Alice-Miranda Shines Bright 8

by Jacqueline Harvey

  ‘What are you smiling about, Stan?’ Reg demanded. ‘If any of this nonsense is true then I don’t think it’s very funny.’

  Millie smiled too. ‘He said “let things lie” and that’s what you were doing.’

  But Reg still couldn’t see the funny side of it.

  ‘Then Beryl got sick, and I don’t know . . . It was just easier to be by myself,’ Stan gulped.

  ‘Mr Parker, we need to get back to school but as soon as we do, I’ll telephone Constable Derby. I’m sure he’ll arrange for someone to come and collect you,’ Alice-Miranda said.

  Reg picked up a biscuit. ‘But I don’t think I want to go back.’

  ‘With all due respect, Mr Parker, Mrs Parker is quite lost without you and she’ll be so relieved to have you home again. And I’m sure the doctors will want to give you a full check-up. It’s a miracle that you’ve woken up after all this time,’ said Alice-Miranda seriously.

  ‘I suppose it might explain a few things I’ve been wondering about. Like why I’m so slow and what these marks are on my wrist. And I’ve been ravenously hungry ever since I got here too. But I don’t want to see Myrtle,’ Reginald replied, shaking his head slowly.

  Millie and Alice-Miranda exchanged curious looks.

  ‘But she’s your wife,’ Millie said.

  ‘And if I remember anything about her,’ Reginald said, cradling his chin in his hand, ‘her list of chores for me won’t have got any shorter over the past three years.’

  ‘You’re right about that,’ Stan muttered.

  ‘But you have to go home. Mrs Parker will be heartbroken,’ Alice-Miranda implored him.

  Reginald shook his head. ‘No. I won’t go. No one can make me.’

  ‘Can we at least let Constable Derby know where you are so they can call off the search?’ Alice-Miranda asked. ‘It would be very unfair to keep people out looking for you when you’re quite safe and well here.’

  Reginald bit his lip and frowned. ‘I suppose that’s for the best, but you tell that young whippersnapper that he’s not to let Myrtle know where I am. You tell her that I will come home when I’m ready.’

  ‘If you really want it that way, Mr Parker, of course it’s up to you. But I think it’s awful to make Mrs Parker suffer a minute longer,’ Alice-Miranda reluctantly agreed.

  ‘That’s the way I want it,’ Reginald said firmly.

  Stan Frost remembered the envelope that the child handed him. He’d put it into his overalls pocket.

  A strange silence shrouded the group. Alice-Miranda glanced around at the room. There were a few photographs, mostly of Mr Frost and the lady she assumed was his wife. There was another with two children.

  Stan pulled out the letter and scanned the page.

  Dear Mr Frost,

  I regret to inform you that your property is under threat from Finley Spencer, who has recently been advised by Silas Wiley that there may be a deposit of gold to be found in the caves on the ridge. In the name of saving the woods and surrounding areas of natural beauty from destruction on a catastrophic scale, I recommend that you register a claim immediately and refuse any offers to purchase the land.’

  Yours,

  A friend

  Stan Frost’s jaw dropped. ‘Where did this come from?’ He turned the paper over in his hand and looked for any indication of a name. ‘And how in God’s name did this Finley Spencer person find out about the gold?’

  Reginald Parker sputtered his tea all over the table. ‘But we’re the only ones who know about that.’

  ‘We promised not to tell, Mr Frost,’ Alice-Miranda said.

  ‘She didn’t want you to know,’ Millie added.

  ‘She?’ Stan asked.

  ‘Urs–’ Millie stopped and coughed loudly.

  Stan and Reg looked at each other. ‘Ursula?’ they said in unison.

  ‘Is that what you were going to say?’ Stan whispered.

  Millie shook her head.

  Alice-Miranda decided that they’d better come clean. After all, the woman was only trying to help. ‘Well, yes, that is her name. But you mustn’t tell anyone because she would be in terrible trouble with her boss if he found out that she had warned you about Ms Spencer’s and Mr Wiley’s plans.’

  ‘How old is the woman?’ Stan Frost asked.

  ‘I’m not entirely sure, Mr Frost. You know it’s impolite to ask a lady her age but if I were making a guess I’d say around her mid-thirties.’

