Alice-Miranda at Camp 10 (9 page)

‘Are you all right, Mr Plumpton?' asked Alice-Miranda. She handed the teacher a stripy beach towel that she'd found close by. His clothes were stuck to his body like soggy cling wrap.

Jacinta and Sloane arrived just as the boys all got there too.

‘What happened?' Rufus asked. ‘Did you forget your togs, sir?'

‘Does it look like I meant to go swimming, Pemberley?' the man snapped as he peeled off his jacket.

Caprice was snivelling and shivering. ‘She … she pushed me.' She pointed at Millie.

‘I did not!' Millie felt her temperature rising.

‘You saw it, didn't you, Mr Plumpton?' Caprice sobbed. ‘You all saw it. I was just trying to get away and she pushed me in.'

‘Well, it did look like that.' Mr Plumpton nodded slowly.

Millie's face was incredulous.

‘She locked the door too,' Caprice wailed.

‘That's a lie!' Millie scoffed. ‘She's lying!'

‘Millie, settle down. The last thing we need is for you to lose your temper. I think we'll have to discuss with Miss Reedy whether you'll pass this activity. We can't have dangerous behaviour – Caprice might have drowned,' said Mr Plumpton, shaking his head – although the children couldn't tell if it was because he was upset with Millie or he was trying to get the water out of his ears.

‘She wouldn't have drowned. I'm sure she can swim perfectly well.' Millie's lip trembled but she was determined not to cry.

‘My clothes were so heavy,' Caprice said with a sniffle. ‘I thought I was going to die.'

‘Oh, give it a rest, Caprice. You're disgusting!' Millie stomped off. ‘I don't care about the stupid treasure hunt.'

‘Millie!' said Alice-Miranda, and went after her friend.

Beth looked at the rest of the children. ‘Come on, we'll go back to the quadrangle and get your
tokens sorted out.' But the shine had gone off the treasure.

‘Caprice, you can go back to the house and get changed. Susannah, would you go with her please?' Mr Plumpton instructed.

Susannah nodded. She didn't want to believe that Millie pushed Caprice. But from where she stood, it certainly looked that way.

‘It's not fair,' Millie grouched as she scraped leftovers into the bin. ‘Why do I have to do extra kitchen duty when Caprice planned to fall in the pool all along? She's evil.'

Alice-Miranda stood on a little rubber-topped stool and pulled the trigger on the giant snake-like tap. She rinsed the smeared plates before stacking them in the oversized dishwasher tray beside her.

‘Don't worry about Caprice,' Alice-Miranda said. She wondered why the girl had it in for Millie.
Alice-Miranda believed what Millie told her about the pool incident. It was a pity that Mr Plumpton and Miss Reedy didn't. ‘Caprice is probably lonely. Maybe she just wants some friends.'

‘I know you're right about a lot of things, Alice-Miranda, but this time you're wrong,' Millie said. ‘I don't think she knows the first thing about being a friend. She just wants to win everything.'

Livinia Reedy poked her head into the kitchen to see how the girls were getting on. She'd been very surprised to hear about what happened at the pool, but Beth and Mr Plumpton had both seen it and, despite Millie's protests, it seemed that the girl had lost her temper and deliberately pushed Caprice in. Livinia wondered if Millie was jealous. Caprice was terribly clever and talented, not to mention stunning. She was one of those rare souls who seemed to have it all. It was only natural that she'd gravitate towards Alice-Miranda, who was probably the closest to her intellectual equal in the school.

‘Are you managing with all that?' Miss Reedy asked.

‘Oh, hello Miss Reedy.' Alice-Miranda smiled at the woman. ‘Yes, we're almost done.'

Millie looked into the bin and had to stop herself from gagging. Gelatinous lumps of gravy were mixed in with soggy peas, grey mashed potato and the odd fleck of orange carrot as well as chunks of jelly and sticky white liquid that had once been ice-cream.

‘After dinner, Millie, you can go straight up to your room,' Miss Reedy said.

‘But that's not fair. I've already done extra duties and I didn't push Caprice in the pool in the first place,' Millie protested.

‘We'll talk about it later when you're upstairs,' said Miss Reedy.

‘But Miss Reedy,' Millie complained.

‘Millie, I want to believe you. I really do. But some of the things I've seen and heard from you since Caprice arrived have given me cause for concern.'

‘Can't you see? She's setting me up,' Millie fumed.

