Read Online Clementine Rose and the Perfect Present 3 by Jacqueline Harvey - Free Book Online
Authors: Jacqueline Harvey
Tags: Fiction
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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
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
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