Alice-Miranda Takes the Stage

by Jacqueline Harvey

  “Definitely … yes … for sure,” the other girls chorused, nodding their heads.

  “But I don’t believe in witches.” Alice-Miranda smiled. “They’re only in fairy stories.”

  “Well, you should believe this—because it’s absolutely true.” Susannah wriggled forward to the edge of the bed. “Come and sit up here next to me.” She patted the bedspread.

  The youngest child stood up and moved in beside Susannah and Ashima on the bed. Millie stayed on the floor looking up at the storyteller.

  “All right, you’d better start at the beginning,” Alice-Miranda directed.

  “Well.” Susannah lowered her voice. “In the woods not far from here, there’s a witch. She lives on her own in a gigantic house overgrown with vines and hidden by the forest. There’s no one there except her and about a hundred cats, all meowing and calling and scratching and fighting.”

  The girls began to shift uncomfortably. Alice-Miranda’s brown eyes were wide.

  “Have you seen her?” Alice-Miranda asked. “I mean, anyone could make that up. Some of the children who live at Highton Mill, the village near our place, probably tell the same stories about Granny Bert—and she’s not scary at all.”

  “I disagree! She’s mad,” Jacinta disputed.

  Madeline leaned over and took the flashlight from Jacinta, and held it under her chin. “This witch is tall, possibly the tallest woman you’ll ever meet, and she has enormous hands like a man and she wears the same black clothes every day and her teeth, well, the ones she has, are rotten and crooked and there’s a fang …”

  The girls were now on the edge of the bed leaning in toward the storyteller.

  “But the worst thing is her face,” Madeline whispered. “It’s …” Madeline grabbed her cheeks and pulled one up and one down, splaying the flesh between her fingers.

  At that same moment, a branch scratched against the window outside and the room erupted into squeals, which continued for at least a minute.

  “Quiet, everyone, shush,” Alice-Miranda commanded, trying to quell the fuss. “Mrs. Howard will—”

  Without warning Jacinta’s bedroom door flew open.

  “Mrs. Howard will what, young lady?” The house mistress panted. “What a ruckus.”

  There in the doorway, in an orange chenille bathrobe with a floral shower cap perched atop her head, stood Mrs. Howard. Her gaze moved from one girl to the next until it came to rest on Jacinta.

  “Jacinta Headlington-Bear, was this your idea?”

  Jacinta gulped, looked up and nodded slowly.

  “Well, tomorrow we’ll talk about what you can do to make it up to me. I was about to hop into the bath when I heard such a racket that would wake the dead. I’ve run all the way from the flat upstairs thinking there was a prowler or the like. And it’s just you and your silly ‘midnight meetings’ at nine o’clock. Off to bed, girls, NOW!”

  The party began to break up. No one dared to say a word, except Alice-Miranda.

  “Mrs. Howard, please don’t blame Jacinta. No one made us come, and apparently it’s a bit of a tradition to have a meeting on the first night back. Well, except last term, but that doesn’t matter. Please don’t be cross. I promise we will make it up to you tomorrow. What about we bring you something extra special for your tea? I can ask Mrs. Smith if she can make your favorite. It’s apple-cinnamon bun, isn’t it? Is that what you’d like?”

  Howie did her best to maintain her furrowed brow, but in the end she could barely restrain the smile that was spreading across her face.

  “Oh, dear girl, wherever did you come from?” She shook her head. “Now, off to bed quickly. And no more of this, all right?”

  The girls nodded in unison and scampered off to their rooms.

  Within a very short time, all that could be heard was the sound of Jacinta’s snoring, competing with some rather loud snorts from the flat upstairs.

  Alice-Miranda was awake long before Mrs. Howard’s clanging bell roused the rest of the house. She was sitting up in bed reading when Millie yawned and rolled over.

  “Good morning,” Alice-Miranda greeted her friend.

  Millie sat up and rubbed her eyes. “I wish it was still vacation,” she grumbled.

  “Oh, I don’t,” Alice-Miranda replied. “I mean, I love being at home, but there are so many things going on here, and I can hardly wait to hear about Miss Grimm’s plans for the term.”

  Millie shook her head. “One day, Alice-Miranda, when you’re as old as me, you’ll be completely over school.”