‘Really? You have been known to lose your temper,' the teacher reminded her.

‘When?' Millie demanded.

‘I remember a rather unpleasant incident with a bowl of dessert on Sloane's head.'

‘Oh, that.' Millie picked up the last plate and gave it her full attention.

Miss Reedy nodded. ‘Yes,
that
. I'll come up and see you before the other girls go to bed.'

‘May I stay with Millie?' Alice-Miranda asked.

‘No, you have choir practice,' Miss Reedy said. ‘Mr Lipp needs you there.'

‘I'm in the choir too,' Millie reminded the woman.

‘Yes, and you're sitting this one out to reflect on how you're going to make things work with Caprice.' Miss Reedy stared at Millie pointedly and then walked out of the kitchen.

Millie shrugged. ‘I don't know what she wants me to reflect on. Caprice hates me.'

‘I'm sure she doesn't hate you,' Alice-Miranda said. ‘Maybe you should ask her if you can have a chat and sort things out. I'll talk to her too.'

‘But I didn't do anything wrong,' Millie grumbled. ‘It was her fault.'

Alice-Miranda rinsed the last plate. She pulled off the disposable rubber gloves and washed her hands for good measure, then walked over and gave Millie a hug.

‘It's all right. Caprice is just finding her way. And you – you're Millie. You can do anything,' Alice-Miranda reassured her friend.

‘Thanks.' Millie hugged Alice-Miranda back. ‘I don't know what I'd ever do without you.'

The next morning, Alice-Miranda placed the book she'd been reading into her backpack.

‘What are you taking?' Millie asked.

‘I'm hooked on
Black Beauty
at the moment. It's like reading the anti-Bonaparte story. I live in hope that one day my little monster will be as well behaved as Beauty,' she explained.

Millie grinned. ‘Don't hold your breath.' She stuffed a dog-eared copy of
The Witches
into her pack and snatched her water bottle from the bed.

The previous evening Millie had spent an hour on her own before the other girls returned. As promised, Miss Reedy had come to talk to her. The teacher said that she understood that sometimes girls didn't get on, but asked her what she thought Alice-Miranda would do in the same situation.

That was easy. Alice-Miranda had been in Alethea Goldsworthy's sights from the minute she had arrived at Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale. And what did she do? She almost killed her with kindness
and, even though Alethea had left the school, Alice-Miranda could hold her head high.

Miss Reedy asked Millie what sort of girl she'd rather be like – Alethea or Alice-Miranda. That was easy too. Heaven help anyone who actually wanted to be like Alethea. Millie decided she'd try to make peace with Caprice, even though she was one of those girls who always made sure that the teachers were out of earshot before she did anything mean. She could only try.

Miss Reedy said that, providing there were no more incidents, Millie would pass the activity. She was relieved to hear it.

When the girls arrived back at their dorm for the night, Millie told Caprice she was sorry about what happened. Truthfully she was, but she didn't add that she was sorry that Caprice had set her up and sorry that she had to miss choir and do extra kitchen duties. To everyone's surprise, Caprice accepted her apology.

Alice-Miranda had approached Caprice in the bathroom when they were brushing their teeth. Caprice had promised that there were no hard feelings and assured the younger girl that things were fine between her and Millie. Alice-Miranda hoped that was true.

So far that morning there hadn't been a cross word spoken and breakfast had been a cheery affair. Even the food seemed to taste better. There was cereal followed by pancakes with maple syrup and weak milky tea, just the way Millie liked it.

After breakfast, Beth and Mr Plumpton were waiting for the group out the front of Bagley Hall.

‘When are we going rock climbing, sir?' Figgy asked as the boys arrived.

‘If you look on your timetable, George, I'm sure you'll see that for yourself,' Mr Plumpton replied.

‘Yeah, but you could just tell me,' Figgy said. ‘Save me getting it out again.'

‘Figworth, you do realise that this camp is about resourcefulness and independence?' Mr Plumpton reminded the lad.

Figgy nodded.

‘And do you think asking me for the answers is displaying resourcefulness and independence?'

‘Yeah, of course,' Figgy said. ‘I'm resourceful because I ask someone who knows.'

The Science teacher shook his head and the children all giggled. ‘I give up,' Mr Plumpton said.

‘So how long do we have to go and visit the oldies for?' Sloane asked.

