Alice-Miranda at the Palace 11 (15 page)

The morning passed in the blink of an eye. Lord Tavistock showed off his expert skills at clay-pigeon shooting, barely letting anyone else take a turn, much to the disappointment of Sep and Lucas. After having listened to the man blather on about it the night before, the two boys had been keen to give it a go, but soon they had great fun careering around in one of Her Majesty's buggies instead.

The head horseman and several stablehands brought down a variety of traps and drays and
organised rides along the river. Millie and Alice-Miranda had hoped they might go riding later in the day but in the meantime Millie, Jacinta and Caprice were learning the art of fly fishing. Millie hooked a very impressive trout, which jumped all over the river before leaping right off the hook. Soon after that, Caprice boasted that she'd caught an even bigger fish. With her rod bending and curving under the strain of the catch, she was determined to reel in the monster. Sadly for her it turned out to be just a snag in the river.

Alice-Miranda spent much of the time cuddling Marcus and Imogen, who she decided were the world's best sleepers. And, to everyone's surprise, Sloane was proving to be a very helpful babysitter.

‘Darling, Daddy and I need to get going,' Cecelia called as the girls climbed down from the buggy they'd just ridden around the field.

Alice-Miranda raced towards her mother and gave her a hug. ‘Already? What about Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Lawrence and the babies?'

‘They're off too, I'm afraid,' Cecelia replied. ‘Lawrence has some red-carpet commitments back in Los Angeles, and Granny is going home with them to help Charlotte with the twins.'

Cecelia knelt down and brushed the hair from her daughter's face.

‘You know you can come home with us if you'd like to,' she said. ‘I'm sure Aunty Gee wouldn't be upset if you changed your mind.'

Millie, Jacinta and Sloane's faces fell at the suggestion they might not be staying. Caprice huffed loudly.

‘No, no, no, that won't do at all,' Queen Georgiana said, walking up with Valentina Highton-Smith. ‘I've already made arrangements and I've promised this for ages. The children will have a lovely time.'

‘It's all right, Aunty Gee,' Alice-Miranda said. ‘I still want to stay if you'll have us.'

‘Well, thank heavens for that.' The old woman grabbed Alice-Miranda around the shoulders and hugged her tight.

‘Is everything all right, Aunty Gee?' Cecelia asked. The woman wasn't renowned for her outward displays of affection, yet Alice-Miranda had been receiving hugs on a regular basis all weekend.

‘Yes, of course. I'm just thrilled to have the children staying. It will put a bit of life back into the old place.' Queen Georgiana released Alice-Miranda
and smiled at the group. ‘Anyway, Mrs Marmalade will help me.'

Marian Marmalade, having just joined the group, wondered what she'd been volunteered for this time. ‘What am I doing?' she asked.

‘I said that you'd help me look after the children for the week,' Aunty Gee said.

‘Wonderful,' Mrs Marmalade muttered, horrified at the thought.

Millie, Jacinta and Sloane all clenched their fists and exchanged grins. ‘Yes!' A collective hiss went up between them, while Caprice wore a smarmy grin.

Alice-Miranda smiled. ‘Don't worry, Mummy. I'll be home on Sunday and then I'll have two more weeks to drive you quite mad. You'll be glad I'm going back to school.'

‘Darling, I am never glad when you go back to school. Daddy and I miss you like crazy.' Cecelia leaned down and kissed the top of her daughter's head. ‘Now, I want you all to look after each other and do everything Aunty Gee asks.'

The girls nodded.

‘And, Caprice,' Cecelia looked over Millie's shoulder at the girl standing a few steps away, ‘I've asked Mr Langley to telephone your mother again
tomorrow and see what she wants you to do, but I suspect she's happy for you to stay. She says, though your grandfather is much better, she wants to organise for him to move into a retirement village so there's someone to keep an eye on him.'

‘I'm so glad that Nonno is going to be all right.' Caprice smiled, a tear forming in the corner of her eye. ‘And it sounds like Mummy has a lot to deal with, so if you don't mind me staying, I'm sure it will make things much easier for her.'

Queen Georgiana nodded. ‘Of course, dear. You're welcome to stay as long as you like.'

Millie, Jacinta and Sloane traded glances.

Caprice smiled. ‘Thank you, Aunty Gee.'

Millie looked at the girl and thought she might throw up.

By Monday morning the palace had taken on a completely different feel. Most of the guests had left the previous afternoon, except for Alice-Miranda, her friends and Edgar and Louis. Though the boys only lived a couple of miles away, they preferred to stay at their grandmother's because Evesbury Palace was much closer to the tower.

The children had enjoyed a simple supper in the casual sitting room the night before. They'd played board games until Caprice was caught cheating
and stormed off to bed in a huff. Aunty Gee had been called away on some official palace business, leaving Mrs Marmalade to make sure they all got to bed at a reasonable hour. It had been arranged for the children to meet Aunty Gee for breakfast in the small dining room at half past seven, and one of the butlers was to escort them downstairs.

At exactly twenty-five past the hour there was a sharp knock on Alice-Miranda's bedroom door. Millie raced to open it.

