Fluffy White Sheep, Fish Food an' 1st come, 1st serve
By: Carrie-Anne
Prologue---Return of Jess and life at the house goes through some changes...
A sweet voice yelled out from the doorway, "You can kiss better than that, Da!" Golly and Molly stopped osculating within seconds of hearing the voice...
Jess with her backpack strapped to her back and her blonde locks swept back in a ponytail stood tall, dressed in outdoor gear with boots on her feet. She was grinning at her father, who looked at her and then Molly awestruck, "Did you set this up?"
Golly remembered months ago around Christmas time, Jess's surprise visit and how Molly and Archie had planned it for him. Molly shook her head no, as Golly then traveled over to Jessica for a touching, lively and well needed embrace. Many questions of why she was there then flooded into Golly's poor mind, "What ye doin' 'ere?"
"Da, can we chat about it later?" Jess asked smartly as she eyed the 'karaoke' microphone in Duncan's hands and stage as Ewan toted her away towards it. Golly nodded his head, "Sure, lass, we will."
That same night, Golly studied his weary traveled daughter as she unpacked her belongings from her rucksack on the bed in the spare room of his cottage. Jess had lots of ideas on how to 'personalize' the room for her own. Golly stood in the doorway, waiting for Jess to say something, which was Molly's suggestion on how he should approach Jess and her 'return'.
"Da, it's nice to see you."
"You 'ere for awhile?"
"I was wondering if I could be."
Golly then eyed her up and down, "Ye in trouble?"
Jess kept unpacking tossing her bloomers out, then her night shirt, aside from her toiletries. Jess avoided her father's question. However Golly strolled over and sat himself down on the bed and asked again with stern concern, "Jess, everything all right?"
"Great, Da, well, not really," Jess replied distantly.
"What's a matter then?"
"Murray doesn't like my boyfriend, doesn't like how I haven't been working after I finished school..." Jess stated her accusation with one breath as Golly continued to listen, bowed his head to peek at the floor and then to cast his eyes upwards at Jess. Jess sat herself down.
"Aye, Murray knows..."
"Murray doesn't know much. Mum just sides with him! I wanted to ask you about my staying, you know, over the phone...I wasn't sure how you'd take it."
"I'm fine with you being here, as long as yer mother knows."
"Mum knows. My boyfriend doesn't."
Golly could tell there was more to the 'my boyfriend doesn't know where I am' story. He didn't press Jess for answers, just continued to listen to her.
"Anyway, you're certain about me staying like?"
"Aye,"
Jess smiled, and then collected up her things for a bath, "Great, I need to wash up and get ready for bed."
Golly watched Jess travel out of the room without saying another word to her as he started to ponder more about her 'boyfriend'. Golly wondered what kind of guy Jess had gotten herself involved with, his wee young lass dating someone who wasn't kosher for her, according to her mother? Golly then decided instead of making vast judgments and fast conclusions to his own question, he'd let Jess tell him more. Golly prided himself on being quiet, pensive and genuinely humble, and now even more than ever.
Archie and Paul sat in leather back seats in the library, each with a glass, Archie's of scotch and Paul's of water and gazing out into space—or the dulling and dimming fire in the fireplace. Both brothers sat there having a night cap, talking, sharing the day's successes and preparing themselves for a new dawn.
"Where's Lexie at?" Paul pried wondering if there would be more company in the library at this hour.
"Lex went up to bed and I said I'd join her shortly. You know she wants to hire on a nanny."
"Oh? Sounds about right, I mean she's here all the time with three young children and I can see where the tag teaming is needed."
Archie gave a silent nod of his head, tipped his glass to take a sip, and add, "She wants to ask Claire about it."
"Claire?" Paul's brows rose at the idea of Susan's sister taking care of the children.
"Well, you know Claire and it might be a biased coming from Susan since they are sisters."
"Susan would be delighted to have her sister nearby, of course, where would she live?"
"Here." Archie smiled and Paul took a swig from his glass and then replied righteously, "I could picture this very well."
"So this means we, Lex and I, have your support on the issue?"
"Yeah, you do. Look, I'm not here to change how you live your lives, I never entered this family' realm with the thought of a coup."
"I know Paul, but you were really on the..."
"The defense? That was Duncan, Minnie and past problems with missing Lili---I'm not going to disagree that Lexie doesn't need a nanny to help with the twins or Minnie. You, Arch, you two need some personal space."
"Personal space?" Archie cocked his head to scan Paul's face wistfully, wondering what he meant by that.
"I was hoping to talk about Suzy, Nye and I moving out sooner than waiting for the house to be built." Paul spoke up in a roundabout way. Archie threw his head back just a tad, gazed at his brother stoic before commenting, "You want to move?"
