Clementine Rose and the Treasure Box 6 Read Online Free Page A

Aunt Violet asked. ‘Ballet is an art form. If you’re not trained properly you can do all sorts of damage.’
    â€˜Did you do ballet, Aunt Violet?’
    â€˜Yes, of course. I took lessons when I was at boarding school. You don’t get to have myposture without years of training. We have to see whether this Ana woman knows what she’s talking about. I’ll insist on seeing her references.’
    Clementine was no longer listening. They’d stopped behind the fire truck, and she was watching as the firemen rolled out their hoses and began pumping water onto the flames. Clarissa opened the passenger door. The sirens had woken the whole village and a small crowd was gathering on the footpath across the street.
    Clementine hopped out too. She’d never seen so many people in pyjamas before. It was a bit like a sleepover, except everyone was awake. She was surprised to see Mrs Mogg’s hair in rollers and Father Bob in his dressing-gown, which had trains on it.
    â€˜Please stand back, everyone,’ the fire captain called. As he spoke the roof collapsed, sending a shower of sparks into the air.
    â€˜Oh!’ the crowd gasped.
    The villagers watched on, murmuring to one another, mesmerised by the inferno. After awhile the flames began to die down. The smoke was starting to clear and it was obvious there was not a lot left of the hall.

    Another siren wailed and a few minutes later a police car pulled up in the middle of the road. Two men got out and talked to the fire captain, and then one of them turned around to address the crowd.
    He consulted his notepad. ‘Is Digby Pertwhistle here?’
    The old man raised his hand and stepped forward. ‘Yes, that’s me.’
    â€˜You reported the fire, is that correct?’ the policeman asked.
    â€˜Yes, that’s right. But it was Clementine who spotted it first,’ Digby said.
    Clementine stepped forward next to Uncle Digby. ‘I saw the flames when I went to the toilet. Mummy said that I shouldn’t have such a big glass of milk before bedtime but I was thirsty.’
    â€˜Well, it’s just as well you did, young lady,’ the policeman said, ‘or else this fire might havebeen much worse. It looks like they’ve saved the old stables and the shed at the back.’
    â€˜Clementine, thank goodness you saw it.’ Mrs Mogg rushed forward and enveloped the child. ‘I was sleeping like a brick. I didn’t hear a thing until the siren was right outside the front door.’
    â€˜Yes, well spotted, Clemmie,’ Father Bob said.
    Clementine shrugged. ‘I just went to the toilet.’
    The flames were almost out, with some smouldering embers keeping the firemen busy. The other policeman was attaching blue-and-white tape to the fence to indicate that the grounds were off limits.
    â€˜Did anyone see anything?’ the first policeman asked the group.
    There was a collective shaking of heads.
    â€˜No, but come to think of it, after our quilting club meeting last night, the light switch sparked on me as I turned it off to leave,’ Mrs Mogg said with a frown. ‘Goodness, I hope I wasn’t the cause.’
    The policeman nodded. ‘Mmm, sounds like it could have been an electrical fault.’
    â€˜You couldn’t have known there was a problem, Margaret,’ Lady Clarissa said to the woman. She turned to Clementine. ‘I think we should be getting home.’
    Clarissa and Clemmie bade goodnight to Mrs Mogg and Father Bob and the other residents. Aunt Violet had run back to the car as soon as she had seen how many people were about. She didn’t know what she’d been thinking arriving in her dressing-gown.
    â€˜Where’s Pertwhistle?’ Aunt Violet demanded as Clemmie and Clarissa climbed into the car.
    â€˜Uncle Digby said that it would be safer to walk home,’ Clementine said.
    â€˜Did he now? Well, he can remember that the next time he wants a