Alice-Miranda Takes the Lead (11 page)

An hour after lights out, Alice-Miranda lay awake in bed, her mind a whirl. She was excited about the auditions tomorrow but there was something else. She couldn't stop thinking about Hephzibah. She knew her friend wasn't ready for one of her parents' rescue missions – not just yet. Alice-Miranda wanted to visit again in the morning, but she couldn't go riding on her own. It wasn't allowed and for good reason too. There was only one thing for it. She had to tell Millie.

‘Millie,' she whispered. ‘Are you awake?'

Millie rolled over and faced her friend. ‘Yes, I thought
you
were asleep. I've been trying to remember my lines and now I can't stop thinking about them.'

‘I can't sleep either – but it's not because of the auditions. I have to tell you something, but you must promise not to tell anyone else. It's terribly import ant.'

‘Of course,' Millie replied, as she wriggled out from under the covers and propped herself against her pillow.

Alice-Miranda sat up and hugged her knees under her chin. A shard of moonlight fell through the window, creating a soft half-light.

‘What is it?' Millie looked at her friend. She couldn't remember Alice-Miranda ever looking so serious.

‘Well, you know this afternoon when Bonaparte bolted?' Alice-Miranda began.

‘Yes, little monster. I think that pony of yours has bionic smell power.' Millie giggled at her own joke.

‘That's for sure. But it's just that I didn't tell you the whole story,' Alice-Miranda continued.

Millie raised her eyebrows. ‘The whole story?'

‘I met someone and they helped me find my way back to the fork in the path.'

‘Who was it?' Millie asked. ‘Was it a gypsy or a tramp or someone?'

‘No, of course not,' Alice-Miranda shook her head.

‘Well, why are you being so secretive about it?' Millie frowned. ‘Did they hurt you?'

‘Goodness no,' Alice-Miranda gasped. ‘We're friends. I want to go and visit her again tomorrow and I'd like you to come with me.'

‘Of course I will,' Millie replied. ‘We'll go early, just after breakfast.

‘You must promise that you won't be scared,' Alice-Miranda added.

‘Why would I be scared if she's your friend?'

‘Well, it's just that there are stories. You see, she has a rather large number of cats.'

Millie's eyes widened. ‘No,' she gasped. ‘You didn't …'

‘Are you going riding
again
?' Jacinta moaned as Alice-Miranda and Millie arrived at the breakfast table dressed in their jodhpurs, shirts and boots. Millie placed her plate down opposite Jacinta while Alice-Miranda slid in next to her.

Ignoring the question, Millie looked up and asked Jacinta if she was training that morning.

‘Of course,' she replied.

‘Then why are you whining about us going riding?' Millie frowned. ‘You don't have time to play anyway.'

‘Oh, good point.' Jacinta took a mouthful of cereal.

‘Hello Sloane.' Alice-Miranda smiled as the school's newest student set her plate down at the end of their table.

‘Don't expect me to come riding with you two again,' Sloane grouched when she noticed the way Alice-Miranda and Millie were dressed. ‘After what you did yesterday, I'll wait until Hugo arrives, thank you very much.'

‘Well, for your information, we weren't going to ask you anyway,' Millie replied. ‘And I thought you said that your horse was called Harry?'

‘No, I didn't.' Sloane narrowed her eyes. ‘You just don't listen.' She stuck her nose in the air, picked up her plate and headed off to sit with Ivory and Ashima, who didn't exactly look pleased to see her.

The girls tucked into their breakfast.

‘Yum, that was delicious.' Alice-Miranda licked her lips. ‘I love Sundays – Mrs Smith always does something extra yummy.'

Millie stabbed at the last piece of pancake on her plate and popped it into her mouth.

‘We should get going,' Alice-Miranda suggested. ‘We don't want to be late getting back.'

‘If we come back.' Millie raised her eyebrows meaningfully.

‘What's that supposed to mean?' Jacinta quizzed.

‘Nothing,' Alice-Miranda smiled. ‘Millie's just being dramatic. Isn't that one of the lines in your audition piece?'

‘Ha ha!' Millie replied, her face deadly serious.

‘I'll see you both later then.' Jacinta scraped the last of her cornflakes from the bowl before starting on her pancakes.

‘Bye,' Millie gulped.

‘See you soon, Jacinta,' Alice-Miranda called.

The two girls headed for the stables where they promptly set about saddling Bony and Chops. It was Wally's day off so, according to school rules, Alice-Miranda scratched a note on the old chalkboard which hung at the building's entrance, saying what time they were heading out and when they thought they'd be back. It was also one of the rules to say where they were going. Without wanting to lie, Alice-Miranda jotted down –
Millie and Alice-Miranda, same as yesterday.

