Alice-Miranda at Sea (16 page)

A
lice-Miranda left Neville to eat his dinner and headed back upstairs to the party. She thought that her mother would be wondering where on earth she and Millie had got to. Millie offered to stay with the nervous lad and said that she could probably fend off the good doctor if he arrived at the suite. She wasn't quite sure
how
but she would think of something. Dr Lush's trumpet case was placed in the wardrobe and Neville's was returned to the cabinet
for safe-keeping.

As Alice-Miranda arrived at the ballroom, she was greeted by the sound of laughter rising above the strains of an expertly played sitar. To her delight, Mrs Oliver and Shilly were treating the whole room to a dance they had clearly prepared earlier.

Alice-Miranda interrupted her mother's giggling. ‘Hello Mummy.'

‘Oh, hello there, darling. Where on earth have you been? I was beginning to worry – although I know I shouldn't. I mean, we are on a ship and it's not as if you're likely to be kidnapped or meet any dangerous criminals now, is it? Isn't this just the most gorgeous thing you've ever seen?' Cecelia pointed towards the shimmying senior citizens who had the entire ballroom mesmerised.

‘Wow, they're very good,' Alice-Miranda agreed, taking in the spectacle before her.

Lucas walked over to where Alice-Miranda was standing beside her mother. ‘Would you like to dance? I think we're all being instructed to take the lead from Mrs Oliver and Shilly and it sort of looks like fun,' Lucas asked.

‘Oh, hello Lucas. Yes it certainly does.' Alice-Miranda glanced around the room. ‘Where are Jacinta and Sep?'

‘They're already out there,' Lucas pointed towards Jacinta in her hot pink sari and Sep in his Nehru shirt and black trousers. ‘Where's Millie?'

Alice-Miranda didn't lie. ‘She's just keeping a friend company for a little while. She'll be back soon.'

‘Well, her parents seem to be enjoying themselves, that's for sure.' Lucas chuckled at Pippa and Hamish, who looked as though they were having a great time keeping up with Mrs Oliver and Ambrose, who had joined her on the dance floor. ‘Isn't that Jacinta's mother over there in the corner?'

‘Why don't you go and join Sep and Jacinta? I don't think a partner is an absolute requirement of this type of dancing,' Alice-Miranda suggested as she looked at the rows of eager participants. ‘I'll be there soon.'

Alice-Miranda scurried towards the far corner where Ambrosia Headlington-Bear was sitting alone, staring into the crowd. Her citrus-yellow sari looked exquisite against her tanned skin. Her huge green eyes were framed by the longest of lashes and her make-up was perfect. An oval sapphire the size of a pigeon's egg and encircled by diamonds was lashed around her throat, held in place by five rows of lustrous pearls.

‘Hello Mrs Headlington . . . I mean, Ambrosia.' Alice-Miranda sat down in the empty chair beside her.

‘Oh, hello.' Ambrosia's eyes flickered towards the child.

‘That's a gorgeous choker,' Alice-Miranda admired.

‘Yes, Neville gave it to me for our anniversary. It once belonged to Catherine the Great, or so his personal assistant wrote in the note that was with it when it arrived.' Ambrosia fingered the jewel.

‘Neville? How do you know Neville?' Alice-Miranda asked, wide-eyed.

‘He's my husband. Neville Headlington-Bear,' Ambrosia sneered.

‘Oh, your husband, of course.' Alice-Miranda thought for a moment. ‘But didn't Mr Headlington-Bear give it to you in person?'

Ambrosia made a strange sort of grunting noise. ‘You're kidding, aren't you? I haven't seen him in months.'

‘Oh.' Alice-Miranda stopped, puzzled. ‘But he's here on the ship with you now, isn't he?'

‘As far as I know, my husband is somewhere in the depths of Africa signing a deal on a mining venture or something equally dull,' Ambrosia replied.

Alice-Miranda was rapidly putting the pieces together. No wonder Neville hadn't been discovered by the crew.

‘Are you having a good time?' she asked.

‘No, not really,' Ambrosia replied tartly.

‘Is there something the matter?' the child persisted.

‘Well, I don't know anyone and no one seems especially interested to know me,' Ambrosia pouted.

‘Well, of course you know Jacinta,' Alice-Miranda said gently. ‘And I'd be very happy to introduce you around. Although, I have to warn you that some of our distant relatives are a little bit interesting. I think eccentric is what I'd prefer to call them – but they're guaranteed to keep you amused.'

‘I'm fine,' Ambrosia insisted. ‘I'll never see any of them again after we get off the ship anyway.'

‘Oh, I'm sure that's not the case,' Alice-Miranda replied. ‘Jacinta and I are going to be friends forever. You and Mr Headlington-Bear will be like part of the family.'

‘Family,' Ambrosia scoffed. ‘I can't imagine.'

‘I can't think of anything better than family. I've always longed for brothers and sisters but Mummy said that wasn't to be . . . but now I've got Millie and Jacinta and Sep and Lucas and all my other friends at school, and Mrs Oliver and Shilly and everyone at home. We might not be related by blood but I consider them my family just the same,' Alice-Miranda prattled.

‘They're only using you.' Ambrosia's words sliced through the air.

‘I don't see what you mean,' said Alice-Miranda, wrinkling her nose.

‘They only like you because you're rich and you can give them things they'd never have, take them places they'd never go, give them a life they can't afford.' Ambrosia's emerald eyes filled with tears.

‘Is that what people do to you?' Alice-Miranda reached out and touched Ambrosia's creamy hand.

‘Of course not. Don't be ridiculous.' The woman withdrew her hand and wiped the moisture from her eye. ‘Run along with your friends.'

‘Why don't you come and join us?' Alice-Miranda asked.

