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Back The Darkest Shore Save as PDF
Chapters (76)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Also by Karen Brooks
  4. Title Page
  5. Dedication
  6. EXPLANATORY NOTE
  7. PART ONE
  8. One
  9. Two
  10. Three
  11. Four
  12. Five
  13. Six
  14. Seven
  15. Eight
  16. Nine
  17. Ten
  18. Eleven
  19. Twelve
  20. Thirteen
  21. Fourteen
  22. Fifteen
  23. Sixteen
  24. Seventeen
  25. Eighteen
  26. Nineteen
  27. Twenty
  28. Twenty-One
  29. Twenty-Two
  30. Twenty-Three
  31. Twenty-Four
  32. Twenty-Five
  33. Twenty-Six
  34. Twenty-Seven
  35. Twenty-Eight
  36. PART TWO
  37. Twenty-Nine
  38. Thirty
  39. Thirty-One
  40. Thirty-Two
  41. Thirty-Three
  42. Thirty-Four
  43. Thirty-Five
  44. PART THREE
  45. Thirty-Six
  46. Thirty-Seven
  47. Thirty-Eight
  48. Thirty-Nine
  49. Forty
  50. Forty-One
  51. Forty-Two
  52. Forty-Three
  53. Forty-Four
  54. Forty-Five
  55. Forty-Six
  56. Forty-Seven
  57. Forty-Eight
  58. Forty-Nine
  59. Fifty
  60. Fifty-One
  61. Fifty-Two
  62. PART FOUR
  63. Fifty-Three
  64. Fifty-Four
  65. Fifty-Five
  66. Fifty-Six
  67. Fifty-Seven
  68. Fifty-Eight
  69. Fifty-Nine
  70. Sixty
  71. Sixty-One
  72. Epilogue: Autumn 1706
  73. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  74. GLOSSARY
  75. LIST OF CHARACTERS
  76. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

‘Look at you,’ chuckled Nettie. ‘Giddy as a wee lassie, and with all that’s happening too. I told you the day you returned he was a good ’un, didn’t I?’

‘You did, Nettie. Even so, I thought he’d never go.’

Peeling herself away from the door, Sorcha went to the fire. She pulled a small doll-like figure from her pocket and studied it. Nettie joined her, so close she could hear her breathing. Made of wax, it had a head of brown wool hair, disproportionate limbs and bright blue beads pressed into its tallow face for eyes. It looked like no one they knew, but they both understood who it was meant to represent. Sorcha had found it beneath Beatrix’s pillow when they’d raced to her cottage after Alick revealed what was happening. The captain had waited outside while the two friends did a quick search of the premises. Shocked to find it, agreeing it meant nothing but a poor attempt at punishment and humour, Sorcha had stuffed it in her pocket. Why they kept it a secret from Captain Ross she wasn’t sure, but she knew it was the right thing to do. The man was risking enough for them already.

‘Here’s to Beatrix and Nicolas,’ she said, holding the small wax figure aloft. What on earth Beatrix was thinking to do something so foolish, so reprehensible as to make a figurine of Peter Morton, she couldn’t fathom. Never mind, no one would find it now.

She threw it on the flames and put an arm around Nettie, drawing her close as they watched the damn thing become engulfed by flames before it swiftly fizzed and melted.

Eighteen

EIGHTEEN

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About the beginning of May, his case altered to the worse, by having such strange and unusuall fitts, as did astonish all onlookers…

— Annals of Pittenweem, Being Notes and Extracts from the Ancient Records of that Burgh, 13th day of June, 1704

Peter Morton found it hard to remember what it was like to live without pain. Each day the stiffness in his neck and limbs seemed to grow worse. His stomach, unable to hold down anything but watery broths for weeks now, was bloated and sore. Admittedly, it was mainly when Reverend Cowper came to visit and they spoke of the torments experienced by Christian Shaw that his agonies increased. The reverend would become almost ecstatic, holding his hand, murmuring prayers, calling on God and asking Him for the names of those causing Peter’s affliction. Strangely, as the days wore on, each time the reverend asked God to reveal the people responsible for Peter’s fits and contortions and recited possible names, Peter’s pain intensified and he would cry out.