Although he loves working in the fields and with the animals, it becomes too much for William to do alone. William asks the abbot for help and his request is answered when a young man, Samuel Drake, joins the abbey. William is confused both by his feelings for Samuel and Samuel's open and flirtatious behavior towards him. Samuel isn't like any postulant William has ever known, but he doesn't feel comfortable quizzing the young man about the nature of his calling to become a monk.
William's discomfort and guilt intensify as his relationship with Samuel becomes more emotional and then physical. Although William hasn't taken a vow of chastity, that is Samuel's eventual goal. Or is it? Do William and Samuel have a stronger calling?