Here's Part 2 of 'The Ram'.

It's really just a sort of TG 'Mills and Boon' about a relationship that eventually developes between two people.

Chapter 6.

Briony woke to find the room painfully bright. She squinted her eyes for a moment then turned to see two little heads still fast asleep on the pillow beside her. She smiled to see them sleeping so sweetly then turned to the window whence the brightness was coming. She padded across the old carpet and then onto polished oak floorboards before reaching the open curtains and pulling the nets aside. The whiteness dazzled her for the mid-morning sun was reflecting of a vast sheet of pristine white snow. Briony gasped at the spectacular view that stretched to a mountain that she would later learn was Plynlimon Fawr. Then as she looked sideways to comprehend the complete vista she noticed the mullions of a bay window that obviously belonged to the bedroom next door. The Farm house was seemingly a little bigger than she had first thought.

She turned away thoughtfully as her bladder made its’ demands and gratefully availed herself of the pleasures of the en-suite bathroom. It was well appointed and she luxuriated in the facilities until a little body appeared at the door. She smiled at her son who smiled back and reported excitedly, it’s all white outside. The snow’s everywhere. Brionys’ heart melted as she picked him up and held him to her own naked body.

You have a shower darling while I sort out your sister. The shower is lovely and warm and there’s a telephone nozzle to play with. Sion peered inside the warm cubicle and accepted the invitation as Briony attended to Ellairy.

Eventually she had the children washed and then dressed in the same clothes and underwear as the day before for there were no changes of clothes. Worse still she had no changes of clothes, especially knickers. Next she ventured out onto the landing and noticed the several doors leading off. She knew the next room to be Daves’ bedroom and the next door after that led to the stairs that went down to the kitchen. Being a woman, naturally she was curious about the other two doors, one across the landing and an even larger door to the side. Cautiously, she tested the large side door and it creaked open. What she found left her stunned. The door opened onto a corridor that led off about a hundred and fifty feet with doors on either side.

The house was huge! It wasn’t a bloody farm it was a country mansion. Then she remembered the name Plas Craig Las. It was Welsh for Blue-rock Hall. It was a hall, a proper Stately home.

‘And the bugger never said a word!’ she mused.

Then she reflected. They had arrived in the thick of a blinding snow storm at the dead of night. There would have been no need for explanations. Besides, his main concern had been to see her and the children right and he had done that diligently. A wave of guilt swept over her for now she felt like some sort of trespasser intruding upon the mans life. He had shown her nothing but respect and support and she had done nothing but distrust him. The poor bugger had done nothing wrong. She retreated back to the landing, collected the children and went down to the kitchen. She realised now that these were the ‘back stairs’.

She entered the kitchen to find Dave just returning with the dogs and stamping the snow off his boots. Eager to offer some sort of ‘thank you’, she offered him coffee.

“Oooh yes please,” he replied with an enthusiasm that warmed her and made her feel worthwhile.

“It’s deep out there. I’ll have to get the tractor to go and get your car.”

She nodded, grateful that he was thinking of her dilemma.

“Shall I get you some breakfast?”

“Ooooh, I had that early this morning. I’ve fed the sheep in the back paddocks, seen to the ram and the other animals. I’ll get you some breakfast though.”

“Oh no, please. If you’ll just show me where the stuff is. I’ll make us an early lunch, for you as well.”

“You slept well then I gather.”

Briony crimsoned guiltily.

“Yes, rather. I’m sorry, yesterday knocked the stuffing out of me.”

“Well, all’s well that ends well. As my dad used to say.” He replied as he showed her the chest freezer in the utility room and produced the makings for lunch.

“Beef, lamb or pork or chicken?” He asked.

“Oh. I was thinking of just a quick bite, then recover the car and make my way to Machynlleth.”

“Uuuhm, I’m sorry to tell you this Briony but nobody’s going anywhere in this. The snow’s nearly three feet deep where it’s lying. The drifts are up to ten feet!”

Briony stared at him and gasped.

“But it’s Christmas eve. I’ve got to get to Elsbeth, my sister.”

Dave wagged his head and repeated.

“Well I’m sorry love. We are truly snowed in. The tractor will go through this but not even the land-rover is man enough.

I’ll be snow-ploughing my section of the road until the sun sets today then all day tomorrow.”

“What! Christmas Day!”

