The Time and the Place by Jane Renshaw

Author:Jane Renshaw [Renshaw, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-12-16T22:00:00+00:00

23

Karen shook hay into the trough, which wasn’t easy because Toby the soay ram kept trying to nudge her aside to get to it first. She loved the soays – their wool was like fur and the colour of chocolate. They came from the island of Soay way out off the Atlantic coast of Scotland. Baz said the name Soay meant ‘Island of Sheep’ in Old Norse, which suggested that the sheep had been there at least as far back as Viking times. They shed their wool naturally, as all primitive breeds did, so there was no need to shear them. Prim spun the wool and knitted stuff with it which she sold at craft fairs.

Gwennie tangled her fingers into Toby’s fleece and pulled him away.

The sheep’s breath was steaming all round them in the icy air, and they’d trampled the snow around the trough into a muddy guddle. But in her snazzy new wellies, Karen was fine with that.

Across the field, Ade was striding through the snow towards them. It was so deep here, where the field dipped into a hollow, that he had to lift his feet high with every step, leaving weird tracks with gouged-out channels in the snow where his feet had trailed, like they had giant claws on them.

She turned to Gwennie. ‘Can I ask you something?’

Gwennie heaved another bale off the back of the pick-up and straightened, hands on the small of her back. ‘Oof. Yes, love?’

‘How old is Ade?’

Gwennie didn’t answer, just stood watching Ade approach.

‘I’ll take you to Pitfourie now,’ he said to Karen when he was near enough. ‘Wouldn’t mind having a go at the little bastard myself.’

‘Okay, great, thanks.’

‘Karen wants to know how old you are,’ said Gwennie.

Fuck.

Ade was breathing heavily from walking through the snow. He came right up to her and put his arms round her and pulled her against him. He hadn’t had a shower that morning and there was a slightly sweaty-underarm smell coming off him. ‘I’ve told you how old I am. I’m twenty-eight.’

‘Uh, yeah.’ She ducked out from his arm to pull more hay out of the bale. The rescue phone was in her leggings pocket, the bump of it covered by her long fleece, and she didn’t want him to feel it there.

‘So what are you asking Gwennie for?’

‘I don’t think she believes you, fella,’ cackled Gwennie. ‘It’s not the years it’s the miles, eh? How old do you think he looks?’

Fuck.

‘Maybe thirty-two?’

He was standing leaning against the trailer, watching her as she moved about.

‘First I’m David Koresh. Now I’m lying about my age.’

‘No –’

‘You want to see my passport?’

Yes. Yes, she did. ‘Of course not. Ade –’

He shook his head and looked off. He could be such a moody bastard, but it never lasted long. She had learned that the best thing was not to engage, because any little thing you said seemed to make him angrier and he would get that cold look in his eyes and then he’d suddenly explode, grab something and smash it, or shout right in your face.

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