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where we are,” Jacinta said as she caught sight of Highton Hall in the distance. “We’ve come around in a big loop.”
    Her words interrupted Alice-Miranda’s thoughts. “Come on,” Alice-Miranda said, dismissing the strange feelings from her mind. She grabbed Jacinta’s hand and started running toward the gatehouse. “I’m starving.”
    Jacinta followed closely behind as Alice-Miranda unlatched the garden gate and bounced down a pathway bordered by delphiniums, hollyhocks and hydrangeas. The warm afternoon air exhaled the most delicious scent. Alice-Miranda ducked through an archway to the side of the path and raced across thevelvet lawn toward the back of the house. “Betsy,” she called. “Betsy, where are you?”
    A gruff bark echoed in reply before Betsy whizzed around the corner to greet the girls.
    “Hello, you!” Alice-Miranda threw her arms around the Labrador’s neck.
    Mr. Greening appeared. “Hello there. You’d better come inside. Mrs. Greening has just taken something out of the oven.” He winked at Jacinta.
    “Ah, heaven,” Alice-Miranda sighed.

M rs. Greening bustled around the kitchen pouring cups of sugary white tea, which she set down gently in front of the girls. A huge cake with lemon-tinted frosting adorned the center of the table.
    “You can do the honors, dear.” She motioned at the knife in front of Mr. Greening. He promptly set about slicing two large wedges of cake, one each for Jacinta and Alice-Miranda. “Half that size for me, please,” Mrs. Greening requested, placing a milky cup of tea in front of her husband.
    “And twice that size for me, eh?” He winked at Alice-Miranda and Jacinta.
    “Goodness, that stomach of yours will never be flat again,” Mrs. Greening tutted.
    Jacinta finished her first mouthful. “Alice-Miranda was certainly telling the truth about your cake. It
is
heaven. I wish someone in my family could cook cakes as good as this.”
    Mrs. Greening blushed. “That young lady has always been one to write people up. Ever since she was the tiniest wee thing.”
    “No I don’t,” Alice-Miranda protested. “I just tell the truth, that’s all. And the truth is that you make possibly the best cake in the entire world. Although you’d better not tell Mrs. Oliver, or Mrs. Smith when she comes next week, because they’re both pretty excellent cooks too.”
    Mr. and Mrs. Greening exchanged knowing looks and couldn’t help but smile.
    “So what have you been doing this afternoon?” asked Mrs. Greening.
    “We saw Granny Bert on the way over,” Alice-Miranda stated. “I think she must be quite well again.”
    “Was she complaining?” Mr. Greening smiled.
    “She sure was.” Jacinta rolled her eyes. “And she kept calling me Annabelle.”
    “You know, if they had whining as an Olympicsport that woman would win the gold medal every time,” Mr. Greening laughed.
    “Harold Greening, you behave yourself,” Mrs. Greening scolded. “Granny’s just getting old. I think she’s starting to forget things, that’s all.”
    “And we saw Poppy and Jasper and we met a boy called Lucas,” said Alice-Miranda.
    “He stole a pear and he threw stones at us in the field and pushed Alice-Miranda over. He’s mean,” Jacinta declared.
    Mrs. Greening bit her lip and frowned.
    “Yes, I think Lily’s got her hands full at the moment. I’ve had a couple of run-ins with the lad myself,” Mr. Greening added.
    “Who is he?” Alice-Miranda asked.
    Mrs. Greening gave her husband a meaningful look and shook her head.
    “Well, you girls had better be off home, then,” said Mr. Greening. He folded his napkin and placed it on the table.
    “Do you know anything about him?” Alice-Miranda tried again.
    “He’s none of your concern, young lady.”
    “But, I’d really like to be his friend,” Alice-Miranda tried yet again.
    “No buts, Alice-Miranda. You can’t fix everything.Sometimes things just have to work themselves out. Now off you go, and don’t blame