Chapter 7
NELLIE FOLLOWED the shepherd through the side doors of the church. They came out in the alley that ran between the church and the next house. It was a dark place, with uneven cobblestones, and she had to be careful where to put her feet, especially where it was wet. The alley ended in a small courtyard, with an entrance to the house where Shepherd Adrianus lived. It was a simple building of a single floor, with a parlour, a kitchen and—she assumed—one bedroom, since shepherds took their vows to the church and couldn’t marry.
They climbed the steps into the dark hallway where it smelled of musty carpet, and went into the living room to the right, where the candlelight bathed everything in a golden glow.
It was warm in here, with a fire blazing in the hearth.
“Take your coat of
