Alice-Miranda in the Alps Read online

  ‘She doesn’t look very happy to be here,’ Jacinta observed.

  ‘She doesn’t look very happy full stop,’ Lucas said with a grin.

  ‘We have a fabulous field of eight runners and their very brave riders, two of whom I am told have never ridden on the snow before,’ the announcer continued. ‘We wish them the best of luck on their dash down the straight.’

  The ponies, too small for the barrier, were assembled behind a red line that had been sprayed onto the snow.

  ‘I can see the starter having his last words with the group,’ the announcer said, talking the crowd through the activity at the starting line. ‘And they’re off! Itty Bitty got away quickly, followed closely by Tiny Dancer. Then we have Strudel and Ladybird, next I can see Twinkletoes and coming up on the outside is Hula Hoop. As they reach the halfway mark, Bumblebee is making up ground and after her is Lollylegs. Our newcomers are doing well …’

  ‘I can’t look,’ Shilly moaned, covering her eyes. A moment later she spread her fingers ever so slightly, unable to resist a tiny peek. ‘It’s just like Cyril all over again.’

  The crowd went wild as the ponies drew closer to the finish line.

  ‘Go, Alice-Miranda! Go, Millie!’ Cecelia yelled, echoed by their friends.

  ‘I think Millie’s going to win,’ Sep said, holding his breath as her little grey mare, Bumblebee, flashed ahead of the rest.

  ‘Oh dear, Itty Bitty looks to be tiring and Tiny Dancer has fallen to the back of the field. What’s Strudel up to?’ the announcer pondered aloud.

  The little cream-coloured beast was throwing his head in the air. There was a groan from the crowd as the pony stopped in its tracks, made a sharp left turn and then tore off back towards the starting line. The spectators roared with laughter when the pony pulled up at the rail and stole a plate of apple strudel from a little boy who had, up until that second, been enjoying his afternoon snack.

  ‘Now we know why she is called Strudel, eh?’ The announcer chuckled. ‘But, look, we have a new leader. Bumblebee has some sting in her tail today! She’s followed by Lollylegs, and here comes Tiny Dancer,’ the man’s voice reached a crescendo, as the crowd clapped and cheered. ‘They’ve hit the line and it’s Bumblebee in first place! I think we will have to check the photo for second and third.’

  ‘Millie won!’ Hamish cried. He hugged Pippa and jumped up and down. ‘Our little girl won!’

  Mrs Oliver and Shilly embraced with relief. Sloane and Sep did too until they realised what they were doing and quickly withdrew from one another.

  ‘Ew, don’t touch me,’ Sloane grouched.

  Sep was mortified. ‘I didn’t mean to.’

  ‘It looks like Alice-Miranda came third,’ Hamish said, pointing to the track.

  Jacinta disentangled herself from Lucas’s arms. ‘I told you those two are amazing,’ she said to Mrs Oliver and Mrs Shillingsworth, who were both fanning themselves and gasping for breath.

  ‘Please put your hands together for Herr Fanger and his lovely wife, Frau Doerflinger, here to present the prizes to our winners,’ the announcer boomed.

  Millie and Alice-Miranda both jumped off their mounts and hugged each other.

  ‘You were unbelievable!’ Alice-Miranda said, beaming at her friend.

  ‘You were too,’ Millie said, her smile stretching across her face.

  Johan Heffelfinger jogged onto the track and shook hands with both children as two grooms took the ponies from them. ‘Well done, girls!’ he exclaimed.

  ‘That was the best!’ Millie said. ‘We’ll ride for you anytime.’

  ‘Please come back again next year,’ Herr Heffelfinger said with a wink.

  A man holding a microphone invited the children onto the stage. Otto Fanger and Delphine Doerflinger were standing on either side of him, behind an array of trophies. Otto had put Princess Gertie on the ground and, judging by the disdain on the little dog’s face, she didn’t seem particularly impressed about it.

  ‘I think we should congratulate all our runners for their courage,’ the man said. The crowd responded with enthusiastic applause. ‘And now to our placegetters. Congratulations to Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones, for coming third riding the lovely Lollylegs.’ Alice-Miranda, who was standing to the right of Frau Doerflinger, stepped forward as Herr Fanger handed her a small silver trophy in the shape of a cup.

