“And that, and this is the biggest piece of news of all, Linda Riggs is someplace in Mexico?”
“No!” the exclamation was Bess’s. If it was possible to say that one girl in the room disliked the proud Linda more than the rest, Bess was that girl.
“I hate her. I just hate her.” Bess had said vehemently many times. And well she might, for often in the days that followed the registration of Bess and Nan at Lakeview, Linda had purposely embarrassed and humiliated them. At first, Bess, because she naturally coveted wealth, and Linda was a very wealthy girl, had tried to make friends with “Her Highness” as Laura dubbed Linda. But her efforts always ended disastrously.
Nan, as all those who have followed the fortunes of the young girl know, time and again tried to help Linda. Once or twice she was instrumental in saving her life. But despite this, whenever Linda was in a position to do so, she managed to belittle Nan, to snub her rudely, to make her just as uncomfortable as she possibly could.
So Nan and Bess had particular reasons for disliking the girl who had even been expelled from school for one bit of meanness that caused an explosion which might easily have cost the lives of many of the Lakeview Hall students. Linda, in other words, was cordially hated by most of the students of the fashionable boarding school.
Now, the news that she was in Mexico brought consternation to the group.
“It’s just as I’ve always said,” Bess fumed. “It’s impossible to go anyplace without having her turn up.”
“Probably likes you and just won’t admit it.” Laura could well afford to add fuel to the flame. Linda generally avoided her.
“She doesn’t like me and you know it, Laura Polk,” Bess exclaimed. “Why she had to come down here when there’s all the rest of the world for her to travel in, I don’t know. But you can just be sure of this, no good will come of it.”
“Sh! Bess,” Nan warned as she looked over to one side where Adair MacKenzie, Alice, and Walker Jamieson were deep in consultation.