“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.