News that the children would be spending part of each day next door at the Pelham Park aged-care facility hadn't exactly sent shivers of excitement tingling through their veins. Except for Alice-Miranda. She couldn't wait to get over and see everyone.

‘Sloane, I hope you will not be using that language in front of the residents,' Mr Plumpton admonished.

‘What, “oldies”? Of course not.' The girl rolled her eyes. ‘As if I'd be that rude.'

‘We will be there for at least two hours each day, which will give you time to get to know people and read to them. The matron at Pelham Park has also suggested that some of you write down the stories the residents tell you, if they consent. Quite a few of them or their parents worked or lived on the estate, and the home is keen to record their memories for the anniversary fair. Other students will be assigned to help the matron with some preparations for the fair as well as some gardening duties. I expect all of you to be on your very best behaviour.'

At that moment there was a loud rumble followed by peals of laughter. A pall of pungent gas stung the children's eyes and the group wailed in disgust.

‘You're rank, Figgy!' Rufus bellowed, holding his nose.

‘What? Don't blame me. It was her.' The boy pointed at a cow grazing in the field. The old girl looked up and mooed.

Mr Plumpton shook his head. ‘I'd advise you to cut back on the baked beans, Figworth. So much for best behaviour.'

The children giggled.

Matron Bright had spent the morning rounding up a small group of the residents, who were now awaiting further instructions in the reading room.

‘Good morning, everyone.' She bustled to the front, her voice trilling like a lark.

A chorus of good mornings echoed.

‘What's all this about?' an elderly gentleman at the back called.

The matron beamed. ‘You are quite the impatient
one this morning, Mr Mobbs. If you give me a minute I will explain.'

‘I've got things to do, you know,' the man persisted.

‘Yes, yes, but I was hoping you might like to help me this morning. The home shopping channel runs twenty-four hours a day and I doubt you or any of the other residents need another vacuum cleaner.'

‘Oh, I do,' Mrs Von Thripp piped up.

Deep creases formed above Mr Mobbs's bushy eyebrows. Matron didn't know what she was talking about. He hadn't planned to buy any more vacuum cleaners. It was an ab cruncher he was after.

‘Mrs Von Thripp, I don't think you've done any vacuuming since you moved into Pelham Park as a resident, have you, dear?' Matron Bright reminded the woman.

‘I was vacuuming the master's bedroom just yesterday,' the grey-haired woman declared, nodding fiercely.

‘I think that was a while ago. Mr Henry Kennington-Jones has been gone for a very long time now, but your apartment
does
occupy what was once his bedroom and dressing rooms, so I can see how you might get that confused,' the matron explained.

Mrs Von Thripp pursed her lips. And then, as if a light was suddenly switched on, she remembered. ‘Oh, of course. I was Mr Kennington-Jones's maid, all those years ago when Hugh was just a little boy.'

The matron smiled at her. ‘Good girl. Now, the reason you're all here this morning is that I have some lovely news. We are going to have some visitors over the next week.'

‘I hate visitors,' a man with a curly moustache called out. ‘They eat my cake.'

‘No, no Mr Johnson, I can assure you that these visitors won't be eating your cake. They will be reading to you and writing down some of your stories, so that we can make a book of recollections of your lives here at Pelham Park.'

Most of the residents murmured their approval of this.

‘Who are the visitors?' Mrs Von Thripp asked.

‘They are students from the area's two finest schools. They are currently involved in a program that has been set out by none other than Her Majesty, Queen Georgiana,' Matron Bright explained.

Mr Mobbs nodded. ‘Ooh, I like her. She's got class, that woman, and I've won a few bob on her
horses over the years. But I don't like children. They smell.'

Marigold Bright suppressed the urge to laugh. It never ceased to amaze her that perfectly polite human beings frequently reached an age where they acquired what she had come to describe as the gift of natural rudeness. They didn't mean to be unkind, but they no longer cared what anyone really thought. It was as if they'd been injected with a truth serum of the brutally honest blend.

‘What do you think, Mr Freeman?' she asked the man in the middle of the front row.

‘It sounds all right to me,' Donald replied.

‘Good. Well, the first group will be coming over in about twenty minutes. Some of the children will be chatting with you while others are going to the nursing home wing to do some reading. A few others will be helping me get things organised for the fair. I believe there's a group on gardening duty too.'

‘What fair?' a voice called from the back of the room.

