“Are those soldiers guarding the palace?” Benny asked.
“Yes,” said Jessie.
“How do they stand so still?” Benny wanted to know.
“That’s their job. They’re not allowed to move or talk or even smile while they’re on duty,” Henry explained.
“I wouldn’t like that job,” Benny said.
“Can we go inside the palace?” Violet asked.
“We can see the staterooms,” Jessie said. “But we can’t see where the queen actually lives.”
“Let’s go!” said Henry.
The Aldens waited in line to buy tickets and tour the palace staterooms. While they were waiting, Violet looked at the other people in line. Most were noisy groups of tourists with cameras. They were speaking many different languages. She could tell from their clothes and hairstyles that they came from all over the world. Everyone seemed to be happy and excited.
Then she noticed someone who didn’t fit in. It was a person in a raincoat, standing alone and looking at the ground. The person had a hat pulled low over his or her face.
Violet wondered if that could be the same person she’d seen in the cab behind them earlier that morning. That person had been wearing a hat pulled low on his face, too. But before she could point him out to her sister and brothers, they had reached the front of the line and were being ushered inside the palace.
Violet soon forgot about the stranger as she looked around at the magnificent palace. The rooms were elegantly decorated with antique vases, carved furniture, and beautiful paintings of former kings and queens.
After leaving the palace they entered the Royal Mews, where the horse-drawn carriages were kept. The children had never seen carriages like these before. They were fabulously decorated with jewels and gold.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Violet said. “Royal carriages, just like in a fairy tale!”
Jessie was more interested in the horses. “Look at that big chestnut horse, and the white one with the long mane! They’re so beautiful!”
“Let’s go back to the front of the palace now,” suggested Henry as they left the Mews. “They’re going to be changing the guard soon.”
“What does ‘changing the guard’ mean?” asked Benny.
“Remember the royal guards we saw in front?” Henry reminded Benny. “The same soldiers don’t stay there all the time. When a new group of soldiers comes to take their place, they call it the ‘changing of the guard.’ ”
As the children walked, Violet happened to look back over her shoulder. That was when she realized that the mysterious stranger was still behind them. But just then, Henry called out, “Hurry, it’s starting!”
Violet ran to catch up with the others. What she saw when she got to the palace amazed her. There were no longer just a few guards standing stiffly at attention. Now long lines of guards were marching across the courtyard in front of the palace. They marched across the courtyard, lifting their knees high, in step to rhythmic drumbeats. It was very exciting to watch.
“That was great!” Jessie said when the guards were done marching.
“I’m going to be one of the queen’s guards when I grow up,” said Benny. He marched back and forth along the iron fence, lifting his knees high just as the guards had done. He pretended to carry a rifle on his shoulder. The others watched as Benny tried to keep his face serious like the soldiers. But it was too hard. Soon he burst out laughing, and so did Jessie, Violet, and Henry.
“All this marching is making me hungry,” said Benny. “Can we get lunch now?”
“Sure,” said Henry. “Grandfather suggested we walk up this way to find a place to eat.”
As Henry led the way, Violet remembered the mysterious stranger who’d been following them. She decided to peek over her shoulder one more time. She felt sure that he or she would be gone. He was probably just another tourist who wanted to see the palace and the changing of the guard. He probably hadn’t been following them at all.
But when Violet looked back, there was no mistaking it. The person in the long raincoat was still walking behind them!
Chapter 5
A Secret Plan
“Look, a pizzeria!” BENNY called out. “Just like back home!”
“Let’s eat here,” Jessie said, leading the way into the restaurant. As soon as they were all inside, Violet told her sister and brothers that they were still being followed.
“Where is he?” asked Henry, looking out the large front window of the pizzeria.
Violet looked outside, too. “I don’t know where he is now, but he’s been following us since we were in line for the palace.”
“Do you think it’s the same person from the cab that was behind us?” asked Henry.
“I don’t know. It might be,” Violet answered uncertainly.
“What do you think we should do?” asked Benny.
“Should we call Grandfather?” Violet wondered.
“We don’t want to bother Grandfather in the middle of his meeting, and anyway, there’s no one there now,” Jessie pointed out.
“I’m hungry,” said Henry. “Let’s order lunch.”
The Aldens had a large cheese pizza. No one said anything more about the person following them, because they were all so busy eating.
When they’d finished the pizza, Violet asked, “What are we going to do this afternoon?”
Jessie wiped her fingers on a paper napkin and then took out the guidebook. She flipped through a few pages. “We could go to Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum this afternoon. It’s not too far from here.”
“A museum about wax?” Benny asked. “That doesn’t sound very interesting.”
Henry laughed. “No, it’s a museum with wax figures of famous people. They look just like real people. It’s supposed to be really great.”
“Well, all right,” Benny said doubtfully.
A little while later they arrived at Madame Tussaud’s. On the way there they looked back several times, but they saw no one following them.
“Maybe I was wrong,” Violet said to herself as she went into the museum.
Inside, there were several different rooms displaying wax figures of famous people. The Aldens were amazed at how lifelike they were. The figures were as large as actual people and were dressed in real clothes.
“Wow!” said Benny. “You were right — these are unbelievable!”
“They’re so real,” Jessie exclaimed. “I keep expecting them to move!”
There were wax figures of all sorts of people, including kings, queens, entertainers, musicians, and sports heroes.
“Look, there’s Benjamin Franklin!” said Violet.
“And the Beatles!” said Henry.
“And there’s Donna Russo!” cried Benny.
“What?” the others all said at the same time.
“Over there, in the corner,” said Benny.
Henry, Jessie, and Violet all turned in the direction Benny was pointing. He was right. In the corner stood the unfriendly woman from their inn. She was looking closely at a wax figure of the queen.
“Benny, I thought you meant you saw a wax Donna,” said Jessie.
“No, it’s the real one,” Benny said.
Suddenly Violet gasped. “Look! She’s wearing a long raincoat! Could she have been the one following us?”
“I wonder …” said Henry.
“Let’s go say hello,” suggested Jessie.
The children walked over to Donna, who was making some notes on a small notepad. As soon as she saw the children, she tucked the pad and pen into her coat pocket. The look on her face was not happy.
“Hello!” said Jessie. “Isn’t it funny to run into you here!”
“Yes,” said Donna. “Very funny.” But she didn’t seem to think it was funny at all.
“Isn’t this museum great?” said Benny. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”