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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

Patrick wrote the names down. ‘And what of Sorcha McIntyre? Did you see her, Alexander?’

Peter’s eyes flickered. Patrick knew the boy was torn. But whereas Peter, in his foolish young heart, still carried a torch for Sorcha and wished she could be his, Patrick wanted to rid himself of the temptation she posed, not only to himself, or Peter, but to all the men of the Weem.

He also saw how the love the lad thought he felt for the fishwife had twisted upon itself. So long as Peter didn’t learn that Aidan Ross had been sent to war and, most likely, his death, he could use this jealousy to his advantage.

Time to put it to the test. ‘Did you not say Sorcha was one of those who tormented you the most, Peter?’ asked the reverend.

Peter raised his chin and gazed steadily at Patrick. Doubt marched across his face and Patrick could see he was recalling her lovely features.

‘Does she not enchant men, Peter, and use her female wiles to bewitch them?’ The reverend waited. Rain pummelled the windows. Something thudded deep within the house.

‘Did you not tell me, Peter,’ added Patrick, ‘that she has bewitched a soldier so he has no choice but to do her bidding and that of the other witches?’

Peter took a deep breath; a flicker of annoyance drew his brows together.

Patrick knew he was treading on dangerous ground, revealing a secret like that, but he had to risk it.

‘I did say that,’ said Peter reluctantly.

‘Do you not think she could have been trying, along with Isobel and the others, to bewitch poor Alexander here? That he might have been the first of their victims, even before you? What if the truth is that they waited until Sorcha McIntyre returned to the Weem and then pounced? Imagine what the men in Edinburgh would say to that. How differently they would regard you once that information came to light.’

Alexander was gripping his glass so tightly, his knuckles were white.

Peter wriggled his legs, shifted on the seat as if something uncomfortable was upon the cushion. His lower lip thrust out. ‘All I ken is that Sorcha McIntyre be no ordinary woman. She be —’

‘Aye, aye,’ cried Alexander, his fist thumping the arm of his chair. He slammed down his empty glass. ‘She was there. I remember. I remember everything. They came together, all of them, Thomas Brown among them, and burst into my cottage. They called upon the devil to do me harm. They thought I was asleep, but I was in a trance and saw them. I saw them all.’