Alice-Miranda and Millie tied up the ponies outside the boarding house.
‘Bony must be getting faster in his old age,’ Millie said, giving the beast a pat on the neck.
‘Or Mr Charles has been feeding him too much oats,’ Alice-Miranda said. Bony plunged his head into the water trough and then proceeded to spray slobber all over her. ‘Did you really have to do that?’ she said, wiping the slime from her chin.
Millie looked at her watch. ‘What about I meet you back here in forty-five minutes?’
Alice-Miranda nodded. ‘Say hello to Miss Hephzibah and Miss Henrietta for me and tell them I’ll try to visit before we leave for China.’
Millie secured the lock on the yard and skipped off up the gravel driveway towards the main house.
Alice-Miranda hurried across the cobblestoned courtyard and through the large glass doors that had replaced the dilapidated stable entrance. She paused for a second and thought about the first time she’d been there – when Bonaparte had bolted on their way back from a picnic and sniffed out the abandoned vegetable patch. That was when she had first discovered Miss Hephzibah and Caledonia Manor. It was one of the best days of her young life; finding a friend like her had been wonderful. She could hardly believe everything that had happened since.
Alice-Miranda walked down the wide hallway towards Jacinta’s bedroom just as the housemistress emerged from her office at the end of the passage. Alice-Miranda smiled. ‘Good afternoon, Mrs Clarkson. I was just looking for Jacinta.’
‘Hello, my dear. She’s in her room,’ the woman replied. ‘Are you excited for your holiday?’
Alice-Miranda’s brown eyes sparkled. ‘Yes, very. I can’t believe we’re going to China. It’s going to be fantastic, although I wish I could speak a bit more Mandarin. I suspect it’s going to be a little hard to communicate with everyone.’
‘I’m sure you’ll have a marvellous adventure no matter what.’ Petunia gave a wave and headed off upstairs.
Having heard Alice-Miranda’s voice in the corridor, Jacinta poked her head out of her room and waved her in. She quickly closed the door and the two girls hugged, Jacinta more fiercely than usual.
‘It feels like I haven’t seen you in ages,’ Jacinta said.
‘I know, we’re all so busy. Have you been training a lot?’ Alice-Miranda asked.
Jacinta nodded. ‘I thought I’d stick with it until the next round of competitions and then I’ll make a decision.’
Alice-Miranda noticed that Jacinta seemed agitated, fiddling with her hair and biting her nails.
‘Are you all right?’ Alice-Miranda asked. It wasn’t like the girl to be so vague and anxious. ‘What did you want to talk about?’
‘It’s going to sound stupid,’ Jacinta replied, looking at the floor.
‘You know you can tell me anything,’ Alice-Miranda said, shooting her an encouraging smile.
‘I know and that’s why I only wanted to talk to you.’ Jacinta cast a wary glance around the room and lowered her voice. ‘Promise you won’t breathe a word to anyone else?’
‘Of course,’ Alice-Miranda replied, crossing her heart.
Jacinta took a deep breath and sat down. For the first time, she spoke aloud the worries and fears that had been crowding her head for the past few weeks. Alice-Miranda took her hand and, together, they talked it all through. Jacinta was surprised to find that she didn’t feel stupid at all. On the contrary, it was as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
Ophelia Grimm ran her finger down the list of names. She and Livinia had spent an hour before lessons confirming the children’s host families, going over the information the Bright Star Academy had supplied and ensuring that the students’ interests and talents matched as best they could.
There was a meeting with the young travellers after dinner – Charlie was taking the school minibus to collect the Fayle boys who were going on the trip, so Ophelia could go through the final plans with everyone. She was armed and ready to answer the inevitable barrage of last-minute questions and concerns.
There was a knock on the door and Louella Derby poked her head inside. ‘May I have a word?’ she asked. There was a nervous inflection in her voice that Ophelia didn’t miss.
‘Yes, of course.’ The headmistress pointed to the chair on the other side of her gigantic desk. ‘Have a seat.’
Louella Derby scampered in and perched on the edge of the seat. ‘I’ve just received a call from Mrs Ridout –’
‘Oh, yes. Sofia’s due back tomorrow, isn’t she? It’s probably a good thing to have a couple of days at school with her friends before the trip. Losing a grandparent is never easy,’ Ophelia said. ‘But having her mother along as one of our parent helpers should be a welcome boost to both their spirits.’
