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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

‘I did warn you what would happen should you stick your nose in where it’s not wanted. But I’m not an unreasonable man. While I’m mighty disappointed the women can’t be tried here in the Weem, among their own, I also don’t think it’s right to hold them in the Tolbooth until Edinburgh sees fit to dispense justice, do you? Reading between the lines here,’ he waved a hand over the letter, ‘it could be months before a trial is held. I think the witches have withstood enough.’

Aye, that was the line he’d take. It would deflect any criticism he’d been inappropriate in his dealings with the women. It would also help people forget what happened to Thomas Brown. If he showed some clemency, it would silence his detractors. After all, how could they say he was playing God or being unreasonable if he was the one insisting the women be freed until their trial?

Captain Ross straightened. He edged forward in his seat. Ah, Patrick thought, he’d taken the bait, now to reel him in.

‘What do you propose to do with them?’ asked the captain, daring to place an elbow on the desk.

Patrick could smell anticipation on the man. He resisted the urge to reach across and shove his arm off the wood.

‘What I propose,’ said the reverend, lowering his voice until it was almost a whisper, ‘is to release them.’

‘Release them?’ The captain blinked. He was so eager, so ready to believe. ‘You mean, let the women out of the Tolbooth?’

‘Seems the right, godly thing to do, don’t you think?’

‘When would you be looking to do this, reverend?’

Patrick could almost hear the calculations being made in the man’s head.

‘Och, well, it’s not up to me entirely.’ They both smiled at the absurdity of the statement. Aye, even the captain, an incomer, knew who had power in the Weem. It was all Patrick could do not to preen. ‘But I think I can get the council to agree to this.’ He paused, watched the captain’s face. ‘Only, there’d be a proviso.’

The captain slid his forearm off the desk and sat back in his chair, putting distance between them. ‘What might that be, reverend?’ The question was cold.

‘It’s only fair that the women pay a bond. After all, we can’t afford to have them flee, can we? A bond is their guarantee they’ll remain in the district until they’re brought to trial.’

This time it was the captain’s turn to dissemble. Patrick sensed rather than saw it. ‘I see, and how much mo— How much do you think might be asked of these poor women?’