Alice-Miranda at Sea (13 page)

'D
on't you worry about a thing,' Alice-Miranda smiled. ‘I have to find my friends and get to dinner, but I'll bring you something to eat in a little while. I promise, Neville, we can work this out. I'm sure that you won't be in trouble.'

Alice-Miranda patted him gently on the shoulder. Her reassuring smile made him feel ever so slightly less anxious – although his parents would likely still ground him for life when he got home, if he ever got home, that is.

Alice-Miranda had listened to Neville Nordstrom and his wonderful story. She'd never met anyone so passionate about conservation. He shouldn't be in trouble, she thought. He should be given an award! And she couldn't believe it either when he said that his online friend was heading for Spain, just as he was steaming towards the USA – well, except that now he wasn't. Alice-Miranda's brain had gone into overdrive – there was already a plan bubbling away.

She promised not to tell anyone about him. After all, he had written his parents a letter explaining where he had gone – it's just that he wasn't really where he said he would be.

‘You're not going to telephone my parents, are you?' Neville asked, his eyes filling with tears.

‘No. It might be best they think you're still heading for New York. We can't let them know where you really are, or it might spoil everything for Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Lawrence. Where exactly do you live, Neville?' Alice-Miranda asked.

‘Castelldefels,' he replied. ‘Just by the beach, down the road from the country club.'

‘Oh my goodness, that's perfect,' Alice-Miranda gasped.

‘Why?' Neville frowned.

‘Because I know someone who lives there, too. I'm sure that if I ask her she'll help get a message to your parents. At least then they'll know you're all right. All of the calls from the ship are monitored anyway – I mean, Aunty Gee can't be too careful with security. But there's a mail pick-up each morning and I can get a letter to my friend with another letter for your parents inside. I'm sure that she'll help us.'

Neville was puzzled. ‘But why don't you just write to my parents instead?'

‘I don't know if they'd believe me, and at least this way, my friend can back me up.'

‘So, you promise you won't tell anyone I'm here?' Neville begged. ‘I've made such a botch of it. I didn't mean to get on the wrong ship. It's just that I met a lady on the dock. She asked me where my parents were and I sort of panicked, I think. She was very kind but she seemed in a hurry and I didn't want to upset her,' he explained.

‘Don't worry, Neville, I promise,' Alice-Miranda told him. ‘That lady you met on the dock. What did she look like?'

‘Well she was very regal-looking. In fact she sort of looked like . . . Oh, gosh. It was the Queen, wasn't it?'

Alice-Miranda nodded. Poor Neville couldn't have felt more foolish.

‘My mum would be so excited to know that I was talking to Queen Georgiana.' He managed a tight smile.

‘See, Neville, things will work out,' Alice-Miranda assured him. She just had to work out exactly how.

A
lice-Miranda ran back upstairs to her suite to find Millie patting Cecelia's arm, apparently trying to calm her down, and Jacinta ready to head off on a search party.

Millie ran to Alice-Miranda's side. ‘Where have you been?'

‘I had a sleep and then I went for a walk to find you,' Alice-Miranda replied.

‘Oh, darling, I was so worried.' Cecelia strode across the room and gave her tiny daughter a hug.

‘I'm so sorry, Mummy. I know it's pretty nasty out there,' Alice-Miranda apologised. ‘I didn't mean to worry you.'

A tear slid down her mother's face. ‘It's just the seas are so big and the ship has been pitching and rolling. I had started to think you'd gone overboard,' she sniffed.

‘Please don't cry, Mummy. I'm fine.' Alice-Miranda raced to the bathroom and returned with a tissue for Cecelia.

‘Well, I was nearly swept away coming back from the gym,' announced Jacinta.

‘Really?' said Alice-Miranda. ‘On an enclosed deck?'

‘Well, I slipped in a puddle of water,' Jacinta confessed, ‘and I almost fell over.'

‘Goodness me. You and Mummy could both win Academy Awards for your dramatic performances.' Alice-Miranda rolled her eyes. ‘Anyway, I'm back now and it looks as though there's a break in the weather.'

A vivid rainbow stretched from one end of the bay to the other, perfectly framing the coastline in the distance.

‘Oh, look at that!' Millie rushed to the window. ‘It's beautiful.'

The storm seemed to have passed and the boiling seas were settling to a hiss.

‘Well, I'm just glad you're safe, darling,' Cecelia smiled at her daughter and hugged her tightly. ‘Now, we must start getting ready for the party.'

Cecelia Highton-Smith helped the girls select their outfits for the evening's festivities. She had made sure that there was a range of saris packed into Alice-Miranda's luggage. Millie selected a beautiful emerald-green with sequins, Jacinta went for hot pink with a silver edging and Alice-Miranda found herself in heavenly pale blue with delicate gold embroidery. Shilly appeared at the door and offered to do the girls' hair so Cecelia could go and get ready herself.

‘I love your sari, Mrs Shillingsworth,' said Jacinta as she admired Shilly's red dress, which had more decorations than most Christmas trees.

‘Thank you, my dear,' Shilly replied. ‘I think it's quite fetching, myself. I certainly understand the attraction – this type of garment tends to hide all of the lumps and bumps of age.'

Millie looked at her. ‘But you're not fat, Shilly.'

‘Let's just say, dear, that modern corsetry does a wonderful job,' Shilly winked. ‘What would you like me to do with your hair, Alice-Miranda?'

