Clementine Rose and the Pet Day Disaster 2 by Jacqueline Harvey Page A

tea,’ Clementine insisted. ‘That’s not busy.’
    ‘Well, I don’t want to then,’ Aunt Violet snapped.
    Clementine’s eyes began to cloud over.
    ‘Oh, for goodness sake, it’s nothing to cry about.’ Aunt Violet placed the teacup down on the saucer with a thud. ‘Give it to me.’ She snatched the book from Clementine’s hand. ‘And sit down there.’ She pointed at the seat next to her.

    Clementine scurried up onto the chair. Pharaoh had made himself comfortable in the basket in front of the stove, where it was toasty and warm. Lavender hopped up from where she was sitting under the table and waddled over to join her friend.
    Violet Appleby opened the book and scanned the inscription on the first page.
    To our dearest Violet,
    On the occasion of your sixth birthday,
    Your loving Mama and Papa
    xoxo
    Something caught in Aunt Violet’s throat and she turned the page before Clementine could see what she was looking at. She began to read.
    Clementine sat wide-eyed as her great-aunt turned the pages and the story came to life right in front of her. Neither of them realised that a whole hour had passed.
    Lady Clarissa appeared in the kitchen carrying an empty tea tray.
    ‘Hello, what do we have here?’ she enquired.
    Aunt Violet snapped the book shut.
    ‘Please don’t stop, Aunt Violet,’ Clementine begged.
    ‘I have things to do, Clementine. I can’t sit around here all day, can I?’ The old woman stood and strode out of the room.
    Clementine was confused. ‘Did I do something wrong?’ she asked her mother.
    ‘No, Clemmie,’ Lady Clarissa said, shaking her head. ‘Aunt Violet can be a bit of a puzzle, that’s all.’
    Clementine nodded. ‘She’s much harder to work out than the ones we do at school.’

‘Are you really not coming with us, Aunt Violet?’ Clementine asked her great-aunt at breakfast on Monday morning. ‘It’s not too late to enter Pharaoh in a competition.’
    Violet looked up from the toast she was buttering. ‘No Clementine, I won’t be attending and neither will Pharaoh,’ she said firmly.
    Lady Clarissa glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. ‘Clemmie, you’d better run up and get Lavender ready,’ she advised. ‘We’ll be leaving in half an hour.’
    ‘She’s so excited, Mummy. I’m taking her tutu and ballet slippers for the dress-up competition,’ Clementine babbled.
    Aunt Violet rolled her eyes. ‘I almost feel sorry for the ridiculous creature. A pig in a tutu is too, too much.’
    Clarissa laughed at her aunt’s accidental joke.
    ‘Oh no, Aunt Violet, Lavender loves to dress up. Mrs Mogg makes her clothes too,’ said Clementine. She gave her mother a quick hug and sped off down the hallway.
    ‘Are you sure you won’t come along?’ Lady Clarissa asked her aunt. ‘It’s bound to be lots of fun.’
    ‘No, I’d rather eat cold brussels sprouts,’ Aunt Violet said with a shudder.
    ‘Well, if you change your mind, you’re very welcome.’ Clarissa stood up to clear the breakfast things. Digby Pertwhistle arrived in the room carrying a feather duster and cloth. He’d been up early to get a head start on some of the housework. ‘You’re coming, aren’t you?’ Clarissa asked the old man.
    ‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Clemmie’s so excited and I think Queen Georgiana’s fabulous.’ He winked at Aunt Violet.
    Aunt Violet glared back.

    An hour later the house was strangely silent. Aunt Violet was rattling around in her room when she decided to make herself some tea. As she descended the stairs she noticed a small black bag on the floor in the entrance hall. She marched over to pick it up and saw some pink tulle poking out.
    She opened the bag to have a better look and found a pink collar and lead and a floral garland among the tiny tutu and four ballet slippers.
    ‘Urgh, it belongs to the pig,’ she exclaimed. She stuffed the contents back inside the bag and placed it on the hall table.
    A moment later, a loose window shutter