‘That’s absurd. What’s the meaning of all this?’ the man shouted, his handsome face blotched with red. He began to limp sideways, his eyes scanning for the nearest exit.
‘I’ve been doing some digging these past few months after a tip-off that someone very high up in the dog-breeding world was involved in some under-hand activities. Our investigations have unearthed several interesting facts, one of which is Alistair Foxley’s alleged military rank.’
‘This is detestable,’ Alistair Foxley snapped. ‘I’m suing the lot of you for defamation.’
‘After Constable Derby arrests you,’ Alice-Miranda declared.
The man took a step back. ‘What for?’
‘It’s a long list,’ Millie said, glaring at him.
‘Cruelty to animals, for one thing,’ Alice-Miranda said.
‘Illegal puppy farming,’ Millie continued.
‘And dog theft,’ Constable Derby added, stalking towards the man with a pair of handcuffs.
‘You have no proof,’ Alistair Foxley spat.
Constable Derby raised his eyebrows. ‘What about the confessions of Declan and Damon O’Malley?’
Becca Finchley could hardly believe her ears. The man was a monster.
Alistair Foxley gulped and set off, limping across the arena as fast as he could. All of a sudden, Farrah Fawcett leapt off Citrine’s back and rushed at the man, yapping and snarling like a beast possessed. She nipped at his heels as he tried in vain to dodge the feisty poodle.
‘Stop that! Get away from me, you curly-haired rat!’ Alistair Foxley roared. He raised his cane in the air but, before he had time to strike, he was laid flat by Citrine. The Afghan hound pinned him to the ground, baring her teeth, and this time she definitely wasn’t smiling.
Constable Derby ran across the arena.
‘Arrest that man!’ Myrtle Parker shouted, horrified that her show had descended into chaos.
Citrine stood aside as the constable pulled the man to his feet before handcuffing him. The crowd jeered and dogs barked as Alistair Foxley was marched from the building. It took several minutes for things to calm down.
‘Well, ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, that was certainly … unexpected,’ the commentator said, recovering from the interruption. He looked over at Myrtle Parker, who was madly jabbing at her clipboard. ‘But I believe we still have to award our Best in Show?’ he said, shrugging his shoulders at her.
Edith Parbury looked at them uncertainly, then cleared her throat. ‘I would like to announce the winner of this year’s Best in Show.’ The woman walked over to Roberta Dankworth. ‘I don’t believe you had anything to do with your husband’s brainless act, Mrs Dankworth, and what a fool that man is because, my dear, I’d like to declare Nobel Citrine Best in Show for the second year running.’
Roberta burst into tears and hugged the woman. Citrine flicked her fringe and grinned as her owner was handed an enormous silver trophy.
The crowd clapped and cheered while Roberta, Citrine and Farrah Fawcett posed for the cameras.
Alice-Miranda looked at the clock. ‘The wedding!’ she cried.
‘Oh my goodness, we’re late!’ Miss Grimm stood up and beckoned to the girls and staff. ‘We need to get to the chapel or Miss Reedy and Mr Plumpton will think we’ve abandoned them.’
‘What about our clothes?’ Jacinta called out.
Most of the girls were in their school tracksuits and splattered with mud.
‘We’ll just have to go as we are and get changed after the ceremony,’ the headmistress said as she led the charge down from the stands.
‘Can you take Fudge, Miss Grimm?’ Caprice said, passing the pup to the startled headmistress.
‘Where did he come from?’ She cradled the pup, who barked excitedly. ‘Never mind, you can tell me later. Come on, everyone! Hurry!’ she ordered, not realising her clarion call had got the whole audience on the move.
A woman with a hyper active shih tzu turned to the fellow beside her. ‘Where are we going?’
‘Beats me, but that lady looks to be in charge and I wouldn’t want to mess with her,’ he replied.
‘Bridezilla Reedy is going to go nuts,’ Millie said as the girls bolted towards the chapel.
It seemed that everyone at the dog show was following them and before long there were people and dogs clamouring to get into the building.
Alice-Miranda and the girls raced upstairs to the organ balcony, where the Winchester-Fayle Singers were warming up.
