Chapters (76)
- Cover
- About the Author
- Also by Karen Brooks
- Title Page
- Dedication
- EXPLANATORY NOTE
- PART ONE
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- PART TWO
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- PART THREE
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- PART FOUR
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Epilogue: Autumn 1706
- AUTHOR’S NOTE
- GLOSSARY
- LIST OF CHARACTERS
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Nettie sighed heavily. ‘Tell me you didn’t curse him, Beatrix.’
‘Well, not much,’ said Beatrix, with a twinkle in her eye and a lopsided grin.
Janet shook her head. ‘They’ll be the death of you one day, those curses of yours, you mark my words. They trip off your tongue like prayers from Cowper’s lips. Remember what happened when you cursed the Todd lad?’
Beatrix waved a hand dismissively. ‘That was nine years ago. Even Cowper was forced to let the petition against me go — there was no proof. Anyhow, I didn’t curse the Morton lad,’ she objected. ‘I threatened to make a charm against him.’
Sorcha couldn’t help it, she gave a gasp of mock horror. ‘But that’s exactly what Mr Todd accused you of doing to his son.’
‘Charms mean harm — isn’t that what Cowper says?’ piped up Nicolas who, along with two other fishwives, had been listening to the conversation with no small measure of alarm. ‘Don’t mock. He doesn’t mean harm from the spell, he means the harm that comes to those who cast them if he finds out.’ She waited for her words to sink in. ‘He says they’re the devil’s work.’
Beatrix puffed in disparagement. ‘Do I look like a devil to you? I meant nothing by it. I told Peter if I have any say in the matter, he’ll get the claw — punishment. If not from me, then someone else. You ken what the lad did? Laughed. Right in my face.’ She folded her arms again, brooding.
Nicolas shook her head gravely. Janet rolled her eyes. Slowly, they picked up the nets and resumed their mending.
‘On second thoughts,’ said Beatrix after a moment, ‘maybe a charm is what I need. Not to get those nails for my William, but to remind young Peter of his manners.’
‘And you think a charm is the way to do that?’ asked Sorcha lightly, needle poised mid-air.
Beatrix pushed her hands onto her knees and rose to her feet. ‘For an auld woman like me, it’s the only way. Lads and lassies these days, they’ve no respect for their elders, not any more. If I can’t get it by fair means, I’ve no choice but to use what’s available to me, even if it be foul.’ Her eyes lost focus and she scratched her neck.
‘Aye, well, you be careful, Beatrix,’ warned Janet. ‘Just because you got away with it before doesn’t mean you will again. Problem with charms and curses, once you make them, you never know how they’ll turn out. They’ve a power of their own and shouldn’t be used lightly.’