A Tale of Two Lairds

I don't own or claim ownership of Monarch of the Glen or any of it's characters, plotlines, etc., nor am I making money off of them.

They are the wonderful creation and property of BBC Scotland and Ecosse Films.

Please let me know what you think, and/or any errors you've identified. I love reading reviews [is that vain?] and use them to better my writing=)

Chapter 1:

Southbogle, Bannockburn, New Zealand, July 2014

Archie MacDonald shivered a little as he stood in front of the small memorial, built of grey Scottish granite from the Cairngorms, with a copper labrador perched on top.

The words "In memory of my beloved brother, Jamie Naimsmith MacDonald, 1967-1985" were engraved into the smooth, sparkling surface.*

Past the monument, brown vines shrouded in a cold mist stretched out across the reddish-gray earth to the leafless poplar trees and the heavily-eroded, brush-sprinkled hills beyond. Despite the mists, a tepid wintry sun shone in a cloudless sky.**

"Peering out over your vast domain, my laird?" Lexie's playful voice drifted across the bare, empty space.

Feigning a small smile, Archie turned towards his wife. He shook his head.

The broad grin on Lexie's face dropped.

"It's Jamie again, isn't it?" Lexie asked.

Archie shrugged. "A little bit."

Walking over to Archie, she put her arms around his waist, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Oh Arch. You've got to let this guilt go. What happened, happened. Jamie himself, from what I hear of him, wouldn't have held it against you, and neither does anyone else."

"I bet Jamie wouldn't have forsaken the lairdship, or uprooted his family, or left his mother alone thousands of miles away with a stepson she barely knew..."

"Archie! I've never heard such nonsense! You're not Jamie, and you never will be. But you are Archie MacDonald, a man I love and cherish."

Archie nodded.

"Yeah...I know. But I just...I just can't help feeling I've been a bit of a let-down, breaking from the past, splitting everyone up."

"Look around you Archie. Things have turned out wonderfully. The vineyard's wildly successful. All is well at Glenbogle, thanks in large part to your efforts. And us, well...we've adjusted to our new life." She turned his face toward her and smiled

"And I, for one, have been very happy and content."

Archie smiled weakly. "You're right of course," he said, his voice betraying anything but confidence.

"What is it Arch? What's really bothering you?"

"Oh...I don't know! I need a change. Something different."

Lexie suppressed the sickening feeling of dread rising up within her.

"I suppose I feel a bit rootless...homesick."

Lexie relaxed a little. That was easily fixed.

"Well, in that case, we could always take a wee trip back to Scotland."

"What? Go traipsing back to the other side of the world to see the ancestral homeland?"

"Why not?"

"Well...it's such a long flight...And there's Duncan, Jr. to think about."

"Oh he'll be fine Arch. If Molly can make the trip, then so can we."

"But what about Paul and Iona? Won't they feel we're trampling on their turf?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm sure he'd love to see you. You haven't been back to Glenbogle in years. It's high time there was a reunion!"

"You miss it too, don't you?'

Lexie grinned and nodded.

"How could anyone not?"

A smile appeared on Archie's face.

"Right then. Let's get planning!"

To be continued...

*Much of the granite rock of the Scottish highlands has a high concentration of mica crystals in it, making it sparkle. The city of Aberdeen is sometimes known as the Silver City for this reason.

**New Zealand, and the rest of the Southern Hemisphere experience winter when the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing summer. Bannockburn, a wine-producing area (with a conveniently Scottish name) situated in New Zealand's Central Otago region (South Island) experiences wide ranges of temperature and weather from season to season.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it so far!