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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?

“Though it seems hardly likely, given all the circumstances surrounding the discovery, I find . . .” Charlotte hesitated to speak, lest she displease Lady Catherine. “I find that I am inclined to believe he did not harm the child or hide the bones within his house.”

“Why, Charlotte?” Lady Hartley asked her. “Because he was humble, racked with guilt and wore his tears like pearls?”

“I suppose so,” Charlotte confessed. “His regret seemed plausible.”

“Oh, my dear”—Lady Hartley patted Charlotte’s hand—“you live a sheltered life, whereas I have made it my vocation to look into the shadows and shine the brightest light I can on the horrors I find there. A dear young lady like you can have no idea of the depth and depravity of true evil, nor the tricks and disguises it will employ to hide itself in plain sight. But I will reveal it to you, my dear. And when you truly understand it, it will quite take your breath away.”

33

Emily

The journey to find the visionary of the Wage of Crow Hill had been a surprisingly pleasant one, given the weather and the remoteness of the visionary’s address. Indeed, it took less than an hour, and best of all, Emily thought cheerfully, no one talked to her for the whole of the walk. Keeper had yet to make an appearance: a minor concern that gnawed at her a little, as usually if they were both out of the house and separated, he would somehow come to her side eventually. Still, perhaps in this weather, he’d chosen an oven-warmed flagstone in the kitchen over being with her, and Emily couldn’t blame him if he had, as much as she missed his great foolish head constantly butting at her for attention.

At last a dwelling came into sight, so well covered by snow that, even though a thin reed of smoke wended its way upwards directly out of the roof, it would have been easy to discount the concealed mound as another bend of the hillside, had you not been looking for it.

“Well, as this is the only home for several miles in any direction, I believe we have arrived,” Emily said. “Do you suppose she might lure us into an oven and have us for her dinner?”

“I think we have long since been far too old and tough to be appealing to child-eating witches,” Anne said. “And besides, I am fairly certain such a humble abode could not house a full-sized oven.”

“I, for one, would be quite happy to be thrown on a fire,” Branwell said. “I shall offer myself up at once.”