Louella ran her hand across her sweep of brown fringe, pushing the hair from her eyes. ‘That’s just it,’ she said. ‘They won’t be going. Sofia’s been rushed into surgery for an emergency appendectomy.’
‘Oh, heavens! Poor girl. We must organise flowers and a card from all the girls and I’ll telephone tonight.’ Ophelia sighed. ‘What a dreadful turn of events. We’ll have to cancel their tickets immediately and reorganise the groups now that we’ll be one parent down.’
Louella gulped. ‘I’m afraid that’s not all.’
‘Surely there isn’t any other bad news? That’s more than enough already.’ Ophelia picked up a pen and hovered it above her writing pad.
‘Well, it might not be bad news, per se,’ Louella said slowly. ‘It seems that Mrs Ridout ran into Venetia Baldini a few days ago and apparently Ms Baldini was terribly upset that she had missed the deadline for the trip.’
Ophelia had a sneaking suspicion she wasn’t going to like where this was heading.
‘So when Sofia took ill this afternoon, her mother telephoned Venetia. Now Ms Baldini and Caprice are going in their place. They’ve already had the tickets reissued from the travel agent this afternoon,’ Louella blurted.
‘What?’ the headmistress exclaimed. ‘So much for me being in charge around here. Perhaps I’ll go on a long holiday and leave Mrs Ridout and Ms Baldini to run the school.’
Louella bit her lip. ‘I’m sure Mrs Ridout was only trying to be helpful, and it does solve the problem of the extra supervision.’
Ophelia Grimm sighed loudly. ‘Well, I can’t say I’m thrilled with the idea. Granted, Caprice has been better behaved this term. I do hope she can keep it up, especially during the homestay. We certainly don’t need any international incidents.’
‘Mrs Ridout said that Venetia would be thrilled to help with anything you need – particularly the food – and she’s going to organise a couple of special activities for the parents while the children are at school in Beijing. She’s very well connected,’ Louella said with a tentative smile.
‘You’d better get Ms Baldini on the telephone, then,’ Ophelia said. ‘We may as well make the most of her contacts, but I will be having a quiet word with Mrs Ridout, once Sofia has recovered, about the importance of school protocols.’
‘Would you like a cup of tea?’ Louella offered, already heading for the door.
‘Strong and black, please. And after you’ve called Ms Baldini, can you find Livinia and tell her I need to see her before dinner?’ the headmistress said, sinking back into her chair.
‘So is Jacinta giving up gymnastics?’ Millie asked. On the way back from their visit to Caledonia Manor, she’d been so busy babbling excitedly about the upcoming trip she’d forgotten to ask Alice-Miranda. Miss Hephzibah and Miss Henrietta had wanted to know every last detail and had got the girl thinking about nothing else.
‘She’s just a bit unsure about a few things,’ Alice-Miranda said, hoping to steer the conversation in a different direction.
From behind the servery, Doreen Smith wiped her hands on her apron and watched the enthusiastic faces of the girls and staff with great satisfaction. The usual chinking of cutlery had all but disappeared as most dine
rs endeavoured to master the wooden chopsticks she’d ordered some weeks ago, although the noise level was certainly no less than usual. This evening she’d produced her most ambitious buffet yet, even attempting steamed pork buns, which had taken up far more of the afternoon than she’d intended. Fortunately, they were a triumph.
‘I tell you what, Mrs Smith’s really outdone herself with this chicken. I’ve loved all the Chinese dishes she’s been whipping up lately,’ Sloane said.
Caprice smirked. ‘Puh-lease, this isn’t real Chinese food. But I’m sure you’ll all enjoy your canine casseroles next week.’
Alice-Miranda was about to say something when the headmistress appeared.
‘Hello, girls,’ Ophelia said, looking rather flustered. ‘Gosh, it’s very noisy in here, isn’t it?’ She looked around for Miss Reedy, who was supposed to be in charge of the evening’s supervision. The woman was usually a stickler for a quiet dining room. ‘Good grief,’ Ophelia muttered, when she spotted Miss Reedy and Mr Plumpton staring into each other’s eyes at the head table. The headmistress added another mental note to the long list of tasks she had to complete before the trip, then returned her attention to the table. ‘Caprice, may I have a word?’
