Clementine Rose and the Perfect Present 3 (5 page)

Clementine shook her head. ‘No. Aunt Violet makes Mummy too stressed.’

‘Yes, I think you’re right about that,’ the old man agreed.

The paramedics soon had Uncle Digby on a stretcher and ready to go into the back of the ambulance. Lady Clarissa turned to her aunt. ‘Aunt Violet, the bride and her family will be arriving soon. And the groom and his parents too. This lovely man here, who has been so kind and helpful, is Dr Gunalingam, the groom’s brother.’

The doctor looked up from where he was monitoring Uncle Digby and nodded at Aunt Violet.

‘His wife and their three children are upstairs already. You’ll have to arrange some afternoon tea for them, please. Pierre delivered some cakes just a little while ago.’ Lady Clarissa ignored Aunt Violet’s protests and hugged Clementine, then climbed into the back of the ambulance. ‘Oh, and the room allocations are on the kitchen sideboard. Please make sure that everyone gets the room they’re supposed to have.’

The doctor climbed into the back of the ambulance next to Lady Clarissa. ‘Please tell my wife where I am,’ he called out to Clementine and Aunt Violet.

The driver closed the back doors and ran around to the cabin.

‘But, but,’ Aunt Violet was aghast. ‘Clarissa, you can’t leave me in charge. I don’t know anything about being hospitable.’

Clementine gave her great-aunt a puzzled look. ‘You’re not going to the hospital.’

‘I said hospitable, Clementine. It means . . . Never mind. I don’t know the first thing about how to run this place.’

‘Don’t worry, Aunt Violet. Lavender and I will help you.’ Clementine smiled up at her great-aunt, who seemed to have steam coming out of her ears.

After the ambulance left, Clementine and Aunt Violet walked back inside. Her great-aunt began to ascend the stairs.

‘Where are you going?’ Clementine asked.

‘Back to my book,’ Violet replied.

‘But Mummy said that we need to tell the doctor’s wife where her husband is and then make some tea,’ she reminded her.

‘Godfathers,’ Aunt Violet muttered under her breath and thumped back downstairs. She followed Clementine to the kitchen.

‘I can’t put the kettle on, but I can help with the cakes,’ said Clementine. She noticed a large sponge cake sitting on the sideboard and some of Pierre’s chocolate-chip biscuits beside them. She retrieved a little pile of plates from the dresser and put them around the scrubbed pine table.

‘They’re not taking tea out here,’ Aunt Violet protested.

Clementine stopped and thought for a moment. ‘I can take everything to the dining room, if you’d like.’

Aunt Violet considered the effort required to move to the other room. ‘No, I’m sure the woman and her children will understand, given that we’re short-staffed. Set it up out here.’

Clementine carefully placed the cake and the biscuits in the middle of the table.

‘You might as well run upstairs and fetch them,’ Aunt Violet said reluctantly. She took the kettle off the stovetop and poured the water into the large teapot.

Clementine bounded up the back stairs. She wasn’t sure which room the family was in but the Jasmine Suite at the end of the first floor corridor seemed likely. It had two adjoining rooms and Lady Clarissa had recently installed some bunk beds she’d won in a competition. The suite was now perfect for a family staying together.

Clementine knocked on the door. She was greeted by a pretty woman with long dark hair and a very large tummy.

‘Hello. My name is Clementine and I live here. Mummy asked me to tell you that your husband has gone to the hospital with Uncle Digby and Mummy, and Aunt Violet and I have made some tea for you and your children,’ she explained.

‘Oh,’ the lady replied. ‘I wondered where he’d got to. We heard the siren but couldn’t see what was going on. Is everything all right?’

‘Uncle Digby fell down. They’re just going to the hospital to check everything’s okay,’ Clementine explained.

The sound of giggling came from the adjoining room. Clementine craned her neck to see who was making the noise.

‘That’s the children,’ the lady said. ‘They’ve never slept in bunk beds before so they’re a little excited. Arya, Alisha, Aksara, come and meet Clementine,’ she commanded.

Three children with the most beautiful sparkling brown eyes poked their heads around the doorway and waved.

Clementine giggled as they appeared – one, two, three.

The girls made a dash and hid behind their mother’s skirt but the little boy stayed in the doorway.

‘They’re not really shy.’ The woman leaned around and looked at them.

‘Would you like to come downstairs?’ Clementine asked. ‘We have chocolate-chip biscuits and a sponge cake that Uncle Pierre made and he’s the best baker in the world.’

At the mention of food the girls skipped out and said hello. The little boy ran over to join them. Clementine led the group down the back stairs and into the kitchen where Aunt Violet was cutting the cake.

‘Hello there. I’m Karthika,’ the mother introduced herself. ‘And this is Arya, who’s five, and Alisha, who’s three. And Aksara – he’s two. This little one is Asha and she’ll be here soon.’ Karthika patted her belly. ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you.’

The old woman looked up and glared at the family. ‘Yes, I suppose it is.’

‘That’s Aunt Violet,’ Clementine chimed in.

Aunt Violet cut a huge slice of sponge and dumped it roughly onto one of the plates. Clementine wondered why Aunt Violet had to be so cranky. Fortunately, the group was distracted by the front doorbell ringing.

‘I’ll get it,’ Clementine volunteered, but she didn’t move.

‘Go on, then. I’ve got my hands full,’ Aunt Violet told Clementine. ‘And there’d better be nothing wrong with that silly old fool Pertwhistle,’ she muttered under her breath. ‘I don’t know how we’d ever manage without him.’