‘The anniversary fair that we have on the weekend – the same one we have every year to celebrate Pelham Park's establishment, Mr Biggles,' Matron Bright said patiently. She never minded
repeating herself and hoped that one day when she was old and a little bit forgetful someone would take the time to do the same for her.

The Barn Owls set off down the driveway and along the road to the Pelham Park entrance.

The front of the estate was partially shielded by a high hedge, but once the children were inside the gates it was easy to see the full expanse of the main building.

Just as the group rounded the bend at the top of the driveway, a silver Range Rover pulled up in the car park.

Jacinta pointed and nudged Alice-Miranda. ‘Isn't that your mother's car?'

Alice-Miranda looked at it. A huge smile spread across her face and she dashed towards the vehicle. ‘Mummy! What are you doing here?'

Cecelia Highton-Smith hopped out of the passenger's seat and embraced her small daughter.

‘Hello darling. I don't suppose you expected to see us.' She planted a kiss on Alice-Miranda's cheek.

The rear passenger door opened and Alice-Miranda almost jumped out of her skin. ‘Uncle Ed!' She leapt into the man's arms. Ed Clifton scooped her up and Alice-Miranda kissed his soft cheek. She hugged him tightly.

‘If I'd have known this was the way I'd be received I would have come months ago.' Ed smiled at Alice-Miranda and set her back down.

Hugh Kennington-Jones strode around the back of the vehicle and Alice-Miranda ran to hug him too.

‘What are you all doing here?' she asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

‘We'll tell you about it later, darling. I think you need to go.' Cecelia had noticed Mr Plumpton tapping his foot.

‘We're starting our community service,' Alice-Miranda said. She glanced over at her group.

‘Run along, sweetheart, and we'll catch up with you inside,' Cecelia instructed. ‘You don't want to keep everyone waiting, do you?'

Alice-Miranda ran back to Millie. ‘Isn't that a lovely surprise?'

Ed Clifton watched the children walk through the arched portico that framed the mansion's front door.

He stared up at the facade, remembering the last time he had seen it – the night he'd walked down the driveway to the waiting taxi at the gate. It had taken him to a new life, far from here.

Hugh watched his brother, wondering how he was going to cope with being back. ‘Are you all right, Ed?'

‘I'm fine. It's just strange. When I left I expected to come back some day – but I didn't realise it would take me almost forty years,' Ed said.

Cecelia linked arms with her brother-in-law. ‘I telephoned Matron Bright this morning to let her know we were coming. She said that it was probably a good thing that the children would be keeping the residents busy this morning. Some of them may have known you as a boy and it might come as a shock,' she explained.

Ed nodded. ‘My not being dead and all.'

‘You'll love Marigold,' said Hugh. ‘She's just what this place needed. I've never known anyone who actually beams like a ray of sunshine.'

‘I don't know about that. Alice-Miranda would have to come close,' Ed said.

‘We'll go around to the back door and avoid the crowd,' said Hugh.

‘Lead the way, little brother,' Ed agreed. Cecelia looped her arm into Ed's and the pair followed.

‘Welcome, everyone, come through,' Marigold Bright greeted the children as they walked into the Great Hall.

‘Cool house,' Figgy said loudly.

‘Thank you, young man,' said Matron Bright. ‘We think it is too.'

‘Hello Matron Bright,' Alice-Miranda greeted the woman.

Marigold wriggled a little dance then wrapped her arms around the child and hugged her tightly. ‘Hello, my lovely girl, what a wonderful surprise to have you in the first group. It's such a pleasure to see you. It's been far too long.'

‘That's because I've been so busy at school,' Alice-Miranda announced. ‘I can't wait to see everyone and I could hardly believe my eyes when Mummy and Daddy pulled up outside – and best of all, Uncle Ed is with them too.'

‘Excellent,' said Matron Bright. ‘We'll get everyone sorted here and then I'll go and find them.'

‘Are they just visiting for the day?' Alice-Miranda asked the woman.

‘Didn't they tell you? Your uncle has come to sort through your grandmother's art collection. He's doing a very important job. He's going to be staying with us for the next week at least. Perhaps longer.'

Alice-Miranda jumped up and down and clapped her hands. ‘I'll be able to see him every day!'

Caprice was watching Alice-Miranda. The child was ridiculous and that woman, Matron Bright – did anyone ever really smile that much?

‘Come along, everyone,' Matron Bright instructed. ‘We've got some people in the reading room who are very excited to meet you.'