“Ah, no. That’s a thought. I’d forgotten we were so close to Christmas. No, I’m not working on Christmas day. Nobody would be stupid enough to want to cross these mountains on Christmas day. No sensible family would do that. Sensible families are all cozied up by the fire or eating turkey and pudding or whatever.”

“So what will you be doing, where’s your family?”

Dave fell silent then shrugged. Briony sensed there was almost a feeling of resignation or defeat about his reaction. Then he replied.

“I don’t have any family. I Live alone.”

“What! Up here? Right up in the mountains.”

“Suits me,” Dave replied. “I don’t get bothered by people and I get to do my own thing.”

Even as he slipped it out, he regretted it. His regrets were justified,

“Your own thing? And what might that thing be?”

Dave hesitated then replied cautiously.

“Nothing much. The farm mainly,” he lied. “There’s always stuff to do, I was out this morning checking the animals. I’ll be out again after lunch, checking your car for one thing.” There’s always something demanding my time and attention. So what’s it to be; for lunch that is?”

“I’ve got to feed Ellairy first. If you can get the stuff, I’m sure I can knock something up.”

“Sounds like a deal. I’ve heated the dining room this morning so you’ll have somewhere private. It’s through that passageway and first left.” Dave grinned and went to the pantry just off the utility room.

After selecting a nice shoulder of lamb he picked some vegetables and started preparing the food. By the time Briony was finished with feeding and changing Ellairy he had the meat defrosted and the veg peeled. He had also given Sion a large bowl of porridge. Briony was secretly impressed. The porridge bowl was empty which meant Sion had obviously enjoyed it and the boy was sprawled on the settee playing with the three dogs. Dave turned as Briony emerged from the dining room. Having seen the roaring fire and the beautiful antique dining set in the dining room, she felt confident to comment about the house. To have done so before might have revealed that she had had a little snoop.

“That’s a lovely dining room suite and the room is so large.”

“Yes, I tend only to use that room, the drawing room and the kitchen area.” Dave replied without thinking.

“The drawing room. That sounds very posh!” Briony giggled, secretly hoping that he would open up about the house; for the more she saw from the inside, the more she wanted to explore the rest and see it from the outside. She struck on an idea.

“I think Sion would love to go outside with the dogs. They’ve got spare clothes in the boot of the car. It’s just me that’s stymied. All I’ve got is the stuff I’m standing in.”

Dave paused and stared thoughtfully into the AGAs’ oven as he slipped in the lamb. Then he drew a long slow nervous breath.

“I might have a coat for you. It’s a bush-mans’ coat that a friend once left. It might fit you.”

“Anything’s better than nothing. What about shoes?”

“Doubt it, unless you borrow a pair of my wellies and some extra socks.”

“I could try. It would be lovely just to walk through that pristine snow outside my bedroom window. I saw a set of animal tracks.”

“Probably a fox.” Dave shrugged as he closed the oven, set the timer and stood up as he wiped his hands on a cloth.

“There. I’m afraid that’ll be about an hour. Just time for me to get the tractor out and check your car. Sion can come out on the tractor if you’re happy about that. It’s a closed cab with a dickie seat. Quite safe, even for a little-un.”

Briony turned to Sion whose’ eyes lit up at the idea of a ride through the snow on the tractor. She saw the boys’ desperately hopeful pleading in his eyes and felt her heart melt.

‘How could she deny her boy an adventure like that?’ She asked herself.

“You’ll look after him wont you?” She begged.

Dave sensed Brionys’ hidden concerns and felt disappointed that she still did not trust him.

“Are you afraid for him? Honestly, I don’t bite. I’m not the mad Welsh child snatcher.”

Briony immediately felt guilty. Dave had obviously sensed her concerns; but then they were the legitimate concerns of any mother.

“Sorry Dave, but I worry for him. He’s had a rough time with his father. The man’s a bit of a bully.”

“Is that what the dash across the mountain was about?”

Briony fell silent as the anger started to bubble up. Not with the man in front of her but the man she had just left. Dave quickly sensed her distress and apologised.

“Sorry love. Not my business. D’you feel happy about the boy coming on the tractor?” He asked, hoping to change the subject.

Briony sucked her lip, turned to see her sons’ pleading eyes and relented.

“Okay then, but please, pleeease be careful with him.”

“Will do. Laddie, Lassie, Jenny. Work!”

