Clementine Rose and the Perfect Present 3 (10 page)

Clementine beamed. ‘Thank you. Please say goodbye to Mrs Gunalingam and the children from me.’

Clementine joined her mother at the front door. As the Gunalingams’ and the Foxes’ cars drove away, she turned to her mother.

‘Can you help me find my princess dress?’ she asked.

‘Of course, darling. And I have a surprise for you too.’

Clementine looked up at her mother. ‘A surprise?’

‘Yes, the hospital called a little while ago. Uncle Digby should be home on Tuesday.’

Clementine beamed.

Clementine couldn’t wait to tell her friends that she was going to Angus’s party too. Her mother had telephoned Mrs Archibald on Sunday afternoon to apologise for their very late RSVP and explained the mix-up with the mail. Mrs Archibald told Clarissa that Angus had been sad that Clementine wasn’t coming to his party, but he’d be very happy now.

Clementine wondered if that was true or if Mrs Archibald had just said it to be kind. But when she got to school, Angus ran straight up to her.

‘I’m glad you’re coming to my party,’ he said, grinning.

‘Thank you, Angus,’ Clementine replied.

‘Yeah, ’cos now my dragon will have something tasty to eat.’

Poppy rolled her eyes at him. ‘You don’t even have a dragon.’

‘Yes, I do, and it eats girls,’ Angus said and pulled a face. ‘But it only likes sweet ones so that means it won’t eat you, Poppy.’

Clementine leapt to her friend’s defence. ‘That’s not very nice, Angus! But at least it won’t eat me either.’

‘Yes it will,’ Angus insisted.

Joshua had been standing beside Angus the whole time, and now he gave his friend a funny look. ‘Do you
like
her?’ he asked.

‘No way!’ Angus shook his head. ‘She’s a girl and I don’t like any girls.’ Angus ran off into the playground with Joshua hot on his heels.

Astrid walked over to Poppy and Clementine. ‘Angus
does
like you,’ she said.

Clementine was confused by this comment. ‘I don’t think so. He’s always so mean to me.’

‘It’s a boy thing,’ Astrid explained. ‘They’re always mean to girls they like, so he probably likes you too, Poppy.’

Poppy pulled a face. ‘Well, I don’t like
him
, that’s for sure.’

‘I don’t understand boys,’ Clementine said seriously. But she was glad that Astrid did.

The day seemed to go by in a blink. Lady Clarissa picked Clementine up after school and when they got home the marquee was gone and there was hardly anything to remind Clemmie of the excitement of the weekend.

That evening, her mother helped pack her princess costume into a separate bag along with Angus’s present, which Clementine took from the sideboard in the kitchen where it had been sitting next to Uncle Digby’s.

Clementine took ages to fall asleep. She was so excited about the party and she couldn’t wait for Uncle Digby to get home either.

Unlike Monday, Tuesday seemed to drag on forever. Mrs Bottomley got cross with the children asking her what time it was over and over. She decided she might as well use their interest to have some lessons on reading a clock. Clementine thought that was long overdue. She’d been wanting to learn to tell the time ever since the first day.

When the bell finally rang, Mrs Bottomley supervised the children getting changed into their costumes. Much to Clementine’s distaste, Mrs Bottomley made them form two straight lines to march the short distance to Angus’s house. It was only around the corner from the school. They must have looked a strange lot in their crowns and robes, especially the children who were brandishing swords and sceptres.

The group was ushered out into the back garden.

‘Hello Mr Smote,’ Clementine cried, as she ran up to the man. He too was dressed as a king.

‘Clementine!’ He made a deep bow. ‘How lovely to see you again.’

She glanced around the garden and saw a huge cardboard castle. It was big enough for the children to clamber into. There were shields hanging from the fence and even some wooden horses for the guests to be photographed riding.

‘You really are a magician!’ Clementine said.

‘It was nothing much,’ the man replied modestly. ‘And Angus is such a good boy.’

Mr Smote definitely hadn’t seen Angus at school, Clementine thought to herself.

Angus’s mother and Mr Smote had arranged lots of games for the children to play. There was pass the parcel and pin the tail on the pony, musical statues and hide and seek. Clementine and her friends weren’t as keen on that one, as Angus kept pointing out where he kept his dragon.

Astrid marched off to the bottom of the garden and hid right where Angus said the dragon had its lair. Clementine thought she was terribly brave.

The afternoon went very quickly. As the sun started to fade, Angus blew out the candles on his castle cake and the children gathered around to watch him open his presents. Some of the parents had started to arrive too.

Joshua had bought him a train set, Poppy had given him a superhero dress-up costume and Sophie gave him a football.

Clementine’s present was last of all. She and her mother had found him a tiny remote-controlled bug that could actually fly. Clementine would like to have kept it for herself but her mother said that it would make a lovely gift for a six-year-old boy.

The children stood around watching and waiting as Angus tore open the paper. Clementine looked at the little brown box. Her heart sank.

