Alice-Miranda in Japan 9

About the Book

When Alice-Miranda, Millie and Jacinta travel to Japan during the school holidays, they are in for a fascinating treat. Dolly Oliver, the family cook, has been invited to speak at a conference in Tokyo on her Just Add Water food creation – but she is even more interested in her newest invention, and vows to try it out while overseas. Alice-Miranda becomes embroiled in an elaborate missing persons hunt when a gift from her father confuses the authorities. Things come to a head when Alice-Miranda and her friends are invited to dinner at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, and the plans of a jealous sister begin to unravel, with startling consequences.

 

 

 

For Ian and Sandy

 

 

Thank you to Louisa Chen for her advice on the Japanese translations

 

Glossary of Japanese terms
 

 

 

 

 

The young girl wove her way through the surging crowd.
‘Sumimasen,'
she muttered over and over, apologising to each person she bumped into. She scanned the street, checking to see if she was still being followed, and pulled her baseball cap lower. She wondered if the city was always like this, with so many people in a hurry to be somewhere else.

Up ahead she spied a small group of students in black and white uniforms, long socks and gym shoes. They were talking excitedly and above the din she heard one of them say ‘subway'. Her heart beat faster as she scurried to keep up, hoping they would lead her there.

The students walked several blocks then rushed downstairs into a labyrinth of tunnels, where they disappeared into a tangled mass of people.

The girl wanted to stop; to look at the address and find a map, but she was dragged along in the current of commuters and soon became pinned against a barrier. A strange smell filled the air. Sharp and tangy, it was like nothing she'd experienced before. Her stomach clenched and she wondered if it was the unpleasant odour or hunger pangs or maybe just fear.

She looked left and right, unsure of how to make the gate open. Tickets snapped in and out beside her. She was trapped.

An angry voice shouted, telling her to hurry up. A man prodded her in the back. Her mind raced. She saw her opportunity, dropped to her knees and crawled under the turnstile. Then she ran for it, pushing through the mob and forcing her way onto the waiting train. The doors slid shut and the train surged forward. She willed herself to be invisible, slipping into the corner of the carriage where, finally, she breathed.

 

 

Hamish McLoughlin-McTavish glanced in the rear-vision mirror before adjusting the volume control. ‘Okay, girls, this is it. Last song before we drop Alice-Miranda off.'

Millie counted them in, ‘Two, three, four . . .'

Alice-Miranda and Jacinta swayed in time with the beat, clicking their fingers. Millie was sitting in the middle of the back seat using a banana as a microphone. Together the trio belted out an enthusiastic rendition of ‘Mamma Mia'.

Hamish and his wife, Pippa, smiled at one another. The children had certainly kept them entertained for the past couple of weeks.

The four-wheel drive whizzed along the country lane before slowing and turning left into the estate. They passed the pretty gatehouse where Mr and Mrs Greening lived, and drove through the elaborate iron gates that led up to Highton Hall. The girls' song ended triumphantly just as Hamish pulled up outside the kitchen door at the side of the mansion.

He turned off the ignition and glanced around at the back seat. ‘Well, that's it. Holiday's over.'

‘Noooo,' Jacinta wailed. ‘I want to go back to the caravan.'

Millie looked at her friend in amazement. ‘Seriously? I never thought
those
words would come out of your mouth.'

‘It's true. That was the best holiday ever,' said Jacinta.

‘It was a pleasure to have you,' Hamish said, grinning.

Millie smiled to herself. That was another sentence she had never expected to hear. But Jacinta had changed a lot in the past year, and Millie had been glad when the girl agreed to holiday with Millie's family at their caravan on the coast. Sloane had been invited too but her parents had insisted she spend the holidays at home in Spain, much to Sloane's disappointment.

Cecelia Highton-Smith burst out of the kitchen door and scurried down the porch steps. ‘Hello darlings!'

‘Mummy! We had the best time,' Alice-Miranda exclaimed as she opened the door and leapt into her mother's outstretched arms. She squeezed the woman tight and pecked her cheek. ‘Is Daddy home?'

‘Yes, he's in the study finishing up some phone calls. He'll be out soon.'

Millie scrambled out of the car and Jacinta followed. Alice-Miranda wriggled from her mother's grasp and slipped to the ground.

‘Hello Millie, how was it?' Cecelia asked.

Millie gave Cecelia a hug. ‘It was great.'

‘And what about you, Jacinta?' Cecelia hugged her too.

‘I loved it,' Jacinta smiled.

