Alice-Miranda on Vacation

by Jacqueline Harvey

  “Is anyone there?” She scampered to the landing. From Daisy’s bedroom at the end of the hall she heard a scratching noise. “Hello?” she called. It seemed to be coming from inside the wardrobe.

  Alice-Miranda strode into the room and wrenched open the cedar door.

  “Mr. Pippin, what on earth are you doing in here? You poor man—you must be famished. Come on out of there.” Alice-Miranda reached into the cupboard and gathered Mr. Pippin into her arms. He began to purr loudly.

  Downstairs a door slammed.

  “Granny,” she called. “Are you all right?”

  Alice-Miranda immediately put Mr. Pippin down on Daisy’s bed and headed for the stairs. A snore from the front room told her that Granny was still fast asleep.

  Alice-Miranda bounded down the stairs to the utility room. She wrenched open the back door and poked her head outside. The black car was still there, but there was no sign of anyone. She was about to take a proper look around when the sound of Bonaparte whinnying with great gusto convinced her otherwise.

  “Okay, okay, I’m coming,” she called, and retreated to the kitchen, where she began to rummage through the refrigerator, looking for a carrot. In the crisper she found half a cabbage, some potatoes, a few brussels sprouts and finally several carrots. As she reached in for one she noticed something else in the bottom of the drawer. It looked like a folded newspaper, but when she took it out she realized that it was a rather yellowed set of drawings. She placed the tattered documents and a large carrot on the kitchen table before closing the fridge door.

  Alice-Miranda opened the drawings and discovered that they were plans. Looking at their color and condition she thought they were quite likely the original drawings of Rose Cottage and the gatehouse. There was a plan of the stables as well.

  “What a curious place to keep these,” she said to herself. Alice-Miranda thought that she must tell Daisy about what she had found—and ask her about the car and its owner too.

  Granny Bert was still snoring loudly. Alice-Miranda folded the plans and laid them in the middle of the table. “I’ll come back later, Granny,” she whispered before heading out through the kitchen door.

  “Bony, look what I’ve found,” Alice-Miranda called, waving the carrot in the air. She was surprised when he did not reply. “Bonaparte, I’ve got you a fat carrot.”

  Alice-Miranda rounded the path to find that Bonaparte was gone. She ran to the gate, expecting that he had somehow managed to get loose and that she would find him grazing along the side of the lane, but he was nowhere to be seen.

  “Bonaparte!” she called. “Bony!” Alice-Miranda scampered down to the sheds to see if he had got into the feed. He wasn’t there. She darted to the other side of Rose Cottage, where lush grass grew along the edge of the fence. “Oh no! The cabbages!” She clutched her hands to her face.

  Alice-Miranda raced as quickly as she could to Mr. Greening’s prized vegetable patch. It was hidden farther along the path behind the machinery shed. The gate was open, and there, in the middle of the cabbages, Bonaparte was chomping at pace.

  “You naughty boy!” She charged into the patch and snatched up the reins. “How did you get in here?” Alice-Miranda tugged hard, trying to lift his head, but a determined pony is no match for a slight girl of seven and a half. “Bonaparte,” she gasped. “Come on!”

  From the corner of her eye Alice-Miranda noticed a figure. She looked up to see Lucas straddling the fence.

  “Hello, Lucas, thank goodness you’re here. Could you help me with Bonaparte, please?” she asked.

  “Why?” He glared. “He’s your pony.”

  “Yes, but he’s very strong, especially when he’s eating cabbages. I’d be very grateful if you could come and help me,” she tried again.

  “No,” he replied.

  “I can’t imagine how he got in here—look at the size of that new bolt,” Alice-Miranda puffed.

  “Don’t look at me.” Lucas sneered.

  “Lucas, please can you help me?” Alice-Miranda begged.

  He swung his leg over and sat on top of the rail. “I’d rather just watch. Why don’t you call your boyfriend? I’m sure little Jas would love to rescue you.”

  “Lucas, Jasper is not my boyfriend. I’d really appreciate it if you would stop teasing. Anyway, I don’t know where he is, and after what happened earlier I think he’s quite upset with me,” Alice-Miranda began.

  “Why would I stop teasing you? You’re a stuck-up little princess who lives in a castle,” Lucas snarled.