‘Good morning, Miss Millicent.' Frank Bunyan bowed his head slightly. ‘I've come to collect you all for breakfast.'

Millie frowned, wondering why he had to come.

‘Hello Mr Bunyan,' Alice-Miranda bounded over to the door. ‘How are you today?'

‘Fine, thank you,' the man said with a nod. ‘Are you ready to go?'

‘Caprice is still in the bathroom,' Millie said. She turned and yelled for the girl to hurry up.

‘I'm coming,' Caprice called back. ‘If
someone
hadn't taken all day in the shower I'd be ready by now.'

A smile tickled Millie's lips. She hadn't been that long in the shower but she'd purposely kept busy
in the bathroom, grooming herself within an inch of her life. Her nails were neatly filed and scrubbed clean, her ears were completely wax-free and she'd even had time to blow-dry her hair.

Millie looked at the butler. ‘Mr Bunyan, is there something the matter with your face?' she asked. The skin on the man's jaw seemed to be hanging loose.

‘What?' Mr Bunyan squeaked.

‘Your face – it's coming apart,'

Millie said. ‘Millie!' Alice-Miranda chided from where she had gone to collect her cardigan. When she rejoined the pair, the girl quickly realised that her friend was right. ‘Oh, there
is
something unusual.'

Mr Bunyan stalked across to the dressing-table mirror, and the girls watched as he pulled a small tube from his pocket. He squeezed a tiny amount of liquid onto his fingers and rubbed at his jawline.

‘What are you doing?' Millie asked.

‘It's just some chafing,' Mr Bunyan replied.

Millie grinned. ‘I get that all the time from riding, but not on my face.'

Bunyan sniffed. ‘How utterly unpleasant.'

‘It's not that bad,' Millie said with a shrug. ‘You get used to it.'

Alice-Miranda studied the man's face. There was
something that just didn't add up. She wished she could work out what it was.

‘I'll go and get the others, shall I?' Bunyan said and hurried out the door.

Within a couple of minutes the group was gathered on the landing. As instructed, the children all wore casual clothes, suitable for running about and exploring.

‘Come along, everyone.' Bunyan turned to lead the way downstairs. ‘You don't want to keep Her Majesty waiting.'

The breakfast room was a bright and pretty space with lemon-coloured curtains covered in floral sprays, and comfy wicker chairs with matching cushions. Archie and Petunia were dozing in two baskets on the floor, bathed in the morning sunshine. They raised their heads and began to growl as Mr Bunyan and the children walked into the room.

‘Good morning, my darlings.' Queen Georgiana trilled from where she was sitting at the head of a long white dining table.

‘Hello Aunty Gee.' Alice-Miranda greeted the woman with a hug, then bounced to the other end of the table and greeted Mrs Marmalade in a similar fashion.

‘Oh, good morning to you too,' Mrs Marmalade reeled.

Queen Georgiana raised her eyebrows at the woman. ‘Marian, the child gave you a hug, she didn't thwack you with a cattle prod.'

Marian allowed herself a small smile.

The other children greeted Her Majesty and Mrs  Marmalade with a cacophony of good mornings.

The two little beagles scampered out of their baskets and made a beeline for Bunyan, sniffing the man's legs and barking.

‘Stop that nonsense, Archie, Petunia,' Her Majesty scolded. She waved the children to sit down. ‘I haven't a clue what they're upset about. They never properly bark at anyone.'

‘Except that wretched woman who managed to get into your bedroom the last time we opened the palace for tours,' Mrs Marmalade said. ‘It was lucky Archie took a nip out of her, or we'd never have found your watch in her pocket.'

‘That's horrid,' Alice-Miranda said.

‘Well done, Archie!' Jacinta said, patting the dog on the head.

‘My mummy says that dogs have an excellent
radar for people,' Millie chimed in. ‘They can always tell if someone's up to no good.'

Frank Bunyan jumped and began to retreat from the room when Thornton Thripp walked through the door with a newspaper tucked under his arm.

‘Bunyan, I'll have a white tea.'

The butler hesitated.

Thripp looked at him. ‘Is there a problem?'

‘No, sir.' Bunyan walked over to the sideboard and picked up the teapot.

‘What's the matter with the dogs?' Thornton asked as he sat down.

‘Archie, Petunia, heel,' Her Majesty commanded, but the beagles seemed intent on investigating Mr Bunyan.

The butler walked over to the table and poured Thornton's tea, with Archie and Petunia relentlessly sniffing about his heels.

Caprice giggled. She wondered if Louis and Edgar had been painting the soles of the new butler's shoes too.

Braxton Balfour walked into the room, carrying a large silver tray which he placed in the middle of the table. ‘Scrambled eggs, Ma'am,' he said.

‘Thank you, Balfour,' Her Majesty replied.
‘Perhaps Bunyan can help you bring the rest of the food before it's stone-cold.'

‘Yes, Ma'am.' Braxton gave a small bow.

Frank Bunyan shook his leg and tried to prise himself free of Petunia, who had latched on to the bottom of his trouser leg.

