They had packed themselves into the bug and were preparing to go when Simon said: "Whoa! We've forgotten to leave that old tire with them," and he got out and opened the rear compartment to get the tire.
"What is in the box, Nell?"
"I didn't put any box there," Eleanor said, not moving. "It can't be for us."
"It's mine," Brat said.
"What is it?"
"Secret."
"James Fryer and Son, Ship Chandlers," said Simon's voice.
Oh, God! There was a label on the box that he had not noticed.
Simon shut the luggage compartment with a bang and came back to his seat. "What have you been buying, Brat? One of those ships in a bottle? No, it is a little too large for that. One of those ships not in a bottle. One of those full-sailed galleons that sit on suburban sideboards to delight the heart of our Island Race and comfort it for being sick on the trip to Margate."
"Don't be a fool, Simon. What is it, Brat? Is it really a secret?"