Clementine Rose and the Famous Friend 7 (4 page)

‘Which window is it?' Teddy asked. He was trying to remember what was on the second floor.

Clementine looked up again and gasped. ‘It's the Rose Room. That's where Miss Richardson is staying.'

‘Is that the writer lady you talked about in the car?'

Clementine nodded. She wondered if the woman was sitting beneath the window at the desk. If she was she might have been injured by the glass. So far there was no screaming, nor an angry face appearing at the window.

‘I have to tell Mummy,' said Clementine. She ran inside, leaving the Hobbs children in the garden wondering if there was anything they could do.

Clementine rushed into the kitchen. The room was empty.

She could hear voices in the hallway and poked her head around the door. Her mother was talking to a tall man carrying a suitcase and a woman with red hair.

Clementine wondered if Uncle Digby was upstairs. She closed the door and was about to go up the back stairs when the door swung towards her and Aunt Violet walked in.

‘Hello Clementine.'

‘Have you seen Uncle Digby?' the child asked urgently.

‘Yes, and hello to you too,' the old woman said snarkily. ‘He's upstairs sorting out some sort of drama.'

Clementine's tummy fluttered. She wondered if Miss Richardson was very upset about the window.

‘What's the matter with you? You look as if you've seen a ghost,' said Aunt Violet.

Clementine shook her head. She didn't want to tell her great-aunt.

‘I know when something is wrong, Clementine, despite the fact that you think I'm utterly useless. Where are the Hobbs children?'

‘Outside,' Clementine said.

‘Well, why are you in here?' Aunt Violet was like a terrier with a bone.

‘I … I … had an accident,' Clementine blurted.

‘Godfathers, Clementine, at your age! Too much excitement and running about,' Aunt Violet tutted and looked the girl up and down.

Clementine stared at her great-aunt quizzically.

‘Come along and we'll get you some fresh clothes,' the woman said.

Clementine's mouth dropped open. ‘Oh no, not that sort of accident, Aunt Violet. I'm not a baby.'

‘No?' Aunt Violet arched her eyebrow. ‘What sort of accident are you talking about?'

‘I kicked the ball and it flew up really high and I didn't think I could even kick it that hard and –'

‘Hello?' a voice called from the back door.

‘Ana, darling, we're in here,' Aunt Violet answered.

Ana Hobbs stepped into the kitchen. Aunt Violet strode over to greet her with a kiss on both cheeks.

‘Hello Clemmie, the children said that you were inside,' Ana said warmly.

‘Hi,' Clementine said sheepishly. She wondered what else the children had told their mother.

‘I just came to say thank you, Violet. No need to get Clarissa. I gather from the cars in the driveway that you must be busy tonight,' Ana said with a nod.

Aunt Violet's lip curled. ‘Yes, unfortunately.'

‘But it's wonderful for business,' Ana said, looking puzzled. ‘I won't keep you. Are those the children's schoolbags over there?'

Clementine went to the sideboard and heaved the three bags over to Ana. The trio headed outside where Tilda, Teddy and Araminta were waiting.

‘Say thank you,' Ana directed her children.

The twins and Araminta frowned at Clementine, wondering if she'd told her great-aunt about the window yet. ‘Thanks,' they chorused.

‘Sorry about the … you know,' said Araminta.

Aunt Violet frowned. ‘What's that, Araminta?'

‘Nothing, Aunt Violet,' Clementine said, shaking her head.

‘Can Clementine come and play tomorrow, Mummy?' Tilda asked.

‘Perhaps on Sunday, darling. Tomorrow we have to go and see Granny.'

‘Don't forget we have to choose our famous friend too,' Teddy said.

‘What's that?' Ana asked.

‘We've got a project,' Tilda explained, ‘and I'm going to do it on you, Mummy.'

‘Oh, I can't wait to hear all about that.' Ana pretended to grimace and then turned to Aunt Violet.

‘At least your children hold you in some regard,' Aunt Violet said, glaring at Clementine.

