Clementine Rose and the Perfect Present 3 (9 page)

‘Perhaps you should leave the tent up, Clarissa, and we can all move in there,’ Aunt Violet suggested, raising her eyebrows playfully.

‘You might be right about that, Aunt Violet. We’ll have to move out when I can afford for the roof to be done.’

Clementine looked at her mother. ‘We won’t really have to live in a tent, will we, Mummy?’

‘No darling, I’m sure that we can find somewhere else just for a little while,’ her mother replied.

‘Perhaps you should all head off on a holiday,’ Mrs Mogg suggested.

‘Yes please.’ Clemmie clapped her hands together.

‘Maybe.’ Lady Clarissa slipped her hand into Clementine’s and together the group headed back inside to the snuggly warmth of the kitchen.

Mrs Mogg filled the kettle and Aunt Violet went to the sideboard to find some cups and saucers. Clementine wondered if there was something wrong with her – she was being so helpful.

Her mother went to the pantry to fetch the teacake Pierre had delivered that morning along with the giant layered wedding cake.

Lavender was lying on her back and enjoying a belly scratch from Clementine.

‘Oh, that reminds me, was there any mail yesterday?’ Lady Clarissa asked as she set the cake on the table.

Margaret Mogg turned from where she was pouring the tea. ‘No. It was very strange indeed.’

Violet Appleby coughed, then scurried from the room. When she returned, she placed a bundle of letters on the table. ‘Father Bob brought these over yesterday afternoon as I was leaving to pick you up, Clarissa. He said that it was in among his. I completely forgot about it too. It’s probably just bills, anyway, although you do seem to have a knack with those competitions.’

Margaret Mogg sighed deeply. ‘I can’t leave that husband of mine in charge for more than a minute. I am so sorry, Clarissa. I hope there wasn’t anything important.’

Clementine washed her hands and sat up at the table beside her great-aunt. She looked at the letters, trying not to get her hopes up again.

Lady Clarissa flicked through the pile. ‘Bill, bill, bill. Oh!’ She drew in a sharp breath and handed Clementine an envelope. ‘This one’s for you.’ ‘For me? What is it?’ she asked, her eyes wide.

Clementine tore open the envelope and unfolded the card inside. There was a picture of a king and her name was beside it in large scribbly writing.

‘What does it say?’ she said excitedly, and showed the card to Aunt Violet.

‘Wait a minute, I have to get my glasses.’ The old woman picked them up from the table. ‘It says, “You are invited, Clementine Rose!”’

‘Yippee!’ Clementine’s arms shot into the air. ‘He didn’t leave me out on purpose.’

Her great-aunt scowled at the interruption. ‘Do you want to hear the rest?’

‘Yes, please.’ Clementine clapped her hands together.

Aunt Violet read the details, including what time and where the party would take place.

Clementine’s mouth fell open. ‘Oh!’

‘What’s the matter now?’ her great-aunt asked. ‘I thought you wanted to go to the party – even though you pretended that you didn’t.’

‘I don’t have a present. Angus said that we all had to get him something good or he’d feed us to the dragon that lives at the bottom of his garden,’ Clementine said seriously.

‘For heaven’s sake. I wouldn’t want to go to his party if he said that to me,’ Aunt Violet declared. ‘And you do know that there are no dragons living at the bottom of his garden, don’t you? The boy has an overactive imagination.’

Clementine was not so sure. Angus could be very convincing when he wanted to be.

‘Will you take me to the village later?’ Clementine asked her mother. ‘I have to find the perfect present for Uncle Digby too.’

Mrs Mogg poured three cups of strong black tea.

‘Oh darling, I don’t think I have time today. But perhaps . . .’ Lady Clarissa glanced at Aunt Violet.

Clemmie followed her gaze. ‘Aunt Violet, will you take me? Please?’ Clementine looked up at the older woman, her blue eyes sparkling.

‘I don’t know, Clementine. I have some things to do . . .’ Aunt Violet sipped her tea.

‘Pretty please?’

Aunt Violet stared at the girl’s pleading expression. ‘Oh, all right,’ she relented.

Lady Clarissa and Mrs Mogg exchanged smiles.

Clementine couldn’t believe it. She’d just been to her first wedding and next week she was going to a birthday party with all her friends.
And
Aunt Violet had agreed to help her find the perfect presents for Angus and Uncle Digby.

Clementine and Aunt Violet put on their coats and headed out into the afternoon sunshine. When Clemmie had asked Lavender if she wanted to go for a walk, the little pig had rolled over and kept her eyes firmly closed. Pharaoh was asleep too. He slept a lot.

Loud music filled the garden and Clementine wanted to stop and have another peek at what was happening. She and Aunt Violet poked their heads inside the marquee and laughed when they saw Uncle Orville on the dance floor copying the moves of some beautiful young women in saris.

‘Silly old fool,’ Aunt Violet huffed.

Clementine giggled.

Mr Smote was standing near the entrance and overseeing the celebration when he noticed Aunt Violet and Clementine. He shuffled over beside them. ‘It’s all going beautifully,’ he said happily. ‘I think we could definitely recommend Penberthy House for more weddings.’

‘That’s wonderful,’ Clementine replied. ‘Mummy will be so pleased, won’t she, Aunt Violet?’

Aunt Violet looked as if she had trodden in something smelly. ‘I suppose so.’

