Free The Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman

quite hear him, but didn't want to move any closer; he felt exposed enough as it was. With a pretense of nodding his head in time to the music, he watched Lady Mary closely. There was a shadow of that same desperation he'd noticed earlier in her eyes, and she didn't speak at all: when there was a remark to be made in reply, her mother made it. Lady Mary was listening, but dutifully, and from time to time she would glance around quickly and then look back. Frederick wondered how young she was; at times she looked about fifteen.

    Then the blond man stood up. He bowed to the women and took the hand which Lady Mary unsurely moved toward him and kissed it. She flushed but smiled politely as he turned and left.
    As the man went past him, Frederick had an impression of great physical force, of smooth power like a huge volume of water sliding through a sluice, of pale hair and prominent gray-blue eyes, and then the man was gone.
    Frederick thought of following him but dismissed the idea at once; the man was bound to have a carriage, and by the time Frederick found a cab he'd be out of sight. In any case, Charles Bertram was coming toward him.
    "Did you find Mackinnon?" said Charles.
    "No. He's the original will-o'-the-wisp," said Frederick. "He'll turn up again. He'd better, damn it; I want my watch back. What about the fellow with the fair hair? He's just been flirting with Lady Mary Wytham."
    "Has he, now?" said Charles. "That's interesting. I heard some gossip about Wytham himself just now—it seems the old boy's on the verge of bankruptcy. I don't loiow how true that is, mind you. And the fair-haired man's a financier—something big in railroads and mines and matches. A Swede. His name's Bellmann."

    Lri GJlrange Cjroposal
    Next morning, before Frederick had had a chance to tell her about Mackinnons connection with her case, Sally arrived at her office to find a client waiting for her.
    At least she thought he was a client. His name, he told her, was Windlesham; he was a mild-mannered lit-de man with gold spectacles, and he waited most politely until she had settled Chaka and taken off her coat and hat. Then he sprang a surprise.
    "I represent Mr. Axel Bellmann," he said. "I think his name is known to you."
    She sat down slowly. What did this mean?
    "It has come to Mr. Bellmanns attention," he went on, "that you have been making persistent and unfriendly inquiries into his affairs. He is a busy man, with numerous important interests and responsibilities, and such unfounded and ill-formed rumors as those you are attempting to spread, while trivial in the extreme, can only cause considerable annoyance and inconvenience. In order to spare you the embarrassment of a formal communication, and the pain of a legal threat, Mr. Bellmann has sent me to convey his

    displeasure in person, in the hope that you will take it to heart and see the foolishness of continuing in the unproductive path you have sought to follow."
    He folded his hands and smiled at her gendy.
    Sally s heart was racing. She could think of only one thing to say.
    "Did you learn that off by heart? Or were you making it up as you went along?"
    The smile left his face.
    "Perhaps you have not understood," he said. "Mr. Bellmann—"
    "I understand very well. Mr. Bellmann is frightened, and he wants to frighten me. Well, I'm not going to be frightened, Mr. Windlesham. I have a particular reason for making my inquiries, and until I'm satisfied, I'll go on with them. And what precisely is this legal threat you mentioned?"
    He smiled again. "You're too intelligent to expect me to tell you that at this stage. Mr. Bellmann will decide whether or not to use that weapon when I tell him of your response."
    "Tell me," she said, "what's your particular ftmction in Mr. Bellmann's company?"
    He looked mildly interested in the question. "I am Mr. Bellmann's private secretary," he said. "Why do you ask?"
    "Curiosity. Well, you've told me a lot, Mr. Windlesham. I know I'm on the right