Alice-Miranda At School (5 page)

Alice-Miranda took herself for a walk through the gardens. She was busy thinking about how to help Mr Charles. Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale had beautiful grounds indeed. There were miles and miles of hedgerows, enormous oak trees and even a maze made entirely from tightly clipped box hedges, but it was true: there were no flowers. Alice-Miranda decided that it was like looking at the Mona Lisa without her smile. While it was almost perfect, there was just one thing that would make it even better.
Alice-Miranda ran off to call her parents.

‘Hello Mummy,' she beamed down the line.

‘Oh darling, it's so good to hear your voice.' Her mother did not even try to hide the fact that she was crying.

‘Mummy, do stop crying. Are you and Daddy having an awfully bad time in town?' Alice-Miranda asked.

‘No, of course not, sweetheart,' her mother replied.

‘So you're having a lovely time and I am too. Please don't be upset. Before you can even think about it, it will be mid-term and I'll be home again,' Alice-Miranda said sternly.

‘I'm sorry, sweetheart,' her mother replied.

‘Mummy, there is something I thought you could help me with.'

‘Anything, darling.'

‘Well, you know the grounds here are lovely,' Alice-Miranda began.

‘Of course I do. I remember when I was a girl, the gardens were simply bursting with flowers: hollyhocks and daffodils, jonquils and irises. Every time one of the girls had a birthday, all her friends would make the most beautiful crown of flowers
for her to wear all through the day and into the night.'

‘Well, I don't see how the girls could do that any more.'

‘Why ever not, darling? Don't tell me some silly girl was stung by a bee and now it's too dangerous?' Alice-Miranda's mother giggled.

‘No, Mummy. It's just that, well … there are no flowers,' Alice-Miranda whispered.

‘Of course there are flowers. Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale is famous for its flowers. I remember kindly old Weatherley – he had the greenest thumbs.'

‘No, Mummy, I can assure you – there are
no
flowers.'

‘Why ever not?' her mother sounded shocked.

‘You see, I was talking to Mr Charles – I think he must be Mr Weatherly's son – and, well, he's in charge of the gardens now and is quite the gentlest giant of a man.' Alice-Miranda hesitated. ‘He says that Miss Grimm doesn't like flowers. Can you imagine anyone not liking flowers? It sounds too silly for words. I'm sure she must be allergic.' Alice-Miranda stated it as a known fact.

‘Yes, I'm sure you're right, sweetheart. Imagine
not liking flowers – they are one of life's purest pleasures.'

‘Mummy, do you think you and Daddy could help bring back the flowers?' Alice-Miranda asked.

‘Yes, of course, darling. I'll send Mr Greening and his team right away. Do you know, Daddy was telling me only yesterday that some very clever people working in our development laboratory have just created the most perfect array of flowers with absolutely no smell at all? People with nasty hay fever and other allergies can have them in their gardens without getting all sneezy and wheezy.'

Alice-Miranda beamed at her mother's words. ‘Oh, thank you, Mummy. I know that once Miss Grimm sees the flowers she'll just love them. I'd better go. There are loads of girls arriving and I want to meet every single one.'

Alice-Miranda's heart leapt for joy.

Alice-Miranda bounced off to the front of the school. There was a row of shiny cars lining the driveway. Girls of all shapes and sizes were gathering their suitcases and darting off this way and that. Alice-Miranda couldn't wait to meet them all and decided she must go at once to make friends. The first girl she came across was not much bigger than herself but with a brilliant crown of red hair. Her face was covered in freckles and she wore a particularly stylish pair of green spectacles.

‘Hello,' Alice-Miranda called out.

‘Oh, hello,' the red-haired girl called back.

‘My name is Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones and I'm new.' Alice-Miranda ran down the steps to help the girl with her rather large suitcase and enormous tuckbox. ‘I came yesterday.'

‘Well, my name is Millicent Jane McLoughlin-McTavish-McNoughton-McGill, but you can call me Millie.'

Alice-Miranda smiled at Millie and offered to help take her bags to her room.

Millie was ten years old but very small for her age. By the time they had reached the house, Alice-Miranda felt that they had known each other for years. It turned out that they were sharing a room, a sure sign they would be very good friends indeed.

‘My mother used to go to school here before me,' Millie told Alice-Miranda. ‘And my grandmother before that and even my great-grandmother too.'

‘That's a coincidence. My mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and even more greats and all my aunts went here as well. I wonder if any of my family knew your family.' Alice-Miranda bit her lip thoughtfully.

