Alice-Miranda At School (9 page)

The girls left the assembly hall in silence. It was the first time Miss Reedy could remember not having to ask them to hold their chatter until they got outside. It was only as the girls spilled into the bright sunshine that they regained the use of their tongues.

‘What was all that?' Millie grabbed Alice-Miranda's arm and guided her towards the notice-boards.

‘What have you done to Miss Grimm, Alice-Miranda?' asked Madeline as she caught up. ‘All
those rules and they only apply to you.'

‘I can't imagine,' Alice-Miranda smiled. ‘But it's all right. Miss Grimm wants me to prove I deserve to be here, so that's what I'll do.'

Millie shook her head. ‘But all those things you have to do. I don't think many of us could manage them. I hate camping. All those bugs and things. Ick!'

‘I don't mind.' Alice-Miranda was eager to find out about her lessons. She ran her finger down the list to see where her first class was. To her great delight she was going to English and her teacher was Miss Reedy. She wasn't about to let Miss Grimm's new rules upset her. Goodness, there were far more important things to think about. At least Miss Reedy was still teaching English, even if it was to the youngest girls rather than the senior classes. Alice-Miranda was looking forward to meeting her.

Just as she was about to look for her classroom, a shadow fell across her face. Alethea stepped into her path, her three followers lined up behind her. Alethea's shiny Head Prefect badge glinted in the sunlight, the newest trophy to adorn her royal blue blazer.

‘There you are, little girl. Didn't I tell you
yesterday that you have to do everything I say? And now I have the badge to prove it.' Alethea smiled, her thin lips curling smugly. ‘When will you be delivering that special mineral water,
from Switzerland
?' she mimicked. ‘I think I might like some right about … NOW!'

‘Oh, hello Alethea. Congratulations, what a lovely honour. Perhaps I might get to be Head Prefect one day. I'd love it, you know, but Mummy says that with privilege comes responsibility. So I suppose that really means you have to be the most responsible girl in the whole school. That's big isn't it?' asked Alice-Miranda. ‘Of course you can have my mineral water – I wouldn't have offered it if I didn't mean for you to have it, but I will have to bring it to you after lessons.'

Alethea crossed her arms and blocked Alice-Miranda's path.

‘I want it now!' Her eyebrows arched menacingly.

‘She wants it now!' the three marionettes chorused from behind her.

‘Alethea, I
will
bring it to you. I promise. But I really must go to class. I would hate to be late on my first day.' With this Alice-Miranda began to move off.

‘Don't you walk away from me!' Alethea shouted. ‘You have to do everything
I
say and
I
say
go and get my mineral water
.' Alethea's face resembled an angry bulldog's.

The courtyard, which had been buzzing with girls' chatter, was suddenly silent.

‘Leave her alone,' said Millie, and grabbed Alice-Miranda's arm to lead her away.

‘Who are you again? Oh that's right – it's the freckle-faced freak from the farm.' Alethea's words sliced through the air like a warm knife through a slab of butter.

‘Alethea, that was awfully unkind. Millie is just trying to help. There's no need to call her names.' Alice-Miranda moved closer to Alethea. Everyone else reeled backwards, not daring to imagine what might happen next.

‘GET ME MY MINERAL WATER!' Alethea leaned forward and screamed into Alice-Miranda's face. Her blonde hair was standing on end and you could almost see sparks zapping from her tongue.

Miss Higgins, who had been on her way to see Mrs Oliver about the luncheon menu, heard the noise and stopped in her tracks. ‘Oh dear, this is going to be bad, very bad.' She had seen it all too
many times before. She ran on her high heels to where the girls were frozen to the spot.

‘There you are, Alice-Miranda.' She swiftly put herself between the two girls. ‘You need to come with me.'

And with that Miss Higgins grabbed Alice-Miranda's tiny hand and wrenched her from the heart of danger.

When they were safely out of sight, Miss Higgins stopped and turned to Alice-Miranda. She crouched down, her blue eyes meeting Alice-Miranda's brown saucers.

‘Sweetheart, you really mustn't upset Alethea – especially now that she's Head Girl.' Miss Higgins pushed a stray curl behind Alice-Miranda's ear.

‘It's all right, Miss Higgins. I'm not afraid of her. I promised her my mineral water and she just asked for it.'

Without warning, Alice-Miranda leaned forward and gave Miss Higgins a hug.

Miss Higgins smiled in surprise. ‘Oh, what's that for?'

‘Because everyone needs a hug sometimes,' Alice-Miranda smiled back.

‘Well, off you go to class. You don't want to
keep Miss Reedy waiting.' Miss Higgins straightened Alice-Miranda's blazer.

‘How did you know that I have English with Miss Reedy?'

‘I told you I have a very important job to do. One of the tasks is keeping a close eye on you girls.' Miss Higgins stood up. ‘What about if I walk you to class? I can show you exactly where the room is.' She wanted to see Alice-Miranda safely out of Alethea's way, at least for the next couple of hours.

‘That's very kind, Miss Higgins, but you really don't have to. I'm sure it's not hard to find and I know you have a thousand other more important things to be doing,' said Alice-Miranda. She checked her pigtails and retied one of her ribbons.

‘It's no bother at all. I was on my way to see Mrs Oliver. She is a darling woman and a jolly good cook too. Your classroom is on the way, just over there.' Miss Higgins pointed.