  “Lucas, with all respect, you don’t even know me. And I’m not a princess and we don’t live in a castle at all. Mummy and Daddy’s friend Lord Gisborne lives in a castle—not a very big one, but it does have a moat, and Aunty Gee, well, she has several palaces and they even have dungeons and armor and that sort of thing, but we live in a Hall and there is a big difference,” Alice-Miranda chattered.

  She tugged at Bonaparte’s bridle and managed to get him to lift his head ever so slightly before he plunged it back into the middle of a half-chewed cabbage.

  “Listen to you,” Lucas scoffed. “I’m not a princess and we don’t live in a castle—it’s a Hall,” he mocked her. “You don’t even know how spoilt you are. You make me sick.” He leapt from the top rail and hit the ground outside the fence. “I’d help you if I could be bothered—but I can’t!” he spat before stalking off around the corner of the shed.

  Alice-Miranda let him go. For now she had to get Bonaparte out of the cabbages or he could be in real trouble—his feast would almost surely give him colic, and Mr. Greening would be cross about the mess he’d made.

  “Do you need zum help zere, Alice-Miranda?” a thickly accented voice called from the back of the machinery shed. It was Heinrich, Jasper and Poppy’s father.

  “Oh, Heinrich, yes, thank you. He’s such a little monster and I just can’t lift his head,” she said, still tugging ferociously.

  Heinrich marched into the patch and jerked Bonaparte’s head upward. Bonaparte’s ears flattened and he snorted. With a tight grip on the reins, Heinrich led him out of the garden with Alice-Miranda following a safe distance from his hind legs.

  “One zing’s for sure.” Heinrich handed the reins to Alice-Miranda as he closed the gate and secured the latch. “Someone left zat gate open—even Houdini horse here could not have opened it himself.”

  “Oh.” Alice-Miranda contemplated this. “I thought I had tied him up pretty well at Granny Bert’s too.”

  “Vell, you best take him home and I vill call Max to get Dr. Vanner. You know zat pony just has to look at a cabbage and he gets ze colic,” Heinrich warned. “Alzough last time he got in zere, vhile you vere at school, he just got very bad vind.” He laughed.

  “Thank you, Heinrich.” Alice-Miranda smiled as she began to lead Bonaparte down the path to the lane. She turned back. “Heinrich, Lucas was here before.”

  Heinrich shook his head. “Zat boy is none of your concern, miss. Zum zings are best left alone.”

  “I’m worried about him,” Alice-Miranda said gently. “And I’d really like to be his friend—if he’d let me.”

  “You’re a good girl, Alice-Miranda. For your own sake, stay avay from him for ze moment. He’s got a lot on his mind for a young boy. But vun day, I’m sure he’ll come right,” Heinrich advised.

  This time she did not argue.

  Alice-Miranda led Bonaparte past the machinery shed and Rose Cottage. Her thoughts were racing—she was thinking about Granny, worrying about Bony and wondering who on earth owned that car.

  They walked quickly back along the laneway and into the drive. Mr. Greening had disappeared—she would find him and apologize for Bonaparte’s bad behavior later. She led the pony up the long driveway and around to the stables, where Max was waiting.

  “I can’t believe he’s done it again.” He shook his head. “Dr. Wanner is on his way—I’ll keep walking fat boy until he gets here.”

  “I can do that,” Alice-Mira
nda offered. “It’s my fault he got into the patch—I should have tied him up more firmly.”

  “It’s all right, miss. I’ll take him.” Max took the reins.

  “At least let me help you get his saddle off. I can give him a bit of a rub—hopefully push some of that wind through.” Alice-Miranda patted Bony’s shoulder as she spoke. “He can’t have been in there for very long. I was only inside with Granny for ten minutes at most. She was sound asleep.”

  “Last time he ate half the vegetable patch, so it sounds like we might get off a bit easier this time—although I’m still not looking forward to the air in here tonight.” Max rolled his eyes. “You know, I gave him a new name when it happened before—Bonafarte.” Max laughed at his own joke.

  Alice-Miranda giggled. “My friend Millie would love that,” she replied.

