Page 13 (1/2)

He snorted and looked away "Eton"

She snorted right back at hi to me"

"Of course I am We’re reluctant partners, Miss Marshall, not friends swapping childhood stories" Another ht have snapped out those words He said thereat joke that they were forced to be in each other’s company

"Ah Shall we sit in stony silence, then?"

"No," he said "I’m perfectly happy to have you entertain me, if you prefer Tell me, as the result of the Ha? I was rather isolated this afternoon and hadn’t the chance to find out"

Free let the glasses fall and turned to him "We’re reluctant partners, Mr Clark," she mimicked "I’ed "How like a woilism is too violent, that it’s beneath you?"

Free burst into laughter "Oh, no If you think you can set me off with a poorly placed ‘how like a woinal Everyone does it I had thought better of you than that"

There was a short pause Then he shook his head ruefully "You’re right That was a dreadful cliché Next time I attempt to provoke you to respond, I’ll do better"

Free took pity on hilasses once hted"Choworth fell after twelve rounds to Ha that up Did he e him, then? I know Hamth! I’ve seen hi exclahed "Do you know, boxing is the only thing I lish papers just so I could find the results ofas a boy I think it’s the only thing that hasn’t changed"

"Choworth apparently landed a few cuts to the right in the ninth round," Free said after a pause "Haled to his feet, but the account in the afternoon Tiht he was done for"

He tilted his head at her "Do you know that because you read all your rival papers as a matter of course, or because you actually follow the sport?"

"My father used to take o together Take from that what you will"

"Hmm" Mr Clark snorted "Unfair"

Before she could ask what he h, the door to Stephen’s roolasses on theAinside He wore a dark, knit cap pulled low over his head

"There’s someone there," she told Mr Clark

"Daood humor was a deception--if, perhaps, he hated her and was just extre it

That one syllable convinced her otherwise There was a quiet fury in it Beside her, he tensed, his eyes glittering

"Da--that he’d call it off"