Clementine Rose and the Treasure Box 6 (3 page)

‘How about I walk them up after lunch?' Basil suggested.

‘I can give you a tour of the house if you like?' Clarissa said.

Basil rubbed his pointy little beard and grinned. ‘Oh, that would be splendid.'

‘Why don't you all come for afternoon tea?' Clarissa said. ‘Say, two o'clock.'

‘You can meet Aunt Violet,' said Clementine, wrinkling her nose. ‘And Uncle Digby. He's lovely.'

‘Is he married to Aunt Violet?' Ana asked.

Clementine began to giggle. ‘No way. Uncle Digby's much too smart for that.'

Lady Clarissa quickly explained who Uncle Digby was.

‘Well, see you tomorrow,' Clarissa said as she and Clementine set off.

‘See you tomorrow,' the children and their parents called back.

That evening, Clementine talked non-stop about her new friends. Aunt Violet was out for the evening with Mrs Bottomley. It had come as a surprise to everyone that the two ladies had become friends after Clementine's class excursion to the farm. The pair had got lost after Mrs Bottomley was chased by a crazy goose called Eloise, and Aunt Violet had gone after them. Ever since, Aunt Violet and Mrs Bottomley had bonded each week over a game of bridge and a glass of brandy. It helped
that they had a mutual dislike of children too.

Uncle Digby said it was just as well Aunt Violet was out, as she hadn't been very enthusiastic about the neighbours. She would probably be rather miffed about Clemmie's eagerness and her niece inviting them for afternoon tea.

‘Mummy, my tummy feels fluttery,' said Clementine as Lady Clarissa tucked her into bed.

‘Why do you think that is?'

‘Maybe because … it's excited. The children are so lovely and Ana is beautiful, isn't she?' Clementine said as her mother stroked her hair. ‘Can I have ballet lessons, Mummy? Please.'

‘We'll see about that. And, yes, Ana is beautiful and the children are fun, and Basil's a bit of a character. I think we're very lucky to have the Hobbses as neighbours.' She leaned down and kissed Clemmie's cheek.

‘I'm going to tidy up my room in the morning,' Clementine said.

Lady Clarissa looked around. Clementine's room was never particularly messy at all. ‘Why do you need to do that?'

‘So I can show the kids,' Clementine said. ‘Then I can help you.'

‘Ah,' said Lady Clarissa. Clementine clearly wanted ballet lessons a lot. ‘You're very sweet. Love you.' Lady Clarissa stood up and walked over to the door and flicked off the light.

‘Love you too, Mummy.' Clementine closed her eyes and within a few minutes she was fast asleep.

Hours later, just after the grandfather clock downstairs chimed three, Clementine woke up and realised she needed the toilet. The house was quiet except for the usual creaks and groans. Lady Clarissa said that the new roof would probably make all sorts of noises for a while. Clementine slipped out of bed and plodded across the hall to the bathroom, still half-asleep. As she washed her hands, she glanced through the sheer curtains and wondered about the red glow across the field. Clementine rubbed her eyes and pulled the curtain back.

‘Mummy!' she yelled. ‘Mummy! Come quickly.'

Lady Clarissa had been sound asleep. So had Uncle Digby and Aunt Violet. But within a minute the three of them bumped into each other on the landing.

‘Goodness, Clementine, you'll wake the dead with that bellowing,' Aunt Violet grumbled.

Lady Clarissa pushed open the bathroom door. ‘What's the matter, Clemmie?'

‘Look!' She pointed out the window.

Lady Clarissa focused. Uncle Digby pulled his glasses out of his dressing-gown pocket.

‘Good heavens,' he said. ‘I'll call the brigade.' He raced out to the telephone on the small table near the top of the stairs.

Aunt Violet peered through the window, her eyes adjusting to the light. ‘Oh, oh dear. I wonder what it is. Don't just stand there, Clarissa. We should see if there's anything we can do.'

‘Aunt Violet, I don't think we'll be much help,' said Lady Clarissa.

‘Godfathers, Clarissa, don't be so dull. It's the most exciting thing to happen around
here for a jolly long time and I'm not about to miss it,' the old woman sniffed.

Clementine was dancing about. She wanted to see what was happening too.

‘Well don't just stand there, Clementine. Get your dressing-gown,' Aunt Violet insisted.

The child rushed back across the hall to her bedroom. She pulled her dressing-gown from the end of her bed and dragged it over her arms, then stuffed her feet into her slippers.

Clementine hurried downstairs with her mother close behind her. Uncle Digby was in the entrance hall but Aunt Violet had disappeared.

‘Has she gone to get a bucket?' Digby asked. ‘I'll get the car keys.'

The wailing of sirens in the distance signalled that the fire truck was on its way from Highton Mill.

