Alice-Miranda changed out of her dirty jodhpurs and shirt and into a clean pair of jeans and her favourite white ‘I love New York’ T-shirt. She checked the clock beside her bed and decided there was still time before dinner to see Mr Charles and ask if she might cut some flowers. She wanted to give them to Mrs Smith as a thankyou for all the lovely things she was doing to help her and Miss Pepper. She’d been hoping that Millie would be free to go and see Charlie with her but Mrs Howard had seemed especially keen for Millie’s company.

Alice-Miranda walked down to the kitchenette and sitting room at the back of the house. Millie was gone and so was Mrs Howard, along with any evidence of their tea, but Ashima and Susannah had just arrived back from their afternoon’s adventures.

‘Hello,’ Alice-Miranda greeted the girls. ‘Have you seen Millie or Mrs Howard?’

‘Yes, Howie had Millie and Jacinta and Sloane with her and they were heading to the laundry. My granny just dropped us back at school so it was lucky we had to take our bags to our room or we would have had to go too,’ Ashima explained.

‘Howie didn’t look very happy,’ Susannah added.

‘No, she’s had a busy day with the show committee and I think that’s put her behind with her work,’ said Alice-Miranda.

The laundry building was located at the rear of Grimthorpe House. It was rather like a cave, and had been a scullery and servants’ quarters long before the house became part of the boarding school. Alice-Miranda was torn. She wanted to go and help her friends but she also wanted to see Mr Charles. She decided to see him first and then head back to the laundry.

Alice-Miranda jogged across to the cobblestoned courtyard, past the dining room and through the stone archway that led to the greenhouse. It was getting late and she didn’t know whether Mr Charles would still be there. But in the distance she could see someone moving pots about.

‘Hello Mr Charles,’ Alice-Miranda greeted the old man.

Charlie looked up and nodded. ‘Good afternoon, miss.’

‘I heard that you had quite a busy day,’ Alice-Miranda continued.

‘I think busy would be stating half the fact,’ Charlie replied, his blue eyes twinkling. ‘It’s no wonder Reggie Parker prefers to sleep.’

Alice-Miranda grinned. ‘People keep saying that. It’s a pretty extreme way to avoid chores.’

Alice-Miranda was admiring the colours on an orchid sitting on Charlie’s workbench when the telephone rang. The old man answered it and Alice-Miranda couldn’t help but hear part of the conversation.

‘Charlie Weatherly speaking . . . of course, Miss Fayle, I can do that for you . . . I’ll be over in ten minutes . . . Goodbye.’ He placed the handset back into the cradle and turned to Alice-Miranda. ‘It seems that one of your carnival friends has gone and got himself lost over at Caledonia Manor,’ Charlie began. ‘A boy. Tarquin, I think she called him.’

‘Oh, poor Fern, she won’t know where he is.’ Alice-Miranda bit her lip. ‘She’ll be so worried.’

And then Alice-Miranda realised that this was a perfect opportunity.

‘Mr Charles, I think I overheard that you’re going to Caledonia Manor to pick up Tarquin and take him back to the camp,’ she said. ‘Do you think I could come too? And then on the way I can ask you the question I came about in the first place, and then I can find Fern too and apologise for what happened with Mrs Howard earlier.’

Charlie frowned, wondering what Alice-Miranda was talking about. ‘What happened with Mrs Howard earlier?’

‘It was just a misunderstanding but I would hate for Fern to think that Mrs Howard had accused her of something she didn’t do,’ Alice-Miranda explained. ‘Please may I come with you? I can explain everything on the way and Tarquin might be quite happy to see me, seeing that we met yesterday.’

‘Isn’t he part of the reason you got the bump on your forehead?’ Charlie asked cautiously.

‘It wasn’t his fault,’ Alice-Miranda replied. ‘And it’s almost gone.’

‘We should tell Howie,’ Charlie advised. ‘Do you want to run across and make sure that it’s okay?’

‘Mrs Howard is in the laundry with some of the other girls. I’m sure they won’t have time to miss me.’ This was true, but Alice-Miranda was reluctant to seek out her housemistress’s approval, knowing how concerned she had been earlier about Fern being at the house.

