“I thought you were going to have a practice run without me. I believe that just before you took yourself off to that school of yours, you had managed a new record.” Mrs. Shillingsworth fumbled in the other pocket and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper. From behind her ear she produced a small pencil. “Ahh, here it is, eleven seconds from the top to the bottom.”
“I’m a bit out of practice, Shilly; I don’t know if it will be a record breaker. Count me down.” Alice-Miranda gripped tight and wiggled her bottom.
“Three, two, one!”
The tiny child giggled as she whizzed down the gigantic spiral staircase, landing with a delicate jump at the bottom.
“Stop!” she shouted back up to Mrs. Shillingsworth, who was leaning over the balcony next to Jacinta.
“I can’t believe you just did that,” said Jacinta, shaking her head.
“What was the time, Shilly?” Alice-Miranda shouted.
“That would be twelve seconds,” she replied. “But I do think your record was set the day after Daisy polished the staircase. And what about you, Miss Jacinta? Are you eager to throw yourself down the Highton Hall roller coaster?”
“Well, it does look fun.” Jacinta eyed the banister. “And I suppose in the absence of a beam or bars to train on, this is the next best thing.”
“Go on,” Alice-Miranda urged. “Hop up and give it a go. Just loosen your grip and enjoy the ride.”
Jacinta climbed nimbly to the top and positioned herself as Alice-Miranda had done before her.
Mrs. Shillingsworth reset her watch. “On your mark, get set, GO!”
Jacinta squealed as she whizzed down the rail. Her dismount was quite stunning and she finished with a flourish, as though she’d just completed a double somersault from the beam. Alice-Miranda clapped enthusiastically and was joined by her mother, who had entered the hallway in time to see Jacinta zoom past.
Cecelia clapped loudly. “That was magnificent.”
“It was brilliant,” Jacinta laughed.
“What was Jacinta’s time?” Cecelia called up to Mrs. Shillingsworth.
“Well, she’s a speedy one, ma’am. Eleven point four seconds. If you don’t look out, Alice-Miranda, I think you might lose your crown.” She frowned.
“I don’t mind.” Alice-Miranda hugged her friend. “Mummy, we’re going for a walk. I want Jacinta to meet everyone. And then we might pop over to see Mrs. Greening.”
Cecelia put her hands on her hips. “Mmm, I thought you might want to do that. Just mind you leave enough room for Dolly’s roast,” she said with a smile.
Alice-Miranda kissed her mother on the cheek and grabbed Jacinta by the hand, and the two girls hurtled off into the garden.
“I can’t believe I just did that,” Jacinta said as she bounded along beside her friend. “I mean, I know we sometimes try to do it in the boardinghouse, but that rail’s a bit splintery and it hurts like mad unless you’ve got thick pants on. My mother would have a fit if she saw me riding your banister rail.”
Alice-Miranda grinned. “I think it was made to be ridden. Mummy and Daddy sometimes join in and Shilly times us all. Once we even coaxed Mrs. Oliver into having a turn. She’s very proud of her record—for the slowest ride ever. It’s a bit of a family tradition.”
Jacinta stopped and stared at the ground. “I don’t think we have any family traditions.”
“Well, we have tons—and you’re most welcome to join in with them anytime you like.” Alice-Miranda pulled her friend in the direction of the field.
Alice-Miranda turned the handle of the weathered timber door in the middle of the high stone wall that stretched the length of the garden. The two girls entered the long meadow. It was dotted with vast oaks, all just begging to be climbed.
“Where are we going?” Jacinta asked.
Alice-Miranda pointed toward a row of poplars.
“Over there.”
Beyond them Jacinta could just make out the top of a roof and some chimneys. “I want you to meet my friends Jasper and Poppy. Jasper is nine and he’s loads of fun, and Poppy is the sweetest five-year-old you’ll ever meet. Their father, Heinrich, looks after the farm, and sometimes their mother, Lily, helps Mummy in the house—when we have parties and things. Then we’ll go and see Daisy and Granny Bert too.”
The girls were walking under the branches of a very large oak tree when suddenly something rustled in the leaves above.
“Ow,” Jacinta complained. She rubbed her head and looked around for the offending missile.
