Christmas Eve 1931
"I love Christmas!" Tristan declared, waltzing into the kitchen and taking in a long, appreciative breath. "The food…the drink…the festivities…I mean, what could be better?"
Siegfried looked up from where he was finishing his breakfast and shot his brother an indulgent, yet mildly despairing look. "Well, you certainly know how to eat, drink and be merry, I'll give you that."
"Better than being an old Scrooge."
"Oh, and is that what I am?"
"Not at all, not this year," Tristan replied, flopping down into the chair opposite. "In fact, big brother, you're practically brimming with festive cheer yourself. It practically oozes out of you and has been doing so ever since I arrived home."
"And you believe this…joviality…is down to your return, do you?"
"No, I'm not simple enough to think that, though I do hope you are somewhat glad to see me. No…" Tristan smiled devilishly, "it has far more to do with a certain fiery-haired young lady that I'm looking forward to seeing later today. Though quite why you see fit to drag me or Lily on your rounds with you today of all days I have no idea."
"Animals still need caring for, even on Christmas Eve."
"You'll be delivering lambs and calves before lunch at Windy Hill tomorrow then."
"Well, hopefully not. It'll be nice to have some time off, I grant you."
"Time to spend with Lily…?"
"Yes of course, and with you. This shall be our last Christmas as two bachelor brothers. As of January 30th, I shall be a married man." Even as he said the words Siegfried felt a warm rush of happiness at the prospect. A new year, a new life…a new wife. Moving to Darrowby had certainly turned out to be one of the best decisions he had ever made, even if it had taken some time to realise.
"Well at least try and retain some bachelor spirit," Tristan remarked. "People become so boring when they get married, although in your case I'm not sure if that's possible."
"At least I'm being responsible, unlike someone sitting not too far from me."
"I'm eighteen, I'm not meant to be responsible yet. It's not natural."
"Can't you two find something more productive to do than take swipes at each other?" Mrs Hall sighed, coming into the kitchen holding the day's post. "Sometimes I think you're both still teenagers."
"Well, that's just preposterous," Siegfried replied. "And you'd do well to remember, Tristan, that when Lily does come to live here, I'll be expecting you to mind your manners."
"Oh, Lily's a woman of the world and she lives on a farm. I doubt she's no stranger to some bawdy language."
"'ere," Mrs Hall passed him a letter before he could see fit to respond. "This came for you."
Siegfried glanced at the address before turning and slitting open the envelope. The handwriting looked familiar, but it wasn't until he started to read the words that he recognised the author. "Oh, it's from Peter."
"Peter?" Mrs Hall questioned.
"Not Pervy Perkins," Tristan groaned, spearing a sausage with his fork. "What does he want?"
"He's coming to visit," Siegfried replied, his eyes scanning the prose. "For a few days on the 30th."
"He's not staying here."
"No, he says he's already secured lodgings in the village and that he's looking forward to catching up on all the news. Well…" he folded the letter back into the envelope. "That is nice."
"No, it isn't," Tristan said.
"Tristan, I wish you would at least pretend to like him, for my sake."
"The man's a deviant."
"Tristan!" Mrs Hall gasped.
"Well, he is. He's, what, forty, unmarried, no children, no obvious interest in women…there's no question about it. Plus, I've seen with my own eyes how he gets when he's around other men."
"That's complete nonsense," Siegfried sighed. "I'm forty, unmarried with no children. Does that make me a deviant too?"
"Well of course not. You had Evelyn and soon you'll have Lily. It's not the same thing at all."
"Who is 'e?" Mrs Hall enquired.
"He's a friend of mine from university. We trained together. He lives just outside of London, has his own practice down there. I haven't seen him for, oh, must be four or five years now. I think it's lovely that he's decided to come for a visit. I'll be able to introduce him to Lily."
"Well at least you're in no danger of him stealing her from you," Tristan said.
"And I do hope that I can count on you to be hospitable," Siegfried sighed, glaring at him. "Peter is my friend and, as such, I expect him to be treated with respect."
"You can treat him any way you like," Tristan replied. "I won't be here."
At the risk of the breakfast table descending into a further squabble, Siegfried elected to keep any further thoughts on the matter to himself. Once finished, he headed through to the dispensary simply to ensure that all the stock was up to date and tidy before the festive break and then retrieved his list from the surgery, mentally running through each name on it and how long each call might take. As he pondered, Mrs Hall appeared at the doorway, glancing behind herself before she spoke.
