hedidnotdare,andBlomkvistneverbroachedthesubject.
Atsomepointonthemorningoftheseconddayshecametoaterrifyingrealisation.Shehadnoideahowithadhappenedorhowshewassupposedtocopewithit.Shewasinloveforthefirsttimeinherlife.
Thathewasalmosttwiceheragedidnotbotherher.NordidthefactthatatthemomenthewasoneofthemostnewsworthypeopleinSweden,andhispicturewasevenonthecoverofNewsweek—thatwasalljustsoapopera.ButBlomkvistwasnoeroticfantasyordaydream.Itwouldhavetoetoanend.Itcouldnotpossiblyworkout.Whatdidheneedherfor?Maybeshewasjustawaytopassthetimewhilehewaitedforsomeonewhoselifewasnotafuckingrathole.
Whatshehadrealisedwasthatlovewasthatmomentwhenyourheartwasabouttoburst.
WhenBlomkvistwokeuplatethatmorning,shehadmadecoffeeandbeenouttobuybreakfastrolls.Hejoinedheratthetableandnoticedatoncethatsomethinginherattitudehadchanged—shewasabitmorereserved.Whenheaskedherifanythingwaswrong,shegavehimaneutral,unprehendinglook.
OnthefirstdaybetweenChristmasandNewYear’s,BlomkvisttookthetrainuptoHedestad.HewaswearinghiswarmestclothesandhisproperwintershoeswhenFrodemethimatthestationandquietlycongratulatedhimonthemediasuess.ItwasthefirsttimesinceAugustthathehadvisitedHedestad,anditwasalmostexactlyoneyearagosincehehadvisiteditforthefirsttime.Theychattedpolitely,buttherewasalsoagreatdealthathadgoneunsaidbetweenthem,andBlomkvistfeltunfortable.
Everythinghadbeenprepared,andthebusinesswithFrodetookonlyafewminutes.Frodeofferedtodepositthemoneyinaconvenientforeignbankaount,butBlomkvistinsistedthatitshouldbepaidlikeanormal,legitimatefeetohispany.
“Ican’taffordanyothertypeofpayment,”hesaidcurtlywhenFrodepersisted.
Thepurposeofhisvisitwasnotsolelyfinancial.Blomkvisthadleftclothes,s,andanumberofhisownthingsinthecottagewhenheandSalanderhadabandonedHedebyingreathaste.
Vangerwasstillfrailafterhisillness,buthewasathome.Hewasbeinglookedafterbyaprivatenurse,whorefusedtoallowhimtotakelongwalks,orwalkupstairs,ordiscussanythingthatmightupsethim.Duringtheholi