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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

It was almost evening by the time she was able to head home. All day folk had come in and out of Katherine’s cottage, wanting to hear exactly what had happened from Sorcha, from Mr Brown and any other witnesses. After midday, Nettie and Isobel burst in and Sorcha had to tell her tale all over again. Many brought food, even those who’d denied service to her and the other accused witches and shouted at them in the street, their offerings by way of apology. Part of Sorcha wanted to throw their largesse back at them, but she had to live among these people and she no more wanted the schism Cowper had created to continue than she did to say a prayer for him. So she smiled and thanked them prettily, listened as they contributed gossip they’d heard, putting the past behind her as best she could. Her da had taught her well and would have been pleased.

Nonetheless, she was grateful that not one person who had been involved directly in Janet’s death sought her company. Those she wasn’t ready to forgive or forget.

Early afternoon, the fishwives and some of the fishermen arrived, bringing with them the finest fish from the catch. Others brought fresh news from St Fillan’s Cave, where the coroner from Edinburgh, who happened to be visiting Laird Anstruther’s place in Anster Easter, had been summoned to examine the reverend’s body.

‘They say his lungs were full of water,’ reported Mr Adam, arriving as if he’d run the entire way from St Fillan’s. Sorcha supposed he had. ‘But he also had some very deep cuts on his legs and arms.’ He slashed his own limbs with his finger to show where he meant. ‘They reckon some were so deep, he’d lost a great deal of blood.’

Sorcha resisted the urge to touch the bandages beneath her sleeves and skirts. Some of hers were deep as well.

‘But it was the hanging what killed him in the end,’ said Mr Adam. The crowded room fell silent then and Sorcha wondered, if like her, they were thinking of poor Janet Cornfoot. Nettie gripped her hand and she knew where her thoughts lay. Her other hand crept up to touch her own neck and she sent a prayer to God that she’d been spared. It wasn’t the first time she’d had a word with the Lord that day, and it wouldn’t be the last.