  ‘Thank you, Herr Fanger.’ She shook the man’s hand and smiled at his wife. ‘Thank you, Frau Doerflinger.’ Alice-Miranda looked at the woman, who seemed much more interested in the crowd.

  Delphine grunted in reply.

  A small boy with a mop of white-blond curls named Piers was given a slightly larger trophy for second place. He raised his riding crop into the air in victory.

  ‘I am sure that we all hope the Shetland Stakes becomes a regular feature on the White Turf calendar,’ the presenter said, looking to Herr Fanger.

  The hotelier nodded vigorously while his wife plastered a grin on her face.

  ‘Well, there can only be one winner, so I would like to ask Millie …’ The man leaned around and whispered to the girl. ‘I’m sorry I don’t know your full name,’ he apologised.

  ‘Just Millie is fine,’ the girl said.

  ‘Millie, please come and accept your trophy,’ the presenter said into the microphone.

  As the girl walked to the middle of the stage, the crowd cheered. None more enthusiastically than the group at the top of the central grandstand, who were whistling and whooping.

  ‘It seems you have a lot of fans, Miss Millie,’ the man said.

  The child’s freckles exploded into a burst of crimson confetti.

  ‘Well done, Miss Millie. I did not know you had such talents,’ Otto said with a grin. He passed her a trophy that was almost as tall as she was.

  ‘Thank you, Herr Fanger.’ Millie shook his hand and the pair posed for the photographers.

  Alice-Miranda smiled at her friend but was soon distracted by Frau Doerflinger. The woman appeared to be scouring the crowd for someone. Her complexion was pallid and even though the temperature was a crisp minus eight degrees, a trickle of perspiration ran down her temple.

  Alice-Miranda tried to work out what Frau Doerflinger was looking at. She followed the woman’s line of sight until her eyes came to rest on a very glamorous couple. The man wore a long black coat and a sneer, while the woman’s waterfall of glossy brunette curls framed an almost perfectly proportioned face. She wore a black fur coat with a row of pearls the size of quail eggs around her neck. Alice-Miranda recognised her as the whiny woman from the chairlift the other day. The man raised a glass of champagne in Frau Doerflinger’s direction and Alice-Miranda could have sworn the woman began to tremble.

  ‘Let’s give all of these brave children another round of applause,’ the presenter boomed into the microphone.

  Millie grinned at Alice-Miranda, who smiled back at her. When she looked out into the crowd again, the couple were gone.

  Delphine Doerflinger pinched the tips of her gloves, easing them off before she swiped her key card against the panel. She pushed open the door and began to take off her coat when she noticed an unmistakable scent – one that had no business being inside her home. She quickly turned to leave, pulling her coat back on.

  ‘Going somewhere, Frau Doerflinger?’ the intruder said.

  Delphine stopped in her tracks and swallowed hard. ‘How did you get in here?’ she asked.

  ‘That is none of your concern,’ the man said coolly. ‘You are home early.’

  Delphine spotted a suitcase in the hall. She looked at it and back at the intruder. ‘I have a headache,’ she replied.

  ‘You certainly do.’ The man raised his eyebrow at her. ‘Now, what’s this I hear about the Baron deciding not to borrow our money?’

  ‘He is a smart man. He must have read the fine print,’ Delphine said, her temperature rising.

  ‘Then you must find another way to honour your agreements,’ the ma
n said.

  The sound of heels striking the timber floor bounced around the walls, followed soon after by the voice of a young woman.

  ‘For such an ugly hag she has many beautiful things,’ she trilled. The young woman reached the hallway, twirling the silk Hermès scarf around her neck, and saw the man was no longer alone. ‘Oh, I didn’t know you were here,’ she said, fingering the diamond teardrops dangling from her lobes.

  ‘Take them off at once,’ Delphine demanded. Otto had given her those earrings for their tenth wedding anniversary and the sight of them on that gold-digger made her stomach churn.

  ‘Or what?’ The young woman smiled. ‘I’m sure you would agree that they look much better on me.’

  ‘Otto will be back any minute now. You cannot be here,’ Delphine said, hating the pleading note in her voice.

  ‘You clearly don’t know your husband as well as I do,’ the man scoffed. ‘Herr Fanger loves nothing more than to be the centre of attention. He will not leave the racetrack when everyone in St Moritz is falling all over themselves to congratulate him. But perhaps there is one thing he loves even more than an adoring crowd … Is it his wife?’ The man looked at the young woman, who shook her head.