"Well, I mean, this is fabulous Archie, but it's really your place and not so much mine. We had this talk before about it...Suz and I moving south, me asking her to marry me, and then we ended up on this home building journey..."
"So you want to move out because you feel you're cramping my style?"
"And Lexie's and the twins," Paul answered with one breath.
"Well,"
"One can assume that our business relationship will work better, if we aren't living together. And since day one, you've given me my dream and made it reality...the question is, do you have another place for me to move too, while my house is being built?"
"Now you're going philosophical on me—I didn't think our business relationship was that bad."
"You got it. And no it's not bad, but could be better, if we weren't all stuffed under this roof like a can of sardines."
"All right, I'll see what property I can drudge up, actually, I know of a spot...it's serene, peaceful, and in the middle of the country. Not far from the school where Nigel goes and not far from the train station that Susan sometimes hops on to for work. You talk to Susan and Nigel about moving and the place is yours until the house is finished?" Archie gestured as he waited for Paul's response. Paul wasn't expecting one so soon, a place to move into with his family...
"Sounds good," as Paul and Archie clink their glasses together toast on it.
"Well, you'll have to do a wee bit of work to the place."
"I think we can manage it."
Chapter One---A few days later
Sunrise Sunrise And I said Surprise Surprise Then I say And now the night Hooo, hooo, hooo
Sunrise
Looks like morning in your eyes
But the clock's held 9:15 for hours
Sunrise
Couldn't tempt us if it tried
Cuz the afternoon's already come and gone
Hooo, hooo, hooo
To you
Surprise
Couldn't find it in your eyes
But I'm sure it's written all over my face
Surprise
Never something I could hide
When I see we made it through another day
Hooo, hooo, hooo
To you
Will throw its cover down, ooo, on me again
Ooh, and if I'm right
It's the only way to bring me back
To you
Hooo, yeah, hooo, hooo
To you
Sunrise-Norah Jones (2004)
Lexie wandered to the front door after hearing the estate bell chime toll, as she nodded her head at Postman Craig, "Hello Lexie, here it all is and is Duncan MacKay about?" Postman Craig showed Lexie a Royal Mail letter made out for Duncan on the top of the mail pile.
"Down yonder at Golly's, you'll find 'im there."
"Thanks!" Postman Craig handed Lexie a stack of the estate's mail and then pedaled off towards Golly's cottage in search of Duncan. Lexie heaved the mail down on the telephone stand and then she strolled into the sitting room/turned play room for the twins, as she witnessed a crazy sight, "Archie MacDonald? What are you doin' up there?"
Archie with his tongue slightly hanging out in concentration had his feet planted firmly on a ladder. He adjusted cables over a window, placing a camera and then climbing downward, rubbing his hands together pleased with his 'electronics job' and then wandered over to a huge box of 'intercom pieces'.
Archie shifted the intercom box and spoke into it attached to another box and boomed out, "Morning Lex, I'm making it easier for you to see and hear me and I to see and hear you."
"Well, you're coming in loud and clear an' I see you now perfectly," Lexie cooed with a chuckle as she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Just as Archie set an arm across her shoulders and then ran it (and his hand) down her back lovingly.
"I decided with the old cables, cameras and now this new 'First Foto Intercom' will make it easier for when you truly do need me."
Lexie paused for a moment she remembered and how Archie and Justine had ended their relationship rather 'publicly' to the online crowd of her self, Molly, Golly and Hector—aside from Katrina and the school children. The house explosion years ago had destroyed estate computers, and internet connections so when Lili, Lexie's cousin had came to visit them, she actually helped the estate get back online.
Lexie now wondered if Archie reintroducing was such a nifty idea...
"You're speechless, say something."
"I thought we bid adieu to the idea of internet in the house, after you banished it when..."
"Well I did until Lili reintroduced us to it again down at the estate and wildlife center offices, besides this isn't internet. It's a house security system, a baby security system. It's only aired via the house and my work places, not to all of Glenbogle."
"Baby?" Mummy Lexie laughed as color spread to her cheeks, just as the wee one, the almost 20 week fetus, gave her a kick, agreeing with Daddy Archie's new technological 'theory'.
"Look, you were quite upset with me when I started working over time, think of it this way, when you need me, I can see you and you'll be able to see me. When you feel contractions coming, you can hit this button on any of these intercom boxes and when the twins need dinner, you can hit this button..." Archie pressed the button connected to his new beeper...which then went off, playing 'Rock a by, Baby, on the tree tops, when the wind blows the cradle will rock, when the bough breaks the cradle with fall and down will come baby cradle and all...'
