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must refrain from any of the unnatural acts.”
    â€œUnnatural acts?” Rosamunde asked uncertainly.
    Eustice grimaced. “Simply do not put your mouth on any part of him, or let him put his mouth on any part of you. Especially parts covered by your clothes.”
    Rosamunde’s eyes widened, and Eustice made a knowing face.
    â€œIt is not proper.”
    â€œI see,” Rosamunde murmured, then raised her eyebrows. “But why must I not let him do so? I mean, if men are morally superior—as Father Abernott is constantly reminding us—surely he already will know all this?”
    Eustice nodded at that. “True. No doubt he does knowall this. I am telling you so that you do not make mistakes. Now, here we are,” she pointed out, drawing to a halt at the doors to the chapel. She turned to Rosamunde. “Do you have any questions?”
    â€œAye.”
    â€œOh.” The sister didn’t bother to hide her unease, but raised her eyebrows in question. “What is it?”
    â€œWell…” Rosamunde swallowed. “All you have told me are things I must not do. I am still not quite clear on what exactly does occur.”
    â€œOh, of course.” Eustice paused and considered the easiest way to explain it, then shrugged. “You have seen the animals from the stables when they are in season.”
    It was not a question, but Rosamunde nodded anyway.
    â€œWell, ’tis the same thing.”
    â€œIt is the same?” Rosamunde asked with distaste. Her mind flooded with various pictures of different beasts mating. Cats, dogs, goats, sheep, cows, and horses suddenly filled her mind, a veritable orgy of stable animals.
    â€œAye. Now you see why it is so distasteful to ladies,” Eustice said heavily.
    Rosamunde nodded in wide-eyed agreement, then asked, “Will he bite the back of my neck?”
    Eustice blinked. “Bite?”
    â€œAye. Well, when I spied the cats behind the barn, the male cat was biting the female on the back of the neck as he covered her.”
    â€œOh, nay. That is only to keep the female in place. You, being a dutiful wife, will not need such action taken.”
    â€œNay, of course not,” Rosamunde agreed. Eustice turned to open the door to the chapel a crack and peer curiously inside.
    â€œWill he wish to sniff my behind?”
    Eustice shrieked, then slammed the chapel door closed and whirled to gape at her.
    â€œWell, you said ’twas the same as animals,” Rosamunde said innocently. “And they sniff—”
    â€œLord love us!” Eustice interrupted fervently. She opened her mouth to speak, but paused at the mischievous twinkle in the girl’s eye. Her gaze narrowed. “You are being naughty again,” she accused. Rosamunde managed a solemn expression.
    â€œOh, nay, sister.”
    â€œHmmm. Then shall we—”
    â€œWhat does the covering consist of exactly?” Rosamunde interrupted.
    â€œCovering?” Eustice echoed, her confusion obvious.
    â€œMating. For instance, when Angus the bull approaches one of the cows and mounts her. What is he doing, exactly?”
    Making a face, Eustice considered her question briefly, then explained. “Angus has a thing….”
    â€œA thing?”
    â€œAye. It is about…oh…yea long.” She held her hands about a foot or so apart. “And round. Well, not round, but—it is shaped rather like a cucumber.”
    â€œA cucumber?” Rosamunde tried to picture the man in the stables sporting a foot-long cucumber between his legs.
    â€œAye.” Eustice seemed to be gaining strength—and speed—as she continued. “Angus inserts his cucumber into Maude, stirs it about a bit, spills his seed, and ’tis done.”
    â€œWell,” Rosamunde murmured now, trying to be optimistic. “I suppose it could not possibly be worse than scrubbing the stone floors in the winter.” A body usually