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Page 185
and covered, side by side in the narrow bed with Linda's head on Peter's shoulder.
"I haven't laughed so much since before Mom died," he said softly into her hair. "I love you." She knew from the sound that he was smiling. "And you're quite right. I was going to say that sex hadn't changed anything. That I still wanted to marry you. How did you know I was going to say something stupid?"
Linda pulled her head away just enough so she could see him without getting cross-eyed. Peter met her eyes, and to Linda's intense surprise, his were full of tears.
Before she could speak, he went on, "It doesn't matter how. You did know. The trouble is, it's true. I want to marry you more than ever. Linda, I can't wait. I really can't. Not because I want to be in bed with youoh, I do, but that could be managed. There are always hotel rooms and we could sneak away to sheltered coves on the beach at CorfuI know plenty of thembut I'll tell you right now, I won't do it. I don't want to make love to you on a beachhorrible experience that is anyway. I want to marry you and live with you, see you at breakfast every day for the rest of my life, with your hair in curlers and cream all over your face."
"I don't put curlers in my hair at night, and I wash my face before I come to breakfast," Linda said.
The silly statement was all she could get out. Having been about to burst into an indignant protest against Peter's calm assumption that

 
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