“Oiled parchment.” Trulie hefted her ungainly body up from a pillowed chair and waddled toward her. “We can’t talk about glass just yet,” she whispered as she looped her arm through Mairi’s. “It’s a bit too early in the century.”
Mairi nodded and patted Trulie’s hand. “I understand.”
Little Chloe skipped across the woven carpet and bounced to a stop in front of Mairi. “How ye be dis fine mornin’, Auntie Maywee?”
“I am very well, thank you.” Mairi squatted down to Chloe’s level. She slid one hand inside the small pocket embroidered on the front bib of her kirtle and teasingly patted the outside of the pocket with the other hand. “I didn’t get to give you the present I brought you. May I give it to you now?”
Chloe clapped her dimpled hands and bounced back and forth from side to side. “Ye got me a pwezzie?”
“Of course, I brought you a prezzie.” Mairi pulled a necklace out of her pocket and slid it over Chloe’s head. “I made this just for you.”
“Oh, lookie.” Chloe cooed and danced in place as she lifted the string of multicolored wooden beads up for closer inspection. “Lookie! A doggie.” The tip of her tongue peeped out one corner of her mouth as she fingered one of the larger wooden beads.
Mairi had carved a droopy-eared dog with a happy face and his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. The dog sat with his short tail curled upright as though waiting for permission to wag it.
“And look.” Mairi selected another bead farther down the strand and held it for Chloe to see. “Here’s a kitty.”
“Ho ho,” Chloe chortled. “Dat looks like Gwanny’s kitty, Ki’met.” Her tiny face grew suddenly serious and her bright blue eyes rounded even more as she leaned forward and whispered, “Ki’met gets willy mad when ye pull her tail.”
“I don’t doubt it.” Mairi laughed as she rose and patted the top of Chloe’s silky head. “So do you like it?”
“What do you say, Chloe?” Trulie settled her fingertips on Chloe’s shoulder.
“And lookie, Mama, dis one looks just like Oren!” Chloe held up the largest bead of them all, fashioned into an exact replica of her owl.
Trulie smiled and nodded toward Mairi. “I see. Very nice. Now, what do you say?”
Chloe held both hands up to Mairi and puckered her lips. “Bend down. I gib ye a big moochie t’say tank ye bewwy much.”
Mairi laughed as she bent and received a loud smacking kiss. Chloe lightly patted her cheeks and repeated, “Tank ye, Auntie Maywee.”
“You are most welcome.” Mairi smiled as Chloe spun and bounced back across the room to Granny, holding up the carved wooden beads of her necklace for Granny to admire.
“Come and sit.” Trulie pulled her toward the ring of heavily pillowed furniture hemming in the warmest part of the room. “It feels like I haven’t seen you in forever. It’s time we had a good visit. Chatting through the fire portal just isn’t the same as having you right here.”
“Has Ronan said if he’s sending a runner to fetch his people or are the two of you just going to wait until spring?” Kenna used one foot to keep the cradle beside her chair rocking as she held her other fussing son in her arms. “Winter is no time to travel across the Highlands. Take it from someone who knows.”
“I’m not sure. We haven’t really discussed the logistical aspect of healing his family.” Wait until spring? Spend all winter in the thirteenth century?Um . . . no.Mairi shook away the uncomfortable misgivings gnawing inside her and held her hands out to Kenna. “Here. Hand him over. Maybe I can help.”
Kenna blew out a weary sigh as she settled fretting Caedan in Mairi’s arms. “Good luck. Neither Granny nor Trulie has been able to get rid of the colic. I think the Fates are punishing me for sins in a past life.”
“You were a crabby baby in this life,” Granny said without lifting her gaze from the low wooden frame holding taut a bit of loosely woven linen. With her glasses slid down to the end of her nose, she carefully pulled colored threads up through the cream-colored weave. “Your poor mother wore out her finest slippers walking the floor with you. Perhaps the Fates are giving you a taste of your own medicine.”
Some things never changed. Sinclair women always bantered whenever they gathered. Mairi smiled down into the wriggling baby’s red face. She had missed this precious part of being a Sinclair.
Cuddling fussy Caedan closer in the curl of her arm, she peeled back the layers of cloth swaddled about his body. He kicked and squirmed even more, drawing his little knees up to his belly then grunted and stiffened his body. A series of muffled popping farts burst from him, then for a brief moment, he relaxed.
“Poor little guy.” Mairi smoothed a hand over his distended little belly. “He’s got a terrible case of gas.”
“He is his father’s son,” Kenna drolly noted.
“So, you’re saying the honeymoon doesn’t last forever?” Mairi couldn’t resist an evil grin as she sat on the bench beside Kenna, turned the baby onto his belly, and settled him across her knees. Ever so gently, she bounced him while rubbing his little back. A subtle warming surged through her fingers as she released the tiniest bit of healing energy into her nephew.
“You’ll find out.” Kenna stilled the cradle at her side and settled back into the cushions. “It might last a bit longer for you, though. I adore my Colum, but Ronan is definitely more refined than my cinnamon bear.”
The baby across her knees growled out an enraged cry and flayed his tiny fists. “So much for healing the colic.” Mairi lifted the grumbling babe to her shoulder and rose from the bench. Walking with a rhythmic bounce, she gently thumped the baby’s rump as she paced around the room.
“I told you it wouldn’t work.” Kenna yawned, rubbing the back of her neck as she rolled her shoulders. “By the way, are you and Ronan going to tie the knot immediately or wait until his people get here?”
