Alice-Miranda in Paris 7 (8 page)

Charlotte looked at the girl’s badge. ‘Thank you, Claudia.’

‘Enjoy your stay, madame,’ she smiled at Charlotte.

‘
Merci
, and I hope your day improves too,’ Charlotte replied. She grimaced as she caught sight of the publicist charging back towards the reception desk. ‘Good luck,’ she whispered.

Charlotte took the lift to the top floor. She swiped the key and entered the suite, dumping her bag in the bedroom before she walked to the door that led through to her sister’s room.

She knocked gently and turned the handle.

‘Hello Cee,’ she called.

Cecelia emerged from the bathroom. ‘Charlotte, darling, it’s so good to see you.’ The sisters embraced. ‘Gosh, I’ve missed you. Come and sit down. I’ve ordered tea and champagne. Should be here any minute.’

‘Tea, please,’ said Charlotte as she sank into the plush sofa.

‘So tell me, how are you? How’s Lawrence? Are you enjoying LA?’ Cecelia fired questions like bullets.

‘Good, good and yes, LA is lots of fun,’ Charlotte replied.

Cecelia looked at her. ‘You’re different, Cha. Have you done something to your hair?’

‘No, same as always. Perhaps it’s the fact that I’m pregnant.’ Charlotte beamed.

Cecelia squealed. ‘Oh, darling, that’s wonderful.’ She hugged her sister again and began to sniffle.

‘Cee, why are you crying?’ Charlotte admonished.

‘You know I always cry when I’m happy and this is just the best news,’ said Cecelia.

‘I’m afraid there’s more.’ Charlotte took her sister’s hands.

‘What?’ Cecelia looked concerned.

‘It’s not just one,’ Charlotte announced.

‘Oh my goodness, you’re having twins!’ Cecelia gasped. ‘Can you imagine how excited Alice-Miranda is going to be? She’s always wanted a brother or sister, and you know Hugh and I would have loved that too, but it wasn’t to be. Now she’s going to be like a mother hen to two little cousins at once. You know, between her and Mummy, they’ll have those babies sorted in no time.’

‘I hope Lucas is pleased too,’ Charlotte said.

‘Of course he will be.’ Cecelia nodded.

‘I just worry. He’s had a lot to deal with lately, finding out who his father is for a start, then a new stepmother and now two siblings in one go. It would be a lot for anyone to cope with.’

‘I think that young man’s far more resilient than anyone gives him credit for. I can’t imagine he’ll be anything other than thrilled,’ Cecelia said firmly.

‘Hello there, Master Sep,’ said Monsieur Crabbe. Sep was standing beside Lucas in the hotel foyer, waiting for the rest of the children to join them for their outing to the park.

Madame Crabbe popped her head up over the reception desk. ‘
Bonjour
, Sep.’ Her eyes fixed on Lucas. ‘Oh! And you must be Lawrence Ridley’s boy. So handsome, just like your father.’

Lucas’s ears turned pink. It was fun having a movie star for a father most of the time but some days it was downright embarrassing.

‘Did you see my picture?’ Madame Crabbe grabbed her framed photograph from the shelf behind her and made her way across the foyer. ‘Do you see who that is?’

Lucas looked at the photograph of his father next to a beaming Madame Crabbe. He thought his dad looked a little embarrassed too.

The lift bell rang and a group of children piled out.

‘Hey Alice-Miranda, come and say hello to Madame and Monsieur Crabbe,’ Sep called.

The tiny child bounced over and Madame Crabbe thrust the picture towards her. ‘You must be the little girl whose aunt is married to this handsome man!’

‘Yes, my name is Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones and I’m very pleased to meet you, Madame Crabbe, Monsieur Crabbe.’ She reached out to shake Madame’s hand and then smiled at the man who was still standing behind the reception desk.

‘Aren’t you just as cute as a button?’ The woman grabbed Alice-Miranda’s cheek and gave it a squeeze. ‘So your aunt is married to my love.’

Alice-Miranda giggled at the picture. ‘Yes, I’m afraid so. But I suspect you’re not the only woman in the world who’s disappointed about that.’

