Read Clementine Rose and the Perfect Present 3 for Free Online Page B

after.’
    Clementine suddenly felt sick herself. She didn’t care about having to share her room with her mother or even Aunt Violet. She just wanted Uncle Digby to be better and back at home where he belonged.

Clementine hung up the telephone and quietly informed Aunt Violet what her mother needed done. Aunt Violet couldn’t believe that she was going to have to prepare the evening meal too. This was far too much. She immediately set about clearing the afternoon tea.
    ‘But I haven’t finished,’ Roberta Fox said in astonishment. She clung to her teacup as Aunt Violet picked up the woman’s plate, which still contained a large chunk of cake.
    ‘Perhaps you should eat a little more quickly, Mrs Fox,’ Aunt Violet said. ‘Some of us have work to do.’
    ‘If you’d served the tea in the sitting room, you wouldn’t have this problem now, Miss Appleby.’ Roberta tugged the plate from Aunt Violet’s grip and set it down with a thud.
    Aunt Violet narrowed her eyes. She wasn’t about to admit that the woman was probably right.
    ‘Run along, Clementine,’ Aunt Violet instructed. ‘Take those little ones outside.’
    It was the last thing Clementine felt like doing but she decided it was better not to argue with Aunt Violet. She took her coat from the peg by the back door, pulled on her boots and ushered the three children out into the garden. Lavender followed hot on their heels.
    ‘She’s lovely,’ Alisha said to Clementine as she bent down to give the piggy a scratch.
    ‘Yes, she is,’ Clementine agreed. But she couldn’t bring herself to smile. She was too worried about Uncle Digby. And lurking in the back of her mind was the unpleasant memory of seeing Joshua at Mrs Mogg’s shop. He’d seemed so pleased about Angus’s birthday party.
    ‘Are you sad?’ Arya asked.
    Clementine nodded. ‘Uncle Digby never gets sick.’ She didn’t want to say that she was upset about Angus’s stupid party too.
    ‘Don’t worry. Our daddy is an expert at broken hearts. I’m sure he can fix your uncle,’ Arya told Clementine seriously. She reached out to hold Clementine’s hand.
    Clementine took it. ‘Really?’ she asked.
    ‘It’s true,’ Arya said, smiling now. ‘Mummy said that he went to school forever to learn how to do it.’
    Clementine felt a little bit better already. ‘Would you like to see the garden?’
    A chorus of ‘yes’ went up. It was good to have something to take her mind off Uncle Digby and the hospital, Clementine decided.
    ‘Let’s see if Mr Smote has finished his decorations inside the marquee,’ Clementine said. ‘That’s just a fancy name for the tent,’ she told the younger two, who nodded their heads up and down.
    Aksara ran ahead but jumped back when he saw the lions guarding the entrance. His eyes were huge.
    ‘It’s all right,’ Clementine reassured the little boy. ‘They’re not real.’ She pulled back the heavy fabric that had been hung across the doorway. He tiptoed past the lions.
    Clementine gasped as she took in the decorations. ‘Mr Smote is a magician.’
    The ceiling was draped with the most beautiful shimmering silver fabric and a giant crystal chandelier hung from the centre. The chairs looked like presents, wrapped up with bows on their backs, and the tables were laid with shiny silverware and white plates with silver trim.
    Clementine spied the magician himself on the far side of the marquee, and walked towards him. ‘Hello Mr Smote.’
    ‘Hello there, Clementine. What do you think?’ He held his arms out with a flourish.
    ‘It’s beautiful,’ Clemmie sighed.
    ‘And the flowers aren’t even here yet.’ He rubbed his hands together. ‘Just wait until you see it tomorrow morning.’
    ‘Mummy says I can only poke my head in. I’m not going to the wedding, but my friends are.’ She motioned at the children who were standing beside her. ‘It’s their uncle who’s getting married.’
    ‘Well, I do hope that you enjoy yourselves,’ Mr Smote