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said in a low voice.
    â€˜But why?’ Max protested. ‘You’re always—’ He broke off. Louis guessed he had been going to say ‘talking to strangers’, but this wasn’t true any more. Papa hadn’t struck up a conversation with anyone since they had left Paris.
    When the plane landed, they zipped through the airport, Millie running ahead, leaving the other passengers behind at the conveyor belt. Heathrow was huge, shiny and absolutely full of people. Papa started to look tense again, insisting that Millie hold his hand. After a brief glance through the sliding glass doors at a white sky, low-flying planes and chaotic taxi rank, Papa ledthem down the escalator towards the sign that read UNDERGROUND with a red O and a line going through it. He bought them all tickets from the ticket machine as people with suitcases and huge rucksacks jostled all around. Going through the ticket barriers was a bit of a nightmare – Max got his rucksack stuck and had to be rescued by the smiling gentleman behind, then Millie missed her chance and stayed on the other side. Panicked, she ducked under the barrier and crawled out on her hands and knees. They went down to the platform, which was dirty, cold and grey – a bit like the Métro platforms in Paris but shorter. Different languages were being spoken all around – only for a second did Louis catch some English. A crackling, incomprehensible voice rang out over the loudspeaker and Louis caught only one word: ‘delays’.
    On the tube, there was nowhere to sit and the carriages didn’t have those collapsible seats like they did in Paris. Max put his rucksack down against the plastic wall and sat on it, and after a moment Louis did the same. Millie clung to Papa as he swayed about, gripping the overhead rail. Eventually a seat became available and Papa collapsed gratefully into it, pulling Millie onto his lap. Three stops later and the double seat opposite them became vacant and Max and Louis went to join them. Bynow, the black tunnel they had been hurtling through had been replaced by houses – well, the backs of houses, and some small green gardens with washing lines. They went over a bridge and Millie spotted a red bus and pointed it out excitedly, and there then ensued a rather heated debate about the differences between French and English buses. As was customary when Papa wasn’t participating in the conversation, they spoke to each other in French, and Max was just trying to explain to Millie the differences between the French and English transport system, when Louis noticed a woman on the other side of the carriage looking at them with a smile. Papa seemed to notice her too, but instead of turning round and engaging her in conversation, he motioned for Max to quieten down.
    When the woman got off at the next stop, the carriage was almost empty, and Papa suddenly said, ‘Now that we’re in England, how about we pretend to be an English family?’
    Millie looked at him, her eyes widening. ‘You mean no more French?’
    â€˜Why not?’ Papa said with a smile and a casual shrug. ‘It’s the perfect opportunity for you to brush up your English and discover what it’s like to be English children for a change. In fact, we could turn it into a game. Afive p fine for anyone who says a French word!’ He gave a short sharp laugh.
    â€˜I only have euros,’ Louis informed him coldly.
    â€˜I’ll give you some English pocket money later,’ Papa said.
    â€˜What’s a p?’ Millie wanted to know.
    â€˜It’s like a
centime
,’ Louis told her.
    â€˜Bzz. French word! You lose five p!’ Papa exclaimed.
    â€˜So that means we have to call you Dad?’ Max sounded aghast.
    â€˜Absolutely!’
    â€˜OK then . . .
Dad
.’ Max looked as if he hated the word.
    The train journey seemed to last for ever. No one seemed to feel much like talking now that Papa,