‘Well, you all look wonderful,' Cecelia said. She took note of Millie's sun-kissed freckles and Jacinta's blonder than usual hair.

Pippa hopped out of the car and kissed Cecelia on both cheeks. ‘Hello there.' Hamish emerged from the driver's seat looking just as relaxed as his wife. He walked around and greeted Cecelia in the same way.

‘How about a cup of tea?' Cecelia asked. ‘I thought you might like something before you head off.'

Hamish nodded. ‘Wonderful. I'm feeling quite parched after all that singing.'

‘Singing?' Cecelia's forehead wrinkled. ‘I can't wait to hear about that. And before you ask, girls, Mrs Oliver has made something extra-special for your afternoon tea.'

‘Is it devil's food cake?' Alice-Miranda asked.

‘No, I hope it's heaven cake,' said Jacinta, whose stomach grumbled right on cue.

Alice-Miranda shook her head. ‘I doubt it. Mrs Greening doesn't share that recipe with anyone.'

‘I'm not entirely sure what it is, but something in the kitchen smells delicious,' Cecelia said.

‘You ladies go inside and I'll get Alice-Miranda's bag,' said Hamish, as he opened the car's tailgate.

‘Thank you,' Alice-Miranda called. She motioned to her friends. ‘Come on!' The girls raced up the steps and disappeared into the cavernous kitchen.

‘They seem a happy bunch,' Cecelia said. ‘And you two actually look as if you've had a holiday.'

‘Must have been all that sea air,' said Pippa. She linked arms with Cecelia and the two women followed the children inside.

 

Dolly Oliver bustled out of the pantry and was almost bowled over by Alice-Miranda and her friends.

‘Hello there, darling girl!' said Dolly in her lilting Irish brogue. She enveloped Alice-Miranda in a warm embrace, then stepped back and looked at Millie and Jacinta. ‘How was it? Did you have a good holiday?'

The children nodded furiously.

‘We had the most wonderful time and I can't wait to tell you all about it,' said Alice-Miranda. She raised her nose into the air. ‘But what is that delicious smell?'

‘You can find out in just a minute. I was about to put the kettle on. Why don't you run along and wash your hands, and then you can come and set the table for me,' said Dolly.

The children rushed through the side sitting room to the downstairs bathroom, and reappeared moments later, ready to help.

‘Where's Shilly?' Alice-Miranda asked, referring to the family's resident housekeeper.

‘She's taken a few days off to see her sister,' Mrs Oliver explained. ‘And not before time. That woman works far too hard.'

‘Oh, I'm glad she's having a break,' said Alice-Miranda.

In just a few minutes the three girls, plus Cecelia, Pippa and Hamish, were sitting at the scrubbed pine table with Mrs Oliver's treats taking centre stage. An enormous almond cake sat atop a crystal stand surrounded by a kaleidoscope of chocolate, strawberry, pistachio and caramel macarons.

‘These are amazing,' Millie said. A shower of green meringue sputtered from her lips.

‘Manners, Millie!' her mother scolded.

‘Sorry,' Millie mumbled and wiped her mouth.

‘Dolly, please join us,' said Cecelia. ‘I wonder where Hugh has got to.'

Just as Cecelia spoke, her husband snuck up behind her and leaned forward to steal a bite of the macaron she was holding.

Cecelia jumped. ‘Hugh! You naughty thing.'

The girls laughed.

‘I thought I heard some elephants in the house,' Hugh teased.

‘Daddy!' Alice-Miranda sprang from her seat and ran to her father, who scooped her up. She kissed him loudly on the cheek and hugged him tightly.

‘Now that's what I call a greeting.' Hugh carried his daughter across the room, set her back down in her seat and greeted the others around the table. ‘So what mischief did you get up to at the beach, girls?'

‘Oh no, there was no mischief,' Alice-Miranda replied, glancing at Millie and Jacinta with a little grin.

‘Well, Jacinta
did
shake sand all over Aunt Violet,' Millie said.

‘I did not!' Jacinta protested.

Millie gave her friend a meaningful look.

‘Not on purpose,' Jacinta added.

‘Who's Aunt Violet?' Hugh asked.

‘An old lady we met at the beach. She was there with her great-niece, a gorgeous little girl called Clementine Rose. And it was such a coincidence – they live in Penberthy Floss and Clementine is a good friend of Poppy's,' Alice-Miranda explained.

‘And there was an old man called Uncle Digby with them and Clemmie's mother, Clarissa,' Millie continued.