‘She is crazy.’ Monsieur Crabbe put his hands either side of his head and rolled his forefingers. ‘As if a man like him would ever be interested in an old woman like her.’

‘Oh!’ Madame Crabbe inhaled sharply. She turned and pulled a face at her husband. ‘You are so mean. Why shouldn’t I be married to a handsome man?’ she asked.

‘But my darling, you are,’ he raised his eyebrows up and down and blew her a kiss.

The children laughed. They hadn’t realised there would be entertainment before their outing to the park.

Madame Crabbe ignored her husband and looked at Alice-Miranda and Lucas. ‘May I have a picture with you two?’

‘Sure,’ they agreed.

While Madame Crabbe fussed about having the photo taken, Mr Plumpton and Miss Reedy had joined the children in the foyer and begun a head count. Susannah and Ashima had begged off the walk, complaining of headaches, so there were eighteen children in all.

‘Where’s Mr Lipp?’ Miss Reedy tapped the face of her watch. It was now almost quarter to five and they had planned to leave at least five minutes ago.

Just as she spoke there was an audible gasp as several of the children spotted him. Harry Lipp bounded down the stairs dressed in what looked like an orange velour leisure suit. He had matching orange trainers and a headband in the same bright shade.

‘Good grief, what
is
he wearing?’ Miss Reedy whispered.

‘Looking good, Mr Lipp,’ Rufus Pemberley called. He walked over to high-five the teacher, who realised quite late what the lad was doing. He raised his hand just in time to avoid being clobbered.

‘Yes, well, one does try to look the part.’ Mr Lipp began jogging up and down on the spot.

The group was interrupted by a growling noise and the sound of claws tripping over the tiled floor.

‘Lulu, stop right there,’ Monsieur Crabbe commanded. The little dog paid no attention. She raced over to Mr Lipp and began to bark noisily.

Monsieur Crabbe rushed after the dog. ‘I’m afraid she is upset that I haven’t taken her on a long enough walk today,’ he apologised. He was wondering if the man’s orange leisure suit may also have had something to do with Lulu’s distress, but he kept that to himself.

‘Oh, she’s gorgeous,’ said Alice-Miranda as she leaned down to give Lulu a pat.

‘Grandpa’s got a dog just like her,’ Millie said. ‘Is she a miniature dachshund?’

Monsieur Crabbe nodded. ‘
Oui
. Her name is Lulu.’

‘Like the hotel,’ Alice-Miranda said. Lulu had calmed down and was lapping up the attention as Alice-Miranda rubbed her ears and Millie stroked the top of her head. ‘Would you like us to take her to the park, Monsieur Crabbe?’

At the mention of the word park, Lulu began to wag her tail so hard it looked as if it was in danger of being shaken right off the end of her body.

Monsieur Crabbe frowned. ‘Oh, I’m not sure.’

Madame Crabbe reappeared, holding a different frame with the new photograph already inside. ‘Oh, Henri, please let the children take her. I’m sure they will look after her and bring her back in one piece.’

‘Yes, we promise we will, won’t we, Millie?’ said Alice-Miranda, nodding excitedly.

‘Children, we must get going, otherwise your run around might end up being just a walk there and back,’ Miss Reedy said.

Alice-Miranda stared up at Monsieur Crabbe, with her brown eyes as big as saucers.

‘Oh, all right, you can take her,’ the man relented. ‘I will just get her lead.’

Madame Crabbe was way ahead of her husband. ‘Here you are.’ She handed the green lead over to the girls. There were two plastic bags attached.

‘She might, you know . . .’ Monsieur Crabbe pointed at the bags.

Alice-Miranda nodded. ‘It’s all right. We know what to do.’

Monsieur Crabbe picked up Lulu and planted a kiss on the top of her furry head. ‘You be good for these little girls.’

‘They are going to the park, Henri, not to the moon. I don’t get that much attention when I visit my mother for a week,’ Madame Crabbe sighed.

‘Of course not,’ Henri Crabbe said. ‘That is because I am always hoping you will stay much longer.’

He then grabbed his wife around the waist and planted a kiss on her cheek.

‘See what I have to put up with?’ Madame Crabbe laughed.

