‘It’s okay, Tarq,’ she said. ‘It’s okay.’ Together they walked home.
On Sunday morning after breakfast, Alice-Miranda and Millie asked Mrs Howard if she had time to take them over to Chesterfield Downs to check on Bony and Chops. The girls decided they could ride home together on Chops if it looked like Bonaparte should stay longer.
‘Oh, I am sorry, dears, but I have a show committee meeting this morning. If I know Myrtle Parker, I’ll be given a list of extra jobs as long as my arm if I’m late. And I’m afraid that Charlie and Doreen will be joining me so there’s no point asking them either,’ Mrs Howard explained.
‘Maybe we could go and see if Stumps is up for a ride. We could double over together and then you could ride him back. But just remember: don’t mention the “h” word,’ Millie said with a giggle.
Alice-Miranda nodded. ‘That sounds like a good idea.’
The ‘h’ word Millie was referring to was home. Stumps was notorious for bolting home if anyone mentioned the word. Poor Sloane had found out the hard way after he’d taken off at a cracking pace the first and only time she’d been out riding with the girls.
Alice-Miranda and Millie headed off to the stables to find Stumps. They waved goodbye to Sloane and Jacinta, who had decided to walk over to Caledonia Manor to visit Sloane’s step-granny Henrietta and Miss Hephzibah.
‘Hello,’ Alice-Miranda called as they entered the cool brick stable block. It seemed strange not to be greeted by Bony and Chops. Susannah’s pony Buttercup whinnied hello, but Stumps was nowhere to be seen.
‘I wonder where he is,’ said Millie after they’d checked all of the stalls.
‘Maybe he’s been turned out already,’ Alice-Miranda replied.
‘Then we have no hope of taking him,’ said Millie. ‘Once he’s in the paddock for the day he’ll do anything to avoid being caught, the lazy little monster.’
‘We might just have to walk to Chesterfield Downs,’ Alice-Miranda suggested.
‘But it’s so far,’ Millie groaned. ‘And I’m tired already.’
‘Chesterfield Downs, you say?’ Billy Boots appeared behind the girls.
Millie just about leapt into the rafters and Alice-Miranda jumped too.
‘Bit nervy, are we?’ he asked.
‘Oh, hello Mr Boots. We didn’t hear you come in,’ said Alice-Miranda, smiling at the young man.
‘You’re like a phantom,’ Millie added, remembering how he had sneaked up on her the day before when she was collecting Bony and Chops from the paddock.
‘I like that. A phantom,’ Billy said with a wink.
‘Is Stumps outside?’ Millie asked.
‘Sure is. I turned the little plodder out half an hour ago. He’s got no go in him until he sees that grass and then you’d think someone had shoved a firecracker up his . . .’
Charlie Weatherly appeared at the entrance to the stables. ‘Good morning all,’ he said, giving Billy a stern look.
‘Um, nose,’ the lad finished.
‘Hello Mr Charles. Millie and I were hoping to ride Stumps over to Chesterfield Downs this morning so we can train Bony and Chops,’ Alice-Miranda explained.
‘Mmm,’ Charlie nodded. ‘Why doesn’t Billy here drive you? I’m afraid I don’t have time and you’ll never get Stumps back in this early. Mrs Parker’s coming over to inspect the plant stocks for the show in a little while and I’ve still got a bit to do. Then we have a committee meeting over at her place.’
‘Yes, Mrs Howard said you were busy,’ Alice-Miranda said.
‘The keys for the utility are hanging on the hook just inside the greenhouse.’ Charlie motioned for the lad to go and get them.
‘But I don’t know where Chesterfield Downs is,’ Billy protested.
‘We do,’ said Millie.
‘But I haven’t driven the ute before,’ he said.
‘You can drive, can’t you, Billy?’ Charlie asked.
‘Yeah, of course,’ Billy replied.
‘Well then, get the keys and meet the girls at the front of the school,’ Charlie said, exasperated. ‘Or have you got somewhere else to be today?’
‘No, I . . . no.’ Billy shook his head. ‘I’m happy to take them to Chesterfield Downs. The girls tell me it’s pretty special.’