The dogs erupted off the settee and startled Sion with their enthusiasm. Briony thought the dogs would have far preferred to stay in the warm kitchen. Dave turned at the door.

“Get him dressed while I sort the tractor out.”

With that he was out the door with the dogs darting furiously about the yard. As Briony was just finishing Sions’ shoes, a roar announced the tractors’ arrival. She opened the kitchen door to find an immense yellow beast with wheels about eight feet high and a huge bucket attached to the front. At the back it also sported a ‘bucket hoe’ on an immense hydraulic arm.

The roar settled to a soft, purposeful ‘burble’ and Dave stepped down. Sion tensed in Brionys arms until he saw the man emerge from the beast and climb down a small set of steps. It was only then that the boy realised that the huge yellow beast was actually a giant car. His eyes widened with excitement and he reached out to be taken in Daves’ arms. It was the first time that Briony had ever felt her boy willingly and enthusiastically reach out to be held by a man. Her own eyes widened with happiness as man and boy clambered back up the ladder and Sion was perched on a dickie seat that also serves as a second operators’ seat when the tractor was involved in more complex operations. There was even a safety belt and Briony felt her whole body relax from the tension as she watched her son twist and turn to study the view from his lofty, weather tight perch. His face widened with an immense smile as the tractor smoothly started through the snow with the dogs barking excitedly in the immense tyre tracks it left behind. The ground clearance was all of three feet and the belly of the beast only grazed the snows’ surface. She watched it roll with effortless ease up the field track that they had lurched and bounced down the previous evening then it disappeared onto the high hedged road snow blocked road. She heard the engine roaring its power but it was gone from sight.

Her mind then turned to looking about the house and she fed Ellairy quickly for her curiosity was burning her up. Fortunately, she didn’t need changing so she laid her baby on the large double bed and eagerly set about wandering about the house.

The long corridor proved to be a veritable wonderland of surprises for each door led off to a bedroom with en-suite bathroom and one even had a large walk-in wardrobe. As she entered this room she was pleasantly surprised to note that it did not smell musty like the other rooms; indeed it had obviously been recently used. The wardrobe was full of ladies clothes, shoes and some make-up lay on a dressing table by the bay window.

‘A visiting relative,’ she wondered, ‘or even a girlfriend,’ and she began to feel a tingle of totally irrational jealousy. Whoever the girl was she only wore size twelve or fourteen dresses and sized eight to nine shoes. The girl was obviously also some sort of party animal for the clothes were modern and very revealing. Briony checked out the labels where she was impressed by the range and quality of the goods ... from cheap and cheerful to some rather smart and classy expensive stuff.
‘This girl’s got taste’, she thought enviously, ‘and money. Big feet though.’

Then she had a thought. Those dresses would fit her and he might not notice. After all what man remembered what dresses his girlfriend or relatives last wore then she remembered and cursed silently. She had already told him she had no changes of clothes. Reluctantly, she changed back into her original clothes but not before ‘borrowing’ a pair of ‘sensible’ cotton briefs from one of the several lingerie drawers.

‘He would be unlikely to think of knickers’, she thought as she slipped back to her own bedroom and washed her used knickers in the basin. Feeling slightly cleaner and refreshed she took Ellairy down stairs, wedged her on the settee with some cushions then started in on the lunch. The lamb was timed to come out in about a quarter of an hour and Dave had said he’d be back by then.
‘B’out two-ish,’ she calculated as she set the table in the dining room. She grinned as she wondered how to do it. ‘Should she play ‘lady-of-the-manor’ and sit at the opposite end, or should she sit right next to him in the ‘carver chair’. She decided to sit next to him, it would be silly to be calling to each other up and down the table, particularly as there seemed to be no servants. She laid Sions place next to her and returned to the kitchen.

The meat was just about ready to come out as she hear the tractor growling down the farm lane so she served the veg into bowls ready to lay on the table. The large hot surfaces of the AGA proved perfect for keeping the food hot without spoiling it and she smiled as Sion came in almost prancing with excitement while Dave followed with the dogs obediently to heel. She caught Daves’ eye and raised a questioning eyebrow. Dave just smiled enigmatically and spoke softly as he cast his eyes sideways with a telltale grin.

“He helped.”

Briony got the jist of it and smiled at her grubby five-year-old son. As she took out the lamb, Sion chattered away twenty to the dozen about his great adventure.