  Alice-Miranda giggled. “I can’t imagine what it’s like to be as ancient as ten. But I don’t think I’ll ever be over school. I simply love it—and I know you’re only teasing me because secretly you love it too.”

  “Well, just don’t tell anyone,” Millie said with a smile, “or you’ll ruin my reputation.”

  At the opposite end of the corridor, Mrs. Howard’s shrill morning call began. “Rise and shine, girls, rise and shine. Time to get up, time to sparkle. Chop, chop, choppy chop.” Her chorus continued along the hallway, punctuated with loud bursts of bell ringing. She stopped outside the girls’ door and knocked firmly before entering.

  “Good morning, ladies. I trust you slept well after your late night.” Mrs. Howard placed her bell on Alice-Miranda’s desk and set forth retrieving uniforms from the wardrobe.

  “Good morning,” they replied in unison before Millie yawned loudly.

  “Run along now to your showers. You don’t want to be late for breakfast,” Mrs. Howard instructed.

  “No, that’s for sure.” Alice-Miranda threw back the covers, leapt out of bed and gathered up her toothbrush and towel. “Mrs. Smith’s making creamy scrambled eggs with crispy bacon this morning as a welcome-back treat. And I’ll ask her for something extra special for your tea this afternoon, Mrs. Howard, to make up for last night.”

  Mrs. Howard shook her head, picked up her bell and followed the pair into the hall. “Off you go now.” She smiled.

  The dining room was abuzz with chatter as the students caught up on all the happenings of the holidays. Clattering cutlery was momentarily stilled when Miss Grimm arrived to take up her seat at the head table alongside Miss Reedy and Mr. Plumpton. Although things had changed remarkably in the past term, the girls were still only getting used to seeing their headmistress on a daily basis. This morning, dressed in a stylish pale pink suit and with her hair pulled back into a low ponytail, Miss Grimm looked much younger than her thirty-seven years. On the way through the dining room, she greeted the students and grinned broadly.

  “So what do you think Miss Grimm has in store for us this term?” Jacinta asked as she loaded her fork with another mouthful of scrambled eggs.

  “I hope it’s something fun, like a trip away, or maybe a school fair or a carnival,” Millie replied. “We’ve never had anything like that since I’ve been here.”

  “Maybe it’s a horse show. Miss Grimm seemed keen for girls to bring their ponies back to school this term,” said Alice-Miranda.

  Jacinta pulled a face. “Oh, I hope not. You know I can’t stand horses. That wouldn’t be any fun at all.”

  “Well, we’ve got assembly this morning, so maybe she’s going to tell us then,” said Millie.

  Alice-Miranda changed the subject. “Has Sloane arrived yet?”

  Jacinta stared blankly. “Who?”

  “Your new roommate. Sloane Sykes?”

  “Oh, no. There was no sign of her before I left the house.” Jacinta frowned. “She’d better be nice.”

  “I’m sure she will be,” Alice-Miranda assured her friend.

  “But what if I don’t like her?” Jacinta pushed a stringy piece of bacon around her plate.

  “Of course you’ll like her,” Alice-Miranda said.

  “I’m not like you, Alice-Miranda. I just can’t like everyone. It’s not in my nature. And maybe I’m not always the easiest person to get on with either,” Jacinta admitted.

  “Come on, Jacin
ta—I haven’t seen you throw a tantrum in, what, at least a month now?” Millie suppressed a giggle.

  “Millie,” Alice-Miranda chided.

  “I have been trying hard to be better.” Jacinta looked serious. “I thought I was pretty well behaved over vacation, wasn’t I?”

  “Of course you were. Stop worrying, Jacinta,” Alice-Miranda soothed. “I’m sure Sloane’s lovely, and I’m positive you’ll be great friends in no time.”

  But Jacinta was not yet convinced. “You’d better be right.”

  The girls finished breakfast, cleared their plates and charged outside into the crisp morning air. Charles Weatherly, the school’s head gardener, was tending to the newly planted roses in the quadrangle.

  “Hello, Mr. Charles.” Alice-Miranda ran and gave him an unexpected hug.

  “Well, hello to you too, my girl.” Charlie’s cornflower-blue eyes twinkled. “It’s been rather quiet around here these past two weeks.”

  “I can see you’ve been busy. The garden looks lovely,” Alice-Miranda replied. “Mr. Greening sends his regards.”