The pair said goodbye to Mr Smote and continued through the field at the back of the garden, across the stone bridge and past the church to the Moggs’ shop.

‘Do you know what you’re looking for, Clementine?’ her great-aunt asked as they made their way inside.

Clementine shook her head. She hadn’t a clue, but thought she might know when she saw it.

Unfortunately, Mrs Mogg’s range of toys was rather small and hardly any were suitable for Angus. Clementine searched and searched but nothing was right.

When it came to finding something for Uncle Digby, she considered several options. He liked aftershave, but she knew that he only wore a certain kind. A new pen could be nice, but there were only plain ones. At last Clementine remembered that he liked to play cards, but she couldn’t find any. Mr Mogg said that Father Bob had bought the last set earlier in the day.

This was turning out to be much harder than Clemmie had thought.

‘Why don’t you just make Pertwhistle a card and be done with it?’ Aunt Violet suggested.

Clementine supposed she could do that, but it still didn’t solve the problem of finding something for Angus.

‘Your mother might be able to get something tomorrow over at Highton Mill,’ her great-aunt said. ‘Or, even better, doesn’t she have a present cupboard at home?’

Clementine nodded. Of course she did. Why hadn’t she thought of that earlier? Her mother had won so many things over the years that she had a whole cupboard full of bits and pieces. Surely Clemmie could find something in there.

Clementine and Aunt Violet said goodbye to Mr Mogg, who seemed very happy to see them go. It probably had something to do with the sound of football on the television out the back. On the way home, Clementine stopped several times to pick up coloured leaves, which she thought she could use to decorate her card for Uncle Digby.

Clementine was leaning down beside the stone wall when she jumped back in surprise. There was something wedged in the wall.

‘Aunt Violet,’ she called. ‘Come and look at this.’

Her great-aunt sniffed and sauntered over.

‘What’s that?’ Clementine pointed at the wall.

Aunt Violet peered into the space. ‘My goodness. I haven’t seen one of those in years. Not since I was a girl.’ She reached in and carefully pulled out the strange object.

Clementine looked at her wide-eyed. ‘Does it bite?’ she asked.

Aunt Violet laughed. ‘No, Clementine, of course not.’

Clementine had never seen anything so beautiful. ‘It’s lovely.’

‘Yes, and very rare too, I think. I seem to recall Pertwhistle having a collection of these when he first came to work at the house.’

‘Really?’ Clementine asked.

‘Yes. He kept them on the windowsill in the kitchen.’

‘Do you think he’d like it?’ Clementine asked.

‘I suspect it would be perfect,’ Aunt Violet said with a nod. ‘It’s very fragile, Clementine. Why don’t we take it home and wrap it up safely?’

Clementine agreed. Now she just had to find the perfect present for Angus too.

Lady Clarissa was thrilled with Clementine and Aunt Violet’s find. She located a box and helped Clementine wrap it carefully. A quick search through the present cupboard revealed many treasures a little boy would love. Clementine found something she thought would be just right and her mother helped her wrap it as well.

‘Why don’t you make the cards for Uncle Digby and Angus?’ her mother suggested. ‘Then we can tape them to the boxes and make sure they don’t get mixed up.’

Lady Clarissa frowned. She probably should have found some different wrapping paper for each present but that was the one thing she’d been running low on.

Early in the evening, Mrs Fox appeared at the kitchen door. Aunt Violet and Clementine were at the table reading together and Lady Clarissa was busy getting the household’s dinner ready. She was wondering how late the festivities in the garden would continue.

‘Ahem,’ said Mrs Fox.

Lady Clarissa stopped chopping the carrots and turned around. ‘Oh, hello. Please come in.’

‘I’d just like to give you this.’ Mrs Fox held out an envelope.

‘Is the wedding over?’ Clarissa asked.

‘Yes, Harriet and Ryan left a few minutes ago and we’re about to pack up and head home too,’ Mrs Fox said.

‘I hope it all went well?’ Lady Clarissa felt a little scared to ask. Mrs Fox hadn’t been the easiest of house guests.

Mrs Fox beamed. ‘Marvellous. Hector and I couldn’t have been more thrilled. The food was stunning, the setting was beautiful and Mr Smote – well, the man’s a magician.’

Clementine smiled to herself. She knew that already.

‘I’m so glad you’ve had a good day,’ Lady Clarissa said with a relieved smile. ‘And I’m sorry about not being here when you arrived.’

‘Don’t worry yourself about that,’ Mrs Fox tutted. ‘I just hope that Mr Pertwhistle is better soon. Heaven knows we
all
have our challenges with the elderly.’

Aunt Violet frowned.

‘Uncle Orville, of course,’ Mrs Fox said quickly.

‘Oh, of course,’ said Aunt Violet, nodding.

Lady Clarissa took the envelope and put it on the sideboard. She rather hoped its contents might cover the new roof. ‘I’ll see you off then.’ She led Mrs Fox to the front hall.

Clementine followed, and bumped into Dr Gunalingam at the bottom of the stairs. He was bringing down the last of his family’s bags.

‘Goodbye, Clementine,’ the man said. ‘It was lovely to meet you.’

‘Have the children gone already?’ Clementine asked. She was hoping to say goodbye to Arya, Alisha and Aksara. ‘They’re all sound asleep in the car, I’m afraid. And Clemmie –’ Dr Gunalingam looked at her seriously – ‘I’m sure that Mr Pertwhistle will be fine.’