  Max led the swelling beast into the stables and eased his bridle off, putting his halter and lead rope on. Bony stood relatively still, although when he began lifting his back leg and trying to kick at his stomach, it was clear that his feast was starting to have an ill effect. Alice-Miranda undid the girth strap and Max lifted the saddle off and placed it in the tack room. He retrieved a brush and handed it to Alice-Miranda, who began stroking Bonaparte’s neck. When she reached his back he started to flinch, and when she touched his stomach he snapped at her head, grabbing a few strands of curly hair.

  “Ow,” Alice-Miranda squealed. “It’s not my fault you have a tummyache, you greedy guts.”

  “Best stay away from his belly,” Max advised. “It’s all right, here’s Dr. Wanner now.”

  “Morning, all.” Dr. Wanner gathered his black bag from the front seat of the Land Cruiser and strode into the stables. “Now, Bonaparte,” he said, addressing the horse. “What have you been up to this time?”

  He examined Bonaparte thoroughly and got a nip and a kick for his trouble.

  “I think he’ll be fine—just keep a close eye on him and don’t let him lie down,” Dr. Wanner concluded as he gently stroked Bonaparte’s nose. “But you must keep him away from the vegetables, Alice-Miranda. He just can’t help himself, and I’d hate to see anything happen to the little beast.”

  Bonaparte bared his teeth in reply.

  “Thank you, Dr. Wanner.” Alice-Miranda smiled. “Somehow I don’t think this was all his own doing.”

  “No, someone must have left the gate open—I saw the size of that bolt Mr. Greening installed after the last incident when I was checking on one of the cows the other week. Anyway, must be off—the rector’s hens have stopped laying, and he’s complaining that he hasn’t had a decent breakfast in weeks.” Dr. Wanner gathered his bag and headed back to the car.

  “I’ll stay with him now,” said Max as he rubbed Bony’s ears.

  “Well, if you’re sure. I might go and see how Jacinta is getting on, and then I will have to find Mr. Greening and apologize for Bony’s path of destruction.” Alice-Miranda walked around and blew gently into Bonaparte’s nose. He nuzzled her back. “Now, you be a good boy and stay out of trouble,” she whispered, “even though I don’t think this is all your fault.”

  Her earlier encounter with Lucas had given her a very uneasy feeling, and although she didn’t like to, she couldn’t help but wonder if he might have had something to do with Bony’s unscheduled visit to the vegetable patch.

  Alice-Miranda now had lots of things to do. First she wanted to check on Jacinta, then she had to apologize to Mr. Greening, talk to Daisy—and Lily too if she could find her—make up with Jasper and see Lucas. Later, when her father and Mr. Ridley returned, she planned to ask Mr. Ridley about the real reason he was here. And then there was that black car and its mysterious owner. It was wonderful to be home from school, but she couldn’t believe how busy she was—there was certainly no time to relax.

  She bounded off to see Jacinta.

  “Hello.” Jacinta looked up from her book, then sneezed loudly.

  “Bless you,” Alice-Miranda replied. “Are you feeling any better?”

  “No, I’m worse.” Jacinta sniffled into a tissue. “But I can’t complain about the food.” She nodded toward the tea tray on the table beside the bed. It was laden with egg sandwiches, honey crumpets and a large piece of chocolate cake. “Trouble is, I don’t feel much like eating. I hope Mrs. Oliver won’t be upset.”

  “Of course not,” Alice-Miranda replied as she picked up a sandwich and began to nibble.

  “What have you been doing?” Jacinta asked.

  “Well, I took Bonaparte for a ride and we saw Mr. Greening and then I went to find Lily but I decided I should visit Granny Bert first but she was asleep and then Bony got into the vegetable patch and he was being such a brute and then Lucas wouldn’t help me but luckily Heinrich did, so I walked Bony home and Dr. Wanner’s just been to see him to make sure he doesn’t get colic. Oh, and I saw a big black car parked around the back of Rose Cottage—I think it might have been the same one that nearly ran us over in the lane yesterday.” Alice-Miranda finally ran out of steam.

  “Who does it belong to?” Jacinta demanded.

  “I don’t know.” Alice-Miranda kicked off her boots and climbed onto the bed, tucking her knees underneath her. “I was on my way to see Granny when I spotted it. When I went inside she was sitting in the front room dozing. It was a little odd: she had a steaming cup of tea beside her and she was fast asleep,” Alice-Miranda mused. “And I thought I heard footsteps on the upstairs landing, so I went up to take a look around.”

