< previous page page_252 next page >

Page 252
has this thing about actresses and Donald . . ." her voice faltered. "He . . . sometimes he does look for an easy way out. Instead of just telling Mother and waiting for the storm to subsideit would, as Mother can't bear to make either of us unhappyhe got this crazy idea that she would be so upset if he seemed to be courting youbecause Mother is even worse on the subject of alliances with inferiors, like servantsthat she would accept Diane gladly."
Linda began to laugh. "Poor Donald. I'll bet your mother never even noticed."
"No, she didn't," Rose-Anne agreed, raising her brows. "He thought she followed him that evening on the ship when I broke in on your drink so rudely. I'm sorry about that. I didn't know you were innoculated, and you're right about Donald's charm. But it wasn't my mother, if anyone was there. Mother was with me. Anyway, I told him Mother didn't regard you as a servant, and he was playing a dangerous game for nothing."
"It isn't because your mother doesn't regard me as a servant" Linda began. Then she stopped, annoyed with herself. She didn't want to spoil Mrs. Sotheby's romance, and she wasn't sure how Rose-Anne would feel about that, even if she was a much nicer person than Linda had originally thought. But Linda needn't have been concerned. Rose-Anne's eyes brightened, and she cocked her head slightly in a gesture of amused interest.

 
< previous page page_252 next page >