“I ended up over my head in snow mummy.”

“Any cuts or scratches?” Asked Briony.

“No. I had to pull the rope and pass it to Dave. Then I had to crawl through the snow with the rope back to the tractor. Dave was under the car looking at the wheels”

“Mr Cadwalloder to you young man,” Briony scolded him gently. “You just watch your manners.”

Sion took little notice and chattered on excitedly about his great adventure while Dave helped serve out the meal. Briony had half an ear to Sions’ epistle while she listened to Dave relate the really bad news.

“The front suspension’s completely shot. You hit a concrete kerbstone as you passed over the drain and slewed into the hedge. The left hand damper arm bolt has sheared. Car’s not going anywhere until the snow clears and I can get it to Llanidloes or Machynlleth ... and that won’t be until each of us farmers has cleared our parts of the road. Once that’s clear I’ll be able to use the back hoe arm to suspend the front of the car as I tow it.”

Briony cursed softly and Dave shrugged sympathetically before changing the subject.

“Let’s eat. I’m starving and I’ll bet his nibs is too. Cold weather soon burns off the food. Is Ellairy uuuhhm ... you know, fed?”

“Fed and changed. Where’s the car now?”

“In the barn.” I’ve cleared a couple of paths for crossing the yard.

Briony nodded appreciatively. She would be able to get into the boot to gather some essentials for the children. They then sat down to lunch and a silence descended as all three relished their food. Briony smiled inwardly as Sion chattered on incessantly about rescuing the car, she had never seen him so excited or happy whilst he ate his meal and actually asked for more.

Dave grinned at Briony and explained. “Working in the cold gives everybody an appetite.”

“Did he really crawl through the snow?”

Dave smiled; the boy had told a half truth.

“Well, yes; he slipped on the ice whilst pulling the rope back to the hook on the back-hoe. Then he was on his hands and knees for a few feet as he recovered the rope. He did very well though. I was impressed. Never cried once about the cold and believe me, it was cold!”

He smiled again and complimented Sion again.

“You did very well lad. We’ll make a mechanic of you yet.”

Sion beamed a smile which almost burst Brionys’ heart with joy. The boy had never received such a compliment from his father.

oOOOo
Chapter 7.

With the meal over, Briony recovered the childrens’ spare clothes and Ellairys’ changing bag with the pack of disposable nappies from the boot. As she rummaged for the essentials she suddenly had an idea. She could borrow one of those dresses from the wardrobe and pretend it was a dress she’d forgotten about.

Once back in the house she was mildly surprised to see that Dave had sorted the clearing away and dish-washer was muttering busily away in the corner.

“Oh, I was going to do that.”

“It’s done. I usually do it anyway. Nobody else here normally. Does Sion want to come and feed Jessica and Pansy?”

Briony smiled uncertainly.

“Who’s Jessica and Pansy?”

“The sows in the sty next to the stable where the ram is kept.” They get the table scraps from all my meals. They’ll know it’s Christmas when they see this lot. Normally it’s just my leavings plus her pig cake.”

“Do they get cake?” Sion piped up.

Dave grinned as he explained.

“Sorry scamp. It’s not that sort of cake. I’ll show you when we feed them. D’you want to come?”

Sion turned expectantly to his mother who just couldn’t refuse his appealing beseechment. She could hardly believe she was letting her precious little boy go into a barn with a man she had not known for a day yet.

“What sort of cake is it?” Briony asked.

“It’s just processed grain feed. Same as cattle cake or milk nuts. Processed pellets or chunks of concentrated protein and stuff to fatten the animals. Gone are the days when animals amble idly around some lush green pasture. Anyway, it’s winter in them there hills and all the animals are kept in shelter close to the farm. Logistics.”

“What animals have you got then?”

“Sheep mainly; few thousand of those. Then Jessica and Pansy the pigs and Angel my mare. Plus the dogs of course. Oh and there’s some cats knocking around but they rarely come into the house, especially if there’s visitors. They feed well in the barns on mice and stuff though I put food out for them and they’ll come to me when I call them. They’re sort of pets but only respond to me. You won’t see hide nor hair of them.”

Briony ignored the cat information, the revelation that he owned a mare interested her.

“You’ve got a horse!”

“Yes. She’s ideal for checking the hills when the sheep are on the higher pastures.”

“I thought you’d use a quad bike or something. That’s what the hill farmers use on television.”

