Neville wiped his mouth with the white cloth napkin, leaving a smear of Napoletana sauce. ‘I don’t understand what’s wrong with you two. This food’s fantastic and completely unexpected in a tin-pot village like this.’
Ambrosia smiled. ‘I told you this place had a well-deserved reputation for excellence.’
He reached across and patted her hand, though Ambrosia was quick to withdraw hers. The awkward silence that ensued was interrupted by the shrill ringing of Neville’s phone. He hastily pulled it from his jacket pocket and rejected the call. ‘Sorry,’ he said with an apologetic smile. ‘Work never stops.’ When his phone rang again, Neville rolled his eyes and switched it to silent mode.
‘I don’t think your phone ever stops,’ Jacinta said. ‘You must have had twenty calls from Jamie when we were going to and from acrobatics. I couldn’t help noticing his name kept popping up on the screen.’
Neville nodded. ‘He’s looking after a deal we’re on the verge of securing. I just wish he’d learn to think for himself and leave me in peace, but it should all be done and dusted soon.’
‘Don’t let us stop you,’ Ambrosia said, taking a sip of her sparkling mineral water. ‘It might be something important.’
‘Jamie can wait. We’re having a special evening – no work allowed.’ Neville grinned and Ambrosia felt her breath catch in her throat. When his phone continued to vibrate persistently, Neville turned it off. He’d pay for that later, but he didn’t want to ruin their dinner.
With her stomach churning like a water wheel, Jacinta had barely eaten all day. Her father had picked her up from school that morning and they’d driven to Downsfordvale, where he watched her entire acrobatics lesson, beaming like the proud parent she’d always wanted him to be. On the drive home, he’d waxed lyrical about her extraordinary talent to the point where Jacinta demanded that he stop speaking – it was too much. How could this man, who hadn’t shown the slightest bit of interest in her since the day she was born, suddenly start behaving like the father of the year?
He’d taken her back to the village, where she’d met Alice-Miranda and Millie, and the three of them had gone to Fayle to see Lucas, Poppy and Jasper. Except that Lucas had spent most of the time with his mother and stepfather-to-be, Blair, who seemed like a really great guy. He and Lucas looked to be getting on extremely well, which only served to make Jacinta more nervous that Lucas might go and live with them in New York. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything. She was afraid that, if she uttered the words aloud, it was far more likely to come true. She couldn’t bear to lose Lucas, especially not now, yet she couldn’t tell him the things she really wanted to either. It was all so awfully confusing.
While Alice-Miranda and Millie had walked back to school, Jacinta had decided to stay the night at her mother’s for a change of scene but was surprised to find her father on the doorstep with two enormous bouquets of flowers – pink peonies for Ambrosia and brightly coloured gerberas for her. Then he’d whisked them off to Enzo’s Trattoria, an Italian restaurant in Willow Dale, a gorgeous little village half an hour away. Now here they all were, together, and Jacinta had no idea what any of it meant.
The girl stabbed a piece of ravioli with her fork, then set it down on the side of her plate. ‘Daddy, why are you here?’ she asked, finally mustering the courage.
‘Sweetheart, your father didn’t take us to dinner for you to give him the third degree,’ Ambrosia remonstrated gently.
Jacinta shot her mother a glare that would have stopped a rabid rottweiler in its tracks. Her lips tightened and she swirled her food around again. This time she chose not to search for faces.
Neville cleared his throat. ‘How’s your work going?’ he asked, his gaze lingering on Ambrosia long enough that her cheeks caught fire.
‘Oh, um, fine,’ she faltered.
Jacinta looked up sharply, cross that her mother was being so coy. ‘It’s better than fine. Mummy has been shortlisted for a big award in fashion journalism and I think she’s got a very good chance of winning. She’s terribly clever and everyone loves her articles. She’s excellent at getting to the heart of matters and her interview with Christian Fontaine was nothing short of amazing. She got him to talk about things that no one else could. It’s a pity she hadn’t realised years ago how talented she is because she’s much happier now she has a fulfilling job and purpose in life,’ Jacinta said. ‘And she’s a far better human being too.’
‘Darling, please,’ Ambrosia protested. ‘Was I really so terrible before?’