  Charlie nodded. “He’s a good fellow. I’d best be off, lass. Mrs. Derby’s after some roses for Miss Grimm’s study. These are just about perfect.”

  “Yes, they’re lovely.” Alice-Miranda nodded at the bunch of iceberg blooms in Charlie’s hand. Just at that moment she remembered that she had promised to organize that special treat for Mrs. Howard’s afternoon tea. Alice-Miranda ran back to Millie and Jacinta and informed them that she was going to see Mrs. Smith before the bell.

  “Oh, drat.” Millie scowled. “I’ve left my pencil case back at the house. I’ve got English first up after assembly, so I’d better go and get it.”

  “I’ll come with you,” said Jacinta. “Anyway, I want to see if my roommate has arrived.”

  “See you later, then.” Alice-Miranda waved goodbye to her friends and strode across the quadrangle to the kitchen door.

  “Hello, Mrs. Smith!” Alice-Miranda called as she entered the room. In the cavernous space with its rows of stainless steel counters, Mrs. Smith was checking through the lunch menu. She promptly put the paper down and turned with outstretched arms to give her tiny visitor a warm hug.

  “Hello there, young lady. How are you this fine morning?”

  “Very well.” Alice-Miranda nodded. “Thank you for breakfast. It was delicious.”

  “My pleasure, dear,” Mrs. Smith replied. “Now, to what do I owe this early visit?”

  “I’m on a special mission.” Alice-Miranda climbed up onto the kitchen stool to sit opposite the cook.

  “Oh dear—should I be worried?” Mrs. Smith frowned. “It doesn’t involve any spontaneous trips, does it, this plan of yours?”

  “No, not at all. It’s just that last night the girls on our corridor had a midnight meeting.…”

  “Midnight! My dear girl, you’ll be asleep in your arithmetic.” Mrs. Smith scowled.

  “Well, except that it wasn’t midnight at all. It was only nine o’clock and it’s a first night tradition, but then Madeline decided that she would tell us a story about a witch in the woods and the girls got a bit scared, and then a branch scraped against the window and everyone squealed, and Mrs. Howard came running and she was a bit cross, especially with Jacinta, but I asked her not to be because it was all our faults, and then I said that I would ask if you could fix something special for her afternoon tea,” Alice-Miranda babbled.

  “Slow down, young lady.” Mrs. Smith shook her head. “So you’ve come to see if I might make her an apple-cinnamon bun?”

  “However did you know?” Alice-Miranda asked.

  “My dear, everyone knows that’s Howie’s favorite. And it just so happens …” Mrs. Smith stood up and walked to the other side of the kitchen, returning with a tea-towel-covered tray. “Ta-da!” She pulled the cloth away to reveal the most magnificent apple-cinnamon bun Alice-Miranda had ever seen.

  “Perfect.” Alice-Miranda grinned and clapped her hands together.

  “Now, what was that you were saying about a witch in the woods?” Mrs. Smith asked.

  “Just a silly story, that’s all,” Alice-Miranda replied. “There’s no such thing as witches.”

  “No, of course not.” Mrs. Smith shook her head. She knew Alice-Miranda was right, but Doreen Smith had heard the same story—about a witch in the woods—before. And although she knew better, she wasn’t entirely convinced that there wasn’t a grain of truth in there somewhere.

  “All right, young lady. House mistress pacification seems to be taken care of, so you’d better be off to class,” Mrs. Smith instructed.

  “Thanks, Mrs. Smith—you’re the best!” Alice-Miranda hopped down off her stool and scampered out into the sunshine.

  Meanwhile, Millie and Jacinta had made their way back to Grimthorpe House, where Millie quickly retrieved her missing pencil case.

  As they walked down the hallway, a shrill voice coming from inside Jacinta’s room caught their attention.

  “Look, Sloane, look at this. Isn’t that Ambrosia Headlington-Bear? She must be your roommate’s mother. Imagine always being in magazines and newspapers. She’s like royalty. You’d better make friends with her daughter—you never know what you might get us all invited to.”

  Millie and Jacinta stood outside. Millie pressed her ear up against the door while Jacinta leaned down to peer through the keyhole.

  “Ooh, and make sure you introduce her to your brother as soon as you can. They might get married.”

