BooksBarbecue
Back The Darkest Shore
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

‘You see,’ said Cowper, returning to his desk. ‘The good bailies and I have just been drafting a request to Edinburgh.’ He touched Aidan on the shoulder. ‘Save you the effort.’ He laughed at his joke. The bailies began to join in then caught Aidan’s expression and stopped.

‘And what does this request entail, sir?’ asked Aidan politely.

‘Here,’ said the reverend and lifted the piece of paper he’d been studying when Aidan entered. ‘Read it for yourself.’

Aidan scanned the contents swiftly, his brows arching. ‘You’re requesting the help of the Commission of the General Assembly and Privy Council in Edinburgh to bring the witches to trial.’

‘Aye,’ said the reverend. ‘We are.’

Aidan hadn’t expected that. He had believed that the reverend would do everything in his power to stop Edinburgh interfering. According to the letter, bailies Vernour and Cleiland were seeking an audience with the Commission. Aidan knew that less than a fortnight ago, on the first of June, bailies Bell and Cook had travelled to the city and had a meeting with Sir Thomas Moncrieff, justiciar to the regulatory of St Andrew’s. Sir Thomas, along with the rest of the presbytery, must have given them permission to seek (or demanded they did) the aid of Edinburgh. Why, this was good news, wasn’t it? With Edinburgh becoming involved, rather than merely being informed of what was happening by the Pittenweem council — or indeed by his own letters — and bringing in lawyers who were familiar with the vagaries of witch trials, suspicious of the motivations of those doing the charging, that would be a good thing, wouldn’t it?

So why did he feel as if a flock of seagulls were trapped in his chest?

‘May I ask when you intend to send this?’

‘Tomorrow,’ said the reverend simply. ‘Why waste time? In fact, since you’ve been making so many trips to Edinburgh yourself of late, perhaps you’d be good enough to deliver the document on our behalf? You or Sergeant Thatcher? Once it’s properly prepared and sealed of course. Consider this request a mark of our good faith in the correct legal procedure.’ The reverend retrieved the document from him.