“Why does he call her that?”
“Cecilia lost her virginity when she was twenty-one. It happened here in Hedestad
after a summer romance, the year after Harriet disappeared.”
“And?”
“The man she fell in love with was called Peter Samuelsson. He was a financial
assistant at the Vanger Corporation. A bright boy. Today he works for ABB. The kind
of man I would have been proud to have as my son-in-law if she were my daughter.
Harald measured his skull or checked his family tree or something and discovered
that he was one-quarter Jewish.”
“Good Lord.”
“He’s called her a whore ever since.”
“He knew that Cecilia and I have...”
“Everybody in the village probably knows that with the possible exception of
Isabella, because no-one in his right mind would tell her anything, and thank
heavens she’s nice enough to go to bed at 8:00 every night. Harald on the other
hand has presumably been following every step you take.”
Blomkvist sat down, looking foolish.
“You mean that everyone knows...”
“Of course.”
“And you don’t mind?”
“My dear Mikael, it’s really none of my business.”
“Where is Cecilia?”
“The school term is over. She went to London on Saturday to visit her sister, and
after that she’s having a holiday in...hmmm, I think it was Florida. She’ll be back in
about a month.”
Blomkvist felt even more foolish.