“What was it?” Alice-Miranda scanned the ground and found a little stone. She bent down and picked it up. “I thought oak trees produced acorns, not pebbles.”
The girls peered into the plush canopy but couldn’t see any delinquent creatures.
“Ow!” Alice-Miranda squeaked as a larger pebble glanced off the top of her head and hit the ground with a light thud. “Whoever or whatever you are, please stop throwing stones. It’s really not very nice,” she called into the tree.
A sliver of light shone through the emerald limbs and suddenly another pebble hit Jacinta.
“Right, that’s it.” Jacinta swung into action. “I’m coming up there, so whatever you are, you’d better watch out.”
Jacinta scaled the low branches quickly, swinging her legs up onto the higher boughs. As her friend climbed, Alice-Miranda was distracted by a flash of blue. It seemed that the hidden rogue was trying to make a getaway. A figure landed on the ground right in front of her.
“Stop right there,” Alice-Miranda commanded. “Please,” she added.
It was the boy from the lane. Before he had time to make an escape, Alice-Miranda held out her hand and said, “Hello, my name is Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones and I am very pleased to meet you.”
The boy stared at Alice-Miranda as if he were observing an alien species.
“I know who you are,” he spat.
“Well, please don’t think me rude,” Alice-Miranda continued, “but I don’t recall us meeting before now, although I’m sure that I saw you in the laneway a little while ago.”
“We haven’t met before,” the boy replied.
Jacinta jumped to the ground beside her friend.
“That wasn’t very nice, you know, throwing stones at us.” Jacinta glared fiercely.
“Well, I’m not particularly nice,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “In fact, I’m not nice at all.”
“Who told you that?” Alice-Miranda asked.
“Everyone,” the boy replied.
“Well, that’s just silly. You don’t know everyone, do you? Not everyone in the whole world. That would be impossible. I mean, my daddy knows quite a lot of people, but he would say that it’s just a tiny number really out of the whole wide world—”
“Do you ever shut up?” the boy interrupted.
Alice-Miranda smiled at him. “I’m sorry. You haven’t even had a moment to tell us your name.”
“Why would I tell you my name?” he said with a sneer.
Alice-Miranda nodded at Jacinta. “Well, this is my friend Jacinta Headlington-Bear—she goes to Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy for Proper Young Ladies with me, and she has come home to spend the holidays.” She tried again. “And you are?”
“You don’t need to know,” he said bluntly.
“But it would be so much better if we knew your name. Then we could be friends,” Alice-Miranda insisted.
“Friends? With you?” The boy snorted. “You’ve got to be joking.”
“Why? I would never joke about being friends …,” Alice-Miranda began.
Without warning, the boy reached out and shoved Alice-Miranda so hard that she fell backward to the ground. She landed with a thump on her bottom. While Jacinta was helping her back to her feet the boy turned and ran toward the stand of poplars, disappearing through the hedge.
“Hey!” Jacinta called. “What did you do that for?”
Alice-Miranda dusted herself off.
&nb
sp; “That was interesting,” she said, frowning.
“Interesting! I think he’s the most horrid boy I’ve ever seen.” Jacinta’s cheeks were an angry red. “Let’s go after him. Someone needs to teach that little monster a lesson,” she added.
“Don’t worry—he won’t get far. He must be here visiting someone. The village is quite a long walk away, so I can’t imagine he’s come all the way from there. Let’s go and find Jasper and Poppy—they might know who he is. Perhaps he just needs some friends.”
“He doesn’t deserve friends,” Jacinta huffed. “And he definitely didn’t want to be friends with you.”
The two girls continued on their journey. They ducked through the hedge and came out near an ancient stone farmhouse. It was beautifully preserved and had a lovely garden trimmed with hollyhocks.
Alice-Miranda led Jacinta down the side of the house and through to the backyard. A tall blond woman was hanging sheets on a clothesline.
“Lily!” Alice-Miranda called. The woman snipped the last peg onto a white sheet and turned around to greet them.
“Hello there, young lady. It’s wonderful to see you,” she said, giving Alice-Miranda a hug. “And who’s this you’ve brought with you?” Lily’s tanned face beamed.
