“Maybe that’s because you were wearing your sunglasses inside,” Benny said.
The man smiled, and the Aldens saw that he had perfect white teeth to go with his sparkling brown eyes. “Right you are, young man,” he said. He noticed that the Aldens were still carrying their suitcases. “Have you just arrived? Let me help you.” He took the suitcase Jessie was holding and carried it back to her door.
“Thank you,” said Jessie. She introduced herself and her brothers and sister. “We’re from—”
“Don’t tell me — the northeastern United States,” the man said.
“Yes! How did you know?” Henry asked, amazed.
“I’m very good with accents,” the man said. “I’m Andrew Smythe.” He looked at his watch. “Oh, no, got to run. I’ve an important appointment in the West End. I’ll be staying here for the rest of the week — let’s have a chat when I get back. Cheerio!” He gave the children another smile and then hurried down the stairs.
“Wasn’t it amazing that he knew where we were from without our telling him?” said Violet.
“Yes,” agreed Henry.
“I wonder what the ‘West End’ is,” said Violet.
“Isn’t it strange?” Jessie said. “There are only two other guests here, and they’re completely different. One is very rude, and the other is as friendly as can be!”
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.
Mrs. Brown went back into the kitchen, leaving the guests to enjoy their breakfast.
“What are scones?” Violet asked.
“They’re like biscuits,” Mr. Alden explained, passing the basket to her.
Violet pulled out a scone and saw that it was studded with sweet, chewy currants. “Mmm, these look delicious,” she said.
“Try a bit of gooseberry jam with them,” suggested Andrew. “Mrs. Brown makes it herself.”
Mr. Alden found a London Times newspaper on the table and began to read. Andrew asked the children what they were planning to do that day.
“Our grandfather has a business meeting near Buckingham Palace, so he’s going to drop us off there,” Henry said.
“You’ll get to see the changing of the guard,” said Andrew. “It’s a jolly good show.”
“What are you going to do today?” Benny asked him.
“I’ll be in the West End,” he said.
“That’s where you were headed yesterday,” Jessie recalled. “What is it?”
“That’s the part of London where the theaters are,” Andrew explained. “I’m there every day, all day.”
Suddenly Jessie remembered the dark glasses he’d been wearing the day before, as if he hadn’t wanted anyone to recognize him. “Are you a famous actor?” she asked.
A strange look passed over Andrew’s face, as if he was trying to decide how to answer. “Yes, I am,” he said at last. “Of course, being from America, you may not have heard of me. I haven’t made it to Hollywood — yet.” He smiled broadly. “But I’m quite well-known here in England, on the London stage.”
“What show are you in?” Henry asked.
“Well, I’ve been in lots of things …” Andrew said. “Phantom of the Opera, Cats. All the greats.”
“What are you in now?” asked Violet.
“What am I performing at the moment?” Andrew said.
“Yes,” said Violet.
“Um, well, it’s, um …” Andrew paused for a moment and sipped his tea. “It’s called … The Mystery Man. Yes, that’s it.”
“Are you the star?” asked Benny.
“Yes, of course,” Andrew said.
“We’re planning to go to the theater Thursday night,” Jessie said. “Maybe we’ll go see your play.”
Suddenly Andrew looked uncomfortable. He put down his teacup and stood up abruptly. “Oh, yes, well … it’s quite popular, so you may have trouble getting tickets.” He laughed nervously. “I’ll see you later.” He picked up his raincoat and walked out quickly.
Just then Mrs. Brown came in. “Andrew, do you need more—” She stopped and looked around. “Has Andrew left already?” she asked the Aldens.
“Yes, just a moment ago,” Henry said.
“That’s odd.” She picked up his full teacup. “He never leaves without finishing his tea. Ah, well.” She cleared away Andrew’s dishes and went back into the kitchen.
“I wonder why Andrew left so suddenly,” said Jessie. “He looked as if something was bothering him.”
“It almost seemed as if he didn’t want to answer any more of our questions,” Henry said.
“I thought I heard him say he was an actor,” Grandfather said. “He was probably just in a hurry to get to the theater for a rehearsal.” Grandfather looked at his watch. “Speaking of which, we’d better hurry if I’m going to make it to my meeting in time.”
