Alice-Miranda Shines Bright 8 by Jacqueline Harvey Page B

and looked at Chops and Bonaparte. ‘If we’re not back in half an hour, make a lot of noise, will you, or go and look for someone if you can untie yourselves.’ She was only half-joking.
    Bonaparte whinnied and shook his head up and down in reply, as if he’d understood perfectly.
    Millie knelt down and pushed herself through the little opening. It was longer than she’d anticipated, a bit like a rocky cocoon. She could see the light from Alice-Miranda’s torch in the distance.
    â€˜Oh my goodness,’ Millie gasped as her head popped out on the other side. She stood up. ‘I didn’t expect this.’
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    B onaparte and Chops cantered through the woods on their way to Caledonia Manor. Alice-Miranda and Millie wondered if anyone else knew about the cave. They couldn’t wait to tell Miss Hephzibah and Miss Henrietta about their discovery.
    Alice-Miranda caught sight of someone digging in the pretty garden near the fountain. ‘Miss Hephzibah,’ she called.
    Hepzibah Fayle wiped her brow and used her special garden kneeling frame to help her stand up. ‘Hello girls, it’s lovely to see you both.’
    â€˜We’ve got some amazing news,’ Millie yelled.
    â€˜Ride up to the house and I’ll meet you there in a minute,’ Hephzibah instructed. ‘I think I’ve had enough weeding for one day.’ She gathered her little digger and the kneeling frame and headed towards the house.
    Alice-Miranda and Millie noticed a little black car parked under the portico. Each girl wondered who it belonged to, although with the teaching college due to open soon, there seemed to be people coming and going all the time.
    The girls rode their ponies to the rear of the house, let them have a drink at the old trough near the back flowerbeds, and tied them to the balustrades on the lower lawn. Miss Hephzibah was making her way along the veranda towards the kitchen door and was almost bowled over as the children ran to greet her.
    â€˜Hello,’ cried Alice-Miranda as she launched herself around Hephzibah’s waist.
    â€˜Well, hello to you too.’ Hephzibah bent down and kissed the top of Alice-Miranda’s head. She took a step back and looked at the child. ‘Are you all right, dear?’
    Alice-Miranda gazed up into the old woman’s blue eyes. She nodded. ‘Yes, of course. It’s just been a strange couple of days.’
    â€˜Why don’t you come inside and tell me all about it over a nice cold glass of lemonade.’ Hephzibah turned to give Millie a hug too and together they entered the kitchen.
    Henrietta Sykes was sitting at the scrubbed pine table with a book open in front of her. Her reading glasses were balanced on the tip of her nose and she almost leapt out of her seat when the screen door banged shut.
    â€˜Oh, girls,’ she gasped. ‘I was deep in thought. Wonderful story this.’ She waved the book around. It fell with a thump back onto the table.
    â€˜Asleep, did you say, Henny?’ her sister teased.
    â€˜No, no, I wasn’t sleeping. Reading, that’s what I was doing.’
    â€˜Who owns the black car at the front door?’ her sister asked.
    â€˜Oh, it belongs to a lovely man. Mr Wiley,’ Henrietta replied.
    Hephzibah looked around the kitchen. ‘Have you hidden him in a cupboard, dear?’
    Alice-Miranda and Millie giggled, then pecked Henrietta on both cheeks before walking to the sink to wash their hands.
    â€˜Of course not. He’s just gone to the toilet. He was very keen to have a look around the house and you know I can’t really manage the stairs, so I told him to take a little tour upstairs as well.’
    Hephzibah nodded, and then noticed the girls’ grubby knees and elbows. ‘Where have you two been? You don’t usually get quite that dirty when you’re riding.’
    â€˜Exploring,’ said Alice-Miranda