The girls mounted their ponies and walked lazily out of the stable block and into the warm morning sunshine.

‘You must have had a good sleep Bonaparte – you do seem to be in a better mood today.' Alice-Miranda squeezed her legs and the pony sprang to life, jogging down the path towards the gate which led to the forest beyond the school's boundaries. Millie was unusually quiet as she trotted alongside her friend.

Finally, she spoke. ‘Are you sure she's not … you know?' Millie asked for at least the tenth time since Alice-Miranda had shared her secret the night before.

‘Millie, I promise, she's not. But if you don't want to come in, you don't have to,' Alice-Miranda reassured her.

Millie wanted to believe her tiny friend. But she'd heard the story about the witch a few times since she started at the school. It was hard to believe that it wasn't true. Deep down, she wasn't sure if she actually believed in witches at all, but the witch in the woods had been folklore at Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale for generations.

The girls continued through the woods, following the map Hephzibah had drawn for Alice-Miranda the day before.

As they approached the estate, Bony thrust his nose in the air and whinnied. Alice-Miranda held the reins as tightly as she could. ‘I don't think so,
mister – you're not running off today. There are no vegetables in that old patch anyway.' Alice-Miranda guided Millie towards the first set of gates, which yesterday had been a passing blur. Two limestone pillars, an indication of the grandeur of the estate contained within, towered next to an unwieldy yew hedge. The rusted gates, held hostage by years of untended foliage, bore an intricate pattern.

‘Look at that.' Alice-Miranda pulled on the reins and Bonaparte stopped in the middle of the entrance. ‘Can you see that, Millie?' she pointed at the gate on the left-hand side. ‘It looks like a giant C wrapped into the iron.'

Millie nodded, too in awe to speak.

‘Oh, and look there, on the other gate – there's an M … CM – of course, Caledonia Manor! Gosh someone went to a lot of trouble with this place,' Alice-Miranda prattled.

‘And look at that,' Millie's voice trembled. There was a weathered sign covered with vines poking out of the bushes. It read, ‘Keep out! Trespassers will be prosecuted.'

‘Are you sure we should go in?'

‘Of course,' Alice-Miranda replied. ‘Don't pay any attention to that silly old thing.'

The girls continued on their journey up the overgrown drive, past the ancient vegetable patch with its weedy scarecrows. The ponies clip-clopped towards the dilapidated stable block with its missing slates and grimy walls. A black cat with huge green eyes appeared on the top of the outer wall and was immediately joined by three of his friends – a ginger, a tabby and a grey.

‘Good morning, pussycats,' Alice-Miranda addressed the row of felines. They responded with a cacophony of meows. ‘How sweet – a welcome song from the Kitty Chorus,' Alice-Miranda giggled.

It didn't even raise a grin from Millie. Her mouth seemed plastered shut as she took in their surroundings.

‘We'll leave the ponies here.' Alice-Miranda slid down off Bonaparte and took the reins forward over his head. She scrounged around in her pocket for a sugar cube, which Bony nibbled from her outstretched hand.

Millie found her voice. ‘Why can't we ride the whole way?'

‘I think it's safer to tie them up here than somewhere near the house. This is where I left Bony yesterday,' Alice-Miranda replied. ‘I don't want him
getting any more ideas about that vegetable patch. It's perfectly safe.'

Millie hopped down from the saddle and followed Alice-Miranda into the outside stall. Both girls looped their reins through the bridles so the ponies could move freely around the yard. A heavy overnight downpour had half-filled a smooth stone water trough in the corner that Bonaparte rushed straight for.

‘Are you sure they'll be all right?' Millie followed Alice-Miranda out of the enclosure.

‘Positive,' her friend nodded, checking the latch. ‘It's not too far to the main house. Just wait until you see it, Millie – it's amazing.'

Millie was not convinced. So far, the stables and the gardens looked like a picture from one of her old Grimm's fairytale books. She seemed to recall that the owner of
that
house had some rather nasty magical powers.

Alice-Miranda took off up the drive with Millie in tow. This time, the cats from the stables seemed happy to stay where they were, lolling about in the sunshine, keeping one eye on their equine friends.

As the girls reached the second set of gates, Alice-Miranda noticed that the ivy she'd pulled from the
gatepost only the day before had already begun to reattach itself to the brass nameplate.

‘Caledonia Manor, more like Creepy Manor if you ask me,' Millie muttered under her breath as she looked around at the fossilised garden urns and enormous derelict fountain overgrown with weeds. She half-expected a giant or troll or some other fairytale creature to emerge from the thicket beside them at any moment.

The girls rounded the final bend and there in all its tumbledown splendour was Caledonia Manor. Millie gasped as Alice-Miranda had done the day before. ‘It's huge,' she breathed.

