Nancy waited impatiently. Finally she decided to phone her father to tell him that it would not be necessary for him to take the evening plane from River Heights.
“When is the next one you could get?” his daughter asked.
Mr. Drew said that one left at two in the morning. It would arrive in New York in plenty of time to catch the afternoon overseas plane.
“Call me again if you have any luck with reservations,” he directed her. “By the way, I have more news for you. The police interviewed Kroon about the package to Lola Flanders. The man insisted that he never had anything to do with sending a package to a Lola Flanders and knew no one by that name.”
“But what about the boy who mailed the package for him?” Nancy questioned.
“Oh, he’s exonerated,” Mr. Drew replied. “The boy says he mailed a package for Mr. Kroons all right, but he didn’t read the name and address on it.”
As she put down the receiver, Nancy wondered whether the boy had been coached by Kroon to say that he had not looked at the address. Three hours later the telephone rang. Nancy hurried to it and was delighted to learn that the call was from the airport.
“I have your two reservations, Miss Drew,” the young woman at the other end of the wire informed her.
“When will I have to pick them up?” Nancy asked. “And may I get them here in the city?”
She was told that she must claim them by noon of the following day and that she could pick them up at the airline’s office in the heart of the city.
“I’ll do that,” answered Nancy.
She immediately telephoned her father and told him the good news. He said he was glad to hear it because he had been looking forward to a vacation with his daughter.
“We’re so rarely alone,” he said. Then he laughed. “I shan’t have you all to myself until we’re actually on the plane. Ned is coming with me to see us off.” Mr. Drew added that he would bring along their passports and other papers necessary for the trip.
Nancy smiled as she hung up. It would be nice having a little send-off party with Ned and Aunt Eloise at the airport.
She and her aunt arose early in order to meet the plane from River Heights. To her amazement, not only did her father and Ned step off the airliner, but Pietro as well.
“Oh, it’s good to see you, Pietro!” Nancy cried.
Ned looked as if he did not wholly approve of Nancy’s extremely friendly greeting to the clown. And a frown creased his forehead when Pietro announced that he was going to London with the Drews to see his father.
After Pietro had been introduced to Aunt Eloise, the group found a taxi and drove to Miss Drew’s apartment. Ned made it plain that he wanted to absorb as much of Nancy’s attention as possible. With the excuse that he wanted to do some shopping, Ned finally managed to get her away from the apartment.
While they were having lunch in a cozy restaurant, he suddenly warned Nancy not to get any crazy ideas about staying in England permanently.
“Why, Ned,” she said, “what a funny thing to say!”
“It’s not funny at all,” Ned argued. “I understand Pietro is going to stay over there.”
Then Nancy caught on. She started to laugh and could not seem to stop.
“Why, Ned Nickerson, you old ninny!” she said. “Just because Kroon has told Lolita that she can’t marry Pietro, there’s no reason why he should want to marry me.”
“I’m not so sure,” said Ned. “Way off in s foreign country after a flight across the ocean—”
“Now, Ned, you’re just being silly,” said Nancy sternly. “I’ll come back to the good old U.S.A. and bring Lola Flanders with me.”
“Is that a promise?” Ned asked her, reaching across the table for her hand. Then she put her own hand in his and said, “Yes, that’s a promise.”
Picking up her fork once more, Nancy suddenly smiled. She reminded Ned that she had just promised to bring back Lola Flanders.