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Page 129
her, therefore, must be based solely on her personal attraction. Unless, a small insistent voice hissed, the charm is in your position with Mrs. Bates. But Linda wouldn't listen to the snake's hiss of suspicion that threatened to mar her pleasure. It was a stupid suspicion. Peter had a much closer and more influential ally in Gertrude. Besides, he showed not the slightest interest in his aunt's doings when he was with Linda. If she told him something, he listened, but he never questioned her about Mrs. Bates.
Linda was less convinced that it was her personal charm that drew Donald's attentions. To her surprise, he had called her on the Tuesday after the Sunday they met. His excuse was to be sure she had been willing to make their travel arrangements. He had been far politer than Rose-Anne, had even half-laughingly apologized for his sister's manner. But when Linda assured him, truthfully, that she would make their reservations and, mendaciously, that she had not been offended by Rose-Anne, he was in no hurry to hang up. He had thanked her for smoothing over the awkward hump in the conversation at Sunday's lunch and then asked whether she was really interested in the production end of television.
Linda wondered whether he was so desperate to separate her from Mrs. Bates that he was thinking of offering her a job at the television studio, but she merely assured

 
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