Angus pulled off the lid and stared. For a moment he didn’t say a thing. Clementine was about to speak but Angus got in first.

‘Wow!’ he gasped. ‘That’s the best present ever.’

Clementine gulped. ‘But it’s the wrong one.’

‘What do you mean?’ Angus looked at her with a frown.

‘That’s not yours.’ Clementine’s lip trembled and tears prickled the backs of her eyes.

‘But it’s cool,’ Angus said, ‘and it’s mine now.’ He gently lifted the shell from the box. ‘Whoa, what is it?’

Mrs Bottomley leaned in and inspected the gift. ‘That is a very rare and precious cicada shell,’ she informed the wide-eyed onlookers.

‘It’s the best present ever.’ Angus was so excited he turned and kissed Clementine’s cheek.

Everyone giggled and Clemmie’s cheeks flushed pink.

Angus’s ears turned bright red.

‘Gross! Girl germs,’ Joshua called out.

A hand reached through the crowd and Mrs Tribble yanked her son by her side. She scooped him up and kissed him noisily on the cheek too. ‘I’ll give you girl germs, Joshua Tribble.’

Joshua’s howls of protest had everyone in stitches.

‘Don’t worry, Clementine,’ came a voice beside her. It was Aunt Violet. ‘Pertwhistle will understand.’

Clemmie glanced up, surprised. She hadn’t noticed her great-aunt arrive. ‘Do you really think so?’

Aunt Violet winked. ‘I know so.’

It was time to go. The children said goodbye and Angus handed out the lolly bags. When he gave Clementine hers he even said another special thankyou and gave her a hug. Clementine kept her hands by her side as he squeezed her extra tight.

‘I love it,’ Angus whispered.

‘Come along, Clemmie,’ her great-aunt instructed. ‘Your mother and Uncle Digby should be home by now.’

‘Uncle Digby,’ Clementine yelled as she ran ahead of her great-aunt into the house. Uncle Digby was sitting at the kitchen table sipping a cup of tea and looking his usual self again.

He grinned at her. ‘Hello there, miss.’

Clementine raced around and gave the old man a tight squeeze. ‘We missed you so much. And Mummy and Aunt Violet and Mrs Mogg had to run the whole wedding and it was almost a disaster when the hot water broke but then Aunt Violet fixed it,’ she babbled. ‘Is your heart better?’

‘My old ticker is just fine. Nothing to worry about,’ he replied.

She was glad to hear it. It seemed that Arya was right about her father being able to fix broken hearts.

Clementine released Uncle Digby and rushed over to the sideboard. Uncle Digby’s card was there with Angus’s present. She picked up the card and took it over to the table.

Aunt Violet motioned at the little box. ‘Go on, Clementine, give Uncle Digby his present too,’ she said.

‘But . . .’ Clementine began.

‘But nothing, Clementine. It’s the thought that counts,’ her great-aunt encouraged her.

Clemmie raced back and picked up the parcel. She looked with sad eyes at the old man. ‘I wanted this to be perfect.’

Uncle Digby studied the card. On the front was a picture of Clementine and Lavender standing beside Aunt Violet and Pharaoh and Lady Clarissa. It said: ‘What’s missing?’

He opened it up and inside there was a picture of himself.

‘You’, it said. A tear formed in the corner of his eye. He brushed it away hastily and then read the message aloud. Clementine had told her mother what she wanted to say and then copied it carefully into the card after her mother had written it on a piece of paper.

Dear Uncle Digby, get well soon. We miss you so much – even Aunt Violet. Lots of love, Clementine and Lavender xxx

Uncle Digby laughed. So did Lady Clarissa, and even Aunt Violet managed to smile.

‘Well, aren’t you going to open your present?’ Aunt Violet asked.

Digby Pertwhistle picked at the sticky tape and then unwrapped the paper. Clementine stood beside him as he lifted the lid off the box.

‘Oh!’ he exclaimed. ‘I’ve wanted one of these since I was a boy.’

‘Really?’ Clementine grinned. ‘Is that true?’

Aunt Violet coughed. ‘They didn’t make them a hundred years ago, Pertwhistle.’

He pulled out the remote-controlled bug, which closely resembled a giant bumblebee, and the little controller that went with it.

‘Let’s give it a whirl.’ He flicked the switch. The tiny wings began to flap. The insect took off, whizzing through the air and dive-bombing Aunt Violet.

‘Steady on there, man,’ she yelled.

His mouth twitched. ‘Oh, we’re going to have a lot of fun with this one.’ He sent the bug flying past Lavender, who grunted loudly, and Pharaoh, who swatted at it with his paw.

‘Thank you, Clementine. It’s perfect.’ Uncle Digby put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head just as the little bug crash-landed onto the table, right into the middle of one of Pierre’s strawberry sponge cakes.

Clementine gave Uncle Digby a hug and then smiled at her mother and great-aunt. Yes, it was – just perfect.