The children breathed a sigh of relief. So the people weren’t coming up to their room after all.
“Well, I’d very much like to see the view from the topmost room of all,” said the woman. “Also, that’s the room we’d use, isn’t it?”
“Very well. Come along, then,” said the man. “But hurry, please, because we haven’t long.”
The footsteps came up and up. The children didn’t know what to do, so they simply stood together and waited for the small but strong door to be opened. It swung inwards, and they saw a golden-haired woman looking at them, and a man with a very dark skin behind her.
“Well!” said the woman in astonishment and anger. “What are you doing here?”
“We just came to have a look at the garden and the tower of the Old House,” said Jack. “We are staying at the Peep-Hole.”
The man came into the room and scowled at them. “You’ve no right to get into empty houses. We are going to buy this house - and if we catch any of you in the house or garden again we’ll give you a good whipping. Do you understand - because we mean it! Now clear out!”
The children were frightened. They tore down the winding staircase and out into the sunlight without a word. They had seldom been spoken to like that before.
“Let’s go and tell Dimmy,” said Nora. “Do hurry!”