“OK, you can have the box, on one condition.” Alfie folded his arms. “I want to choose the reindeer’s name.”
“All right … but please don’t call him Firestorm,” said Bea, remembering what her brother had wanted to call the puppy she’d found in the palace garden that spring. “I think Squidgy would be nice!”
“Boring!” Alfie took hold of the reindeer and hugged him tight. “I want to call him Marshmallow. Look at his stubby little tail – it’s exactly the size of a marshmallow!”
Bea smiled. “Actually, that’s a pretty good name. Hello, Marshmallow! I’m going to find lots of vegetables for you so you can grow big and strong.” She tickled him under the chin.
“He’s already growing big and strong on those flowers,” Alfie pointed out.
Bea opened the cardboard box and put baby Leo’s birthday presents carefully on dressing table. Then she took the towel from her suitcase and laid it in the box to make a nice soft bed for the reindeer.
Alfie found a pen in Natasha’s suitcase and wrote Marshmallow’s House on the side of the box. Then Bea placed the reindeer gently inside. Marshmallow stood there, wobbling on his thin legs and looking surprised, until Bea gave him the rest of the flowers to nibble.
“Can you watch him for me?” she asked Alfie. “I’m going to fetch him some food.”
“Sure!” Alfie crouched beside the box, drawing pictures of leaping reindeer across the sides.
Bea hurried down the stairs and went straight to the kitchen. Mr Upply was there, filling the kettle with water.
“Can I help you, Princess Beatrice?” The butler lifted a bushy eyebrow.
Bea was a bit shy of Mr Upply. He seemed so glum all the time and he moved about the kitchen slower than a tortoise. “Um… I was just looking for a healthy snack.” She blushed. She couldn’t tell him the snack was actually for Marshmallow. “I don’t think Great-Aunt Sylvia will mind me helping myself.”
The butler got some teacups from the cupboard, almost in slow motion. “Very well then. There is some fruit in the bowl over there and if you like breadsticks you might find some of those in the pantry.”
Bea edged towards the vegetable basket and stuffed her pockets with cabbage, kale and broccoli. She hid the vegetables quickly before the butler turned round. “Thank you, I’ve got plenty now.” She darted down the hallway, her pockets bulging, and ran straight into Alfie, who had an armful of streamers. “Alfie! You should be upstairs watching the you-know-what!”
“Natasha called me. I had to come or she would have got suspicious.” Alfie scowled. “And I’m sick of everyone bossing me around!” He marched off, dragging the streamers along the floor behind him.
Bea raced up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Her heart sank when she saw that the door to the guest room was open. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.
Marshmallow’s velvety ears were poking over the top of the box and Annie was crouching beside him. “I found a reindeer,” she told Bea proudly. “I think he must be magic!”
Bea couldn’t help smiling at her cousin. “He’s very cute, isn’t he? He’s called Marshmallow.”
The reindeer sniffed Annie’s fingers and gave a little bleat, making her giggle.
Bea rubbed her forehead. What was she going to do now that Annie knew about Marshmallow? Keeping this reindeer a secret was turning out to be trickier than she’d thought!
Chapter Four
Annie and the Reindeer
Bea crouched down beside Annie. “Would you like to feed Marshmallow? I’ve brought him some vegetables to eat.”
Annie’s face lit up. “Yes, please!”
Bea emptied her pockets of broccoli, kale and cabbage. She lifted the baby reindeer out of the box and held him close while Annie fed him one leaf at a time. Marshmallow finished all of the cabbage and most of the broccoli.
Just as he reached forward to try some kale, Annie grabbed him for a cuddle. The reindeer began to struggle, his little hooves kicking in the air.
“I think he wants to fly,” breathed Annie, her eyes lighting up. “Go on – fly Marshmallow!”
“I really don’t think he can fly,” said Bea, trying to take the reindeer back.
Annie held on tighter. “He might! I’ve seen pictures of flying reindeer in books.”
“That was probably just a story. I think you should let him go…”
Annie pouted. “Maybe we just need to know the magic word to help him.”
