Alice-Miranda had a spring in her step as she set off back to school from the village. Her lesson this afternoon had gone especially well, and she was leaping and skipping in time to the beat in her head. She couldn’t remember loving anything as much – except for riding, but she’d been doing that since she was a toddler. This was new and a bit tricky and probably the most challenging thing she’d tried her hand at in a very long time, although organising the concert was going to take every ounce of skill she and the other girls had too.
It felt fun to have a secret. Well, there were three people who knew – actually now four as she’d recently spilled the beans to Neville Nordstrom. They’d been writing to each other since the leadership camp in Scotland, and Alice-Miranda was hoping that her parents would allow her to have a few friends over to stay during the next term break. Neville was one of the kindest boys she’d ever met, and he was sweet and funny too.
Alice-Miranda had almost reached the end of Rosebud Lane when she spotted a girl with long dark hair scamper from around the back of a pretty stone cottage, the front of which was partly covered by a trellis of pink roses. Alice-Miranda recognised the house as belonging to Mrs Goodman. Mr Parker had told her some fascinating stories about the woman but, strangely, she was yet to meet her. The dark-haired girl dragged a schoolbag out from under a hydrangea bush, then ran swiftly down the road, turning left into the high street.
It took a moment for Alice-Miranda to realise that it was Zahra Abboud. She ran after her, thinking they could walk to Caledonia Manor together, given the Abboud family had moved into Mrs Reeves’s old flat that morning.
‘Zahra!’ Alice-Miranda called, but the girl didn’t stop. If anything, she increased her pace and was heading in the opposite direction to school.
Alice-Miranda dashed past the Munzes’ general store and the Abbouds’ burnt-out home and restaurant across the road. The place was cordoned off with police tape as it was still deemed a crime scene until the authorities finalised their investigations. Zahra turned another corner and ran into the front courtyard of the village primary school, where she dumped her bag on the ground and sat on a bench under a tree. There were several children in the playground and a young supervisor kicking a ball on the grassy area.
Alice-Miranda hesitated at the gate. ‘Zahra,’ she called again, waving her arm in the air.
The girl looked up. There was something in her eyes – terror, Alice-Miranda would have said, which was strange because she wasn’t there to do her any harm.
Alice-Miranda hurried over and sat down beside the girl. ‘I thought it was you. How are you feeling?’
‘Fine,’ Zahra said quietly, staring into the street.
‘I saw you just now, coming out of that cottage at the end of Rosebud Lane,’ Alice-Miranda said.
Zahra shook her head. ‘No, you didn’t.’
Alice-Miranda thought it highly peculiar for the girl to deny the plain truth, but before she had time to ask anything more, Zahra hastily gathered her things and ran to a silver minivan that had rounded the corner. The girl jumped into the front passenger seat and pulled her seatbelt over her shoulder.
‘How was your Maths tutoring?’ the woman asked. ‘Does your teacher want to talk to me?’
‘It was fine,’ Zahra replied, crossing her fingers. ‘And no, he doesn’t.’
‘Where are the other students from the group?’ Mrs Abboud asked, scanning the playground.
‘Over there somewhere,’ Zahra said, gesturing to the children running on the grass.
‘Isn’t that Alice-Miranda, from the boarding school?’ The woman squinted out the window at the tiny girl, who gave a full-bodied wave.
Zahra shrugged.
‘My goodness, Zahra, have you forgotten your manners? If it wasn’t for that girl and her friends, we would all be dead. Except for you because you were not home when the fire started and still you do not tell me where you were.’ Ada hopped out of the car and walked around to the footpath. ‘Alice-Miranda!’ she yelled, waving.
The girl skipped to the car, her chocolate curls bouncing. ‘Hello Mrs Abboud. It’s wonderful to see you,’ the child said. ‘How is the rest of the family?’
‘We are all healthy and now we have a roof over our heads too, thanks to you,’ Ada said. ‘Mr Abboud is still sleeping, but they tell me it is for the best until he has recovered some more. I have not been able to thank you for what you and your friends did for us.’ There was an overwhelming sadness in her dark eyes.
‘It was Jacinta who spotted the smoke first – we’re just glad that she did. And it’s silly for the flat to be empty. At least now Zahra and Esma can still go to school and you’ll be close enough to be able to supervise the rebuilding,’ the child said.