"Is 'e really a deviant?"
"Mrs Hall…" he sighed, "I thought better of you than to put any stock in Tristan's ramblings. Peter is a lovely man who…may, perhaps…prefer the company of men to that of women. But what he does in his private life is nobody's concern other than his own. He's perfectly pleasant, a gentleman in fact, and I would feel more secure in his company than I would in most. I'd thank you not to encourage Tristan in spreading such vicious rumours."
"You don't think 'e would spread it around the village, do you?"
"I sincerely hope not, for all our sakes. Now," he turned back to the list. "It's a very full list today so I hope…" the sound of the doorbell broke into his thoughts. "Ah, that should be Lily."
"I'll let 'er in," Mrs Hall disappeared leaving him to go through his bag, ensuring that everything he might need was there before they set off. A shadow suddenly fell across him and he looked up to see Lily standing in the surgery doorway.
"Good morning," he greeted her warmly, the very sight of her enough to lift his mood.
"Good morning," she replied, smiling as he kissed her cheek. "All set for a busy day?"
"Yes, though hopefully we'll be back in time for dinner. Tristan's thrilled at the prospect of coming out with us."
"As a budding vet 'imself you'd think 'e'd welcome the opportunity to see things in practice."
"Yes…" he mused. "That's what worries me sometimes."
"What?"
"That he doesn't actually want to be a vet at all."
Lily frowned as he lifted his bag and closed over the surgery door before moving to the coat stand. "But why would he go to university if 'e didn't want to be a vet?"
Siegfried shook his head, watching as his brother stuffed the last remnants of his breakfast into his mouth before rising, somewhat reluctantly, from the table. "I honestly have no idea."
XXXX
"A deviant?" Lily half-turned in her seat to look at Tristan, ensconced as he was in the back of Siegfried's car, unsure if she had heard correctly. "Really?"
"Yes, really."
"No, not really," Siegfried interrupted in an exasperated tone. "Honestly Tristan, have you nothing else to talk about other than this? It's highly inappropriate!"
"Why, because Lily's here? I think she should know a few things about your friend before she meets him."
"When is 'e coming?"
"On the 30th. He's staying for a few days."
"Well, it'll be nice to meet one of your friends."
"Are you serious?" Tristan exclaimed. "Have you not heard a word I've said?"
"Yes, Tristan, I 'ave, but unlike you, I'm not prepared to judge a man I've never met. And even if 'e is a…deviant…as you say…"
"Yes?"
She paused, unsure exactly how to answer. She had never met someone who might be considered a deviant as it were. It certainly wasn't something one found in the environs of Darrowby and, even if there was any such person living close by, it wasn't something that would be readily discussed, even by local village gossips. Now that Tristan had brought it up, however, she couldn't help but wonder about men who preferred other men to women. Glancing over at Siegfried she could tell exactly why she found him attractive, not just in looks but in personality and character. Was it really that hard to understand why someone of the same sex might think similarly? And should a person be castigated for such thoughts?
"Yes?" Tristan pressed, breaking into her musings.
"Well, it's not really any of our business, is it? If 'e's not 'urting anyone."
"Exactly," Siegfried said, "thank you."
"How do you know he's not hurting anyone though?"
"Just by preferring a man over a woman? I bet there's more men who 'urt women than men who 'urt men. Besides, 'ow do you know for sure that 'e's even that way inclined?"
"Because I've seen how he behaves. That last time we met him, before Father died, Siegfried. It was obvious."
"It was not obvious. It was your immature little brain picking up on things that weren't there. And even if they were, as Lily said, it's none of our business. Now, can we change the subject please? We've got a lot to get through today." He swung the car into the yard at George Sharp's farm and switched off the engine. "And not a word about your horrible little thoughts to anyone, Tristan, do you hear?"
"Well, I'm hardly likely to start spreading it around that someone like that is going to be celebrating the new year with us, am I?" Tristan replied sourly as Siegfried pulled the seat forwards to allow him to get out of the car.
"Not. One. Word."
"Morning," George emerged from around the corner and greeted them all warmly. "Three of you today? I am honoured."
"Well, you know what they say, George, many hands make light work," Siegfried replied. "Nothing like having two assistants."
