Beyond the Grave by C. J. Archer

coaches as belonging to each of the committee members. They stood as one, arranged in a wall near the front steps, with Lincoln before them. Gus held the bridle of Lincoln's horse, while Seth stood in the open doorway. None of the visitors or Lincoln seemed inclined to enter.
    "…bloody stupid," I head Gillingham say. He smacked the end of his walking stick against his booted foot to emphasize his point.
    I strained to hear the snatches of conversation. I had a dreadful feeling that I knew what it was about.
    "Where is the witch now?" Lord Marchbank asked, confirming my suspicion.
    "I don't know," Lincoln said. "But I'll find her, and Charlie will send her back."
    "How?" Gillingham sneered. "She couldn't control her then, why would she be able to control her now?"
    I couldn't hear Lincoln's response, because General Eastbrooke spoke over the top of him. "I knew something like this would happen. We should have sent her away months ago."
    "We couldn't have known," Lady Harcourt said. "The chances of someone being a witch are small, and the chances that the one spirit we need is a witch are even smaller."
    "Need?" Gillingham echoed. "Julia, there was no need to raise that witch's spirit yet. The stupid girl took it upon herself to do something highly dangerous—"
    "She didn't take it upon herself," Lincoln cut in. "I ordered her to raise the spirit of Estelle Pearson."
    I gasped. Lincoln was taking the blame? It was one thing to defend my actions but quite another to let them think it was all his idea.
    "Why are you all here?" he went on in the ensuing, stunned silence. "I have work to do. Go inside and have tea, if you wish. I won't be joining you." He took the horse's reins and led it around to the stables.
    I watched him go, too stunned to move or think straight.
    Gillingham's shouted words roused me. "This just proves that she is a weapon that can be used with the intent of doing good, only to have it backfire."
    Lincoln didn't stop. The other three committee members piled into their coaches, leaving Gillingham alone, still shouting at the now empty space where Lincoln had been.
    "She's dangerous! She shouldn't be allowed to roam free, even under your guidance!"
    "Enough, Gilly," Lord Marchbank said through his lowered window. "Today is not the day."
    "Agreed," said the general, also poking his head out the window. "We've confirmed what we needed to know, for now. Returning the spirit must be his priority. We'll tackle the matter of the girl another time, when he's not so busy. I'm only sorry we all made this journey for nothing." He ordered his coachman to drive on, and the carriage rolled away, following Lady Harcourt's.
    Marchbank left next, and finally Gillingham climbed into his coach and thumped on the cabin ceiling with his walking stick.
    I watched them leave with a heavy heart. I should have owned up to my actions. I should have told them I'd operated without Lincoln's consent; indeed, I had gone against his express order. It wasn't fair for him to take the blame when he didn't deserve it.
    Why had I been so cowardly and stayed hidden?
    I would fix this, as I would fix the problem of Estelle Pearson. Somehow.
    But how? I needed to think, but I didn't want to return to the house. I walked away from it, toward the orchard, and climbed an apple tree. The fruit had all been picked, and only a few valiant rust-colored leaves clung to twigs. I went as high as I could go, lodging my good foot between the V of two joining branches and resting my injured foot lightly. The bark was damp, and I didn't want to get my only dry maid's uniform dirty, so I didn't sit or lean like I wanted to, but just stood, like a sailor clinging to a mast, searching the horizon.
    I saw Lincoln approaching well before he reached me, but I didn't descend from my perch until he stopped at my tree.
    "You can come down now," he said. "They're gone."
    "I'm not up here to avoid the committee."
    "Then why are you up there?"
    "I…" I wasn't sure, to be