Mr Lipp stared at the group in horror. ‘What’s all this?’
‘Nice of you to dress up, ladies,’ Lucas joked, smiling at the girls. He and the lads looked immaculate in their black suits.
‘What happened to you?’ Sep whispered.
Millie rolled her eyes. ‘Long story.’
Father Colin walked from the vestry at the side of the chapel. He looked out into the congregation and jumped. Mr Plumpton followed the man and was just as surprised to see the ragtag guests, many of whom were four-legged. ‘Are we in the right place?’ he whispered to the groom.
Josiah looked at his watch and at Miss Grimm, who appeared to be holding a puppy that looked just like Fudge. She smiled back at him as if there wasn’t a problem in the world. His heart thumped. Surely this menagerie would send his bride-to-be fleeing. ‘Well, it’s the right time and the right place, but I suspect we might have the wrong guests,’ the man squeaked. Just as he was about to go and speak with Miss Grimm, the sun came out and the silhouette of a tall woman appeared in the doorway.
‘Is that an angel?’ George Figworth gasped.
The entire congregation turned around as Mr Trout began to play the wedding march. Light streamed through the stained-glass windows, creating dappled colours on the floor and illuminating the organza bows and floral arrangements which Miss Reedy had been up since the crack of dawn creating.
‘Is that seriously Miss Reedy?’ Millie leaned over and whispered to Alice-Miranda.
Alice-Miranda’s brown eyes twinkled and a smile spread across her face as the woman began her walk down the aisle, her eyes fixed straight ahead on her groom. ‘Of course it is. Doesn’t she look beautiful?’ the tiny child whispered back.
Millie nodded. ‘Plumpy looks like he’s about to pass out.’
The English teacher was wearing a floor-length fitted lace gown with elegant long sleeves. Her hair was pulled back into a loose chignon at the nape of her neck, softening her face. Mr Plumpton was resplendent in a grey morning suit. Although the man had taken off his top hat for the ceremony, it would no doubt give him some much-needed extra height for their official photographs.
Upstairs, Caprice was doing her best to ignore a little scratch tickling her throat.
Mr Plumpton stood there, nervously waiting for his bride to realise that the congregation wasn’t quite what she’d expected, but she hadn’t taken her eyes off him the whole time.
‘Livinia, you’re breathtaking,’ Josiah said, taking the woman’s arm.
‘You too,’ she whispered back.
Mr Plumpton nodded at Father Colin, who quickly got on with it. ‘If there is anyone here who knows of any reason why this couple may not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace,’ the minister announced loudly.
Caprice coughed, no longer able to hold it in, drawing an audible gasp from the crowd. ‘What? I’ve got a tickle,’ she hissed, narrowing her eyes at the heads that had swivelled around to glare at her.
Father Colin looked at the girl, then cleared his throat. ‘Right then.’ He waited another few seconds before continuing.
‘Look – Plumpy’s got a tear in his eye.’ Sloane nudged Jacinta, who had just grabbed a tissue from her own pocket. The girl turned to her friend. ‘Are you crying too?’
‘No, it’s dust,’ Jacinta mumbled, quickly dabbing at her face.
Sloane grinned. ‘Yeah, sure.’
The happy couple completed their vows and Father Colin looked out at the congregation, then back at the brid
e and groom. ‘It gives me great pleasure to now pronounce you husband and wife.’ The man nodded at Josiah Plumpton. ‘You may kiss your bride.’
The children craned their necks to see Mr Plumpton lean across and peck Miss Reedy’s smooth cheek.
‘That’s not a kiss!’ Sloane exclaimed, rather more loudly than she’d meant to. A titter of giggles echoed through the chapel.
‘Give her a proper smooch, Mr P,’ Figgy called from the choir stalls. ‘You’ve waited long enough.’
Miss Grimm glared at the lad before the congregation dissolved into fits of laughter. The Science teacher turned to the crowd and then looked back at his blushing bride before he planted a kiss on Miss Reedy’s cherry-red lips.
‘Oh, Mr Plumpton!’ Miss Reedy gasped.
