Clementine Rose and the Seaside Escape 5 by Jacqueline Harvey

and face. ‘Did you put any sunscreen on this morning?’
    ‘Yes, of course I did. It just didn’t work,’ Della sniffed.
    Clementine raced back to their mermaid castle and grabbed a bucket. She ran to the water’s edge and tried to gather up as many of the shells as she could see.
    Lady Clarissa guided Della up the beach. ‘Come on, I think I’ll take you home. That sunburn looks nasty.’

    Tears were streaming down the child’s face. ‘My leg hurts,’ Della sniffled. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand and reached down to scratch her thigh. ‘Something did sting me. It wasn’t just the seaweed.’
    Lady Clarissa stopped and inspected Della’s leg. ‘I’m sure your grandmother will have some calamine lotion.’
    Lady Clarissa turned and called back to Clementine, ‘Clemmie, why don’t you take your friends up to our umbrella. Tell Aunt Violet and Uncle Digby that I’m taking Della home and ask them to keep an eye on you and Freddy. You can all have some drinks and a snack.’
    The child nodded. Her mother and Della walked away up the beach.
    Clementine led her new friends to where Aunt Violet and Uncle Digby were sitting.
    ‘Hello Aunt Violet,’ Clementine shouted as she bounded up to her chair.
    The woman gave a snort. ‘Good heavens, Clementine, you don’t need to scare me half to death.’
    ‘Were you asleep?’
    ‘Of course not.’ Aunt Violet sat up straighter.
    ‘Mummy said that we could have something to eat and a drink.’ She motioned towards her friends.
    ‘Are we taking in orphans?’ Aunt Violet asked. She tapped her foot on Uncle Digby’s bare leg. The man was snoring gently.
    He grunted awake. ‘Yes, yes, what is it?’
    ‘We’ve got to feed the children. I don’t know where Clarissa has swanned off to,’ Aunt Violet grumbled.
    ‘Mummy’s taken Della home because she’s got a sunburn,’ Clementine said. ‘And she asked if you could look after us.’
    Aunt Violet grimaced. Uncle Digby dug around inside the cooler bag and handed drinks to the children.
    ‘Hello, I’m Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones,’ one of the new girls said. She offered her hand to Aunt Violet.
    The woman perked up immediately. ‘Did you say Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones?’
    Alice-Miranda nodded.
    ‘Oh, how lovely to meet you.’ Aunt Violet took the child’s tiny hand into hers and gave it a shake. ‘We’re practically neighbours, you know. We’re at Penberthy House.’
    Alice-Miranda smiled and introduced her friends.
    Jacinta stepped forward to say hello and tripped on the edge of a towel. She went flying and sent sand all over Aunt Violet.
    The woman’s face contorted.
    ‘I’m sorry,’ Jacinta said meekly.
    ‘So you should be,’ Aunt Violet tutted.
    The children enjoyed their snacks and then went back to the sandcastle. They decorated it happily until Millie’s mother called the older girls to go in.
    ‘We’re leaving tomorrow morning,’ Alice-Miranda explained. ‘But I’m sure I’ll see you again at home, Clementine.’
    Clementine hoped so too. She and Freddy farewelled their new friends.
    ‘Do you want to go and look at the cave now?’ Freddy asked Clementine.
    The girl nodded. ‘But we’ll have to take Uncle Digby or Aunt Violet.’
    ‘Yes, but they can just have a rest where your mother did yesterday,’ said Freddy. He didn’t want the grown-ups spoiling their adventure.
    Clementine returned a minute later with Uncle Digby in tow. ‘You don’t have to come all the way with us, Uncle Digby. There’s a big rock you can sit on.’
    ‘All right, then. Can I bring my book?’ the old man asked.
    Clementine nodded.
    Uncle Digby walked back to their camp site to get it.
    ‘Where’s Lavender?’ Freddy asked.
    ‘She’s asleep. Aunt Violet said that she’d look after her.’
    Clementine and Freddy were armed with buckets in case they found any treasure to bring back, and Freddy had the little torch in the pocket of his board shorts.
    Uncle Digby