Summary

When Chapter 9 opens, we learn that Master Jordan has taken Lizzie Carr, Kitty Gosse, and Kitty's best friend, Anne Rogers, to the manor house for questioning about Willowjack's death. Brooker Higgs and the Derby twins, fearful that they will be prime suspects in the case, have fled the village. Although no one is certain who killed the horse, the community has reached a consensus that Mistress Beldam is responsible. Thirsk learns through hearsay how Master Jordan's men must have chosen Lizzie for questioning: although she is only a child, the flowers she wore in her hair for Gleaning Day likely made her suspicious to the stewards. No one is exactly sure how Kitty Gosse and Anne Rogers became involved.

As he asks for details about these recent developments, Thirsk notices that his neighbors have begun to seem suspicious of him. He realizes that, as...