Vera Cunnings rolled the last of the empty wooden barrels along the ground, placing it with the others ready for collection. She had worked at the Wild Boar ever since her sister Maggie had missed her footing on the ladder in their father’s barn and broken her ankle.
Their family needed her wages desperately, so Vera was persuaded by her father to take over her elder sister’s responsibilities until she was well enough to go back to work. Otherwise, he was afraid-quite justifiably-that Adam Spool the landlord would give the job to someone else, and Maggie would be out of work.
Vera hated the job for the most part. She was a farm-girl at heart and enjoyed working outside, even in the most inclement of weather. Even tilling the soil, something which Maggie hated, brought the younger sister