‘Well, I’ll call and leave a message on the house phone instead,’ Charlie decided.

‘That’s perfect,’ Alice-Miranda nodded.

Alice-Miranda and Charlie drove around to the back of Caledonia Manor and found Hephzibah on the veranda with her young guest. Half a dozen cats clambered over him, smooching and generally vying for his attention.

‘Hello Mr Weatherly,’ Hephzibah called. ‘Thank you for coming. I didn’t know how to contact the boy’s family and I’m sure they must be getting worried by now.’

Alice-Miranda exited the passenger door of the utility.

‘Oh, hello dear,’ Hephzibah added. ‘I didn’t know you’d be coming along too.’

‘Hello Miss Hephzibah.’ Alice-Miranda waved back at the old woman. ‘I want to catch up with Fern when we take Tarquin home.’

Charlie and Hephzibah were soon engaged in a hushed conversation so Alice-Miranda went to see Tarquin.

‘Hello Tarquin,’ she said. He seemed mesmerised as he stroked the plush fur of a black-and-white cat. Alice-Miranda tried again. ‘It’s nice to see you.’

Tarquin looked up. He pointed towards the bandaid on her forehead.

‘It’s all right,’ said Alice-Miranda.

‘Come along, we’d better get moving if we’re going to be back in time for tea,’ Charlie called.

Alice-Miranda motioned for Tarquin to come with her. ‘We need to get in the car.’

But Tarquin didn’t budge.

‘We have to go and find Fern. She’ll be worried about you.’

Tarquin ignored her completely.

Alice-Miranda was worried that if they tried to force him, he might get upset.

She ran to where Hephzibah and Charlie were standing. She’d had an idea.

‘If you think it will work, dear, I’m sure that puss will find his own way home,’ Hephzibah offered.

Alice-Miranda ran back to Tarquin.

‘Would you like to bring him along?’ She pointed at the black-and-white cat in his lap. ‘He can come with us in the car.’

Tarquin stood up and cuddled the cat to his chest. The animal seemed to have taken a shine to the boy and was nuzzling the side of his face.

‘Say goodbye to Miss Hephzibah, Tarquin,’ Alice-Miranda instructed the lad.

He looked over at the old woman and waved. ‘Bye.’

Hephzibah smiled. ‘Goodbye, Tarquin. Please come again.’

Tarquin, still holding the cat, followed Charlie and Alice-Miranda to the car.

Back at the camp, Fern had rallied a small group of adults and older children. Armed with torches, they were about to set off and look for her missing brother. He’d never spent a night out alone and she couldn’t imagine how frightened he must be, out there in the forest with the light fading. Blasted Pete – he knew better than to tell Tarquin to get lost.

‘Who’s that?’ One of the older boys pointed at the vehicle coming towards them over the rise.

As the car had bumped along the road through the forest, Tarquin remained focused on the cat on his lap. He stroked it and rubbed his face against it, and whispered in its ear. He couldn’t have cared less where they were. But as the vehicle stopped, Fern ran towards the ute and wrenched open the door.

‘Tarq, thank goodness you’re all right.’ She reached into the vehicle and pulled him from the seat, hugging him and the cat.

‘Where have you been, boy?’ Alf demanded as he strode over to the car.

Alice-Miranda slid across the seat and out the door.

‘Hello – are you Mr Alf? My name is Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones and it’s lovely to meet you.’ She walked towards the ginger-bearded man and held out her tiny hand.

Alf frowned and stared at her.

Alice-Miranda raised her eyebrows as if challenging the fellow to shake her hand, which strangely enough he did.

‘When Millie and I met Fern and Tarquin and the other kids yesterday we heard about you. It sounds like you run a very good show, Mr Alf, and I for one can’t wait until it’s on. This is Mr Charles,’ she finished, gesturing towards Charlie, who had walked around to the passenger side of the vehicle.

‘Hello,’ Alf grunted and reached out to shake Charlie’s hand too.

