Once the basket and balloon were secured in a small trailer, Sky said to the Aldens, “Let’s hope we’ll meet again soon.” Then she got into Pete Moran’s station wagon. The Landing’s Inn was written on its side. As it pulled out of the driveway, Pete, Sky, and Matt waved. The Aldens waved back. Then they went inside.
“Let’s call Grandfather,” Benny suggested. He was bursting to tell him all about the balloon rally.
“No, Benny,” Jessie said. “We’ll just have to wait to tell him about the rally until he comes home.”
Benny groaned. Waiting always seemed to take longer than anything else.
“Look here,” Henry said. He picked up a newspaper from a chair. It was called The Landing Times. “Pete must have left it.”
“Does it say anything about the rally?” Violet asked.
Henry turned a page. “Here’s an ad for the inn.” He read, “ ‘The Landing’s Inn: Best Bed and Breakfast in the County.’ ”
“Breakfast?” Benny asked. “What about lunch and dinner?”
Jessie laughed. “I’m sure they wouldn’t let you starve, Benny.”
“Oh, here’s something about the rally,” Henry said. “It’s an editorial.” He read the article to himself.
“What does it say?” Violet asked.
“Mostly, it asks questions,” Henry answered. “ ‘Does Lloyd’s Landing want this new business?’ ” he quoted. “ ‘What will ballooning do to this peaceful community? Is it safe?’ It goes on like that.”
“Does it give any answers?” Jessie wanted to know.
“No answers,” Henry responded. “It just says the townspeople should consider these questions.”
“Why wouldn’t the town want ballooning?” Benny wondered aloud. “It looks like so much fun.”
“Is it safe?” Violet asked.
“If you’re trained properly, it’s safe,” Jessie said.
“What could ballooning do to Lloyd’s Landing?” Benny asked.
“It could bring lots of people to town,” Violet suggested.
“That could be good for the other businesses,” Jessie said.
Benny nodded. “People have to eat,” he said. “That could be good for the restaurants.”
“And they have to sleep,” Henry said.
“So that could be good for the motels and inns,” Violet concluded.
The Aldens couldn’t think of a single reason why anyone would object to a hot air balloon business in their town.
“I suppose some people just don’t like new things,” Henry said.
The door flew open and Grandfather rushed in. “I have good news!” he announced.
Benny jumped up. “So do we!”
Violet poked him. “Grandfather first,” she said.
Grandfather pulled out a chair and sat down. “Do you remember Lloyd’s Landing?” he asked.
The children looked at each other. Could Grandfather’s news have something to do with the balloon rally? Barely able to contain their excitement, they all said, “Yes!”
“I’ve just learned there will be a hot air balloon rally there this weekend,” Mr. Alden continued. “I left work early to tell you about it.”
The younger Aldens began to laugh.
Grandfather looked puzzled. “What’s so funny?” he asked.
“We know all about the rally,” Benny answered.
Henry told him about the hot air balloon landing in the yard.
Grandfather laughed. “I can never surprise you!” he said. “You’re just too smart for me!” Then his tone grew serious. “I don’t suppose you want to go to the rally. You’re all so busy.” But his eyes were twinkling.
“We want to go!” Benny exclaimed. “We want to go!”
“There is one problem,” Mr. Alden said. “I’m not sure there’ll be a place to stay and driving back and forth every day would not be practical.”
Jessie told him about Pete Moran and his invitation to stay at The Landing’s Inn for the weekend.
“That settles it. It will be so good to see Pete after all these years,” Grandfather said.
“May Soo Lee come with us?” Violet asked.
Seven-year-old Soo Lee was the Aldens’ cousin. She had been adopted by Cousins Joe and Alice.
“Of course,” Mr. Alden said. “And we’ll ask Joe and Alice to take care of Watch.” He went to the phone. “I’ll call the inn to tell them we’ll be there bright and early tomorrow morning.”
“You see?” Benny said. “I knew Grandfather would let us go.”
Late the next morning, Mr. Alden swung the station wagon into The Landing’s Inn brick driveway. “You go on ahead,” he told the others. “Henry and I will bring in the luggage.”
Benny hopped out of the car. Soo Lee, Violet, and Jessie followed. They paraded up the wide stairs and across the open porch to carved wood double doors. One of them was ajar.
“Should we knock?” Benny asked.
“I think we just go in,” Jessie answered. She pushed open the door and stepped aside to let the others enter.
No one was in the large entry hall.
“What do we do now?” Benny whispered.
“Shhh,” Jessie said. She pointed toward a set of closed doors across the hall. Behind them, the sound of voices rose and fell. Someone was arguing.
“Mary, you’re wrong!” one voice said. “I’ve made up my mind.”
Another voice said, “I’ll never understand you, Barbara!”
“Sometimes we just have to do what we have to do,” the first voice said.
Then Grandfather and Henry came in.
“Anyone here?” Mr. Alden called.
The voices hushed. Then, silence. Suddenly the doors to the closed room slid open, and an older woman came out, rushed down the hall and out the side door.
She had stopped for a moment to adjust her clothes. Her hair, her clothes — everything about her was neat and clean.
Shortly after, another woman came out to greet them.
Grandfather Alden giant-stepped across the room. “Barbara!” he said and gave her a big hug. “It is so nice to see you!”
The woman smiled, but her eyes were sad. “It’s good to see you, too,” she said.
Mr. Alden introduced the children. “This is Barbara Moran, Pete’s wife,” he said. “She and Pete own the inn.”
“Welcome,” Barbara said. “Your rooms are ready.” She did not look at them. Instead, she stared out the window and watched the woman with the perfect hair get into her car.
“Is there something wrong, Barbara?” Mr. Alden asked. “Where’s Pete?”
Barbara’s face reddened. “Oh, no, nothing,” she answered. “I’m just a little upset about something. Pete will be back soon. He just ran out to take care of an errand. I thought he’d be back before you arrived.” She smiled. “Let me show you your rooms.”
She led them up the curved staircase and down a narrow hall. “I’ve given you adjoining rooms and bath,” she said and opened two doors.
Henry, Benny, and Mr. Alden went into one room; Jessie, Violet, and Soo Lee into the other. The rooms were large with high ceilings and tall, narrow windows. They were furnished with antiques. Between the two rooms was a big bathroom.
Barbara said, “If there’s anything you need, just ask.”
“It looks as if you’ve thought of everything,” Mr. Alden responded.
“When you’re settled, come downstairs. I’ll make tea,” Barbara said.
“I hope there’s going to be something else besides tea,” Benny said when Barbara left. “I’m — ”
“ — hungry,” the others chimed in.
Mr. Alden was the first one ready. “I’ll meet you downstairs,” he told Soo Lee and his grandchildren. “I’d like to visit with Barbara.”
After he had gone, Henry said, “Barbara seemed . . . strange.”
“Because of the argument,” Violet said.
Henry looked puzzled. “What argument?”
“We heard her arguing with another woman,” Soo Lee explained.
“Before you and Grandfather came in,” Jessie added.
“The other woman — her name was Mary,” Benny put in. “I saw her leave. She was all dressed up.”
“I wonder what they were arguing about?” Jessie said.
“Probably nothing to do with us,” Henry said. |