‘Yes, Mrs Plumpton?’ the man replied with a wink, his nose glowing like a beacon.
The congregation went wild, clapping and cheering, and were quickly accompanied by a cacophony of barks and howls. Fudge wriggled out of Miss Grimm’s arms and skittered to the altar, dancing around at Miss Reedy’s feet. Mr Plumpton bent down and picked him up. It was then that his bride registered her bedraggled guests and a rather large number of blow-ins.
For a second she felt quite dazed. ‘What’s all this?’ she said.
‘We didn’t think you’d mind, love,’ a man with an Alaskan malamute said. ‘We were just over at the show and then that woman up the front there told us to hurry up and get over here.’
‘The headmistress. She’s the headmistress,’ someone said, interrupting him.
‘Well, I love a good wedding as much as the next person,’ the man said.
‘Me too, and you look beautiful,’ a woman clutching a dachshund called out.
A man with a stumpy bulldog wolf-whistled and the entire congregation rose to their feet. Miss Reedy’s face split into the widest of grins as Mr Plumpton raised their hands in victory, while Fudge nestled into the crook of his other arm. As the jubilant newlyweds turned to leave, Mr Lipp nodded at Mr Trout and the choir. Caprice Radford and Figgy stepped forward and the music began.
Mr Plumpton stared up at them. ‘What’s that?’
‘Your special request,’ Mr Lipp called back.
Mr Plumpton frowned. ‘But I asked for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?”’
‘No, you didn’t,’ Mr Lipp insisted. ‘You asked for this.’
Cornelius Trout huffed and stopped playing.
‘Oh, Livinia, I’m so sorry. There’s been a misunderstanding,’ Mr Plumpton sighed.
The woman beamed at him. ‘Josiah, don’t be silly. I know I’ll love it no matter what.’ Any trace of bridezilla had well and truly disappeared.
‘All right then,’ Josiah said, and gave the man the thumbs up. Within seconds the children had burst into a rousing rendition of ‘Hakuna Matata’. Josiah looked at his bride. ‘No worries.’
‘For the rest of my days,’ she said, and leaned in to kiss his cheek.
Mr and Mrs Plumpton (and Fudge too) wiggled their way down the aisle and out into the sunshine, where a photographer snapped away, capturing every joyous moment.
Alistair Foxley was a self-aggrandised war hero, who had completely invented his military rank and achievements to create a fake history. He concocted his wealthy background to impress others. His knowledge of dogs had stemmed from his mother, who had also run a down-at-heel breeding operation. The man detested the stinking beasts that provided his income but he loved the glamour and glitz of the shows. Being out of sight and out of mind, the puppy farm had never bothered him at all.
As Chairman of Chudleigh’s Dog Show, Private Alistair Foxley had easy access to the animals. He had been building up his enterprise to be one of the largest in the country and what he’d needed more than anything was breeding stock. Alistair had taken over the abandoned military-owned land years ago, having known about it from his time there as a young man. It was a terrible coincidence that the Finchleys had purchased the property next door and, when Alistair Foxley learned of this, he saw a golden opportunity. Cavoodles were all the fashion, and Becca Finchley had both poodles and cavaliers. Little did he know he would have them handed to him on a plate when the couple was involved in a life-altering motor accident.
Foxley had suspected that the pup on the flyer was one of his own but the O’Malley lads vowed that it wasn’t. He’d gone to investigate for himself but had been prevented by the locked gate. It was just luck that he still had the picture on him when he ran into Mayor Wiley and thought he could sell him another of his cavoodles. After all, in the grand scheme of things, the loss of one pup was nothing, really. Alistair Foxley was sentenced to twenty years in prison for his long list of crimes.
Mayor Wiley was thrilled when Becca promised to sell him one of her puppies once her breeding operation was up and running again.
Declan and Damon O’Malley were given five-year jail terms for their roles in the operation. Two dunderhead brothers hoping to get rich quick had been lured to work for the man by the promise of fast money. They came unstuck when they wanted their fast money to become lightning cash.