Tired of being squeezed, the reindeer broke free of Annie’s arms and skittered out of the door, its white tail bobbing. Bea jumped up in alarm and gave chase, managing to catch the little animal halfway down the corridor. She took some kale from her pocket and stroked Marshmallow’s coat gently as he ate the leaves.
Once she’d calmed him down, she brought the box she’d prepared to the storeroom and settled Marshmallow inside. She fetched a small beaker of water from the bathroom and left it for the reindeer along with the rest of the kale and broccoli.
“Let me hold him again!” cried Annie, as Marshmallow lay down inside the box.
“Shhh! Look – he’s going to sleep now,” Bea told her. “It would be mean to wake him up again.” She steered her little cousin outside and shut the door to the store room firmly.
Annie’s face darkened. “Why can’t I stroke him? Why won’t you let me see him, Bea?”
“You can see him again later,” Bea promised. “But I don’t think we should tell the grown-ups about him just yet. They’re busy thinking about Leo’s birthday party tomorrow. As soon as I’ve found Marshmallow’s family, I can explain everything. Shall we go and see if they’ve put up the birthday decorations yet?”
Annie nodded. “I wish it was my party! Leo’s only a baby and he doesn’t even know it’s his birthday.” She skipped off downstairs, singing to herself.
Bea followed her more slowly. She knew she couldn’t keep Marshmallow in the castle for ever. The little reindeer needed to be with his herd, but how was she going to find out where they’d gone?
She thought hard about it as she went downstairs. The parlour and the hallway twinkled with silver streamers and a huge “Happy Birthday” banner hung over the fireplace.
Natasha came out of the library clutching a pile of red napkins and stopped when she saw Bea. “Where have you been? There was lots of tidying up to do before the party tomorrow. We needed your help!”
Bea hesitated. If she was going to tell everyone about Marshmallow maybe she should start with her sister … except that Natasha looked so cross. “I can help now, if you want?”
“It’s too late now!” huffed Natasha, putting the napkins down. “Why did you take so long? I bet you went on that sledge on your own!”
“I didn’t – I promise!” said Bea. “But while I was by the shed, I found something amazing…”
“Natasha!” Great-Aunt Sylvia called from the parlour.
Natasha rushed off, saying over her shoulder, “Tell me later, OK? And can you fold those napkins?”
Bea tidied up the pile of red napkins. Then she went to the window and stared at the gleaming white garden. Snow lined every leaf and branch on the trees, and icicles as clear as glass hung from the shed roof. On one side, the garden was bordered by a small wood. On the other, there was a hill that looked perfect for sledging.
Bea felt a thrill of excitement. There must be a really great view from that hill. Maybe, if she climbed to the top, she’d be able to spot the reindeer herd! Without stopping to think, she dashed into hallway and pulled on her coat and boots before rushing out of the castle.
Bea’s footsteps were muffled by the snow and the cold pinched her fingers. She pulled her gloves on quickly as she headed through the garden gate and up the hill.
The snow lay even more thickly on the steep slope and Bea stepped into snowdrifts several times, sinking into them to the top of her boots. Snow seeped down into her socks, turning her feet to icicles, but she trudged on, trying to ignore the cold.
She had almost reached the top when the snow began to fall. At first Bea admired the dancing flakes, catching them on her glove. Then, as the snow thickened, she realised that the woods and fields all around were disappearing from view. A rabbit popped its head out of a snowy burrow before vanishing underground again.
Bea sighed and turned around. There was no way she would spot the reindeer herd in this weather. She would just have to wait until the snow cleared up again. She stumbled back across the garden through the whirling snow. As she opened the door and stamped the snow off her boots, the delicious smell of dinner drifted through the castle.
Bea hung up her coat, put on her slippers and rushed to the stairs. If she was quick, maybe she could spend some time with Marshmallow before she was called down for tea. “Hello, Marshmallow! Are you all right?” She peeked into the room where she’d left the baby reindeer and her stomach gave a terrible lurch.
