But Billie stopped him by pressing a determined hand down on the lid.
“Not here,” she begged. “We’re all wet and uncomfortable, and we’ll enjoy it ever so much more if we wait till we get to the house. Please, Teddy, now mind.”
Teddy looked longingly at the basket, then at Billie, and gave in.
“All right,” he said. “Only we’ll have to walk fast!”
When they reached the cottage they found Connie’s mother almost beside herself with anxiety and Connie’s father doing his best to soothe her. So that when the young folks came in the door looking rather damp and bedraggled but safe, Mrs. Danvers cried out joyfully, ran to them, and hugged them one after another till she was completely and rapturously out of breath.
“You precious kiddies!” she cried, standing back and regarding them with shining eyes. “You will never know how horribly worried Dad and I have been. You poor children, why, you are soaked through! And,” as her eyes fell on the basket, “you don’t mean to tell me you haven’t had any lunch. Oh dear, oh dear! Run into the library, the lot of you. Daddy made a fire thinking if we ever did get you back you’d need some drying out—and you can be starting in on sandwiches while I make you some hot chocolate. Now run along—quick.” And she disappeared into the kitchen while the young folks went on into the library.
Connie would have run after her mother to offer her help, but Mr. Danvers stopped her.
“I’ll help Mother,” he said. “You run along with the others, dear, and get warmed through. I don’t want my little girl to catch cold. It might spoil your whole summer.”
So Connie went on into the library and found that the boys had arranged the chairs in a semicircle around the fire and were already opening the lunch basket.
Mrs. Danvers came in a few minutes later with the chocolate, and, oh, how that hot drink did taste! She demanded to know all about everything. They told her, speaking one at a time, two at a time, and all at once, till it was a wonder she could make any sense out of it at all. But when she and her husband did realize how terribly close the young folks had been to disaster they looked very sober and in their hearts thanked Providence for guiding them back to safety.