Alice-Miranda in China Read online

  About the Book

  Alice-Miranda and her friends are on a school exchange in China! There’s so much to see and do, and plenty of new people to meet. Among the whirlwind of sights is a breathtaking circus show, a hair-raising feat and an encounter with a family of acrobats.

  While some are having a great time, others haven’t quite landed on their feet. Throw in clashing personalities and the theft of a priceless antiquity, and sparks are set to fly. There may be more than just fireworks in store for Alice-Miranda and her friends.

  Contents

  Cover

  About the Book

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  And just in case you’re wondering …

  Cast of characters

  About the Author

  Books by Jacqueline Harvey

  Jacqueline Supports

  Copyright Notice

  For Ian and Sandy, as always. For Shannon and her students – thank you for your inspiration!

  Lionel Wong leaned forward on his elbows and clasped his hands together. On the other side of the desk his two sons, Bernard and Charles, remained silent. ‘Well, what do you think?’ he asked.

  Bernard ran his palm over the top of his cleanly shaven head. ‘Are you certain this is what you want, Baba?’

  The older man stroked his long grey beard. ‘The ancestors have blessed us with rare talents. It is time to share our good fortune.’ He turned to his younger son, Charles. ‘And you?’

  There was a distant clashing of cymbals and the rumbling of a timpani drum, followed by shouts and a series of thuds.

  Bernard grimaced. ‘I’ve told the troupe not to practise their tumbling in the hall. One day they will find themselves face to face with Mama, and I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes when that happens.’

  ‘It is fortunate, then, that they are not wearing any,’ Lionel quipped, a wry smile playing on his lips. He looked at his younger son, whose face was always impossible to read.

  Finally, Charles spoke. ‘If this is your wish then it is my wish too.’

  It was just as well because there was no turning back. Lionel had already made a verbal agreement, which, if all went to plan, would be formalised soon. ‘Then it is settled,’ he said.

  ‘Would you like us to help you with the negotiations?’ Bernard asked.

  ‘No,’ Lionel replied sharply. ‘And you will not speak of this to anyone.’

  The brothers exchanged a look. There was an edge to their father’s voice they had rarely heard.

  ‘What about Mama?’ Charles asked.

  Lionel’s face crumpled into a smile. ‘Whose idea do you think it was in the first place? When we received the letter of interest, it was your mother who pointed out that this may be the most fortunate opportunity that has ever presented itself.’

  ‘But why do they want us?’ Charles asked.

  Lionel scoffed. ‘Because we are the best acrobatic troupe in all of China, of course.’

  In the distance the music was building, but before it reached its climax, there was a loud crash and the sound of smashing crockery.

  Bernard grinned. ‘What was that you were saying about us being the best, Baba?’

  Lionel shook his head. ‘I should have bought shares in a plate factory. Ah well,’ he sighed, ‘you cannot expect perfection without a few hiccups along the way. Come, it is time to rehearse.’ He walked out from behind the enormous teak desk and patted Charles on the shoulder. ‘This will bring great honour to our family.’

  ‘Yes, Baba,’ Charles replied.

  As Bernard reached for the doorhandle, a figure receded into the shadows of the hallway and disappeared around the corner.

  Little did they know that the walls had ears.

  Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones was already dressed and on her way to see Mrs Howard. She’d offered to help with the school pennant the woman had been busily sewing for their upcoming trip and had a little window of time before breakfast to work on it. Alice-Miranda’s tummy fluttered – she couldn’t believe that she and her friends would be in Hong Kong by Thursday night.

  ‘I’ll see you at the back door,’ Alice-Miranda said, and gave Millie a wave.

  The girl was frantically finishing the Maths homework she’d forgotten to do the night before. ‘Okay, I won’t be long,’ Millie said. She looked at the multiplication sum in front of her and bit her lip.

  As Alice-Miranda stepped into the hallway, she was met by Fudge, the school’s newest recruit. The cavoodle pup trotted out of Sloane and Caprice’s room with a sandal wedged in his mouth.

  ‘What are you doing with that, you naughty boy?’ She scooped him into her arms, trying to dislodge the shoe, but Fudge growled and bit down harder. He never gave up his treasures without a fight.

  Alice-Miranda chuckled and went to close the girls’ bedroom door when she noticed Caprice was still in bed. ‘Caprice? Are you feeling unwell?’ she whispered, tiptoeing into the room.

  There was a rustle as the covers were pulled higher.

  Sloane arrived back from the bathroom and the two friends smiled at one another. ‘Good morning,’ Alice-Miranda said quietly.

  ‘Not so good for some,’ Sloane replied, lowering her voice and gesturing to Caprice.

  Fudge dropped the sandal and wriggled out of Alice-Miranda’s arms to jump onto Caprice’s bed. The pup had developed a curious attachment to the challenging young girl and promptly made himself at home on her feet.

  ‘Are you getting up?’ Sloane asked. ‘Howie will be back any minute and she’s not going to be happy.’