“It’s pointless. Waste of fuel. If I need a vehicle there’s the tractor and the Landrover. If I’m out feeding them on the hills it’s usually a big load of feed; too much for a quad-bike. There’s thousands of sheep. This is a big farm.”

“How big?” Briony asked hoping somehow to bring the conversation around to the house and its size.”

“There’s about seven thousand acres of high rough moorland pasture. I have the grazing rights to that and I own about three thousand acres outright. I’ve also got about three hundred acres in the valley, better ground and good for growing hay as winter fodder. That’s where the sheep are now. Cledwyn my next door neighbour owns some of the grazing area about two thousand acres.

I will be buying Cledwyns’ farm soon. He’s ill and there’s only one daughter there. She’s not interested in farming. I’m already managing his flock cos he’s too sick to go out in this sort of weather. Cledwyn and my dad went back a long way. They were good friends. I owe it to Cledwyn to see his farm goes to a good keeper. He’s more than happy to sell it to me and leave the money to Blodwen. Our dads always hoped we’d marry but it’s not to be.”

“So there’s no woman to run the farmhouse then.” Briony observed.

Dave shrugged.

“I’m pretty much self sufficient. It’s easy to keep on top of the house when I’m running two farms ... well two flocks anyway. The needs of the farm and farm buildings pretty much compliment the needs of the house. The house is in good repair and I don’t use all of it.”

“All of it?” Briony asked seemingly surprised. “What d’you mean, all of it?”

Dave paused as he realised Briony had not (to his knowledge,) been around the main parts of the house.

“Oh. I didn’t realise. You’ve only seen the East wing. I’ll give you a tour after we’ve fed Jessica and Pansy. You’d better come and make your acquaintance with their majesties, oh and meet Angel as well. I’d best just check on her again.”

Briony smiled inwardly, ‘a man who had names for his animals could hardly be a man who maltreated them and usually, a man who was kind to animals was kind to kids.’

Then she stopped and shook her head.

‘What was she thinking!!!? This was a man who lived as a virtual hermit. How on earth could she be thinking what she was thinking?” She asked herself. ‘No! There was no way this man could fill the chasm that had opened up in her life. A welsh mountain farmer lived one of the hardest lives in Britain. Just look at the weather! The snow!!’

Wagging her head again she could not believe what had just sneaked through her mind. It was unthinkable!

Dave had not noticed her reactions for he had been rooting through a rack of coats and boots to find her something suitable. He lent her the best fitting outdoor coat they could find and a pair of size nine wellies with extra socks. She felt ready to face the elements if it only meant crossing the yard. She was grateful she took a size six to seven shoe for his wellingtons were not too outsized and she managed pretty well. With Ellairy tucked safely into a hikers’ rucksack on Daves’ shoulders they set off across the yard to the sty and the stable. Briony was enchanted by Angel then secretly amused by Jessica and Pansy. Sion was lifted onto Angels’ bare back and he sat entranced as the mare turned her head to nuzzle his knee. Dave produced a couple of sugar lumps seemingly from nowhere and that was the visit to the mare’s loosebox complete.

‘Next the pigs’ She grinned inwardly as a loud squeal announced Jessica and Pansys’ expectations.

Sion scampered on ahead to meet the sows as they reared up on hind legs to stick their heads above the sty wall. When Briony arrived it presented the classic, old fashioned image of pigs in a sty. Briony was also mildly surprised to find there was little smell, just an earthy musty tang. When she had passed some intensive pig rearing farms in the country the stink had been abominable. She looked over the wall and found no evidence of any faeces.

“How come they don’t smell?” Briony asked.

“There’s a door at the other end to the sty. They’ve got access to a large paddock outside. They’ll use one corner for their business and the rest of the paddock is their playground. In summer they can also use the woods down by the stream. It’s ring fenced so they’re safe and no walkers or soldiers exercising are likely to come across them. Pigs are relatively clean animals if they’re allowed to be.”

As he spoke, Dave ‘finger-fed’ both sows who grunted appreciatively until the veg peelings was exhausted. Then he dumped the left-over cooked food into a big trough and the pigs competed eagerly for the tastiest bits.

“Job done.” He declared. “So I suppose that now you want the grand tour?”

“How big is it.” Briony asked, maintaining the pretence of ignorance.”

Dave shrugged somewhat self-consciously.

