Mystery of the Queen's Jewels Read Free Page A

It was dark and cozy, and a fire blazed in the fireplace. The Aldens sat down at a corner table and Grandfather ordered shepherd’s pie and Cornish pasties for all of them.
    â€œYum, I love pie and pastries,” Benny said. “But shouldn’t we have lunch before we get dessert?”
    Grandfather smiled at Benny. “Shepherd’s pie isn’t really pie,” he explained. “It’s like beef stew, with mashed potatoes on top.”
    â€œSounds delicious,” said Henry.
    â€œAnd I ordered Cornish ‘pasties,’ not ‘pastries.’ ” Grandfather went on. “They’re meat, potatoes, and vegetables baked in a pastry shell.”
    â€œMmm!” said Jessie.
    â€œI’m not too hungry,” Violet said.
    â€œI’ll order you a ploughman’s lunch,” Grandfather said. “I think you’ll like it.”
    As they waited for the food, the children told their grandfather about Andrew. “He knew where we were from — even which part of the United States — just from hearing us talk,” Jessie said. “How do you think he figured that out?”
    â€œI’m not sure,” said Mr. Alden. “Some people know a lot about accents.”
    â€œI thought it was kind of strange,” said Henry.
    â€œOh, Henry, he was so nice,” said Jessie.
    Violet’s lunch arrived first: a chunk of sharp cheddar cheese, a piece of crusty bread, and some pickles. There was also a small bowl of fruit chutney. “This is great, Grandfather,” she said, trying a bite of the bread.
    Soon the waitress brought the hot food. The pasties had a light, flaky crust, and the shepherd’s pie was steaming hot. The Aldens were hungry after their long trip, and they ate eagerly.
    After lunch, Grandfather suggested they visit the British Museum. “The rest of this week I’ll be busy with business meetings, so you kids will be on your own to see the sights. But the British Museum has always been my favorite.”
    â€œSounds good to me,” said Jessie.
    â€œWe can take the bus there,” Mr. Alden said, leading the children to the corner. After a few minutes a large red bus pulled up and stopped.
    â€œLook,” Benny said, pointing. “People are sitting up on top. Can we do that?”

    â€œSure we can,” said Grandfather. “This is a double-decker bus, and that’s the best place to sit. We’ll have a great view as we’re riding.” The Aldens climbed on and walked up a tiny staircase to the top. From there they could see all around. The children could tell that London was a very old city. Most of the buildings looked as if they’d been built a long time ago. The streets were narrow and winding, and there were lots of small cars and boxy black cabs.
    â€œThis is our stop,” Grandfather said after a little while.
    The children followed Mr. Alden off the bus and into a giant building with columns and a wide staircase up the front. The museum was one of the largest they had ever been in. Huge halls were filled with ancient artwork and sculptures. Glass cases held old books and documents written hundreds of years ago.
    Violet was especially interested in a display of silverware and jewelry from old England. There were beautiful necklaces, earrings, and rings. Some of them had even belonged to queens and princesses.
    Everyone’s favorite was the hall full of Egyptian mummies. The Aldens spent a long time looking at the giant painted coffins and the mummified bodies of the pharaohs.
    â€œI can’t believe these are thousands of years old!” said Henry.
    â€œLook over here!” called Jessie. “There’s a mummy of a cat!” The others raced over to see.
    â€œWow!” Benny cried. “They have really neat things here in London!”
    â€œThey sure do,” Grandfather said. “And this is only the start. Just imagine what you’ll discover in the