  Jacinta’s eyes almost popped out of her head. “Married! What are they talking about?”

  “And look at this, Mummy,” a young voice added. “All those beautiful dresses, and we’re the same size. I’m sure she won’t notice if one or two go missing.”

  “What are they doing in there?” Millie whispered, straining to hear.

  “Planning a wedding and raiding my wardrobe, by the sound of it.” Jacinta’s face was getting redder by the second. “Right, that’s it.”

  Jacinta flung open the door, ready to pounce. Millie almost fell over and just managed to steady herself. Sloane and her mother spun around.

  “What are you doing?” Jacinta demanded. “Are you looking through my things?”

  Sloane slammed the wardrobe door shut and kicked a dress under the nearest bed.

  “No, of course not,” the young girl replied. “I’m just moving in.”

  “You must be Sloane Sykes.” Millie marched forward to stand beside Jacinta.

  “Yes, and you are?” the girl asked, arching her eyebrows.

  “I’m Millie and this is Jacinta. She’s your roommate—the one whose things you were just ferreting through.”

  “Ahem.” The woman cleared her throat.

  “And you must be Mrs. Sykes.” Millie’s lips drew tightly together in a straight line.

  “Yes, but you can call me September,” the woman replied, crossing her arms over her ample chest and striking what seemed to be a modeling pose.

  “Did Mrs. Howard let you in here?” Jacinta asked.

  “Yes, she told us to make ourselves at home, and so we were just unpacking, weren’t we, darling.” Mrs. Sykes pointed at the suitcase still lying closed on the bed.

  “Yes, Mummy.” Sloane smiled at her mother like a piranha in a goldfish bowl.

  September Sykes wore skyscraping gold heels and a metallic blue dress so tight and short she must have been vacuum-packed into it. Her waist-length platinum hair bounced in loose curls, and her makeup appeared to have been applied with the aid of a cake decorator’s spatula.

  Sloane Sykes, in a crisp new uniform, was shorter, thinner and wore only slightly less makeup, which, on an eleven-year-old, was more than a little disturbing.

  “And what’s your surname, Millie?” September smiled, revealing a set of dazzlingly white teeth.

  “McLoughlin-McTavish-McNoughton-McGill,” Millie replied.

  “Oooh, that sounds important,” September cooed.

 
“No, not at all.” Millie frowned.

  Mrs. Howard appeared in the doorway, with Mrs. Derby, the headmistress’s secretary, in tow.

  “Millicent and Jacinta, what are you doing back here? You know you’re not allowed to return to the house after breakfast,” Mrs. Howard chided.

  “Sorry, Howie,” Millie apologized. “I forgot my pencil case.”

  “And it was just as well we came back, seeing as you’ve left these two in here alone going through my things,” Jacinta snarled.

  “Jacinta Headlington-Bear, mind your manners. That’s no way to treat your new roommate.” Mrs. Howard spun around to face Sloane and her mother, and then turned back to the girls.

  “But it’s true.” Millie nodded.

  Mrs. Howard’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You two can apologize, please. NOW!”

  Millie and Jacinta scowled. With heads bent toward the floor they both muttered a halfhearted “Sorry.”

  “That’s not like you at all, Millicent. You, on the other hand, Jacinta—well, I hope we’re not heading back to the bad old days,” Mrs. Howard tutted. “I’m sure the girls will make it up to you, Sloane.”

  “Don’t fuss, Mrs. Howard.” September grinned. “Jacinta and Sloane are bound to become best friends. Or rather, BFFs—isn’t that what you girls call them these days?”

  Jacinta rolled her eyes.

  “Yes, well, her manners had better improve by this afternoon. Now, off you go, you two. Lessons are about to start, and you don’t want to be late on your first day. Mrs. Derby will bring Sloane over in a little while, once she’s had a chance to get properly settled.” Mrs. Howard’s forehead wrinkled like pin-tucking on a blouse, and she gave Millie and Jacinta one of her best-ever death stares.

  The girls marched off. Not a word was spoken until they reached the safety of the veranda.

  “What was that?” Jacinta demanded. “Who is that woman? And that girl—I’ve never seen anyone her age with makeup like that!”

  “Don’t worry, Jacinta.” Millie put her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes when Miss Grimm and Miss Reedy spot her. She’ll be wiping that mascara off in no time.”