Five black cats lazed in various positions along the terrace. Millie hesitated when she saw them. She was quite convinced their eyes were following her every move.
“I might wait here,” Millie gulped.
“Oh, all right, if you’re sure.” Alice-Miranda tapped on the glass panel of the kitchen door. There was no answer. “But I might be a little while.”
“Wait, I’ll come.” Millie ran to stand beside her friend.
Alice-Miranda knocked again, then turned the handle and walked into the kitchen.
“Helloooo?” she called. “Are you here, Miss Hephzibah? It’s me, Alice-Miranda. I’ve come to visit and I’ve brought a friend.”
The door to the room off the kitchen, which Alice-Miranda thought of as the playroom, was closed. There was a rustling sound coming from within. The tiny child knocked gently and called again. Then she opened the door and poked her head inside.
Millie stood on the other side of the kitchen. In spite of the warmth of the day, she shivered beside the lit stove.
“Hello, Miss Hephzibah,” Alice-Miranda called. “I’m going to put the pot on, and I’ve brought some lovely cake for your morning tea.”
Millie tried to see inside the room but her feet seemed set in concrete.
“If you’d rather take your tea in here,” Alice-Miranda continued, “I can bring it in for you in a minute.”
From where she stood, Millie heard no reply. Alice-Miranda closed the door and walked back across the kitchen, where she busied herself filling a battered copper kettle, which she placed on the stove top.
Millie hadn’t moved an inch. “Is she … is she in there?” Millie whispered.
“Oh yes. I think she’s feeling a little tired, so I said that I would take the tea in for her.” Alice-Miranda smiled. “Are you all right? You look a bit pale.”
Millie’s freckly face had drained of color. Her red hair looked like firelight against her porcelain skin.
“Are you really going in there?” Millie pointed at the closed door.
“Of course. Will you come with me?” Alice-Miranda asked as she removed three china cups and saucers from the pine sideboard.
Millie shook her head.
“That’s all right. You can stay here if you’d prefer.”
Millie’s eyes darted all over the place as she took in the kitchen and its ancient contents. There was another doorway to her left and a further entranceway at the opposite end of the room.
“There’s a back staircase just through that door beside you.” Alice-Miranda filled the teapot with boiling water. “I went upstairs yesterday, but I haven’t had a proper look around because I heard a clatter down here, and that’s when I found Miss Hephzibah. I was rather hoping we might be able to explore properly sometime.”
Millie peered at the doorway. Her mind raced. Perhaps it was safer to join Alice-Miranda in the other room. She didn’t fancy being alone in the cavernous kitchen with its creaks and groans and doors to who-knows-where.
“I’ll come,” Millie blurted.
“That’s lovely. But you mustn’t be frightened. Other than me yesterday, I don’t think Miss Hephzibah has seen anyone for a long time, and she’s very shy.” Alice-Miranda poured three cups of black tea. From her backpack she produced a container of milk and three large slices of butter cake. When she’d asked Mrs. Smith for three pieces this morning, the cook had automatically assumed that Millie and Alice-Miranda were taking one of the other girls with them on their ride. Alice-Miranda hadn’t corrected her.
“Is that a tray over there?” Alice-Miranda pointed at a cabinet next to where Millie was still rooted to the spot.
Millie spun around, moving for the first time since the girls had entered the kitchen. She bent down and retrieved an ornate timber tray, its faded decoration hinting at the once grand house’s glory days. She handed it to Alice-Miranda, who loaded it up with the three cups and plates.
“Can you open the door for me, please?” Alice-Miranda picked up the tray and walked toward the playroom door.
“Oh.” Millie swallowed hard. “Okay.” She walked forward slowly as if at any moment she might turn and flee.
“It’s all right, really it is,” Alice-Miranda reassured Millie as she reached up and turned the handle.
That afternoon, Millie, Jacinta and Alice-Miranda milled about outside the assembly hall, waiting for their turn to audition. Millie and Alice-Miranda couldn’t help exchange knowing glances as they recalled their morning’s adventure. Fortunately, Jacinta was far too engrossed in reading over her lines to notice their strange looks. Ashima emerged from the building.
“How did you do?” Alice-Miranda asked.
“Okay, I think. You can go in now, Alice-Miranda. Miss Reedy asked for you. Good luck.”
