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Chapters (63)
  1. Cover
  2. BRONTË SISTERS MYSTERIES
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Haworth Parsonage, April 1852
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. "Music on Christmas Morning"
  60. Author’s Note
  61. Acknowledgements
  62. About the Author
  63. What’s next onyour reading list?

“Well, then,” Anne said, hoping to settle Charlotte’s fevered state and draw her mind back to the matter in hand, away from the plans and dreams she was no doubt already building on the back of this brief acquaintance. “Taking all into account, I have devised a plan of action.”

“Do go on.” Charlotte made sure to look very interested.

“We believe ourselves to be great detectors,” Anne said. “And it is true that we have uncovered and resolved more than our fair share of conundrums. But this, I believe, is the most difficult mystery we have ever faced, and to solve it we must take paths we have not yet conceived of. Tomorrow we shall all three head to the moors: Charlotte and Lady Hartley to visit Top Withens; Emily and I to look at the copse that Agnes spoke of so darkly, then on to the Wage of Crow Hill, for I believe we must seek out the appropriate expert who will help us translate those runes once and for all.”

“What sort of expert would that be?” Charlotte asked.

“I believe we must engage the services of a witch.”

28

Emily

Having drawn the short straw when it came to who would bring up the matter of witches to Tabby, Emily rose at dawn and went down to the kitchen to ask Tabby how to find the witch of the Wage of Crow Hill, for though everyone knew of her, very few knew exactly how to find her.

It was a matter that had to be handled with tact, Anne had said, and everyone knew how gentle and sensitive Emily was in conversation, and how she might coax information out of a person so subtly that it would not even be noticed. Emily had never heard herself described in such a manner before.

And it should be the one of them Tabby favoured the most, Charlotte had added. Since it had always been clear since they were tiny children that it was Emily who bore that crown, whom Tabby loved the most, then it should be Emily who approached the dear, sweet old lady. Though Emily had pretended to be flattered and coddled into being the one to ask Tabby about the very subject that most vexed her, she knew as well as her sisters did that the true reason they had chosen her to talk to Tabby was because they themselves were too afraid to. And so, while Charlotte was still preening for Lady Hartley, Emily went to ask.