The box had a gaping hole in the side. Bits of chewed-up cardboard were scattered across the carpet.
“Marshmallow! What happened?” Bea dashed over to the box, discovering it was empty.
She searched round the room, peering under chairs and behind a chest of drawers. Where had the reindeer gone? He had seemed so happy and sleepy when she’d left him, but he must have woken up and escaped into the rest of the castle. Maybe he was searching for more vegetables to eat.
Bea bit her lip. The grown-ups would be so cross if they found him before she got the chance to explain everything. She had to find the little animal quickly before they both got into a lot of trouble!
Chapter Five
Marshmallow Gets Into Mischief
Bea rushed from one room to the next like a whirlwind. She peeped under beds, inside suitcases and behind wardrobes. Marshmallow was so small he could easily squeeze into a tiny space somewhere. “Marshmallow, please come out,” she called. “I promise I’ll find you some lovely, juicy broccoli!”
She followed a trail of tiny bits of cardboard down the corridor. Her tummy did a somersault when she heard rustling in the guest room. “Marshmallow!” she cried, bounding through the doorway.
“Bea?” Natasha turned around with a frown darker than a raincloud. “I thought you and Alfie were looking after Leo’s presents. Just look at them!”
Bea stared in dismay. The silver-and-blue wrapping paper around the presents was chewed all over. The teddy bear’s face was poking out of its parcel and the end of the shiny red ribbon he wore was tattered and torn. Bea knew at once that Marshmallow had nibbled them all.
“I can explain everything!” she said.
Natasha folded her arms. “Does this have something to do with an animal?”
Bea stared at her sister in surprise. “How did you know?”
“Because it always has something to do with an animal,” sighed Natasha. “What is it this time? A chipmunk? A guinea pig? You know what Dad will say. Bringing an animal into our palace at home is bad enough, but when you’re a guest in someone else’s house it’s really rude!”
Bea went red. She knew Natasha was right. She shouldn’t have brought Marshmallow into her great-aunt’s home, but the poor reindeer had looked so cold and alone.
Natasha put down the birthday presents. “You’d better tell me, Bea! Are you hiding the animal somewhere? I can help you take it outside again.”
“It’s a little reindeer called Marshmallow,” Bea told her. “I made a cosy bed for him using the box that the presents came in, but he’s run away somewhere.”
“A reindeer!” cried Natasha. “But where did it come from?”
“I found him in the woodpile next to the shed,” explained Bea. “I guess there must be a reindeer herd close by, but I haven’t found them yet. It’s freezing out there and there was a mean-looking ginger cat—”
“Natasha! Beatrice! Time for dinner,” Aunt Amber called from downstairs.
“We’ll talk about this later,” hissed Natasha as they hurried to the dining room. “But you’d better figure out where the animal’s gone, and if anything else is chewed, I’m telling Dad straight away.”
Bea gave her sister a cross look. It was typical of Natasha to be more worried about a bit of mess than about keeping the poor reindeer safe.
The dining room sparkled with shiny streamers and the fire crackling in the hearth cast a golden glow across the floor. Bea sat down beside Alfie, who was helping himself to extra roast potatoes. Mr Upply brought in a jug of gravy and dishes of carrots and peas.
“I want Marshmallow!” said Annie, loudly.
“Shh, honey!” said Aunt Amber. “You can’t have any sweets until you’ve finished your dinner.”
Bea turned red. She knew Annie was talking about the reindeer. Alfie burst into giggles and Natasha gave him a very stern look.
“The decorations for Leo’s party look brilliant,” Uncle Henry said, as he passed the carrots to Bea. “Thanks for helping out, everyone.”
Bea took the carrots. She was just about to pass them to Alfie, when a soft tapping noise came from the hallway. Was that the sound of reindeer hooves? Bea longed to run out and check but she couldn’t think of a reason to leave the table. She scooped up her roast potatoes quickly, hoping she could finish eating and be excused.
The grown-ups went on talking about plans for Leo’s birthday party. Mr Upply had just brought in a second jug of gravy when a jumpy string of notes came from the piano in the parlour.
