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Back The Diabolical Bones Save as PDF
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?

“My life there was more comfortable than it had been at school, but sadly not wonderful—rather unhappier still. My aunt looked upon me as a burden, and my adopted older brothers hated me at sight; they tormented me daily. It was quite a dreadful time. Even so, when my adopted brothers both died within a few months of each other, I was very sorry. Suddenly I was fourteen years old and something of an heiress. It was quite an adjustment to make, to rise up to expectations. That others had suffered and lost their loved ones and lives for me to find myself in such a fortunate situation has never escaped me. I decided on my eighteenth birthday that what wealth and privilege I had would be put to good use. God smiled at me when, soon after that, I met my dear husband, and within the year we were married and honeymooning in Paris. What gloriously happy months those were. You know, the cruelty I grew up amongst had hardened my heart so much that I believed it would be better to marry for status and fortune than for love. That was until Leonard brought me all three. I do believe that my husband’s love healed me of all my hurt.” Lady Hartley patted Charlotte on the back of her hand. “What I am trying rather inexpertly to say, Charlotte, my dear, is that I recognise a little of my younger self in you—only a little, because you have far greater potential than I ever did, and it will not be an accident of circumstances that brings you to the fore, but your own very great talents and abilities. So please do not be shy of me, and I will do my best not to be shy of you. Is that agreeable? And please don’t forget to call me Catherine. I can only hope that somehow I might be able to guide you towards the same happiness I have found for myself.”

“Thank you, Catherine,” Charlotte said warmly. “I count myself very fortunate to have met you.”

“Good,” Lady Hartley said, just as the coach drew to a stop outside the gate at Top Withens. “Now, let us see what Clifton Bradshaw makes of me, shall we?”

31

Anne

In truth it did seem a little strange to Anne that in all their countless long walks across the moors, they had never, not once, ventured into this tight-knit thicket of woodland before. It had not been a conscious choice. It simply had never been attempted or even thought of. Indeed, so used was she to walking around the circumference of the woodland that she’d forgotten it was there, almost as if it were invisible.