‘Good, at least then I’ll know where you are,’ said Charlie. He’d begun to think the lad was a phantom, the number of times he seemed to just vanish.
Ten minutes later, Alice-Miranda and Millie were waiting on the steps at Winchesterfield Manor. The utility clattered down the driveway and rolled to a halt in front of them.
Both girls hopped into the front, with Millie in the middle.
‘When we get to the end of the driveway you need to turn left,’ said Alice-Miranda.
The car took off and then slowed to a stop at the gate before Billy turned left as instructed. He planted his foot on the accelerator and the vehicle sped up.
‘Ooh, be careful, Billy,’ said Millie anxiously. ‘You might get a speeding ticket. Constable Derby likes to patrol this stretch of road.’
‘I don’t think he’ll be there today,’ Alice-Miranda remarked. ‘Constable Derby and Mrs Derby have gone away for the weekend. It’s Mrs Derby’s sister’s wedding in the city so they won’t be back until tonight.’
‘Is he the only copper in the village?’ Billy asked.
‘Yes,’ Alice-Miranda replied, ‘and he’s quite the loveliest man you’ll ever meet.’
Billy scoffed. ‘I doubt it.’
‘It’s true, he really is. I know I’ll feel better when he’s back, what with all those carnival people around,’ Millie said.
Billy glanced at the girl. ‘What carnival people?’
She looked ahead pointedly, willing him to keep his eyes on the road. ‘Yesterday when Alice-Miranda and I went riding we saw them. They’ve taken over the whole of Gertrude’s Grove. One of the boys pushed Alice-Miranda over – that’s how she got the bump on her head,’ Millie explained.
‘What boy?’ Billy asked.
‘His name’s Pete and he got into a fight with another kid called Tarquin and a girl called Fern,’ said Millie. ‘Alice-Miranda got in the way and Fern did too.’
‘Is she all right? The other girl?’ Billy asked.
Alice-Miranda was surprised by his concern. ‘I’m not sure. Her wrist could have been broken but she wouldn’t let us help her. Do you know her?’
‘No, of course not. Why would I? I just don’t like hearing about people getting hurt,’ Billy said brusquely.
‘Some big guy called Alf came out and the kids all scattered like confetti,’ Millie said. ‘Anyway, I’ll be glad when they move on.’
Alice-Miranda frowned at Millie. ‘I’m sure they’re perfectly lovely people.’
‘Carnival people? That’s not what I’ve heard,’ Billy said. ‘That Alf guy sounds a real thug and besides, everyone knows that if anything goes bad when the carnies are in town, you know exactly where to look.’
‘I don’t think that’s fair at all,’ Alice-Miranda disagreed.
‘So where is this Gertrude’s Grove place?’ Billy asked.
‘It’s through the woods, over near Caledonia Manor,’ Alice-Miranda replied.
All this talk of the carnival seemed to encourage Billy to drive even faster.
‘That’s the turn-off just up there,’ said Millie. She was gripping the dashboard now.
He turned the car into the lane, barely reducing his speed at all.
‘Mr Boots, perhaps you should slow down,’ Alice-Miranda suggested. ‘Otherwise you’ll scare the horses.’
‘There’s the driveway!’ Millie shouted, pointing at the gateposts on the right-hand side of the road.
Without any warning, Billy planted his foo
t on the brake. The car skidded to a halt and a veil of dust overtook them, enveloping the vehicle. Thankfully the girls were strapped in or they might have ended up through the windscreen.
There was a deathly silence.
‘Sorry,’ the young man said at last. ‘I don’t know what happened then. I just got distracted.’
Distracted by what, Alice-Miranda wondered. Perhaps Millie was right about Billy Boots? She had a strange feeling that there was more to him than she had first thought.
Billy drove through the main entrance and up the driveway at a snail’s pace.
‘Wow, this place is beautiful,’ he said, his eyes scanning from one side of the road to the other.
‘Wait until you see the house,’ Millie said. She sighed deeply, still catching her breath after Billy’s wild driving. ‘It’s gorgeous but Aunty Gee hardly ever comes down here at all. Most of the time it’s empty.’
As the car rounded the bend the house came into view.
‘Whoa!’ Billy exclaimed. ‘It’s a mansion and a half, in’t it.’
