That explained what Evelyn had thought she was doing; in Vienna, she’d been accustomed to finding children to play with wherever she went.
“Ah.” Diana nodded in understanding, then smiled at the old ladies. She had just enough Italian to excuse her lack of facility with the language.
But the nearest old lady—who seemed to be the leader—graciously waved the comment aside. “We have a leetle of the English, and it is always a pleasure to hear the voice of such a young one.” She smiled approvingly at Evelyn. “This angel has been enlivening our afternoon by showing us her toy. He is a veery ’andsome fellow, is he not?”
Pleased by the compliment, Evelyn triumphantly held Rupert up beside her. “He is.”
Despite the drama of the preceding minutes, Diana found herself laughing with the old ladies. She rose, and the next few minutes were spent in the usual polite exchanges between travelers whose paths had crossed.
Eventually, with her palms resting on Evelyn’s shoulders, Diana gathered Roland with a glance and said, “But now, we must go upstairs and get ready for dinner.”
“Oh-ho, yes!” the nearest old lady said.
The eyes of all three ladies were twinkling.
“At this establishment,” the nearest went on as if imparting a warning to the wise, “sadly, they are very strict with children. That is why there are no others here.” She smiled again at Evelyn and Roland, then, still smiling, nodded to Diana. “Thank you for the company of your young ones. It has been our pleasure to make their acquaintance.”
“So polite,” one of the other ladies murmured.
“And happy, too,” the third said.
Entirely sincerely, Diana beamed. Indeed, she felt as proud of the children as if they were her own.
With thanks echoing all around, she ushered Evelyn and Roland out of the courtyard and drew the glass door closed behind them.
With Bryce asking eager questions and Roland and Evelyn answering, Diana urged the three onward to the rear foyer as fast as she dared.
They stepped out of the corridor to find Toby standing in the center of the space. He swung to face them, and the relief that lit his face told Diana that she hadn’t been the only one imagining something worse.
Before she could explain, Evelyn, still holding Rupert the Bear, skipped ahead and declared, “I made some new friends, but they weren’t children. They’re old!” Her tone implied, “Fancy that!”
Toby shot a questioning glance at Diana, and she smiled and explained as she urged him and the children back toward the front foyer and the stairs.
“Ah. I see.” As they neared the stairs, Toby looked down in some consternation at Evelyn’s curly head.
Noting the suspicious look the concierge was directing their way, Diana declared, “Indeed. But now, I think we should go up to our rooms and get ready for dinner.”
Alerted by her tone, Toby stepped across, shielding the children from the concierge, and together, he and she ushered the trio upstairs.
When they reached their rooms and Toby opened the door to the one Diana, Evelyn, and Helga were sharing, still happy, Evelyn skipped inside first.
Helga looked up and saw Evelyn, and her relief was palpable. “There you are!”
Following Evelyn inside, Diana held up a hand, halting the rebuke Helga was on the point of uttering.
Diana glanced back and waited until the boys and Toby had entered. Once Toby had shut the door, she crouched and drew Evelyn to face her. “Dearest, while we’re traveling, you need to be more careful.”
Sensing all was not as she’d thought, Evelyn started to look worried.
Diana gave her an understanding smile. “I know you’re used to finding friends when we’re out and about in Vienna, but this town and, in fact, all the towns and cities we’ll visit until we get to your great-aunt’s house in England, aren’t the sort of places where it’s safe for you to go looking for friends, especially not alone.”
Evelyn’s lower lip quivered. She glanced up at Toby, whom Diana could sense standing behind her, then looked back at Diana. “I’m sorry,” she said in a very small voice.
Diana softened her smile and lightly hugged her. “That’s all right, sweetling. We know you didn’t mean to worry us.”
Evelyn accepted the embrace, but drew back, her expression puzzled, presumably at the notion that her looking for friends was any cause for adult worry.
Trying to think of the best way to explain—how much to say and what—Diana was grateful when Toby crouched beside her and, catching Evelyn’s big-eyed gaze, said, “In some towns, there might be bad men and even bad ladies who might want to take you away from us.” He gestured. “From Diana and me and your brothers and Helga and Bruno. We don’t want to lose you.”