‘I'm sure they did,' said Millie. ‘Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale is not that big.'

For the first time since she had arrived, Alice-Miranda's strange feeling was almost gone. It was as though the more girls arrived, the better things felt. There was simply no room left for strange feelings.

Alice-Miranda plonked Millie's suitcase down on the end of her bed.

‘If you're all right here to unpack, I think I might go and meet some of the other girls.'

‘I'm fine,' said Millie. ‘Thank you for helping me with everything. My mother is always so worried I might starve to death she packs extra treats in that wretched box.' Millie shook her head and smiled.

‘Well, I can guarantee that nobody will be starving tonight. Mrs Oliver will see to that.'

‘Mrs Oliver? What happened to Cook?' asked Millie.

‘She's on holiday in America,' Alice-Miranda said, as if it were the most usual thing in the world.

‘On holiday!' Millie exclaimed. ‘But Cook never leaves Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale. Not even to go to the shops. She's such a crank pot and her food is
disgusting
!'

‘Really? I can't imagine. Mrs Smith baked the most delicious brownies – the best I have ever tasted
and she gave me a glass of milk too.' Now it was Alice-Miranda's turn to frown.

‘She cooked what? And she gave you a glass of milk? What's been going on around here?' Millie stopped fiddling with the zips on her suitcase and stared at Alice-Miranda.

‘I'll explain it all later.' Alice-Miranda's feet were twitching with her eagerness to meet all the other girls. She said goodbye to Millie and left her to unpack.

Alice-Miranda ran back to the driveway. There seemed to be quite a traffic jam. She raced around to the front steps of Winchesterfield Manor to get a better view. There in the middle of the road was quite the longest and shiniest limousine she had ever seen.

‘Goodness,' Alice-Miranda exclaimed to herself. ‘What an enormous car. I wonder whose that is.'

Behind her a tiny voice answered.

‘It's Alethea Goldsworthy's, and if you know
what's good for you you'll stay right out of her way.'

Alice-Miranda turned to see who was speaking but the girl had already scurried out of sight. Oh well, she thought, I should go and introduce myself. She can't be that bad.

Alethea's chauffeur was a hapless-looking fellow with a very large tummy and rather short legs. He was wrestling the most enormous suitcase Alice-Miranda had ever seen out of the boot and onto a luggage trolley.

Suddenly, from inside the car came a howling noise, like a wolf with a thorn in its paw.

Alice-Miranda ran to see what the matter was. She wrenched open the back door and was almost hit by a flying bottle.

‘Goodness, what's wrong?' Alice-Miranda ducked her head just in time, as another bottle of soft drink exploded onto the gravel drive behind her.

‘Where's my mineral water?' the girl screamed, as she threw bottle after bottle out of the limousine's minibar. Alice-Miranda climbed inside the car. Luckily she had very good reflexes and managed to dodge the liquid missiles.

‘Hello, can I do anything to help?' she asked. ‘My name is Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-
Jones and I'm very pleased to meet you. It's Alethea, isn't it?'

‘Get out of my car,' the girl snapped and threw a half-empty bottle of cola at Alice-Miranda's head. Luckily she was not a very good shot and it fell noisily to the floor.

‘It can't be all that bad. I'm sure we can find some mineral water in there somewhere.' Alice-Miranda leaned over to look inside.

‘Get out of my car,' the girl insisted. ‘I don't want you in here and if you don't leave this instant I will call the police.' Alethea's eyes narrowed to angry slits.

‘Well, that's just plain nonsense,' Alice-Miranda said. ‘Why would you do that? I'm just trying to help. Besides, no police officer is going to waste a minute of their time on a silly old tantrum.'

‘GET OUT!' Alethea screeched. At that very moment everyone on the driveway stopped. Chauffeurs were frozen to the spot, girls stood perfectly still (except for some trembling knees), parents stopped fussing.

Miss Higgins, who had been rushing about from car to car, greeting girls and helping with their things, stopped in her tracks. ‘Oh dear, this is going
to be bad, very bad,' she whispered to herself.

In the back of the limousine Alice-Miranda was considering her options.

‘Please, please, please stop yelling,' she soothed in her calmest voice. She couldn't believe that Alethea Goldsworthy made even more noise than Jacinta Headlington-Bear.

‘I WILL NOT!' Alethea threw a bottle of what looked to be very posh champagne out the door. It smashed onto the gravel, exploding into thousands of tiny bubbles.

‘Alethea, that's a terrible waste. Dom Pérignon is frightfully expensive,' Alice-Miranda sighed.