"I should say so." He nodded at Tristan and then touched his cap briefly as he turned to her. "Lily."
"Good morning Mr Sharp," she replied. "What seems to be the trouble today then?" The moment the words had left her mouth, she glanced quickly at Siegfried, worried in case he felt she had overstepped by taking control of the conversation, but he merely smiled at her encouragingly.
"Got a problem with a couple of our ewes. Displaying some mighty odd behaviour, if you ask me."
"Well, let's take a look then," Siegfried replied. "Do lead the way."
Lily fell into step beside him as they followed George around the side of the farmhouse and down towards the shed where the sheep were currently penned. Glancing behind, she saw Tristan meandering at the rear, his interest clearly not piqued by the idea of examining any animals, and couldn't help thinking back over Siegfried's musings that perhaps he really had no interest in being a vet at all. Before she could think any more on it, however, they had reached their destination, the shed echoing in a cacophony of bleating.
"I've kept them separate, round the back 'ere," George said, leading the way towards a separate pen near the rear, which housed three sheep. Even to an untrained eye, Lily could see that there was something wrong with them. They looked painfully thin, one was lying on its side and the other was wandering aimlessly around the pen, excess saliva oozing from its mouth.
"How long have they been like this?" Siegfried asked, putting his bag down on the ground.
"Started a couple of days ago." George pointed to the one on its side. "She went first, then the other two. I just don't understand it."
"Tristan?"
"What?"
"What do you think?" Siegfried asked, his expression bordering on the irritated.
"Oh…well…" Tristan stepped forwards and looked over the fence. Lily watched the expression on his face, his mind clearly racing, trying to come up with an appropriate answer. "They look…well…a bit dehydrated."
"I've been trying to get them to drink, but they 'aven't seemed overly interested."
"Their diet?" he tried again.
"They've been out in the field with the rest of the flock, but these three are the only ones showing any signs of not being right lately."
Lily waited to see if Siegfried would ask her for her opinion, not that she had one, but instead he climbed over the fence and stepped into the pen, taking hold of the ewe that was moving around and closely examining her face, before turning to the others. Glancing at Tristan, she could see he remained equally as baffled, though the air of concern his brother was exhibiting had at least had the effect of removing the element of boredom from his expression.
"Weight loss, disorientation, excess salivation…" Siegfried turned back. "I'd say it was listeriosis."
George frowned, "Listeri-what?"
"Listeriosis. It's a bacterial infection caused by listeria monocytogenes. It can be found in the soil, or in pastures where there's waste containing the bacteria." He paused. "You said these were the only ones showing signs of not being right lately, does that mean you've had problems like this before?"
"I 'ad a couple of ewes die a few weeks back, but I never say them acting like this. Why?"
"It may well be that the others had it too and these ones have inadvertently consumed their infected waste."
"'ow do you treat it?" Lily asked.
"Well, I'm afraid that I don't hold out much hope for this one," Siegfried gestured to the ewe lying on the ground. "These other two may be saved with a shot of tetracycline. Tristan…" he gestured to his bag which his brother passed over the fence, and began rooting inside. "Fortunately, I do have some here." Lily watched as he retrieved a small glass vial from the bag, uncapped a syringe and drew in the liquid. "Lily, can you come and hold her please?" Climbing over the fence herself, she gingerly took hold of the ewe, who immediately struggled and tried to move away. "That's it, hold her still…" she watched as he jabbed her between the shoulder blades and depressed the plunger before repeating the process with the second ewe. Once completed, he straightened up and looked at George again. "I can deal with this one now too, if you'd like."
"Aye…" George replied, his face pale. "Do what you 'ave to do."
"Do you want me to assist?" Tristan asked.
"No, Lily's doing fine," Siegfried replied, taking a second syringe and drawing liquid from a different vial. "This should be quite peaceful. Lily, can you take her head please?" Once again, she did as she was asked and, almost subconsciously, heard herself murmur words of comfort to the ewe as the needle disappeared between her wool. The animal shook slightly then grew heavy in her hands and, moments later, she realised that she had gone. "Right, you'll need to try and clear the pasture where they've been grazing, make sure there's no more infected waste. If any of the others start to show any symptoms, you need to isolate them and contact me. They'll need the same treatment as these if they catch it."
"'ow long will it take to show up?" George asked.