Billy continued up the driveway and around to the parking area beside the stables.
‘Geez, they make the stables at your place look like a chook shed,’ Billy commented. ‘Imagine being this rich!’
Alice-Miranda and Millie hopped out of the car.
‘Would you like to come and meet Rockstar?’ Alice-Miranda asked.
‘Yeah, of course. It’s not every day you get to see the world’s greatest racehorse up close.’
‘I’ll just see if I can find someone,’ Alice-Miranda said, and headed off in the direction of the stable doors. Millie followed her.
‘This place is amazing, all right,’ Billy said to himself.
Alice-Miranda peered into the half-light of the stable block. ‘Hello,’ she called. ‘Is anyone here?’
Wally Whitstable backed out of one of the stalls close to the entrance, pulling a wheelbarrow full of soiled straw. ‘Good morning, miss.’
‘Did Bonaparte behave himself last night?’ the tiny child asked.
‘He’s been quite the well-mannered guest,’ Wally replied. ‘Hello Millie. Your old Chops has been a good fellow too.’
Millie smiled and walked across to Chops’s stall and hauled herself up onto the door. He was dozing with his head resting in the feed bin.
‘It doesn’t look like being here with all of these champions has rubbed off on him at all,’ she said with a grin, before hopping down.
‘Bonaparte must be just what the doctor ordered,’ said Wally. ‘I rode Rockstar again this morning. Freddy walked Bony down to the track and Rockstar ran like the wind.’
‘That’s wonderful,’ Alice-Miranda grinned.
‘So how did you get here?’ Wally asked.
‘Mr Boots drove us over. He’s in the car,’ Alice-Miranda informed him. ‘Can he meet Rockstar?’
‘I suppose so, but don’t go into the stall,’ Wally replied.
Alice-Miranda and Millie walked back outside towards Billy, who was standing beside the driver’s door.
Alice-Miranda beckoned to him. ‘Mr Walt said you can come in.’
The trio entered the stable.
‘Hello,’ Wally nodded at the young man. ‘How are you getting on over there at the school?’
‘All right,’ Billy Boots replied.
With track work long over for the day, most of the horses were now resting in their stalls.
‘So who’s who?’ Billy asked as they walked the length of the block.
‘That’s Zelda and Boris and Fox,’ Wally began.
‘Geez, I’ve never heard of any of them,’ Billy frowned. ‘What is it, a herd of donkeys in here?’
‘No, those are just their stable names. She’s Royal Contessa at the track, that’s Lord Beauregard and he’s Foxleigh’s Fancy,’ said Wally, pointing them out one by one.
‘Oh.’ Billy nodded slowly as he recognised the champions. ‘So why is Rockstar just Rockstar, then?’
‘Apparently Queen Georgiana named him herself and she thought it was perfect. That’s why he doesn’t have another name,’ Wally explained. ‘It’s a bit unusual for a racehorse to have just one name.’
‘I think it’s perfect, too – he is a rock star,’ Alice-Miranda agreed.
Dick Wigglesworth emerged from the tack room where an electrician was busy rewiring the switches. ‘Hello there, who’s this?’
‘Hello Mr Wigglesworth,’ Alice-Miranda greeted the silver-haired man with the bushy eyebrows. ‘This is Mr Boots.’
Dick Wigglesworth stepped forward and shook hands firmly with Billy. ‘Good to meet you,’ Dick said with a nod. Billy returned the gesture but stayed silent.
‘Mr Boots has just taken over from Mr Walt at school,’ said Alice-Miranda.
‘So you’ve come to meet our boy, have you?’ Mr Wigglesworth walked over to the stall and opened the door.
‘He ran his best split since the derby this morning,’ Freddy piped up as he emerged from a stall that he’d been mucking out.
‘That’s wonderful,’ said Alice-Miranda.
‘I just held Bony at the side of the track. When Wally took off it was all he could do to hold him – he just wanted to get back to his little mate here,’ Freddy explained.
‘Don’t you have work to do, lad?’ Dick frowned at the young man.
‘Yes, sir,’ he said and disappeared back inside to his pile of manure.