“Thanks!” Alice-Miranda bounced into the hall.
“Hello there, young lady.” Miss Reedy smiled. “I see you’re auditioning for two parts this afternoon. May I introduce Mr. Lipp?” Miss Reedy nodded at the gentleman sitting beside her. They each had a pile of papers in front of them. Mr. Lipp was dressed in a very dapper mustard-colored suit with a multicolored tie. His handlebar mustache was neatly groomed; however, his eyebrows resembled two hairy caterpillars crawling across his brow.
“Hello, Mr. Lipp.” Alice-Miranda walked toward him and held out her hand across the table. “My name is Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones and I’m very pleased to meet you, sir.”
Mr. Lipp peered over the top of his spectacles and gently shook Alice-Miranda’s tiny hand. “Pleased to meet you too, young lady.”
“Now, where shall we start?” Miss Reedy glanced at the list in front of her.
“If I may, Miss Reedy, I’d like to read for Snow White first.” Alice-Miranda walked up the side steps and onto the stage.
“Very well,” Miss Reedy agreed. “Why don’t you commence from the part where the huntsman is taking Snow White into the forest with the intention of killing her. That should give you a bit of dramatic scope.”
Alice-Miranda stood in the middle of the stage and gathered her thoughts. She imagined that the assembly hall was now a dark forest and that the hunter was standing right in front of her.
“Please, sir, don’t kill me. If you let me go, I promise I’ll tell no one. I will find somewhere to live and I won’t ever return to the palace,” Alice-Miranda pleaded with her imaginary foe.
Miss Reedy read the part of the huntsman. “But I … I have a job to do. The Queen will—”
“Sir!” Alice-Miranda interrupted before letting out a heart-wrenching sob. “I beg you.” The tiny child fell to her knees.
“Then go. Go far away and never return. I will take the Queen the heart of a boar and make her believe that it was yours,” Miss Reedy read passionately.
Alice-Miranda looked up slowly. “Thank you, kind sir. Thank you with all my heart. Your generosity will never be forgotten.” And with that, Alice-Miranda fled into the wings.
Mr. Lipp brushed his eye and sniffed. Miss Reedy threw him a curious glance and he at once protested, “Dust, I think. Yes, very dusty in here.” He stuck his finger in his eye as if to remove the offending object.
Alice-Miranda returned to the stage, and both Mr. Lipp and Miss Reedy clapped vigorously.
“Well done, my dear, that was wonderful,” Miss Reedy enthused.
“Thank you.” Alice-Miranda smiled and gave a little bow. “May I read for the part of the narrator now?” she asked.
Mr. Lipp and Miss Reedy lowered their voices.
“No, I don’t think so,” said Mr. Lipp finally.
“But, Mr. Lipp, I’d like to give myself a chance as the narrator.”
“Alice-Miranda, there’s no need. You’re the final girl auditioning for the part of Snow White and we’ve decided that the role shall be yours,” Miss Reedy announced. “But if you would please keep that to yourself until the cast is announced on Wednesday, we’d greatly appreciate it.” She raised her eyebrows and then paused, t
hinking. “Unless, of course, Mr. Lipp, you have any boys who have put their names down for that role? I’d almost forgotten. We still have to see the Fayle boys tomorrow afternoon.”
“Ahem.” Mr. Lipp cleared his throat. “No, I don’t know of any boys who have expressed a desire to play the role of Snow White.” He grinned. “Although, last year when we were flying solo on the school play, one of the lads did a very good job of Maid Marian in Robin Hood.”
Alice-Miranda giggled. Miss Reedy did too.
“It looks like the part’s yours, young lady.” Miss Reedy nodded. “But”—the teacher raised her forefinger to her lip—“until Wednesday.”
“Of course, Miss Reedy. Thank you so much. I promise I won’t let you down.” Alice-Miranda skipped out of the hall and raced off to meet Millie and Jacinta, who were waiting outside.
“I am a complete failure,” Jacinta wailed. “Mr. Lipp didn’t appreciate my improvisations of Happy turning cartwheels at all. He said that, as far as he knew, dwarfs weren’t renowned for their gymnastic abilities.”
