Alice-Miranda at Sea Read Online Free PDF Page B

let me down gently. I know my parents have far more important things to do.’
    â€˜No, that’s not the case at all,’ Cecelia reassured her. ‘Your parents are definitely on board. I checked with the First Officer and he said that they arrived just before Aunty Gee.’
    Jacinta looked as though she’d swallowed a fly. ‘Really? My mother and father are here? On board the Octavia ?’
    â€˜Yes, darling.’ Cecelia stroked the top of Jacinta’s head.
    â€˜Isn’t that fantastic?’ Alice-Miranda was wide-eyed. ‘I’ve wanted to meet your parents forever and now we get to spend five whole days with them. Shall we go and find them?’
    At that moment, a blast of trumpets heralded the arrival of the official party.
    â€˜My lords, ladies and gentlemen, I present Her Majesty, Queen Georgiana,’ a uniformed page announced with great vigour.
    Aunty Gee, accompanied by the admiral, stepped onto a small raised platform in the middle of the crowd to the delight of everyone on board.
    â€˜And now,’ Aunty Gee spoke, ‘please join me in welcoming our guests of honour and the real reason we have all gathered together for this wonderful time of celebration. I give to you one of my beloved goddaughters, Miss Charlotte Highton-Smith, and her fiancé, Mr Lawrence Ridley.’ Aunty Gee could not have looked prouder.
    The group clapped and cheered and there was even a wolf-whistle or two coming from the end of the promenade.
    â€˜Manners!’ Granny Bert, the Highton-Smith-Kennington-Joneses’ retired housekeeper tutted at Max, their stablehand, when she caught him removing his fingers from his mouth.
    Charlotte looked stunning in a white pants-suit with navy trim and a matching hat, her arm linked through Lawrence’s. He looked equally stylish in a navy sports jacket and white trousers. His jet-black hair glistened in the sun and his ebony eyes gazed adoringly at his wife-to-be. When he smiled his movie star smile, almost every woman on the ship went weak at the knees.
    â€˜Gosh, he’s gorgeous,’ Jacinta swooned.
    Millie and Alice-Miranda exchanged glances and giggled. Millie began to snap away, taking photographs of Charlotte and Lawrence and the rest of the guests.
    Alice-Miranda raced over to greet her aunt. Charlotte scooped the girl into her arms and peppered her face with kisses.
    â€˜This is the best day ever!’ Alice-Miranda exclaimed. ‘Well, except for Wednesday, when you get married.’ She leaned across to kiss Lawrence’s cheek.
    â€˜You are a funny thing,’ Charlotte beamed.
    â€˜And where’s that son of mine?’ Lawrence glanced around looking for Lucas.
    â€˜There he is, with Sep.’ Alice-Miranda wriggled out of Charlotte’s arms and ran to greet her soon-to-be cousin.
    â€˜Hello,’ she cried above the ship’s horn, which had begun to blast. ‘Lucas!’ She tapped him on the shoulder.
    The dark-haired boy turned and smiled at Alice-Miranda.
    â€˜Isn’t this fun?’ she exclaimed.
    â€˜Like a fairytale.’ He shook his head. ‘I can’t believe we’re here on Queen Georgiana’s ship. If you’d have told me this would be my life six months ago, I’d have said you were crazy.’
    It was true; a lot of things had changed in a short time for Lucas Nixon. Until recently, Lucas hadn’t known his father’s name, let alone that he was one of the world’s most sought-after film stars. When Lucas had first met Alice-Miranda and Jacinta on a recent school holiday, he had been more than a little angry and confused. He had been expelled from school, in what was a most unfortunate mistake, and sent to stay with his Aunt Lily, Uncle Heinrich and cousins Jasper and Poppy at their farmhouse on the grounds of Highton Hall. To make matters worse, Lucas had felt completely abandoned by his mother when she had gone away to work in the