“I have a secret,” said Marlin. “But I don’t want to tell you yet.”

“Is it the same secret that Miss Webster has?” asked Fiona. “Because she comes over now looking like she’s going to burst. What’s going on with the two of you?”

“Miss Webster?” said Marlin. “What kind of secret would I have with her? No, this is my own.”

“Well, give us a clue,” said Fiona.

“I think I’ve found a way to make money so that Nat can go to strings and you don’t have to worry so much. But I can’t tell you yet.”

“I can go to strings?” asked Natasha, looking up suddenly with interest from her plate of food.

“Is it legal?” asked Fiona.

“Is it legal!” said Marlin, indignantly standing up.

“All right, all right, Marlin, it’s just I can’t imagine how a twelve-year-old could suddenly make a lot of money.”

“That’s right,” said Marlin smugly. “You can’t imagine. But I can and I’ve found a way to solve all our problems.”

“Well, that’s, that’s great,” said Fiona warily. She didn’t think for a moment that Marlin had found a way to make money. She had no idea what she had up her sleeve, some kind of pipe dream probably but if it made Marlin happy that was fine with her. She wasn’t going to worry about it.

Fiona wished she could ask Miss Webster the way she had Marlin why she was going around looking like the cat who swallowed the canary. She was hoping it was because Miss Webster and Mr. Pettinger were planning to adopt them. Al was beginning to threaten her that if they didn’t get Mr. Pennypacker off his back their original agreement was over. She didn’t feel she could pry into Miss Webster’s thoughts the way she could Marlin’s but the following Sunday Miss Webster volunteered some information on her own.

Mr. Pettinger was in the orchard hanging a swing for the girls. Miss Webster had brought over an old-fashioned ice cream machine and some rock salt and dry ice and she and the girls were sitting on the porch taking turns cranking it when Miss Webster said, “This is the most beautiful spring I can ever remember. And I have a big beautiful secret to go with it. It comes in two parts. I’m not telling anyone yet. But I will tell you girls first when it’s time because it affects the four of you the most. So there you go, that’s something fun for you to mull over this week, isn’t it?”

“Does that mean you’re telling us next weekend?” asked Marlin excitedly.

“Maybe. But probably in another week or two. We’re just straightening some details.”

Fiona shot Charlie a nervous look, worried that Charlie would burst out with “We know!” or worse, “You’re adopting us!” But it was Charlie’s turn to crank the ice cream handle and that kept her happily preoccupied.

That evening after Mr. Pettinger and Miss Webster had gone, Marlin said, “A secret with two parts!”