“Lily, this is my friend, Jacinta Headlington-Bear. We go to school together, and she’s going to spend the holidays here with us.”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Jacinta.” Lily smiled. “I know two children who have been dying for you to get home, Alice-Miranda.” Lily picked up her empty basket and the girls followed her to the back door.
“You didn’t see a boy come through here a few minutes ago, did you?” Jacinta asked. “Dark hair—a little bit taller than me?”
Lily hesitated. “Why?”
“Well,” Jacinta began, “he was in one of the oak trees in the field and the little brat was throwing stones at us and then he pushed Alice-Miranda to the ground and ran off. Someone needs to give him a good talking-to.”
“Oh dear.” Lily fiddled with her hair. “I’m afraid I do know who that boy is.”
“He seemed to know me, but I can’t say I remember ever seeing him before,” said Alice-Miranda, puzzled.
“You’re right—you wouldn’t have seen him before. I imagine he knows who you are from seeing some of the photographs of you with Jasper and Poppy.”
Jacinta was indignant. “Well, he needs to learn some manners.”
“Come in, girls. Jasper is upstairs in his room and Poppy is coloring in the kitchen. They’ll be thrilled to see you,” said Lily, avoiding any further discussion of her nephew.
Poppy squealed with delight the moment Alice-Miranda entered the kitchen. She squeezed her tightly and immediately invited her and Jacinta to sit down and color. Lily called Jasper to come down from his room four times before he finally emerged, dragging his feet.
“Muuum, I was in the middle of a battle,” he protested. Then he caught sight of Alice-Miranda.
“You’re back!” Jasper exclaimed as he rushed to give Alice-Miranda an enthusiastic hug. Spying Jacinta at the table beside his sister, he quickly let go and turned a very bright shade of pink.
“You didn’t tell me we had guests,” he whispered to Lily, who was getting some drinks organized.
“You didn’t ask,” she replied. “And Alice-Miranda is hardly a guest, darling.”
“You know what I mean, Mum.”
Alice-Miranda introduced her friend. “This is Jacinta Headlington-Bear. She’s staying with us for the holidays.”
“Hello.” Jasper looked up shyly. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Jacinta hadn’t met many boys, but Jasper seemed the politest one she had ever encountered. He was certainly the opposite of that other horrid boy. Jasper was sweet and friendly and there was something about his smile that made her want to smile right back.
After sampling some delicious homemade lemonade the children went upstairs to play. Poppy tagged along despite her brother’s protests. In a small room under the eaves, Jasper showed Alice-Miranda and Jacinta an old trestle table on which he had re-created a battlefield resplendent with trenches, trees, tanks and various other artillery installations. He was explaining how he had recently added a village when Jacinta piped up.
“We met an awful boy before—in the field,” she began.
“Oh,” Jasper replied absently.
“He was hiding in one of the oak trees and pelting stones at us. He hit me twice and he hit Alice-Miranda once too.” Jacinta folded her arms in front of her. “Your mother said that she knew him.”
“Where does he come from, Jasper?” Alice-Miranda asked gently.
“He belongs to us,” Poppy replied. “His mummy doesn’t want him anymore. And he doesn’t have a daddy.”
“That’s not true. Aunty Kitty’s just gone away for a while.” Jasper glared at his chatterbox sister and then continued playing with his tiny tin men, lining them up row by row.
“He got spelled.” Poppy poked her tongue out at her brother.
“Spelled? Do you mean expelled, from school? Is that true?” asked Alice-Miranda as she inspected one of the soldiers.
Poppy nodded. “He’s a bad boy.”
“I don’t want to talk about him. Stop telling tales, Poppy. You know what Mum said.”
Alice-Miranda smiled at Poppy.
Before she had time to say anything else Jasper stood up. “Let’s go and see Daisy and Granny Bert.” He placed a soldier back on the table. “She’s been ill, you know.”
“Who?” Alice-Miranda asked.
“Who what?” Jasper replied.
“Who’s been sick? Daisy or Granny Bert?”
Jasper looked puzzled.
“Granny Bert, of course. Don’t you listen?” He rolled his eyes.
The children traipsed downstairs and Jasper informed his mother of their plans.
