‘I’m starving,’ Millie complained as the girls trotted down the drive. She looked around for the satchel containing their picnic feast.

‘It’s gone,’ Millie groaned.

‘What’s gone?’ Alice-Miranda asked.

‘The satchel,’ Millie replied. ‘I thought I’d done it up properly but that dodgy buckle must have broken.’

‘We could ask Miss Hephzibah for something to eat,’ Alice-Miranda suggested, as they hadn’t yet reached the bottom of the drive.

Millie shook her head. ‘No, let’s go back to school. I couldn’t stand listening to any more of Nosey Parker.’

‘She certainly does know a lot about people,’ Alice-Miranda agreed, ‘but I’m sure she has good intentions.’

‘Good intentions! Pah.’ Millie tightened the reins on Chops and dug her heels into his belly. He started to canter and she almost slipped off. ‘Hey, what did you do that for?’

‘You asked him to,’ Alice-Miranda called out.

‘Yes, but you know Chops isn’t the most obedient pony,’ Millie replied. ‘It usually takes at least three or four kicks to get him to move.’

‘Well, I think he’s been an angel today. Did you put some molasses in his dinner last night?’

‘No, but I did whisper in his ear that if he didn’t start to behave better we might take a visit to the dog food factory,’ Millie replied.

‘Oh, Millie, that’s horrible. Poor Chops.’ Alice-Miranda turned her attention to the shaggy pony. ‘You know she’d never do it and if she tried, I’d take you home to the Hall and you could play with Shergar and Phinnie and darling Boo.’ She was referring to the other horses who spent their days grazing on the emerald fields at her home, Highton Hall.

Chops whinnied as if to agree with her and threw his head back and forth.

The girls arrived at the stables and decided to turn Bony and Chops out into the paddock for half an hour while they visited Mrs Smith.

On seeing Alice-Miranda with a bandaid on her forehead, Doreen Smith was positively overcome.

‘Oh, my dear girl, what happened to you?’ she fussed.

For the second time that day Alice-Miranda explained about their adventure at Gertrude’s Grove and for the second time Millie took great joy in adding extra details and then admitted that somewhere she’d lost their lovely picnic lunch too.

‘You sit down right there.’ Mrs Smith pointed at the stool beside the bench. ‘I’ll make you both some roast beef sandwiches and then, when they’ve cooled down –’ she opened the oven and pulled out a tray of her signature chocolate brownies – ‘you can have one of these.’

Millie’s stomach grumbled on cue. ‘Yum, they smell delicious.’

‘I’ll have to tell Charlie about those carnival folk,’ Mrs Smith said as she opened the fridge and pulled out some butter and a slab of roast beef. ‘It’s a nervous time of year.’

‘Why do you say that, Mrs Smith?’ Alice-Miranda asked.

‘Last year there was a spate of thefts around the village. They were only silly things like garden ornaments and porch furniture but we all had our suspicions.’

‘Did Constable Derby find out who did it?’ Alice-Miranda asked.

‘No, but Mrs Parker’s most treasured gnome – I think she called him Newton – began turning up on postcards sent from all around the country.’

Millie burst out laughing. ‘That’s hilarious. If I was Newton I’d have escaped too.’

Mrs Smith grinned. ‘I shouldn’t say so, but I think you’re quite right about that.’

‘I don’t see why the carnival people should be blamed for things just because they’re in town. I mean, it makes a perfect cover for anyone who wanted to get up to no good. They could just blame the travellers,’ Alice-Miranda said decisively.

‘I hear what you’re saying, dear, but to be on the safe side, you just stay away and let them get on with preparing the village show,’ Mrs Smith said sternly. ‘Millie, would you like to come and get the sandwiches while I make you some cordial?’

The girls ate their lunch and chatted with Mrs Smith about her plans for the next week’s dinner menu.

‘Now, what are you two doing this afternoon?’ the cook asked as she cut two large brownies from the slab.

‘We’re going to see Mr Walt over at Chesterfield Downs,’ Alice-Miranda replied.

‘I’m heading over there later myself. I’ve got a lovely sponge and these brownies are for the lads’ afternoon tea,’ Mrs Smith explained. ‘Then I might pop over to the hospital and see Evelyn for a while.’

