Alice-Miranda Shows the Way

by Jacqueline Harvey

  ‘Well, I’m not surprised,’ Jacinta spat back at her. ‘I knew it wouldn’t last. This whole act, that you actually care about me and you want to spend time here. You’re just a big fat fake, Mother!’

  ‘Jacinta!’ Ambrosia squeaked. ‘That’s not it at all. I’m not renting the cottage because your father bought it.’

  ‘Why? You hate the countryside and you’ve only been here a couple of times in the months you’ve had it.’

  ‘I’ve been trying to get it renovated so you’d have somewhere nice to come and stay on the weekends.’ Ambrosia’s lip trembled as she spoke. After Mrs Parker’s visit earlier in the week, Ambrosia had decided to make some further modifications to ensure there was a proper bedroom for her daughter.

  ‘You just don’t get it, Mother. I don’t care about the house. I just wanted to spend time with you,’ Jacinta fumed.

  ‘Oh Jacinta, darling, there’s so much to explain.’ Ambrosia stood up and rushed towards her daughter. ‘Things aren’t the same as they used to be. They’ll never be the same again.’

  At this point Alice-Miranda directed Sloane and Millie to back out of the room.

  ‘I think we should give them some privacy to sort things out,’ the younger girl whispered as she led the other two down the corridor towards the back of the house. ‘We should go back to school. I’m sure that Mrs Headlington-Bear will bring Jacinta back later once they’ve had time to talk.’

  Alice-Miranda and her friends walked out to the road.

  ‘What do you think is going on with Mrs Headlington-Bear?’ Sloane asked.

  ‘I’m not sure,’ Alice-Miranda replied. ‘Sometimes grown-ups are very complicated.’

  Across the street Myrtle Parker had just arrived home and was complaining loudly to herself about having to lug the groceries from the boot of her car to the house.

  Myrtle heard the children and swivelled around. She spotted them before the girls saw her.

  ‘Alice-Miranda, what are you doing here?’ she called.

  ‘Oh, hello Mrs Parker.’ The tiny child skipped across the road to her.

  Millie groaned and rolled her eyes. ‘I forgot that Nosey lived in this street,’ she whispered to Sloane. ‘Just pretend we haven’t seen her.’

  ‘Millicent, have you lost something?’ Myrtle called, tutting to herself about the lack of manners in children these days.

  ‘No, Mrs Parker.’ Millie dragged her feet across the road, with Sloane beside her.

  ‘What a busy day I’ve had. Honestly, I don’t know why I bother having a committee. It’s really a committee of one. I do all of the work and I can tell you, girls, that I will have all of the glory when this show is proclaimed the best in the history of the village,’ Myrtle prattled on.

  ‘Mrs Smith’s been very busy baking and I know Mrs Howard’s had lots of jobs on her plate too and Mr Charles has been making sure that the orchids are perfect,’ Alice-Miranda replied. ‘I’m sure that your co-committee members are working very hard.’

  ‘Yes, well, I imagine they’ve had loads of help from all the girls over at the school. I, on the other hand, am completely on my own. Worse than on my own, actually, with poor Reginald in there, in that state,’ she said, pointing towards the front of the house.

  ‘Millie told me about your husband, Mrs Parker. I am sorry,’ said Alice-Miranda.

  ‘You know, I talk to him constantly and play his favourite music and wear his favourite perfumes and it hasn’t worked at all,’ Myrtle sighed.

  ‘I’d love to meet him. Perhaps I could come and read to Mr Parker,’ the child suggested. ‘This week’s a little busy getting ready for the show, but after that’s over I promise I would love to come at least twice a week, if I may.’

  Myrtle Parker looked at the child, shocked. She rearranged her shoulders and sniffed, ‘Well, if you can rouse my husband from his state of slumber I’ll be very surprised.’ She wondered if Alice-Miranda was serious or just pretending to be kind. ‘Once you make a commitment I expect you to see it through, young lady.’

  ‘Of course, Mrs Parker,’ Alice-Miranda nodded.

  Millie groaned and put her palm against her forehead.

  ‘She has no idea what she’s just done,’ Millie whispered to Sloane.

  Myrtle looked at the blonde girl. ‘You’re Sloane Sykes.’

  Sloane nodded.

  ‘Your grandmother is doing terribly well these days, no thanks to your mother or you. I’ve been there for her every step of the way – sweet woman that she is,’ Myrtle admonished Sloane.

