Alice-Miranda at Camp 10 (10 page)

Soon enough the ten Barn Owls had been assigned their jobs for the morning.

‘Do you want to swap?' Jacinta whispered to Alice-Miranda. ‘Sloane and I have to go and read to some dribbly oldies in the nursing home wing. What if they don't have any teeth?'

Alice-Miranda grinned. ‘You'll be fine. Just check the water glasses next to the bed before you take a drink.'

‘What for?' Jacinta asked.

‘Their teeth,' Alice-Miranda giggled.

Jacinta shuddered. ‘Eww, gross!'

‘I'm joking,' said Alice-Miranda.

Figgy had been matched with Mr Mobbs and Rufus was spending the morning with Mr Johnson.

Mr Mobbs was less than impressed with the pairing and began sniffing the air as soon as Figgy sat beside him. ‘Did you use deodorant this morning, son?'

Figgy nodded, wondering what the old bloke was getting at.

‘Well, you need some more. I told you children smell, matron. This one here is right on the nose.' The old man pinched his nostrils and pulled a face.

Millie had been assigned to Mrs Von Thripp and Alice-Miranda was going to chat with Mr Freeman.

‘I wonder if he's related to that detective we met yesterday?' Alice-Miranda said to Millie.

‘Hopefully he's not as grumpy as she was,' Millie replied.

Caprice, Susannah, Lucas and Sep were off to join the gardening team. That revelation hadn't sat well with Jacinta, who had caught Lucas staring at Caprice that morning at breakfast. Then again, he wasn't the only one.

‘Hello Mr Freeman,' said Alice-Miranda as she approached the old man. She remembered his face from some of her earlier visits. ‘My name is Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones.' She held out her hand.

Donald smiled at her. ‘Are you Cecelia's little girl? You've grown up a bit since the last time you were here.'

‘Oh, yes. I've started boarding school. I love it. I have lots of friends and we get to do loads of interesting things, but that means I don't have a lot of time to visit any more,' Alice-Miranda replied.

Donald nodded.

‘Yesterday we met a detective whose last name was Freeman,' the child said. ‘Do you know her?'

‘That's my daughter,' Donald replied.

‘We were on a bus and there was a silly mix-up,' Alice-Miranda explained. ‘I don't think she was very happy about it.'

‘No, but she's not very happy about a lot of things,' Donald said with a sigh.

Alice-Miranda rummaged inside her day pack for a pen and the question sheet that Mr Plumpton had supplied. She scanned the page. ‘How long have you lived at Pelham Park?'

‘I came here not long after the renovations were completed. That was about seven years ago now, I think,' Mr Freeman replied.

‘What do you enjoy about living here?'

‘My apartment is lovely and there are lots of people to keep a fellow company in his old age. Oh and Matron Bright – she's a delight.'

Alice-Miranda nodded. ‘Have you lived on the estate before?'

Donald looked at the child closely.

Alice-Miranda thought his eyes were the loveliest colour, like sea water – not quite green and not blue either.

‘Did you work here?' Alice-Miranda prompted.

Donald shook his head. ‘No. I grew up here.'

‘Oh really? That must have been interesting. Was it a terribly long time ago? I'm sorry but it would be rude of me to guess your age,' Alice-Miranda prattled.

‘I'm almost eighty-five,' Donald replied. ‘And yes, it was a very long time ago. Until I was fifteen, so that's …'

Alice-Miranda did the numbers in her head. ‘Seventy years. That does seem a long time. Do you remember it well?'

Donald closed his eyes. A smile perched on his lips as if a clear memory had just come into
view. ‘Like it was yesterday. We lived over the rise in one of the cottages. My father was a butler in the house.'

‘You must have had lots of friends to play with,' said Alice-Miranda.

She watched the man. His hands trembled a little and a roadmap of green veins tracked underneath his thinning skin.

‘Yes.'

‘Was there anyone you remember?' she asked.

