Free Clementine Rose and the Treasure Box 6 by Jacqueline Harvey

she’d find Joshua in a cupboard later.
    â€˜Who’s that?’ Tilda whispered as the two women sat down at a nearby table.
    â€˜That’s Mrs Bottomley. She was my teacher and now she’s friends with Aunt Violet,’ Clementine whispered back. ‘I hope she’s not our teacher this year.’
    â€˜I heard that, Clementine,’ Mrs Bottomley snapped. ‘And you’ll be pleased to know that I have no intention of taking that class of yours ever again.’
    Clementine’s eyes widened. ‘Yes!’ she mouthed.
    â€˜Heard that too!’ the woman barked.
    The children giggled. They finished their treats and decided to take a wander around the stalls. Teddy suggested they go straight to the jumping castle but Araminta, sensible as always, said that they should probably let their afternoon tea go down for a while. She remembered when her brother and sister had ridden a merry-go-round at a fair right after lunch. The results hadn’t been pretty.
    Teddy and Tilda remembered too and decided to take their big sister’s advice.
    As well as Mrs Tribble’s bric-a-brac and Father Bob’s flowers, there was a man selling homemade cheese (which Clementine decided smelt like old socks), another lady had handcrafted baby clothes, and there was a pointy-looking fellow selling paintings. Mr Mogg had a wonderful vegetable stall with home-grown produce, too.
    Clementine and her friends were hoping that there was something they could spend their pocket money on. ‘What about the lucky dip?’ Clementine suggested.
    Over in Mrs Mogg’s tent, Mrs Bottomley and Aunt Violet finished their tea and decided to take a walk too.
    â€˜What a lot of old tat,’ Aunt Violet sneered at the cracked plates and chipped vases on Mrs Tribble’s stall.
    Ethel Bottomley had been admiring a very pretty teapot with a small chip on the rim but put it back down when she heard Aunt Violet’s comment. She wandered further along and came to a lovely timber box.
    â€˜Oh, this is sweet. I could use that in the classroom for something.’ She picked it up and examined the silky timber. ‘How much is this one?’
    Mrs Tribble looked at the box. She’d sold another smaller one earlier but couldn’t remember the price.
    â€˜If you give me a moment I’ll check.’ She ran her finger down the list she’d been keeping of the sales.
    Aunt Violet walked up beside Mrs Bottomley. She shook her head. ‘Goodness, Ethel, what do you want that old rubbish for?’
    â€˜I thought it could come in handy for something. It’s pretty, or at least it was once. There are always little bits and pieces – you know, blocks and the like – that I need containers for at school.’
    Aunt Violet looked at the box more closely. Suddenly her memory flashed. She gasped.
    â€˜No, Ethel, you can’t have it,’ Aunt Violet said, reaching out to snatch it from her.
    Mrs Bottomley clutched the box to herample chest. ‘What are you doing, Violet? I want it and I’ll have it.’
    â€˜No! You can’t. It’s not right for you. It won’t go with the classroom decor!’ Aunt Violet grabbed at the box.
    By now the two women were attracting quite a bit of attention. Clementine looked up from where she was standing further along the row of trestle tables.
    â€˜What’s Aunt Violet doing?’ she asked, wrinkling her nose. ‘Come on.’ She motioned for her friends to follow.
    Lady Clarissa walked out the front door and was horrified to see her aunt and Mrs Bottomley having an almighty tug of war. She raced over and stood in front of them.
    â€˜What are you two doing?’
    â€˜She can’t have this,’ gasped Aunt Violet. She was pulling as hard as she could. Mrs Bottomley was gripping the item with all her might.
    â€˜It’s just an old music box from the attic, Aunt Violet. It’s broken. If Mrs Bottomley