“Don’t worry, Jacinta. I’m sure you did just fine,” Alice-Miranda comforted her friend. “And you auditioned for the role of the narrator as well, didn’t you?”
“Yes.” Jacinta pouted. “I couldn’t even tell what Miss Reedy and Mr. Lipp thought about that.”
“There’s always stage crew,” Millie added.
“Stage crew—for losers who couldn’t get a proper part in the play,” Jacinta moaned.
“No, that’s not true, Jacinta. The stage crew is very important. If there weren’t a stage crew, then the actors would have to slip in and out of character as they carried trees and buildings and magic mirrors and things on and off the stage. Just imagine—the Evil Queen finishes her lines and then has to pick up the mirror and struggle off with it—that would be terribly silly.” Alice-Miranda grinned.
“I suppose you’re right.” Jacinta managed a half-smile. “Hopefully I’ll get a part, but if I don’t, stage crew will have to do.”
“What about you, Millie, did your audition go well?” Alice-Miranda asked.
“I think so. I’m not sure which part I’d prefer, though. Doc’s pretty funny, but I love that the Magic Mirror gets to give it to the Queen,” Millie replied. “How do you think you did, Alice-Miranda?”
“Okay, I think,” she replied.
The girls were on their way to the front of the school to meet Charlotte and Lawrence, who had phoned to say they would be at Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale in time for afternoon tea. Sloane was stalking about in the garden.
“Oh, hello, Sloane,” Alice-Miranda called when she spotted her lurking behind the rosebushes. “What are you doing over there?”
Sloane looked up. “I was just, um, waiting for my mother,” she replied. “She’s coming to visit.”
“That’s convenient,” Millie whispered to Jacinta. “More likely she told her that Lawrence was stopping by. She’d better not cause a scene.”
“Why don’t you come over here and wait with us?” Alice-Miranda asked.
Millie and Jacinta huffed.
Sloane walked over to the group.
“Did you enjoy your audition?” Alice-Miranda asked.
“I suppose so,” Sloane replied.
“What did you try out for?” Jacinta asked.
“The only role worth having, of course,” she scoffed.
Alice-Miranda felt a flurry of butterflies in her tummy. Sloane would be very disappointed when she missed out on the part of Snow White.
“So you tried out for Snow White, then?” Millie pressed.
“Good grief, no,” Sloane replied. “Who’d want to be that sappy little do-gooder? I’m going to be the Evil Queen. That’s the only part that’s any good in this pathetic little fairy tale.”
Alice-Miranda exhaled softly. Her butterflies flapped their wings and flew right away.
In the distance, the girls could hear the low rumble of a sports car engine. A shiny silver vehicle entered the driveway.
“They’re here!” Alice-Miranda ran down the steps of Winchesterfield Manor to greet her beloved aunt and soon-to-be uncle.
“Oh my gosh, it’s really him!” Sloane gasped.
“Of course it is,” Jacinta replied. “Did you think Alice-Miranda was making it up?”
“No,” Sloane spat. “I believed her.”
The car grumbled to a halt in one of the recently added visitor parking spaces. Only a matter of months ago, parents and other family members were strictly forbidden from visiting the school at any time other than to drop off and pick up their daughters at the beginning and end of term. But of course, that had all changed now, and Miss Grimm had come to see the importance of family dropping in whenever possible.
“Hello!” Alice-Miranda launched herself at her aunt Charlotte as soon as she was out of the car.
Charlotte scooped the little child into her arms and peppered her face with kisses—cheeks, forehead and, lastly, the tip of Alice-Miranda’s nose. It had been done that way for as long as either of them could remember. Alice-Miranda hugged her tightly.
“And how is my favorite niece?” Charlotte set the child down. Lawrence emerged from the rear of the car and snuck up behind Alice-Miranda, tickling her wildly before twirling her over his shoulder and depositing her back on the ground.
She squealed with delight. “I’m … very … well … thank … you,” Alice-Miranda gasped between giggles.
Millie chuckled and Jacinta almost fainted.
“Hello, Millie and Jacinta.” Charlotte ran up the steps and kissed both girls on the cheek. Lawrence followed, with Alice-Miranda holding tight to his left hand.
“And how are my favorite adopted nieces?” He leaned down and hugged Millie, then Jacinta. Jacinta’s legs turned to jelly.