The Aldens finished eating and went back up to their rooms to get ready to go. But the whole time, Jessie couldn’t help wondering what had been bothering Andrew.
CHAPTER 4
Follow That Cab!
Back upstairs, grandfather gave the children some British money. “You can’t use American money here,” he explained, handing them some colorful paper bills and some large heavy coins.
“These don’t look at all like dollars,” said Benny. “There’s a picture of a lady on it.”
“These are called British pounds,” Henry told his little brother. “That’s a picture of the queen.”
“We’d better bring some things with us today, like a map and our guidebook,” said Jessie.
“Don’t forget the camera,” said Violet.
“And an umbrella, in case it rains,” Grandfather suggested. “It rains a lot in London.”
“We can put that stuff in my backpack,” Benny said, running to get his little red backpack from next to his bed.
A little while later, the Aldens were waiting in front of the inn. Mrs. Brown had arranged for a car to pick them up.
“There’s a cab,” said Benny, pointing a little way down the street.
“I don’t think that’s for us,” Grandfather said. “If it was, the driver would pull up to the door.”
“Anyway, it looks as if there’s already someone in the back,” Violet pointed out.
“I don’t see anyone,” said Jessie.
Violet looked again. “That’s funny. I’m sure I saw someone in there a second ago.”
“It’s strange the way that cab is just sitting there with the motor running,” Henry said.
Just then another big black cab pulled up, right in front of the inn. “This must be ours,” Grandfather said. The children got into the backseat, and Grandfather sat up front, next to the driver.
As they pulled away from the curb, Violet took a look out the rear window. “Now that other cab is moving,” she said.
Jessie looked back, too. “And there is someone in the backseat. But it’s funny — the person has his hat pulled all the way down over his face, as if he doesn’t want to be seen.”
“How do you know it’s a he?” asked Henry.
“Good point,” Jessie said.
“A mysterious stranger!” said Benny
“You kids and your mysteries,” Grandfather said, chuckling.
A few minutes later, Violet turned around and looked out the rear window again. “That cab is still in back of us,” she said. The others turned to look.
“I’m sure it’s just a coincidence,” said Grandfather.
But when they checked a few minutes later, after their cab had made several turns, the other one was still behind them. “I think we’re being followed,” said Jessie.
“Do you think that person got in the cab and said, ‘Follow that cab!’ like in the movies?” Benny asked.
Everyone laughed. Before they could figure out why someone might be following them, they had pulled up in front of a tall, imposing gate.
“Here we are,” said Grandfather. “Buckingham Palace.” The children got out, but Grandfather stayed inside. The cab was taking him to an office
building a little bit farther up the road. Grandfather rolled down his window. “Do you have your map?”
“Yes,” said Henry.
“And you have the money I gave you?” asked Grandfather.
“Yes,” said Violet.
“And you have the phone number where I’ll be?” asked Grandfather.
“Yes,” said Jessie. “We’ll be fine. Well take a cab back to the inn when we’re through here.”
“All right. Then I’ll see you back at the inn at dinnertime,” Mr. Alden said, and the cab pulled away from the curb.
“Hey, what happened to that cab that was behind us?” asked Violet, looking around. It was nowhere in sight.
“I guess it’s gone now,” said Jessie. “Come on. Let’s go see the palace.”
The children looked at the beautiful building on the other side of the large iron gate. “Wow,” said Benny, looking at the rows of windows. “It’s huge! Does the queen really live there?”
“I think so,” said Jessie. “Let’s see what our guidebook says.” She unzipped Benny’s red backpack and reached inside. She pulled out the book and flipped a few pages. “Here’s the section about the palace.” She read quickly and then looked up. “It says the queen also has some other houses. But see that flag?” Jessie pointed to the middle of the building. “That flag is flown whenever the queen is here.”
In front of the palace were several soldiers, standing stiffly at attention. They were wearing brilliant scarlet coats with a line of gold buttons down the center. They had on dark blue pants, white gloves, and tall furry black hats. They carried rifles on their shoulders.
“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.”