Jacinta could feel the heat creeping up her neck and blinked back tears. ‘You were both horrible. I used to lie awake in bed at night, wondering why you ever had me.’
‘Do you remember all those months she had colic as a baby?’ Neville said, gazing into Ambrosia’s eyes. ‘Believe me, Jacinta, there were plenty of times your mother and I wondered the same thing, didn’t we, Amby?’
Jacinta’s jaw dropped and she looked at her parents in disbelief. ‘Gee, thanks!’ The girl stood up so abruptly her chair fell behind her.
‘Jacinta, sweetheart, where are you off to?’ Neville said. ‘I have something for you and for your mother.’ He reached inside his jacket and pulled out two small jewellery boxes, setting them down on the table. ‘I was only kidding, Cinta. Mummy and I loved you even when you kept us awake all night,’ he said, pouting. ‘Don’t you want to see what I got you?’
Jacinta burst into tears and ran to the bathroom. Ambrosia folded her napkin and stood up.
‘Now where are you going?’ Neville said in bewilderment.
‘She’s upset,’ Ambrosia hissed. ‘Neville, for goodness sake, why did you have to say that?’
‘Oh, come on, you know I didn’t mean it,’ he said, rolling his eyes.
‘Do I?’ She looked at him and shook her head. ‘Jacinta is right to ask what you’re doing here. I don’t understand, Neville. You told me I was no longer welcome in our marriage and you kicked me out. Thank heavens I had the cottage, or I would have been on the street. You haven’t even sent your own daughter as much as a birthday or Christmas card since we split up and now you’re here, acting as if the past few years didn’t happen. We’re divorced, Neville – don’t you remember you had the lawyers deliver the papers tout de suite?’
‘I told you. I miss you and Jacinta,’ the man pleaded. ‘I know I can’t undo all of the hurt, but people can change, Amby. You have, and Jacinta isn’t nearly as painful as she used to be.’
The woman took a deep breath. ‘My name is Ambrosia, and when you talk about Jacinta like that I have a hard time believing you’re remotely interested in her. If you want our old life back, then I have to tell you it’s never going to happen. I’m not that woman any more, Neville. I was a terrible mother and a dreadful person – Jacinta’s absolutely right about that – and the one good thing that came out of what you did was that I began to realise what I’d become and who I wanted to be and they weren’t the same person. If you want to be part of Jacinta’s life, you’re going to have to behave like a proper father.’ With that, Ambrosia stalked off to find Jacinta, who was in the ladies’ room, tearing tiny pieces of toilet paper and throwing them bit by bit into the bowl while reciting ‘he loves us, he loves us not’ under her breath.
A waiter approached Neville at the table and offered him the dessert menus.
‘Not now,’ he snapped, then sighed. ‘Sorry, please just leave them here. My wife and daughter will be back soon.’ He took out his phone and stared at the thirty missed calls and messages. This was going to be much harder than he’d imagined.
On Saturday evening, Alice-Miranda sent a message around the boarding houses that there would be a committee meeting on Sunday after breakfast. Now that the festival was proceeding full steam ahead, they didn’t have long to put all their plans in place. Following on from their discussions with Miss Reedy on Friday afternoon, she and Millie had made an executive decision that their next gathering would be girls only – with
the exception of Miss Crowley. She’d also spoken to her aunt and wanted to share the good and bad news.
Alice-Miranda had left a note for Miss Crowley in the teachers’ communication box, which was located in the foyer at Caledonia Manor. The girls weren’t allowed up to the staff accommodation floor, but there was a letterbox they could use if they needed to speak to a staff member.
At ten o’clock, with everyone assembled in the sitting room of Caledonia Stables, Alice-Miranda called the meeting to order.
‘Do you think we should wait for Miss Crowley?’ Chessie asked, her eyes on the door, hoping the woman would be there soon.
‘Another minute or so,’ Alice-Miranda replied. ‘We have a lot to get through and I didn’t hear back about whether she was intending to come. She was going to finish up the risk assessment so we could submit it to Miss Reedy and Miss Grimm.’
‘Oh, come on,’ Caprice whined, folding her arms. ‘I haven’t got all day. I have a singing lesson at eleven-thirty.’