‘It's all right, Shilly. I can manage. Spend your time on Millie and Jacinta. I've got something I have to do,' Alice-Miranda called from the bedroom.

She needed to write that letter and make sure that it was in the mail first thing in the morning. Alice-Miranda retreated to the writing desk where she pulled out a piece of notepaper embellished with the royal crest.

‘Dear Sloane,

I hope this letter finds you well . . .'

Alice-Miranda finished her letter and began a new note to Neville's parents explaining the situation.

Winterstone appeared at the bedroom door. ‘You're very focused, miss.'

‘I just want to get a letter into the post first thing in the morning, if I may?' Alice-Miranda asked.

‘Is everything all right?' Winterstone frowned.

‘Yes, just lovely, Mr Winterstone,' Alice-Miranda replied.

Mrs Shillingsworth emerged from the ensuite bathroom with Jacinta and Millie in tow.

Alice-Miranda slipped the second envelope inside the first and sealed it up.

She looked up and admired Millie and Jacinta's 'dos. ‘Your hair looks lovely.'

‘Thanks,' Millie replied. ‘Who are you writing to?'

‘Sloane,' Alice-Miranda replied.

‘Urgh, I don't know why you'd be wasting your time, Alice-Miranda.' Jacinta said. ‘You know she's a cheat and a liar.'

‘She can't be all bad, Jacinta. I mean, look at Sep – he's just about one of the nicest boys I've ever met and he's her brother.'

‘I see what you mean. But he must be the odd one out in his family. Like me in mine,' said Jacinta.

‘Well, come along, girls,' Shilly interrupted. ‘It's time we princesses made our way to the ball.'

Alice-Miranda handed the letter to Winterstone.

‘I'll make sure it gets in the mail run,' he said with a nod.

‘Thank you,' Alice-Miranda beamed.

T
hree rooms further along the hallway, Lady Sarah Adams, having completely overcome her nasty bout of seasickness, was putting the finishing touches to her gorgeous pale pink ensemble. Her sari shimmered with thousands of tiny crystals and her blonde hair had been curled into loose ringlets.

‘Mummy, you look beautiful,' her daughter Annie complimented.

‘Which necklace are you going to wear?' her younger daughter Poppy asked.

‘Daddy's just getting my diamonds from the safe, girls.' Lady Sarah turned around to find her husband, Lord Robert, standing in the doorway to the main bedroom. His eyebrows were knitted tightly together.

‘Is everything all right?'

‘Yes, darling, of course. Would you mind popping in here for a minute?'

‘Girls, why don't you go and brush your hair?' their mother instructed.

‘What's the matter?' Sarah entered the bedroom. Her husband quickly shut the door behind them.

‘What jewellery did you bring with you, darling?'

‘Um, gosh, loads, you know me, Robert. My diamond bracelet and necklace, the Cartier necklace . . . Let me think. There were three dress rings and of course the sapphires – a whole set – and my emerald earrings, a brooch and my emerald tiara for the wedding.' Sarah stared at the wardrobe which contained the safe, ticking the list off in her mind. ‘And, of course, my usual pearls, gold chains, bracelets and my watch. At least I've still got
that
,' she said, glancing at her wrist.

‘Well, I hate to tell you this, sweetheart, but it's all gone.' Robert pushed the racks of gowns to one side to reveal an empty safe.

‘What do you mean, it's all gone?' Sarah gasped. ‘How? We're in the middle of the ocean, for goodness sake! We need to call security right away.'

‘No!' Robert shook his head. He was gripping a folded piece of paper tightly in his hand.

‘Of course we have to. I'm not letting some petty officer make off with my lovely jewels,' Sarah pouted.

‘I'm afraid, darling, we mustn't tell anyone.' Robert sat down on the bed and passed his wife the paper.

As Lady Sarah read the note's contents her face drained of colour. Even her bright pink lipstick took on a decidedly pasty tinge.

She stifled a cry. ‘This can't be true. Do you think they're serious?'

‘We can't risk it. We mustn't tell a soul. At least, not while we're on board – who knows what listening devices these brutes have?' Robert whispered into his wife's ear.

The pair embraced tightly.

‘I wonder if it's the same gang that's been stealing all those Russian jewels. I read something about that in the newspaper just last week,' Robert commented.

‘But none of my jewels are Russian. Well, not as far as I know. It can't be that,' Sarah replied.

She looked at the paper again and handed it back to her husband.

‘We mustn't let the girls out of our sight,' Sarah said in a choked voice, and then began to cry.

‘Come on, darling. Everything has to remain as normal as possible. We mustn't arouse any suspicion.' Robert handed Sarah a tissue and she went to the bathroom to fix her smudged make-up.

‘Are you all right?' Robert asked as she emerged.

‘No, not really. I feel sick to my stomach.' Sarah managed a tight smile. ‘But I'll be fine. I don't have a choice.'

‘That's my girl.' Robert took his wife by the hand and they emerged from their bedroom to call Annie and Poppy. Together the family made their way to the ballroom.

‘Mummy, you're not wearing your diamonds,' Poppy commented as they headed along the hallway.

‘No, darling, it was far too much with all these crystals. You know I like to take the less is more approach.'

Her young daughter seemed satisfied with her mother's response for now. But how long it would take before someone noticed that the usually bejewelled Lady Sarah was missing her baubles was anyone's guess.