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help from everyone in the village as possible. It’s likely that we will be having some events here at school and we’ll also be sending teams of girls to assist with all manner of other things,’ the headmistress explained.
    â€˜Bags not being on pooper-scooper duty,’ Millie said.
    Sloane pulled a face. ‘Ew, that’s disgusting.’
    â€˜Seriously, that’s a job,’ Millie said. ‘There were all these guys in white hazmat suits with long gloves walking around everywhere making sure there was no –’
    â€˜Thank you, Millie. We get the picture,’ Miss Grimm said. ‘I suspect we might be acting as guides and ushers and serving afternoon tea.’ Though, there were a few girls she wouldn’t have minded putting on pooper scooping.
    Ophelia spied Livinia Reedy and Josiah Plumpton entering the room, looking sheepish. Thepair quickly took the empty seats at Alice-Miranda’s table.
    â€˜Excuse me, girls, what’s the big news?’ Mr Plumpton whispered.
    â€˜The village is hosting Chudleigh’s Dog Show in a couple of weeks,’ Millie fizzed.
    Livinia Reedy’s eyebrows knotted. ‘It had better not be the weekend of the wedding.’
    â€˜Surely not,’ Mr Plumpton said, flashing his fiancée a reassuring smile. ‘We couldn’t be that unlucky.’
    The headmistress cleared her throat. ‘I’m off to a meeting with Mrs Parker this evening, so I’ll have more news to share tomorrow. Enjoy your afternoon, everyone.’ Ophelia stepped down from the podium and strutted towards Alice-Miranda’s table. ‘Excuse me, Miss Reedy, Mr Plumpton, might I have a word outside?’ she asked, smiling tightly.
    Livinia Reedy’s stomach twisted. ‘I don’t believe this,’ she hissed under her breath. Josiah Plumpton reached across and squeezed Livinia’s hand. ‘I will not have our wedding hijacked by a pack of mangy mutts,’ she whispered in her fiancé’s ear as they followed Miss Grimm into the courtyard.

Roberta Dankworth finished brushing Citrine’s ears and leaned over to plant a kiss on her wet nose. ‘You are so beautiful,’ she cooed at the creature. ‘You make Mummy very proud.’
    The hound nuzzled her owner and looked for all the world as if she were smiling, until a series of high-pitched barks interrupted the tender moment.
    Roberta turned and looked at the poodle, who was strapped into a tiny high chair attached to another grooming table behind her. The hair ontop of the dog’s head was expertly parted and rolled up into six curlers. ‘You make Mummy proud too, Farrah, but I’m not happy about those dark circles under your eyes.’ Roberta opened a drawer underneath the bench Citrine was perched on. She fished around and found what she was looking for, then unscrewed the lid. ‘All the top models swear by this,’ she said as she dabbed some haemorrhoid cream under Farrah’s eyes. ‘Now, sit here and rest while Mummy finishes up your sister.’
    Roberta had been practising putting false eyelashes on Citrine all day, which the hound hadn’t appreciated in the slightest. This time she was determined to make them stick. Roberta pulled another packet from the drawer.
    Citrine flinched and turned her head away. The grooming bench, which Roberta had designed herself, boasted a giant tub at one end, complete with a hydraulic lift, which left no chance of injury to either animal or human at bath time. At the other end was a low bench for the beasts to stand on while they were being dried. Several wide drawers contained supercharged hair dryers, curling irons and crimpers as well as a vast array of beauty products. To finish the room, a mirror spanned the length ofan entire wall, allowing the animals to admire themselves while they were being primped and preened. A smaller bench stood along another wall. It had been built