‘Harry. He was my best friend,' Donald said. His eyes sprung open. He must have been getting soft in his old age. He hadn't spoken of Harry in years. He didn't deserve to occupy Donald's thoughts. Not after what he did.

‘How lovely to have such a good friend. Did you know my grandpa at all?' Alice-Miranda asked, wide-eyed. She wondered if the two men would have been a similar age.

Donald shrugged. ‘A bit.' His face took on a steely expression.

‘What was he like? I don't know much about him at all, except that he wasn't very kind to Daddy and Uncle Ed when they were growing up, and Granny Arabella died and it broke his heart.'

‘I don't remember,' Donald snapped. ‘We left when I was fifteen.'

‘But, surely if you knew him you must remember something,' Alice-Miranda pleaded. ‘Was he happy as a boy?'

‘I told you. I don't know.' Donald shook his head.

Alice-Miranda had a feeling there was something Mr Freeman wasn't telling her. ‘Why did you leave?'

‘We just did,' Donald answered abruptly and pulled at his collar. ‘Is it warm in here?'

‘No, I don't think so. I was actually going to put my jacket on,' Alice-Miranda replied as she looked around for the offending draught.

Matron Bright reappeared. ‘Time's almost up I'm afraid, but you can continue tomorrow,' she announced. ‘I trust you all had a lovely meeting.'

‘Goodbye, Mr Freeman. See you again soon,' said Alice-Miranda. She was wondering if she would see her parents and uncle before heading back to Bagley Hall.

But the old man didn't reply. He was staring off into the distance.

‘Did you enjoy yourselves?' Mr Plumpton asked as he rejoined the group in the Great Hall. Beth had returned to the camp to set up their afternoon activities.

‘Mr Mobbs said I smelled,' Figgy scoffed.

Rufus sniffed the air. ‘You do.'

‘Not as bad as him. You should have seen the blanket on his knees fluttering up and down and then his eyebrows would get all pointy and he'd look at me as if I'd done it.'

The children laughed.

‘Alice-Miranda, your parents asked if they could see you for a minute before we head back over to camp,' said Mr Plumpton. ‘I believe they're in the office.'

‘I'll take you,' Matron Bright offered.

‘We'll be in the garden. Beth is coming back to walk over with us, and we won't go without you,' the teacher said.

‘Thanks, Mr Plumpton,' Alice-Miranda said. ‘Can Millie come with me? I know Mummy and Daddy would love to see her too.'

‘No, Millie can stay with us this time,' Mr Plumpton decided.

Millie's face fell. Clearly Mr Plumpton didn't trust her at the moment. She hated that the teachers believed she'd pushed Caprice in the pool.

‘Sorry,' Alice-Miranda mouthed.

‘Come along, dear.' Matron Bright bounced away with Alice-Miranda beside her.

‘There you are, darling.' Cecelia Highton-Smith stood up as Alice-Miranda and Matron Bright appeared at the office door. ‘I was just going to come and find you.'

‘We have to go back to camp in a minute,' the child said.

A beeper went off in the matron's pocket. She pulled it out and popped her glasses on the tip of her nose. ‘Oh, excuse me. That's Mr Mobbs again. He's probably ordered something from the television that
he wants me to pick up from the post office.' The woman chortled. ‘He really can't help himself.'

‘See you tomorrow, matron,' Alice-Miranda said.

‘Yes, dear, see you tomorrow.' Marigold gave a wave and bounded away.

‘So, did you had fun with your oldie?' her father asked with a wink.

‘Yes, Daddy.' Alice-Miranda's eyes twinkled. ‘Mr Freeman is lovely. He lived here on the estate when he was a little boy but he said that his family left when he was fifteen. He wouldn't tell me any more. His daughter's a detective. We met her yesterday when she pulled the minibus over.'

‘What was that, darling?' Cecelia gasped.

‘It's all right, Mummy. The bus had been stolen –' Alice-Miranda began.

‘Stolen! This just gets better and better.' Cecelia shook her head.

‘No, Mummy. It wasn't stolen any more. It had been returned but the detective didn't know that and so it was just a silly mix-up.'

