“Yes, and what in the world was in it?” Laura contributed.
“I had it with me when you were hunting for it,” Nan explained, “and as for what was in it—it was a warning that if I came to Scotland and to Emberon that I’d never live to see the coronation!”
“Nan! And you didn’t say a word to anyone about it!” Bess felt like scolding her friend. “You might have been killed!”
“I know I was foolish,” Nan admitted. “And I hereby promise never to do anything like that again,” she ended solemnly.
So, all the way to London, the girls talked of things that had happened and things that were going to happen. Their one big regret was the fact that they weren’t going to see Edinburgh on this trip. Messrs. Kellam and Blake, attorneys for the Emberon estate, had insisted that Nan go directly to London to present her claims to assist at the coronation.
The next morning found them rolling into Euston Station where Walter, Mr. and Mrs. Mason, and Professor Krenner were all waiting for them. How good it seemed to see familiar faces!
“My, this is the very nicest part of the trip!” Nan exclaimed and then blushed when she saw that Walter’s eyes were upon her.
The others were bundled into a taxi, but Walter insisted that Nan go in his car to her hotel. So her first sight of London and the River Thames was with Walter, a fact that she was never to forget in her whole long happy life.
In the days that followed, Nan Sherwood and her friends were in a constant whirl. There were a million things to be done and a million places to go, and they wanted to do everything and go every place.
With banners flying from all the buildings, bunting draped across streets, and wreathes bearing portraits of the king and queen hanging every place, London was in a festive mood. The streets were thronged with people of all nationalities. Troops from all over the British Empire, to the number of 50,000, added color and gaiety to the crowd.