The girl, who until now had been focused on her plate, turned around. She wondered if Mrs Howard had dobbed her in for being rude this morning. ‘Am I in trouble?’ she asked.
Ophelia Grimm shook her head. ‘No, not this time.’
Caprice stood up and walked with the headmistress to the corner of the dining room, where they spoke for a minute or so.
Millie looked at them warily. ‘What do you think that’s about?’ she asked.
Before anyone had time to answer, Caprice yelled out and started leaping about. ‘Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes!’ she bellowed.
‘Sounds as though Caprice has received some very good news,’ Alice-Miranda said, dipping her dumpling into a saucer of vinegar.
Sloane and Millie looked at one another.
Caprice sped back to the table, clenching her fists and grinning like a Cheshire cat. ‘I’m coming to China!’ the girl cried.
Millie’s jaw dropped. ‘What? That’s stupid! How come everything always works out for you at the last minute?’
‘I thought the trip was full,’ said Sloane.
‘Sofia’s appendix burst, so she can’t go,’ the girl said happily.
Alice-Miranda gasped. ‘That’s terrible!’
‘Not for me.’ Caprice shrugged. ‘Besides, it’s just an appendix. People get them taken out all the time.’
‘Caprice, appendicitis can be very dangerous, especially if you get septicaemia,’ Alice-Miranda said.
‘What’s that?’ Sloane asked.
‘Blood poisoning,’ Alice-Miranda replied.
‘Well, Miss Grimm said she’s fine but she has to take it easy over the holidays,’ Caprice gloated.
‘We should send her a card and some flowers right away,’ Alice-Miranda said, and Millie and Sloane nodded.
‘Whatever,’ Caprice said, rolling her eyes.
Sloane gulped. ‘Aren’t we going to be billeted in pairs for the trip?’
Millie looked at her in horror.
‘There’s no need to worry about it now. We’ll find out at the meeting straight after dinner,’ Alice-Miranda said.
But Millie’s mind was racing. Surely Miss Grimm was far too sensible to have her and Caprice together. That just wouldn’t be fair at all.
Fuchsia Lee sat opposite her boss, her pen poised to take dictation. She looked around the office, noting the man’s love of monochrome with the stark white walls and black bookcase laden with black leather-bound notebooks. She was by far the brightest thing in the room with her patent hot-pink heels and matching lipstick, which contrasted beautifully with her emerald-green suit. She glanced at her watch and wondered if he’d forgotten she was there.
Benny rubbed his temples and cradled his head in his hands. He stared at the spreadsheet, then leaned back and stretched his arms above his head. Fuchsia flinched at the sight of the two enormous damp patches under his arms. ‘I’m thinking of putting Beluga on the market,’ he said, finally.
Fuchsia’s eyes widened in surprise.
‘Don’t look so nervous. I’m not letting you go. In fact, if I sell the studio, it will free up capital for more investment. I’m keen to diversify my interests,’ Benny said as a bead of sweat formed on his forehead.
Fuchsia exhaled, relieved to hear that she wouldn’t be forced to search for another job, especially because this one was a cinch. She was pretty much left to her own devices for the majority of the year as Benny Choo divided his time between Los Angeles, where his family was based, and Hong Kong. Some days she left the office early to run errands, and it didn’t hurt anyone if she also squeezed in a manicure or lunch with her fiancé. It suddenly occurred to Fuchsia that if Benny sold Beluga Studios he might intend to spend a lot more time in Hong Kong.
Benny fingered the page in front of him, glancing momentarily at the bottom line. His eyes swirled and he felt his heart thumping vigorously inside his chest.
‘Are you all right, Mr Choo?’ Fuchsia enquired. ‘You look a little off-colour.’
The woman jumped up and disappeared, returning a minute later with a tall glass of iced water.
Benny took it from her and gulped it down. ‘Thank you,’ he said, taking a few minutes to recover. ‘So,’ he resumed, ‘do you agree that it would be best to put Beluga Studios on the market?’