“Perhaps you’d better start on the outside. That’s how visitors usually see the house as they arrive. Yours was a somewhat unusual introduction. Come on.”

He ‘snow-ploughed’ his boots through the deep unspoiled snow and Briony thought it was a pity to spoil such a pristine, pure-white image of what she presumed to be lawns at the front of the house. Sion however, had no such qualms and he eagerly stomped along in Daves’ footsteps so she felt obliged to follow. She stopped to gasp at the front facade then Dave described the lay-out and pointed out where the gentleman’s approach would normally be if it wasn’t completely covered by the snow. Finally he led her right around the house until she returned back to the farm-yard. And the welcome warmth of the kitchen. After shedding their coats all three walkers stood warming their backsides against the rail of the Aga while Briony nursed Ellairy in her arms.

“It’s huge,” she remarked as Dave started in on some tea.

“I’ll show you the rest of the house after we’ve drunk the tea.”

“I’d love that!” Briony replied secretly hoping that she could ‘discover’ the wardrobe full of clothes and then borrow something good. She was beginning to feel a bit scruffy and smelly in her blouse and skirt. Jeans would have been far more practical in these conditions and a pair of those seventy denier tights she had seen in the fourth drawer down. She had secretly noted they were still in their cellophane wrapping.

‘A warmer top would be welcome too.’ She decided. ‘Pity about the shoes being so large but at least she might be able to change her clothes.’

After the tea she stood a little too eagerly and loomed over Dave expectantly.

“Well. Sion’s watching the tele and Ellairy’s asleep. So, do I get to see what women love to see? The inside?”

Dave smiled indulgently and sighed with amusement.

“Girls! You’re all the same aren’t you? Come on then Every other visitor loves to have a snoop. No criticisms mind. I don’t use the rest of the house much but I switched on the heating this morning so it’ll be warm, even in this weather. I’ll explain later.

Even as she opened the door to the passageway that led into the main part of the house, Briony was pleasantly surprised to feel that it was as nearly as warm as the kitchen. She had half expected the rest of the house to look like Doctor Zhivagos’ Dacha in the Russian winter. Instead, the dining room, which of course she already knew, was pleasantly warm. They had lunched on the kitchen table earlier. She stood briefly in the large bay window and savoured the view again that stretched across the hills all the way to Plynlimmon Fawr. It seemed a pity that they had tramped through it and destroyed the glistening white perfection. It was still bitterly cold outside then she realised there was a draft of warm air coming from some vents below the window.

“Oooh that feels nice. Is the whole house heated like this?”

Dave nodded as he stood idly studying a painting on the wall. Briony followed his absent minded gaze.

“Who’s that, one of the ancestors or something?”

“Exactly that.” Dave replied without explaining further.

Briony sensed that he wasn’t that impressed with having to explain the family history so she didn’t ask any further. Dave simply opened the door and invited her to see further. The more she saw the more she realised that Dave was not your normal ‘run-of-the-mill’ Welsh hill farmer.

‘This guy owned land and plenty of it.’ She wondered if he had some sort of title but refrained from asking. She remembered reading somewhere that ‘these sorts of people’ were often reluctant to talk about their wealth.
Eventually, upstairs, they came to the room where Briony had found the clothes. She hesitated, wondering if she’d give away her curiosity by asking specifically to see it.

Then she realised it was a corner room with windows looking both south and west. She used this as an excuse to enter.

“This is the corner of the house isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s just another bedroom.”

She sensed him stiffen ever so slightly as he seemed to be trying to appear casual.

‘There’s definitely something about this room’, she thought and this made her more curious.

“What’s the view like at the end of the house then, from up here? This room is on the corner isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Dave replied monosyllabically.

“Can I see please? It must be one of the best bedrooms in the house.”

She sensed him tense a bit more but he hid it well and shrugged as though indifferent.

“Okay, there’s not much to see.”

He opened the door and Briony confirmed her earlier impressions. This had been used and quite recently. For a start, the bed was made up with some rather evocative satin sheets. So far the only satin sheets in all the bedrooms. The dressing table also had a few items of makeup still lying around. This gave her an excuse to be a little nosier.

‘Who was the mystery woman?’ She wondered.

She ambled casually forward and picked up some lipstick.

“Does she come here often?”

Dave studiously stayed unconcerned but to Brionys’ female sensibilities she could sense his discomfort as he explained.

