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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?

And it was with that rousing cheer ringing in her ears that Charlotte opened the door to the dining room for a second time.

—

Lady Hartley looked perfectly comfortable as she sat, Flossy installed at her side, as though they were old and dear friends. Though this did a little to ease Charlotte’s nerves, still she found she was holding her breath. Suddenly she saw their humble little dining room anew, crowded as it was with aged furniture. How very paltry it must have seemed to this woman, who occupied not one great house but three.

For a moment Charlotte thought about shutting the dining room door again, so very ill at ease was she. All she could think of was her irregular teeth and less-than-refined accent. However, there could be no third opening of the door. Now was the time to walk through or never, and Charlotte had made up her mind long ago that she was not a “never” kind of person.

“Lady Hartley,” she said, dropping a small curtsey and bowing her head, “I am so very pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“Miss Brontë, you are so kind to entertain me uninvited, but the truth is that ever since that poor dear soul was laid to rest, I have been unable to think of anything else,” Lady Hartley explained with earnest distress. Somehow ageless, she was a very well-made woman. Her day dress was tailored to suit her every curve, and her pleasant demeanour made her naturally attractive, as was often the way with a woman who thrived on contentment and a life well lived. On this day, though, it was clear to Charlotte that she had been weeping, such was her strength of feeling over the matter of the bones.

“Lady Hartley,” Charlotte repeated, curtseying again and wishing with all her might that the boards beneath her feet would open up and swallow her whole. She might well have the intellect of a giant, but at that precise moment, she felt that she had the social graces of a dumbstruck fool or, even worse, Emily. “Please do not distress yourself further. I would be glad to help you in any way that I can.”

With gargantuan effort Charlotte forced herself into the room and shut the door behind her, praying silently that she would not say another foolish word aloud.

“We are so honoured that you have graced us with a visit,” Charlotte said. “I only wish that we had suitable refreshments especially prepared. As it is, Tabby is making us some tea, and we have a little cake, which, though it was made yesterday, is very nice.”