The children had a wonderful afternoon setting up camp in the library. Lavender played hide and seek, running in and out from under the bedsheets that the girls were using to make their tents. Clementine convinced Uncle Digby to light a fire in the library hearth. She told him that a camp wasn’t ‘proper’ unless there was a camp fire and, besides, a chill breath of wind was swirling through the house, a sign of a storm to come. Late in the afternoon, Mrs Mogg appeared with a delivery of groceries for Lady Clarissa including a giant packet of marshmallows and some extra-long skewers.

By half past five, when Lady Clarissa brought their tea, Clementine, Sophie and Jules had transformed a corner of the enormous library using sheets, pegs and various bits of furniture. Clementine and Sophie had set up their beds under the desk, with a sheet over the top. Jules had a much more elaborate tent. It hung from the gallery upstairs and draped over a padded bench seat, giving him enough space inside to lie down or stand up.

‘Well hello, my adventurers,’ Lady Clarissa called as she carried in a tray with three plates of creamy scrambled eggs on hot buttered toast. Digby Pertwhistle followed close behind with three steaming mugs of hot chocolate and a bowl of vegetables for Lavender.

‘Hello Mummy, hello Uncle Digby.’ Clementine poked her head out from under the desk and greeted the pair. ‘Do you like our camp site? We’re on safari in Africa.’

‘Yes, darling, it’s wonderful,’ Lady Clarissa said, smiling as she surveyed Clementine’s stuffed toys, which the children had positioned around the room. ‘Look at all those animals! And I love the way you’ve made your tent two-storeys, Jules. That’s terribly clever.’

‘I love camping at your house,’ Jules replied. ‘It’s much better than when Papa took us to Gertrude’s Grove for a weekend and it rained and rained and our tent had a hole in the roof. At least in here, we won’t get wet.’

‘Don’t bet on it, young man.’ Digby Pertwhistle set his tray on a small table beside the desk. ‘I heard the forecast was for storms tonight and I was about to get some buckets. Depending on how bad it gets, you might have a drip or two right above your head.’

‘Just a couple of drips are okay. On our camping trip we were soaked and Mama said that it was the most terrible weekend of her life,’ said Jules as he straightened the sheet.

‘All right, big game hunters, come and have your supper while it’s hot,’ Clarissa called.

‘We’re not hunters, Mummy,’ Clementine said. ‘We’re wildlife photographers. See?’ She reached under the desk and passed her mother an old Polaroid camera.

‘Heavens, where did you find that?’ Clarissa took it from her daughter and examined the contraption, before giving it back.

‘Uncle Digby found it and it still works,’ said Clementine. She pointed the camera at her mother, snapped the shutter and a photograph whirred out of the front of the machine.

‘Gosh, I think I won that when I was a teenager. I haven’t seen it for years but at the time I thought it was the fanciest thing going.’ Clarissa laughed at the memory. ‘Well, I hope you find some elephants and tigers and maybe even a lion or two in here tonight. But save your shots for the most exciting things because I think the film runs out quite quickly.’

Jules clasped the front of his tent together with two clothes pegs and joined the girls near the fire.

‘Would you like Uncle Digby to come back and tell you a story later?’ said Clarissa with a wink at the old man. ‘When I was a little girl he used to tell me wonderful tales about African safaris.’

Digby Pertwhistle shook his head. ‘Oh, my dear, I think I’ve almost forgotten about my African adventures.’

‘No!’ Clementine Rose complained. ‘Please tell us a story, Uncle Digby.’

‘Yes, please, Uncle Digby,’ Sophie added.

Lavender looked up and grunted.

‘See, everyone wants you to,’ Jules insisted.

‘Well, eat your supper and I’ll be back with the marshmallows in a little while,’ Digby agreed.

Clarissa and Digby retreated to the kitchen and left the children to eat their fireside feast.

A branch outside banged against the window as the wind picked up speed.

‘I hate storms,’ said Sophie.

‘I love them,’ Clementine said, as she loaded her fork with a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

‘You have to be brave, Sophie,’ her brother told her. ‘Like Clementine. The storm can’t hurt you.’

‘But I don’t like the lightning and the thunder,’ his sister said. ‘It sounds like a giant in a bad temper.’

‘I think it’s a giant having a party,’ Clementine replied. ‘Anyway, tonight we’re together so nothing can hurt us.’

Jules raised his mug of hot chocolate in the air. ‘Let’s have a toast to our camping safari.’

Clementine raised her mug and nudged Sophie to do the same.

‘To our camping safari,’ the girls chorused. Lavender snorted happily.