Lexie roared with laughter again as she latched her hand onto Archie's 'Baby' beeper, "Why didn't you think of this when we were having the twins, these 'top' spy boxes?"
"We couldn't afford it really, now we can and with three under the age of three. These aren't just any 'Charlie's Angels' intercom boxes, there's 3 main TV screens: in the kitchen, sitting room, and our bedroom, which shows you which room in the house you're looking at—I only set up cameras in these rooms...one in the nursery, one in the sitting/play room, one in the kitchen and one in the library, it goes split screen too and shows the estate offices and the wildlife center office. I haven't rigged up Ghillie's yet, I will."
"Where on earth did you get this idea from?"
"Celine Dion," Archie gave a triumphant nod of his head, standing tall and proud with a daunting smile.
"What?" Lexie chuckled again and blinked, as she never knew for Archie to be a fan of the singer Celine Dion.
"Celine Dion. I won this system, like hers, off of EBAY!"
Lexie shook her head sensibly and grinned, just as Golly entered the room with more boxes and his slanted smile while Lexie laughed again. Archie quipped, "What?"
"You amaze me Archie MacDonald."
"Good, settled, you amaze me too, Lex. I have to get back to work on these wires, right, Golly?"
Golly nodded, "Aye, son."
"Well, then, shall I get you some music for yer ear to perk up too?" Lexie joked as Archie chuckled out, "I s'pose."
Lexie then belted out a tune of her husband's new found 'fave' singer, "All by myself, Don't wanna be, All by myself, Anymore, All by myself, Don't wanna live..." as she strolled out of the room, just as Golly and Archie exchanged silly glances and a chuckle or two, before going back to work.
Duncan made way down to Golly's croft during the mid morning hour. They had work to do on the new wolf pen and he also wanted to see Jess and how she was. Duncan hadn't had a chance to really talk to Jess at Ghillie's the other night and this probably was one of the best times to catch up.
Just as Duncan stepped up to the door, he noticed Postman Craig zipping down the trail on his bike with his mail bag hanging off of the left side, "Morning, Duncan."
"Craig," Duncan tipped his head in his direction, before Craig, sat on his mail bike and then opened up his mail sack and pulled out a letter.
"For you go on take it, I was told you weren't up at the house and would be 'ere."
"Thanks," Duncan eyed the letter and Craig with a wide nod of his head.
"Sure thing!" Craig called out, as he turned right around and voyaged back down the trail.
Just as Duncan stood there glancing at the fancy lettering, the 'Royal mail' stamp in the right corner and then...the left corner's return address...just as Jess opened the door, "Duncan?"
"Hello Jess came down to fix the wolf pen, looking for yer Da..."
"And collecting mail I see?" Jess laughed vividly as she stepped back so Duncan could enter Golly's croft.
"Well, Craig was looking fer me."
"Come in, Da's off helping Archie at the house, an' he'll be back soon." Duncan stepped inside of the croft and followed Jess right in.
"What's the letter about?" Jess asked pensively, without giving Duncan a moment to open it up.
"Aye, I don't know."
"You won't know unless you don't open it...Lemme do it! If it's a love letter..." Jess winked before snagging it out of Duncan's hands. Duncan bellowed out, "Jess! This isn't funny! I'll open it, give it back to me!"
Jess dangled the letter in front of Duncan's face as he snatched it back, just as Jess toppled backwards on her father's sofa. Duncan sighed half-hearted, and then parked himself down on the couch too.
"What's a matter?"
"I was hoping this was from..."
"Someone else?"
"Yah, I went away..."
"To New Zealand, I know."
"You know?"
"Of course I know!" Jess chuckled vibrantly again, "Da told me. I'd call and ask if you were still alive and he said you were off globe trotting...I almost wish I had gone with you..."
"How do you mean?"
"I would have loved to see New Zealand and let's face it I'm not doing much with my life right now, am I? No."
"Well, I'm not doing much with my own, am I?"
Jess giggled again, "Duncan, let's open your letter..."
Duncan sighed again as he ripped open one corner and slid his fingers between the opening and the glued down end...eventually opening up the letter. Jess's head peered over his shoulder, before asking, "Is it a love letter, like I suggested?"
Duncan's fingers grasped the paper in the envelope before pulling it out...he unfolded the top of the letter and began to read as his eyes wandered distinctly down the page...Jess became more curious, as she watched his face for his reaction on what the letter was about, and didn't get one right away.
"What is it?"
