"N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons", by Gratiana Lovelace (2013-2014) (Done)

Ch. 60 (PG-13, D): Preparations

Lissa: “Alrrright.”  Lissa agrees hesitantly.

Jamie: “Then hold on tight to the rrropes as I spin ye arrround.” They nod again.

Jamie starts to spin slowly at first and the girls giggle.  Then as his pace increases and he counters the momentum of his large frame twirling about with his massive legs sturdily maintaining his balance, the girls seats lift up sideways and their bodies and swing seats become parallel to the ground with squeals all around. 

Blythe:  “Eeeee! I’m flying!”

Lissa: “Eeeeeeeee!”  Lissa is too astonished and fearful to say anything more as she grips tightly to the rope as she twirls around.

The other men in the family stop their archery practice and intently watch Jamie spinning the girls--and the men walk to  their wives’ sides.  Fiona is delighted, wishing that she could have a ride.  Angharad and Thistle have seen it all before and smile bemusedly.  Hannah looks uncertain.  Margaret looks on warily, then she whispers to her husband.

Margaret: “You don’t want to do that with our children, do you John?”  Her words will be prophetic.

John: “Not in my plans, Margaret.”  John avers resolutely in a hushed voice to his very pregnant wife.  

Then John smiles, for his wife Margaret mentioning them having more than one child.  He longs to love and nurture many children with her--boys and girls.  But first things first, their first child will come later in the Summer. For John is also under the mistaken notion that Margaret is only in her seventh month.  Cameron as the medical doctor in the family is the only one who has his suspicions to the contrary regarding Margaret’s pregnancy progress--and he is watching her like a hawk [(7)]. 

As Jamie takes a few more spins and then slows his pace, the girls gradually come to rest in an upright position again.  He sets them on the ground and they stand up out of the swing seats.

Blythe: “Thank ye, Papa!  It was fun!”  Blythe gleefully hugs her father’s legs in appreciation and he pats her back. 

Jamie: “I am glad ye enjoyed it, Blythe!   And what about you, Lissa?”

However, Lissa is a bit wobbly standing on her feet after experiencing her first Ogilvy Scottish Twirl. 

Lissa:  “Thank ye, Papa Jamie.”  Jamie nods at her with a smile.  Then Lissa turns to her friend and says with all seriousness.  “Blythe, that t’werrre fun!  But I think I need  a walking stick of me own now--orrr I will fall overrr.”  Then a smiling and happy Lissa plops herself down on the grass until she no longer feels dizzy.

The adults howl with cheerful laughter--as much for Lissa’s happy astonishment, as for her delightfully beginning to speak in the Scottish accent of her new home, Scotland.

And thus, their lovely Sunday afternoon comes to an end.

***

John supervising the installation of the new loom weaving machinery at the new Ogilvy-Thornton Scottish Mills, keeps him absent from Margaret’s side for the first several week days they are in Scotland. Monday June 16th is spent with checking the shipment of the twenty five new weaving looms machinery.They also insure that the two middle sized weaving rooms have the infrastructure ready to receive and connect the looms to the new steam engine. There will be twelve looms in each room--with the twenty fifth loom in a third weaving room serving as a training loom until more looms are purchased for that room and a fourth wool weaving looms room as well.  They already have wool carding and dyeing, and thread spinning rooms in operation.