Read Online Hidden (Marchwood Vampire Series #1) by Shalini Boland - Free Book Online

they had always done. He had wanted to accompany
them for the travel more than for the actual work itself. But underground caverns
sounded exciting and the fact it was all such a secret, made it
doubly so.
    ‘ Will I actually have to go into the cavern?’ Isobel
asked.
    ‘ That is the general idea.’ Jacques rolled his
eyes.
    ‘ Not if you do not wish to,’ Papa said, giving Jacques a
reproving stare. ‘But it would be an exciting and interesting
experience for you if you did decide to have a look.’
    Alexandre took
a stealthy look at Leonora. She was beautiful, but just as
outspoken and bristly as he remembered from years ago when they
were young children. Freddie seemed to be quite straightforward. A
little like Jacques really. He wondered how they would all get
along in the coming months.
    That evening,
the Chevaliers and the Swintons reconvened in the sumptuous
dark-wood-panelled dining room. A myriad of white stars twinkled in
the ocean sky through a hexagonal glass roof. Carved columns,
Persian carpets and tropical potted palms added to the feeling of
splendour.
    The two
families had just enjoyed a delicious leisurely dinner.
    ‘ Mmmm, this chocolate orange mousse is absolute heaven,’
Freddie said. He closed his eyes and savoured the taste of his
dessert.
    Alexandre
tried again to talk to Leonora who sat on his left. She looked
stunning in a pale blue satin gown the exact same shade as her
eyes, which contrasted beautifully with her milky white skin and
raven hair.
    ‘ And are you also a fan of chocolate orange mousse?’ he asked
with a half smile that usually made any female within a twenty yard
radius turn weak at the knees.
    ‘ I like it well enough,’ she said, shrugging her pretty
shoulders. Then she deliberately turned to her left and began to
engage his Papa in conversation, leaving him staring at the back of
her perfect head.
    Alexandre was
dumfounded. Had he offended her in some way? All evening he had
tried to strike up conversations with her, but she had merely
nodded or smiled politely. He could not recall saying anything out
of order. Isobel sat on his right and she too gave him the cold
shoulder. It was just too bad, to be sitting between two females
who would not talk to him.
    He caught his mother’s eye. She sat across from him and threw
him a sympathetic glance, tilting her head and raising her eyebrows
as if to say, what is to be
done?
    The entire
crossing stayed mainly calm and they only experienced the odd
moment of mild sea-sickness. Midway on the crossing they stopped at
Valetta, the large dockyard in Malta, to disgorge a few passengers
and take on a few more, but soon they steamed back out to sea.
    The air felt
noticeably warmer and the atmosphere on ship became more light
hearted and fun. But Alexandre’s growing excitement was tinged with
confusion. The arrival of Leonora Swinton had greatly unsettled him
and he did not know why.
    She was
undoubtedly beautiful, sophisticated and interesting, but he had
met many other women with these attributes and they had not made
him as nervous. She obviously did not care for him greatly – she
either ignored him, or made cutting remarks which he did not know
how to deal with.
    But why should this trouble him so much? He hardly knew the
girl. Could it just be the fact she had not fallen for him?
This was the
first time Alexandre had been rejected in such a way, but surely he
was not so arrogant as to think every female on the planet would
instantly worship and adore him? Was he? Actually, he realised he
probably was.
    He grinned to
himself. Over the past month his record with women had been
absolutely abysmal. First, the Lily incident which had led to
uproar and instant banishment, followed by his sister’s disgust
with him and now the beautiful Leonora Swinton had failed to be won
over. Well, he sincerely hoped his bad luck would stop here.
    The shame of
it was, they could have passed a very pleasant time conversing with
one another instead