  ‘I don’t care,’ Caprice grumbled from beneath her duvet.

  Sloane rolled her eyes and began lacing her shoes. ‘Are you still grouchy because you’re not coming on the trip?’

  ‘No,’ Caprice snapped. ‘Why would anyone want to go to China, anyway? It’s overcrowded, polluted and, worst of all, they eat dogs.’

  Fudge raised his head and whimpered.

  ‘That’s not true,’ Sloane bit back.

  Caprice threw off the covers and propped herself on one elbow. ‘Uh, yes it is, and that’s not the only disgusting thing on the menu. You can ask my mother – even though I’m not speaking to her ever again. Fancy some fricasseed chicken’s feet or shredded snake? How about steamed fish eyes? Or, my personal favourite, sautéed pigs’ livers in seaweed sauce?’

  ‘I’m sure we’re not going to have any of that,’ Alice-Miranda said. ‘Think of all the delicious dumplings, steamed buns and roast pork we’ll get to eat.’

  Sloan
e hoped Alice-Miranda was right. She turned around and hung her towel on the back of the door.

  Alice-Miranda thought for a moment. She wondered what Caprice’s mother had done to upset her this time. ‘Why aren’t you speaking to your mother?’ she asked the girl.

  ‘Because it’s her fault that I have to spend the holidays at home,’ Caprice fumed. ‘She was too busy with her stupid show and forgot to send the forms in time.’

  ‘So you are still cross about not coming,’ Sloane said.

  Caprice threw herself back on the bed. ‘No, I just hate my mother, and now I have to spend two whole weeks with her.’

  ‘There will be other trips,’ Alice-Miranda said gently. ‘I know Miss Grimm intends to establish a biennial excursion. The Bright Star students will visit us next year and then you’ll have your chance the year after that. The time will come before you know it.’

  ‘But it won’t be the same because you’ll all have been together and you’ll just leave me out of everything, like you always do.’ Caprice leaned forward and picked up Fudge, hugging him to her chest.

  Sloane actually felt sorry for the girl. After the fire earlier in the term, Caprice seemed to have turned a corner. Even when she only came runner-up in the National Eisteddfod, she’d taken it surprisingly well. But when Caprice had learned that her mother had missed the deadline for the trip, after having spent a week bragging about her knowledge of Chinese cuisine and Mandarin, there had been an explosion to rival Plumpy’s worst experimental disasters. Although, she’d been smart enough to avoid doing it in front of the teachers this time.

  Mrs Howard’s voice floated down the corridor. ‘Girls, hurry along. We’ll be leaving for breakfast in ten minutes.’

  Caprice quickly scrunched up some tissues and scattered them around her. She pinched her cheeks and mussed her hair, then dropped back onto the bed, with Fudge nestling in beside her.

  When the woman reached their room, she was shocked to see the girl under the covers. ‘Good morning,’ she said, smiling at Alice-Miranda and Sloane, then looked over at Caprice. ‘Are you ill?’

  ‘I’ve got a cold,’ Caprice moaned, putting on her best nasal voice. She rolled away and covered her head.

  Howie raised her eyebrows at Sloane, and the girl shook her head in reply. The elderly woman winked conspiratorially. ‘Well then, it sounds like you should spend the whole day right there. No television for you and I’ll keep Fudge out of the way too – you won’t get any rest if he’s in here.’

  Caprice huffed loudly.

  ‘What was that? You’re feeling better, are you? Yes, I thought you might.’ Mrs Howard consulted her wristwatch. ‘If you want to have a shower, you’ve got three minutes starting from now.’

  The girl leapt out of bed, gathered her things and stormed down the hall. Fudge jumped out of the way, running to the corner of the room, where he plonked himself on top of one of Caprice’s trainers and began to chew the laces.

  ‘Goodness me, I don’t envy Mrs Clarkson getting that one next year,’ Howie said, referring to the housemistress who was in charge of the older girls at Caledonia Manor. ‘I hear she takes no prisoners. Perhaps that’s just what Caprice needs.’

  Sloane grimaced. She’d heard the same thing.

  ‘Are you doing anything special in the holidays, Mrs Howard?’ Alice-Miranda asked. ‘Will you be spending time with your daughter and her family?’

  ‘Actually, they’re off on a camping holiday. They asked me to join them, but the thought of navigating muddy camping grounds and sleeping on an air mattress doesn’t really appeal to these creaky old bones of mine. For the first time in a long while, I have no plans and I have to say that I’m looking forward to it immensely,’ the woman said cheerfully. ‘Although, I will be busy looking after that little mite.’ She reached down and picked up the pup, who nipped her finger. ‘I think I might take him to some extra puppy-training classes. He’s getting a bit too cheeky for my liking and his shoe fetish has got to stop.’ She looked down at Caprice’s trainer, which was now covered in drool.

  The thudding of wet feet sounded in the hall. Caprice reappeared with a towel wrapped around her and a shower cap on her head. ‘Can’t a girl get any privacy in her own bedroom?’ she grouched, pushing past the group.

