A Whirlwind Vacation Read Free Page A

her hotel and stared at the newspaper headline. Beneath the headline was a picture of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Even under his big hat you could see that he had a giant smile on his face.
    Next to the picture was an article about how the guard had laughed at a little girl doing a handstand, and then had embarrassed the entire squad during the changing of the guard ceremony.
    Except it wasn’t really the guard who had done that. It was Katie. And there was nothing she could do to make things better for him.
    â€œSo, are we ready for a morning of shopping?” Mrs. Carew asked Katie.
    Katie sighed. A morning of shopping with her parents didn’t seem like a whole lot of fun.
    â€œHi there!” Vicki greeted the Carew family as she came bounding into the lobby. She glanced at Katie. “Why the long face, mate?”
    â€œKatie doesn’t feel like shopping,” Mr. Carew explained.
    Vicki nodded. “Well, how about Katie and I go to Hyde Park today, while you go to Harrods Department Store?”
    Katie brightened. Maybe being in the park would make her feel better about everything.
    â€œI’m taking Annabelle, too,” Vicki continued.
    Or maybe it wouldn’t.
    â€œThat’s not a bad idea,” Katie’s mother agreed.
    â€œSuper,” Vicki said. “It’s settled. Annabelle should be down any minute. And then we’re off to the park.”

    â€œWe have a park like this in Boston,” Annabelle boasted as she, Vicki, and Katie walked through the beautiful grassy gardens in Hyde Park.
    â€œReally,” Vicki replied. She stopped for a minute so the girls could look out over a big lake.
    â€œIt’s called the Boston Common and ...” Annabelle began.
    â€œWhat’s this lake called?” Katie interrupted as they stopped to watch people row boats across the water.
    â€œSerpentine Lake,” Vicki told her. “People come from all over London to go boating. In the summer, people swim here.”
    â€œI’m kind of tired,” Annabelle moaned. “Do you think we could rest?”
    Katie frowned. Annabelle wasn’t happy unless she was talking about Boston.
    â€œOf course,” Vicki said. “You two go over to those benches. I’ll get us some ice cream.”
    â€œI like chocolate best,” Annabelle told her.
    â€œHow about you, Katie?” Vicki asked.
    â€œI like strawberry,” Katie told her. “Thanks, Vicki.”
    â€œTwo ice-cream cones,” Vicki repeated. “Coming right up.”
    As Vicki walked off, Katie and Annabelle wandered over toward the benches.
    â€œSo, do you like living in Cherrydale?” Annabelle asked Katie.
    â€œOh yeah,” Katie replied. “I have a lot of friends there.”
    â€œHave you lived there your whole life?”
    Katie nodded.
    â€œThat must be nice,” Annabelle said. “I haven’t lived in any place for very long. My dad’s job is always changing. So far I’ve lived in Chicago, Orlando, New York, and now Boston. I really like Boston. I have a lot of friends there.”
    â€œThat’s good,” Katie replied.
    â€œNot really,” Annabelle replied. “We’re moving again. To Houston, Texas. I’m going to have to make all new friends.”
    Suddenly Katie understood why Annabelle had been talking about Boston so much. She loved it there. And she didn’t want to leave.
    â€œHouston will be great,” Katie assured her, kindly. “You’ll learn to talk with a southern accent.”
    â€œIt is a cool accent,” Annabelle agreed. She smiled at Katie. Then she turned her eyes toward a man on a bench a few feet away from them. He was wearing a black baseball cap and a red shirt. He was eating a sandwich from a brown paper bag. “I think I’ve seen that guy before,” she told Katie.
    Katie looked over at the man. “Maybe he’s staying at the same hotel.”
    Annabelle