Chessie listed the attendees and passed around agendas that Alice-Miranda had prepared, outlining what they needed to get through.
Alice-Miranda glanced up at the clock on the wall. ‘All right, let’s make a start. We can bring Miss Crowley up to speed if and when she joins us. Item one, how are we progressing with facilities?’
Ivory stood up and distributed copies of a schedule she and Susannah had been working on. ‘Charlie thinks we’ll need twenty portaloos in addition to the toilets in the sports hall and the block down on the oval, so we’ve approached two companies in Downsfordvale. With everyone’s approval, we’ll get them organised tomorrow. Also, when we told them why we were having the festival, both companies offered to bring the loos for free. They’re quite fancy, actually, with mirrors and hand basins and super smell eradicators and they would have cost a fortune if we had to pay.’
Alice-Miranda scanned the notes. ‘This is fantastic. Well done and that’s terribly kind of those companies.’
There were lots of other logistical issues to consider, such as dealing with the rubbish and which areas the public would be able to access, but it seemed that Susannah and Ivory had anticipated everything. And better still, there was already considerable buzz about the festival thanks to Tilde McGilvray spruiking it on her show. She’d also confirmed her availability to emcee the event. Almost everyone they’d approached had offered their services for free, all in the name of helping the Abboud family.
Technology and car parking were equally well thought through. Shelby had talked to Mr Munz about enlisting some villagers to assist as traffic marshals, and the man had leapt at the chance to help. He volunteered his son, Otto, too and had assembled a long list of ladies and gentlemen from the Bridge Club who were eager to help on the day.
Chessie had worked with their Art teacher, Miss Tweedle, to develop a logo for the festival flyers and other promotional material, but they couldn’t finish the details until the talent was confirmed. That was problematic because they needed to advertise as soon as possible. They also had to set their ticket prices, which was under Millie’s purview. The girl had already met with Mrs Clinch to go over the numbers, wanting to ensure the festival was affordable and accessible to all while maximising the potential funds to be raised for the Abboud family. There was so much to think about.
Caprice frowned. ‘I thought we had that crusty, old Nick Waterford and The Stingrays?’
‘Well, the good news is that we have Nick Waterford,’ Alice-Miranda began, and a cheer went up around the room.
‘And the bad news?’ Sloane asked.
‘You didn’t get The Stingrays, did you?’ Caprice looked at Millie and laughed. ‘I knew you wouldn’t.’
‘No, but I have another idea,’ Alice-Miranda said.
Caprice exhaled loudly. ‘I suppose I could headline alongside Geriatric Nick because I –’
‘Won Junior Champion at the National Eisteddfod,’ Sloane said, rolling her eyes. ‘Seriously, you don’t have to keep reminding us, Caprice. It’s not as if anyone has forgotten and they’re not likely to with you harping on about it. The thing is, people outside of the eisteddfod circuit won’t have heard of you, so we need another act that people will know. A household name.’
‘Please don’t argue,’ Alice-Miranda said. ‘There’s still lots to get through. We’ve already lined up a talent quest, the Winchester-Fayle Singers, the Downsfordvale Concert Band and, trust me, I have something else in mind.’
‘Who’s going to pay good money for that?’ Caprice griped. ‘I thought the whole idea of this concert –’
‘Festival,’ Millie corrected.
Caprice glowered from beneath her copper fringe. ‘– festival, was to have proper acts and make it exciting. At the moment it sounds like a boring country fair.’
Alice-Miranda bit her lip. ‘We have to keep in mind the reason we’re having the festival is to raise money for the Abbouds. People will come because they want to help them get back on their feet.’ She turned to Jacinta, who was picking at the quick around her nails and staring out the window. ‘What other activities have you managed to line up, Jacinta?’
The girl blanched. She hadn’t organised a thing. She’d been so mixed up about her father and Lucas that she hadn’t given the festival a thought. ‘Um, Daddy said that his personal assistant would help me with everything, so I’ll call her this afternoon.’
‘But it’s Sunday,’ Millie said.
Jacinta shrugged. ‘If she’s my father’s personal assistant, I can guarantee she’ll be available.’
‘What about some stilt walkers?’ Millie suggested. ‘I’ve seen them at fairs and kids love them.’
