Dead Gorgeous Read Online Free

on and on,’ Jude added, dusting the flour off his arm.
    They both ran off with Mum eyeing them suspiciously. She directed a worried look at Nova.
    ‘Don’t worry, Mum,’ Nova said. ‘Between me, Raye, Dad and the other guests, they probably won’t get away with too much. Probably.’
    ‘That makes me feel a whole heap better,’ Mum replied dryly.
    Nova grinned at her.
    Dad burst through the door. ‘Karmah, has Mr Jackman deigned to tell you how long he’s staying with us?’ he asked.
    ‘No, he hasn’t. And as long as we have his credit card details, he can dither as long as he likes,’ Mum replied.
    Nova wondered if she had time to slide out, tear down Dad’s latest notice and duck out of sight for an hour or so until he calmed down. It was worth a try. Edging behind him, she started
to sidestep silently towards the door.
    ‘I’m not happy with guests not letting me know how long they plan to stay. How am I meant to schedule in future bookings if I don’t know when the guests are going to
leave?’ Dad complained, adding without turning round, ‘Nova, for the last time, leave my notice alone. D’you hear?’
    ‘What future bookings?’ Nova piped up from behind him, peeved.
    Mum glared at Nova, her expression piercing. Nova knew exactly what that look meant. They’d been at the hotel for almost two years now and Dad had tried just about everything to make
Phoenix Manor more popular, but nothing really took off. The hotel was set high up on the gently sloping St Bart’s Head, overlooking St Bart’s Bay. To the front of the hotel there were
stunning views across the bay to the sea beyond. The formal gardens behind the hotel merged into Siren’s Copse. Underground tunnels criss-crossed the land for miles around – tunnels
where, centuries before, smugglers were rumoured to have brought silks and brandy ashore from continental Europe, using the secret underground passages to hide from the authorities. There was meant
to be a tunnel entrance hidden in the bay somewhere and another one in Siren’s Copse, but no one had ever found them. In a setting steeped in local history, the hotel should’ve been a
dead certainty for success – but it wasn’t. Business was slow, not to mention a constant worry. And as Mum pointed out, Dad didn’t need his family constantly moaning on and making
him feel like a failure.
    ‘We do all right, Nova,’ Mum said, an edge to her voice.
    ‘Yeah, right.’ Nova headed for the fridge. ‘I’m thirsty. Any juice or something fizzy in there?’
    ‘Nova Alexandra Clibbens, don’t even think about it!’ said Mum as Nova raised the orange juice carton to her lips. ‘Use a glass.’
    ‘What’s that?’ Dad pointed to the piece of paper, now covered in flour, beside Mum’s pastry.
    Mum picked it up. ‘Oh, that’s —’
    Raye marched into the room. ‘Mum, I want you to —Is that one of my poems?’
    Nova wasn’t surprised that Raye had spotted it. Her sister always did have eyes like a hawk.
    ‘Yes, but I . . .’ Mum spluttered.
    ‘Mum, how could you? My poems are private and personal.’ Raye snatched it out of her mother’s hand, directing a look at her that would’ve had a weaker person gasping for
breath. ‘You’re worse than the twins.’
    ‘So what’s so good about your boobs that you wouldn’t change them?’ Nova couldn’t resist asking.
    ‘Mum, I can’t believe you! You let Nova read it?’ Raye asked, scandalized.
    ‘Why d’you want to change your boobs, Rainbow?’ asked Dad, getting hold of entirely the wrong end of the stick. ‘I hope you’re not thinking of plastic surgery or
some other such nonsense at your age.’
    ‘Leave my boobs out of this,’ Raye said furiously, her beige cheeks now fiery red.
    ‘Raye wants to have her boobs done,’ Nova sang. ‘I do not!’
    ‘Raye wants to have her boobs done!’
    Raye used sign language to tell Nova exactly where to go and what to do when she got there.
    ‘Rainbow, that’s