“She’s a friend; she’s not here at the moment. Christmas at home I suppose. I expect I’ll see her in the New Year if the snow clears.”

Briony smiled and swept her hand over the satin sheets.

“She likes her comfort doesn’t she?”

“She’s a good friend and yes, sometimes we do. Not always though.”

“As the mood takes her then,” Briony finished.

“Or me,” Dave added.

With that avenue of investigation closed, Briony searched her mind for another opening; another shaft of light to illuminate Dave’s seemingly secret side. She noticed the two doors leading off and used that ploy.

“Why two doors? I’m understanding that one’s an en-suite, what’s the other. Does it lead up to that little turret we saw?”

“No, that’s from the next bedroom. This is just a wardrobe. My parents used to use this as their master bedroom. You’re right though, this is the best bedroom.” He replied as he stared reflectively out of the west facing window.

He was standing with his back to Briony so she seized the opportunity to open the wardrobe door before he realised what was happening. She discovered the clothes and turned to make a comment just as he turned, realised what she had done, and almost lurched to close the door before he realised it was too late.

“They’re her clothes,” he gabbled as he laid his hand upon the door. “She leaves some here so she doesn’t have to carry a lot.”

Briony stood looking at the clothes then exercised her womans’ prerogative to look further.

“There’s a hell of a lot of clothes here. She must be a fashion model or something.”

“Uuuhm. I rather think she’d be a bit upset if she thought some other woman was poking through her wardrobe. She keeps them here because she doesn’t like carrying a lot.”

“What’s her name?”

Daves’ brief hesitancy gave Briony more cause for thought. Then he blurted it out.

He blurted out his own femme name as he realised she would be curious as to why he didn’t seem to know her name easily.

“It’s Daphne.”

“You seemed a bit hesitant.”

“She’s a little bit embarrassed by her name. I wasn’t sure if I should tell you. Now please, I’d like you to respect her privacy.”

“Oh. I’m sorry. Personal is it.”

“Well, sort of. There’s nothing illicit though, she’s not married or anything. She’s got a right to privacy.”

Briony realised she had crossed the bounds of good behaviour as a guest and particularly as an unexpected, uninvited guest. She smiled to reassure him then closed the door and followed him on the rest of the tour. From the little turret she was given a splendid full-circle panorama of the whole valley to the north and Plynlimmon Fawr to the south. The views stretched for miles and she was impressed.

‘If Daphne managed to capture this mans’ heart, she would be a very lucky woman.’

Briony felt the tiniest twinge of jealousy and silently scolded herself for it. Now she knew there was ‘another woman’ and seemingly well entrenched in Dave’s affections. All thoughts of going further with him were to be discarded. She swept the horizons one last time and turned to him.

“Lord of all you survey.”

“Gosh. Not quite. Plynlimon’s about eight miles away. Most of the land is owned by the various water authorities. There’s some big dams south of us, Clywedog and Nant y Moch. Cledwyn and I only own the grazing rights. They’re grandfather rights and the authorities cannot take them off us unless we sell them. That’s why Cledwyn wants to sell his farm and the grazing rights to me. The people around here never forgave the water authorities for drowning the valleys.”

He saw her shiver and slipped his jacket off to keep her warm. Briony was not surprised it was a pretty good fit. Dave was quite slender despite his height. ‘Willowy’ was how she would have described him.

They retreated back to the warmth of the house and she put the kettle on for an afternoon tea. Sion actually got up from watching the television and asked Dave if they could feed the pigs again. Dave chuckled and grinned.

“Not now lad. Later tonight aye. When I feed Angel, Jessica, Pansy and the ram as well.”

“What’s the rams’ name?”

Once again Dave smiled.

“I haven’t named him yet. You can choose a name if you want.”

Sions eyes lit up and he leapt onto the settee beside Dave.

“Oooh! Can I? Honestly!”

“I said you could and you can. I try not to break promises. Have a chat with your mum if you can’t think of one. It’ll have to be a boys’ name though.”

Briony smiled and handed Dave the tea as she settled on the settee with the boy between them. Sion seemed to melt happily into the space and leant back with his legs over his mothers’ lap and his back against Daves’ chest. She looked at him and he smiled up at her. Then she looked at Dave.

“You’re honoured. He likes you.”

Dave just shrugged self-consciously. There was little he could say to that.