  For once Sloane had no response at all.

  ‘Now, girls, I hope you’re keeping an eye out for anything suspicious going on around the village. The carnival folk have come to town and I think we all know what that means.’ Myrtle tapped her fingertip to the side of her nose.

  ‘I’m afraid I don’t. What does it mean?’ Alice-Miranda asked.

  ‘Hijinks, chaos, pandemonium and things going missing.’ Myrtle nodded emphatically.

  Alice-Miranda looked the woman square in the eye. ‘I don’t think it’s fair to accuse people when you have no proof, Mrs Parker.’

  But Myrtle could not be swayed so easily. ‘I don’t need proof. They’re just the sort, that’s all.’

  ‘I’ve met some of the carnival children and I think they’re perfectly lovely,’ Alice-Miranda replied.

  ‘Really? Well, I think you should be careful. You’re getting mixed up with a bad lot,’ Myrtle scoffed.

  Alice-Miranda bit her tongue for a moment, then said, ‘Would you like some help with your groceries?’

  Millie pulled a face and made a cutting motion across her neck.

  ‘What was that, Millicent? I’m sure that I heard you offer to take this for me.’ Myrtle handed Millie a heavy grocery bag. ‘Don’t worry, Sloane. You won’t miss out. I’ve got plenty for everyone.’

  The girls had two bags each while somehow Myrtle managed to carry nothing more than her handbag. She led the girls up the steps to the front porch and turned her key in the door.

  ‘Helloooo, Reginald, I’m home,’ she called. Myrtle walked through the front sitting room, where her husband lay on his hospital bed. ‘Raylene, where are you?’ Myrtle called to the nurse, who was supposed to be looking after Reginald. ‘Honestly, that woman gets more and more unreliable every day.’

  Alice-Miranda, Millie and Sloane stopped to look at Mr Parker. Except for all of the tubes and cables he was hooked up to, he looked like he was having a snooze.

  ‘Come along, girls, you’ll need to unpack those groceries,’ Myrtle called.

  A woman dressed in a nurse’s uniform emerged from somewhere further inside the house.

  ‘Raylene, where on earth have you been?’ Myrtle chided her. ‘I’ve told you not to leave Reginald alone when I’m away.’

  ‘Can’t I go to the loo?’ Raylene asked.

  ‘Don’t get smart with me,’ Myrtle snapped, ‘or you’ll be looking for another patient, toot sweet.’

  Alice-Miranda introduced herself and her friends to the nurse in the usual way.

  ‘Oh, for goodness sake, Raylene, get back in there and check on Reginald,’ Myrtle interrupted. The woman skulked off into the sitting room.

  Alice-Miranda, Millie and Jacinta helped Mrs Parker unpack her groceries. It proved to be an exercise in military precision, with Mrs Parker barking orders. Millie glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall and tugged at Alice-Miranda’s sleeve.

  ‘We really must get going, Mrs Parker,’ Alice-Miranda commented. ‘We don’t want to be late back to school.’

  Myrtle was disappointed. She was thinking of some other jobs the girls could do. Her linen cupboard was in dire need of a tidy and truth be told she was quite enjoying having some young people in the house. ‘Well, if you must. I’ll
see you all at the show on Friday. Good luck in your events. Although, Millie, please don’t be disappointed if that pony of yours misses out on a ribbon. He’s not exactly pedigree now, is he?’

  ‘Maybe not, but at least he doesn’t think he’s anything special either,’ said Millie, narrowing her eyes.

  Myrtle Parker glared at the impertinent child. ‘Well. Hurry along, then.’

  As the group followed Mrs Parker back through the sitting room, Alice-Miranda stopped and quickly introduced herself to Mr Parker.

  ‘I’m looking forward to chatting with you soon,’ she told him. ‘I’d love to read you some of my favourite books. I just adore Roald Dahl. He’s terribly clever and funny. I hope you do too.’

  Alice-Miranda could have sworn she saw his eyelids flutter when she mentioned the author’s name.

  ‘Goodbye, Mr Parker. I’ll be back to see you again soon.’

  The girls bade farewell to Mrs Parker on the front veranda. Alice-Miranda volunteered a hug and was followed at Mrs Parker’s insistence by Millie and Sloane.‘What did you have to hug her for, Alice-Miranda?’ said Millie with a shudder as the girls walked down the lane towards the church.