"Letter from the organ donor organization...apparently, this letter sums up where Lili's heart went too." Duncan's face showed gloom and then doom. Jess knew he was upset, so she received the note from him and began to read:
Dear Family,
It's taken me awhile to compose this letter and I hope it finds you well. There's not many ways to describe on paper how much your love one's organ donation saved me. I don't mean to make that sound quite dodgy, but I'm a young girl who has just been given, about six months or so ago a new chance at life and it's all because of you.
One day, I'd like to meet you face to face and show you what I have done with my life. It might not be possible now, but I'd love too later...
"Duncan? Is this about---?" Jess's eyes arched waiting for him to reply to her before she finished her thought.
"Yes, it's about Lili. When Lili got into the accident that day, she wasn't 'dead' yet. The medics had taken her straight away to Inverness, where she fought her last 'dying' moments. I got there to the hospital with Paul and she was gone...the patrolman at the crash site, told us not to go, but we did anyway."
"Right, I remember this..."
"Anyway, her heart was donated to someone—I mean I had to sign it over if it was possible for it to happen with all of the legalities and such..."
"This is a letter from the recipient..." Jess's eyes landed on the loops of letters, crossing of 't's and the dotting of 'I's. Jess knew this hand writing from anywhere. Duncan glanced at Jess puzzled, "What?"
"Nothing, you should probably check things out up at the house...Da's up there."
"Och, yeah, right," Duncan stood up from the couch and spaced the letter, which was in Jess's hands, "Jess?"
Jess turned her head to look up at him as he made way for the front door... "Thanks, it's good to see ya."
"You too, Duncan!" Jess bolted from the couch with the letter, but it was too late, Duncan had made a mad dash for the land rover and off he went. Jess stood there with the letter still in her hands.
"Back up, back it, ho! Stop right there!" Paul hollered out as the land rover backed up to the cottage out in the middle of the country. Susan hopped out as smiled, walked over to the back just as Paul opened it up. Susan and Paul unloaded boxes just as Archie's SUV pulled up with Duncan in it.
"Duncan?" Susan let out a laugh as she lifted a box and made way towards the old croft with red trim out in the Scottish countryside.
"Aye, stunning wheels? Did you borrow 'em from Archie or steal 'em?" Paul joked as Duncan rolled his eyes, gave a haughty laugh, wiggled his brow, and replied, "Archie's busy with some house stuff he's doing for Lexie...told me to ride on down here and give ya a hand with yer things."
"Very kind of you, take this." Paul firmly planted a huge box in Duncan's arms. Duncan and Paul followed Susan's lead.
"Awfully kind of Archie allowing us to move down here..." Susan nodded, trying to make conversation.
"Aye, well, it used to be rented out to Katrina years ago," Duncan said, as he added, "Then rented out to Mary, the postmaster until she retired last year. It's been vacant for quite some time."
"Ah, smells it...just like Paul's work boots, stinky!" Susan smiled teasingly at Paul, wrinkled and tweaked her nose in 'Pee-U', while opening up a few windows. And after they entered what was once Katrina's purple lounge and set a few boxes down.
"There's nothing wrong with my boots..." Paul started to protest, "Of course, they aren't as stinky as your furniture will be, no doubt."
"Marjorie, I'll have you know, took all of my furniture into her garage..."
"Not the sheep barn?" Paul laughed as Susan's apartment furniture would be arriving on Monday, since she stored it up at her (and Claire's) Aunt Marjorie's farm in Inverness.
"I think it's going to suit you three," Duncan winked and traveled outside to get another box with Susan and Paul tagging right behind him.
"It's not far from the village school, not far from your building site for your house, and also not far from the station or Ghillie's." Duncan rattled on and on...
"Aside from the fact that we'll be out of Archie and Lexie's hair," Paul concluded soundly.
"Paul, don't be that way," Susan soothed, wondering if he was upset about the move or okay with it. Susan usually could read Paul like an open book, lately, she was having trouble...
"I don't. Archie's done quite a lot for me, for us, he still has me running a few things, I just feel good about moving out and giving them some space. Funny the first day I arrived here looking for my father, Archie allowed me to stay one night, of course, when I came back after Army jail, he and Lexie opened their home to me..."
"Well, it's a very nice thing,"
"Besides, Suz, the move is for our privacy as well, and there's one more minor detail that I agreed with Archie and Lexie as well...with what to do to our room..."
"Which is?"
"Claire's becoming the new nanny for Minnie and the twins," Paul nodded his head happily and wandered back towards the cottage while turning to face Susan, who had trailed behind him. Duncan continued to pile up boxes for him to carry at the land rover, and barely tagged behind Paul and Susan.
"Wait a minute, how do you know this? When did this all come about? Why didn't you tell me this before about Claire?"
"Spoil the surprise? We don't know if Claire will accept, Suzy, so relax, and go with it."
