The Seaforth Heiress (Historic Women of the Highlands)
Bernard’s series Historic Women of the Highlands continues with the life of Mary Elizabeth Mackenzie, the last of the Seaforth family, who were plagued with the curse of the Brahan Seer, a legendary 17th-century Scottish soothsayer whose final prophecy predicted the doom of the House of Seaforth. Whether these mythical tales are fact or fiction is downplayed in Bernard’s novel but acts as a segue way into Mary’s character, a genteelly outspoken, learned woman who exercised a lot of freedom for a 19th-century heiress. Historical gaps have been expertly filled with credible musings on the colonial times in which Mary lived, the influence of her family, and her need to fulfill her legacy.
In 1803, Mary’s father, Lord Seaforth, was the Crown-appointed governor of the British colony of Barbados. One friend who visited often was Sir Samuel Hood, an older man Mary fell in love with and married. Their life together was for the most part a good one, spent partly in London and partly in Madras, India, when Hood was posted there by Naval Command. Long absences due to his career only seem to have made the heart grow stronger, although there were no children of the marriage.
As I discovered when reading Sisters of Castle Leod, Bernard’s ability to tell a story is graceful and simple, allowing a smoothly flowing narrative to carry the events. Researched details are evident in descriptive sections which feel spot on and never overstep the mark, including Barbadian and Indian locations that are easy to imagine and feel. Mary’s character, her kindness, her search for knowledge, and her strong sense of social and family duty make her an engaging protagonist, and we learn a lot through her eyes. The novel brings Mary Mackenzie and the mythical pull of the Scottish Highlands back into the well-deserved spotlight.
