Alice-Miranda and her friends had fallen into bed late that night after the delicious barbecue dinner followed by their energetic game of hide and seek. Poppy and Annie were feeling a little better and they, and almost all of Alice-Miranda’s distant cousins, had joined the group. They had even coaxed Shilly and Max to play too, until the game was interrupted by the spectacular fireworks display.

In their suite the next morning, the girls were just beginning to stir.

‘Wasn’t last night wonderful?’ Alice-Miranda yawned and stretched her arms out behind her before sitting up in her bed.

‘Good morning.’ Millie rubbed her eyes and rolled over to face her friend. ‘Are you awake, Jacinta?’ Millie asked.

But Jacinta’s bed was empty.

‘I wonder where she’s gone?’ Alice-Miranda asked. ‘I hope she’s all right.’

There was a sharp rap at the bedroom door. It opened and Winterstone appeared. ‘Good morning, young ladies.’

‘Hello Mr Winterstone,’ said Alice-Miranda. ‘How are you today?’

Unaccustomed to being asked about his welfare, Winterstone was momentarily lost for words. In his job, it was usually he who did all the asking.

‘I am as well as can be expected for a man of my age and station,’ he replied thoughtfully.

‘Well, that’s good to hear,’ said Alice-Miranda.

Winterstone drew back the heavy curtains to reveal sunlight dancing on a pond-like ocean, scattering diamonds on the azure water.

‘Oh, what a glorious day!’ Alice-Miranda leapt from her bed to take a closer look. Their cabin on the port side of the ship offered an excellent vista.

‘Have you seen Jacinta?’ Millie asked Winterstone.

‘Yes, miss, she passed me in the hallway and mentioned something about going for a run around the deck. Strangely, she didn’t feel the need to comment on my hair this morning,’ he said, raising his left eyebrow at Millie.

‘Oh, that’s good.’ Millie pushed back the covers and walked over to join Alice-Miranda by the window.

‘Do you know where we are, Mr Winterstone?’ Alice-Miranda asked.

‘Yes, I believe we are anchored off Nice. That’s the city over there beyond the beach.’

‘It’s so pretty!’ Alice-Miranda stared at the view. A long stretch of white sand joined the ocean to the shoreline with the buildings rising up behind.

While the girls admired the scene outside, Winterstone opened the wardrobe and selected three outfits, laying them carefully on each girl’s bed. ‘Would you like to have breakfast in your suite or would you prefer to join your parents upstairs in the Breakfast Room?’

‘I think we should go and see everyone upstairs.’ Alice-Miranda spun around. ‘Oh, Mr Winterstone, you don’t have to get our clothes ready for us.’ Alice-Miranda picked up her pants and top and held them against herself. ‘But you do have a lovely eye for putting things together. I’ve never thought of wearing this green top with these pants but they look good, don’t they, Millie?’

Millie glanced over at her. ‘Yes they do, actually,’ she replied. ‘I’m going to have a shower.’

Winterstone retreated to the sitting room where he set about pouring three large tumblers of orange juice from a jug on the sideboard.

Alice-Miranda followed him into the room.

‘I took the liberty of arranging some fresh juice for you, miss. I thought you might be thirsty.’ At which point he flicked the retractable ruler from his jacket pocket and measured three spots on the coffee table before carefully placing each glass just so.

‘Gosh, you are precise, Mr Winterstone,’ Alice-Miranda complimented him. ‘When we have banquets at home, Mrs Shillingsworth gets her tape measure out and makes sure that every setting is exactly the same, but that’s only when we have loads of guests. Usually it’s much more haphazard. Especially when I’m given the job of setting the table.’

‘It’s my training, miss.’ He covered the leftover juice in the carafe with a dainty net cloth.

‘Do you have a family, Mr Winterstone?’ Alice-Miranda asked.

Again, unaccustomed to being asked anything much, Winterstone hesitated. What was it about this tiny child with her huge brown eyes, Winterstone wondered to himself.

Alice-Miranda noticed his discomfort. ‘I’m sorry. I know I ask too many questions. Anyway, I think Millie is out of the shower so I’ll run along and get ready. Thank you for the juice,’ she smiled.