonlight Ride
19. The End of the Mansion
20. The Missing Heir

## Trivia

* Trixie refers to her mother as "mother" while talking to Honey, while Bobby refers to her as "Mummy".
* The reader gets the impression that the Belden's struggle for money at times, but they seem to be able to afford to have their laundry sent out as Honey is almost hit by a laundry truck appearing in the Belden's driveway and they are able to afford a nurse for Bobby.
* Trixie's mother is known either as Moms or Mrs Belden, she does not have a first name at this stage.

## Gallery

* Dust Jackets
* Cameo
* Deluxe
* Plain
* Oval
* Square
* 2003

## References

1. ↑ "List of Trixie Belden Books." Wikipedia. March 28, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_Trixie\_Belden\_books
2. ↑  "The Secret of the Mansion." Trixie-belden.com. N.d. Retrieved April 1, 2021 from http://www.trixie-belden.com/books/series/book1.htm