‘Yes, it's amazing, isn't it?' Alice-Miranda replied. ‘Such a lovely house.'

‘Lovely?' Millie questioned. ‘I can think of some other words that would better describe this place.'

‘Oh, I know it's far from perfect,' Alice-Miranda began, ‘but if you look past the flaky paint and the grubby windowpanes, there's a real beauty underneath.'

Millie was not so sure. The house was enormous, that was true. But as for beautiful, she was not at all convinced.

‘Come on,' Alice-Miranda called, as she ran towards one side of the building.

Millie gasped again when the girls emerged from the tangled undergrowth and onto the open lawn at the rear of the house.

Alice-Miranda continued on her way, jogging up the stone steps with their zigzag balustrade. ‘Hurry up,' she called. Millie's heart hammered in her chest. Her mouth was dry, as if she'd eaten a bucket of rocks.

Alice-Miranda reached the back porch and waited for Millie to catch up.

Five black cats lazed in various positions along the terrace. Millie hesitated when she saw them. She was quite convinced their eyes were following her every move.

‘I might wait here,' Millie gulped.

‘Oh, all right, if you're sure.' Alice-Miranda tapped on the glass panel of the kitchen door. There was no answer. ‘But I might be a little while.'

‘Wait, I'll come.' Millie ran to stand beside her friend.

Alice-Miranda knocked again, then turned the handle and walked into the kitchen.

‘Helloooo?' she called. ‘Are you here, Miss
Hephzibah? It's me, Alice-Miranda. I've come to visit and I've brought a friend.'

The door to the room off the kitchen, which Alice-Miranda thought of as the playroom, was closed. There was a rustling sound coming from within. The tiny child knocked gently and called again. Then she opened the door and poked her head inside.

Millie stood on the other side of the kitchen. In spite of the warmth of the day, she shivered beside the lit stove.

‘Hello Miss Hephzibah,' Alice-Miranda spoke. ‘I'm going to put the pot on and I've brought some lovely cake for your morning tea.'

Millie tried to see inside the room but her feet seemed set in concrete.

‘If you'd rather take your tea in here,' Alice-Miranda continued, ‘I can bring it in for you in a minute.'

From where she stood, Millie heard no reply. Alice-Miranda closed the door and walked back across the kitchen where she busied herself filling a battered copper kettle, which she placed on the stove top.

Millie hadn't moved an inch. ‘Is she … is she in there?' Millie whispered.

‘Oh yes. I think she's feeling a little tired so I said that I would take the tea in for her,' Alice-Miranda smiled. ‘Are you all right? You look a bit pale.'

Millie's freckly face had drained of colour. Her red hair looked like firelight against her porcelain skin.

‘Are you really going in there?' Millie pointed at the closed door.

‘Of course. Will you come with me?' Alice-Miranda asked, as she removed three china cups and saucers from the pine sideboard.

Millie shook her head.

‘That's all right. You can stay here if you'd prefer.'

Millie's eyes darted all over the place as she took in the kitchen and its ancient contents. There was another doorway to her left and a further entrance-way at the opposite end of the room.

‘There's a back staircase just through that door beside you.' Alice-Miranda filled the teapot with boiling water. ‘I went upstairs yesterday, but I haven't had a proper look around because I heard a clatter down here and that's when I found Miss Hephzibah. I was rather hoping we might be able to explore properly sometime.'

Millie peered at the doorway. Her mind raced. Perhaps it was safer to join Alice-Miranda in the other room. She didn't fancy being alone in the cavernous kitchen with its creaks and groans and doors to who-knows-where.

‘I'll come,' Millie blurted.

‘That's lovely. But you mustn't be frightened. Other than me yesterday, I don't think Miss Hephzibah has seen anyone for a long time and she's very shy.' Alice-Miranda poured three cups of black tea. From her backpack she produced a container of milk and three large slices of butter cake. When she'd asked Mrs Smith for three pieces this morning, the cook had automatically assumed that Millie and Alice-Miranda were taking one of the other girls with them on their ride. Alice-Miranda hadn't corrected her.

‘Is that a tray over there?' Alice-Miranda pointed at a cabinet next to where Millie was still rooted to the spot.

Millie spun around, moving for the first time since the girls had entered the kitchen. She bent down and retrieved an ornate timber tray, its faded decoration hinting at the once grand house's glory days. She handed it to Alice-Miranda, who loaded it up with the three cups and plates.

‘Can you open the door for me, please?' Alice-Miranda picked up the tray and walked towards the playroom door.

‘Oh.' Millie swallowed hard. ‘Okay.' She walked forwards slowly as if at any moment she might turn and flee.

‘It's all right, really it is,' Alice-Miranda reassured, as Millie reached up and turned the handle.