"Of course there might be, but I have never seen it. Fred knows about the room, too, and you can ask him if there is a spare anywhere. I believe I asked him once, but I can't be sure. I shouldn't worry about it if I were you, and don't spend all your time up in that stuffy old room. Are you going out this afternoon?"

Jon smiled across the table.

"There's lots of things we'd like to tell you, Mother, but we'd rather wait until we're certain. You don't mind, do you?... And we'll swear we'll go out later, and if we want tea we'll have it upstairs, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind," Mrs. Warrender replied, "but don't take everything too seriously, will you? See you tonight for supper, then."

They spent two hours upstairs, but got very tired of searching long before Jon flung the last bundle of papers back into the box and slammed down the lid.

"I'm sick of this, Penny! My head aches with reading and I can't make much of most of these old letters. If the kettle's ready, let's have some tea before we go."

They munched some buns while they examined the map, and then Jon said it was time for them to go.

"Look here, Penny," he said. "I'm sorry we've got to split up, but I'm sure it's the best thing. I'll start now, because I'd better go to Winchelsea. Fred said it wasn't far from the church, and this map certainly marks it at the back of the town."

They locked everything into the box again, made the fire safe, packed up all the tea things, locked the door behind them and crept down the stairs.

"I don't really know the best way," Jon said as they went out together. "I believe buses go along the road we came with Fred, but there must be a short-cut across the Marsh to Winchelsea. Come and start me on my way, Newpenny. You've still got plenty of time and we'll see if we can find a footpath when we get to the other side of the bridge."

They went together down the steps of Trader's Passage, past the boat-builders, over the bridge and then stepped out on to the long, straight road that led first towards Camber and then back towards Winchelsea.

"I should walk along the road, Jon. It's much safer and better for you, too. You know you don't get enough exercise! Good-bye. I'm going back now. Where shall we meet? I don't think we'd better go upstairs again tonight somehow... I think Auntie would be rather peevish if we disappeared again."

"We'll meet somehow. I agree that we shall have to be with Mother after supper, but p'raps we could slip upstairs just before we go to bed."

"Or after we go to bed. That would be more fun," Penny laughed as she blew a kiss to him and turned back towards Rye.