  ‘She has red curls,’ Millie said.

  ‘Red, you say?’

  ‘Yes,’ Millie replied. ‘She’s very pretty. Why? Do you know her?’

  Stan shook his head. ‘No, I don’t think so.’

  Reg shook his head too.

  But Alice-Miranda wasn’t so sure. She was now quite convinced that there was something Mr Frost and Mr Parker weren’t telling.

  Reginald sighed. ‘I told you, Stan, you should have registered that claim years ago. Now, how do you intend to do it – seeing that your car doesn’t run, your bridge is broken and the telephone’s been cut off?’

  Stan Frost was wondering that himself. ‘Hang about, Reg. We’ve never actually found much gold up there, other than those few old rocks years ago. Why does this Silas fellow think that the caves are some sort of Aladdin’s Treasure?’

  Alice-Miranda and Millie glanced at each other across the table.

  ‘We found a cave up on the ridge too,’ Millie began. ‘Well, Alice-Miranda found it. The hole was so small I didn’t even think we’d get inside but we did.’

  There was a pause.

  Reginald stared at Millie. ‘Well, what did you find?’

  Alice-Miranda continued the story. ‘The cave was all sparkly and pretty. It looked like it was sprink­led with fairy dust. Millie and I were just looking about, when I followed an especially bright line. We could hardly believe it when the line turned into what appeared to be a seam of gold.’

  ‘I told you there was gold up there,’ Reginald crowed, turning to look at Stan. ‘That’s what I dreamt. But it wasn’t our cave.’

  ‘When we told Miss Hephzibah and Miss Henrietta about the gold, they said that it would be best for everyone if we kept it to ourselves but Mr Wiley must have overheard our conversation and now he’s going to tell Finley Spencer and I’m afraid that with all the might of her company behind her, we could be powerless to stop her,’ Alice-Miranda explained.

  ‘But you have to stop her,’ Reginald insisted. ‘Stan and I have only been looking for fun, but if someone as powerful as you say this Finley woman is gets hold of the news, she’ll destroy the woods and the ridge and everything else around here. If she gets the rights to mine the land, Stan’s farm will be nothing more than a giant hole in the ground. We never wanted that.’

  Stan Frost bit his lip. ‘There’s got to be a way to save Wood End.’

  Alice-Miranda was thinking.

  Millie glanced at the kitchen clock. It was after five and the girls had promised to be back before dinner. ‘We have to get going, Alice-Miranda.’

  The child nodded. ‘Mr Frost, you said that you wouldn’t tell anyone about the gold even if you’d discovered it.’ She looked at him expectantly.

  Stan nodded.

  ‘Do you have any children?’ Alice-Miranda asked.

  Stan Frost looked at Reg. His eyes filled with tears. ‘I had a son and a daughter. But they’re gone now.’ He ran a hand over his face.

  ‘I’m so sorry to hear that, Mr Frost.’ Alice-Miranda reached across and patted the old man on the forearm. ‘Have you thought about what you’re going to do with Wood End in the future?’

  Stan frowned. ‘The future?’

  ‘When you retire. Were you planning to sell up and travel the world, perhaps?’

  ‘Heavens, no. I’ve already retired and I was planning to spend the
rest of my life right here, tending my garden and looking after the animals. I have no desire to be anywhere but here for the rest of my days,’ the old man replied.

  Alice-Miranda nodded. ‘Well, that’s wonderful.’

  ‘I don’t see how it’s wonderful if some rotten woman is going to turn my farm into a ruddy great goldmine,’ said Stan.

  ‘What are you thinking?’ Millie asked.

  ‘I don’t really know yet,’ Alice-Miranda replied. But she had an idea. It was just a matter of finding out whether or not there was a chance it could work.

  The girls bade farewell to Mr Frost and Mr Parker, vowing to be back as soon as they could with any news.

  It didn’t take long to entice Bony and Chops to the fence with a couple of fat carrots. Sadly, they were both too slow and Cynthia managed to snatch both of the juicy vegetables before they took a bite. She hee-hawed loudly, then took off at a speedy trot around the field with Cherry and Pickles in hot pursuit.

  ‘She’s a character,’ Alice-Miranda laughed. She gave Bony a pat while Mr Frost walked over to the vegetable patch and pulled some more carrots for the ponies.