Ambrosia was watching her only daughter as she shimmied and shook, laughing with the two handsome lads Ambrosia had met the night before and a rather ancient grey-haired woman who was swaying wildly with a walking stick in her left hand.

‘But I'll have to warn you to stay out of Granny Bert's reach – she looks rather dangerous with that stick,' Alice-Miranda giggled as she surveyed the show in front of them.

‘No. I'll stay here,' Ambrosia protested.

Alice-Miranda tried again. ‘Please come. Jacinta would love to spend more time with you.'

‘Jacinta doesn't need me.' Ambrosia stood and stalked to the other side of the room.

Alice-Miranda frowned. Grown-ups could be so complicated at times.

W
hile watching the dance floor, Alice-Miranda had come up with a plan. But Neville would have to agree, and that might prove difficult. Earlier she had promised him that she wouldn't tell anyone about him and she'd already told Millie.

‘Hello there,' Alice-Miranda called above the music to Lucas, Sep and Jacinta, who were all mastering the art of the Bollywood shoulder-shrug.

‘Hey,' Sep grinned. ‘I know we must look ridiculous but this is kind of fun.'

‘No, you look like experts,' Alice-Miranda replied.

The music stopped and there was much clapping as the crowd scattered from the dance floor back to their seats. A swarm of white-suited drinks waiters delivered refreshments to the tables of thirsty dancers. Alice-Miranda's friends promptly downed their pitcher of iced raspberry cordial.

‘Where's Millie?' Jacinta asked, looking around the room.

‘Well, I need to tell you something, but you all have to promise that you won't say a word to anyone,' Alice-Miranda whispered.

‘That sounds mysterious.' Lucas grinned – and Jacinta's heart fluttered as if filled with a thousand butterflies.

‘I've made a new friend and I want him to spend the rest of the cruise with us,' said Alice-Miranda.

‘Of course,' Sep agreed. ‘Any friend of yours is a friend of ours.'

‘Well, it's not quite that simple . . . maybe it is. Why don't you all stay here and I'll go and get him,' the tiny child instructed.

Alice-Miranda leapt from her chair and raced out of the ballroom. She flew downstairs to the Gallery Deck as fast as she could. Alice-Miranda didn't have to tell her friends Neville's story. He could just become one of the group. That would keep him out of Dr Lush's way and it was likely no one would notice him. He could have been any of the young boys on the ship really. She wasn't lying – and it would only be a couple of days and Neville would be safely home again.

As she reached the door to the Albert Suite, Alice-Miranda knocked gently.

‘It's me,' she whispered. Millie opened the door and Alice-Miranda promptly scurried inside.

‘Neville, I've got an idea,' she blurted. ‘But you're going to have to trust me . . .'

Millie nodded in agreement. ‘That's perfect. You can just hang out with us. I mean, you could be anyone. No offence, Neville.'

‘But how many people are on board?' Neville whispered.

‘Well, including the crew, around five hundred,' Alice-Miranda replied. ‘There are about thirty children, I think, but we seem to have divided into a few groups. Anyway, Neville, you do look a lot like some of Mummy's Swedish cousins. I'm sure that if we just keep to ourselves no one will ask too many questions.'

‘And what about Dr Lush?' asked Neville. He still looked as if he might throw up.

‘I'll talk to him tomorrow,' Alice-Miranda promised.

‘But if he really is a dangerous criminal, he might throw you overboard!' Millie gasped.

‘Millie, your imagination is getting to be as good as Jacinta's,' Alice-Miranda chided. ‘I'm glad she doesn't know about this. Can you imagine? She'd have us all marked for shark bait.'

Millie giggled.

‘What about Henderson?' Neville asked. ‘He seems to think I'm here with my mother.'

‘That's all right. We can let him think that for now,' Alice-Miranda replied.

And so it was agreed. Neville would head up to the party with the girls and meet Sep, Lucas and Jacinta. Then Alice-Miranda would go first thing in the morning to have a chat with Dr Lush about returning his case.

‘But what if Lush comes back in the middle of the night?' Neville's face was as pale as pancake batter.

‘I imagine if Aunty Gee's not feeling well, Dr Lush will be on duty all evening. Attending to Her Majesty is no small matter.'

Neville seemed slightly reassured. He'd never met anyone like Alice-Miranda before. She was so confident and organised.

‘I wonder if we can find you something a little more appropriate to wear,' said Alice-Miranda with a glance at Neville's T-shirt and trainers. ‘If you're going to fit in upstairs you need to be dressed for Bollywood and I'm afraid what you're wearing just won't do.'

‘Didn't your mother pack some things for the boys in your luggage just in case?' Millie asked.

Alice-Miranda clapped her hands together in delight. ‘Yes, I think she did.'

‘I'll go.' Millie was already charging out the door before Alice-Miranda had time to say anything. ‘I-I'm sorry about all this,' Neville apologised. ‘I didn't mean to be a bother.'

‘Oh, Neville, don't be silly,' Alice-Miranda smiled at him. ‘Think of it as an adventure.'

Millie returned with the clothes. Fortunately, Neville and Sep were almost the same size and although the white shirt was a little snug, he looked the part. Cecelia Highton-Smith had thought of everything and there was even a pair of smart black shoes. They were a little big, but Alice-Miranda improvised and stuffed the toes with toilet paper. Neville was all set.

‘Come on.' Alice-Miranda straightened his jacket. ‘You look great.'

Neville grabbed his inhaler from the bedside table and took a puff.

Five minutes later the three children were upstairs in the ballroom. Alice-Miranda introduced Neville to Lucas, Sep and Jacinta. He thought they all seemed nice enough and, better still, they were too busy dancing to ask him any questions.