“In England they’re called chips,” Henry explained.
Violet didn’t usually like fish, but when she tasted hers, she found it was delicious. Benny was surprised to find that there was a bottle of vinegar to sprinkle on the french fries instead of ketchup.
As they ate, Jessie looked around and then began to talk. “I’ve had the feeling that someone was following us all morning. I’m getting tired of this. Why would someone follow us?”
“Maybe he’s spying on us, watching what we’re doing,” suggested Benny.
“Or maybe we have something he wants,” Violet said.
“Like what?” Jessie asked. “It just doesn’t make sense.”
“We’ve noticed a lot of things that don’t make sense,” said. Henry. “Like the unfriendly way Donna acts.”
“Andrew acted pretty strange, too, the other day,” Jessie reminded them. “And it’s odd that the woman on the tube hadn’t heard of him.”
“Do you think one of them is following us?” asked Henry. “We’ve seen both of them wearing raincoats.”
As they talked, the children finished their lunch and got up to leave. They had just reached the door when someone familiar stepped inside. “Look, everyone!” Violet called out. “It’s Charles Finchley, from the airplane!”
CHAPTER 7
“I’ve Hidden It…”
“Hello!” Jessie said. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, if it isn’t the Aldens!” said Charles. Like the first time they’d met him, he was carrying a pile of newspapers, and he had a coat draped over his arm. “How funny to run into you here! Are you enjoying your visit? What have you been doing?” he asked.
“We are,” said Henry. “We’ve been to Buckingham Palace and saw the changing of the guard.” Henry went on, “We also visited Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum and—”
Suddenly Charles interrupted him. “Why don’t you join me for lunch and you can tell me all about it.”
“We’ve just finished eating,” said Violet.
“Oh, yes, I guess you have,” said Charles. He seemed at a loss for what to say next. Then suddenly his face brightened. “I’ve an idea,” he said. “How about tea tomorrow afternoon?”
“That sounds great,” said Jessie. The others nodded eagerly.
“I’ll meet you at half past three at the Olde Tea Shoppe on Chiswick Lane,” said Charles.
“All right, we’ll see you there!” said Jessie.
When they were out on the street, Henry turned to the others. “Wasn’t it a coincidence, in this whole big city, to run into Charles?”
“It sure was,” said Jessie.
“It was awfully nice of him to invite us to tea, wasn’t it?” Violet commented.
Quite unlike himself, Benny was walking along quietly with a worried look on his face.
“Is something wrong?” Jessie asked him at last.
“Yes,” said Benny. “What am I going to do tomorrow?”
“What do you mean?” asked Jessie.
“I don’t like tea!” cried Benny.
The others smiled. “They serve lots of yummy things at tea, like pastries and cookies,” said Jessie. “Don’t worry, you’ll be just fine.”
That night the Aldens ate dinner at a restaurant near their inn and then headed back to their rooms to go to bed. Jessie and Violet had just reached the door to their room when they heard a voice coming from Andrew’s room.
“Yes, I’ve hidden it,” the person was saying.
“Is that Andrew?” Jessie whispered to Violet.
Violet nodded silently.
“Don’t worry!” Andrew went on angrily. “I know it’s worth a lot of money. But it’s in a safe place. No one will ever suspect.”
“Oh, my goodness!” Jessie said, her eyes wide. She was so startled that she dropped the key to their room and it rattled on the wooden floor.
“What was that?” Andrew was saying. “I thought I heard something outside.”
“Hurry!” Violet said as Jessie picked up the key and fumbled with it. She was so nervous that she dropped it on the floor again.
“Jessie!” Violet cried.
At last Jessie managed to get their door open. The two girls rushed into their room and shut the door behind them.
“Did you hear the way Andrew was talking?” Violet asked her big sister.
“Yes!” said Jessie. “He didn’t sound at all like himself! He sounded so angry. And he was talking about hiding something.”
Violet nodded silently.
“But he seems like such a nice man,” said Jessie. “I can’t believe he would do anything wrong.”
“Do you think we should do something? Tell Grandfather?” Violet asked.
“What would we tell him?” said Jessie. “That we’d been eavesdropping on Andrew and he sounded angry? We don’t even know what he was talking about — or who he was talking to. I think we should just try to forget about it. It’s not any of our business.”
“I guess you’re right,” said Violet.
The next day, since they weren’t meeting Charles until the afternoon, the children set out to visit Harrods, one of the largest and most famous department stores in the world.
“Why are we going shopping?” Benny wanted to know. “That doesn’t sound like much fun.”
“But this isn’t any ordinary store,” Henry explained. “This store sells everything.”
“And afterward, Benny, we’re going to buy food and take it to a park for a picnic,” said Jessie.
“Now, that sounds like fun,” said Benny.
The children spent the first part of the morning visiting several different floors in the huge store. Just as Henry had said, Harrods sold everything, from luggage to pianos.
The children were surprised to find a pet department, where they saw colorful fish in tanks and lots of pretty birds. They cuddled some tiny kittens and played with a bunch of puppies.
“These make me miss Watch,” said Jessie, recalling their own dog, who was at home.
The Aldens browsed through the children’s book department and spent a long time in the toy department, which contained piles of stuffed animals and games of every kind. Violet looked at the beautiful dolls in elegant dresses, while Henry, Benny, and Jessie played with the mechanical trains and remote-control cars.
There was even a children’s haircutting area, and a department that sold children’s furniture.
“Look at that bed shaped like a car!” said Benny, pointing.
“I like the bunk beds in the shape of a double-decker bus!” said Violet.
In the gift area the children saw a beautiful snow globe with a wooden base. Inside was a hand-carved scene of old London, with bits of glitter floating around.
“Isn’t that lovely,” said Violet.
“Grandfather gave us some money to buy souvenirs,” said Henry. “Let’s get that, and we’ll all be able to enjoy it.”
“Yes, we can put it on the mantel in the living room at home,” suggested Violet. “Every time we see it we’ll remember the wonderful time we’ve had here in London.”
“Let’s bring back something special for Mrs. McGregor, too,” said Benny.
“What a thoughtful idea,” said Jessie. “How about one of these?” She picked up a basket that was filled with different kinds of English tea and sweet biscuits.
“She’ll love it,” said Violet.
“Can we get our food for the picnic now?” asked Benny. “I’m getting hungry.”
The children paid for their things and then went down to the food halls, which were bustling with crowds of people and lots of noise. There were various sections where you could buy different kinds of foods. In the bakery area Jessie and Violet picked out a loaf of crusty bread and some chocolate-covered cookies. Henry and Benny bought four red apples in the produce section and some cheese in the dairy department. In no time their picnic was complete.
After the hustle and bustle of Harrods, the Aldens were happy to walk to nearby Hyde Park, which was peaceful and quiet. They found a shady spot under a tree and sat down. Once they’d spread out their lunch, they began to eat.