Part 18 (2/2)
”Yes, wasn't it?” Bess rolled over in her bed and looked at Nan. ”It was just full of surprises. I don't know what I liked the best.”
”I do,” Nan said promptly.
”What?”
”Oh, Cousin Adair. I think he's a darling.”
”He'd probably roar a mighty roar if he heard you say that,” Bess laughed at the prospect, ”but you know, I quite agree with you, even if it isn't my friend that he has invited to stop at the hacienda.”
”But Walter's a friend to all of us,” Nan protested.
”Yes, yes, of course,” Bess agreed. ”He's a friend to all of us and a particular friend to you.”
”Bessie, if this big pillow wasn't so soft,” Nan looked at the pillow she was holding in her hand speculatively, ”I'd heave it over at you so fast that you wouldn't know what had struck you.”
”That's all right, Nancy,” Bess laughed. ”I understand. You don't like to be teased.”
”Wasn't it fun last night?” Nan changed the subject completely.
”What was fun?” Bess could remember so many nice things that she really didn't know which one Nan was talking about.
”Dinner on the bank of the ca.n.a.l at Xochimilco,” Nan answered promptly.
”I'll never forget it. The lights. The flowers. The music. Who would ever think to look at him and hear him talk that Cousin Adair would be romantic enough to think up anything like that?”
”I know it.” Bess idly watched an insect that was buzzing around the room. ”I was much surprised. Then I began to wonder if it wasn't Walker Jamieson's idea after all. You know he has a clever way of suggesting things to your cousin, so that when your cousin decides what to do it appears as though he thought up the idea originally.”
”Why, Bess.” Nan appeared to be horrified at the thought.
”Oh, you know it's so.” Bess looked over at Nan. ”It's lots of fun to watch him do it. Do you know, sometimes I think that he's almost clever enough to make Mr. MacKenzie think that the idea of his marrying Alice was his, Mr. MacKenzie's I mean, originally. Do you suppose?”
”Bess, if you don't stop speculating about that, I don't know what I'm going to do to you.” Nan laughed. ”You know you might spoil everything by talking about it,” she ended seriously. ”For all you know the idea has never once entered Walker Jamieson's head.”
Bess hooted at this. ”Don't you ever think that,” she said finally, ”because it isn't true and you know it isn't.”
”Say, what are you two people doing in bed at this hour?” Laura stuck her head in the doorway and inquired. ”Don't you know that it's long past time to get up.”
”Oh, bed's so nice,” Nan answered, ”I just hate to get up.”
”Well, all I can say is,” Laura finished before she closed the door, ”the temperature downstairs is slightly chilly, and if you know what's good for you, you'll be out of there in a jiffy.”
”Right-o.” Nan jumped up at this bit of information. ”Hi! Laura,” she called after her friend, ”come back here a minute. Was there any mail this morning,” she asked as Laura's red head reappeared.
”Nothing for us,” Laura answered, ”but your cousin got something that made him blow up. That's why I'm telling you to hurry. I gather from certain orders I overheard him giving the chauffeur that he wants to start immediately, if not sooner, for the hacienda.”
”Really?” Bess asked, as she too jumped out of bed. ”You mean we are going to leave Mexico City today.”
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