Fuchsia had no professional training beyond a short secretarial course, so the fact that he was consulting her about such a huge decision was confusing to say the least. She hesitated before answering. ‘Why do you want to sell?’ she asked. ‘I thought you loved making movies.’
‘The movie business has been good to me and I’ve made a lot of money. So much money. More money than you can imagine a man could make.’ Benny seemed to be working himself into a frenzy. ‘I just think it might be time to move on,’ he said.
Fuchsia clicked her pen twice as she processed this. ‘It sounds as though you’ve made up your mind. How do you sell a movie studio?’
‘I’ll have to play my cards right to make sure there’s a line of bidders begging to take it off my hands. We are one of the biggest and the best, so I will quietly spread the news.’ Benny smiled to himself, already feeling better. ‘And don’t worry, I’ll still be in Hong Kong. The Circus of Golden Destiny is based here, after all.’
The phone rang, and Fuchsia instinctively stood up to answer it but he batted her hand away. ‘Good afternoon, this is Benny Choo speaking,’ he said cheerily. His large face grew pale and he laughed nervously. ‘O-of course it is good to hear from you, my friend.’
He shot a dark look at Fuchsia and wildly gestured for her to leave. She promptly scurried from the room and pulled the door closed behind her.
It seemed that every last student and staff member had turned out on the driveway to farewell the Chinese tour delegation, despite their dawn departure. Once bags had been loaded and daypacks stowed, it was time for the giddy travellers to say their final goodbyes.
Doreen Smith smiled as Alice-Miranda hugged her tightly around the middle. ‘Have a lovely time, dear.’
‘I’m sure we will.’ Alice-Miranda nodded, then gave Charlie Weatherly and Mrs Howard hugs too.
‘Come along, everyone,’ the headmistress ordered. She looked up at Benitha Wall, the PE teacher to whom she had, with some trepidation, handed over the reins. ‘I trust there won’t be any disasters in the next two days. Just get the rest of the girls off home for term break and I’ll see you when we’re back. Mrs Derby will know what to do if there are any problems – heaven knows the woman could run this school with or without me.’
Benitha suppressed the grin that was tickling her lips. There was no doubt about that, but it was still funny hearing it from Miss Grimm herself.
The children and accompanying adults piled on board the coach. Venetia Baldini in
sisted on sitting beside her daughter, while Ambrosia Headlington-Bear sat with September Sykes. Lawrence Ridley was also set to join the group, but he was meeting them in Hong Kong later that evening, flying directly from Los Angeles.
‘Has anyone seen Fudge?’ Mrs Howard asked the girls and staff standing beside the bus. She was sure she’d seen one of the children carrying him earlier. The little mite had probably taken himself off to the staff-room door, where he’d recently learned that, if he whined long enough, someone would give him a tidbit.
Inside the coach, the girls pressed their faces against the windows, waving furiously to their friends left behind. ‘Goodbye!’ they squealed as the vehicle rumbled down the driveway and into the village.
Alice-Miranda looked across at Jacinta, who was spread out in the seat opposite. ‘Are you okay?’ she whispered, wondering how the girl was feeling about seeing Lucas again. Jacinta shrugged, and Alice-Miranda patted her arm. ‘Just be yourself.’
Jacinta swallowed hard and mustered a brave smile. The trouble was, she hadn’t been feeling much like herself at all lately.
‘You know we’re going to have the best time,’ Alice-Miranda said, her eyes twinkling.
Millie was staring out the window and thinking about all the famous landmarks she was keen to see, like the Great Wall of China and the Summer Palace. Her father had sent her a guidebook, but she’d resolved to keep a lid on her obsession for trivial facts on this trip as this seemed to drive some of her fellow travellers mad.
The coach pulled into the driveway at Fayle, where Figgy and Rufus could be seen throwing a rugby ball on the lawn while Professor Winterbottom’s West Highland terrier, Parsley, ran after them.
Ophelia Grimm peered out the window. There was no sign of a staff member anywhere. She tore off after the coach like a thoroughbred from the starting gate. ‘Good morning,’ she called loudly, trying to get their attention.
Sep Sykes and Lucas Ridley appeared from the side of the building, trundling their suitcases. ‘Hello Miss Grimm,’ the boys chorused. ‘Would you like us to load the bags?’
Alice-Miranda in China Page 3