  ‘She’s a hairy monster,’ said Stan. He thrust the carrot in Bony’s direction. The pony quickly demolished it in two bites.

  Reginald Parker was standing nearby, fidgeting. ‘Now, promise you won’t tell Myrtle where I am.’

  ‘Of course, Mr Parker, if that’s what you really want,’ Alice-Miranda reassured him.

  ‘I’d appreciate it.’ The old man’s face creased into gentle folds as he smiled at the two girls. ‘I’m not saying I never want to see her again. I’m just not ready yet.’

  ‘Hopefully soon,’ Millie said. ‘Mrs Parker’s been very upset, especially when she thought you’d run off with Nurse Raylene.’

  ‘Run off with the nurse?’ Reginald’s brow wrinkled.

  ‘I’m afraid so,’ Millie nodded.

  ‘She’s lost her marbles for sure. Only woman I’ve ever loved is Myrtle. I just need a few days.’

  The two girls mounted their ponies. Dark clouds had gathered while they’d been inside and it had now started to rain.

  ‘Goodbye Mr Frost,’ Alice-Miranda called. ‘Good­bye Mr Parker. It really is wonderful to finally meet you.’

  Millie said goodbye and waved at the gentlemen as the ponies began to trot down the driveway towards the stream.

  ‘What lovely little girls,’ Stan said as he led Reg back inside the house. He felt a pang of regret, like a punch to his stomach.

  ‘That Alice-Miranda’s a real card, you know,’ Reg replied. ‘That story she was reading . . .’ He stopped and stared at Stan. ‘How did I remember that?’

  ‘I don’t know but I think we’d better get you to that doctor sooner rather than later,’ Stan replied.

  Alice-Miranda and Millie cantered towards the school, eager to get back before dinner. The black sky had made good its promise and the girls and their ponies were now soaked to the skin. They arrived at the stables sodden and completely out of breath.

  ‘We’re never going to make it in time,’ Millie puffed as she looked up at the stable clock. ‘We’ll have to get changed before dinner too. Miss Reedy will murder us.’

  Elsa, the new stablehand, appeared from inside one of the boxes.

  ‘Hello girls – oh, look at you two. I was wondering how much longer you’d be out,’ she said with a smile.

  ‘Hello Elsa,’ said Alice-Miranda. She removed her helmet and began to unbuckle Bony’s girth straps. ‘We hadn’t planned to be quite so long but we met some friends and got a little bit sidetracked.’

  ‘You’ll both catch a death of cold in those wet clothes! I can put these two away,’ Elsa offered.

  ‘Thanks, Elsa, that’s fab,’ said Millie.

  ‘Be a good boy for Elsa,’ whispered Alice-Miranda to Bony. She blew gently into his nostrils. The little pony snorted and Alice-Miranda wiped a small amount of slime from her forehead. ‘What will I do with you?’ she giggled.

  Millie gave Chops a quick pat too.

  ‘You’d better get moving,’ said Elsa. ‘Susannah was up here earlier and she said that Miss Reedy was on the warpath down there.’

  ‘Thanks, Elsa. I promise we don’t usually do this,’ Alice-Miranda called as she and Millie charged out into the pouring rain and down the driveway towards the boarding house.

  They almost bumped into Miss Reedy, who was hiding under a large umbrella on her way to dinner.

  ‘Girls, look at you. I thought you’d be back at least half an hour ago,’ she scolded them. Miss Reedy was surprised to see the girls and realised that she’d failed to make sure that everyone had returned to the house before dinner. She wasn’t enjoying her dual role and couldn’t wait for Mrs Howard to get back.

  ‘Miss Reedy, we have some wonderful news,’ Alice-Miranda blurted.

  The teacher frowned. ‘It had better be good. You’ll need to get out of those clothes before dinner.’ She turned and walked back up the path and opened the door to Grimthorpe House. Once inside, Miss Reedy went ahead and found a couple of towels that Mrs Howard always left in a little cupboard in the sitting room in case of such emergencies.

  The teacher wrapped a towel around Millie and then Alice-Miranda.

  ‘We found Mr Parker,’ Millie blurted, unable to wait any longer.

  ‘And he’s absolutely fine,’ Alice-Miranda added.

