In the novella A Whisper of Time, Gwen is searching for a new life. She buys a farmhouse tucked into the Green Mountains of Vermont sight unseen. When she arrives at her new home, she finds she's bought a whole lot more than just a house.
I parked the bug next to an ancient brown Plymouth that looked as though it had been restored. Vera was waiting on the front porch, a bottle of champagne in one hand. She was quite the statement- blonde hair turned into a flip, a pair of flowered Capri pants. Very retro.
“Welcome home!” she said, handing me the bottle. She fished into her purse and brought out a set of keys. “You are going to love it here.”
Tyrone was already sniffing the porch rail and Miss Kitty had scooted under the porch the minute I’d opened the VW’s door.
“This is Tyrone.” I had to introduce him once he began sniffing Vera. “Miss Kitty has made herself scarce. I hope she’s okay under there.”
Vera chuckled and gave Tyrone’s ears a scratch, making her a friend for life. “I’m sure they’ll both do well here. They have lots of company!”
I heard several bleats. They seemed to come from the back of the house. “What’s that?”
“Why the goats, of course! Would you like to meet them?” Vera stepped off the porch and started around to the side field, Tyrone and I following in her wake. I hadn’t noticed it before, but the field was completely fenced by a thin barbed wire. “Forty in the herd!” said Vera. The wind came up and there was a manure smell in the air. A strong smell.
“Forty?”
“Oh, you will love the goats. They give milk and cheese—a little side biz!”
“I don’t remember you mentioning goats.” I have to say, I was concerned. There was nothing in the contract about a herd of forty.
“It is a farm. Farms have animals.” Vera looked as though this ought to be self-evident.
It hadn’t been. It hadn’t occurred to me, really, that the farm still had animals. Then again, I was always doing things without weighing the consequences.
“Welcome home!” she said, handing me the bottle. She fished into her purse and brought out a set of keys. “You are going to love it here.”
Tyrone was already sniffing the porch rail and Miss Kitty had scooted under the porch the minute I’d opened the VW’s door.
“This is Tyrone.” I had to introduce him once he began sniffing Vera. “Miss Kitty has made herself scarce. I hope she’s okay under there.”
Vera chuckled and gave Tyrone’s ears a scratch, making her a friend for life. “I’m sure they’ll both do well here. They have lots of company!”
I heard several bleats. They seemed to come from the back of the house. “What’s that?”
“Why the goats, of course! Would you like to meet them?” Vera stepped off the porch and started around to the side field, Tyrone and I following in her wake. I hadn’t noticed it before, but the field was completely fenced by a thin barbed wire. “Forty in the herd!” said Vera. The wind came up and there was a manure smell in the air. A strong smell.
“Forty?”
“Oh, you will love the goats. They give milk and cheese—a little side biz!”
“I don’t remember you mentioning goats.” I have to say, I was concerned. There was nothing in the contract about a herd of forty.
“It is a farm. Farms have animals.” Vera looked as though this ought to be self-evident.
It hadn’t been. It hadn’t occurred to me, really, that the farm still had animals. Then again, I was always doing things without weighing the consequences.
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