Mrs Abboud swallowed hard. ‘I am afraid we cannot afford to – there is too little insurance and our savings will not cover the costs.’
Alice-Miranda glanced at the car, where Zahra was avoiding looking at the pair of them. ‘Don’t worry, we have a plan to get the money you need,’ she said.
Mrs Abboud shook her head. ‘You have done more than enough already. We cannot accept it. Mehmet would be angry with me for taking advantage.’
‘But it’s not just me and the girls, Mrs Abboud. We’re going to involve the whole community and I know that if the shoe was on the other foot and someone else was in need, you and Mr Abboud would be the first to step up. You held that fundraiser to help repair the village hall after the floods, and you send left-over food from the restaurant to the homeless shelter in Downsfordvale each week,’ Alice-Miranda said. ‘Please let us help you this time. Besides,’ she added with a grin, ‘the plan is for something that will be lots of fun, so it’s a win-win for everyone.’
Ada frowned. ‘Only if you promise it will not be too much work for you. I can help – and the girls too. You must let me know what we can do, then perhaps I will not tell Mehmet straight away. He will need time to come to terms with the news and then I know he will be so happy that we can reopen the restaurant. It is his life.’
Alice-Miranda held out her tiny hand. ‘Promise,’ she said with a smile.
Ada enveloped the child in a warm embrace. ‘Thank you, for everything,’ she whispered, and stepped back. ‘Would you like a lift to school? I can drop you on the way. We are going to the hospital.’
Alice-Miranda declined the offer, opting to walk to clear her head. ‘If you need any babysitters, I’m sure there are lots of girls who would be only too happy to help.’
Mrs Abboud nodded then hopped into the minivan. Alice-Miranda waved as the Abboud family puttered off down the road. Zahra didn’t look up once. Alice-Miranda wished she’d had longer to speak to the girl. She resolved to find her later and talk to her alone. It seemed they both had a secret, and she could only hope that Zahra’s wasn’t going to land her in any trouble.
Alice-Miranda arrived back at school an hour before dinner and went straight to Miss Reedy’s office in Caledonia Manor. She was anxious to talk about the concert. If Mrs Abboud was happy for the girls to hold a fundraiser, then with any luck the teachers wouldn’t stand in the way. Given that Miss Crowley had offered to help them organise it all, they wouldn’t be adding to everyone’s workload. Just as she reached up to knock, the door opened and Miss Wall walked out, almost barrelling into the child.
‘Oh, sorry, I didn’t expect anyone to be standing there,’ the teacher said. It seemed she had traded her school-issue PE kit for three-quarter navy leggings and a loose white singlet over the top of a collarless royal-blue T-shirt. Alice-Miranda noticed the woman’s face was shiny and red, and surmised that she must have just come from the sports field to see Miss Reedy.
‘Hello Miss Wall, you’re looking lovely today,’ Alice-Miranda replied. She thought the effort the woman had put into improving her attire since becoming deputy headmistress was admirable. The tiny child peered around the woman’s imposing form. ‘I wanted to talk to Miss Reedy about the concert for the Abbouds. Actually, while
I have you, what are your thoughts?’ It occurred to the girl that, if she could get some of the staff onside, then perhaps it would be easier to convince Miss Reedy and Miss Grimm that it was a good idea.
‘Hmm, I’d rather not say until I know how the headmistress feels about it,’ Benitha replied with pursed lips.
‘That’s unfortunate because she’s not keen at all,’ Alice-Miranda said. In truth, she was surprised Miss Wall would take such a diplomatic stance since the woman had always been one to speak her mind, whether her view was popular or not. ‘She thinks it’s too much work and too big a distraction, but I believe it would be great for our leadership skills,’ Alice-Miranda said. ‘And you of all teachers would know how important that is after the Future Leaders Opportunity Program in Scotland.’
‘I’ll think about it, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up if I was you,’ the teacher said, and hurried away.
Alice-Miranda stood in the hallway, gazing at Miss Reedy’s door. She reached up to knock again but was distracted by footsteps on the timber floor. It was Mr Plumpton, waving his hand as he hurried towards her.
