Alice-Miranda’s mind was in overdrive as she raced down the lane towards Jasper.

‘Where are the others?’ she asked, spinning the lad around.

‘You’re not supposed to be running,’ Jasper said as they charged back towards the house.

‘I’m okay. My ankle doesn’t hurt at all,’ Alice-Miranda assured him. She ignored the tiny twinge that had started up, eager to get the lad as far from the barn as possible.

Millie came careering around the back of the Bauers’ farmhouse and Poppy sprung up from the other side of the stone wall.

‘You were so close to me, Jas,’ his sister said. ‘I had to hold my breath for hours.’

‘I thought you were going to get me too,’ Millie said. ‘That stupid hen wouldn’t stop clucking. It was like she was trying to tell you exactly where I was.’

‘Let’s play something different,’ Jasper said, just as Lily called out from the front veranda that lunch was ready.

‘Great! I’m starving,’ Millie said.

Lily had set up a picnic in the sun-drenched courtyard. There was a huge platter of sandwiches, a Greek salad and a tin of chocolate brownies. She poured the children cups of home-made lemonade.

‘I have to go back to the hall as soon as you’ve finished lunch,’ Lily informed them. ‘Mrs Shillingsworth has a rather ambitious roster for the next six days.’

‘Is Daisy up there too?’ Alice-Miranda asked.

‘Yes, but she’s nannying for the Treloar children as well. I’m not sure how that’s going to work alongside her garden-party duties,’ Lily said with a shrug.

Poppy looked up from where she was arranging her sandwiches in a neat row on her plate. ‘Dottie goes to our school.’

‘Weren’t you going to offer for us to mind them?’ Millie said to Alice-Miranda, while picking out the olives from her serving of salad.

Alice-Miranda nodded absently. She felt terrible keeping Chessie a secret, especially from Millie, but she decided it would only be for a little while. At least until Chessie felt brave enough. For now, Alice-Miranda had to gather some supplies for the runaway girl and come up with a plan.

‘Lily, can we go back to the Hall with you?’ Alice-Miranda asked.

Jasper and Poppy groaned. ‘Ohhh, do you have to go home?’

‘That works out well, actually,’ Lily replied. ‘These two have a visit to the dentist this afternoon.’

‘You didn’t tell us that,’ Jasper said, a note of betrayal in his voice. ‘I hate going to the dentist.’

‘And now you know why I left it until this minute to say something,’ their mother said with a grin.

‘I love the dentist,’ Poppy declared. ‘He always gives us a lollipop if we’re brave and we get to choose the flavour and everything.’

‘Your dentist sounds really smart,’ Millie said.

‘Why?’ Poppy asked. She’d never thought about him like that before.

‘If he gives his patients lollipops, he’s pretty much ensuring future business,’ the girl replied, taking another bite of her sandwich.

Lily laughed. ‘Mmm, I think you’re on to something there, Millie.’

Alice-Miranda placed two sandwiches and a brownie on a white paper napkin in front of her. The children were chatting and laughing when she suddenly dusted her hands and stood up. ‘Oh bother, I must have left my hat in my hiding spot,’ she said with a frown, before quickly wrapping the food. I’ll go and check while you’re all finishing lunch.’

‘I’ll come,’ Millie offered.

‘It’s okay. I’ll be back soon,’ Alice-Miranda replied. She picked up her parcel, then hurried around the side of the house.

Millie glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. Alice-Miranda had been gone for ages. She and Lily had cleared the lunch plates, and Heinrich had already left with Jasper and Poppy for the dentist.

‘I won’t be long,’ Lily called from the utility room, where she was finishing up a load of washing before heading up to the Hall. ‘Is Alice-Miranda back?’

‘Not yet. I’ll go and look for her. I hope she hasn’t hurt her ankle again,’ Millie said. She hopped off the kitchen stool. ‘We’ll meet you at the car.’

Millie raced outside and realised that she didn’t actually know where Alice-Miranda had been hiding during their game. She and Jasper were already in the garden when Millie had emerged from her spot. She shot up the lane calling her friend’s name.

‘Alice-Miranda!’ she shouted as she neared the old barn. ‘Are you here?’

‘Coming,’ came the child’s muffled reply.

Sunbeams poured into the dreary building as Millie unbolted the door. She wondered why Alice-Miranda would have bothered to latch it.

‘Alice-Miranda!’ she called out. ‘Did you find your …?’ She thought she saw a silhouette of a figure duck down out of sight near the back of the building. She was just about to say something when Alice-Miranda appeared beside her.

‘No luck, I’m afraid,’ Alice-Miranda said with a hapless shrug.

‘Who’s hiding there?’ Millie demanded.

She charged past Alice-Miranda to the stall where Francesca Compton-Halls was lying facedown in the straw. Millie tilted her head to the side to better appraise the ridiculous scene.

‘You do know I can see you,’ Millie said, her hands on her hips.

Chessie slowly rose to her knees and turned around. She looked as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders – in addition to a thick layer of straw. Chessie was about to say hello when her nose twitched and she let out an enormous sneeze. A plume of dust and straw shook out of her hair.

Alice-Miranda hurried over to the girl and handed her a tissue. ‘Chessie, this is my best friend, Millie. I promise you she’s very good at keeping secrets,’ Alice-Miranda said. ‘Millie, meet Francesca Compton-Halls. She needs our help.’

Millie frowned. ‘Well, you’d better start talking. Lily’s almost ready to go.’