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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 Aidan. His hair was longer, his face thinner, older. But his smile was the same. The truth of his presence dawned on her slowly, achingly, like a dream fulfilled. The love that flowed within her bubbled to the surface, making all her actions heavy, as if someone else altogether had taken control of her body. She tried to speak, to utter the words caught in her throat, but before she could, much to her astonishment, instead of gathering her in his arms, he stepped out of the way.

Another man took his place.

Nettie gasped.

A tall, gaunt man with a golden beard and dazzling sea-green eyes filled the doorway, staring at Sorcha, willing her to know him. A deep scar cleft his right cheek, and she noticed he had three fingers missing from one hand. Leaning on a stick, he tilted towards her, his smile at once sad and terrible, kind and wise.

Sorcha released Nettie’s hand. Her heart was beating so loudly, she could scarce hear what Nettie or the others were saying. Dimly aware that the neighbours were whispering, making sounds of delight and disbelief as they poured out of their houses and gathered behind her, she couldn’t really comprehend why. This man, this familiar yet strange man could not be…

Nae. It was impossible, wasn’t it? He wore a clerical collar about his neck…

‘Robbie?’ she whispered, taking a tentative step. ‘Is that you?’

The man propped his stick against the doorway and held out his arms, his smile deepening. ‘Come here, lass, give me a hug and find out for yourself.’

With a great sob, Sorcha forgot all her aches and sorrow and, hesitantly at first and then with an energy that came from her heart before it burst into every other part of her body, ran and threw herself into his arms.

‘Robbie!’ she squealed, laughing and crying all at once.

He spun her around and around as she buried her head in his neck to the sound of cheers and shouts. As she wept the tears she’d denied herself from the day he’d left, he whispered his love for her and his everlasting joy that he was returned and they were a family once again.

A family that, as he turned and opened his arms to Aidan and Nettie, included the others she loved with all her boundless, hurting heart as well.

Epilogue: Autumn 1706

EPILOGUE

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Ye’ve tae spill afore ye spin.

(You can’t be perfect right from the beginning.)

Autumn 1706