Honey's Farm by Iris Gower Page A

waiting for him to go on.
    â€˜The cow sickness will surely spread,’ he said evenly. ‘It can be transferred somehow to humans, so I don’t want you going near the animals at all, do you see? And you must keep Patrick away too. I don’t want anything happening to either of you.’
    A warmth spread through Fon. He cared, he really cared about her as well as his son. Then she realized the utter seriousness behind his words and suddenly she felt chilled. ‘Do you think the other animals will get it?’
    â€˜Maybe,’ Jamie said. ‘For sure the cows in calf will abort, but I’m going to do my damnest to try to save the herd and put them to the bull again once they are dry.’
    â€˜Dry? You mean we won’t even have any milk from them?’ Fon asked incredulously.
    â€˜The milk, it will be full of the sickness,’ Jamie said sternly. ‘I will see to the disposing of it, me and Tommy.’
    â€˜How will you do that?’ Fon asked, feeling fear creep over her. If the sickness was serious, what were Jamie’s chances of catching it?
    â€˜I’ll buy in a healthy calf,’ Jamie said. ‘It will take the milk from the cows until they run dry. It’ll have to suckle day and night – it won’t be easy.’
    He smiled at her suddenly.
    â€˜Don’t look so worried, I’ve survived worse things in my time. We’ll be all right, trust me, my colleen.’
    Her face softened. He had not called her colleen for what seemed a very long time. She reached out and took his hand and the look he gave her healed the breach between them in an instant.
    One by one, the cows cast their calves at six months, and Fon knew that for each calf aborted Jamie was losing money. Not only would there be no calves to sell at spring market next year, but the herd of mature cows might have to be slaughtered if they became barren through the sickness.
    It was Fon who turned to Jamie now, took him into her arms and kissed and caressed him until she felt him harden in desire. They made love almost desperately; Jamie thrust into her with almost painful intensity, as though at any moment she might be snatched away from him.
    Afterwards, as they lay in each other’s arms, Fon knew a cold fear that Jamie might contract the sickness and die. She turned her face into his warm shoulder and realized that he too was lying awake, staring the uncertain future in the face with courage, which was more than she could do; for, without her husband, her life would be over. She was bound to Jamie O’Conner with the strongest bonds of all, the bonds of love.

CHAPTER SIX
    At the edge of the O’Conner farmland, on a rise of a softly sloping hill, stood the big barn where in the lambing season the ewes were kept. This was Gary the shepherd boy’s domain, and here he ruled supreme.
    It had always amused Fon that Gary was still referred to as a ‘boy’, because he was fifty if he was a day, with grizzled white hair that protruded from under a worn cap, and a thin face, as craggy as the hills that sheltered his sheep. But, for all that, Gary was still upright and strong enough to handle the herd at all seasons, from the lambing to the shearing.
    His method of shearing was one that fascinated Fon. Gary would manhandle the animal and hold it close to him, almost tenderly, like a lover, and swiftly cut away the thick winter fleece, scarcely ever nicking the vulnerable flesh beneath the wool.
    But the sheep, for now, must take second place, because with the cow sickness causing a crisis on the farm, even Gary was needed to help. In just a few short days, all of the breeding cows had become infected.
    Gary grumbled constantly and bitterly, but he took his turn bringing the bought, healthy calf to the milk-laden cows morning and night in an effort to save the animals. Everyone on the farm knew the consequences of losing an entire herd of beasts; it would be little short of a