The children giggled.

‘We won’t be too long,’ said Miss Reedy. She looked wistfully at the couple’s display and blushed. ‘And I’ll keep an eye on Lulu.’

Mr Lipp, who had continued his jogging on the spot, suddenly charged towards the door, with some of the more energetic students hot on his heels. ‘All you slowpokes can catch up. Sure you don’t want to join me, Plumpy?’ he called before he shot out the door.

Josiah Plumpton’s nose glowed red and you could almost see the smoke coming out of his little pink ears. ‘The cheek of that man. How dare he?’

Miss Reedy touched Mr Plumpton on the arm. ‘Please don’t let him worry you, Josiah.’

Mr Plumpton frowned. He was wondering how he could compete with Mr Lipp’s ever-growing list of talents. Dramatist, conductor and now, apparently, an athlete too.

Alice-Miranda and Millie walked ahead of their teachers, with Lulu guiding the way.

‘I don’t think Hairy’s outfit impressed Miss Reedy at all,’ Millie whispered. ‘Or his jogging. More pathetic than athletic, I think.’

‘Millie! At least he’s
trying
to impress her. I think Mr Lipp really likes Miss Reedy. I just hope that she lets him know that Mr Plumpton’s her man,’ Alice-Miranda replied.

By the time Alice-Miranda, Millie and their canine guide reached the park, most of the children were already engaged in a vigorous game of basketball, which Mr Lipp was umpiring. Only Sloane was sitting out.

‘Do you want to come for a walk with us?’ Alice-Miranda called to her.

Sloane nodded. The girls asked Miss Reedy if they could do some exploring. She said it was fine, as long as they stayed inside the park’s boundaries. It wasn’t a huge space, but it was clearly well loved, with a basketball court, some play equipment, benches to sit on and pretty flowerbeds. Miss Reedy and Mr Plumpton were soon distracted, discussing the hollyhocks and other flowers growing along the edge of the garden path.

Lulu was doing her best impersonation of a sniffer dog, waddling along with her nose to the ground, until an elderly man leading a stout white bulldog approached. As soon as the little dachshund saw the other dog, she raised her nose into the air and strutted like a model on a catwalk.

The old man dipped his hat to the girls. ‘
Bonjour
, mademoiselles.
Bonjour
, Lulu.’

‘
Bonjour
, monsieur,’ the girls said together.

‘What a lovely fellow,’ Alice-Miranda exclaimed, looking at the bulldog.

He ignored her and barked at Lulu, his tail wagging. Lulu turned her head in the opposite direction.

‘Ah,
anglais
? Louis has been in love with Lulu since they were puppies. But she does not love him back. He tries his best but she just ignores him,’ the man explained carefully. ‘Where is Monsieur Crabbe this afternoon?’

‘He’s busy at the hotel. He was kind enough to let us take Lulu out for a walk,’ Alice-Miranda said.

‘You are lucky girls to be left in charge of that dog. Monsieur Crabbe does not usually trust her with anyone. Not even Madame Crabbe. She is like a baby to him,’ the man said. ‘Enjoy your walk.’

The girls said goodbye and continued along the path.

‘So you’re not a fan of the bulldog,’ said Millie, looking at Lulu. The little dog put her nose even further into the air as if to agree.

‘I can see why. He’s not the most handsome creature, is he?’ Sloane added.

‘Looks aren’t everything,’ Alice-Miranda said.

‘No, but if I was a cute dachshund, I wouldn’t be falling for an ugly old bulldog either,’ said Sloane.

Lulu barked as if to agree.

‘Look.’ Alice-Miranda pointed at an archway in the middle of a long hedge. ‘Do you think there could be more of the park through there?’

‘Let’s go and see,’ Millie said. ‘It might be a secret garden.’

On the other side of the hedge, the park narrowed. It was an L shape and ran behind some townhouses. It was another pretty space but didn’t look to be as well used as the main part of the park. Lulu sniffed her way along the fence. The girls could just catch glimpses of tiny courtyards at the rear of the buildings. Most of the fencing was made of ornate metal and looked quite old, except for one section. It had thick black fabric running along the inside, completely obscuring the view.