Amanda Cadabra and The Hidden Depths by Holly Bell (good book recommendations TXT) 📗

having been exhausted by Amanda and her companion, seated at one of the tables, they had moved onto other things.

‘What was the name of the company?’ she asked, of the man across the table from her.

‘There was more than one. Extreme Expedition Holidays. Fatal Attraction Activities, Dive Hard. Mor—’

‘Here you, luvvies!’ Alex appeared at Amanda’s elbow. ‘Hot chocolate with coconut milk for our Miss and a split shot for Mr Dale. Fondant fancies on the way! Be right back.’

They thanked him. A small family entered and occupied a table on the opposite side of the café. It was led by a concerned-looking woman with tousled, shades-of-blonde hair, dressed in a long brown homespun dress and chunky hand-knitted coat of many colours. She was accompanied by her offspring, a girl of about ten and her brother about two years younger, both of whom wore the martyred expression of the habitually tried.

However, Amanda registered only that additional humans were occupying a nearby space, being far more absorbed in the conversation she was enjoying.

‘What makes them distinctive exactly?’ she enquired of Dale Hilland. ‘I don’t really know much about this. What’s the difference between extreme and adventure holidays?’

‘Well, you can be escorted up Mount Everest or Kilimanjaro. That’s adventure. But few guides would undertake a tourist climb up Kangchenjunga or The Dhaihir Peak. That’s extreme.’

‘Where are they?’ asked Amanda, feeling geographically challenged.

‘Nepal and Mahedupustan.’

‘I’ve never heard of the latter.’

‘Dhaihir Peak? Few people have. It’s in a disputed zone, and the access to it was a carefully guarded Mahedupustani tribal secret until recently. But that’s just one example. Plenty of scuba companies will teach and take people to coral reefs and wrecks, but no one wants to do an escorted dive to the HMS Incandescent.’

‘Er …?’ Amanda asked.

‘It was carrying explosives when it sank,’ Dale explained. ‘They’re still down there.’

‘Gulp.’

‘Samantha! Dahling!’ The faded woman had suddenly come to life at a sight that was more welcome to her than to Amanda. The bored teenager stomped into her friend’s arms. ‘Boudicca, Cuthred! Come and say hello to your cousin.’

It was impossible to ignore the interruption. Amanda and Dale bore witness to the children’s eye-rolling as they left the temporary distraction of admiring Tempest to return to the table for duty.

‘Hiya, you two,’ Samantha returned their greeting unenthusiastically.

‘How’s uni?’ asked their mother.

‘Honestly, Verity, if you can call it that. I’m at Chalkstable College for a whole term.’

‘That mouldering ruin? Why aren’t you at Hertford, or one of the London colleges?’

‘Oh … it’s complicated,’ Samantha prevaricated, twisting a strand of her long, luxuriant dark hair around her finger.

‘Darlings,’ Verity instructed her offspring, ‘go and do something educational.’ She waited until Boudicca and Cuthred had obligingly taken themselves off. They returned to admiring, from a respectful distance, Amanda’s familiar. He was holding court in the cat-and-dog section of the café, where he had been served with choice cuts of salmon.

Verity returned her attention to her teenage relative. ‘You failed your entrance exams?’ she asked knowingly.

‘I had a lot going on,’ was the muttered reply.

‘Yes, well, I did say he was a mistake.’

Samantha spread her hands, and half wailed,

‘I didn’t think Daddy would find out.’

‘Hm.’

‘It wasn’t worth it. Now my hideous parents have joined forces against me and made me cut up my credit cards. I’m practically skint. Reduced to shopping in chain stores in the mall!’

‘There is are department stores there,’ moderated Verity.

‘Fenwick’s and John Lewis? They don’t even have Alaia!’

‘Yes, well. I do feel for you. We all absolutely adore the Free Trade Emporium, but it is pricey, and so is HandmadeByCandlelight. Though I don’t feel I can complain. When I think about what’s happening to those poor angora antelopes on the borders of Uzbekistan!’

This was clearly not a matter that preoccupied Samantha, although Amanda did experience a fleeting moment of interest in what might be befalling these hitherto unheard-of creatures. She looked at Dale for enlightenment. He raised his shoulders in comical bemusement.

‘Still,’ Verity was saying, ‘if you concentrate on your studies and behave yourself, I’m sure it’ll blow over. Re-invent yourself like … Madonna.’

‘‘Scuse me?’ was the horrified response. ‘Yeah, well, anyway I have an idea.’

‘This is one of …?’ Verity suddenly became aware that she and Samantha had created an audience and dropped her voice.

Amanda and Dale looked at one another in amusement. Sandy leaned over as he passed their table to whisper,

‘Better than a play!’ and breezed on, calling out, ‘Crushed avocado on soda bread for the young lady and gentleman!’

With a grin, Amanda prompted, ‘You were relating, Dale, the hard-to-find exploits of the thrill-seeker.’

‘Yes, I was going to mention there’s flying in a wingsuit down Tiger Leaping Gorge in China.’

‘Is that extra risky?’

‘It’s the world’s narrowest canyon.’

‘Ah.’

Dale said it all matter-of-factly as though just listing the services of his former employees. But of course, he had actually done all of these things. She found his modesty charming.

‘But Amanda, adventures come in all shapes and sizes. I’m sure you must have had your share.’

How was she to answer that? Truth to tell, her life had been in danger almost since birth. But then, for most of her childhood, she had had no notion of that, so skilfully and lovingly was she protected and educated by her grandparents. It was really only a year ago that …. But of course, one did not share such things with Normals. Assuming he was a Normal … and for now, Amanda had to assume that he was. She responded,

‘I have travelled a little with my grandparents. They took me on tours and cruises. But all quite safe. Tell me, Dale, what sort of people voluntarily do the things you’ve described?’

‘Oh well, there are people who want to expand their horizons, stretch themselves, adrenaline junkies, the bored, the been-there-done–everything-bought-the-tee-shirters, the list-tickers. The rich mostly. When you have unlimited funds, you can quickly do all of the usual things that people need time to save up for. Especially if you’ve been around money since childhood.’

Amanda wondered if Dale himself