  ‘I think Mrs Parker needs lots of hugs,’ the tiny child replied. ‘I can’t imagine how sad she must be with Mr Parker asleep in the sitting room.’

  ‘Her house smells like mothballs,’ Sloane added. ‘I didn’t know what to say to her after she made it clear that she thought I was the most horrid child in the world.’

  ‘Well, I think I’m going to enjoy visiting Mr Parker,’ Alice-Miranda said.

  Sloane rolled her eyes. ‘Alice-Miranda, sometimes you are just not normal.’

  Jacinta had arrived back at Grimthorpe House late on Sunday night with her mother. When Alice-Miranda and the girls got back they’d explained to Mrs Howard what had happened and Mrs Howard telephoned Ambrosia to let her know that it was fine for Jacinta to stay with her for the evening but Jacinta had wanted to come back to school and Ambrosia needed some time on her own to get things sorted out.

  Monday had been a busy day and in the evening after dinner the girls had been enlisted to make signs for the show. The dining room was covered in cardboard and marker pens and the girls were having a wonderful time being creative.

  ‘Is everything all right between you and your mother?’ Alice-Miranda asked Jacinta quietly as they worked on a sign for the flower show.

  ‘I suppose so. She’s really needy and now I’m worried about her being here all the time. It’s not much of a surprise though that Daddy has decided they should get a divorce – well, not to me, anyway. They’ve never liked each other all that much and my father has always been disappointed that I wasn’t a boy. I just can’t imagine Mother staying here forever though. The Village Women’s Association won’t exactly be her thing. But at least she finally told me the truth. I let her know how pathetic she was, sitting there in her bedroom bawling among the ball gowns.’

  Alice-Miranda smiled at her friend. ‘Don’t be too hard on her, Jacinta. The break-up may have been quite a shock for your mother. I think she’s lucky to have you so close now.’

  ‘I suppose,’ Jacinta shrugged.

  At 8 pm Mrs Howard asked the girls to finish the signs they were working on and head back to the boarding house. The poor woman looked dead on her feet and she was worried that the girls would be late getting to bed.

  On Tuesday night there was napkin folding duty and on Wednesday the girls made decorations for Mrs Smith’s cafe, including a giant backdrop of a Parisian scene to hide the stage at the end of the pavilion. The excitement of the show was certainly building and all of the teachers were helping out too.

  Alice-Miranda kept up her training at Chesterfield Downs and Mrs Smith kept up her baking. But on Thursday afternoon, when Mrs Smith picked Alice-Miranda up after her ride, instead of going straight back to school, she turned the Mini onto Downsfordvale Road and explained to Alice-Miranda that they were going to visit Miss Pepper. The girls were having a sausage sizzle for dinner back at school and Charlie and Billy were taking care of it, so it didn’t matter if they were a little late getting home.

  ‘I’m a terrible friend, Alice-Miranda,’ Mrs Smith informed her young charge.

  ‘Why do you say that?’ the girl asked.

  ‘I’ve only been to see Evelyn twice since she’s been in hospital,’ Mrs Smith sighed.

  ‘But you’ve done all that baking for her boys and I know you’ve been talking to her on the telephone quite a lot,’ Alice-Miranda pointed out. ‘I’m sure Miss Pepper knows that you’re a very good friend.’

  Mrs Smith frowned. ‘That’s not what Myrtle Parker said. I know I’m just overreacting and I shouldn’t let her get to me but that woman loves to make trouble.’ Mrs Smith eased her foot off the accelerator as they reached the edge of the village.

  She turned right into the hospital car park and drew into a spare spot.

  ‘I wish I’d known we were coming,’ Alice-Miranda said as they got out. ‘I’d have asked Mr Charles for some flowers.’

  ‘It’s all right, dear.’ Mrs Smith walked around to the back of the car and opened the tiny boot. ‘He gave me these.’ She pulled out a lovely bunch of roses with silver foil wrapped around the stems.

  ‘They’re gorgeous,’ Alice-Miranda exclaimed.

  Once inside the hospital, Mrs Smith led Alice-Miranda through a long ward to the room at the very end of the corridor. She poked her head around the door. ‘Hello Ev, are you awake, dear?’

  ‘Awake and bored out of my mind,’ Evelyn Pepper replied.

  Doreen Smith walked to the side of the bed and gave her friend a hug and kiss on the cheek. She handed her the roses.

