‘Shall Pip and I take the letters and the parcel to the post for you this morning?’ asked Bets, thinking this was really a very good idea.
‘If you like,’ said Mrs. Hilton. Bets winked at Pip. Now things would be easy! They could both see the address they wanted.
A telephone call came for Mrs. Hilton after breakfast, whilst the children were hanging about waiting to take the letters. Mrs. Moon answered it. She went in to Mrs. Hilton.
‘There’s a call for you, Mam,’ she said.
‘Who is it?’ asked Mrs. Hilton. Pip and Bets were most astonished to see Mrs. Moon winking and nodding mysteriously to their mother, but not saying any name. However, Mrs. Hilton seemed to understand all right. She got up and went to the telephone, shutting the door behind her so that the children could not follow without being noticed.
‘Well - who’s on the phone that Mother doesn’t want us to know about?’ said Pip, annoyed. ‘Did you see how mysterious Mrs. Moon was, Bets?’
‘Yes,’ said Bets. ‘Can’t we just open the door a bit and listen, Pip?’
‘No,’ said Pip. ‘We really can’t. Not if Mother doesn’t want us to hear.’
Their mother came back after a minute or two. She didn’t say who had telephoned to her and the children didn’t dare to ask.
‘Shall we go to the post-office now?’ said Pip, at last. ‘We’re ready.’