‘After all that Henrietta had sacrificed, she deserved to be happy, but I told her that if she married Percy, I didn’t want to see her again. You see, my scars had made me selfish and hard. But that’s not how the story will end. Today, with the help of Alice-Miranda’s father and uncle, I have visited my sister. She is recovering from a stroke. We sat and we held hands and we cried tears of joy. I would also like to say, that while my great-great-grandfather Frederick Fayle was obviously a clever and visionary man, he wrote a very silly charter and therefore I hereby repeal clause thirty from this day forth.
‘So, I am sorry to disappoint all of the children in this village who know me as the witch. I have no magical powers and no broomstick, no cauldron or book of spells. But I do have rather a lot of cats.’
There was not a dry eye in the house. One by one, the audience rose to their feet, clapping and cheering. Alice-Miranda looked up at her friend. She hugged Miss Fayle, who hugged her right back.
September Sykes eventually located her daughter who was sobbing madly in the rose garden. After a rather wild argument, they dashed straight over to Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale and packed Sloane’s things. Within a week, the Sykeses’ brand-new house had a large ‘For Sale’ sign in the front garden. September phoned Smedley in a terrible huff, but was soothed a little when he explained that his off shore developing business wasn’t faltering after all. September told him that Sloane was being bullied mercilessly at school, so she’d decided to sell the house and the two of them were coming over to be with him. She neglected to tell him about anything else that had happened.
Septimus steadfastly refused to leave school. He loved Fayle and Fayle loved him. Granny Henrietta heard all about what had happened. She’d always thought Septimus was just like his grandfather. She vowed to take care of him financially while ever he was at school or university and, in return, Septimus vowed to visit Granny Henrietta every week.
Caledonia Manor was transformed. Mr Greening, Charlie, Wally and Hedges, with an army of students led by Alice-Miranda, had the garden looking shipshape in no time. Hugh Kennington-Jones finally got to send the builders.
Henrietta moved back to Caledonia Manor to live with her sister. They had a nurse to take care of them, and a cook and housekeeper. Over time, they gained a lot more company. It was far too big a house for the two of them to rattle around in so, in honour of their great-great-grandfather Frederick Erasmus Fayle, Caledonia Manor became a training college for teachers. Alice-Miranda and her friends visited Granny Henrietta and Hephzibah at least once a week.
Miss Grimm and Professor Winterbottom declared the play a resounding success. Miss Reedy and Mr Lipp were already arguing over what they would put on next year.
Alice-Miranda thought long and hard about what had happened with the test papers and the Fayle School Charter. She decided that Sloane shouldn’t be held accountable for the actions of her mother. So after much consideration and a long chat with Sep, Alice-Miranda decided to write to Sloane and see if she might like to be penpals. After all, everyone deserves a second chance – don’t they?
The Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones household
Alice-Miranda Highton-
Smith-Kennington-Jones
Only child, seven
and a half years of age
Cecelia Highton-Smith
Alice-Miranda’s doting mother
Hugh Kennington-Jones
Alice-Miranda’s doting father
Aunt Charlotte
Highton-Smith
Cecelia’s younger sister
Lawrence Ridley
Famous movie actor and
Aunt Charlotte’s fiancé
Dolly Oliver
Family cook, part-time
food technology scientist
Mrs Shillingsworth
Head housekeeper
Mr Greening
Gardener
Mrs Maggie Greening
Mr Greening’s wife
Granny Bert
(Albertine Rumble)
Former housekeeper at Highton
Hall
Daisy Rumble
Granddaughter of Granny
Bert, a maid at Highton
Hall
Bonaparte
Alice-Miranda’s pony
Max
Stablehand
Cyril
Helicopter pilot
Friends of the Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones family
Aunty Gee
Granny Highton-Smith’s
best friend, Cecelia’s
godmother and the Queen
Prince Shivaji
Indian prince and friend of the
family
Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy for Proper Young Ladies Staff
Miss Ophelia Grimm
Headmistress
Aldous Grump
Miss Grimm’s husband
Mrs Louella Derby
Personal Secretary to the
headmistress
Miss Livinia Reedy
English teacher
Mr Josiah Plumpton
Science teacher
Howie (Mrs Howard)
Housemistress
Mr Cornelius Trout
Music teacher
Miss Benitha Wall
PE teacher
Cook (Mrs Doreen Smith)
Cook
(Mr Charles)
Gardener
Wally Whitstable
Stablehand
Students
Millicent Jane McLoughlin-
McTavish-McNoughton-
McGill
Alice-Miranda’s best friend
and room mate
Jacinta Headlington-Bear
Talented gymnast, school’s
former second best tantrum
thrower and a friend
Danika Rigby
Head Prefect
Madeline Bloom, Ivory
Friends
Hicks, Ashima Divall,
Lizzy Briggs, Shelby Shore,
Susannah Dare
Sloane Sykes
New student
Fayle School for Boys Staff
Professor Wallace
Winterbottom
Headmaster
Mrs Deidre Winterbottom
Professor Winterbottom’s wife
Miss Quigley
Personal Assistant to the
headmaster
Professor Herman Pluss
Mathematics teacher
Mr Harold Lipp
English and drama teacher
Mr Horatio Huntley
Housemaster
Hedges
Gardener
Parsley
Professor Winterbottom’s
West Highland Terrier
Students
Lucas Nixon
Lawrence Ridley’s son
Septimus Sykes
Brother of Sloane Sykes
Others
September Sykes
Mother of Sloane and Septimus
Smedley Sykes
Father of Sloane and Septimus
Percy Sykes
Deceased grandfather of
Sloane and Septimus
Henrietta Sykes
Step-granny of Sloane and
Septimus
Matron Payne
Matron at the Golden Gates
Retirement Home
Jacqueline Harvey has spent her working life teaching in girls’ boarding schools. She’s never met a witch in the woods but she has come across quite a few girls who remind her a little of Alice-Miranda.
Jacqueline has published six novels for young readers. Her first picture book, The Sound of the Sea, was awarded Honour Book in the 2006 CBC Awards. She is currently working on Alice-Miranda’s next adventure.
For more about Jacqueline and Alice-Miranda, go to:
www.alice-miranda.com
and
www.jacquelineharvey.com
.au