I greeted her. I had not seen her since that bloody afternoon in November. She looked much different: thinner, and somewhat calmer.
“You are going on a pilgrimage?” I asked her.
“Yes, to Santiago de Compostela in faraway Spain. It is said that a pilgrimage to that shrine will help atone for one’s sins, and I have many sins to atone for.”
I thought of those small bones I had found in the cave. And of Gormal and her strange son, and of poor Niall and Liam. “We all have sins,” I said. “But I wish you a safe journey and a safe return.”
She smiled faintly. “As to it’s being safe, we shall see. But I must thank you, Muirteach. For you saved my life on that sad day.”
She smiled again, and boarded the ship with her companion, and Colonsay saw her no more.
About the Author
SUSAN MCDUFFIE’s childhood interest in Scotland was fueled by stories of the traditional clan lands of Colonsay and the McDuffie clan’s traditional role as “Keeper of the Records” for the Lord of the Isles. On her first visit to Scotland she hitchhiked her way through the Outer Hebrides, at length arriving on Colonsay, and the initial seeds for the Muirteach mysteries were planted.
The Muirteach MacPhee mysteries include A MASS FOR THE DEAD (2006),THE FAERIE HILLS (2011), and THE STUDY OF MURDER. The New Mexico Book Awards named THE FAERIE HILLS “Best Historical Novel” of 2011.
Susan has visited Colonsay several times and extensively researched the Muirteach MacPhee mysteries. She lives in New Mexico, sharing her life with a Native American sculptor and four rambunctious cats. Susan loves to hear from readers and can be contacted via email at [email protected] or through her website www.SusanMcDuffie.net. She is currently working on Muirteach’s next adventure.
THE FAERIE HILLS (A Muirteach MacPhee Mystery Book 2) Page 21