The carrier laughed, whilst Sam Brumby growled, ‘There’s nowt Ah want today, Will Benson. You can be on your way.’ And with that parting shot, Sam hobbled off.

‘Well, lass,’ Will said softly. ‘Are you all right?’

Esther pulled a wry face. ‘I ain’t managed to make him see he needs me yet, but I’m working on it.’ She grinned suddenly. ‘I’m banking on Curly here to help.’

Will Benson poked his head into the sty and a doubtful expression flitted across his face. Esther leant closer and lowered her voice. ‘She usually turns nasty with her litter and kills ’em. I’m trying to save ’em.’

Will’s expression cleared and he smiled. ‘Oh, so that’s it – I wondered what Sam meant. Well, lass, it might work. Dun’t let that grumpy old beggar get the better of you. Good luck and tek care of yasen. I’ll be calling again on Thursday as usual. Tuesdays and Thursdays I come out to the Point.’

‘I’ll be here,’ Esther told him with far more confidence in her tone than she felt.

He turned away, raised his hand in farewell, and went back to his cart.

There were ten strong, healthy piglets by the time the sow had done. The eleventh, a poor, thin little reckling, did not live. Esther bit her lip. She knew the piglets ought to be suckling now. They needed nourishment, particularly that first fluid from the mother’s teats, and they needed the warmth of their mother’s body, but Esther wasn’t sure even yet that the sow’s proper maternal feelings had replaced the wild pain.

When the cleansings came away, Esther allowed the sow to eat these. Perhaps that would assuage her unnatural desire, Esther thought. She’d seen it done before and it had worked then. As she watched, the animal seemed to relax. The sow’s eyes seemed calmer and she struggled to her feet and went to the trough. Esther smiled. The signs were good.

When the mother returned to the corner and lay down again near the tea-chest, Esther picked one piglet out and placed it to the sow’s teats. With inborn sense, the tiny creature nuzzled at the teat to make the fluid come and then began to suck greedily. The sow’s eyes closed in contentment and she lay still and quiet whilst Esther placed all the piglets one by one to feed. They’d be all right now. Once the mother had suckled her young, it was unlikely she’d turn on them.

Esther slipped out of the sty and latched the door taking one last look at the now placid scene.