Poor George tried three times, but each time there was the same result. No reply. As she was coming out of the telephone cupboard for the third time, Mrs. Lenoir saw her.
‘Have you been trying to telephone to your home?’ she said. “Haven’t you heard any news?’
‘I haven’t had a letter yet,’ said George. ‘I’ve tried three times to telephone Kirrin Cottage but each time there is no reply.’
‘Well, we heard this morning that it is impossible to live in Kirrin Cottage while the men are hammering and knocking everywhere,’ said Mrs. Lenoir, in her gentle voice. ‘We heard from your mother. She said that the noise was driving your father mad, and they were going away for a week or so, till things were better. But Mr. Lenoir at once wrote and asked them here. We shall know tomorrow, because we have asked them to telephone a reply. We could not get them on the telephone today, of course, any more than you could, because they have gone away already.’
‘Oh,’ said George, surprised at all this news and wondering why her mother had not written to tell her too.
‘Your mother said she had written to you,’ said Mrs. Lenoir. ‘Maybe the letter will come by the next post. The posts are often most peculiar here. It will be a pleasure to have your parents if they can come. Mr. Lenoir particularly wants to meet your clever father. He thinks he is quite a genius.’
George said no more but went back to the others, her face serious. She opened Booty’s door, and the others saw at once that she had had news of some sort.
‘I can’t go home with Timothy,’ said George. ‘Mother and Father can’t stand the noise the workmen make, and they have both gone away!’
‘Bad luck!’ said Sooty. ‘All the same, I’m glad you’ll have to stay here, George. I should hate to lose you or Timmy.’
‘Your mother has written to ask my mother and father to come and stay here too,’ said George. ‘What I shall do about Timmy I don’t know! And they are sure to ask questions about him too. I can’t tell a downright lie and say I left him with Alf the fisher-boy, or anything like that. I can’t think what to do!’
‘We’ll think of something,’ promised Sooty. ‘Perhaps I can get one of the villagers to look after him for us. That would be a very good idea.’
‘Oh yes!’ said George, cheering up. ‘Why didn’t I think of that before? Let’s ask someone quickly, Sooty.3
But it was impossible to do anything that day because Mrs. Lenoir asked them to go down into the drawing-room after tea, and have a game with her. So none of them could go out to find someone to look after Timmy.
‘Never mind,’ thought George. ‘He’ll be safe tonight on my bed! Tomorrow will be soon enough.’
It was the first time that Mrs. Lenoir had asked them down to be with her. ‘You see, Mr. Lenoir is out tonight on important business,’ she explained. ‘He has had to go to the mainland with the car. He doesn’t like his evenings disturbed when he is at home, so I haven’t been able to see as much of you all as I should have liked. But tonight I can.’
Julian wondered if Mr. Lenoir had gone to the mainland on smuggling business! Somehow the smuggled goods must be taken across to the mainland – and if all that signalling business the other night had to do with Mr. Lenoir’s smuggling then maybe he had now gone to dispose of the goods!
The telephone bell rang shrilly. Mrs Lenoir got up. ‘I expect that is your mother or father on the phone,’ she said to George. ‘Maybe I shall have news for you! Perhaps your parents will be arriving here tomorrow.’
She went out into the hall. The children waited anxiously. Would George’s parents come or not?
Chapter Twelve
BLOCK GETS A SURPRISE
MRS. LENOIR came back after a time. She smiled at George.
‘That was your father,’ she said. ‘He is coming tomorrow, but not your mother. They went to your aunt’s, and your mother says she thinks she must stay and help her, because your aunt is not very well. But your father would like to come, because he wants to discuss his latest experiments with Mr. Lenoir, who is very interested in them. It will be very nice to have him.’
The children would very much rather have had Aunt Fanny instead of Uncle Quentin, who could be very difficult at times. But still, he would probably be talking with Mr. Lenoir most of the time, so that would be all right!
They finished their game with Mrs. Lenoir and went up to bed. George was to get Timmy to take him to her room. Sooty went to see that the coast was clear. He could not see Block anywhere. His stepfather was still away from the house. Sarah was singing in the kitchen and the little kitchen-maid, Harriet, was knitting there in a corner.
‘Block must be out,’ thought Sooty, and went to tell George that the coast was clear. As he went across the landing to the long passage that led to his own room, the boy noticed two black lumps sticking out at the bottom of the thick curtains drawn across the landing window. He looked at them in surprise, and then recognized them. He grinned.
‘So old Block suspects we have a dog, and he thinks it sleeps in George’s room or Julian’s, and he’s posted himself there to watch!’ he thought ‘Aha! I’ll give friend Block a nasty shock!’
He ran to tell the others. George listened, alarmed. But Sooty, as usual, had a plan.
‘We’ll give Block an awful shock!’ he said. ‘I’ll get a rope, and we’ll all go down to the landing. I’ll suddenly yell out that there’s a robber hiding behind the curtains and I’ll pounce on Block, and give him a few good punches. Then, with your help, Julian and Dick, I’ll fold him up well in the curtains – a good jerk will bring them down on top of him as well!’
The others began to laugh. It would be fun to play a trick on Block. He really was such an unpleasant fellow. A good lesson would do him no harm.
‘While all the excitement is beginning I’ll slip by with Timmy,’ said George. ‘I only hope he won’t want to join in! He might give Block a good nip!’
‘Well, hold on to Timmy firmly,’ said Julian. ‘Get him into your room quickly. Now – are we ready?’
They were. Feeling excited they crept down the long passage that led to the door which opened out on to the landing where Block was hiding. They saw the curtains move very slightly as they came along. Block was watching.
George waited with Timmy at the passage door, not showing herself at all. Then, with a yell from Sooty, a really blood-curdling yell that made both George and Timmy jump, things began to happen!
Sooty flung himself on the hidden Block with all his might. ‘A robber! Help, a robber hiding here!’ he shouted.
Block jumped, and began to struggle. Sooty got in two or three well-aimed punches. Block had often got him
into trouble with his father, and now Sooty was getting a bit of his own back! Julian and Dick rushed to help.
A violent tug at the curtains brought them down on Block’s head! Not only that, the curtain pole descended on him too, and knocked him sideways. Poor Block – he was completely taken by surprise, and could do nothing against the three determined boys. Even Anne gave a hand, though Marybelle stood apart, enjoying the fun though not daring to take part in it.
Just as it all began George slipped by with Timmy. But Timmy could not bear to miss the fun. He dragged behind George, and would not go with her.
She tried to force him, her hand on his collar. But Timmy had seen a nice fat leg waving about near him, protruding from the curtain. He pounced on it.
There was an agonized yell from Block. Certainly Timmy could nip hard with his sharp white teeth. He worried at the kicking leg for a few seconds, and then had a sharp slap from George. Shocked, Timmy let go the leg and humbly followed his mistress. She never slapped him! She must indeed be angry with him. With tail well down Timmy followed her into the bedroom and got under the bed at once. He poked his head out and looked beseechingly at George with big brown eyes.
‘Oh, Timmy – I had to slap you!’ said George, and she knelt down by the big dog and patted his head. ‘You see, you might have spoilt everything if you’d been seen. As it is I’m sure you bit Block and I don’t know how we’re going to explain that! Lie. quietly now, old fellow. I’m going out to join the others.’