‘Mr Wigglesworth, do you think it would be sensible to keep Bony here for a few more days?’ Alice-Miranda asked. ‘If it means that Rockstar has a chance at the Queen’s Cup, I’d be happy for him to stay.’
‘But the show starts in less than two weeks,’ Millie complained. ‘And we have to do some proper training for the pairs events or we’ll be hopeless. I mean, Chops is no hacking champion at the best of times and we have to make sure they can actually stay in time with each other.’
‘I’m sure we can work something out,’ said Alice-Miranda.
‘No, Alice-Miranda, I think you should take Bonaparte home with you today,’ Dick Wigglesworth insisted.
Rockstar whinnied as if to protest.
‘Are you sure, sir?’ Wally asked. ‘He seems much better with the company and when I told Miss Pepper what had happened on the telephone this morning she was thrilled.’
‘When did you speak to Evelyn?’ Mr Wigglesworth said crossly.
‘She phoned when you were in the top paddock. She asked me what had been happening and so I told her all about Bony and Rockstar and she thought it was wonderful. She asked if Alice-Miranda would mind us keeping Bony for the week at least.’
‘Did she now?’ the foreman said. Rockstar leaned over the stall door and nibbled a sugar cube from his hand.
‘So he’s pretty quiet then?’ Billy Boots enquired.
‘No, he’s a nutcase,’ Freddy chimed in again as he emerged with a wheelbarrow full of soiled straw.
Dick Wigglesworth glared at Freddy, who gulped and disappeared back to his work.
Billy walked towards the stall and reached up to give the horse’s ear a scratch. The giant leaned forward, throwing his head towards Billy and rubbing his neck against the top of the stall door.
‘I don’t believe it.’ Dick looked at the giant beast and the young man. ‘If I tried that he’d just as soon have my hand off.’
Rockstar sniffed Billy’s hands and then his head.
‘Look out!’ Wally warned. ‘You’re likely to lose an ear if you’re not careful.’
But the horse didn’t bite Billy at all. He nibbled the lad’s earlobe.
Dick shook his head. ‘Well, that’s the strangest thing. I’ve only ever seen Rockstar like that with Evelyn.’
‘You must have a way with horses,
Mr Boots,’ said Alice-Miranda. ‘Usually my Bonaparte can’t stand young men either – no offence, it’s just the way he is. And when he first met you I was afraid he was about to take a chunk out of your arm but he just gave you a lick instead. It was very odd indeed.’
Dick Wigglesworth frowned.
Billy shrugged and patted the champion’s neck. ‘You’re a good boy, aren’t you?’ he whispered. ‘Well, I’d best be off then. Thanks for the tour. Nice to meet you all.’ Billy turned and headed towards the door. Alice-Miranda and Millie followed him outside to say goodbye and thank him for the lift.
The two girls watched as the ute drove down the driveway. Millie turned to Alice-Miranda. ‘I’m glad we’re not going back with him. He drives like a maniac.’
Alice-Miranda frowned. He was certainly an interesting young man. ‘Well, Bony and Rockstar seem to like him a lot, and you know neither of them like anyone much.’
Millie shook her head. ‘I still say he’s weird.’
‘Come on, let’s go and ask Mr Wigglesworth if there’s somewhere around here we can ride,’ suggested Alice-Miranda. ‘Afterwards I’ll leave Bonaparte and we can double back on Chops.’
Millie nodded and the girls walked back inside the cool building.
Over at Myrtle Parker’s house, the show committee meeting was about to commence. With the front sitting room sparkling and Newton the gnome in his special spot on top of the china cabinet, Myrtle was bustling about in the kitchen getting the tea tray ready. The only thing missing was her badge – she wished she could remember where she’d put it. It was most unlike her to lose things.
Mrs Howard, Doreen Smith and Charlie Weatherly had driven into the village together and were to be joined by Deidre Winterbottom, whose husband Wallace was the Headmaster at Fayle School for Boys, and Herman Munz, the owner of the general store. It was strange how each year the committee seemed to shrink in the exact same proportion that Myrtle’s role expanded.
As Mrs Smith turned the Mini into Myrtle’s driveway, Mrs Howard noticed a gangly, dark-haired girl standing on the other side of the street.
Alice-Miranda Shows the Way Page 9