Aunt Violet thumped downstairs and elbowed Digby out of the way. ‘I'll drive! We're not taking that clapped-out bomb of yours.'

Aunt Violet's shiny red car was parked out the front of the house. A minute later, everyone was strapped into their seats. The back wheels spun as Aunt Violet planted her foot on the accelerator. The car hurtled down the driveway, out onto the street and around the corner to the village.

‘Look out!' Clementine called as the fire truck raced past. Aunt Violet swerved out of the way.

‘Maniacs! We could have been killed,' Aunt Violet huffed.

‘Aunt Violet. That's the fire brigade.' Clementine shook her head. ‘You have to get out of their way.'

Aunt Violet followed the truck past Mrs Mogg's store and the church.

‘What's on fire?' she asked, squinting to see.

‘Oh no!' Lady Clarissa gasped.

‘Well, what is it?' Aunt Violet demanded.

‘It's the village hall,' Clarissa replied.

Aunt Violet pulled a face. ‘Is that all?'

‘Don't sound so disappointed, Miss Appleby,'
Digby said from the back seat. He'd just managed to right himself and remove the seatbelt from around his neck. ‘What were you hoping for? Mrs Mogg's shop? The village inn, or some poor soul's home?'

‘Don't be ridiculous, Pertwhistle!' Aunt Violet retorted. ‘I just meant that I'm glad it's nothing important.'

‘The village hall
is
important, Aunt Violet,' Clementine said from the back seat. ‘That's where we have the flower show and the village concert and where Ana was going to start her ballet school.'

‘Who's Ana?' Aunt Violet asked.

Clementine began to explain but was interrupted.

‘Does the woman have any experience?' Aunt Violet asked. ‘Ballet is an art form. If you're not trained properly you can do all sorts of damage.'

‘Did you do ballet, Aunt Violet?'

‘Yes, of course. I took lessons when I was at boarding school. You don't get to have my
posture without years of training. We have to see whether this Ana woman knows what she's talking about. I'll insist on seeing her references.'

Clementine was no longer listening. They'd stopped behind the fire truck, and she was watching as the firemen rolled out their hoses and began pumping water onto the flames. Clarissa opened the passenger door. The sirens had woken the whole village and a small crowd was gathering on the footpath across the street.

Clementine hopped out too. She'd never seen so many people in pyjamas before. It was a bit like a sleepover, except everyone was awake. She was surprised to see Mrs Mogg's hair in rollers and Father Bob in his dressing-gown, which had trains on it.

‘Please stand back, everyone,' the fire captain called. As he spoke the roof collapsed, sending a shower of sparks into the air.

‘Oh!' the crowd gasped.

The villagers watched on, murmuring to one another, mesmerised by the inferno. After a
while the flames began to die down. The smoke was starting to clear and it was obvious there was not a lot left of the hall.

Another siren wailed and a few minutes later a police car pulled up in the middle of the road. Two men got out and talked to the fire captain, and then one of them turned around to address the crowd.

He consulted his notepad. ‘Is Digby Pertwhistle here?'

The old man raised his hand and stepped forward. ‘Yes, that's me.'

‘You reported the fire, is that correct?' the policeman asked.

‘Yes, that's right. But it was Clementine who spotted it first,' Digby said.

Clementine stepped forward next to Uncle Digby. ‘I saw the flames when I went to the toilet. Mummy said that I shouldn't have such a big glass of milk before bedtime but I was thirsty.'

‘Well, it's just as well you did, young lady,' the policeman said, ‘or else this fire might have
been much worse. It looks like they've saved the old stables and the shed at the back.'

‘Clementine, thank goodness you saw it.' Mrs Mogg rushed forward and enveloped the child. ‘I was sleeping like a brick. I didn't hear a thing until the siren was right outside the front door.'

‘Yes, well spotted, Clemmie,' Father Bob said.

Clementine shrugged. ‘I just went to the toilet.'

The flames were almost out, with some smouldering embers keeping the firemen busy. The other policeman was attaching blue-and-white tape to the fence to indicate that the grounds were off limits.

‘Did anyone see anything?' the first policeman asked the group.

There was a collective shaking of heads.

‘No, but come to think of it, after our quilting club meeting last night, the light switch sparked on me as I turned it off to leave,' Mrs Mogg said with a frown. ‘Goodness, I hope I wasn't the cause.'

The policeman nodded. ‘Mmm, sounds like it could have been an electrical fault.'

‘You couldn't have known there was a problem, Margaret,' Lady Clarissa said to the woman. She turned to Clementine. ‘I think we should be getting home.'

