Shy Ermengarde, spoiled Lottie, and awful Lavinia are all left behind at the Select Seminary for Young Ladies, and without Sara, school is even more dreary than before. The new maid, Alice from Epping, is a bright girl from the country whose practicality and confidence are a refreshing change from stodgy Miss Minchin. Lottie learns to notice things and has adventures, Lavinia dreams of earning a place at Oxford, and Ermengarde realizes that friendship sometimes means keeping secrets.