Alice-Miranda At School (7 page)

Alice-Miranda and Millie carried Miss Grimm's tea tray as though they were in charge of the Queen's own supper. At one point Millie stumbled on a stone and for a second it looked as if the whole thing might topple into the garden.

‘That was close,' Alice-Miranda gasped as they regained control of the tray.

As the girls neared the office Alice-Miranda wondered if Miss Higgins would be very cross. She hoped she mightn't be too upset, seeing as though
they were saving her the bother of delivering Miss Grimm's supper.

The door to Miss Higgins's office was closed. There was a sign hanging from the knob.

Alice-Miranda was intrigued. ‘I wonder what sort of family business Miss Higgins has been called to?'

‘Alethea's pillows probably need plumping or she's run out of wardrobe space,' Millie laughed.

‘Surely not!' Alice-Miranda exclaimed. ‘Miss
Higgins has far more important jobs than fussing over Alethea.'

Millie raised an eyebrow. ‘I wouldn't bet on it.'

Alice-Miranda instructed Millie to set the tray down on the table outside Miss Higgins's door. She clasped the brass knob and to her surprise found the door unlocked. Alice-Miranda dragged a chair over to prop open the door and the girls carefully picked up the tray and walked inside, setting it down again on the corner of Miss Higgins's desk.

‘I always wondered what it was like in here.' Millie walked around inspecting this and that. She picked up a small brass elephant from the corner of Miss Higgins's desk.

‘We really shouldn't touch anything,' said Alice-Miranda. ‘I can't believe you've never been in here. Miss Higgins is so lovely, and helpful too.'

‘Well, I suppose I've just never really had any reason to come in here.' Millie walked around, her forefinger skimming the desk as though she was a maid checking for dust.

There was a sliver of light coming from under the door to Miss Grimm's study.

‘So is that where she is?' whispered Millie, her face turning ghostly white.

‘Who? Oh you mean Miss Grimm.' Alice-Miranda nodded. ‘I'll knock and see if she's about. If she's not in we can just leave the tray on her desk. She must be expecting it soon anyway.'

‘Are you sure?' Millie whispered. ‘Perhaps we could just leave the tray out here and push a note under the door.'

‘Don't be silly. I'd hate for Miss Grimm's dinner to get cold. I can't imagine she'd be very pleased with Mrs Oliver. There's nothing to be afraid of, really,' Alice-Miranda said reassuringly.

She tapped gently on the door. There was no answer so she turned the handle and popped her head inside.

‘Hello, Miss Grimm? Are you there?'

She was greeted by silence.

‘Come on, let's just take the tray in and go,' Millie urged from behind.

‘Helloooo, Miss Grimm?' Alice-Miranda took a few steps inside. Although it was summer, a fire danced in the hearth. The black marble mantle glinted darkly. Miss Grimm's enormous desk sat proudly to the left of the double entrance doors. To the right were two dark green leather chesterfield lounges and a high-backed armchair in a stern
navy stripe. On the facing wall a solid mahogany bookcase filled with classic tales groaned under its weight of wisdom. It struck Alice-Miranda that the room quite resembled her father's study. Even the curtains, though elegant in design, were heavy and dark.

Alice-Miranda spied another door at the opposite end of the room which looked to be slightly ajar. She headed towards it.

‘Alice-Miranda, come back!' Millie whispered urgently.

‘Miss Grimm. Helloooo. We've brought your tea tray. It smells utterly delicious. Are you there?' Alice-Miranda called.

She was about to put her hand on the knob when suddenly the door burst open. She was almost bowled over but managed to jump out of the way just in time. Over by the other door Millie trembled like jelly.

‘What are you doing in here?' Miss Grimm demanded.

‘Oh, hello Miss Grimm. There you are. I was rather hoping to see you in the garden this afternoon but I imagine, being the start of term and all, that you have loads of things to do. Life is always so busy
for grown-ups. Millie and I have brought your dinner and it's a lovely one too.'

Miss Grimm sniffed the air. The faint waft of Irish stew caused her stomach to groan.

‘Was that your tummy rumbling? You'll love this – its Mrs Oliver's famous family recipe. No one in the world makes a better Irish stew. Even when I went to Ireland last year with Mummy and Daddy and we went to this ever so posh restaurant with Earl O'Connor, the Irish stew wasn't as good as our Dolly's. Of course, I didn't tell them so because that wouldn't have been polite,' Alice-Miranda smiled. ‘Anyway, Millie and I will just bring the tray through for you. Where would you like it?' Alice-Miranda thought she could hear a very loud clock but realised when she turned around that it was actually Millie's knees knocking together.

‘How dare you enter my study without my permission, Alice-Matilda!' Miss Grimm drew her lips together tightly. She stood with her hands on her suited hips. Her eyebrows furrowed fiercely above eyes the colour of coal.

‘Please, Miss Grimm, I'm Alice-Miranda, not Matilda. I know it must be terribly hard to remember all of the girls' names. I met so many girls today I
knew that if I didn't make up some rhymes I would never remember them. Perhaps it could help you too. So there's Madeline Bloom
in the very next room
and Susannah Dare
with curly hair
, Ivory Hicks
who does magic tricks
and Ashima Divall
who is beautifully tall
. Maybe you could remember me with something like, Alice-Miranda
out on the veranda
. Miranda's a hard name to put rhymes with and if you tried to do it for Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones you might not remember it at all.' Alice-Miranda skipped back to fetch the tea tray.