  Mrs Howard exhaled loudly. ‘Did you lose something on your way from the bathroom?’

  Caprice threw her toiletries bag onto her bed, where it fell among the tangle of duvet and sheets. She rummaged about to see what was missing. ‘No, everything’s here.’

  ‘I meant your manners, young lady,’ the old woman said.

  Caprice scrunched her nose.

  ‘Come along, girls. Caprice, I will see you at the back door in five minutes, along with those missing manners.’ Mrs Howard arched her eyebrow and pulled the door shut.

  Aldous Grump turned the page and glanced across at his wife, who was buttering a piece of toast. Rather, she had been buttering it but now seemed to be frozen in time. He cleared his throat and set aside the newspaper.

  Ophelia startled, then resumed her task.

  ‘How are the last-minute arrangements coming along?’ he asked. ‘Are you looking forward to the trip?’

  ‘Ridiculously so,’ she said, flashing him a tight smile. It lingered for a moment before a frown creased her brow. She set down her knife and looked at her husband worriedly. ‘Do you think I’m mad to undertake all this at such short notice?’

  ‘Darling, it will be wonderful,’ he assured her. ‘In fact, I saw Sep Sykes in the village yesterday afternoon and he told me Thursday couldn’t come soon enough.’ Aldous raised his teacup to his lips.

  ‘That’s only because I’ve wangled them two days off school.’ Ophelia smiled to herself. She thought back to the day, two months ago, when a letter postmarked from China had arrived on her desk. Much to her surprise, it was an invitation. A dear friend from her university days was now head of the Bright Star Academy in Beijing, a prestigious bilingual school, and had asked Ophelia if she would like to bring a group of students to stay for a week – and in return they might visit Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale the following year. Given that she’d recently introduced Mandarin to the curriculum, it was an incredibly serendipitous venture.

  Ophelia had swiftly taken it up and extended the invitation to the neighbouring Fayle School for Boys on the other side of the village. While Professor Winterbottom wholeheartedly supported the idea, he expressed his deep regret that he and his wife, Deidre, would be unable to join them as they were booked on a long-planned cruise to the Mediterranean. Ophelia wasn’t overly concerned as the Fayle boys had proven themselves most reliable on their choir trip to Paris – well, apart from Figgy and Rufus and that candle incident at Sacré Cœur, but she was certain they had learned their lesson. Anyway, they were apparently terrified of her and she was confident that a withering look would be all that was needed to bring them back into line.

  Many hours of planning later, Ophelia and her husband, along with the newly wedded Livinia Reedy and Josiah Plumpton, were about to set off with ten students and a small group of parents on a ten-day cultural exchange. They would have a couple of days in Hong Kong, three days in Shanghai and the remainder of the time in Beijing, where the children would attend school and stay with host families.

  ‘I’d better hurry up and get dressed,’ Ophelia said, finishing the last bite of her breakfast. ‘I need to finalise the billeting list with Livinia before assembly.’ The woman stood up and deposited her cup and plate in the sink, then kissed her husband on the top of his head. ‘I’ll see you later, darling.’

  ‘Have a good day.’ Aldous waved and went back to his paper.

  Just as the alarm began its slow morning beep, a hand reached out to shut it off. Coco smiled, clinging to the remnants of her delicious dream.

  ‘Time to get up, little one,’ Wai Po whispered. She pulled a plain black leotard from the top drawer of the chest and laid it on the end of the bed.

  Coco rolled
onto her back and stretched like a cat. Within seconds, she had changed into her morning uniform consisting of the leotard, tights and a tracksuit over the top.

  The old woman picked up a hairbrush from the bedside table. Despite her crooked fingers, tormented by arthritis, she tamed the child’s locks into a perfect bun. ‘There is congee for breakfast.’

  Coco pulled a face. She wasn’t a fan of the thick rice porridge. ‘Could I have cereal instead?’ she asked.

  ‘Since when do good Chinese girls eat that American birdseed?’ Wai Po squinted at Coco over the top of her narrow glasses.

  ‘It’s yummy and it doesn’t sit in my stomach like a rock,’ Coco replied. She picked up her bag, which Wai Po had already packed with her school uniform and textbooks.

  ‘I will see what I can find,’ the woman said, shuffling from the room in her brocade slippers.

  The little girl cartwheeled out of her bedroom and along the open veranda of the family compound. She hurled her bag into the air, watching it spin over and over, then caught it with her right foot and flicked it onto a hook on the wall. Coco scampered out the front door and onto the top of the wall, where she tumbled and flipped all the way down the alley to the communal bathroom at the end of the narrow lane. Her double somersault dismount was magnificent and she landed with feline grace on the ground below.

  Their neighbour Au Shen, who was on his way to work, paused to clap. ‘That was very good!’ he said. ‘You become more impressive with each day, Coco. I think you will soon be the best acrobat in all of China.’