ISBN 1-41205459-1 Published by Trafford
MEG and ROB are Armstrongs. And proud of it.
Their Uncle Johnnie is famous along the English/Scottish Border for his boldness,
cunning and riches. This makes it especially difficult for Meg to accept her
father's reluctance to ride out and provide for his family. So, headstrong and
wilful, as always, she takes matters into her own hands. Too late, she is shocked
by the perilous and far reaching consequences of her actions. Instead of helping
her family, she leads them further and further into danger. Will any of them
survive?
And, if so, will their lives ever be the same?
I climb the hill and sit on the cold, grey stone of my brother's grave. And
I think. All Summer I have been coming here. Alone, except for the hatred that
keeps me company, a hate so strong that I can taste it on my tongue.
I trace my finger into the grooves of the name chiselled in the tiny gravestone.
James Armstrong. 1522-1526. Such a short life. Stricken by fever Ma said, three
years ago on the very same night that the Burns raided our land. The same night
that my father lost his nerve and became a useless coward. I know it is wrong
to hate him as I do, but he has brought our family to such hard times.
© Maureen Rylance. All rights reserved.