Dances Naked by Dani Haviland

if my letters do get through to Barden Hall.”
    “Now what’s this about Barden Hall?” Jody asked brightly as he waltzed into the kitchen. “O ops, sorry,” he whispered as he saw the sleeping mother and child a few feet away.
    “Aw, she won’t wake up until she’s ready and neither will he,” I commented in my normal speaking voice. I shook my head and added, “It’s sure hard to believe that those two are any relation to that Captain Asshole. Did you hear anything about his trial or sentencing?” I asked.
    “Weel,” Jody said as he pulled out a chair from under the table and sat down, “It looks like he’s to be hanged by the neck until daid next, no, wait, that was,” Jody counted on his fingers, “he shoulda been hanged yesterday. The major said he didna wanna waste any more food on a man who had tried to take soldiers away from his majesty’s army and collected taxes fer his own personal gain. I told him that my son could also give testimony about the um, altercation at the mill , but he said it wasna necessary, that my word and that of his sergeant were enough. And , he wasna too happy about him tryin’ to kidnap the lass either,” Jody said as he shifted in the seat. “It seems the major has six daughters and is quite protective of them, which is how it should be. So, yer sendin’ a letter to Barden Hall so my Benji can watch out fer yer friend James and yer daughter Leah?”
    “That’s the plan. You know, when the time comes that this letter is to be read, Benji will be quite a bit older than Leah will be. It’s been a long time since you’ve seen him, hasn’t it? I’ll bet he looks just like you,” I proclaimed with parental pride , although I was bragging about someone else’s progeny.
    “How do ye ken? Did ye ever meet him? Have ye ever been to Barden Hall?” Jody asked excitedly, leaning forward and clutching his knees.
    “No, I’ve never set foot outside the USA , but I do know that he has a tall mama who looks like you and he has red hair, too , so, well, gee, I don’t know.” I sighed in frustration at getting the man all wound with no way to satisfy his excitement. “I’m sure with his heritage , he’s good looking, smart , and responsible.”
    “Weel, I’ll settle for jest bein’ responsible. Although with his parents, I’m sure he is the other two as well. Now, do ye think the lass and the bairn can travel tomorrow? They’re no bother here and I wouldna want to send her away before she’s strong enough.”
    Sarah looked at Jody , then me , then shrugged her shoulders. “I’ll see how’s she’s doing in the morning and give her my advice. She’s been a good patient and the boy’s yeast infection seems to be almost gone. It was mostly irritation from being in filthy clouts. I’ll make sure she has a change of clothes for him and a few spare clouts with explicit instructions on cleanliness, for her and for him. She, um, talked a bit during labor. It seems her mother died before she had a chance to tell her all she needed to know about babies, and, well, a lot of other things. When she gets to feeling better , I’ll fill her in on a few other important facts of life. Jody, she said they were headed to stay with family in New Bern. Do you think we can get word to Angus to keep an eye on her?”
    Jody grinned as she was asking. “It’s already been don e; I sent word jest this mornin’. And , I’ll make sure Grant kens that I have friends and family from here to New Bern , and that they have all been asked to keep watch over the young lass and the bairn. He may be a nosy man , but I’ll bet he kens not to hurt either one of them.”
    Just then , I heard a crashing noise outside , like stacked wood being knocked over, then the sound of someone running away. “Weel, it looks like he heard what I wanted him to hear,” Jody said with a chuckle. “I dinna ken how long he was out there , but he kens now that those two,” he nodded to Rachel and Baby Boy,