‘Could you take the card I’ve written for her, please?’ Alice-Miranda asked. ‘I feel awful. I wrote it on Monday evening and thought I’d put it into the post but then I saw it this morning underneath some papers on my desk. It must be old age – who knew that turning eight would have such an effect on my memory?’

Mrs Smith and Millie laughed.

‘There’s no hope for me then, is there?’ Millie said. ‘I’m almost eleven!’

‘And what about me, dear – I shouldn’t have any memory left at all given my positively ancient age.’ The woman shook her head. ‘Of course I’ll take it for you, Alice-Miranda. I just hope I remember to give it to her.’ She winked at Millie.

‘I’ll go and get it from the house. And thanks for lunch.’ Alice-Miranda hopped down from her seat.

‘I’ll go get Chops and Bony,’ Millie offered. ‘Oh yeah, thanks for lunch,’ she added before the two girls flew out the kitchen door.

Millie walked back up the hill towards the stables. She called out to Bony and Chops, who were happily grazing in the small holding paddock nearby. Bony’s ears pricked up and he walked over to greet her. Much to her surprise, Chops also did as he was told.

‘Hello boy.’ Millie scratched his ear. ‘You know I’d never really send you to the dog food factory, but let’s just keep that between us.’

‘He’d make a good few cans,’ a voice spoke from behind her.

Millie jumped and spun around.

‘Oh, Mr Boots,’ she said. ‘I didn’t hear you come over.’

‘What would you get for him?’ the young man asked.

‘Sorry, what do you mean?’ Millie frowned.

‘At the dog food factory?’ he said. ‘How much?’

‘Oh, that was just a joke, to get him to behave a bit better,’ Millie grinned.

‘Reckon they’d give you a few quid.’ Billy Boots stared at Chops, then turned his attention to Bonaparte. He ran his hand along the pony’s sleek rump. ‘Reckon you’d be worth a whole lot more, though.’

Bony jerked his head around and bared his teeth, then licked Billy’s arm.

‘Not again,’ Billy slapped Bonaparte on the bottom and laughed. He led Bony and Chops through the gate.

‘I’d better get going,’ she said.

‘Where to?’ Billy asked.

‘We’re going over to Chesterfield Downs.’

‘Chesterfield Downs?’ Billy repeated. ‘That’s where Wally’s gone, isn’t it? He said it’s a pretty nice place.’

‘I’ve heard that too. But I’ve never been before. I just hope Wally hasn’t had too many close encounters with Rockstar yet,’ Millie grinned.

‘Rockstar? You mean the champion racehorse? Does he live there?’

‘Oh yes, he’s the star of the stable,’ Millie nodded.

‘I bet he’s worth a flipping fortune,’ Billy exhaled.

‘I suppose so. But he’ll be worth a lot more when he wins the Queen’s Cup,’ said Millie. ‘Aunty Gee hasn’t ever won her own cup.’

‘Who’s Aunty Gee when she’s at home?’ Billy asked.

‘That’s Queen Georgiana, but she said that I could call her Aunty Gee,’ Millie explained.

‘How the heck do you know the Queen?’ Billy scoffed. ‘If you do, that is.’

‘I really do. She’s Alice-Miranda’s mother’s godmother and I’ve met her a few times now.’

‘So Queen Georgiana owns Rockstar and he lives here in the village,’ Billy said. He frowned and bit his lip.

‘Yes, but his trainer Miss Pepper is laid up in hospital with a broken hip. I’ve never met Rockstar but everyone says that he and Miss Pepper have a special bond and he’s completely mean to everyone else. I hope it doesn’t affect his chances of winning. Anyway, I have to go,’ Millie said. She’d just spotted Alice-Miranda in the distance. The red-haired child led the two ponies away.

Something about Billy Boots gave Millie a strange feeling that she couldn’t work out. She wondered if she’d been hanging around Alice-Miranda too long. He seemed nice enough and even Bonaparte liked him but he asked odd questions. Millie decided to talk to Alice-Miranda about her uneasiness as soon as possible.