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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?

Run, her thoughts told her urgently, and yet she did not. She could not run from the drawing room of a great lady and out into the snow without her cloak and bonnet, solely based on the reprise of a particular folk song and an overexcited imagination.

After what seemed like an age, Charlotte found a wooden pin that she hooked out with her thumbnail. The side of the box slid open, and she tipped the contents into her palm.

For several long moments, it was impossible to move, to think, to act. All Charlotte could do was stare and wonder.

For in her hand there were half a dozen miraculous medallions, each with a date inscribed on the back, two of which were the twins of the ones they had discovered. Whoever had hidden them there must have been the same person who had taken the children, and there were six medallions in here. Copies, they had to be copies or doubles of the medallions that she and her sisters had already recovered. They were mementos.

Charlotte gripped the mantel as her knees buckled beneath her, and at that moment she caught sight of a face staring at her from outside the window. It was Hemming.

“Oh dear,” Lady Hartley said as she swept into the room, “I see you’ve found my treasure. I had hoped to spare you distress, but I should have realised, Charlotte, that you are not one to turn away from an opportunity to know. What is it they say? A little knowledge can be such a dangerous thing.”

46

Anne

Papa sat straight-backed and stoic as the cart clattered its way up the roughly hewn track to Top Withens Hall. Anne had wrapped his cloak tight around him and tucked a blanket over the top, yet whenever she looked at his face, set in resolution despite the howling, bitter blizzard, she was overwhelmed with a sense of deep comfort. As long as her papa was in the world, then all would be well, for Papa would make it so.

On the journey, Anne linked her arm through his and laid her head upon his shoulder, turning her face away as best she could from the full brunt of the wind. Emily flanked Papa on the other side, always forward facing, looking into the blizzarding snow as if she could see something in the endless whirl of flakes that no other could discern. John Brown drove the cart while Branwell, Mr. Nicholls and Martin Earnshaw and his brother huddled in the back. Nought was said, for there was nothing to be said until they had Joseph safe and well, and Clifton Bradshaw under lock and key.