Ed Clifton frowned. ‘Freeman. Freeman … That name rings a bell.'

‘He's very old, Uncle Ed. Much older than you, of course. I think he knew Grandpa when they were
boys,' Alice-Miranda said. ‘But when I asked him what Grandpa was like, he said he couldn't remember and he got a bit cross.'

‘Oh, Freeman's probably quite a common name,' said Ed.

‘Matron Bright said that you're going to sort out Granny's art collection,' Alice-Miranda told her uncle.

Ed nodded.

‘Your uncle has a huge job ahead of him. I should have taken care of it years ago, but it's worked out far better to have Ed do it,' Hugh said.

‘Where is it?' Alice-Miranda asked.

‘Downstairs in a vault in the cellars. We were just checking in here for any paperwork,' Hugh explained. ‘It's a pity you have to go back to camp. Perhaps I could ask Mr Plumpton if you can stay? Ed could walk you back later.'

Alice-Miranda shook her head. ‘Sorry, Daddy. We have rock climbing straight after lunch and, besides, I wouldn't want anyone to think that I was getting special privileges. We're here again tomorrow – maybe Uncle Ed could take me to have a look then.'

‘That sounds like a good idea,' Cecelia agreed.

Alice-Miranda said goodbye to her parents and uncle and skipped off to join her friends at the front of the house.

Meanwhile, outside, Caprice was at work.

‘Mr Plumpton, do we have to have partners for rock climbing?' she asked.

‘I presume you will,' the man replied.

‘If we do, can we swap partners from yesterday so that everyone has to learn to rely on everyone else?' she said sweetly.

Mr Plumpton looked at the girl. ‘That sounds like a very good idea, Caprice.'

A smile spread across her face. ‘I'd like to have Millie as my partner to show her that there are no hard feelings about what she did to me at the pool yesterday.'

‘Caprice, that is very gracious of you,' the teacher said. ‘What a mature thing to ask.'

Millie's stomach knotted. She wondered what Caprice was up to this time. Once Caprice had turned away, she walked over to the teacher.

‘Mr Plumpton, I – I don't know if that's such a good idea,' Millie whispered.

‘Millie,' the teacher admonished, ‘Caprice has offered you the hand of friendship. I'm surprised at you.'

Caprice came and stood beside the girl. ‘Come on, Millie. Rock climbing will be fun. I've done it before so I know how everything works.'

Millie gulped. That was exactly what she was afraid of.

Alice-Miranda rushed down the front steps and rejoined the group.

‘Sorry, Ed, but Cee and I have to get going. I've got some meetings out of town but I'll be home tomorrow night and Cee will be back for the anniversary fair on Saturday,' Hugh Kennington-Jones apologised and glanced at his watch. ‘I wish we could stay to show you around.'

‘Where are you off to?' Ed asked.

‘I'm going to a farm to look at their organic vegetable-growing processes and Cee's off to a health retreat with one of her girlfriends. I think I dodged a bullet with that one. Don't fancy kale and watercress soup, do you?'

‘Nope,' Ed grinned.

‘I heard that.' Cecelia looked up from the far desk, where she was checking arrangements for the fair. ‘I'm sure my trip will be very … refreshing.'

‘That's one word for it,' Hugh said, a cheeky glint in his eye. ‘Anyway, Ed, I'm not sure how my phone reception will be – last time I was there it was pretty hit and miss, and Cee's break is a “no technology” affair. If you need anything just call Dolly and she'll be able to get in touch with one of us.'

‘I'll be fine, Hugh. It will be great to have time to go through things,' Ed said.

‘Come on, darling, we'd better get moving,' Hugh called to Cecelia.

Ed stood on the front steps and waved as his brother and sister-in-law drove away. Thin wisps of clouds fanned out across a dazzling sapphire sky. Ed wished he'd brought his paints with him – the light was magnificent.

‘Well, old man, it's time to lay some ghosts to rest,' Ed whispered.