The Strange Story of Linda Lee by Dennis Wheatley Page A

experience.’
    ‘Oh well, in that case…’ Elsie gave a little shrug of evident annoyance. Then Rowley broke in quickly:
    ‘You really needn’t worry, Elsie dear. Owing to your admirable training, Bella has become quite competent as a Number Two, and she will brief Linda on my likes and dislikes. But, of course, I should be most distressed if you and Arthur stopped coming to see me on Tuesdays.’
    When the Spilkins took their departure there were mutual expressions of goodwill, but Linda felt certain that Elsie intensely resented her having come to live in Rowley’s house.
    Once they had gone the atmosphere became distinctly more cheerful. Both Eric and Rowley congratulated Linda on the way she had played her role, and the latter declared with delight that no-one could now possibly guess that she was not a member of a county family.
    During the few days between Eric’s first meeting with Linda and his second, she had not thought much about him, because her mind had been mainly preoccupied with apprehension about meeting the Spilkins; but, on the night they had come to dinner, she had been much impressed by the skill with which, using apparently casual remarks, he had given her leads that had enabled her to pose convincingly as his niece, and his urbane cheerfulness that had saved the party from becoming remarkably frigid.
    She felt, too, that there was something about Eric that not only made him an unusually pleasant companion, but also stimulated her in a way that brought out the most attractive side of her own personality; so, now that he was stationed in London, she hoped they would see a lot of him.
    When Rowley was in bed with her, two nights after the Spilkins’ visit, he produced a letter from Elsie over which they laughed a lot. It was a delightful demonstration of his stepdaughter’s prudish mind. She said she thought Linda charming, but went on to ask if he was really wise to have engaged such a young and attractive girl as a living-in secretary. She, of course, would not dream of doubting Rowley’s faithfulness toher poor mother, but other people might jump to most distressing conclusions, and that would be painful to him, Arthur and herself. Surely, if he had to have a secretary living in his house, it should be someone much older and less likely to provide cause for gossip? Arthur would be able to find such a woman for him without difficulty.
    Bubbling with merriment, they decided that the reply should be that, while Rowley saw the good sense of her suggestion, he could not now make a change without giving serious offence to Linda’s uncle, his dear friend the Wing Commander.
    Linda was strong, abundantly healthy, passionate by nature and, that spring, had been fully aroused by Jim. During the past three months she had missed being made love to; so, on the first night that Rowley had gone to bed with her, she had felt no reluctance in giving herself to him. When younger he had had his full share of affairs, so, although he was now a ‘once-a-night’ man, he was a sufficiently accomplished lover to ensure that she enjoyed it. As with Jim it had never been more than once at the end of each meeting, she had expected no more from Rowley. Moreover, he came to her two or three nights a week, which was much more frequently than she and Jim had been able to meet, so, physically, her new sex life satisfied her completely.
    Yet there developed an aesthetic side to the affaire. On the first few occasions Rowley put the light out before taking off his dressing gown, and she was too keyed up with anticipation deliberately to visualise him in the nude. But there soon came a time when he wanted to add to his enjoyment by contemplating her beautiful figure, then leave the light on during their passionate embrace. To her dismay, she found the sightof his squat body, bulging tummy, lean shanks and knobbly knees, as he stripped before getting into bed with her, distinctly off-putting, and was vaguely repelled until