  ‘No, no, no,’ she giggled, fluttering her fingers.

  ‘Is it his hotel?’ the man asked, sweeping his arm around the room.

  Sancia pouted. ‘I don’t think so,’ she said in a singsong voice.

  ‘Oh, I know!’ The man grinned. ‘It’s that stupid little dog.’

  The brunette reached into her pocket and pulled out Gertie’s diamond hairclips, which she displayed on her palm for Delphine to see. ‘Can I keep these, Vincenzo?’

  ‘Of course you can,’ he sneered. ‘Princess Gertie may not be needing them if someone refuses to cooperate.’

  Delphine’s heart thumped in her chest. ‘What did you do?’ she rasped.

  ‘Poor little Gertie. I think she has run away,’ the man said.

  ‘Please don’t hurt her,’ Delphine begged.

  ‘What do you care?’ the man replied. ‘You despise that mutt.’

  ‘But … Otto loves her,’ Delphine said. She despised herself for getting into this mess.

  The man glared at her. ‘I thought you hated him too.’

  Delphine’s mouth grew dry. Otto was an annoyance, a buffoon, but he was a good man with the kindest heart and he didn’t deserve to lose everything because of her stupidity.

  The young woman walked into the lounge and plonked down on the largest of the sofas. ‘Vincenzo, can we go now? I am so bored,’ she whined loudly. ‘And you promised me chocolate.’

  ‘We will leave soon enough,’ Vincenzo replied. He gestured to the suitcase. ‘We don’t want to keep Frau Doerflinger from her train.’

  Delphine baulked. ‘What are you talking about? I have a hotel to run!’

  ‘You have a hotel to buy,’ Vincenzo said. ‘I suggest you get to the other side of the mountains right away and close that deal, or you know what will happen.’

  ‘I can’t just leave. What will I tell Otto?’ Delphine protested.

  Vincenzo shrugged. ‘You take regular trips to the chocolate factory. Isn’t that what you always tell him?’

  Delphine inhaled sharply. It was, but she had never told Vincenzo that. ‘I have to write Otto a note.’

  Sancia tripped out to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. ‘I can’t believe you don’t have any chocolate in this house,’ she called.

  ‘It is peculiar given the amount of chocolate downstairs,’ Vincenzo agreed. He turned to follow Delphine to her study.

  ‘You don’t need to accompany me,’ she snapped.

  Vincenzo tilted his head to one side and smiled. ‘On the contrary, Frau. It would not do me well to leave you to your own devices.’

  Alice-Miranda and Millie walked across the snowy roadway to the rear entrance of Fanger’s Palace Hotel.

  ‘Can you hold this?’ Millie asked, passing the girl her trophy. Alice-Miranda balanced the huge cup on her hip. Millie rummaged around in her pocket and pulled out the little disc she’d found in the foyer the other morning. ‘Oh drat, I forgot our room key,’ she said. ‘I don’t suppose this will be of any use, although maybe it really was my lucky charm in the race.’

  Alice-Miranda smiled. ‘I think sheer talent, guts and determination probably had a lot to do with it too.’

  ‘We’ll have to go back and get the key from your mother.’ Millie sighed and took her trophy.

  The girls were on their way to the hotel to deposit their winnings and change out of their silks. They had just turned around when they saw Lucas racing towards them.

  ‘Hey, wait for me,’ he yelled as he sped up to the hotel gate.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ Alice-Miranda asked. ‘I thought you and the others were getting something to eat.’

  ‘I need my gloves,’ the boy said. He pulled his hands out of his jacket pockets, revealing two pale sets of digits, which looked distinctly blue on the tips.

  ‘Have you got your key?’ Millie asked. ‘I forgot mine.’

  Lucas pulled out his card and swiped the keypad next to the gate. The children walked through a small garden and into a foyer, where they found a lift. The hotel seemed deserted compared to the early-morning bustle. Lucas pushed the button.

  ‘That trophy is enormous,’ Lucas said to Millie as they waited.

  Millie held up the silver cup and studied it closely. ‘I still can’t believe I won.’

  Lucas nodded. ‘You were incredible. You too, Alice-Miranda.’

  ‘It was so much fun,’ Alice-Miranda said, grinning at the memory.

