What they all needed—what Anne herself longed for—was adventure.

“When the world looks like this, I wonder if it will ever thaw again,” Emily said eventually as the moment of tension eased. “I believe I prefer it, despite the cold. I can almost imagine it unsullied by man entirely. In fact, perhaps Keeper and I shall go out for a walk and enjoy a few minutes of believing I am the only human being left alive.”

“You cannot go out in this cold, Emily,” Charlotte said. “You will catch your death.”

“Well, at least that would be more interesting than this interminable period of sitting still. There has been no detecting for weeks,” Emily lamented. “Nothing of any note anyway, and frankly I’d rather not detect at all if all I am being asked to investigate is the disappearance of a cow.”

“Cows matter a great deal to some people,” Charlotte countered. “Mr. Hawthorne was delighted to have Gracie returned to him, and I do believe he will think twice about gambling her away again in the future.”

“Yes, and that was all well and good,” Emily sighed. “But it’s not quite the same as our summer adventure, is it? Why, we haven’t been terrified for our lives on any single day or night for the last four months.”

“I was rather concerned by my last cold,” Charlotte said.

“Perhaps it might be more helpful for us to talk about the fears and anxieties that concern us regarding our submission to Aylott and Jones,” Anne suggested. “For if we voice our feelings, share the burden of our worries, we may lessen them.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Charlotte said.

“What a horrifying prospect,” Emily said, adding thoughtfully, “Perhaps we should advertise Bell Brothers and Company in the paper—spread word of our services further afield. I’m sure that Bradford is rife with immorality of all kinds.”

“There is a good deal more law enforcement in Bradford,” Charlotte said, disconsolate. “Constables everywhere you look spoiling the fun.”

“Soon we will have word of our book of rhymes,” Anne persisted. “Our names, or rather the names Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell, will be out in the world, for praise or condemnation. And should it be praise, then, well, we should have material ready. For, sisters, we will never make a living from detecting. But we may from our writing.”

Emily sat down in a sulk, her gaze trained on Charlotte.

“She will not stop talking about it, will she?” she said, jerking her head in Anne’s direction.

“She’s clearly very nervous,” Charlotte said. “As her older sisters, we should try to calm her.”