"Beryl Lynch, on my honor, not until my guardian called her Madame Forsyth! After she took my tray out she came back, and she did look sort of funny, now I remember, the way one does when one decides suddenly to do something you hadn't dreamed of doing, and she told me Brina had gone into the village to hunt up some sort of a vehicle to get me back to the Manor. And I didn't think until the last moment that she meant to come, too. And all the way over I was nearly bursting thinking how surprised you'd be and what fun it would be to have the Queen visit us. Oh, dear!" And Robin drew a long breath, half sigh.
"Well, something'll happen now," groaned Beryl, in much the same tone Budge had used. "When she finds out about Susy and me!"
And below in the library the same thought held Robin's guardian—something must happen, now.
He had gone there to wait while Madame Forsyth freshened herself after her long ride. And while he waited, in considerable apprehension, he planned the course he would follow; if Madame refused to accept little Red-Robin as her heir, because she was a girl and different, why, he'd take her back with him to his own home. She could live with him and his sister until Jimmie came back and he'd even adopt her if Jimmie would let him. And he'd take Beryl, too, if Robin wished—and he'd see Susy was put with some nice family.
But where in the world had Robin found her aunt—or her aunt found Robin. Everyone acted as though they were knocked stupid by the mystery—no one had offered a word of explanation. He rubbed his forehead as though it might have circles, too.
"Which shall we hear first?" a voice asked behind him, "How you happened to bring little Robin here—or how I did?"
The words startled him more because of their tone than their unexpectedness. And turning, he saw (to his immense relief) that Madame Forsyth was smiling—and in her eyes was a softened look, though they were shadowed with fatigue.
"I am immensely curious, I must admit, as to where you found Robin, but I feel that I owe you the first explanation."
He told then, of his first visit to Patchin Place and of his finding little Robin in her curious surroundings.
"I really cannot say just what put the notion in my head of taking her to the Manor—I think it was something appealing about the child."