Clarissa and Clemmie bade goodnight to Mrs Mogg and Father Bob and the other residents. Aunt Violet had run back to the car as soon as she had seen how many people were about. She didn't know what she'd been thinking arriving in her dressing-gown.

‘Where's Pertwhistle?' Aunt Violet demanded as Clemmie and Clarissa climbed into the car.

‘Uncle Digby said that it would be safer to walk home,' Clementine said.

‘Did he now? Well, he can remember that the next time he wants a lift anywhere,' Aunt Violet said through pursed lips.

‘But he never goes anywhere in the car with you,' Clementine said. ‘Except for tonight.'

‘If he doesn't like my driving, then too bad.' Aunt Violet pulled away from the kerb and did a U-turn, narrowly missing the police car.

‘Godfathers! Why on earth is that parked there?' she grumbled and sped off into the night.

Clementine rolled over and yawned. She wondered if the fire last night had been a dream. Then she remembered Aunt Violet's driving. That had been more like a nightmare.

There was a knock at her door and Lady Clarissa entered. ‘Hello sleepyhead. You must have been tired.'

‘I couldn't remember for a minute if the fire was real, but it was, wasn't it?' Clementine asked.

‘Yes, darling. It was real. And so was that terrifying ride in Aunt Violet's car.'

Clementine sat up. ‘Can we go to the village and have a look at the hall?'

Her mother nodded. ‘I've got to get the mail and a few bits and pieces from Mrs Mogg. Hop up and get dressed. We'll go once you've had breakfast.'

‘Tilda and Teddy and Mintie are coming for afternoon tea today, aren't they?' Clementine said suddenly. With everything else that had happened she'd almost forgotten about her new friends. ‘Oh no! If there's no village hall, where will Ana have her ballet lessons?' Clementine's face fell. She'd been hoping that Mrs Mogg would be able to make her a tutu.

‘I don't know, sweetheart, but I'm sure she will work something out. The Hobbses are a bit protected down in that hollow at the end of the road so they might not know about the fire yet. I'll break the news gently to Ana this afternoon.'

Lavender waddled into the room, snuffling along the floorboards. She'd already been downstairs and back again, having hopped out of her basket at the end of Clemmie's bed earlier when the girl was still sound asleep.

‘Good morning, Lavender.' Clementine slipped down from her bed and cuddled the little pig.

Lady Clarissa opened the wardrobe door. ‘What would you like to wear today?'

Clementine thought for a moment. ‘May I please have the yellow dress with the blue flowers?'

‘Lovely.' Her mother pulled the dress from the hanger. ‘And Mrs Mogg will be so pleased to see you wearing it.'

Clementine's love of fashion was well known in the village. It was something she shared with her great-aunt. But while Aunt Violet spent hours poring over fashion magazines, it was Mrs Mogg who created all manner of outfits for the child. She enjoyed nothing more than spoiling Clementine with new clothes.

Clementine dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen. Aunt Violet was at the table, nibbling on some toast and flicking through a magazine.

‘Good morning, Aunt Violet,' Clementine said.

The woman glanced up. ‘Morning. That's a pretty dress.'

Clementine smiled. ‘Mrs Mogg made it.'

‘I wish she'd think about making some clothes in my size,' the old woman said with a frown. ‘I'd love something new. But I suppose I'll just have to make do for now.'

Lady Clarissa came down the back stairs just in time to hear her aunt's gripe.

‘Aunt Violet, you must have the largest collection of clothes on the planet. I'm almost certain you could wear something different every day for the next ten years,' Clarissa tutted.

‘That's quite beside the point, Clarissa. I'd like something
new
.'

‘Well, unless you win the lottery, you're just going to have to put up with what you've got.'
Clarissa pulled a box of cereal from the shelves and shook some flakes into a bowl.

Aunt Violet pointed a manicured finger towards her magazine. ‘Look. There's a competition here to win an entire new wardrobe.'

‘Well then, you should enter it,' Clarissa said.

‘No, Mummy,
you
should enter it,' said Clementine. ‘You're much luckier than Aunt Violet. She lost all her money and her house. And didn't you lose some of your husbands, too?' Clementine asked, glancing up at the woman.

‘Clementine Rose Appleby, the cheek of you!' Aunt Violet jerked her chair back and stood up. ‘It's all yours, Clarissa.' She pushed the magazine to the end of the table. ‘And you'd better win. That might go some way towards making up for that insolent daughter of yours.' Aunt Violet stalked out of the room.

Clementine looked at her mother. ‘Did I say something wrong? It was the truth, wasn't it?'

‘Yes, darling. But sometimes grown-ups don't like to be reminded of their mistakes, that's all.' Clarissa poured some milk into the bowl and set it down on the table.

Clementine dug her spoon into the crispy flakes and took a mouthful.