“Would you mind taking this with you? Daisy and Granny might like some treats.” Lily handed Alice-Miranda a wicker basket containing a rectangular lemon cake with passion-fruit frosting, a jar of homemade cherry jam and two fat pears.
Alice-Miranda inhaled deeply. “That cake smells delicious. But I promise we won’t touch it. Jacinta and I have been invited for afternoon tea with Mrs. Greening—and I’m hoping she’s made Heaven Cake.”
“Thanks, sweetheart. Now, don’t stay too long. It doesn’t take much for Granny Bert to get tired.” Lily turned her attention to Jasper and Poppy. “And you two come straight back afterward, please. I think there must have been a tornado in a couple of bedrooms upstairs.” She raised her eyebrows.
Jasper frowned and Poppy wrinkled her nose.
The group set off through the front garden, out the gate and down the lane. They passed the main sheds. In one of them, Jasper and Poppy’s father was tinkering with one of the tractors.
“Hello, Daddy.” Poppy waved. Her father looked up and waved back. “Hello zere, you lot. Alice-Miranda, it’s good to have you home again,” Heinrich said in his thick German accent.
“It’s lovely to be home, Heinrich. We’re off to visit Daisy and Granny Bert. We’ll see you later,” she called.
Farther along the laneway there was another pretty little house, partially hidden behind a stone wall covered in the most delicate of pink Cécile Brunner roses. The cottage was almost an exact replica of the gatehouse with its turrets and chimneys.
Alice-Miranda handed Jacinta the basket of goodies and went to unlatch the front gate. Just then, the boy who was responsible for the stone throwing appeared from behind the hedge on the opposite side of the lane.
“Hello, Lucas,” Poppy greeted him.
“What do you want—Lucassss?” hissed Jacinta, shooting him a smug stare. “Have you come to apologize?”
He ignored both girls’ words completely and stalked closer.
“What’s in the basket?” he demanded as a faint waft of lemon cake escaped from under the tea towel.
“Some treats for Daisy
and Granny Bert,” Alice-Miranda replied.
Lucas lifted the towel.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Jacinta pulled the basket away but not quickly enough. He reached in and picked up one of the pears, immediately biting into its green skin.
“Why, you!” Jacinta was seething.
“Lucas, that was for Granny and Daisy.” Alice-Miranda frowned. “I’m sure if you wanted a pear you could ask Lily for one.”
“Why would I ask her for anything?” he said, still tearing into the juicy fruit. “So is this your girlfriend, Jasper? The one in all those pictures with you—from the big house?” he teased.
“Stop it,” Jasper ordered.
“Or what?” Lucas countered.
“Lucas, Jasper is one of my best friends, and I do love him, of course, but we are both far too young for romance, if that’s what you mean,” Alice-Miranda interrupted.
“I do love him, of course …,” Lucas mimicked Alice-Miranda, pouted and then noisily kissed the back of his hand.
“Leave us alone, Lucas,” Jasper shouted. “Go home!”
“I’d love to.” Lucas glared at Jasper, his ebony eyes drilling straight through his cousin. Lucas took off through the hedge and disappeared into the field beyond.
Jacinta was fuming and Jasper was red-faced, but Poppy just smiled.
“Come on. Let’s get this cake inside.” Alice-Miranda led the group through the gateway, down the path and around to the side of the cottage.
“Hello, Daisy, Granny, it’s Alice-Miranda,” she called cheerily as she opened the door into the kitchen.
A slight young woman with shoulder-length blond hair was standing at the sink. She looked to be dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
“Daisy, are you all right?” asked Alice-Miranda as she approached her. The woman didn’t seem to hear. “Daisy? Is everything okay?”
The woman swiveled around, surprised to hear Alice-Miranda’s voice.
“Oh!” Daisy let out a little cry. “It is you. I thought I must have been imagining.”
Alice-Miranda ran forward and threw her arms around Daisy’s tiny waist.
“It’s so lovely to be home,” she said. “But you look sad.” Alice-Miranda’s stomach knotted. “Is everything all right? Is Granny okay?” Daisy absently stroked the top of Alice-Miranda’s head.
Alice-Miranda on Vacation Page 3