Clementine opened the front door. Three people stood in a huddle on the steps. There was a couple, who looked older than her mother, but younger than Uncle Digby, and a very pretty young woman.

‘Hello,’ said Clementine.

‘We’re here for the wedding,’ said the man with a look of surprise. He wondered why they were being met by a child.

‘My name is Clementine. Please come in,’ said Clemmie. She was trying to remember exactly what her mother usually said when she greeted the guests.

The trio walked into the hallway but the lady turned around just as Clemmie was about to close the door. ‘Uncle Orville,’ she called in a singsong voice. ‘Uncle Orville? Where are you?’

‘Hector,’ the woman said sharply, as she turned and looked at her husband. ‘Go and find your uncle. Now!’

Clementine jumped. So did the young woman and Hector. He scurried off outside to locate the missing member of their party.

The woman smiled like a shark at Clementine. ‘Where is your mother?’

‘Mummy and Uncle Digby have gone to the hospital with the doctor. He’s the groom’s brother and it was lucky he was here when Uncle Digby fell down. I’m looking after everyone with Aunt Violet,’ Clementine explained.

‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,’ said the young woman. ‘My name’s Harriet Fox.’

‘Oh!’ Clementine gasped. ‘You’re the bride. Mummy told me your name.’

The woman beamed. ‘Yes, that’s right.’

‘I can’t wait to see your dress. And the tent is going to be so beautiful –’ Clementine prattled.

The older woman cut them off. ‘Yes, yes, of course she’ll be beautiful, she’s my daughter. And I should hope we have a marquee and not a tent. Now, if you’ll go and fetch your aunt, I’d rather like to get settled in our rooms. We’ve had a long drive.’

The young woman rolled her eyes at her mother and then smiled secretly at Clementine.

‘Okay.’ Clementine marched off towards the kitchen. Uncle Digby had been right about brides being funny about marquees. Well, bride’s mothers.

Meanwhile, Aunt Violet was studying the room allocation list and trying to work out what it all meant. She had a red pen in hand and seemed to be doing some allocating of her own.

‘Aunt Violet,’ Clementine called. ‘The Foxes are here.’ Then she giggled. ‘I hope the chickens are locked away.’

‘What? What chickens? What are you talking about?’ Aunt Violet asked the child disdainfully.

Mrs Gunalingam laughed and so did Arya. The woman winked. ‘We got it.’

Violet Appleby strode out of the kitchen towards the entrance hall.

‘I’d better go too,’ said Clementine reluctantly. ‘Aunt Violet’s not always the most helpful with the guests.’

Mrs Gunalingam nodded. After a few minutes alone with the woman she knew exactly what Clementine was talking about.

Clementine caught up to her great-aunt in the hallway.

‘Violet Appleby,’ said Aunt Violet as she looked at the mother and daughter. She didn’t feel the need for any additional niceties.

‘It’s lovely to meet you, Miss Appleby.’ Harriet Fox extended her hand, which Aunt Violet ignored completely.

‘Your rooms are on the second floor. Let me see –’ Aunt Violet scanned the list, which was attached to a plastic clipboard. ‘Mr and Mrs Fox are in the Peony Suite and Harriet, you’re in the Rose Room.’

‘What about Uncle Orville? Roberta asked.

Aunt Violet ran her finger down the list. ‘He’s not here.’ She tapped the pen she was holding on the page.

‘What do you mean he’s not here?’ Roberta Fox fumed. ‘Of course he’s here.’ She went to snatch the clipboard from Aunt Violet’s hand.

Aunt Violet clutched it to her chest.

‘Give me that!’ Roberta tugged at the board.

Aunt Violet made a fierce face at her. ‘No!’

‘Your niece said that she could accommodate the whole family and Uncle Orville is part of the family so I want to see where she has put him.’

Aunt Violet clung to the clipboard.

‘Oh look,’ Roberta Fox peered over Aunt Violet’s shoulder. ‘There’s Uncle Orville with your father now.’

Aunt Violet turned and just as she did, Roberta Fox tore the clipboard out of her hands.

‘Why, you!’ Aunt Violet’s mouth gaped open.

Roberta scanned the list. ‘I think you’ve been doing some creative rearranging, Miss Appleby. Just wait until your niece gets wind of this.’

‘It’s my house and I can put people wherever I jolly well want,’ Aunt Violet huffed.

Roberta Fox wrinkled her nose like an angry otter. ‘Why don’t you go and make a fresh pot of tea? This little one can help us find our rooms.’

‘I can do that,’ Clementine agreed.

Aunt Violet stormed towards the kitchen.

The front door opened and Mr Fox appeared at last with Uncle Orville in tow. The old man wore a smart suit with a waistcoat and a bowler hat. Clementine thought he looked as if his face could do with an iron – there were so many crinkles.

‘It says here that Uncle Orville is in the Daffodil Room,’ said Mrs Fox.

Clementine gasped. ‘But that’s my room.’ She wondered when her mother had planned to tell her about that.

‘All right then, shall we go?’ asked Hector Fox. He looked at Clementine, who was suddenly feeling a lot less excited about the wedding party.

Clementine led the group upstairs. First she showed Harriet to the Rose Room, which she seemed to like very much. The Peony Suite was a little further along the corridor. Then she had to take Uncle Orville up to her room. She was surprised when she opened the door to find that most of her things had gone and even her wardrobe was bare. It can’t have been a mistake. Her mother had clearly planned to give her room away.