Jacinta’s face immediately brightened. ‘I could do that. We have stilts at my acrobatics class.’
‘Face painting is always a hit,’ Sloane said.
There was a murmur of approval all around.
‘Miss Tweedle is incredible. Remember when she painted faces at the dog show? Figgy looked like a Dalmatian who’d just emerged from a bar brawl and Rufus had that pink-eyed bulldog effect. They were hilarious, but she made all the little kids look cute,’ Millie said.
Alice-Miranda’s eyes lit up. ‘And cuddles for Fudge or, even better, a petting zoo. We could get some lambs and chickens and other adorable, furry things.’
‘What about craft or cooking tents, where you can learn something new like decoupage or bead-making?’ Ivory said. ‘There’s a fantastic shop in Downsfordvale. I wonder if the lady who owns it would be interested in having a stand.’
The ideas kept coming and before long it was clear Jacinta wouldn’t need her father’s PA at all. Last on the agenda was food. Caprice’s mother had organised ten different street vendors, offering a wide selection of culinary treats from stone-fired pizzas to nachos, burgers and fries, donuts, as well as vegan and gluten-free options. Venetia also offered to host a Sweet Things tent, which, given the popularity of her television show, should be a hit with the festival-goers.
‘Fantastic work, everyone,’ Alice-Miranda said, and tapped her pen against the clipboard in her lap. ‘We should meet again tomorrow afternoon to keep up the momentum.’
Chessie closed her notebook and grinned. ‘It’s pretty amazing what we’re doing. We’re going to make a difference for the Abbouds while also creating an event for people in the village and further afield. It all feels so grown up and makes me wonder what we’ll be able to achieve when we’re adults.’
‘We’re very fortunate to be given so many opportunities at school,’ Alice-Miranda agreed with a smile.
Miss Reedy strode into the room, her lips pursed. ‘What’s the meaning of this?’
‘Hello Miss Reedy,’ Alice-Miranda said brightly. ‘We thought you and Mr Plumpton had gone away for a weekend sojourn.’
‘We cut it short,’ the woman replied. ‘I couldn’t relax with everything that’s happening.’
She left out the part about having seen a note from Miss Grimm to Miss Wall, as
king if they could meet in private on Sunday for lunch. Livinia had checked the staff communication box just before she and Josiah left on Friday afternoon and it was right there, open for anyone to see. It had gnawed at her the whole time and, despite her husband’s protestations that it was probably nothing, the thought that Ophelia was making plans with Benitha behind her back was too much to bear. The strangest thing was that, when they’d returned to campus and she asked the PE teacher what she was up to today, Benitha said she was off to watch the rugby tournament in Downsfordvale. There was no mention of a luncheon with the headmistress. Livinia had called over to Ophelia’s flat, ostensibly to let the woman know she was on-site in case there was anything she needed her to do, but Ophelia said that she, Aldous and Aggie were having a quiet day at home with no plans.
Miss Crowley rushed in through the double doors. ‘Sorry I’m late,’ she puffed. ‘I popped over to Downsfordvale to buy some groceries and only just got your message, Alice-Miranda.’ She stopped in her tracks when she realised Miss Reedy was also in the room.
Livinia smiled. ‘Hello Miss Crowley.’
‘Good morning, Miss Reedy,’ the woman replied, bracing herself to be given her marching orders.
‘Miss Crowley has been instrumental in helping us with all of the official documentation, such as risk assessments and the like, for the school to organise insurance,’ Alice-Miranda explained.
Livinia hadn’t thought of all that. Filling in screeds of paperwork that did nothing to actually make an event one bit safer was a pet hate of hers. If Tabitha was willing to take that on, she wouldn’t say no. ‘Wonderful,’ she said.
‘We’ve just about finished our meeting,’ Alice-Miranda said, hopping up. ‘But perhaps the other girls could go, and Millie and Chessie and I can bring you up to speed.’
Caprice was out the door like a shot. She had ten minutes to get to her singing lesson. The rest of the students gathered their paperwork and were off too.
‘Well, let’s hear what you’ve achieved then,’ Miss Reedy said, taking a seat.
Alice-Miranda Keeps the Beat Page 13
