Tracie Peterson - [Land of Shining Water 02] by The Quarryman's Bride Page B

break the block of stone away from the larger mass. About six inches apart, the holes were drilled approximately three inches deep. Next, iron wedges would be used along with pieces called feathers—long narrow shims—to widen the hole and further encourage a break along the so-called cleavage plane. Granite was easy to process in this manner, and the breaks were usually quite clean.
    “Make sure you get these chisels to Smithy,” he told Jimmy, one of the younger men. The blond-haired youth looked up and nodded. Each of the quarries had a blacksmith on-site. The man was probably the most valuable of all the employees, since it was his job to keep the tools sharpened and in good repair.
    Tavin finished and pulled the chisel out. He reached for a dust spoon and cleaned the rock bits from the hole. It was just deep enough. Jimmy was already positioning the shims, and Tavin would soon begin the process of driving the wedges.
    “Here’s the last of ’em,” Tavin said, tossing the boy his chisel. “Bring up another set when you come back.”
    “Sure thing.” The young man hurried to collect the chisels and darted off the rock and up a wooden ladder.
    Tavin rubbed his hands and winced at the blisters that had formed. His hands were naturally calloused from hard work, but drilling the rock always brought about sore spots that he never experienced with other activities. He wiped them against his bare chest, dampening them from the sweat that had formed. The moisture seemed to ease the pain a bit.
    The sun overhead bore down and heated the rock around him. Tavin remembered days long past when he would quarry along with his father for other owners. The work was always exhausting. Tavin had little satisfaction in quarry work—unlike stone carving. Carving designs and artistic script into stone gave Tavin a sense of accomplishment. It was akin to leaving a part of himself in the rock. Cutting stone from the ground, as he was doing just now, was not as creative. Who knew where this rock would end up? Who knew how it would be used?
    “Gawking off like that won’t get the stone cut.”
    Looking up, he found his younger brother, Gillam, standing on the ledge some ten feet above. Tavin crossed his arms and shrugged. “I’m playing foreman.” He grinned at his brother. “Isn’t that how it’s done?”
    Gillam laughed. “Nah, you aren’t in the shade. Any foreman worth his salt knows to get out of the sun. That’s how I do it.”
    Tavin laughed, too, and stretched his arms over his head. “Then you’d do well to get back to your shade and leave me be. I have real work to do.”
    “Aye. I can see that well enough. I did come with a purpose, however. Father wants to see you. He said to leave what you’re doing.”
    Tavin relaxed and reached for his shirt. “Tell him I’ll be right there.”
    Gillam nodded and disappeared from view. Tavin couldn’t help but wonder what his father wanted from him. It wasn’t like him to take a man from his job in the middle of the day.
    “Maybe he’s reconsidered my promise,” Tavin muttered to himself. “Maybe he’s come to realize how impossible this situation is.”

Chapter 10

    “As ye know, there’s an outbreak of measles in the area,” Tavin’s father began. “Ye lads took the disease when ye were young.”
    Tavin exchanged a look with his brother, Gillam. “Aye, we did. So what is this about?”
    “Yer mither fears the wee lads have taken the sickness. She’s not quite sure, but her suspicions are usually correct.” Robert MacLachlan dusted off his trousers and picked up a sheaf of papers. “Ne’ertheless, we must see to this granite. Yer mither thinks it might be well if we were to remain here at the quarry in case the doctor puts them in quarantine. I figure to have some cots put up here in the office. We can warm our meals on the stove.”
    “Won’t Mother need some help?” Tavin asked.
    His father shook his head. “She dinnae want to risk exposin’ us