‘Do you mean Clarissa Appleby?' Cecelia asked.

Alice-Miranda nodded. ‘Do you know her?'

‘Not really. Your grandparents were friends with her parents but they drifted apart over time. I suspect it had something to do with the younger sister, Violet.'

Jacinta grimaced. ‘Aunt Violet's not young any more. She's wrinkly like a prune and she hardly ever smiles – although she does wear stylish clothes for someone so ancient.'

‘I liked her,' Millie said. ‘She reminded me of an old lady version of you.'

Jacinta's mouth fell open. ‘I hope not. She was crabby.'

‘And . . .?' Millie teased.

‘Come on, Millie, be nice,' said Hamish.

‘What else did you get up to, other than upsetting old ladies?' Hugh asked.

The girls regaled everyone with tales of building giant sandcastles on the beach, regular visits to the ice-cream parlour and swimming in the chilly water. They'd dug for pippies and gone fishing on the pier, although their catch was less than impressive, yielding a puffer fish and a small stingray.

‘We had to buy fish and chips from Mr Alessi,' Alice-Miranda explained. ‘We didn't catch anything that we could eat.'

‘I don't know, I offered to cook that puffer fish but you all turned your noses up,' Hamish said with a wink.

Millie rolled her eyes. ‘That's because it was poisonous, Dad.'

The telephone rang. Dolly Oliver hurried from the room and was gone for quite some time. When she finally returned there was a strange grin on her face.

Hugh Kennington-Jones gave her a quizzical look. ‘What was that about, Dolly? Why are you looking so pleased with yourself?'

‘Was it Grandpa?' Millie asked. Mrs Oliver and Millie's grandfather had struck up a very close friendship over the past year and Millie secretly hoped they might marry one day.

‘No. It was a representative of the Japanese Ministry for Invention and Innovation,' Dolly replied with a shake of her head.

‘That's intriguing,' said Hugh. ‘And what exactly did they want?'

‘It's all a bit overwhelming,' she said slowly.

Hugh stood up. ‘Come and sit down and I'll pour you some fresh tea.' He thought Dolly looked a little wobbly, which was most unusual. The woman was unshakable, from her sensible navy court shoes to her immovable brown curls.

All eyes were focused on Mrs Oliver.

‘Come on, then – don't keep us in suspense,' said Cecelia.

‘Well . . . It seems that they knew about the success of my Just Add Water foods and they've invited me to speak at a conference next week in Tokyo,' Dolly explained. ‘It all seems rather last minute. I suspect they must have had someone pull out. Why would they ask me?'

A cacophony of support echoed around the room.

Dolly shook her head. ‘I . . . I can't go, of course. Not with Alice-Miranda home and Shilly away. There's far too much to be done here.'

Hugh Kennington-Jones tapped his forefinger against his mouth.

Alice-Miranda noticed his thoughtful expression. ‘What are you thinking, Daddy?'

‘I'm thinking that this is perfect,' he replied.

Cecelia grinned at her husband. ‘Yes, of course it is.'

‘What's perfect, Mummy?' Alice-Miranda asked.

‘Dolly's timing. Your father and I were saying this morning that Highton's has been looking at some new suppliers in Japan, and Charlotte and I were discussing the prospect of sending Rosie Hunter there on assignment to write about the Japanese fashion scene. We could all go and make a holiday of it,' said Cecelia, smiling at Hugh.

Jacinta looked at Millie and Alice-Miranda, the colour draining from her face. She'd confided to her friends while they were away about her mother's new job – but what if Hugh and Cecelia still didn't know who Rosie Hunter really was?

Alice-Miranda bit her lip. ‘What about Aunty Gee? I thought I was supposed to be spending some time with her these holidays.'

‘I'm sorry, darling, but she telephoned last week when you were away to say that she's been caught up with state matters and your visit will have to wait until half-term. She sounded terribly disappointed.'

‘She's not the only one,' Jacinta said, frowning. ‘I've been looking forward to a trip to Aunty Gee's palace.'

‘What makes you think you'd be invited?' Millie asked.

‘Well, I was hoping . . .' Jacinta replied.

‘This could be a fun second choice,' Hugh said. ‘I know it's only with us boring oldies and it's not to a palace, but I'm sure there will be plenty to see.' He looked at Hamish and Pippa. ‘Do you have any plans for the next couple of weeks?'

‘Afraid so. I've got some work to do on the farm that just won't wait,' Hamish replied.