her grip tightened. ‘Don’t,’ she repeated.
‘Let me go, Mrs Collins,’ he said. But he did not pull hishand away. He waited until she realised he meant it and she had released her hold.
He returned with his cloak and more blankets and she cocooned herself in her makeshift bed in the open air. Abel wasn’t far away and his presence dominated her restless sleep. He was so different from Edgar, so very, very different.
She had to clean the hut again before warming up the porridge, which they both ate hungrily. More rocks and loose shale had blocked the track. She would be foolish to try to climb over the rubble and Abel reckoned he had several days’ labouring to clear it. She took a piece of salt pork and a sack of vegetables from his supplies and put them to boil over the fire.
Abel kept himself away from her and very busy during daylight hours which he spent repairing his hut and clearing a way through the rock fall as well as tending his ewes. Beth tended to the lamb and was acutely disappointed when another ewe gave birth and became his foster mother. She cleaned up the hut again, kept the fire and cooked. But when they ate and talked together in the evenings it was difficult for Beth not to be aware of Abel as a man rather than one of her husband’s farmworkers.
For his part, he maintained a physical distance between them always, even apologising if he accidently brushed by her. During the night he disappeared to sleep she knew not where. But she was at ease in his company. He did not threaten her in any way and she respected him for that. He addressed her as ‘Mrs Collins’ or ‘madam’ and only once did their conversation approach the personal. He was tired and cold and had taken a tot of brandy in his tea. She had talked at length of her former school friends and favourite teachers.
‘You have been an education for me, Mrs Collins,’ he said. ‘You have reminded me what I am working towards.’
‘And what is that, sir?’
‘I wish for my own home in which to raise my own family.’
‘You must seek a wife then,’ Beth smiled.
‘Indeed I must,’ he mused. ‘I shall search for one like you. Edgar is a lucky man.’
Beth was flattered and she blushed in the lamplight. But Abel apologised for his comment immediately and picked up his bedroll. She wanted to protest that he had not embarrassed her unduly and he need not leave, but he bid her goodnight and went out into the night. She was aware of his reasons. He was a bachelor and she was a married woman. He took the lantern with him leaving her the candles, but she felt as though the light had gone out of the evening. If only, she reflected, her husband was a man like Abel.
Early next morning he clambered through the remaining rocks on the track and walked round the scar to where there was a view down to the farm. When he came back his face was grim. ‘There is no smoke from the farmhouse chimney.’
‘But Mr Roberts ought to be back from Settle by now.’
‘I fear not.’
‘Then I must make haste to return.’
‘I’ll try to clear the path before noon.’
He seemed anxious for her to leave as soon as possible and she guessed that she should. A familiarity was developing between them and it would not do.
‘Thank you, sir,’ she replied formally and prepared for her journey.
Chapter 5
‘It’s a chill, Mrs Roberts. I’ll mix you a remedy.’
Beth was concerned about the older woman’s fever. She had found the farmyard in a chaotic state. The hens were out and a barn wall had collapsed on top of the trap. But the sturdy stone buildings were standing. She had tethered the donkey and hurried past the swinging door of the stable holding her hand over her nose to avoid the putrid smell. There were no horses left on the farm and the goats were running free so she guessed it must be the cow.
Mrs Roberts had fallen, banged her head on the kitchen floor and lain there until she came round. Beth made her comfortable on a couch
‘Let me go, Mrs Collins,’ he said. But he did not pull hishand away. He waited until she realised he meant it and she had released her hold.
He returned with his cloak and more blankets and she cocooned herself in her makeshift bed in the open air. Abel wasn’t far away and his presence dominated her restless sleep. He was so different from Edgar, so very, very different.
She had to clean the hut again before warming up the porridge, which they both ate hungrily. More rocks and loose shale had blocked the track. She would be foolish to try to climb over the rubble and Abel reckoned he had several days’ labouring to clear it. She took a piece of salt pork and a sack of vegetables from his supplies and put them to boil over the fire.
Abel kept himself away from her and very busy during daylight hours which he spent repairing his hut and clearing a way through the rock fall as well as tending his ewes. Beth tended to the lamb and was acutely disappointed when another ewe gave birth and became his foster mother. She cleaned up the hut again, kept the fire and cooked. But when they ate and talked together in the evenings it was difficult for Beth not to be aware of Abel as a man rather than one of her husband’s farmworkers.
For his part, he maintained a physical distance between them always, even apologising if he accidently brushed by her. During the night he disappeared to sleep she knew not where. But she was at ease in his company. He did not threaten her in any way and she respected him for that. He addressed her as ‘Mrs Collins’ or ‘madam’ and only once did their conversation approach the personal. He was tired and cold and had taken a tot of brandy in his tea. She had talked at length of her former school friends and favourite teachers.
‘You have been an education for me, Mrs Collins,’ he said. ‘You have reminded me what I am working towards.’
‘And what is that, sir?’
‘I wish for my own home in which to raise my own family.’
‘You must seek a wife then,’ Beth smiled.
‘Indeed I must,’ he mused. ‘I shall search for one like you. Edgar is a lucky man.’
Beth was flattered and she blushed in the lamplight. But Abel apologised for his comment immediately and picked up his bedroll. She wanted to protest that he had not embarrassed her unduly and he need not leave, but he bid her goodnight and went out into the night. She was aware of his reasons. He was a bachelor and she was a married woman. He took the lantern with him leaving her the candles, but she felt as though the light had gone out of the evening. If only, she reflected, her husband was a man like Abel.
Early next morning he clambered through the remaining rocks on the track and walked round the scar to where there was a view down to the farm. When he came back his face was grim. ‘There is no smoke from the farmhouse chimney.’
‘But Mr Roberts ought to be back from Settle by now.’
‘I fear not.’
‘Then I must make haste to return.’
‘I’ll try to clear the path before noon.’
He seemed anxious for her to leave as soon as possible and she guessed that she should. A familiarity was developing between them and it would not do.
‘Thank you, sir,’ she replied formally and prepared for her journey.
Chapter 5
‘It’s a chill, Mrs Roberts. I’ll mix you a remedy.’
Beth was concerned about the older woman’s fever. She had found the farmyard in a chaotic state. The hens were out and a barn wall had collapsed on top of the trap. But the sturdy stone buildings were standing. She had tethered the donkey and hurried past the swinging door of the stable holding her hand over her nose to avoid the putrid smell. There were no horses left on the farm and the goats were running free so she guessed it must be the cow.
Mrs Roberts had fallen, banged her head on the kitchen floor and lain there until she came round. Beth made her comfortable on a couch
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