On Saturday evening, Alice-Miranda sent a message around the boarding houses that there would be a committee meeting on Sunday after breakfast. Now that the festival was proceeding full steam ahead, they didn’t have long to put all their plans in place. Following on from their discussions with Miss Reedy on Friday afternoon, she and Millie had made an executive decision that their next gathering would be girls only – with the exception of Miss Crowley. She’d also spoken to her aunt and wanted to share the good and bad news.
Alice-Miranda had left a note for Miss Crowley in the teachers’ communication box, which was located in the foyer at Caledonia Manor. The girls weren’t allowed up to the staff accommodation floor, but there was a letterbox they could use if they needed to speak to a staff member.
At ten o’clock, with everyone assembled in the sitting room of Caledonia Stables, Alice-Miranda called the meeting to order.
‘Do you think we should wait for Miss Crowley?’ Chessie asked, her eyes on the door, hoping the woman would be there soon.
‘Another minute or so,’ Alice-Miranda replied. ‘We have a lot to get through and I didn’t hear back about whether she was intending to come. She was going to finish up the risk assessment so we could submit it to Miss Reedy and Miss Grimm.’
‘Oh, come on,’ Caprice whined, folding her arms. ‘I haven’t got all day. I have a singing lesson at eleven-thirty.’
Chessie listed the attendees and passed around agendas that Alice-Miranda had prepared, outlining what they needed to get through.
Alice-Miranda glanced up at the clock on the wall. ‘All right, let’s make a start. We can bring Miss Crowley up to speed if and when she joins us. Item one, how are we progressing with facilities?’
Ivory stood up and distributed copies of a schedule she and Susannah had been working on. ‘Charlie thinks we’ll need twenty portaloos in addition to the toilets in the sports hall and the block down on the oval, so we’ve approached two companies in Downsfordvale. With everyone’s approval, we’ll get them organised tomorrow. Also, when we told them why we were having the festival, both companies offered to bring the loos for free. They’re quite fancy, actually, with mirrors and hand basins and super smell eradicators and they would have cost a fortune if we had to pay.’
Alice-Miranda scanned the notes. ‘This is fantastic. Well done and that’s terribly kind of those companies.’
There were lots of other logistical issues to consider, such as dealing with the rubbish and which areas the public would be able to access, but it seemed that Susannah and Ivory had anticipated everything. And better still, there was already considerable buzz about the festival thanks to Tilde McGilvray spruiking it on her show. She’d also confirmed her availability to emcee the event. Almost everyone they’d approached had offered their services for free, all in the name of helping the Abboud family.
Technology and car parking were equally well thought through. Shelby had talked to Mr Munz about enlisting some villagers to assist as traffic marshals, and the man had leapt at the chance to help. He volunteered his son, Otto, too and had assembled a long list of ladies and gentlemen from the Bridge Club who were eager to help on the day.
Chessie had worked with their Art teacher, Miss Tweedle, to develop a logo for the festival flyers and other promotional material, but they couldn’t finish the details until the talent was confirmed. That was problematic because they needed to advertise as soon as possible. They also had to set their ticket prices, which was under Millie’s purview. The girl had already met with Mrs Clinch to go over the numbers, wanting to ensure the festival was affordable and accessible to all while maximising the potential funds to be raised for the Abboud family. There was so much to think about.
Caprice frowned. ‘I thought we had that crusty, old Nick Waterford and The Stingrays?’
‘Well, the good news is that we have Nick Waterford,’ Alice-Miranda began, and a cheer went up around the room.
‘And the bad news?’ Sloane asked.
‘You didn’t get The Stingrays, did you?’ Caprice looked at Millie and laughed. ‘I knew you wouldn’t.’
‘No, but I have another idea,’ Alice-Miranda said.
Caprice exhaled loudly. ‘I suppose I could headline alongside Geriatric Nick because I –’
‘Won Junior Champion at the National Eisteddfod,’ Sloane said, rolling her eyes. ‘Seriously, you don’t have to keep reminding us, Caprice. It’s not as if anyone has forgotten and they’re not likely to with you harping on about it. The thing is, people outside of the eisteddfod circuit won’t have heard of you, so we need another act that people will know. A household name.’
‘Please don’t argue,’ Alice-Miranda said. ‘There’s still lots to get through. We’ve already lined up a talent quest, the Winchester-Fayle Singers, the Downsfordvale Concert Band and, trust me, I have something else in mind.’
‘Who’s going to pay good money for that?’ Caprice griped. ‘I thought the whole idea of this concert –’
‘Festival,’ Millie corrected.
Caprice glowered from beneath her copper fringe. ‘– festival, was to have proper acts and make it exciting. At the moment it sounds like a boring country fair.’