‘Livinia’s raced off to an appointment in Downsfordvale,’ the man puffed. ‘Why don’t you leave her a message?’
Alice-Miranda wondered why Miss Wall had been in the woman’s office and hadn’t mentioned anything about Miss Reedy not being there.
‘Is everything all right?’ Mr Plumpton asked.
The child nodded, then noticed a splodge of green goop on the teacher’s forehead. ‘Thank you, Mr Plumpton, that’s a great idea. Um, you might want to take a look in the mirror,’ the child added, pointing at his brow.
She fished out a clean handkerchief from her pocket and offered it to him.
Josiah touched his forehead, then examined the tip of his finger. ‘Dear me. Slime mishap in the lab last period. Thanks for telling me. I wouldn’t want to go to dinner looking like an alien,’ the man said with a chuckle. He dabbed at the spot and promised to return the girl’s handkerchief the next morning. ‘Oh, and between you and me, I think the concert is a wonderful idea,’ he said. ‘Livinia does too, but she’s had a difficult time of things lately and has been a bit out of sorts. I know she’s doing her best to convince Miss Grimm.’ Josiah had been concerned to overhear Miss Wall and Miss Tweedle whispering about his wife earlier in the day. When he’d confronted the pair, they denied everything, but he could have sworn he’d heard Livinia’s name.
Alice-Miranda smiled. ‘Don’t worry, Mr Plumpton, I wasn’t planning to give up. Quite the contrary.’
‘I’m glad to hear it,’ the man replied with a wink.
Further along the corridor, hidden behind a potted palm, a figure dashed away and out of sight, a great big grin plastered across their face.
Inside the office, Alice-Miranda quickly located a pen and notepad. She scribbled a message and was about to leave when she saw something she shouldn’t have. It couldn’t be helped, though, as it was sitting right there on top of everything. It was a note from Miss Grimm clearly telling Miss Reedy that the girls weren’t to do any press and it was dated yesterday.
Alice-Miranda bit her lip. Why would Miss Reedy go against Miss Grimm’s instructions and claim that her note had said otherwise? The girl folded her own message and wrote Miss Reedy’s name on the back, then left it on the desk. She exited the office, almost bumping headlong into Miss Crowley. The corridor was busier than the high street this afternoon.
The woman smiled cheerfully. ‘Hello Alice-Miranda. I was wanting to have a word with Miss Reedy. Is she free?’
Tabitha Crowley looked lovely today with her hair pulled up in a high bun, encircled by a length of pink velvet ribbon. She wore a stylish suit in the same shade that saw cigar pants and a cropped jacket paired with a lime-coloured silk blouse and matching heels.
‘She’s not in at the moment,’ the child replied. ‘But she’s certainly in hot demand. Mr Plumpton said that I should leave her a note. I’m very glad to have run into you. I saw Mrs Abboud in the village and she’s given us her blessing for the fundraiser. Mr Plumpton said he thought it was a good idea too, so all we have to do is bring Miss Grimm around.’
‘That’s fantastic news!’ the woman said, her hazel eyes sparkling.
‘We could gather the girls who want to help with the organising and have a meeting now if you’re free,’ Alice-Miranda said.
Tabitha had been thinking exactly the same thing. She’d already finished her marking for the day and lessons were set for the next week. All she had left to prepare was some music for the singing group, but that could wait until tomorrow.
‘If you don’t mind walking down to Caledonia Stables, we could make a start before dinner,’ the girl suggested.
Tabitha grinned. It felt good to be part of something again. At her last school, perhaps because she’d only been on a contract and knew it wasn’t likely to last forever, she’d always been a bit of a square peg, but here the girls and staff were so welcoming. Well, almost all of them. Miss Reedy wasn’t her closest ally, but her husband was kindly, and Tabitha was sure that, if she won him over, his wife would follow suit. Tabitha was thrilled that she was able to teach the way she wanted to, and now there was an exciting project that she could sink her teeth into – two, if she included taking over the Winchester-Fayle Singers.
‘You know, Miss Crowley, you remind me of someone,’ Alice-Miranda said, tilting her head to one side, ‘but I can’t put my finger on who it is. I’m sure it will come to me soon.’
‘They say all of us have a twin somewhere out there in the world,’ the woman replied.