‘I don't care. I want my mineral water. Daddy said Harold would put in ten bottles and he hasn't even put in one. I hate him.'

‘Who?' asked Alice-Miranda, interrupting Alethea's rant.

‘Daddy. No, Harold. No, I hate them both. They never do what they say they will and I need my mineral water.'

‘I've got some in my tuckbox,' Alice-Miranda offered. ‘You can have it if you like. It's from Switzerland.'

‘Why would I want your disgusting mineral
water –
from Switzerland
?' Alethea mimicked Alice-Miranda.

‘Well, it's there if you'd like it. I think I might go and meet some of the other girls now.' Alice-Miranda slid across the seat towards the open door. ‘It's been very nice to meet you, Alethea.'

‘Where do you think you're going?' the girl screeched.

‘Well, you told me to get out of the car and so that's what I'm going to do,' Alice-Miranda smiled.

‘You can't go until I say so.' Alethea crossed her arms and glared at the smaller girl.

‘But you did say so, just a moment ago.' Alice-Miranda bit her lip. She'd never come across anyone quite so contrary.

‘Well, now you have to stay.' Alethea launched herself at the door and pulled it closed. ‘You have to do everything I say.'

‘That's silly,' Alice-Miranda smiled. ‘I think Miss Grimm will have something to say about that.'

‘Why would she?' Alethea snapped. ‘She never comes out of her study. I run this school. I'm in charge and
you
have to do everything I say.'

‘I spoke to Miss Grimm just yesterday and
we had a lovely conversation all about holidays,' Alice-Miranda replied.

‘I don't believe you!' Alethea grabbed Alice-Miranda's tiny arm and twisted it hard.

‘Ow, that hurts,' Alice-Miranda squeaked. ‘Please let go.'

‘You're a liar. Miss Grimm doesn't talk to anyone, especially you,' Alethea spat.

Suddenly the door flew open and Miss Higgins appeared.

‘Hello Alethea. Oh there you are, Alice-Miranda. I've been looking for you.'

Alethea quickly let go of Alice-Miranda's arm and slid back along the seat.

‘Come along, you need to hop out, Alethea. There are other girls arriving and your car is blocking the whole driveway.' Miss Higgins caught sight of the bright red mark on Alice-Miranda's forearm.

‘Dear me, Alice-Miranda, what have you done to yourself?' Miss Higgins's lips drew tightly together.

‘Oh, I must have bumped it when I was helping Millie with her tuckbox.' Alice-Miranda smiled. Alethea glared.

Alice-Miranda hopped out of the car with Alethea close behind.

‘If you tell anyone, you're dead,' Alethea hissed.

‘What was that, Alethea?' Miss Higgins asked.

‘Nothing, Miss Higgins. I was just telling Alice-Miranda what a great school Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale is.' She gave a smile as sweet as sugar on cinnamon doughnuts.

‘Come along, Alice-Miranda, there are some other girls I would like you to meet,' Miss Higgins directed. Alethea followed closely behind.

Miss Higgins noticed Alice-Miranda's oversized shadow and turned around.

‘Alethea, what are you doing? You need to go and help your poor driver with that enormous mountain of luggage. Goodness knows what you have brought back with you,' Miss Higgins tutted.

Alethea skulked off back to her car. On the way, she turned to Alice-Miranda.

‘See you later, Alice-Miranda.' Her smile was petrifying.

‘It was nice to meet you, Alethea. And if you do want some mineral water, I'm happy to share mine,' Alice-Miranda smiled back.

‘I'm glad that you're all right.' Miss Higgins held
Alice-Miranda's tiny hand. ‘Alethea can be a little tricky and when I heard that awful screeching, well, I was afraid.'

‘It's all right, Miss Higgins. Alethea is just … I suppose you could call it complicated. Perhaps she's sad about leaving her parents and having to come back to school? Who knows, but there's always a reason why people behave the way they do. I'm sure that underneath it all she's a very sweet girl.'

Miss Higgins was cross with herself. Alice-Miranda was right, of course. One shouldn't think badly of others. Everyone deserved a chance. It was just that Alethea had earned herself a reputation for being difficult in the extreme over the past few years. But if this seven-year-old could see the good in Alethea then she should be ashamed of herself for thinking that Alethea was beyond help.

Miss Higgins squeezed Alice-Miranda's hand and gazed down at her sweet brown eyes. In the past she had always been careful not to show favouritism to any of the girls. But there was something about Alice-Miranda that just made her want to scoop her up and hug her.