BALLOCH CASTLE - MAY 29, 1710
Sophie was pacing the room, trying to get Junior to calm down. She said, “Och, he is fretful,”
I ran my hand through my hair. “Has been for hours, do you think Lizbeth will come settle him down like she did last night?”
Sophie said, “We canna expect it, she is likely at the opposite end of the castle for peace and quiet.”
“Damn this is hard.”
She walked across the room to the other window, I was sitting by the hearth, my feet jiggling as if they wanted to run from the room without me having a say in it. I said, loudly, to be heard over his cries. “He’s got good lungs!”
“Aye!”
“He’s not sick, right? We aren’t worried? There’s not a real doctor for centuries, but we could jump, if he’s sick we can jump.”
“Nae, he is well.” Junior started really bellowing.
Sophie shifted him to her other arm and he stopped for a moment. She said quickly, “He is just visited with the colic. Tis a common state in bairns.”
He began wailing again.
She turned at the wall and paced across the room the other way.
I said, “It’s really hard to listen to! He echoes off the walls of this castle.”
“M’laird, ye could go up tae the castle walls, or go for a ride, I can go tae the nursery, ye need yer mind cleared.”
“Oh hell no, not leaving. Zach didn’t leave when Zoe was wailing, I remember — he was all in. I ain’t no quitter.”
She yelled, “What did ye say, m’laird?”
“Never mind!” I stood up, and began pacing with her, going the opposite way. As I walked to one wall she walked to the other.
She said, “We are going tae wear a tread through the middle of the rug.”
“We might.” We met at the middle of the room, and I put out my elbow, she hooked hers in mine and we turned around each other, then let go and walked to the corners of the room. The turn quieted him.
I said, “Damn, that worked! Junior likes line dancing! I ought to turn on some music but?—”
He wailed again, we turned at the opposite walls and walked toward the middle again.
I put out my elbow and turned Sophie around, then put my arm around her back and rocked her back and forth, starting a two-step with Junior held between us. “Two-steps, one two three. Swing, sway, rock.”
Sophie laughed. “He’s quiet!”
“Yep, my hot dance moves quieted him down.” I spun her around and we looked down at Junior, his eyes big and quiet, calmed, looking up at us as we walked and rolled and rocked and stepped. “If he would give me one second to turn on my music, this would be fun.” I danced her around. Then, our arms around each other, we rocked back and forth and she laughed quietly.
“I believe he might be asleep.”
“Nah, really?”
I pulled the edge of the blanket away from his face, his face screwed up to cry again. “Nope, not gonna cry, Junior, we are dancing the wails away.” I rushed over to my bag and rustled through it for my phone, while he got cranked up again. I turned on my downloaded playlist and I put my arms around her again, “A one-two-three, a one-two-three.” We moved around the room rocking and dancing to the song. I hummed along.
Then Sophie said, “I am goin’ tae look down tae see if he’s sleeping.”
“Don’t stop moving, we hae to keep dancing.”
She looked down. “He’s asleep.”