Alice-Miranda bit her lip. ‘We have to keep in mind the reason we’re having the festival is to raise money for the Abbouds. People will come because they want to help them get back on their feet.’ She turned to Jacinta, who was picking at the quick around her nails and staring out the window. ‘What other activities have you managed to line up, Jacinta?’
The girl blanched. She hadn’t organised a thing. She’d been so mixed up about her father and Lucas that she hadn’t given the festival a thought. ‘Um, Daddy said that his personal assistant would help me with everything, so I’ll call her this afternoon.’
‘But it’s Sunday,’ Millie said.
Jacinta shrugged. ‘If she’s my father’s personal assistant, I can guarantee she’ll be available.’
‘What about some stilt walkers?’ Millie suggested. ‘I’ve seen them at fairs and kids love them.’
Jacinta’s face immediately brightened. ‘I could do that. We have stilts at my acrobatics class.’
‘Face painting is always a hit,’ Sloane said.
There was a murmur of approval all around.
‘Miss Tweedle is incredible. Remember when she painted faces at the dog show? Figgy looked like a Dalmatian who’d just emerged from a bar brawl and Rufus had that pink-eyed bulldog effect. They were hilarious, but she made all the little kids look cute,’ Millie said.
Alice-Miranda’s eyes lit up. ‘And cuddles for Fudge or, even better, a petting zoo. We could get some lambs and chickens and other adorable, furry things.’
‘What about craft or cooking tents, where you can learn something new like decoupage or bead-making?’ Ivory said. ‘There’s a fantastic shop in Downsfordvale. I wonder if the lady who owns it would be interested in having a stand.’
The ideas kept coming and before long it was clear Jacinta wouldn’t need her father’s PA at all. Last on the agenda was food. Caprice’s mother had organised ten different street vendors, offering a wide selection of culinary treats from stone-fired pizzas to nachos, burgers and fries, donuts, as well as vegan and gluten-free options. Venetia also offered to host a Sweet Things tent, which, given the popularity of her television show, should be a hit with the festival-goers.
‘Fantastic work, everyone,’ Alice-Miranda said, and tapped her pen against the clipboard in her lap. ‘We should meet again tomorrow afternoon to keep up the momentum.’
Chessie closed her notebook and grinned. ‘It’s pretty amazing what we’re doing. We’re going to make a difference for the Abbouds while also creating an event for people in the village and further afield. It all feels so grown up and makes me wonder what we’ll be able to achieve when we’re adults.’
‘We’re very fortunate to be given so many opportunities at school,’ Alice-Miranda agreed with a smile.
Miss Reedy strode into the room, her lips pursed. ‘What’s the meaning of this?’
‘Hello Miss Reedy,’ Alice-Miranda said brightly. ‘We thought you and Mr Plumpton had gone away for a weekend sojourn.’
‘We cut it short,’ the woman replied. ‘I couldn’t relax with everything that’s happening.’
She left out the part about having seen a note from Miss Grimm to Miss Wall, asking if they could meet in private on Sunday for lunch. Livinia had checked the staff communication box just before she and Josiah left on Friday afternoon and it was right there, open for anyone to see. It had gnawed at her the whole time and, despite her husband’s protestations that it was probably nothing, the thought that Ophelia was making plans with Benitha behind her back was too much to bear. The strangest thing was that, when they’d returned to campus and she asked the PE teacher what she was up to today, Benitha said she was off to watch the rugby tournament in Downsfordvale. There was no mention of a luncheon with the headmistress. Livinia had called over to Ophelia’s flat, ostensibly to let the woman know she was on-site in case there was anything she needed her to do, but Ophelia said that she, Aldous and Aggie were having a quiet day at home with no plans.
Miss Crowley rushed in through the double doors. ‘Sorry I’m late,’ she puffed. ‘I popped over to Downsfordvale to buy some groceries and only just got your message, Alice-Miranda.’ She stopped in her tracks when she realised Miss Reedy was also in the room.
Livinia smiled. ‘Hello Miss Crowley.’
‘Good morning, Miss Reedy,’ the woman replied, bracing herself to be given her marching orders.
‘Miss Crowley has been instrumental in helping us with all of the official documentation, such as risk assessments and the like, for the school to organise insurance,’ Alice-Miranda explained.
Livinia hadn’t thought of all that. Filling in screeds of paperwork that did nothing to actually make an event one bit safer was a pet hate of hers. If Tabitha was willing to take that on, she wouldn’t say no. ‘Wonderful,’ she said.
‘We’ve just about finished our meeting,’ Alice-Miranda said, hopping up. ‘But perhaps the other girls could go, and Millie and Chessie and I can bring you up to speed.’
Caprice was out the door like a shot. She had ten minutes to get to her singing lesson. The rest of the students gathered their paperwork and were off too.
‘Well, let’s hear what you’ve achieved then,’ Miss Reedy said, taking a seat.
Tabitha perched on a chair opposite and Alice-Miranda started from the beginning.