The boys had just gotten settled into their room when Grandfather knocked on the door and poked his head in. He had taken a hot bath and changed his clothes. “Ready for lunch?” he asked.
“Yes!” cried Benny. “I’m in the mood for a burger and fries!”
“I thought we’d get something a bit more British,” Grandfather said. “Come on, I’ll get the girls and we’ll go to my favorite pub.”
“What’s a pub?” Benny asked.
“That’s short for public house,” said Grandfather. “It’s a place where you can get food and drinks. Pubs are very popular in England.”
The Aldens walked down the street to the Prince of Wales Tavern. It was dark and cozy, and a fire blazed in the fireplace. The Aldens sat down at a corner table and Grandfather ordered shepherd’s pie and Cornish pasties for all of them.
“Yum, I love pie and pastries,” Benny said. “But shouldn’t we have lunch before we get dessert?”
Grandfather smiled at Benny. “Shepherd’s pie isn’t really pie,” he explained. “It’s like beef stew, with mashed potatoes on top.”
“Sounds delicious,” said Henry.
“And I ordered Cornish ‘pasties,’ not ‘pastries.’ ” Grandfather went on. “They’re meat, potatoes, and vegetables baked in a pastry shell.”
“Mmm!” said Jessie.
“I’m not too hungry,” Violet said.
“I’ll order you a ploughman’s lunch,” Grandfather said. “I think you’ll like it.”
As they waited for the food, the children told their grandfather about Andrew. “He knew where we were from — even which part of the United States — just from hearing us talk,” Jessie said. “How do you think he figured that out?”
“I’m not sure,” said Mr. Alden. “Some people know a lot about accents.”
“I thought it was kind of strange,” said Henry.
“Oh, Henry, he was so nice,” said Jessie.
Violet’s lunch arrived first: a chunk of sharp cheddar cheese, a piece of crusty bread, and some pickles. There was also a small bowl of fruit chutney. “This is great, Grandfather,” she said, trying a bite of the bread.
Soon the waitress brought the hot food. The pasties had a light, flaky crust, and the shepherd’s pie was steaming hot. The Aldens were hungry after their long trip, and they ate eagerly.
After lunch, Grandfather suggested they visit the British Museum. “The rest of this week I’ll be busy with business meetings, so you kids will be on your own to see the sights. But the British Museum has always been my favorite.”
“Sounds good to me,” said Jessie.
“We can take the bus there,” Mr. Alden said, leading the children to the corner. After a few minutes a large red bus pulled up and stopped.
“Look,” Benny said, pointing. “People are sitting up on top. Can we do that?”
“Sure we can,” said Grandfather. “This is a double-decker bus, and that’s the best place to sit. We’ll have a great view as we’re riding.” The Aldens climbed on and walked up a tiny staircase to the top. From there they could see all around. The children could tell that London was a very old city. Most of the buildings looked as if they’d been built a long time ago. The streets were narrow and winding, and there were lots of small cars and boxy black cabs.
“This is our stop,” Grandfather said after a little while.
The children followed Mr. Alden off the bus and into a giant building with columns and a wide staircase up the front. The museum was one of the largest they had ever been in. Huge halls were filled with ancient artwork and sculptures. Glass cases held old books and documents written hundreds of years ago.
Violet was especially interested in a display of silverware and jewelry from old England. There were beautiful necklaces, earrings, and rings. Some of them had even belonged to queens and princesses.
Everyone’s favorite was the hall full of Egyptian mummies. The Aldens spent a long time looking at the giant painted coffins and the mummified bodies of the pharaohs.
“I can’t believe these are thousands of years old!” said Henry.
“Look over here!” called Jessie. “There’s a mummy of a cat!” The others raced over to see.
“Wow!” Benny cried. “They have really neat things here in London!”
“They sure do,” Grandfather said. “And this is only the start. Just imagine what you’ll discover in the coming week!”
CHAPTER 3
A Friend Stops By
When they got back to the Cheshire Inn that evening after they’d eaten dinner, Mrs. Brown was in the lobby.
“Someone came by to see you,” she told them. “I was out, but my son was here keeping an eye on things. He left this note.” She held up a piece of paper.
“Who was it?” Mr. Alden asked.
“I don’t know,” Mrs. Brown said. “His note just says, ‘Tell the Aldens a friend stopped by.’ ”
“Who do you think it was, Grandfather?” Violet asked.
“I don’t know,” he replied. “The only people I know in London are my business associates. I don’t really have any friends here in town.”
“Could it have been someone from Greenfield?” Henry wondered. “Maybe someone else is vacationing here, found out where we’re staying, and came by to say hello.”
“Was the friend a man or a woman?” Jessie asked Mrs. Brown.
“What did the person look like?” Benny added.
“I don’t know,” Mrs. Brown answered. “As I said, my son was here while I did some shopping. I found this note here on the front desk. He’s already gone home, but next time I talk to him I’ll ask.”
Benny’s eyes sparkled. “Isn’t that strange,” he said excitedly as the Aldens went upstairs to their rooms.
“I’m sure there’s a simple explanation,” Grandfather said.
“I think it’s a mystery!” said Benny.
Grandfather chuckled and gave Benny a hug. “Good night, my little mystery solver. And don’t forget, breakfast is served at eight o’clock.”
“We know Benny won’t forget,” said Henry with a smile. Benny had the biggest appetite of anyone they knew.
The Aldens said good night and headed for their rooms.
Henry and Benny had just put on their pajamas when they heard a door shut. Benny peeked out and saw an old man walking down the hall. He was hunched over and carried a cane.
“Hey, Henry,” Benny whispered. “Look!”
“What?” Henry asked, turning down the covers on his bed.
“Never mind. He’s gone around the corner,” said Benny.
“Who has?” asked Henry.
“There was an old man in the hallway,” Benny explained. “I wonder who it could have been. I thought Andrew and Donna were the only other guests here.”
“The man was probably visiting one of them,” Henry said.
“Maybe … but I wonder. …” said Benny.
“Stop looking for mysteries and go to bed,” Henry said. And with that, he turned off the light.
The next morning when the Aldens entered the dining room, the other two guests were already there.
“Good morning!” Andrew called out.
Donna smiled stiffly, then looked at her watch. “Excuse me, I have to be going now,” she said as she got up from the table.
“Where are you off to today?” Andrew asked her.
She looked at Andrew for a moment before answering. “Nowhere in particular,” she said coldly and walked out.
“It’s funny she’s leaving so quickly to go nowhere in particular,” Andrew commented.
As the Aldens were sitting down, Mrs. Brown came in carrying a tray laden with food. She put a large bowl of scrambled eggs and a plate of steaming hot sausages on the table. “There are some fresh scones, still warm from the oven,” she said, motioning toward a napkin-covered basket. Then she turned to Andrew. “Here’s your tea.” She placed a small teapot in front of him.
“Thank you,” Andrew said, pouring himself a cup.