Alice-Miranda Shows the Way (17 page)

J
acinta and Sloane led the way along Rosebud Lane. It was a pretty street with quaint cottages and the odd post-war bungalow dotted between, noticeable for their plain Jane looks. Wisteria Cottage was so named for the giant purple plant that had wrapped its tendrils around the veranda posts at the front of the house, lending shade and colour to the attractive facade.

The property opposite had none of the same charm. It was so overgrown with weeds that the house could hardly be seen.

‘Well, this is it,' Jacinta said as they arrived at the gate. ‘Mummy said that there's a key around the back.'

The girls followed their friend across the lawn to the driveway where Jacinta stopped suddenly.

‘She's here.' Jacinta pointed at her mother's shiny sports car parked beside the house, far enough back that you couldn't see if from the road. ‘I can't believe it!' she fumed.

Alice-Miranda gave her friend a worried look. ‘Don't be upset, Jacinta,' she urged. ‘Perhaps she's just arrived and was planning to come and visit you in a little while.'

‘Really? We'll see about that.' Jacinta stormed around to the back veranda and raced up the steps. ‘Mother! Where are you, Mother?'

The tall girl barged her way through the screen door into a gleaming new kitchen. While the outside of the cottage was clearly in need of further renovation, the inside was breathtaking.

‘Mother? I know you're here somewhere!' Jacinta flew down the hallway with Alice-Miranda, Millie and Sloane close behind.

‘Hello, Mrs Headlington-Bear,' Alice-Miranda called, trying to soften Jacinta's impending attack.

Jacinta stormed in and out of the rooms along the main hall until she finally found her mother. Ambrosia Headlington-Bear was sitting on the floor in the master bedroom amid a veritable warehouse of clothes and shoes, sobbing her heart out.

The woman looked up. ‘What are you doing here, Jacinta?' Mascara trails lined her face and the white dress she was holding was streaked with black.

‘You told me I could come and see the cottage. I haven't heard from you all week so I didn't think you were here,' Jacinta snapped.

‘I was hoping it would be finished and you'd get a lovely surprise,' her mother sniffed. ‘But now that's ruined too.' She began to bawl again.

‘What do you mean, ruined
too
?' Jacinta looked around and wondered why her mother had brought so many clothes to a house that was only a weekender. ‘I don't understand why you're making Daddy spend so much money on a place that you're renting, either,' Jacinta fumed. ‘You could feed half of Africa for all the money you spend on stupid things.'

Ambrosia's sobs finally died down and she regained some composure. ‘I'm not renting the cottage, Jacinta.'

‘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.'