“Great, thanks, Mr. Ridley,” Millie replied. Jacinta said nothing but stood looking rather goggle-eyed. A quick jab to the ribs from Millie seemed to bring her back around.
“Well, very, thank you.” Jacinta shook her head. “I mean, very well, thank you.”
Sloane had remained a few steps away from the group, taking it all in. She wished she really had phoned her mother to come and see this. In fact, she knew she’d be in huge trouble for not telling her. It was just that her mother had a way of making it all about her, and this was Sloane’s opportunity to meet a real live movie star without her mother being in the way.
“And who do we have here?” Lawrence turned his hypnotic smile to Sloane.
“Excuse me for being so rude.” Alice-Miranda grabbed Sloane and brought her closer to the group.
“This is Sloane Sykes. Sloane, this is my aunt Charlotte and soon-to-be uncle, Lawrence Ridley.”
“How do you do, Miss Sykes?” Lawrence bowed his head.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Sloane.” Charlotte nodded.
“Gosh, you’re gorgeous!” Sloane had clearly fallen for Lawrence’s charm. “I mean, it’s a pleasure to meet you too, Lawrence.”
Sloane ignored Charlotte altogether as she stood mesmerized by the movie star.
“You’re just in time for afternoon tea,” Alice-Miranda informed them. “Mrs. Smith was so excited when I told her that you were coming, I think she’s cooked enough to feed a small army.”
The group headed for the dining room. Sunday afternoons were often quiet, as girls were out and about, enjoying their weekend freedom. Yet this afternoon the room was packed, and even the teachers had turned up.
“Did you tell everyone they were coming?” Jacinta hissed at Sloane.
“No,” she replied innocently. “Why would I do that?”
Jacinta shook her head and Millie’s face crumpled into a frown. The appearance of Lawrence caused a near riot. Girls were shouting out, asking him to come and sit with them. It was only when Miss Grimm took to the microphone that things settled down.
“Girls, please be quiet.” Her ice-cold stare had the desired effect. “We have visitors for afternoon tea and ye
s, one of them is a wee bit famous and the other is an Old Girl of the school. However, that is no reason for the sort of behavior I have just witnessed. Mr. Ridley and Miss Highton-Smith are here as guests. Please do not pester them or ask for autographs. As your headmistress, I promise I will get an autograph which will suffice for all.” Ophelia smiled.
The hush that had fallen over the room was maintained as Miss Grimm invited Lawrence and Charlotte to find a seat. She then hurried over and produced what appeared to be a rolled-up poster for Lawrence’s latest movie, London Calling, and a thick black marker, which she handed to Lawrence. He signed the poster and, when Mr. Grump appeared with a camera, Lawrence posed for several photographs with the headmistress.
Miss Grimm chatted with Lawrence and Charlotte for what seemed like ages. Finally, Alice-Miranda interrupted them and asked if anyone would like tea.
“Oh, I am sorry, Alice-Miranda.” Ophelia blushed. “I know your aunt and uncle have come to see you. I’ll be off now.”
“You have to try some of this cake.” Millie pushed a piece of passion-fruit sponge toward Charlotte.
“So, how is Lucas?” Jacinta asked.
“Yes, how did he seem when you left him at school?” Alice-Miranda quizzed. “You know, we’re doing a play with Fayle, and the rehearsals and everything will be over in their new drama theater. We’ve all tried out, so hopefully we’ll be able to see Lucas a lot.”
“He was okay.” Lawrence nodded. “When I went to Fayle, it was a great school—never had any problems with bullies or the like. And his roommate is a really impressive young man.”
“What’s his name?” Sloane asked.
“Sep,” Charlotte replied.
Sloane almost choked on her tea.
“Sep, as in Septimus, as in my brother, Septimus Sykes?” she babbled. “My brother is sharing a room with your son?!”
“Oh, that’s great.” Lawrence smiled that smile. Half the girls in the room almost fainted.
“Isn’t that lovely?” Alice-Miranda grinned.
Jacinta wasn’t so sure. She hoped that Septimus Sykes wasn’t at all like his sister. Otherwise Lawrence’s recollections about bullies at Fayle might prove nothing more than a long-distant memory.
Alice-Miranda Takes the Stage Page 9
