Alice-Miranda left Neville to eat his dinner and headed back upstairs to the party. She thought that her mother would be wondering where on earth she and Millie had got to. Millie offered to stay with the nervous lad and said that she could probably fend off the good doctor if he arrived at the suite. She wasn’t quite sure how but she would think of something. Dr Lush’s trumpet case was placed in the wardrobe and Neville’s was returned to the cabinet for safe-keeping.

As Alice-Miranda arrived at the ballroom, she was greeted by the sound of laughter rising above the strains of an expertly played sitar. To her delight, Mrs Oliver and Shilly were treating the whole room to a dance they had clearly prepared earlier.

Alice-Miranda interrupted her mother’s giggling. ‘Hello Mummy.’

‘Oh, hello there, darling. Where on earth have you been? I was beginning to worry – although I know I shouldn’t. I mean, we are on a ship and it’s not as if you’re likely to be kidnapped or meet any dangerous criminals now, is it? Isn’t this just the most gorgeous thing you’ve ever seen?’ Cecelia pointed towards the shimmying senior citizens who had the entire ballroom mesmerised.

‘Wow, they’re very good,’ Alice-Miranda agreed, taking in the spectacle before her.

Lucas walked over to where Alice-Miranda was standing beside her mother. ‘Would you like to dance? I think we’re all being instructed to take the lead from Mrs Oliver and Shilly and it sort of looks like fun,’ Lucas asked.

‘Oh, hello Lucas. Yes it certainly does.’ Alice-Miranda glanced around the room. ‘Where are Jacinta and Sep?’

‘They’re already out there,’ Lucas pointed towards Jacinta in her hot pink sari and Sep in his Nehru shirt and black trousers. ‘Where’s Millie?’

Alice-Miranda didn’t lie. ‘She’s just keeping a friend company for a little while. She’ll be back soon.’

‘Well, her parents seem to be enjoying themselves, that’s for sure.’ Lucas chuckled at Pippa and Hamish, who looked as though they were having a great time keeping up with Mrs Oliver and Ambrose, who had joined her on the dance floor. ‘Isn’t that Jacinta’s mother over there in the corner?’

‘Why don’t you go and join Sep and Jacinta? I don’t think a partner is an absolute requirement of this type of dancing,’ Alice-Miranda suggested as she looked at the rows of eager participants. ‘I’ll be there soon.’

Alice-Miranda scurried towards the far corner where Ambrosia Headlington-Bear was sitting alone, staring into the crowd. Her citrus-yellow sari looked exquisite against her tanned skin. Her huge green eyes were framed by the longest of lashes and her make-up was perfect. An oval sapphire the size of a pigeon’s egg and encircled by diamonds was lashed around her throat, held in place by five rows of lustrous pearls.

‘Hello Mrs Headlington . . . I mean, Ambrosia.’ Alice-Miranda sat down in the empty chair beside her.

‘Oh, hello.’ Ambrosia’s eyes flickered towards the child.

‘That’s a gorgeous choker,’ Alice-Miranda admired.

‘Yes, Neville gave it to me for our anniversary. It once belonged to Catherine the Great, or so his personal assistant wrote in the note that was with it when it arrived.’ Ambrosia fingered the jewel.

‘Neville? How do you know Neville?’ Alice-Miranda asked, wide-eyed.

‘He’s my husband. Neville Headlington-Bear,’ Ambrosia sneered.

‘Oh, your husband, of course.’ Alice-Miranda thought for a moment. ‘But didn’t Mr Headlington-Bear give it to you in person?’

Ambrosia made a strange sort of grunting noise. ‘You’re kidding, aren’t you? I haven’t seen him in months.’

‘Oh.’ Alice-Miranda stopped, puzzled. ‘But he’s here on the ship with you now, isn’t he?’

‘As far as I know, my husband is somewhere in the depths of Africa signing a deal on a mining venture or something equally dull,’ Ambrosia replied.

Alice-Miranda was rapidly putting the pieces together. No wonder Neville hadn’t been discovered by the crew.

‘Are you having a good time?’ she asked.

‘No, not really,’ Ambrosia replied tartly.

‘Is there something the matter?’ the child persisted.

‘Well, I don’t know anyone and no one seems especially interested to know me,’ Ambrosia pouted.

‘Well, of course you know Jacinta,’ Alice-Miranda said gently. ‘And I’d be very happy to introduce you around. Although, I have to warn you that some of our distant relatives are a little bit interesting. I think eccentric is what I’d prefer to call them – but they’re guaranteed to keep you amused.’

‘I’m fine,’ Ambrosia insisted. ‘I’ll never see any of them again after we get off the ship anyway.’

‘Oh, I’m sure that’s not the case,’ Alice-Miranda replied. ‘Jacinta and I are going to be friends forever. You and Mr Headlington-Bear will be like part of the family.’

‘Family,’ Ambrosia scoffed. ‘I can’t imagine.’

‘I can’t think of anything better than family. I’ve always longed for brothers and sisters but Mummy said that wasn’t to be . . . but now I’ve got Millie and Jacinta and Sep and Lucas and all my other friends at school, and Mrs Oliver and Shilly and everyone at home. We might not be related by blood but I consider them my family just the same,’ Alice-Miranda prattled.

‘They’re only using you.’ Ambrosia’s words sliced through the air.

‘I don’t see what you mean,’ said Alice-Miranda, wrinkling her nose.

‘They only like you because you’re rich and you can give them things they’d never have, take them places they’d never go, give them a life they can’t afford.’ Ambrosia’s emerald eyes filled with tears.

‘Is that what people do to you?’ Alice-Miranda reached out and touched Ambrosia’s creamy hand.

‘Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous.’ The woman withdrew her hand and wiped the moisture from her eye. ‘Run along with your friends.’

‘Why don’t you come and join us?’ Alice-Miranda asked.

Ambrosia was watching her only daughter as she shimmied and shook, laughing with the two handsome lads Ambrosia had met the night before and a rather ancient grey-haired woman who was swaying wildly with a walking stick in her left hand.

‘But I’ll have to warn you to stay out of Granny Bert’s reach – she looks rather dangerous with that stick,’ Alice-Miranda giggled as she surveyed the show in front of them.

‘No. I’ll stay here,’ Ambrosia protested.

Alice-Miranda tried again. ‘Please come. Jacinta would love to spend more time with you.’

‘Jacinta doesn’t need me.’ Ambrosia stood and stalked to the other side of the room.

Alice-Miranda frowned. Grown-ups could be so complicated at times.