Susan tramped behind Paul with a lamp and shade into the cottage. Claire normally told her everything. She never mentioned becoming the nanny of the estate, as she would have told Susan.
"Well, since Compton won the seat on the 'new' counsel, Archie and he came to some sort of agreement which involved in trading school land for some shares in his water bottling plant. Anyhow, Compton also gave him a bit of cash donation to go towards the land which Archie intends to use for Lexie's new nanny. Lexie's been interested in asking Claire to fill in..."
"That's why she desperately needed my car since she's meeting Lexie at the house later on. Paul, Claire's got work, she will soon with her vet degree...I mean..."
"And Lexie needs the help. It makes perfect sense to me that Lexie ask Claire about tending to the twins, until she's able to tend to them and the impeding arrival on her own. Lexie was going to ask Claire anyway, I just backed her up with it---she seemed pleased, same with Archie. What's a matter?"
"Well, its Claire, Paul...I mean..."
Duncan was all smiles, all grins from ear to ear at this news...
"What's with you?" Susan stopped short from finishing her disagreement with Paul and tipped her head to look at a somewhat 'love-struck' Duncan, only he tried not to show it and smiled, then frowned...while adding with a perked up voice and then toppling over the lamp that Susan had stood up and standing it back up again. Susan trained her eyes on Duncan and then glanced back to Paul...
"Och nothing, say, Paul, where will Claire live when she's nanny?"
"Probably the house, I didn't pry much more into Lexie's nanny idea—I hinted at our old room becoming Claire's. Oh come on, Suz, you won't have to drive back and forth to Inverness to get her when she wants to visit. I really went along with it all for you too."
Claire made way into the main hall of the estate and then walked over to the doorway of the library, "Hello? Archie? Lexie? Is anybody here?"
Claire kept walking around the front hall, just as she heard humming and spotted Lexie.
"Hello Claire, come in—this way," Lexie directed Claire into the library.
"I'm a bit early?" Claire replied quietly, as she watched Lexie sit her self down.
"It's okay, no worry, just come in."
"Where's Archie?"
"He's got his hands full at the moment with a new baby security system...long story. Anyway, it's me who's asked you over." Lexie nodded and bowed her head and gazed at Claire intently. Lexie's hand tossed some hair of her eyes as she adjusted her suit coat. The baby was making it impossible for her to dress 'corporate' like.
"All right?"
"I'm supposed to have interviews, conduct 'proper' business for the estate, but...?"
"This is an interview?" Claire said kinda confused.
"Not really, I never had Archie put the ad in the paper, because well, I kinda hoped you'd help out," Lexie said as she put her hands together and finger fidgeted with the folder on the desk before her.
"Help out with what exactly?" Claire studied Lexie's face as she sat in an old velvet high back chair while Lexie sat behind Archie's old oak desk and in a leather seat.
"I suppose it would help if I came out and asked it, aye?"
"Ask me what?" Claire laughed, as her laugh broke up Lexie's nervousness.
"Well, don't suppose you wouldn't help out with the twins and Minnie in this place?"
Claire sighed, which then Lexie's face dropped, wondering if Claire wasn't interested in the position, "I haven't interviewed anyone else for the position because..."
"You wanted me?" Claire eyed Lexie curiously while Lexie's mouth danced into a perky smile.
"Of course, I want you. You're wonderful with them and four kids all under the age of three, is going to be pretty rough on me at times...I need someone who's good with children and you've been visiting Susan for months and helping me out randomly."
"When do I start? What will you---?"
"You can start right away if you like. Archie's got 15,000 pounds for the year set aside for the spot or the lucky nanny that is."
"15,000 pounds?" Claire remarked, some what stunned at the offer, but to her money really wasn't the object. Claire had hoped she could move nearby Susan when Susan and Paul's house was built...
"It's all we've got, aside from free room and board. We'd feed you too Claire."
Claire studied Lexie's face, as she could tell Lexie was antsy, still nervous about asking her to be the nanny...still wondering what Claire would say and finally Claire with a nod of her head replied, "I'd love too."
Lexie blew out a sigh of relief, "For a minute there I was afraid you'd turn me down?"
"No worry. Actually, Lexie, I want to live closer to Susan and Nigel, I've missed them terribly since they lived a spit away from me in Inverness."
"I know that's another reason I asked..." Lexie winked, while she stood up from the desk and Claire rose up on her feet too. "So when will you start?"
"I have to move my stuff out of Aunt Marjorie's farm and all...I mean...well, Monday?"
Lexie's face then displayed a bright smile as she held out her hand to shake Claire's, "Sounds grand!"