And Those Who Trespass Against Us by Helen M MacPherson Page A
Authors: Helen M MacPherson
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flowed for years."
"You're not even looking. How did you know what I'm pointing at?"
"There's not too much of this property that I don't know like the back of my hand."
Catriona's clipped tones were lost on Katherine. "How do you know it's dry?" she enthusiastically asked. "If it's not, it might be a wonderful place for a picnic, wouldn't it?"
"It's not nice and it's most likely overgrown, and full of snakes. Besides, I've hardly the time for picnics. And I don't want you going there by yourself. If you hurt yourself you mightn't be found for days."
Catriona whipped the horse into a faster pace, making it difficult for Katherine to look behind her at the trees and hold on at the same time. She thought that there was obviously more to the spring than what Catriona was telling her. Rather than commence their day on a sour note, Katherine let the matter rest. There'd be plenty of time to ask again, when her companion wasn't in such a prickly mood. She attempted to steer the conversation onto safer ground, "You mentioned you had cattle on your property?"
Catriona's features slightly relaxed. "We run a herd of beef cattle in the top paddock. At last count I think it was only fifty head, nothing too substantial. They're currently in the paddock close to a gate connecting this property to the Connor property."
Katherine frowned. "Why do you need a gate between the two farms?"
"This enables a business arrangement between us, regarding the free agistment of Connor and Gleneagle cattle. We switch between properties, allowing the herds to graze on the other property when the grass gets too low on one."
"I didn't think the Connor selection was that big." Suddenly the pieces came together. "You do this for them, don't you?" Catriona shyly smiled and pretended to occupy herself with the handling of the wagon and horse. "Why are you so uncomfortable about people knowing how much you help others?"
Catriona shifted in her seat. "The less people know about it the better. I trust you not to say anything to them. I'm sure if the arrangement was actually mentioned to Mr. Connor then he would insist on paying me for his agistment on my property. And besides, in times like this when Alexander's away, it does help to have another pair of eyes on the cattle."
Katherine nudged Catriona. "You can't fool me, you're overly generous." Catriona merely grunted and urged the horse forward.
SIX PAIRS OF hands made quick work of the fence repairs. Katherine was spellbound by the process used by the team. Some of the group barked the trees, while others split the logs, and Catriona prepared the hole for the posts to go into. When finished, they placed a wood structure on both sides. Roughly hewn, it looked like a stepladder erected on both sides of the fence to stop clothing being torn when climbing through barbed wire.
Katherine handed a water bag to Catriona. "Why don't you cut the trees down when you arrive, rather than leave them on the ground?"
Catriona took a swig from the bag. She then soaked her handkerchief and wiped her face. "The trees must cure first." She offered the water bag to Mr. Connor, who gratefully accepted it. "Otherwise we'll be left with warped posts, and a warped fence line."
"What's that for?" Katherine asked.
Catriona wiped her hands on the seat of her trousers. "It's a step-over system used around this area. It eliminates the need to travel the extra distance by road."
"Such a simple invention and yet so versatile," Katherine said.
The group shared a laugh, most likely at her incessant questions. One of the men slapped Catriona on the back as they gathered the tools together. Katherine was again amazed by how well she worked with the men. Catriona clearly didn't possess their strength but she still managed to hold her own. She laboured with gracefulness and a surety of purpose that Katherine had never seen in other women. She reminisced on the moment, during the morning, when Catriona's axe swing missed its intended
"You're not even looking. How did you know what I'm pointing at?"
"There's not too much of this property that I don't know like the back of my hand."
Catriona's clipped tones were lost on Katherine. "How do you know it's dry?" she enthusiastically asked. "If it's not, it might be a wonderful place for a picnic, wouldn't it?"
"It's not nice and it's most likely overgrown, and full of snakes. Besides, I've hardly the time for picnics. And I don't want you going there by yourself. If you hurt yourself you mightn't be found for days."
Catriona whipped the horse into a faster pace, making it difficult for Katherine to look behind her at the trees and hold on at the same time. She thought that there was obviously more to the spring than what Catriona was telling her. Rather than commence their day on a sour note, Katherine let the matter rest. There'd be plenty of time to ask again, when her companion wasn't in such a prickly mood. She attempted to steer the conversation onto safer ground, "You mentioned you had cattle on your property?"
Catriona's features slightly relaxed. "We run a herd of beef cattle in the top paddock. At last count I think it was only fifty head, nothing too substantial. They're currently in the paddock close to a gate connecting this property to the Connor property."
Katherine frowned. "Why do you need a gate between the two farms?"
"This enables a business arrangement between us, regarding the free agistment of Connor and Gleneagle cattle. We switch between properties, allowing the herds to graze on the other property when the grass gets too low on one."
"I didn't think the Connor selection was that big." Suddenly the pieces came together. "You do this for them, don't you?" Catriona shyly smiled and pretended to occupy herself with the handling of the wagon and horse. "Why are you so uncomfortable about people knowing how much you help others?"
Catriona shifted in her seat. "The less people know about it the better. I trust you not to say anything to them. I'm sure if the arrangement was actually mentioned to Mr. Connor then he would insist on paying me for his agistment on my property. And besides, in times like this when Alexander's away, it does help to have another pair of eyes on the cattle."
Katherine nudged Catriona. "You can't fool me, you're overly generous." Catriona merely grunted and urged the horse forward.
SIX PAIRS OF hands made quick work of the fence repairs. Katherine was spellbound by the process used by the team. Some of the group barked the trees, while others split the logs, and Catriona prepared the hole for the posts to go into. When finished, they placed a wood structure on both sides. Roughly hewn, it looked like a stepladder erected on both sides of the fence to stop clothing being torn when climbing through barbed wire.
Katherine handed a water bag to Catriona. "Why don't you cut the trees down when you arrive, rather than leave them on the ground?"
Catriona took a swig from the bag. She then soaked her handkerchief and wiped her face. "The trees must cure first." She offered the water bag to Mr. Connor, who gratefully accepted it. "Otherwise we'll be left with warped posts, and a warped fence line."
"What's that for?" Katherine asked.
Catriona wiped her hands on the seat of her trousers. "It's a step-over system used around this area. It eliminates the need to travel the extra distance by road."
"Such a simple invention and yet so versatile," Katherine said.
The group shared a laugh, most likely at her incessant questions. One of the men slapped Catriona on the back as they gathered the tools together. Katherine was again amazed by how well she worked with the men. Catriona clearly didn't possess their strength but she still managed to hold her own. She laboured with gracefulness and a surety of purpose that Katherine had never seen in other women. She reminisced on the moment, during the morning, when Catriona's axe swing missed its intended
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