King George looked up in surprise. “Who’s playing the piano, Aunt Sylvia? Does your cook like to play?”
“I don’t think so.” Lady Sylvia turned to the butler. “Upply, is that Mrs Miller on the piano?”
“No, your Ladyship. She’s busy preparing the chocolate brownies,” replied Upply.
“How very strange!” said Lady Sylvia. “We’re all here together and there’s no one else in the castle.”
“Maybe it’s a ghost!” said Alfie, grinning.
The piano music sounded as if someone was walking their fingers up and down the keys. Then it grew faster and jerkier, leaping from note to note. Bea stopped with a forkful of carrots halfway to her mouth. The music made her think an animal might be scampering up and down the piano keys!
“I know what it is!” said Lady Sylvia, beaming. “It must be Jasper. He does sneak into the castle from time to time.”
“Who’s Jasper?” asked Natasha.
“He’s the big ginger cat that lives in the house at the bottom of the hill,” replied Lady Sylvia. “He can be a bit of a grumpy old thing, bless him, but he loves to pad around the castle and lounge in front of the fire. I’m not even sure how he manages to get inside!”
Bea’s stomach turned cold. The ginger cat was inside the castle! What if it found Marshmallow and scared the poor reindeer? She jumped to her feet. “Great-Aunt, can I be excused for a moment?”
“Of course, my dear.” Lady Sylvia smiled. “Your father’s been telling me how much you like animals. I’m sure you want to go and stroke Jasper.”
“I’ll come too!” Natasha rose to her feet, shooting a look at her sister. “I… Er… I love animals too. Don’t I, Bea?”
Bea didn’t stop to reply. Her feet thudded as she raced out into the hall.
Chapter Six
The Tracks in the Snow
Bea flung herself through the parlour door. A lumpy ginger cat looked up from where he was sitting on top of the piano. It was the same cat that Bea had seen in the garden, trying to pounce on the reindeer. This must be Jasper. He gave Bea a cold stare and then went back to washing his paws.
Natasha caught up with her. “You’ve got to calm down, Bea! You’re going to make everyone suspicious and then they’ll find out about the reindeer.”
“I thought you wanted the grown-ups to know about Marshmallow,” said Bea in surprise.
Natasha looked awkward. “Well… if Dad finds out, he’ll be cross with both of us. Remember how he said I was in charge because I’m the oldest.”
“Oh!” Be
a felt a twinge of sympathy for her sister. “I’m really sorry! I didn’t mean to get you into trouble.”
Jasper crashed on to the piano keys with an ear-splitting bong before jumping to the floor. He prowled across the rug, narrowing his eyes as he passed Bea and Natasha. Then he raised his nose and sniffed the air. Bea grabbed him as he crept towards the door.
“What are you doing?” cried Natasha. “I thought you liked cats.”
“I do! But this ginger one was chasing Marshmallow. He’s the reason I had to bring the reindeer inside.” Bea fought to hold on to the wriggling cat. “If we let him stay here, he might do it again.”
Jasper gave a low yowl ending with a hiss. He struggled harder and his sharp claws raked through the air. Twisting round, he scraped a claw across Bea’s arm and she let him go in surprise. Bea rubbed the scratch mark on her skin. The ginger cat slunk under the coffee table and glared at the girls with fierce yellow eyes.
“You should leave him be!” said Natasha. “His sense of smell is sure to be better than ours – he could lead us straight to the reindeer.”
“I hadn’t thought of that!” Bea stood back. “Go on then, Jasper. Find Marshmallow for us.”
Jasper watched them suspiciously for a few minutes. Then he crept out of his hiding place and headed down the hall. Bea and Natasha followed him at a safe distance. The ginger cat nosed around the library, sniffing in all the corners, before prowling around the hall cupboard.
Bea opened the cupboard door, hoping that Marshmallow was inside, but there was just a mop and bucket, and a creaky-looking ironing board. The mop crashed to the floor and Jasper sprang away with a hiss.
The Snowy Reindeer Page 2
