Read A Battle of Brains for Free Online Page B

colour for you.
    â€œI am not having you walking about looking like a crow and your mother would not it like either.”
    Yolanda wanted to argue with him.
    However, as they were in the country, she consoled herself that, as they did not see anyone it would not matter that much what colour she wore.  She also knew that her mother had always disliked black, complaining that it did not flatter her complexion.
    Although her mother had worn it when her father died, she soon changed to mauve or wore black dresses with a great deal of white trimming on them.
    Whatever her opinion, Yolanda knew in her heart that as usual it was impossible to disagree with her stepfather as he would have to pay for anything she bought.
    She therefore chose for dinner one of the gowns her mother had sent to her whilst she had been at the Convent.
    Putting it on, Yolanda remembered what her mother had written at the time,
    â€œ I was out shopping yesterday and saw such pretty dresses in that shop in Bond Street where we bought some clothes before.
    I am sending you two gowns, which I know you will enjoy wearing.
    They come to you, my darling, with all my love, but you must write and thank your stepfather for buying them .”
    Yolanda looked mournfully at herself in the mirror, seeing a sad looking girl in a very pretty expensive dress.  As she finished getting ready, she decided that it all came down to the same thing in the end.
    Those who had money could do what they wanted.
    But those who had none had to do what they were told.
    She slipped the key that her stepfather had given her into her little evening bag and reluctantly went down the stairs, pasting a smile on her face as went.
    Both the men had changed into evening clothes.
    Greeting them, Yolanda considered that Mr. Harpole looked a little better in his than he had when he arrived.
    But as dinner progressed she could not help thinking how rough and common he was, despite his expensive clothes.
    He was obviously very clever and she listened to the way he talked to her stepfather with something approaching respect for his intellect.
    There was no doubt that he had travelled and listening to him recounting his business stories it was clear that he was well versed in the new industries springing up all over the world.
    There was, however, no mention of ships.
    Yolanda found it hard to concentrate, let alone enjoy the food so carefully prepared by Mr. Garrack’s excellent cook, as she thought apprehensively of what she had to do when dinner was over.
    By the time she left the dining room, Mr. Harpole had drunk a great deal.
    He was talking much more effusively than he had previously and he began paying her one or two rather uncomfortable compliments.
    When she rose to leave ‘the gentlemen to their port’ Mr. Harpole had some difficulty in rising to his feet.
    She walked quickly upstairs as her stepfather had instructed her to do.
    Mr. Harpole, as an honoured guest, had been put in the same corridor as her own room, but on the other side.
    Yolanda was relieved that there were no servants to be seen.
    Nervously she now opened the door of the bedroom where Mr. Harpole was sleeping and it was a relief to find that there were some lights left on.
    His room was large, but it was not connected to a boudoir, thus there was a writing desk in the bow window overlooking the garden.
    Yolanda saw that the despatch case her stepfather had told her about was standing at the side of the desk.
    She picked it up and put it down on a chair.
    As her stepfather had anticipated, it was locked and the key he had given her fitted perfectly.
    She opened the case.
    Inside, just as she had been told, were a number of letters and three notebooks together with pens and pencils.
    Because she was feeling so apprehensive, her hands were trembling as she pulled out the papers – none of them referred to ships, nor were they headed with the name of the Doxford Shipyard.
    She must have turned over a