Silence followed as the group digested this information. Marguerite's brow furrowed as she processed what that meant.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Finn asked "I mean she paid for your school."
"Yeah...." Marguerite said softly, still deep in thought. "...but... I... I was never in any school for more than 6 months."
"If your aunt was the benefactor, why didn't you ever know her." Veronica questioned softly. It didn't make any sense, there had to be more to it than that.
All eyes turned to the one person who could answer the question.
Karla smiled bitterly, "Rosa was nearly five when they brought Belle home from the hospital. I'm told she tried to smother her under a pillow that night. Things went downhill from there. The jealously was instantaneous. They never had a moment of sisterly affection or closeness. Rosa was always trying to hurt Belle, in anyway possible. It ate her alive the feeling that she was never as good or as pretty as Belle. That she wasn't as liked or admired. She was always competing, always trying to outdo Belle. Sibling rivalry turned to real envy and that eventually turned to... to hate... to loathing." Shocked expressions registered on the explorers faces as Karla said the word.
"I know its a strong word," she said softly, "but its the only one that can be used to describe what Rosa must have felt for Belle, for her to do to her what she did."
Everyone was silent. Then Marguerite asked in a soft voice, "What did she do?"
Karla looked down for a moment and when her head lifted there was a deep sorrow swimming in her eyes, she spoke softly but her words carried life altering impact, "She organized and personally executed the kidnapping of Belle's 5 month old daughter."
