a single bulb high on the stable wall was the profile of Josephine the donkey, standing on a thick carpet of clean straw. She swung her head to see who was entering her space.
Rory stopped, carefully pulling the door closed behind him and slipping the latch into place. He stayed still, not wanting to frighten the creature, but when he turned back he saw long ears pricked forward and got the impression that he was more an object of interest than alarm.
He’d never been this close to a donkey. She was shaggy and grey, with liquid, dark brown eyes and a tuft of brown hair on the tips of those extraordinary ears. She was quite small and she was very round. Very pregnant-looking.
Rory put out his hand, and Josephine stretched out her pale muzzle to sniff his fingers. Then she looked up at him again, and Rory took a step closer.
‘Hello, Josie,’ he murmured, moving his hand to stroke her neck. ‘Are you all right? You look all right. That’s good, isn’t it?’
The donkey’s coat felt softer than he had expected. It was mousy grey except for the amazing dark stripe across her shoulders and down her spine. And now that he was this close he could see over the top of the round little donkey to where Kate was kneeling in the straw.
In front of her stood a baby donkey. Dark brown and fluffy, and very, very small. It looked like a soft toy, except that it wobbled a bit as it stood there on long, knobbly legs, and it was nuzzling the fingers of Kate’s outstretched hand.
Kate looked up at Rory. Her face was tear-streaked, but she was smiling.
‘Isn’t it the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?’
Rory couldn’t look away from the joy in Kate’s eyes. ‘It certainly is,’ he said softly.
‘Come and see,’ Kate invited. ‘I don’t think Josie minds at all.’
‘She doesn’t seem to.’ Rory’s movements were still cautious, however, as he moved to her other side. A glance behind showed him the upper half of the stable door, ajar enough to see that snow was falling thickly now, the white flakes catching the light from the stable. It looked like a curtain, shutting them off from the outside world. This stable was a private place right now. Warm and musty and full of the joy of new life.
‘I thought Josie was still pregnant,’ he confessed. ‘Shows how much I know about donkeys.’
‘She’s probably always fat.’ Kate smiled. ‘The baby’s completely dry, so he must have been born a while ago. Probably just after everybody left to go to the Christmas party. Touch his coat, Rory. You won’t believe how soft it is.’
Rory dropped to a crouch and gently touched the tiny creature. ‘He’s a very different colour from his mother.’
‘He’s gorgeous.’
‘Josie’s pretty, too. Aren’t you?’ Rory looked sideways to find Josephine watching him carefully. ‘You have an amazing stripe,’ he told her.
‘The cross.’ Kate nodded. ‘Lucy told me Josie’s called a Jerusalem donkey. They were given the mark of the cross in honour of having carried Mary to the stable on Christmas Day. What…?’ She was staring at Rory. ‘Why are you smiling like that?’
‘It just occurred to me.’ Rory’s smile widened. ‘I’m in a stable. On Christmas Eve. With a pregnant woman.’
‘But I intend to stay pregnant,’ Kate said hurriedly. ‘For as long as possible.’
‘Good thinking.’
She seemed to shrink inwards at his approval. Shut ting herself away from him?
‘Katie—’
‘You don’t have to say anything else, Rory,’ Kate interrupted. ‘In fact, I’d rather you didn’t. It’s perfectly understandable that you’re not keen on these babies arriving.’
‘I was only referring to this particular date. It’s too early, isn’t it? We want them as healthy as possible before they arrive in the world, and being inside you is the best place by far.’
Kate was silent. It felt as if she was holding her breath.
‘Besides…’ Rory wanted to smile, but this felt too
Rory stopped, carefully pulling the door closed behind him and slipping the latch into place. He stayed still, not wanting to frighten the creature, but when he turned back he saw long ears pricked forward and got the impression that he was more an object of interest than alarm.
He’d never been this close to a donkey. She was shaggy and grey, with liquid, dark brown eyes and a tuft of brown hair on the tips of those extraordinary ears. She was quite small and she was very round. Very pregnant-looking.
Rory put out his hand, and Josephine stretched out her pale muzzle to sniff his fingers. Then she looked up at him again, and Rory took a step closer.
‘Hello, Josie,’ he murmured, moving his hand to stroke her neck. ‘Are you all right? You look all right. That’s good, isn’t it?’
The donkey’s coat felt softer than he had expected. It was mousy grey except for the amazing dark stripe across her shoulders and down her spine. And now that he was this close he could see over the top of the round little donkey to where Kate was kneeling in the straw.
In front of her stood a baby donkey. Dark brown and fluffy, and very, very small. It looked like a soft toy, except that it wobbled a bit as it stood there on long, knobbly legs, and it was nuzzling the fingers of Kate’s outstretched hand.
Kate looked up at Rory. Her face was tear-streaked, but she was smiling.
‘Isn’t it the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?’
Rory couldn’t look away from the joy in Kate’s eyes. ‘It certainly is,’ he said softly.
‘Come and see,’ Kate invited. ‘I don’t think Josie minds at all.’
‘She doesn’t seem to.’ Rory’s movements were still cautious, however, as he moved to her other side. A glance behind showed him the upper half of the stable door, ajar enough to see that snow was falling thickly now, the white flakes catching the light from the stable. It looked like a curtain, shutting them off from the outside world. This stable was a private place right now. Warm and musty and full of the joy of new life.
‘I thought Josie was still pregnant,’ he confessed. ‘Shows how much I know about donkeys.’
‘She’s probably always fat.’ Kate smiled. ‘The baby’s completely dry, so he must have been born a while ago. Probably just after everybody left to go to the Christmas party. Touch his coat, Rory. You won’t believe how soft it is.’
Rory dropped to a crouch and gently touched the tiny creature. ‘He’s a very different colour from his mother.’
‘He’s gorgeous.’
‘Josie’s pretty, too. Aren’t you?’ Rory looked sideways to find Josephine watching him carefully. ‘You have an amazing stripe,’ he told her.
‘The cross.’ Kate nodded. ‘Lucy told me Josie’s called a Jerusalem donkey. They were given the mark of the cross in honour of having carried Mary to the stable on Christmas Day. What…?’ She was staring at Rory. ‘Why are you smiling like that?’
‘It just occurred to me.’ Rory’s smile widened. ‘I’m in a stable. On Christmas Eve. With a pregnant woman.’
‘But I intend to stay pregnant,’ Kate said hurriedly. ‘For as long as possible.’
‘Good thinking.’
She seemed to shrink inwards at his approval. Shut ting herself away from him?
‘Katie—’
‘You don’t have to say anything else, Rory,’ Kate interrupted. ‘In fact, I’d rather you didn’t. It’s perfectly understandable that you’re not keen on these babies arriving.’
‘I was only referring to this particular date. It’s too early, isn’t it? We want them as healthy as possible before they arrive in the world, and being inside you is the best place by far.’
Kate was silent. It felt as if she was holding her breath.
‘Besides…’ Rory wanted to smile, but this felt too
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