“Lucian is to go to other relations in future for the holidays,” said Bill. “That is — unless we can occasionally put up with him. I feel sorry for that lad.”
There was a silence. “It’s awful when you feel you’ve got to do something you don’t like doing just because you’re sorry for someone,” said Lucy-Ann, with a sigh. “I don’t know whether Aunt Allie will like to have him, anyway. And oh, Bill — do you think she’s going to be very cross with you about all this? This adventure, I mean?”
“Yes. I think she is,” said Bill. “I telephoned her from Italy, and told her a little. Perhaps I should have waited till we saw her. She wasn’t at all pleased.”
“Oh, dear — we shan’t have a very nice time the rest of the hols,” said Lucy-Ann. “I don’t like it when Aunt Allie is upset or cross. She’ll be tired too, after looking after her Aunt Polly. I do wish this adventure was going to have a nice end, not a nasty one!”
Everyone was quite glad when at last the Viking Star arrived at Southampton, at the end of her long cruise. After the exciting adventure in the middle of it, things had seemed very tame and dull. It was lovely to be on firm land again, going home. Aunt Allie was not going to meet them. She was leaving her aunt the day before and going home to get things ready for the family. Lucian was to be left with a school friend of his on the way. They were all going home in Bill’s car.
The boy was sad to say good-bye when the time came. He stammered and stuttered as he held out his hand to each of them in turn. “Good-bye — er — I do hope I’ll s-s-see you all again. I’ve had — er — er — a lovely time — and er — I’m sorry for anything I did you didn’t like — and — er . . .”
“Er-er-er,” copied Kiki, in delight. “Pah! Send for the doctor. Er-er-er-er-er-er . . .”
“Shut up, Kiki, and behave yourself,” said Jack, vexed. But Lucian didn’t mind.
“I shall miss old Kiki,” he said. “And Micky too. Goodbye, Micky — er — think of me sometimes, all of you.”
He almost ran from them, and Lucy-Ann stared after him, rather distressed. “Poor old Lucian — he was almost crying,” she said. “He’s really rather a nice old — er — nice old . . .”
“Nit-wit,” said everyone, and Kiki yelled out too. “NIT-WIT! Send for the doctor!”
“Well, he’s nice for a nit-wit then,” said Lucy-Ann. She settled down in the car again. “Now for home — and dear old Aunt Allie. I’ve got a frightfully big hug saved up for her!”
Mrs. Mannering was delighted to see them all, though she was rather cool to Bill. She had a wonderful tea ready for them, and Kiki screeched with delight to see a plate laid for her and Micky, with a lovely fruit salad.
“One, two, three, GO!” she said, and settled down to eat, keeping an eye on Micky’s plate, hoping she could snatch a titbit from it.
After tea they all sat in the comfortable sitting-room, and Bill lighted his pipe. He looked rather gloomy, the children thought.
“Well, Allie,” he began. “I suppose you want to hear it all — the hunt for the Andra treasure — and all that happened.”
“We had some jolly narrow escapes,” said Jack, fondling Kiki. “And you’ll be glad to know, Aunt Allie, that Kiki got two grand nips at Mr. Eppy’s ear!”
They began their tale. Mrs. Mannering listened in amazement. Her eyes went continually to the little carved ship on the mantelpiece, put proudly there by Philip as soon as he reached home.
“There!” said Philip, when they had finished their tale. “What do you think of that?”
Mrs. Mannering didn’t answer. She looked at Bill. He wouldn’t meet her eyes, but knocked out his pipe very hard on the fender.
“Oh, Bill,” said Mrs. Mannering sadly. “You promised me — and you broke your word. I shall never trust you again. You promised faithfully not to lead the children into any kind of adventure again. I wouldn’t have asked you to look after them, if I hadn’t trusted you. I can’t trust you any more!”
“Aunt Allie! What do you mean, you can’t trust Bill any more!” cried Lucy-Ann indignantly, and she went to Bill and put her arms round him. “Can’t you see he’s the nicest, most trustable person in the whole world?”
Mrs. Mannering couldn’t help laughing. “Oh, Lucy-Ann — you’re very fierce all of a sudden. It’s just that every time I leave you alone with Bill you get into horrible danger. You know you do.”
“Well, why can’t you and Bill always be with us together?” demanded Lucy-Ann. “I don’t see why you can’t marry each other — then we’d always have Bill, and you could keep an eye on him to see he doesn’t lead us into adventures.”
Bill exploded into an enormous shout of laughter. Mrs. Mannering smiled broadly. The others looked at one another.
“I say!” said Philip eagerly, “that’s a wizard idea of Lucy-Ann’s! We’d have a father then — all of us! Gosh, fancy having Bill for a father. Wouldn’t the other boys envy us?”
Bill stopped laughing and looked soberly round at the four beaming children. Then he looked at Mrs. Mannering. He raised his eyebrows enquiringly.
“Well, Allie?” he said, in a curiously quiet voice. “Do you think it’s a good idea too?”
She looked at him, and then smiled round at the eager children. She nodded. “Yes — it’s really a very good idea, Bill. I’m surprised we’ve never thought of it before!”
“That’s settled then,” said Bill. “I’ll take these four kids on — and you’ll see to it I don’t lead them into any more adventures, Allie? Is that agreed?”
“Well! This adventure had a wonderful ending after all!” said Lucy-Ann, drawing a deep breath. Her eyes shone like stars. “Good old Bill! Oh, I’m so happy now!”
“God save the King,” said Kiki excitedly. “Polly put the doctor on, send for the kettle. Pop goes Bill!”
THE END