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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

‘What is it you can’t, lass?’ asked the captain so very gently, his great black eyes reflecting the flames, radiating kindness and such empathy it made her want to weep all over again. ‘If you can’t bear to have a man near you, I’ll understand and make myself scarce. I see now I shouldn’t have touched you and for that I’m very sorry.’ He held up his hands as if in surrender. ‘I’m worried about leaving you in the state you’re in. All of your friends have someone to care for them, the townsfolk made sure of that. And I said I’d look to you. So, please, let me, then I’ll be gone.’

Sorcha’s shoulders slumped and damn if she didn’t begin to sob. ‘Nae… nae… That’s not it.’ She shook her head. ‘You don’t understand.’

‘Nae. I don’t,’ agreed the captain.

‘I can’t sit,’ Sorcha cried.

‘Is it something else those bastards did, lass? I know some of it, but not all.’ He drew himself up to his full height.

If Sorcha hadn’t been so upset, she would have smiled. Would she ever be able to talk about what was done to them? The terrible humiliations and pain? She doubted it. All she wanted was to forget those things ever happened.

‘It’s quite simple, really. I don’t want to sit or eat while I’m so filthy. While I smell like the Tolbooth. I feel like I don’t belong here — at least, not like this.’ She glanced down at her grubby skirts in dismay.

The captain smacked his palm against his forehead. ‘What was I thinking? I’m readying some water for you to bathe in, lass, but I thought feeding you was more important.’

Sorcha’s eyes glimmered. ‘I need to be clean.’ To be cleansed.

Misunderstanding the source of her trembling, he ushered her closer to the fire then left her standing there. Crying freely now, wondering if the others felt like her, so dirty that a bath was their priority, Sorcha was vaguely aware of a tub being rolled into the middle of the room, the captain moving backwards and forwards across the floor, out the back, the gurgle of water being poured, before the smell of lavender and roses wafted towards her.

By the time she’d dried her eyes, hiccoughing gently now the tempest had subsided, it was to find a steaming bath awaiting her. It was enough to make her cry afresh.