  After several minutes had gone by, Lucas pushed the button again.

  ‘Do you think it’s out of order?’ Millie said. Her arms were beginning to ache from holding her prize.

  Lucas walked to the other end of the vestibule. ‘That’s weird,’ he said, glancing around. ‘You’d think there’d be a staircase down here somewhere. Otherwise, how would you get up and down if the lift’s not working?’

  ‘What about through that door?’ Alice-Miranda said, pointing at a panel in the wall.

  ‘Where?’ Lucas asked, trying to see what his cousin was looking at.

  ‘There.’ The girl ran her finger around the outline of a door that was almost completely camouflaged in the timber wall.

  ‘Good spotting,’ Millie said. She pushed on the panel and it pivoted, opening out onto a staircase.

  ‘The sign must have fallen off,’ Lucas remarked. ‘Again.’

  He and Alice-Miranda bounded up the stairs two at a time like a pair of thumping elephants. Millie was slower, taking care not to drop her trophy. Fortunately, each floor was clearly marked on the back of the exit doors. They passed the spa and swimming pool, which they knew was only a couple flights below reception.

  ‘Finally,’ Alice-Miranda puffed as they reached the fourth floor. She was about to turn the door-handle when she was startled by loud voices. They were coming from the other side of the wall, and whoever was speaking didn’t sound happy.

  Millie pressed her finger to her lips.

  ‘Where are they?’ Lucas whispered.

  Alice-Miranda pointed to a vent high up on the wall. ‘It’s coming from in there.’

  ‘Otto will be worried, you know,’ they heard a woman say. ‘I always tell him my travel plans in advance.’

  ‘You wrote him a note,’ a man replied.

  ‘It’s Frau Doerflinger,’ Alice-Miranda said. ‘But I’m not sure about the other person.’

  Millie and Lucas nodded.

  ‘He knows about your acquisition, doesn’t he?’ the man said.

  ‘Yes,’ Delphine replied. ‘He wants to know why we didn’t celebrate last night.’

  ‘Then, surely, he will not even bat an eyelid. You are a businesswoman going away to do business,’ the man said. ‘I expect to hear from you in the next few days. Good news only, please, or else – poof – she will be gone fo
rever.’

  ‘You have no business speaking to me like that,’ Frau Doerflinger said.

  ‘On the contrary, your business depends on our business, does it not?’ the man said archly.

  There was the sound of shuffling feet and the voices ceased.

  The children looked at one another.

  ‘What was all that about?’ Millie said.

  ‘If I didn’t think she was the biggest dragon in the world, I’d have said that Frau Doerflinger almost sounded scared,’ Lucas said.

  Alice-Miranda nodded. ‘I wonder where she’s going and who will be gone forever.’

  ‘Who cares?’ Millie huffed. ‘Hopefully it’s her and she’s going far, far away and we’ll never have to see her again.’

  Alice-Miranda looked at her friends. ‘Come on, we should hurry up and get changed.’

  The tiny girl pushed open the door and was surprised to see Delphine Doerflinger come out of the invisible doorway she’d taken the children through the other day. The woman was wearing the same heavy fur coat they’d seen her in at the races but was now trundling a small leather suitcase.

  ‘Hello Frau Doerflinger,’ Alice-Miranda said, greeting the woman. ‘Are you going somewhere?’

  Delphine spun around as if she’d been poked in the bottom with a pin. ‘Hasn’t anyone ever told you it is rude to sneak up on people?’ she snapped, signalling to a porter.

  A young man strode forward.

  ‘Take this to the car,’ Delphine barked. ‘I am going to the station.’

  The porter looked as if he had just swallowed a slug. ‘I-I’m afraid that the car is at the track. Herr Fanger requested it be on standby for his use.’

  ‘Then get me another,’ she demanded.

  ‘There are none available at the moment,’ the porter said, his voice quivering. ‘Many of our guests booked them as their transport to the races. We weren’t aware you would be needing a vehicle today.’

  ‘Faulpelz,’ Delphine muttered under her breath. ‘I have an unexpected business trip. Call me a taxi!’

  ‘I will do my best, Frau,’ the young man replied, relieved for the excuse to get away.

  Frau Doerflinger turned to see Millie and Lucas staring at her. ‘What are you lot gawking at?’ she snapped.