Team Bella and the Mystery of the Lost River

Pearl, Primrose, Milly, and Reggie are inseparable from their English Bull Terriers, Bella, Jack, Patch, and Pip. Walks along the banks of the River Weaver are a daily occurrence, yet one summer evening after sunset something takes place that sets into motion a chain of events that no-one would have expected: Primrose sees a ghost. But it is no ordinary ghost, it is Ida, a nun who first lived at Vale Royal Abbey seven hundred years ago and who returns every one hundred years in search of the lost river. Unsure what to do, Primrose, the only one to see Ida, confides in Mum and asks her advice. With an open mind Mum agrees to go to the meadows with the youngsters the following evening and it is there Ida reveals that she returns to look for the lost river because unless she finds it, she will never again wear the ring that slipped from her finger, a ring given to her by her knight before he went into battle, never to return. The youngsters, presented with a puzzle to solve against almost impossible odds, once more become Team Bella and enlist the help of Mr Stanley, their great friend and co-detective when they searched for Bella. With his guidance they research previous sightings of Ida to piece together her story and set out to find the original riverbed, in a valley that has changed so much, in order to place Ida at the spot where she lost her ring. Unfortunately, the comings and goings of Mr Stanley and Team Bella draw the attention of hapless local metal detectorists, Barry and Bob, who, without knowing what they are looking for, believe that as a former member of their detectorists’ society Mr Stanley should inform them of any potential buried treasure. They take it on themselves to follow him at any opportunity and hatch a plan to beat Team Bella and Mr Stanley to the location, but, unaware of the existence of Ida, they too are being watched and their plan is found out. Forewarned, Ida must go to the house of Pearl and Primrose to warn them. Once there, she must convince Dad, a firm non-believer in ghosts, that she is indeed real and needs all the help she can get. Dad agrees to help and camps out in the meadows with Jack to prevent Barry and Bob detecting at the site before Team Bella and Mr Stanley arrive. Dad is successful at thwarting Barry and Bob on their early morning visit, but later in the day they return and watch from a hiding place in the trees. The metal detecting begins at the site, but after numerous attempts, nothing is found. All seems lost until an idea from Milly appears to solve the problem. The excitement is evident to Barry and Bob; they break cover and run down to the site. This is too much for Dad and he makes sure that they are chased off into the marsh by the dogs. Milly’s idea for the final sweep results in the ring being found. With the ring finally on her finger, a transformation occurs and Ida is once again the beautiful young woman she once was, ready for her knight who appears on a shining white horse across the meadows. At last reunited, the knight sweeps Ida up in his arms onto his horse and leads them away to The Knights Grange, and the life they always dreamed of.