"Days, weeks sometimes. You'll need to keep a close eye. And avoid any mixed grazing for a while, if you can. If this starts to spread amongst different farms, then it can quickly turn into an epidemic. Also, you can't sell any that have been infected, for obvious reasons."
"Aye, I know the drill. Thank you, Mr Farnon."
"Not at all. I'm only sorry it's not a better diagnosis."
As they made their way back to the car, Lily couldn't help but think how devastated George Sharp looked, almost as though Siegfried had told him a member of his immediate family was at risk, rather than just a few sheep. And yet, being a farmer's daughter herself, she knew how much like family any animal could become.
"I actually thought he was going to cry," Tristan said, as the piled back inside. "A grown man, crying over some sheep."
"You have to treat the person as well as the animal. It's his livelihood," Siegfried said, starting the engine.
"Even so…"
"It's 'is family," she said, turning to look at him. "If you'd ever lived on a farm, you'd know that."
"Well, that's unlikely to happen, isn't it? Unless I marry a farmer's daughter."
"And why not?" Siegfried asked, shooting her a knowing look. "That's what I'm doing."
"You're not going to live at Windy Hill though, are you? Lily's coming to live at Skeldale House you know, where we have more normal animals as pets."
"Yes, she is," he replied, and a warm feeling spread through her at the softness of his gaze. "She most certainly is."
XXXX
It was after five o'clock by the time they returned to Skeldale House and Siegfried couldn't help but feel exhausted by the demands of the day. They had visited ten farms in total and, much to his delight, Lily had proved a worthwhile companion, offering an opinion when asked for and making educated guesses based on what she had previously seen or read. For someone who had never undertaken any formal education or training, he couldn't help but be impressed by her and the fantasy of her working professionally alongside him seemed more attainable than ever. Tristan, on the other hand, had proved practically useless and had made little secret of the fact that he didn't consider the day's events as a good use of his time on Christmas Eve. He was almost grateful when his brother made a beeline for the Drovers, though he deliberately reminded him in no uncertain terms what time dinner was meant to be.
"Nice to see you back," Mrs Hall greeted him and Lily as they came inside. "Busy day then?"
"Very," he replied wearily. "But thankfully all taken care of, for a few days at least."
"Dinner should be ready by six. I put your bag upstairs in my room, Lily love, and there's a bowl there for you to freshen up in."
"Oh, thank you," she replied, glancing down at her muddy clothes. "It's a good thing I thought to bring a change of clothes for dinner. I'd 'ate to 'ave to sit down looking like this."
"Yes, I agree." He examined his own scuffed attire. "Shall we meet back downstairs in, say, fifteen minutes?"
"That should, in theory, give me plenty of time to look respectable," she laughed, turning for the stairs. "I'm not sure about in practice."
He watched as she climbed up towards the first floor and couldn't help but think how at home she looked, engaged even in such a simple action. In just over a month, it would be entirely normal and proper for her to climb those very stairs, mistress of the house as she would be, only she would be bound for his own bedroom rather than Mrs Hall's.
"Our bedroom," he said softly to himself, making his way along the corridor to the far end where his room was located at the back of the house. The notion of sharing a room, a closet, a bed, seemed more welcome to him than he could have ever thought, given how long he had had all those things to himself. At times he had wondered if it would feel claustrophobic, having her with him there, but the notion of how wonderful it would be far outweighed any lingering anxiety on that score. He washed quickly at the basin, took off his clothes and was perusing his wardrobe for a clean shirt when there was a soft knock at the door. Before he had time to ask whoever it was to wait a moment, the door opened and Lily dashed inside, closing it quickly behind her. "What…?" he started, his eyes drawn instantly to the fact that she was wearing only her slip. "What are you doing?"
"Taking advantage of an opportunity," she replied, slightly breathlessly. "Much like you and the cottage the other week."
She had frequently mentioned the cottage in passing since her birthday and he had found himself defending his innocence on every occasion, including this one. "I had no concept of it raining and there being a convenient cottage for us to shelter in," he argued, acutely aware that that wasn't really the point. "You can't be in here."
"Why not?"
"Because…well, Mrs Hall is downstairs, and Tristan could come back at any moment…"
"And would they come in unannounced?"
"Mrs Hall, no, but Tristan possibly and if either of them were to find you in here wearing…" he broke off suddenly as she pulled her slip over her head and dropped it onto the floor, leaving her before him completely and utterly naked. "You're…you're not wearing any undergarments."