  ‘Oh, these are lovely!’ Evelyn buried her nose into the centre of the blooms and sniffed. ‘Charlie’s handiwork, no doubt.’

  Alice-Miranda stood beside Mrs Smith.

  ‘Hello Miss Pepper. I hope you don’t mind that I’ve come along. I was hoping to see you soon anyway. I’m . . .’

  ‘Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones,’ Evelyn said. ‘And I’m very glad that you came.’

  ‘I wasn’t sure if you’d remember me, Miss Pepper. I saw you earlier in the year when I was out riding my pony Bonaparte in the village,’ Alice-Miranda said.

  ‘Of course I remember you. I liked your pony too. He was a very sweet fellow,’ Evelyn replied.

  ‘I think you’re one of the only people who would say that about Bony, other than me,’ Alice-Miranda grinned. ‘And maybe Mr Boots. Bonaparte really likes him for some reason too.’

  ‘I feel as if I know you quite a bit already,’ said Evelyn. She grimaced and shifted in the bed.

  ‘Really?’ Alice-Miranda asked, noticing the woman’s discomfort. ‘Why is that?’

  ‘When Her Majesty was here last month, Dick and I were invited to dinner over at the house and she was regaling us with tales of your aunt’s birthday party and her wedding on the Octavia. She had us in stitches,’ Evelyn recalled. ‘She has a wicked sense of humour.’

  ‘Oh, we’ve have had a lot of fun with Aunty Gee this year,’ Alice-Miranda confirmed. ‘You should have seen her and Mrs Oliver when they took the speed boat out for a spin around the ship after the wedding. You would have thought they were both seventeen, not seventy.’

  ‘Come and sit down.’ Evelyn motioned at the two chairs either side of her bed. ‘You two are making the place look untidy.’

  ‘Is there anything I can get for you?’ Mrs Smith asked.

  Evelyn licked her lips. ‘Actually, I’d love a cup of tea. I think there’s one of those dreadful machines just down the hall. Have one with me, Dor.’

  ‘I’ll be right back. And you can tell Miss Pepper all about Rockstar’s little romance with your Bonaparte,’ Mrs Smith told Alice-Miranda before exiting t
he room.

  ‘I think we’d call it a bromance,’ Alice-Miranda said.

  ‘Ahh,’ Evelyn nodded. ‘I’ve heard my Rockstar has a lovely new friend. So what else has been going on there? I’ve talked with the new lad Wally quite a bit but old Dick just seems put out that I’m here.’

  Alice-Miranda told Miss Pepper all about the first day she and Millie went to visit Wally and how Bonaparte had got loose and charged into the stables. Wally was terrified about riding Rockstar at first but he had done marvellously. Miss Pepper agreed that if she’d been Wally she’d have been petrified too.

  ‘That horse has always been a one-woman animal, I’m afraid,’ Evelyn said. ‘I’m stunned that the lad has done so well. Sounds like we should keep him for sure.’

  ‘It’s wonderful that Rockstar can still run in the Queen’s Cup on Sunday,’ said Alice-Miranda happily.

  ‘I hope you’re right,’ Evelyn replied. ‘Dick doesn’t seem as keen as I’d hoped.’

  Mrs Smith returned with two steaming cups of tea and a hot chocolate for Alice-Miranda. She placed Evelyn’s on the portable tray and wheeled it in close to her.

  ‘How are you feeling?’ she asked her friend.

  ‘I think I might be able to convince the doctor to let me go home for the Cup,’ Evelyn replied.

  ‘That’s great news,’ Alice-Miranda grinned. ‘Mr Wigglesworth was very concerned that they’d let you out too early and you’d overdo it.’

  ‘If he’s so concerned, he should have come to visit a little more frequently. The lousy so-and-so has only been here twice,’ said Evelyn, frowning. ‘And he spent the whole time telling me that he didn’t think Rockstar should run in the Cup. It was too much of a risk, blah, blah, blah. Anyone would think he didn’t want us to win it!’

  ‘I think he’s just worried about you, Ev, that’s all,’ Doreen said. ‘You know Dick.’ She shrugged.

  ‘That’s just it. I thought I did but he’s been behaving very strangely since I’ve been in here.’

  ‘What’s that you’ve been looking at?’ Doreen Smith picked up a real estate magazine sitting on the bedside table. ‘Are you buying a place?’