Ana frowned, wondering if there was a problem. ‘Please thank Clarissa for having the children and say I'll give her a call on Sunday. Come along, kids, your father's in the car.'

The children and their mother gave a wave and disappeared around the side of the house.

Aunt Violet arched her eyebrow. ‘Now, you'd better tell me about this accident, young lady.'

Clementine pointed upwards. ‘I broke the window.'

‘Oh, good heavens,' Aunt Violet began. Clementine cowered, waiting for her great-aunt to explode like a firecracker. Aunt Violet saw the girl's anxious face and her own expression softened. ‘Is that all?'

Clementine was about to put her fingers in her ears when she realised what Aunt Violet had said. ‘Aren't you mad at me?'

‘Why would I be?' the old woman asked. ‘It's nothing that can't be fixed.'

Clementine could hardly believe it. ‘Are you all right, Aunt Violet?'

‘No one was hurt, were they? You didn't hear any shouting from up in the room? It's just a pane of glass and it can be replaced,' the woman replied. ‘Besides, Clementine, I can't tell you the number of windows your grandfather and I broke over the years with our overly enthusiastic games of cricket. It's
something I was very good at as a child. I even played for the county – not that you'd want to know about that.'

‘But it's Miss Richardson's room,' said Clementine. She was wondering why Aunt Violet was talking about cricket.

‘Jolly good. That will give the silly old bat a reason to get outside for a while. That room smells like old socks and mustard after having her holed up for the entire week. I need to get some newspaper, a dustpan and broom and a garbage bag. And I'd best check if any of the glass has fallen out here too.'

Clementine ran along the hedge under the window and pointed at a large shard resting on top.

‘Come away from that, Clementine,' Aunt Violet called. ‘I'll do the cleaning up. Why don't you find Lavender and Pharaoh and bring them inside. I'll pop in and get what I need.'

Clementine watched Aunt Violet stride through the kitchen door. She had thought
her great-aunt would be really mad but she wasn't. Clementine wondered if something had happened to her, but she had no idea what it was.

‘Right. Now to inspect the damage in the Rose Room,' said Aunt Violet as she wrapped up the shards of glass she'd found in the garden and put the bundle in the bin.

‘May I come and help you?' Clementine asked.

‘No, you need to run along and get changed,' Aunt Violet said.

‘Why?' Clementine asked.

‘Remember we're having that ghastly dinner
with the guests?' Aunt Violet reminded her. ‘Off you go.'

‘I wonder what I should wear,' Clementine said. She rushed up the back stairs and almost bumped into her mother.

‘Oh hello, darling,' said Lady Clarissa. ‘I'm so sorry I didn't get to see Ana and Basil but I was busy showing Mr and Mrs Morley to their room.'

‘It's all right, Mummy. Aunt Violet saw Ana and she said that she would telephone you on Sunday to see if I can go and play.'

Aunt Violet bustled up behind Clementine. She was carrying an armful of newspaper and a dustpan and broom.

‘Hello Aunt Violet,' said Clarissa. She eyed the goods in her hands. ‘What are you doing with that?'

Clementine waited for her great-aunt to dob her in.

The old woman jutted her chin and said, ‘Nothing for you to worry about at all.'

Lady Clarissa shook her head. ‘What's got into you?'

‘Can't a person indulge their passion for cleaning once in a while?'

‘Aunt Violet, since when have you had a passion for cleaning?' Lady Clarissa asked, frowning.

‘Well, now might be the one and only time you see it, so if I were you I'd keep quiet and get out of my way,' Aunt Violet announced and walked past.

‘Don't let me stop you,' Clarissa called after her. ‘Remember, dinner's at seven.'

‘Quite right,' said Aunt Violet. ‘Set an extra place at the table.'

‘An extra place?' asked Lady Clarissa.

‘Yes, Miss Richardson will be joining us.'

‘I don't think so,' Lady Clarissa said slowly. ‘I asked her this morning and she said that she was perfectly happy to have dinner in her room, as usual.'