‘Who's on the veranda?' Miss Grimm snarled.

‘Well, I'm not really on the veranda but it's just a way to remember my name,' Alice-Miranda laughed.

‘We'll just get your dinner, Miss Grimm,' Alice-Miranda called as she and Millie steadily lifted the tray and walked towards the huge mahogany desk.

‘Over there!' Miss Grimm commanded, her eyes wide and mouth gaping as she pointed at the low table in front of the chesterfields.

‘That's a lovely spot to have your dinner,' said Alice-Miranda. ‘This is such a grand room. Although it would look even better with some flowers. Just look at how that orchid brightens the whole place.'
Alice-Miranda nodded at the tea tray with the single orchid stem. ‘And some photographs. That's what you need. Some pictures of your family and perhaps some of your adventures on holiday. My daddy's study is quite like this, but I couldn't think what the difference was and then it just came to me. Daddy has tons of photos of me and Mummy and some of the places we've visited and all of our special friends. That's what's missing …'

‘OUT!' Miss Grimm roared, pointing a long red talon towards the door. ‘Where is that woman? Probably run off to get married I should think … useless good-for-nothing,' she murmured under her breath.

‘Oh, that's silly, Miss Grimm. Miss Higgins wouldn't go off and get married without inviting you. She's attending to some sort of unexpected emergency,' explained Alice-Miranda.

Miss Grimm couldn't believe this child. What a ridiculous notion – that she might be invited to a wedding. Let alone that she might actually
go
.

‘That will be all, Alice-Mat– Miranda.' She gritted her teeth.

Millie had already escaped to Miss Higgins's office. Alice-Miranda turned and smiled at Miss Grimm.

‘Enjoy your dinner, Miss Grimm. I will see you tomorrow – I'm so excited about the start of school I don't think I'll be able to sleep very much at all. I hope you can sleep.' Alice-Miranda straightened a cushion and began to retreat to the main doors.

‘Of course I can sleep. Why wouldn't I?' Miss Grimm said, thinking aloud. She hadn't really meant to ask a question at all.

‘Well, it must be terribly exciting to see all of the girls after they've been away on such a long holiday. All those lovely adventures to hear about and so many exciting things to look forward to. And the teachers are no doubt thrilled to be back with the girls and teaching their favourite subjects. Oh, that reminds me. I saw Miss Reedy and Mr Plumpton earlier and they were both very upset. Apparently they have been directed to teach subjects they are not at all used to, and, well, it does seem a little silly to have Mr Plumpton, a Science teacher with such enthusiasm for Science, teaching Drama. He says he knows nothing about
that
at all. And Miss Reedy said that she's going to be taking junior Mathematics and I understand she usually teaches senior English. Is it possible that someone made a mistake with that?' Alice-Miranda looked Miss Grimm right in the eye as she spoke.

‘A mistake! A mistake! How dare you suggest such a thing? I don't make mistakes, Alice-Miranda. They will do as they are told and I will hear no more of it.' Miss Grimm's mouth was agape, showing a gleaming set of teeth to rival an Amazonian piranha.

‘Well, perhaps they could come and talk to you about it. It does seem awfully silly and they are both so … passionate. I'll tell them to make a time with Miss Higgins tomorrow. Well … I'm sorry to prattle on, Miss Grimm. Your dinner will be getting cold and it really is much better nice and warm. See you tomorrow.' And with that Alice-Miranda turned on her heel and skipped out the door, pulling it closed behind her.

Miss Grimm strode forward and snapped the lock. Her mind was racing. This child, this tiny little girl with chocolate curls and eyes as round as saucers was turning her life on its head. Putting all sorts of nonsensical ideas into her mind. Photographs – what need did she have of photographs? A sharp memory invaded her thoughts. She pushed it away as quickly as it had come. People she loved, friends and holidays. Being excited about school. Good grief – there was nothing more dull than being at school.

That night Ophelia Grimm tossed and turned in her bed. The canopy heaved as she fought round after round with her feather pillows. Her sleep was alive with dreams. Dreams of children, of girls playing and laughing. The clanging of the school bell and a hundred pairs of feet running to their classrooms.

She awoke suddenly as though falling from a hole in the sky. Her brow was peppered with perspiration; her heart ready to leap from her chest. The first shards of daylight entered the room but it
took several minutes for her to realise that she was still in her very own bed where she had slept for the past fifteen years.

Her mind was racing. What did it all mean? She hadn't dreamt for years, certainly not about children. It was that child. It was Alice-Miranda or whatever her ridiculous name was. It was her fault and she had to be dealt with. Why she had agreed to allow the girl into the school in the first place was a mystery. She was obviously far too young and quite the most precocious brat Ophelia had ever come across. Once they were here though, they were awfully hard to get rid of.

Ophelia grimaced as a painful memory invaded her thoughts. Another child, so like this one, a child to love, so adorable but … It was too hard to think about. Her feelings had almost destroyed her. She couldn't allow it. She wouldn't allow it. This child had to go, no matter the cost.

She suddenly remembered the new hardware she'd had installed during the break. Higgins was becoming more and more unreliable. Sappy love-struck girl – one day she would learn that there was more to life than love. Ophelia got out of bed and marched to her walk-in closet. She reached up and
pressed the top button of her favourite vermilion Chanel suit. The rear wall slid apart to reveal a room, not large by any standards, but heaving under the weight of twenty-four video screens. Why she hadn't thought to do this sooner she really couldn't understand.