“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.”
“Of course you haven’t,” said Donna. “This is the greatest wax museum in the world. Did you know that Madame Tussaud began making her wax figures over two hundred years ago? Of course, it wasn’t her waxworks at the beginning; it was her uncle’s. If you go into the workshop here, you can see some of the old masks and learn how the wax models are made.”
“You certainly know a lot about this place,” said Jessie.
Suddenly Donna seemed to realize how much she’d been talking and she became quiet.
“So …” Violet said slowly, “you couldn’t have been here all day. What other sights did you see today?” She wanted
to find out if Donna had been the one following them at Buckingham Palace.
“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” Donna snapped, and she turned and left.
The Aldens stood watching her, stunned.
“I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone so unfriendly!” said Violet.
“She seemed friendly when she was talking about the wax museum,” Henry said. “Then all of a sudden her mood changed.”
“I wonder what she was writing in that notepad before she saw us,” Benny said.
“Well, we’re not going to let Donna ruin our vacation,” said Jessie. “Come on, let’s go see that workshop she mentioned.”
That night Grandfather took the children to an Indian restaurant for dinner.
The food was delicious. It was different from anything the children had ever had before, and some of it was very spicy. There were mixtures of rice and vegetables and lamb in creamy sauces.
While they ate, the children told Grandfather about all the things they’d seen that day. They also told him about the person they’d thought was following them.
“He was wearing a long raincoat,” Violet said. “Then we saw Donna at the wax museum, and she was wearing one, too.”
“You know, I just remembered. We’ve seen Andrew wearing a raincoat like that, too,” Henry pointed out.
Mr. Alden pulled his raincoat from the hook next to their table. “I also have a raincoat like you described,” he said. “You know, a lot of people in London have coats like that. They’re good for the damp, rainy weather here. Do you think maybe it wasn’t the same person you kept seeing all day, but perhaps a few different people in similar raincoats?”
The children looked at their grandfather silently.
“All I’m saying is, maybe you weren’t really being followed. Maybe you just thought you were,” he said gently.
“You know, Grandfather could be right,” Henry said, looking around at the others.
Violet looked thoughtful. “It’s possible. But there’s something about this particular raincoat that looks … different. I just can’t quite figure out what it is.” Then she remembered something else. “But that cab was definitely following us.”
“Maybe it was just someone else going to Buckingham Palace,” said Jessie.
“I guess so,” said Violet. But she wasn’t convinced.
“Hey!” said Benny all of a sudden. “What about that note we got yesterday: ‘A friend stopped by?’ Maybe the ‘friend’ is the person following us.”
“Could be,” said Jessie. “We need to ask Mrs. Brown if she talked to her son about that.”
When the Aldens returned to the inn, Mrs. Brown was in the front hallway. “Did you have fun today?” she asked.
“Yes! We saw a palace and guards marching around!” cried Benny.
“We also went to the wax museum,” added Jessie. “And we saw Donna Russo there.”
“She wasn’t very friendly, though,” said Benny.
“Don’t mind her,” Mrs. Brown said. “She told me she doesn’t have time to chat because she’s busy with a special project — her secret plan, she called it. Thinks she’s going to be a millionaire, she does.”
“Really?” said Henry. “What’s her plan?”
“She’s planning to—” Mrs. Brown stopped herself. “No. She made me promise not to tell anyone. Her idea seems like stealing to me, but she said it’s not really.” Mrs. Brown paused. “But enough about that. Would you all like some hot tea before bed?”
“No, thank you,” Mr. Alden said.
“There is something else we were wondering about,” Jessie said.
“What is it, dear?” Mrs. Brown said.
“Did you have a chance to ask your son about the ‘friend’ who stopped by for us yesterday?” Jessie asked.
“Oh, yes,” said Mrs. Brown. “I’ve been meaning to tell you. My son said it was a man, and he refused to leave his name. He didn’t want to leave a message at all, in fact. My son said the man was acting a bit, well, strange.”
“Did your son say anything else, like what the man looked like or anything?” Henry asked.
“No, he didn’t,” Mrs. Brown replied.
The Aldens looked at one another and shrugged. They knew little more about the mysterious “friend” than they’d known before.
“I’m not going to worry about it,” said Grandfather as they went upstairs. “If it was anyone important, he’ll try us again. See you tomorrow morning.” He and the children went into their rooms.
As they got ready for bed, Jessie asked Violet, “What do you think Donna Russo’s ‘secret plan’ is all about?”
“I can’t imagine!” said Violet. “Sounded pretty strange.”
The girls were brushing their teeth when they heard a noise outside their door.