  ‘Goodness, really?’ Miss Reedy’s eyes were wide. ‘That’s wonderful news. Where is he?’

  Alice-Miranda and Millie told her all about meeting Ursula and Mr Frost and then finding Mr Parker.

  No one had noticed Jacinta standing in the hallway. She’d been in her room and wondered why the house had fallen silent when she realised that she was late for dinner. Not that she felt like eating. She was still churned up about the meeting with Mrs Jelly and the news that none of the girls would be attending Sainsbury Palace because of her. She’d expected Miss Grimm to be furious, but she wasn’t – at least, not about what happened at the orientation. Jacinta had still been in trouble for her late-night escape to the stables and had received a solid telling-off for her moody behaviour, but that was hardly anything really.

  She’d been about to head off to the dining room when she heard voices and realised that Miss Reedy was in the back sitting room with Alice-Miranda and Millie.

  Jacinta couldn’t believe her ears. Mr Parker had been found! He was alive and well and this was her chance to do something good. She’d telephone her mother right away. Mrs Parker would be so grateful.

  Jacinta poked her head around the doorway and spied the telephone sitting in its cradle just inside the room. She reached around and picked it up, then sped silently to her bedroom and quietly closed the door.

  ‘Mummy,’ she whispered down the line. ‘I have some wonderful news. You must tell Mrs Parker right away.’

  Back in the sitting room, the girls and Miss Reedy were discussing what to do next.

  ‘We have to call Mrs Parker at once,’ Miss Reedy said. ‘She’ll be so relieved.’

  ‘That’s what we said, but I’m afraid you can’t,’ said Alice-Miranda.

  ‘I don’t understand,’ Miss Reedy said. ‘Of course we have to let the poor woman know.’

  ‘Mr Parker made us promise that we wouldn’t tell her where he is. He said that he’s not ready to go home yet,’ Alice-Miranda explained.

  ‘Poor man.’ Miss Reedy shook her head. ‘It sounds like he’s in shock. I don’t think he knows what’s good for him at all.’

  Miss Reedy stood up. ‘I’ll call Constable Derby and he can decide what’s best.’ She walked towards the telephone and was surprised to see it missing. She pursed her lips. ‘That’s strange. I could have sworn it was right there a moment ago.’

  She walked into Mrs Howard’s office, wondering if she’d put t
he handset down in there and forgotten about it. A quick scan revealed nothing.

  ‘One of the girls must have taken the phone to her room,’ she murmured as she walked back into the sitting room. ‘I’ve told them before that’s not on. You two run along and get changed and I’ll keep looking for the phone.’

  The two girls raced down the hall. Jacinta heard the footsteps and told her mother that she had to go.

  Miss Reedy strode from room to room checking for the missing telephone. She was stunned when she opened Jacinta’s bedroom door to find the girl lying on her bed, headphones in and reading a book.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ Miss Reedy shouted.

  Jacinta pulled out the earphones and frowned at the teacher.

  ‘Is it dinner?’ she asked innocently.

  ‘Yes, fifteen minutes ago.’

  ‘I didn’t hear the bell,’ Jacinta replied with a shrug.

  ‘Well, you can get going over there right now,’ the teacher said. ‘And have you seen the house phone?’

  Jacinta shook her head.

  Miss Reedy spun around and caught sight of the handset poking out from under a pile of papers on Sloane’s desk.

  ‘I’ve told Sloane Sykes before that she doesn’t have sole rights to the telephone!’ Miss Reedy snatched it up and stalked out of the room.

  Jacinta shuffled off her bed and slipped on her loafers before following Miss Reedy down the corridor.

  Back in the office, Miss Reedy telephoned Constable Derby, who was relieved and amazed to hear her news.

  Ambrosia Headlington-Bear had been busy trying to finish her article outlining clothing and packing tips for an island holiday when Jacinta called. She’d been hoping to get it finished that evening – it shouldn’t have been difficult, given she’d been on so many tropical getaways over the past few years. But those days were gone – there was no money for research at the moment. Ambrosia wondered how Myrtle Parker would react to the good news. She pulled on her boots, threw on a coat and snatched up an umbrella.

  Across the road, she could see a light on in Myrtle’s sitting room. She skipped up the porch stairs and rang the bell.