‘Well, I'm telling you she's having dinner downstairs whether she likes it or not.' Aunt Violet turned and disappeared along the hallway.

‘Do you know what that was all about?' Lady Clarissa asked Clementine.

The child nodded and was about to tell her mother what had happened to the window when her great-aunt's sharp voice sounded from the end of the corridor. ‘Clementine, run along and get dressed. You'd better make sure that Pharaoh and Lavender have had their dinner too.'

‘Sorry, Mummy, I've got to go.' Clementine inched past her mother and made a dash for the top floor.

‘I've put out a couple of dresses for you to choose from,' her mother called after her. ‘They're hanging on the wardrobe door.'

Lady Clarissa walked down the back stairs, wondering what on earth was going on.

Violet Appleby knocked sharply on the door of the Rose Room.

‘Yes,' a soft voice called from the other side. ‘Come in.'

Aunt Violet poked her head around. ‘Good heavens, what happened in here? Cyclone in a paper factory?'

The room was covered in paper from the floor to the bed and just about every surface in between.

‘May I help you?' Miss Richardson rose from her seat at the small dining table in the corner. Already small and thin, she seemed even smaller and thinner after spending almost a week in her room. Her ice-grey hair was pulled back at the nape of her neck and she wore a grey cardigan and black slacks with a white shirt.

‘I need to clear away some glass,' Aunt Violet said, giving the woman a cursory glance. ‘And you need some sunlight.'

Miss Richardson frowned. ‘I don't understand.'

‘You must have heard it shatter,' said Aunt Violet. ‘You haven't left the room, have you?'

‘No, but I don't know what you're talking about.'

Violet Appleby picked her way through the paper maze on the floor, careful not to tread on any of the pages. She walked to the desk under the window, which was sprinkled with slivers of glass.

Miss Richardson followed her. ‘Oh dear, how did that happen?' she gasped. ‘I thought I heard a tinkling noise when I was in the bathroom.'

‘One usually hears a tinkling noise in the bathroom.' Aunt Violet smiled at her own joke. ‘But this one could be hazardous to your health.'

‘Let me clear away some of those papers,' the old woman offered. ‘I suppose it was fortunate I wasn't sitting there.'

‘No, it's fine. I've got a better idea. I've arranged for someone to patch the window this evening. You'll have to come down and join us for dinner in the dining room,' Aunt Violet instructed. She hadn't yet made the call but Miss Richardson didn't need to know that.

‘But I'd rather not,' Miss Richardson said. ‘I'm working.'

‘Yes, and I'd rather not have to eat dinner in the dining room with the guests but I don't have any choice in the matter. It's beautiful outside at the moment. Why don't you go for a walk around the garden? You could do with some colour, or we'll have the other guests thinking there's a vampire in residence.'

Miss Richardson's jaw dropped. ‘Do you always boss your guests around in such a dreadful way?'

‘Only if they need it,' huffed Aunt Violet. ‘I don't know what you're working on but all this being cooped up can't be good for you. And it's not as if you're going to win a Nobel Prize, now, is it? Not for –' Aunt Violet picked up one of the pages and scanned the words – ‘a book on the history of tractors? Godfathers, I'd be asleep after the first sentence. Off you go. I'll clear away the glass and the man can come and fix the window while you're at dinner.'

Miss Richardson wasn't used to being spoken to that way at all, but it was clear Violet Appleby was not to be trifled with.

‘Do I need to change for dinner?' Miss Richard son asked.

Aunt Violet looked at her. ‘No, you'll do. Perhaps you could brighten yourself up with a scarf or that brooch there.' Aunt Violet pointed at a sparkly pin on the dressing table.

Miss Richardson tied the scarf around her neck and stood near the door. She didn't know exactly what she was waiting for but she lingered nonetheless.

‘Well, go on.' Aunt Violet shooed her away and went back to the smashed window.

Miss Richardson turned and walked out the door.