Alice-Miranda looked up. ‘Well, if it's really no bother. Thank you.' She held Miss Higgins's hand and they walked together across the courtyard.

Meanwhile, in the depths of her wardrobe, Ophelia Grimm was monitoring the screens. Although she had cameras concealed in various
locations, only some were connected to pick up sound. She had watched the angry scene between Alice-Miranda and Alethea. No doubt the little brat had broken some school rule and needed to be chastised. Yes, she thought to herself, Alethea was an excellent choice for Head Prefect.

It was fortunate for Alice-Miranda that Miss Grimm had been called away to the bathroom when Miss Higgins received her hug. Goodness only knows what kind of trouble there might have been for both of them if Miss Grimm had seen such outrageous affection.

By the end of her first week, Alice-Miranda was tired but truly happy. Her teachers were very clever and the lessons were so much more interesting than at her old school, where she always felt a bit like the nanny in the nursery. The children at Ellery Prep were fun and she had loads of lovely friends but they all seemed so young. Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale couldn't have suited her any better. She especially loved her English lessons with Miss Reedy, who knew more about books than anyone she had ever met.

Alice-Miranda called her parents once each day and was always greeted with, ‘Oh darling, so it really is awful? We'll come and get you straight away.' To which she would tell them that she was having the most wonderful time and they should stop worrying. She often thought to herself that for grown-ups, they could be very hard to manage.

With Millie's help she had delivered the mineral water and it seemed that for now Alethea was happy to leave her alone. Perhaps that was because Miss Higgins had decided that the best way to keep Alethea away from Alice-Miranda was to give Alethea as many duties as she could possibly find. Never mind that she spent her entire life moaning and complaining that what was the use of being Head Prefect if you had to do all of the work? She didn't do it anyway; she just passed her jobs to Lizzy, Danika and Shelby, who for the moment felt very powerful and important by virtue of being Alethea's best friends.

Mrs Oliver's first full week had been a cracking success. The girls devoured their dinners and often went back for more. Miss Higgins thought that perhaps when Mrs Smith returned, Mrs Oliver might stay on for another week to teach her some new recipes – if that were all right with Alice-Miranda's parents, of course.

Mr Charles was having a wonderful time in the garden working alongside Mr Greening and his men. The two of them had spent almost a whole day planning the colour schemes and layouts. Mr Charles was still scared stiff that it might cost him his job, but the joy of having flowers back at Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale made it all worthwhile.

Every afternoon at 4 pm Alice-Miranda would stop into the greenhouse and he would give her a full update on what had been planted where, and when the flowers would bloom. She made him a cup of tea and brought over a little napkin filled with whatever delicious treat Mrs Oliver had given her from the kitchen. There was tea bun and vanilla slice and one day she surprised him with a huge piece of chocolate cake.

‘Where did that come from?' he marvelled as she unwrapped the sticky treasure.

‘It's Ivory's birthday today so Mrs Oliver baked her the most delicious chocolate cake with cream frosting. You should have seen the look on Alethea's face when she saw it. She immediately demanded that for her birthday next month she wanted a cake twice the size and it had to be decorated entirely with chocolate freckles,' Alice-Miranda giggled when she told him.

‘She's a greedy one, that Alethea.' Charlie shovelled the gooey confection into his mouth.

Alice-Miranda laughed when she saw him.

He realised what she was laughing at. ‘And I'm a one to talk.' He smiled as he licked his fingers, making sure there was not one crumb wasted.

Alice-Miranda's strange feeling had all but disappeared in the past week. The only time it niggled was when she thought about Miss Grimm, sitting alone in her study. She tried not to let it bother her but she couldn't help wondering what it was that kept the headmistress so busy all the time. She had tried to see her several times during the week, particularly to ask if she might change her mind about Jacinta and the championships. But each time she went to the office, Miss Higgins insisted that Miss Grimm was too busy. She wrote a letter and left it with Miss Higgins but didn't hear a thing.

Alice-Miranda felt terrible for Jacinta and went to talk to her. Jacinta's face was puffy from crying but she thanked Alice-Miranda for trying and said that she would keep up her training just in case she might be allowed to go at the last minute.

By the end of the week Alice-Miranda understood a little better about Miss Grimm being busy. Her
own days were full to the brim and she always went to bed exhausted.

During the week, Miss Grimm had watched carefully as life moved on around her. That impudent child didn't seem to be causing any real trouble, but she had wondered what all the fuss was in the grounds – trucks coming and going and men all over the place.

It was fortunate for Charlie that they were planting seedlings and bulbs, which weren't yet visible in the gardens. When Miss Grimm asked Miss Higgins what was going on out there, she was told that Charlie was having some help laying out new irrigation. Miss Higgins hated lying but there was nothing to be gained in upsetting Miss Grimm. Far better to let the flowers speak for themselves in a few months' time. Anyway, Miss Higgins thought, by the time the flowers bloomed, she would be married. And in all likelihood the teachers and girls at Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale would have to look after themselves.

And then there was the business of Alice-Miranda's academic suitability test. Miss Grimm decided that she alone would set the test. It would have to be done on the Monday of the second week of term. Better not to let the little terror become too attached to her new surroundings.