“Damned important. I’m engaged in some promotional work myself with three associates. To have something come up now that would rock the boat would put me in a most embarrassing position — not financially, but — dammit, it would make people look down their noses at me. There’d be a wagging of heads every time I walked into the club. Whispered conferences would stop abruptly when I came walking into a room. The whole damn petty mechanics of character assassination carried on right under my nose where I’d have to pretend I didn’t know anything about it.”
I said, “There’s only one way you could handle the thing.”
“How’s that?”
I said thoughtfully, “We might kill two birds with one stone.”
“What’s the other bird?”
I said, “Oh, just an incidental development.”
Alta pushed her cup and saucer to one side, and leaned across the table. “Dad, look at me.”
He looked at her.
“You’re worried because you think I’ve fallen in love with Donald, aren’t you?”
He met her eyes squarely. “Yes.”