Part 26 (1/2)
”Why,” she wrinkled up her nose at Nan, as she spoke, ”are boys in general so dumb? Oh, Walter's all right, but all the rest are just like b.u.mps on a log.”
”No, they aren't,” Nan denied. ”Don't you remember last night when they were all out there below our balconies? You didn't think they were b.u.mps on a log then, did you?”
Bess shook her head and her eyes shone. ”No, that was grand,” she said.
”But today, they just don't do anything.”
”Maybe they think that we're neglecting them?” Nan suggested.
”Well, let them,” Bess flounced away from Nan and into the house.
Nan looked bewilderedly after her. ”What can be wrong with Bess,” she asked herself and then did go after her camera. If Bess didn't want any pictures of the visitors, she did.
A few hours later, after an afternoon siesta and a long cool refres.h.i.+ng drink of fruit juices beneath the palms of the courtyard, everyone felt better. Alice's eyes were red and swollen with crying, but she made an appearance. Adair MacKenzie was even more terse than usual, but he was kinder too. And Bess who had but three hours before found the boys so disagreeable now was surrounded by them. She was telling them in low tones of the donkey episode of the day before.
It was all very cheerful and pleasant despite the emptiness that was felt because of Walker's absence. However, no one mentioned his name. In fact, he might have remained away from the hacienda, away from Alice, indefinitely, if it hadn't been for Adair himself, Adair and Nan.
”Well, well, girls, how do you like your new home now?” Adair MacKenzie was feeling somewhat talkative after his long refres.h.i.+ng drink of loganberry juice. ”A pretty nice place, isn't it?” He looked about himself with a satisfied sort of appreciation. Adair MacKenzie for all of his Scotch blood and his leanings toward economy really liked the good things of life. This southern home pleased him.
”It's grand, Cousin Adair,” Nan answered for them all. ”Perfectly grand.
There's only one thing that's lacking.”
”And that?”
”We're missing Rhoda. She was so excited about the plans to come down here that she could hardly contain herself, and now we won't see her all summer. We won't see her until we get back to school in the fall.”
”Who said you wouldn't?” Adair asked suddenly. ”Don't jump to conclusions like that. Just to show you how wrong you are--you're leaving tomorrow morning by plane to visit with this Hammond girl over the week end, and then if it's at all possible, she is to come back with you to stay here for a week or two. Now, how's that?”
CHAPTER XXVIII
NAN'S BIG ADVENTURE
Nan couldn't answer for a moment, then unexpectedly, even to herself, she threw her arms around Adair MacKenzie's neck and kissed him.
”Tut! Tut!” he straightened his necktie and adjusted the soft white collar of his s.h.i.+rt after her hug. ”Can't stand for this. What's the matter? Aren't you pleased?”
”Oh, dear!” Nan's face was flushed and her eyes bright as she answered.
”There was never in all this wide world a nicer cousin than you are being to me.”
”Wait a second,” Adair was immensely pleased at this outburst. ”What will these young men all think of you? Want to make them jealous of an old codger like me? Better watch out.”
Nan looked at the boys sitting around the ground and in the big comfortable chairs and blushed furiously. She had completely forgotten, at the announcement of her proposed journey that anyone else was present beside the girls whom she knew so well.
But her embarra.s.sment couldn't last long in the face of the excitement.
Nan was going for Rhoda! Nan was going by plane to get Rhoda and bring her back. Nan was going to start the next morning and by Monday she would be back, having flown half the length of Mexico to the border and then from there to Rose Ranch.