“Was that a knock?” Jessie asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe it was Benny or Henry,” Violet said. “I’ll check.” When she opened the door, she saw a man standing at the door across from theirs. He had a key in his hand but seemed to be having trouble unlocking the door. As he turned slightly, Violet got a glimpse of his face, and suddenly she realized it wasn’t Andrew. The man in the hall had a beard.
Violet shut the door.
“Who was it?” Jessie asked her sister.
Violet didn’t answer. She just stood there, looking thoughtful.
“Violet?” Jessie said.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” said Violet at last. “I was just thinking. Isn’t Andrew’s room right across from ours?”
“Yes,” said Jessie.
“There’s another man at his door, trying to get into his room,” Violet said.
“Trying to get in?” Jessie repeated.
“Yes. He has a key, but he’s having trouble getting the door open,” Violet explained.
“These old doors stick sometimes. Maybe he’s a friend of Andrew’s,” Jessie suggested. “Or maybe Andrew checked out of the inn.”
“But he said he’d be here all week,” said Violet.
Jessie yawned loudly. “I don’t know about you, but I’m tired.” She pulled the quilt up around her.
“Me, too,” said Violet, getting into her own bed. “Let’s get some sleep.” She turned off the light and lay back against her soft pillow. But for a long time she couldn’t sleep. She kept wondering about the mysterious bearded man trying to get into Andrew’s room.
CHAPTER 6
The Tower of London
The next morning, AS the Aldens went down for breakfast, they saw Andrew running out the door.
“Hello!” said Jessie.
“Can’t stay and chat. My limo’s waiting,” he called over his shoulder.
When they sat at the table, Donna was just leaving. It seemed as if she, too, had somewhere important to go.
Violet buttered a scone and then told the others about the bearded man she’d seen the night before.
“That’s funny,” said Benny, helping himself to another serving of scrambled eggs. “I saw an old man coming down the hall the day before yesterday.”
“Sometimes people have friends or relatives visiting them,” Grandfather said. “I wouldn’t worry about it.”
When they’d finished eating, the Aldens headed off to the oldest section of London, known as “The City.” Grandfather had a business meeting there. Also, there were a couple of sights in the area that the children wanted to see.
“How about if we take the tube?” Grandfather suggested.
“Did you say the tube?” Benny repeated.
Grandfather chuckled.
“Isn’t that what they call the subway here?” asked Henry.
“Yes. The official name is the ‘underground,’ ” Grandfather said.
Grandfather led the way down the street to a small building like a train station. Inside, there was a ticket booth, and on the wall was a poster covered with colored lines crossing back and forth over one another.
“What’s that?” Benny asked, pointi
ng.
“That’s a map showing where the tube goes,” Grandfather explained. He pointed to a small circle on one of the colored lines. “This is where we are.” With his finger, Grandfather followed that line to another circle on the other side of the map. “And here’s where we’re going, Monument Station.”
Grandfather paid their fare and picked up a small folded map from the ticket booth. “Take one of these,” he said, giving it to Jessie. “In case you need it later.”
“Thanks,” said Jessie. She tucked the map into Benny’s backpack, which she was carrying over her shoulder. It still had the umbrella, guidebook, and camera inside.
The children followed Grandfather to a steep escalator that led down into the ground. When they got to the bottom there was a platform beside some train tracks. The tracks emerged from a round dark tunnel and went off into another round dark tunnel at the other end. A few moments later two lights appeared.
“Here comes the train,” said Grandfather.
A train pulled up to the platform and the doors opened. After a couple of people got off, the Aldens boarded and sat down on a soft, cushioned bench. The doors closed, and the train started. It traveled for several minutes before stopping again to let people on and off.
Jessie was studying the map Grandfather had given her when a woman next to her said, “Can I help you find something?”
“No, thanks. I’m just checking to see how many stops there are before ours,” Jessie replied.
“It sounds from your accent as if you’re American,” the woman said.
“Yes, I am,” said Jessie. “We’re on vacation here.”
“I hope you’re planning to go to the theater while you’re here,” the woman said. “It’s the most wonderful part of London! I see every new play that opens — have for years. The very best actors perform here.”
“Since you’re such a fan, you may be interested to know that Andrew Smythe is staying at our inn,” said Jessie.
“Andrew who?” the woman asked.
“Andrew Smythe, the actor,” said Jessie.
“Never heard of him,” said the woman. “Oh, here’s my stop. Nice meeting you. Enjoy your visit!”
“That was odd,” said Jessie, turning to the rest of her family. “That woman told me she was a big fan of the theater, but she’d never heard of Andrew.”