The World Within by Jane Eagland Read Free Book Online

bones, but as Mr. Dowson cracks his whip and the wheels start to turn, she turns to her family and manages to force a smile.
    Suddenly Emily’s sorry. She shouldn’t have been mean to Charlotte on her last day. And now Charlotte’s going and she won’t have a chance to make amends. As the cart moves off, she raises her hand to wave.
    But it’s too late — Charlotte has turned to face ahead and doesn’t look back.
    Watching her sister disappearing round the corner by the church, Emily feels an ache in her chest as though a thread connecting her to Charlotte is being tugged harder and harder as her sister is carried away.
    What if it should snap?
    “Come on in now, Emily,” Papa calls from the gate.

    Back in the house, they stand about in the hall, uncertain what to do next.
    “Best get on,” says Tabby, blowing her nose and moving quickly toward the kitchen.
    Aunt takes herself off upstairs and Emily looks at Papa, expecting him to take them into the study for their lessons as usual, but, blinking behind his spectacles, he says, “I think, given the circumstances, we’ll have a change this morning. I have some work I need to do. You children can amuse yourselves, can’t you?” He doesn’t wait for them to nod in reply, but shoots into the study and shuts the door.
    They look at one another. Branwell shrugs and goes into the parlor. After a second, Emily and Anne follow him in and huddle near the fire. Emily wants its comforting warmth, but because the peat’s damp it’s giving off more smoke than heat.
    She doesn’t know what to do with herself. On any other day, they’d all be ecstatic at this unexpected holiday, but not today. Anne is scratching her chilblains and looking miserable. Branwell has thrown himself into a chair and is kicking its leg and scowling.
    It must be hard for him too. When they’re working on the Glass Town saga, he’s so used to having Charlotte to spark ideas off. Even though he always claims the best ideas are his.
    A sudden thought makes Emily sit up straight. Without Charlotte, Branwell will need her and Anne. They can go back to playing together, just like they did in the old days. Then when Charlotte comes back, she’ll have missed them so much she’ll want to join in again. It will be just as it used to be.
    Emily puts her hand on her brother’s shoulder. “Banny,” she says, using their old pet name for him, “why don’t we go on with Glass Town? It might cheer us up.”
    He shrugs her off irritably. “Don’t call me that. I’m not a child anymore.” He glares at her. “And what makes you think I’d want to play with you? It’s the last thing I’d want to do.”
    For a moment Emily can’t breathe. First Charlotte. Now Branwell. But she can’t let him see how wounded she is. She narrows her eyes. “I see, Mr. Clever. You think you can manage on your own, do you?”
    He snorts. “Of course. I don’t need you.”
    A hot rush of anger floods her chest. “Go on, then. But you’ll be sorry. Anne and I will keep our ideas to ourselves.”
    “Ideas? You two? Hah! The rubbish you two think of is enough to make the cat laugh.”
    Anne gets to her feet. “Branwell … Emily …”
    Emily curls her hand into a fist, but before she can hit him, he says, “You’re such silly babies, you don’t understand anything about the things Charlotte and me want to write about. I’ll do Glass Town by myself. I don’t want you!” He flings himself out of the room and slams the door.
    Emily smacks her fist down on the table, making Anne jump.
    “Damn you! Damn you to hell!”
    Anne’s staring at her with big eyes, but she doesn’t care.
    After a long silence Emily hears the melancholy sound of Branwell’s flute floating down the stairs and all at once it’s too much …
    A knot forms in her throat, threatening to choke her. The room suddenly seems airless and she makes for the window. Pressing her hands and forehead against the cold pane, she looks out at the