‘I think Tarquin must have wandered off earlier this afternoon and a friend of ours, Miss Hephzibah, found him in her garden. It was lucky that she did or he might have spent the night in the woods. Anyway, he’s back now safe and sound,’ Alice-Miranda explained.

‘What’s he doing with that cat?’ Alf growled.

‘It’s one of Miss Hephzibah’s,’ Alice-Miranda replied. ‘She’s got quite a lot of them. When I first heard about her the girls at school told me that she had hundreds of them and that she was a witch, but of course none of that was true – well, she’s not a witch and there aren’t quite hundreds of cats, more like dozens. Miss Hephzibah thought Tarquin might like to have the cat keep him company on the way back over here.’

‘Well, it’s not staying,’ Alf said, and shook his head.

‘I want to keep him.’ Tarquin clutched the feline closer to his chest. ‘He’s mine.’

‘No, Tarquin, you can’t.’ Fern reached out and tried to take the creature from him.

Tarquin resisted. ‘It’s my cat. The lady with the burned face said I could keep him.’

Charlie intervened, motioning for Alf to step away from the group. ‘Look, your boy there seems quite taken with the cat. Is there any chance you can let him keep it just for the next little while and then when you push off I can come and collect it?’

‘I don’t need another mouth to feed,’ Alf hissed.

Charlie shrugged. ‘I can’t imagine you’re going to have much fun if you take it away. He seems a bit of an unusual lad.’

Alf grunted. ‘You’re right about that. I suppose it won’t hurt if the darn thing stays here for a few days but you’d better come and get him before we leave, or it’ll be a bucket of water and a welding glove for that moggy.’

‘That won’t be necessary,’ Charlie reproached.

The two men walked back to the children.

‘You can keep the blasted cat for now, Tarquin,’ Alf said. ‘But don’t get too attached – it’s not staying forever.’

Alice-Miranda looked at Fern. ‘Can I talk to you for a moment?’ she asked.

‘Why? So you can accuse me of stealing again,’ the girl whispered.

‘No, so I can explain what happened,’ Alice-Miranda replied.

Fern whispered something to Tarquin and the boy headed off towards their caravan, clutching the cat in his arms. The girl turned her attention back to Alice-Miranda.

‘Mrs Howard was just surprised to find you in the house,’ Alice-Miranda explained. ‘She’s wary, that’s all, and she’d had a difficult day at Mrs Parker’s.’

‘She’s rude, more like it,’ Fern retorted. ‘I wasn’t doing anything wrong. You told me I could have a look and that’s all I did.’

‘I believe you, Fern. And I’m so sorry – you still haven’t had anyone look at your sore arm, have you?’ Alice-Miranda asked.

‘I’ll live,’ the amber-eyed girl said with a shrug.

‘All right, you lot, nothing more to see,’ Alf called out. The group began to disperse, some back towards the fire and others to their caravans.

‘Please come over to school tomorrow afternoon so Mrs Howard can look at your wrist,’ Alice-Miranda offered.

‘Why do you care?’ Fern asked. She’d never met anyone as persistent as this child.

‘I thought we could be friends,’ Alice-Miranda replied.

‘Friends? Why would you want to be my friend?’ Fern asked, her eyes locking with Alice-Miranda’s.

‘Fern, dinner won’t cook itself,’ Alf barked. ‘Get yourself inside.’

‘Goodbye, Mr Alf.’ Alice-Miranda walked over and stood in front of the hairy man. ‘It’s been nice to meet you and I’m looking forward to the rides at the show.’

Alf didn’t know what to say. He’d usually have given any child who dared to talk to him an earful for being a smart alec, but she was different, this one. Fern stepped closer, curious about the exchange.

‘Goodbye Fern,’ said Alice-Miranda, looking up at the older girl. ‘Please come and see me tomorrow.’

Fern didn’t say a thing.

‘Ferny, that’s not very friendly,’ said Alf, his ears pricking up at Alice-Miranda’s offer. ‘Little girl wants you to pay her a visit – I’m sure that would be lovely for both of you.’

Fern wondered why Alf was so interested.

Then he winked and Fern gulped. She knew exactly what Alf meant by that comment and at that moment she hated him more than ever before.