“We could always wait, my dear,” he said,
placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Lottie took a few deep breaths and shook
her head.
“No. There’s no time like the present,” she
said, thinking of Sir Trevelyan’s warning.
“Come on!”
Before the others could stop her, Lottie had
dropped to the floor and jumped down the
dark hole feetfirst.
“Lottie! Do you know how dangerous that
is
?
” called Uncle Bert. He peered over the edge.
“What’s it like down there
?
”
There was a heart-stopping moment for
Uncle Bert when Lottie didn’t reply. Then:
19