Vera Bird, known to some as Phyllis Mould, had been a breeder of champions until her obsessive competitiveness did her in and she’d been caught sabotaging her rivals at a Chudleigh’s thirty years before. Heartbroken and appalled by her own behaviour, Vera stopped breeding. By the time her last dog died, her love of canines had been replaced by a love of television shopping and speculating on the stock market, which funded her addiction.
She’d called in on the new neighbours not long after they’d moved in and was mortified to learn that they were Finchleys. Becca’s father-in-law, Emerson, had been the man who had banned her for life and the thought that his son might remember her had caused her to stay away – at least until the accident. Just thinking of what she’d done still made her burn with shame.
When it all came out at the dog show, Vera confessed the whole sordid tale to Becca and Daniel and even invited them up for tea, where they realised the extent of her addictive disorder. Becca is helping Vera to get her life back on track and there have been thousands of dollars’ worth of donations to the local canine charities of her unopened goods. In turn, Mrs Bird is helping Becca and Daniel with the dogs, who have all been nursed back to health following their horrific ordeal.
Daniel has kept up his running – not because he’s running away from life but because he’s decided he wants to be a cross-country champion. His mother is continuing her recovery and there have been signs that she may one day walk again.
Barry Dankworth’s crime was one of passion and stupidity. He was banned by the Kennel Club from attending any dog shows for the next two years, after which he could apply for reconsideration. Roberta was furious that his idiocy had almost ruined her reputation, but winning Chudleigh’s Best in Show and starring in Dog Days had gone some way to appeasing her anger – that and the ever increasing lists of jobs she presented to him. Barry begged forgiveness from Roberta, who told him she’d think about it.
For all its controversy, this year’s Chudleigh’s was hailed a great success, not least of all for exposing the darker side of the canine industry and bringing one of its most evil breeders to justice. Myrtle Parker was interviewed by every news station in the country and claimed (to the chagrin of her fellow Show Society committee members) that she had suspected there was something not quite right about Alistair Foxley from the moment she’d met him. He was simply far too charming to be real. Reginald Parker was proud of the way his wife had pulled the event together and told her so. But when an offer for the village to host an upcoming science-fiction convention appeared in the post, Reg decided that it would be best dealt with in the rubbish bin.
Mr Plumpton and Ms Reedy (she decided that, after years of being Miss Reedy, she’d find it too hard to change her surname) boarded a plane bound for South America for their honeymoon. Contrary to popular thinking, they were not attending a once-in-a-lifetime event. When Miss Reedy
asked what the surprise was, her husband told her that he’d concocted the whole story so they could have time off during the term. After all, it was much cheaper to travel when it wasn’t school holidays and he’d found a particularly excellent deal. They did go on a jungle safari, though, and one night, on an expedition led by world-renowned ornithologist, Bongo Dodge-Hollows, they spotted an exotic new species of bird with the most curious banded feet. Miss Reedy suggested that it be named the bandy-footed bongo bird in his honour.
Alice-Miranda and Millie never did get to deliver the Fanger’s Chocolate to the Fayle sisters. It wasn’t until weeks after the drama of the fire and the dog show that Alice-Miranda remembered them. When she found a little pile of shiny wrappers in the corner of Bonaparte’s stable, she had a pretty good idea of where they’d ended up.
Fudge, meanwhile, has made himself right at home. He likes to share himself around, though, and finds a new bed to sleep on pretty much every night of the week. Much to Millie’s annoyance, he does seem especially partial to Caprice. Mr Grump has lost seven pairs of shoes to date but he really doesn’t mind.
Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy for Proper Young Ladies staff
Miss Ophelia Grimm
Headmistress
Aldous Grump
Miss Grimm’s husband
Mrs Louella Derby
Personal secretar headmistress
Miss Livinia Reedy
English teacher
Mr Josiah Plumpton
Science teacher
Howie (Mrs Howard)
Housemistress
Mr Cornelius Trout
Music teacher
Miss Benitha Wall
PE teacher
Miss Verity Tweedle
Art teacher
Mrs Doreen Smith
Alice-Miranda to the Rescue Page 20
