“If we were able to find out where the medallion came from and the significance of the design, symbols and numbers,” Anne said, “it might provide us with the evidence we need to identify the . . . individual.”

“Certainly,” Charlotte agreed, “though I cannot fathom how, save by showing it to every person we are acquainted with and seeing if it means anything to them.”

Charlotte looked towards Emily, whose head was tipped to one side, her lips pressed into a thick line as she concentrated on the page.

“What are you doing, Emily?”

“Writing,” Emily said, not looking up from the page.

“Writing now?” Charlotte asked her.

Emily stopped. “Yes, I had a vision of a story, and I wanted to write it all down before I forgot it. It is a marvellous, ferocious storm of a story. I shall set it at Top Withens, so neither of you may do the same—am I understood?”

“I don’t know how you can write,” Charlotte said. “I have been unable to think of anything else but the bones, Tabby’s fear, the shadow woman in the graveyard. Emily, don’t you need to know who or what that strange apparition was?”

“We will in due course, I am sure, and besides, all that has happened is precisely why I am writing,” Emily muttered. “What a wealth of inspiration!”

“I sometimes wonder if she is entirely human,” Charlotte said to Anne.

“I am sure she isn’t and am glad of it,” replied Anne.

Emily shot Anne a smile before putting down her pen. “I do own that I should put my thoughts aside for now and return to detecting. The medallion is almost certainly one that has significance in the Catholic faith. Aside from Charlotte’s flirtation with Catholicism in Brussels—”

“Emily, it was hardly a flirtation,” Charlotte said. “I simply made my confession out of curiosity.”

“Well, you did not take the veil—that much is true,” Emily replied. “Aside from that, I know of only two Catholic families close by: the Newells and the Riordans, the young family who moved in last spring to become loomers at Ponden. They are an Irish family but never seen at our church, so I believe they are likely to be Catholic and, if so, more likely to be able to read the symbols on the medallion. We can take it to them today and ask if they would be willing to teach us.”

“And as for the stones that frightened Tabby so? It seems that we are at an impasse,” Charlotte said. “How we may find out more I cannot fathom.”