"Well spotted," she grinned. "I thought it might be quicker this way."
"What might be quicker?" he asked somewhat redundantly, feeling his body react at the very sight of her. "We can't…not here…"
"It'll be our bedroom soon, won't it?"
"Yes, but…"
"Well then. We've 'ardly demonstrated so far that we're puritans when it comes to the sins of the flesh outside of wedlock, even if you do keep trying to convince yourself that we should wait." She paused. "Unless you don't want to."
"I'm sure you're quite capable of recognising that that isn't the case."
"So…?"
He sighed heavily, yet found himself moving towards her, his fingers straying to her hair, the heat from her body profoundly evident, even before he had touched her. He felt as though he could almost smell her skin, a familiar odour that excited him more than he cared to admit. She slid her arms around him, pulling him into her, smiling up at him as he felt himself press insistently against her. Making love alone at Windy Hill or in the cottage had been one thing, but the thought of Mrs Hall or Tristan finding them…the anxiety of that thought in fact only served to increase his desire and as he kissed her, he dropped one hand to the area between her thighs, stroking gently and then sliding within gratified, and a little shocked, to find her wet and clearly willing.
"Do you think me quite wanton?" she asked, pulling back slightly. "Desiring you as I do?"
"Quite wanton? I think you exceedingly wanton and highly desirable in return." In one fluid movement, he withdrew his hand and lifted her up into his arms, pressing her back against the door, her legs curling around his waist as he pushed inside her. "You realise, of course, that by doing this in my bedroom, it will be all I'll be able to think about every time I come inside from now on."
"'ow do you think I feel in my bedroom?" she replied with a laugh, gasping as he withdrew and then pushed inside her again. "I've never 'ad any other man there. 'ave you 'ad any other woman in 'ere?"
"You don't really need me to answer that, do you?" he breathed.
"No, I don't…" she gasped again as he repeatedly plundered then withdrew from her, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close, a muted banging sound emitting from the door with the pressure of each stroke.
As though she weighed nothing at all, he moved away and turned for the bed, almost tripping as they sank down onto it together, his thrusts continuing uninterrupted. His need for her meant that time was not a factor that need be given too much consideration. Within moments, he felt himself hurtling towards the cliff edge and he buried his face in her neck to stifle his groans of pleasure as he climaxed inside her.
"Well…" she said, as he fought to regain control of his own breathing. "That was worth it, wasn't it?"
"Every time with you is worth it," he replied, lifting his head to look at her. "You're the most wonderful, beautiful woman I've ever met." He paused suddenly at the sound of a noise from below them. "I'd very much like to return the pleasure but…"
"Don't worry," she replied, "it can wait."
"Siegfried?!" Tristan's voice floated up towards them. "Siegfried, are you up there?"
"Oh Lord," he gasped, pulling himself quickly up and out of her at the sound of tread on the stairs. "He's coming."
"'e won't come in, will 'e?" Lily asked, as he lifted her slip from the floor and threw it to her.
"Siegfried?" Tristan's voice was closer now, right outside the door. "Are you in there?"
"Yes," he replied. "What is it?"
"Is Lily still here?"
He glanced over her. "How do you mean?"
"What do you mean, what do I mean? I mean, is she still in the house. I can't find her."
"She's…I believe she's changing in Mrs Hall's room."
"Oh."
"Don't go in there!" he exclaimed.
There was a brief pause on the other side of the door. "I wasn't planning to. Unlike some people I could mention, I'm not a pervert. I'll go back downstairs and wait. But hurry up, will you. It's Christmas Eve, we should be celebrating."
"Yes, yes, give me five minutes." He waited until the sound of his brother's footsteps faded away before turning back to face her. "You'll need to get back to Mrs Hall's room before anyone sees you."
"Well. it's only just down the 'all, I reckon I can manage if I'm quick," she replied, pulling her slip over her head and joining him at the door. "The next time you see me, I promise I'll be wearing more clothes."
He pulled her to him and kissed her hungrily, "And I shall only be able to think of you as you are now. But Lily…"
"Don't say it," she said, putting her fingers gently to his lips, her other hand finding its way to the door handle, ready for flight. "I've 'eard it all before, but as you yourself said, you're terribly inconsistent." She opened the door a crack and peered out before turning back and brushing her lips against his. "Merry Christmas my love."