‘A doppelganger.’ Alice-Miranda nodded. ‘I have one and I owe her a letter. Her name’s Britt Fox and we were at a leadership camp together in Scotland for the Queen’s Colours Program a little while ago. She lives in Norway. From the time we met, everyone said that not only did we look alike, our mannerisms were similar too. But Britt’s a much more adventurous dresser than I am. She’s helping me expand my fashion choices and take greater risks.’
‘I’d love to meet her one day. She sounds fabulous,’ Tabitha said, smiling at the delightful thought of two Alice-Mirandas. ‘Now, let’s make a start on this concert, shall we? I’ve got a few ideas, but I imagine you girls will have loads more.’
The pair walked out of Caledonia Manor and wandered down the drive. As they passed a guard of stone lions, Tabitha spotted Caprice Radford ahead of them and shuddered. Two of that child, on the other hand, was definitely two too many.
‘So, what’s this all about?’ Millie rushed into the sitting room, drying her hair with a towel. She’d just returned from a vigorous hour and a half of tennis training and, having caught a whiff of her armpits, decided she needed a shower before dinner or no one would want to sit with her.
Alice-Miranda explained to the room of twenty girls that Mrs Abboud was open to the idea of a fundraiser, but only if she could help. ‘I think we should form a committee,’ she proposed, ‘or else there’ll be too many cooks and everyone will be getting in the way of each other and then nothing will happen at all.’
‘The first thing we need is a date,’ Chessie said, turning to a fresh page in her open notebook. ‘So we know how long we have to get things organised.’
The rest of the girls agreed.
Miss Crowley took out her term calendar and quickly scanned the weekends until the break. ‘As far as I can see, Sunday the thirteenth looks like the best option,’ she said. ‘There’s nothing else scheduled.’
‘Fine, pencil it in,’ Sloane said, reclipping one of the barrettes she’d recently taken to wearing in her hair.
Alice-Miranda bit down on the end of her pen. ‘What roles do we need for the committee?’ she wondered aloud. She’d seen her mother and father head up enough of them to know that specific responsibilities were important and supporting one another was paramount to the success of any activity.
‘We need a chairperson,’ Millie said. ‘Which, for the first time in village
history, won’t be Myrtle Parker!’
The girls laughed.
‘I don’t know how she’ll cope with not being the boss,’ Ivory commented as she retied the cerise-pink ribbon around her ponytail. ‘Wait until she hears that the concert is being run by children. She’ll be aghast!’ The girl pressed the back of her hand to her forehead and pretended to faint.
‘There has to be a treasurer to look after the money side of things,’ Sloane suggested, only to be greeted by a room full of wary faces. ‘I don’t want to do it,’ she said, throwing her hands up. ‘It’s far too much responsibility than I’d care to take on, and I know you’re all thinking it was my mother who tried to get Fayle closed down so she could sell the land and make a fortune. She might be my mother, but I can assure you that I don’t have the same greedy genes.’
‘It’s fine, Sloane,’ Alice-Miranda said gently. ‘No one was thinking that at all.’
Caprice snorted. ‘Speak for yourself.’
Sloane turned to fix the girl with a steely glare. ‘Considering you weren’t even here when that happened, I’d keep my mouth shut if I was you.’
Caprice folded her arms. ‘It’s going to be so much fun telling all these school stories to Gloss and Goss when I’m the most famous singer and actress in the world.’
Sloane’s jaw dropped.
‘Don’t worry, no one reads that rubbish,’ Millie whispered to her. ‘At least no one with any sense. Come on, let’s get back to business.’
Alice-Miranda gave Millie a wink, thankful that another potential explosion had been averted.
‘We need a secretary to take all the notes from the meetings,’ Millie said, and glanced over at Chessie, who was furiously scribbling down everything the girls were saying onto her notepad. The others followed Millie’s gaze.
Chessie looked up, wondering why the room had fallen silent, then grinned. ‘I’d be happy to do it.’
The newly founded committee got to work. Their discussions ricocheted from advertising and media to signage and risk assessment, which everyone agreed was a total bore. Fortunately, Miss Crowley offered to do the paperwork for that. Before long, Chessie had compiled quite a list.
Alice-Miranda Keeps the Beat Page 9
