Alice-Miranda Shows the Way by Jacqueline Harvey Page B

it to her.’ She winked at Millie.
    â€˜I’ll go and get it from the house. And thanks for lunch.’ Alice-Miranda hopped down from her seat.
    â€˜I’ll go get Chops and Bony,’ Millie offered. ‘Oh yeah, thanks for lunch,’ she added before the two girls flew out the kitchen door.

    Millie walked back up the hill towards the stables. She called out to Bony and Chops, who were happily grazing in the small holding paddock nearby. Bony’s ears pricked up and he walked over to greet her. Much to her surprise, Chops also did as he was told.
    â€˜Hello boy.’ Millie scratched his ear. ‘You know I’d never really send you to the dog food factory, but let’s just keep that between us.’
    â€˜He’d make a good few cans,’ a voice spoke from behind her.
    Millie jumped and spun around.
    â€˜Oh, Mr Boots,’ she said. ‘I didn’t hear you come over.’
    â€˜What would you get for him?’ the young man asked.
    â€˜Sorry, what do you mean?’ Millie frowned.
    â€˜At the dog food factory?’ he said. ‘How much?’
    â€˜Oh, that was just a joke, to get him to behave a bit better,’ Millie grinned.
    â€˜Reckon they’d give you a few quid.’ Billy Boots stared at Chops, then turned his attention to Bonaparte. He ran his hand along the pony’s sleek rump. ‘Reckon you’d be worth a whole lot more, though.’
    Bony jerked his head around and bared his teeth, then licked Billy’s arm.
    â€˜Not again,’ Billy slapped Bonaparte on the bottom and laughed. He led Bony and Chops through the gate.
    â€˜I’d better get going,’ she said.
    â€˜Where to?’ Billy asked.
    â€˜We’re going over to Chesterfield Downs.’
    â€˜Chesterfield Downs?’ Billy repeated. ‘That’s where Wally’s gone, isn’t it? He said it’s a pretty nice place.’
    â€˜I’ve heard that too. But I’ve never been before. I just hope Wally hasn’t had too many close encounters with Rockstar yet,’ Millie grinned.
    â€˜Rockstar? You mean the champion racehorse? Does he live there?’
    â€˜Oh yes, he’s the star of the stable,’ Millie nodded.
    â€˜I bet he’s worth a flipping fortune,’ Billy exhaled.
    â€˜I suppose so. But he’ll be worth a lot more when he wins the Queen’s Cup,’ said Millie. ‘Aunty Gee hasn’t ever won her own cup.’
    â€˜Who’s Aunty Gee when she’s at home?’ Billy asked.
    â€˜That’s Queen Georgiana, but she said that I could call her Aunty Gee,’ Millie explained.
    â€˜How the heck do you know the Queen?’ Billy scoffed. ‘If you do, that is.’
    â€˜I really do. She’s Alice-Miranda’s mother’s godmother and I’ve met her a few times now.’
    â€˜So Queen Georgiana owns Rockstar and he lives here in the village,’ Billy said. He frowned and bit his lip.
    â€˜Yes, but his trainer Miss Pepper is laid up in hospital with a broken hip. I’ve never met Rockstar but everyone says that he and Miss Pepper have a special bond and he’s completely mean to everyone else. I hope it doesn’t affect his chances of winning. Anyway, I have to go,’ Millie said. She’d just spottedAlice-Miranda in the distance. The red-haired child led the two ponies away.
    Something about Billy Boots gave Millie a strange feeling that she couldn’t work out. She wondered if she’d been hanging around Alice-Miranda too long. He seemed nice enough and even Bonaparte liked him but he asked odd questions. Millie decided to talk to Alice-Miranda about her uneasiness as soon as possible.

O n the way to Chesterfield Downs, Millie told Alice-Miranda about her chat with Billy.
    â€˜There’s just something about him. I really don’t know what it is,’ she finished, frowning.
    Alice-Miranda nodded. ‘I know a lot about