‘Petunia, stop that at once,' Queen Georgiana called sharply. The little dog let go and she and Archie scampered back to their baskets.

Frank Bunyan walked out of the room as quickly as he dared and was almost barrelled over by Edgar and Louis. The boys each kissed their grandmother on the cheek and quickly found a place to sit.

‘Goodness me, look at the pair of you,' Her Majesty tutted. ‘Before you go outside, please attempt to run a comb through those birds' nests you call hair.'

Louis scratched at the side of his head, making his dark locks even more unruly.

‘The palace feels strange today,' Jacinta said as she buttered a piece of toast.

‘What do you mean, dear?' Queen Georgiana asked.

‘Well, sort of empty,' the girl replied. ‘I suppose
now that everyone has gone home, the palace just seems so big.'

‘Oh, yes, that's exactly why I wanted you all to stay,' Aunty Gee said before taking a sip of tea. ‘I hate rattling around here on my own. It's always much nicer when there are children. Well, some children.'

The Queen looked at each of her grandsons and waggled her eyebrows.

‘We're not that bad, Grandmama,' Edgar said.

‘No, not always,' she said with a frown, ‘except yesterday afternoon and last night when you were positively deplorable. But I'll leave your father to deal with you both.'

The boys looked sheepish.

‘Now, how about we start off with a tour of the palace this morning?' Queen Georgiana suggested.

‘Yes, please!' Millie clapped her hands together and there was murmur of agreement around the table.

‘Excellent,' Her Majesty replied.

‘Would we be able to go riding later?' Alice-Miranda asked.

Jacinta and Sloane both wrinkled their noses. Neither of the girls were big fans of horses.

Queen Georgiana looked at Thornton Thripp,
who glanced up from his newspaper and gave a slight shrug. ‘I don't see why not. Perhaps I can come with you,' Her Majesty replied.

‘I'd like to see the library,' Sep suggested. ‘I've heard that there are lots of first editions.'

‘Oh, yes!' Aunty Gee nodded. ‘We have a fabulous collection, and I'm thrilled that someone as young as yourself would want to see it, Sep.'

‘Boring,' Caprice muttered under her breath.

‘What was that, dear?' the Queen asked.

‘I said I'd love to see the library too,' the child said sweetly.

‘What about you, Lucas? Is there anything special that you'd like to do?' Queen Georgiana asked.

‘I've been dying to visit that tower up on the ridge,' the boy said.

There was a chorus of yesses from the girls and Sep. Edgar and Louis glanced at each other and then at Caprice, who looked as if she was about to say something. Louis ran his finger across his throat and glared at the girl.

‘I haven't been up there for a long time. I'm not even sure what condition the place is in,' Her Majesty replied.

‘I think it's locked up tighter than Fort Knox,'
Thornton Thripp said. ‘Last time I asked Mr Budd about it he said that they'd lost the keys, so it might prove difficult.'

Edgar and Louis smirked at one another.

‘That's a pity,' Queen Georgiana said.

‘I would love to have seen it too,' Alice-Miranda said, slightly disappointed.

As the group munched on their breakfast, Vincent Langley appeared at the door with Marjorie Plunkett close behind.

‘Miss Plunkett to see you, Ma'am.' The man nodded. ‘And the twins' mother telephoned to say that she will be here shortly to take them to have their hair cut.'

Langley then retreated from the room.

‘Nooo!' the boys wailed in unison.

Caprice leaned over towards Edgar. ‘Are you sure you took Langley's shoes?' she asked.

‘Yes,' the boy whispered. ‘But maybe Bunyan's wearing them instead.'

‘I thought that too,' Caprice replied with a giggle.

Marjorie smiled nervously. ‘Excuse me, Your Majesty, but I was wondering if I might have a word. It's rather urgent.'

Queen Georgiana pushed back her chair and stood up.

‘Miss Plunkett, I loved that hat Aunty Gee was wearing at the garden party,' Alice-Miranda piped up.

Marjorie stared blankly at the child.

‘The hat you made?' Alice-Miranda said.

‘Oh, yes, of course,' Marjorie replied quickly. ‘It was very pretty.'

‘I found a little piece of peacock fabric in the back hall yesterday afternoon too. I only realised when I looked at it again this morning that it was just like the band from Aunty Gee's sunhat. I think it fell out of Mr Balfour's pocket.'

‘Really?' Marjorie inhaled sharply. She needed to find out exactly what Braxton Balfour knew.

‘Mummy said that you only make hats for Aunty Gee,' the child continued. ‘You must be so clever. I can't imagine how hard it must be to make a hat.'

Thornton Thripp stood up and excused himself from the table. As he brushed past Marjorie, he whispered something in her ear. She nodded and waited for Queen Georgiana to stand up.

‘Mrs Marmalade, perhaps you could take the children on the tour of the house until Marjorie and
I have finished our business. I'll come and find you as soon as I can.'

Her Majesty gave the woman a meaningful look, then followed Thornton out the door with Marjorie right behind her. Archie and Petunia scrambled out of their baskets and scampered after them.