She managed to write the story with only a few days notice before the newsletter was typed and stencilled.
Appearing in Undaunted makes for this story's first publication since that edition of the newsletter and we must thank Graham Reeves for including the story in his book.
The story sees William visiting his 'aunt' in Bromley for Christmas (The first and only time Richmal is 'in' a William story?). He has done all sorts of things that he thought might make her happy, but as William states: "people get made at me whatever I do" - and this is certainly the theme running through this story!
William then attempts to appear as a hero to his aunt, with rather predictable results. He comes across two women sharing that day's code word and then following one of the women comes across a room containing several people on the telephone. To him, they are spewing utter rubbish. They're telling the person on the receiving end of 'considerable panic', an 'unexploded bomb in Southlands Road', and a wrecked aeroplane in the Hight Street. As William has walked these streets that day, he knows these reports to be untrue. However, in true William fashion, he aims to out this nest of spies.
He see's the man in charge, who he names 'X' and follows him home. Calling the police and telling them to arrive in 30 minutes, William gains entrance into the home of X and is found by the policeman he called, searching through X's possessions (Mr. Godstone as we come to know him).
William, of course, attempts to explain his actions, but ends up at the police station to be collected by his aunt. Mr Godstone has been let off by providing what William considers to be a 'flimsy and trivial excuse', that of practice messages.
He genuinely expects that when the police visit his aunt's home shortly after, that they have come to deliver their apologies. However, William's day has gotten even worse: Light is showing through his bedroom curtains.
Poor William! I should imagine that William and his aunt, both, will be glad when he returns home.