  Jacinta’s eyes widened. “Was someone in the house? Perhaps they were upstairs snooping about and they made Granny Bert a cup of tea with something in it to put her to sleep.”

  “I don’t think so.” Alice-Miranda grinned. “I’m sure there was no one there,” she said firmly, trying to convince herself. But the creaking floorboards and slamming door didn’t do anything to support her argument. “I’m sure it was just the old house grumbling and groaning. If you lie here in the quiet for long enough, the Hall will start talking to you too. Oh, and Mr. Pippin was locked in Daisy’s wardrobe.”

  “Who’s Mr. Pippin?” Jacinta sat forward.

  “Daisy’s funny old dribbly cat,” Alice-Miranda replied. “Anyway, I don’t think Granny and Daisy have anything anyone would want to snoop around for.”

  As those words slipped from her mouth, Alice-Miranda remembered the plans. She had assumed that Granny had put them in the crisper by mistake, but now she wasn’t so sure. And she had put them out on the kitchen table for anyone to see. All at once, she had a very bad feeling.

  “You should go back and see what you can find,” Jacinta urged. “I’d love to come, but Mrs. Oliver has called the doctor to see me—in case it’s the flu or something. I hate being sick,” she said with a cough. “It’s so unfair to miss all the fun.”

  “Okay. I’ll head over and check on Granny again now.” Alice-Miranda was a little relieved to have an excuse to go and ask about the plans. “Just in case you’re right, which I’m sure you’re not. Who’d want to hurt Granny? And besides, I think she’s very capable of looking after herself.”

  “She’d send robbers running for cover just to get away from all that whining.” Jacinta let out a giggle, which dissolved into a cough like the bark of a seal.

  Alice-Miranda slid off the side of the bed. “Can I get you anything?” she asked.

  “Glass of water,” Jacinta wheezed. Her nose was getting redder by the minute. She took a sip. “Just go and find out who owns that black car.” Jacinta managed a half smile before burrowing down into the mountain of pillows behind her. “And then come back and tell me all about it.”

  Alice-Miranda charged off into the garden, heading for Rose Cottage.

  It was quite a long walk, but her legs carried her swiftly through the meadow. All the while she kept an eye out for Jasper and Poppy, and Lucas. Scampering over the stile, she ran down the laneway toward Rose Cottage. There was no sign of the black car.

  “Granny, are you th
ere?” she called as she clattered through the side door and into the kitchen.

  “Of course I’m here.” Granny Bert was sitting in the very same place she had been before. “I’ve been trying to have a nap, but with all that noise, I fear I’ll never get any rest,” she grumbled.

  “But I came a while ago and you were sound asleep. Right here.” Alice-Miranda plonked onto the armchair beside her.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, young lady. I have been wide awake all morning. I’ve not even had a cup of tea, with Daisy up there at the Hall helping your mother.”

  Alice-Miranda looked over to the table where she had seen the cup of tea with her own eyes. It was gone. She ran to the kitchen. The cup was nowhere to be seen. And the plans were missing too.

  Alice-Miranda sighed. “I must be losing my mind.”

  “Do you think you could put the pot on, young lady?” Granny called.

  Alice-Miranda was lost in her thoughts. She replayed the events of her previous visit. There was a cup of tea on that side table and Granny was asleep and she most certainly had left those plans in the middle of the kitchen table.

  “Did you hear me?” Granny called again.

  Alice-Miranda looked up. “Sorry, what did you say?”

  “Are you deaf, dear?” Granny growled. “I asked if you could possibly make me a cup of tea. I’m rather parched. And I wouldn’t mind some of that lovely lemon cake too if there’s any left.”

  “Of course.” Alice-Miranda pulled the footstool over to the kitchen sink and began to fill the kettle. She touched the side of the metal vessel—it was still just slightly warm. She wasn’t going mad at all. Someone had been in the house earlier, and she was determined to find out who it was and what they were doing there.

  Alice-Miranda made Granny her tea and cut a very large slice of lemon cake. Although Granny protested loudly that she would never eat that much in a month, she managed to plow through it all and asked if there might be a couple of biscuits she could have by her side—just in case Daisy was late getting home. Alice-Miranda asked Granny if she had had any visitors that morning.