The Gisborne Chronicles

CHR2/CH1-Spring Lambing, and a Visit from John Proctor

It was early spring on the Gisborne farm, and Guy was at the pump cleansing his hands and arms of blood after a difficult delivery of twin lambs. The great hound Garrick was lying across the threshold of the house, his habitual place during the day, he was loved by all the family especially the children, but ferocious to strangers, should they come upon him unawares. The water was icy, coming from a spring, and the system was of Guy's own design. He had built it himself, ably abetted by Ivor, who had been stockman when Guy and Auriel had first come to the farm. Sadly, Ivor and his wife Richildis were no longer in his employ, after moving permanently to the farm thirty miles to the north, that Richildis had inherited upon her father's untimely death, several years before.

His new stockman Hywel, and his wife Glenys now lived in the cottage, both being skilled in animal husbandry, at which Glenys was particularly gifted. She had been in the barn with Guy since seven that morning, when Hywel had gone to his bed after a long night of lambing. Glenys had just that moment reproached her master for the seventeen hours he had been without sleep, saying that he would be fit for nothing if he didn't go to his bed,"right soon," and that she would call him should his help be required. Weary and hungry though he was, Guy smiled to himself at her words, for he knew that the likelihood of his being required by his more than able assistant was extremely remote.

Though little in stature, his stockman's wife was skilled in the care of all types of livestock, and had proved to be a great asset to the farm. Seventy two lambs had been delivered over the past six days, and only three lost, one being of the triple birthing he had attended earlier with Glenys' help.

"'Tis always the same, Sir," she had said, "if three are delivered, only two ever thrive, it is nature's way." When a ewe had delivered a still-born about an hour later, she had put the small body to the side, separated the ewe from the flock and penned it. Guy did not question her actions, though he knew not what she was about, until they lost a ewe to blood loss during a birthing. "I will need a sharp knife if we are to save this little one Sir,"she had said, and when he returned with it, she had calmly skinned the tiny body of the dead lamb, placing its bloodied skin over the dead ewe's offspring. She then took it to the ewe in the pen, taking only a few moments persuading it to accept the orphaned lamb as its own.

When she took in Guy's astonished expression, she had said, "it's the smell, Sir, they know the smell of their own lamb, it is in the skin, so they accept it as theirs. In two or three days, we can remove it, and the lamb will thrive, see, the ewe is allowing it to suckle even now." Then she had added, quite firmly, " bed Sir, now!" and Guy willingly complied.

As he walked towards the kitchen, he could hear Aunt Gwyneth laughing with Auriel, and Abigail chuckling along with them, doubtless over some small domestic matter, he thought, but it gladdened his heart nonetheless. He knew that two women in the house generally meant strife, but Aunt Gwyneth's loving presence was ever welcome. She was recently returned, having spent almost a year away, at the home of her sister Gisela, coming to terms with the loss of her grandson Mordred, whom Guy and Auriel had taken into their family, shortly before his untimely death, and she had been much missed during her absence.

When Auriel saw him so weary in the doorway, she immediately went to his side, sympathy etched on her beautiful face.:"Have we lost many?" she asked.

"Only two since yesterday eve," he replied, " one of triplets an hour or so ago, so to be expected, but Glenys somehow matched an orphan with a ewe who delivered a still born, so a good night's work."

"Help him to bed, my girl," said Aunt Gwyneth, " I have seldom seen a man more in need of it. I'll bring bread and eggs if he can stay awake long enough to eat it."

"Oh, I'll eat it," said Guy, "I am so damned famished, I could eat a whole chicken, feathers and all!"

He sat meekly on the bed as Auriel bent to take off his boots, then pressed him to the pillows to remove his breeches. Then she said, "Sit up sweet man, for this shirt is only fit for the wash. He held up his arms like a child as she removed it, falling back to the pillows again as she tried to pull his nightshirt past his broad shoulders, his arms limp as she pulled them through the sleeves. "Lift your legs, my darling," she whispered, " that I may cover you before Aunt Gwyneth arrives with your food."