Clementine Rose and the Movie Magic 9 by Jacqueline Harvey

Author:Jacqueline Harvey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Australia
Published: 2015-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

‘Are you happy in the Marigold Room, Mr Doncaster?’ Lady Clarissa enquired as she met the man in the front hall.

‘Yes, it’s very comfortable, thank you,’ Alfie replied, clutching his briefcase in his left hand. ‘Now, where shall we start?’

‘Please follow me.’ Lady Clarissa smiled at him nervously, wondering about the contents of his briefcase. She had decided it was best to begin from the bottom and work their way up. They would start with the sitting room then move to the dining room and the music room, before ending up in the library once filming had finished for the day.

Clarissa pushed open the double doors to the sitting room and led the way inside.

‘This is a lovely room,’ Mr Doncaster said, admiring the plump floral couches and grand fireplace with its sandstone surround. ‘I imagine much of the furniture is original.’

‘Yes, that little table –’ Clarissa pointed at a very pretty piece – ‘was a wedding gift to my grandparents from King Frederick, Queen Georgiana’s father.’

‘How fascinating.’ Alfie Doncaster sat his briefcase on the floor and took a pair of white gloves from his jacket pocket. He pulled them on and then ran a forefinger along the table.

The woman watched as he held up his hand and inspected the tip of the glove.

‘A promising start,’ Mr Doncaster declared.

He proceeded to the mantelpiece and did the same, then worked his way around the room, checking every hard surface, including the windowsills and skirting boards.

‘I must say, Lady Clarissa,’ Mr Doncaster said, studying the glove closely, ‘I can’t see a speck of dust and that is no mean feat given the age of this place.’

He then produced his shine-o-meter and ran it over the timber furniture, smiling at the result.

Clarissa exhaled with relief. She watched with fascination as the man pulled a small hand-held vacuum from his briefcase and unscrewed the telescopic handle.

He pressed a switch and the motor whirred to life. Once again Mr Doncaster walked around the room, this time vacuuming the lounges and curtains and several spots on the carpet. When he was satisfied that he’d taken enough care with his samples, he pulled the contraption apart and examined the filter inside.

The man gave her a nod of approval. ‘Congratulations, Lady Clarissa, I’m very impressed.’

He set down the vacuum and took out a clipboard, on which he wrote several notes.

‘Well, I think we’re finished in here,’ Mr Doncaster said. ‘Where are we off to next?’

‘The dining room. It’s just across the hall,’ Lady Clarissa said, turning to lead the way.

Mr Doncaster’s eyes were everywhere as they continued the tour. Clarissa opened the dining-room door and, just as she did, a terrible smell invaded her nostrils. She couldn’t possibly pull another door shut on the man’s face but she had to do something. Her mind raced.

‘Actually, Mr Doncaster, it might be better to go to the music room first,’ she said, trying not to sound desperate. ‘I think today’s filming will be over earlier than Basil had first anticipated, so we could go straight from the music room to the library next door.

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