BUNDLE OF JOY? - PART 2 - BY: BECKY ANNE
Based upon the beginnings of a story by UK Boglies on the UK Board.
Chapter 4
Katrina burst into tears. Archie looked at her questioningly.
Katrina found she could not keep the secret any longer, She looked Archie in the eyes and exclaimed; "Yes, she is your daughter!" She then turned and ran out of the room.
'Lizzie, what did she mean by that?" Archie looked completely flummoxed "Archie, were you and Katrina "together" before she left for London? Emma is six months old."
"Of course, we were together for 7 months or so" Archie paused, and he quickly did the math in his head. He looked at the door through which Katrina had just run, got up quickly and ran after her. He followed the hallway down to Emma's room. Katrina was standing by the crib, holding a teddy bear. Not crying, but looking alone and desolate. Archie stared at her for a moment. He didn't quite know what to do?
"So she really is my daughter?" Archie asked, still amazed. "What do you really think I would make something up like that? Trying to win you back from Lexie?, Yes, I was not happy that you chose Lexie over me that day, but I would never make something up that would hurt you or your family that much."
"Katrina, if she really is my daughter, I have a right to see her" Katrina thought about this, she knew this was true, but she had gotten used to him being out of her life, she had given up on the idea of getting Archie back after he chose Lexie that day on the road, he told her that they really couldn't see each other if she moved back to Glenbogle.
"You never wrote, you never called, we were going to run the estate together, we had such plans and then you told me to take the job in London. When I finally got the courage to go to Glenbogle and tell you, you had already proposed to Lexie. You love Lexie, I could not do that to the two of you. She is my daughter, I can take care of her myself.
"she is my daughter too, I want to help. I need to help. I grew up without the support of my father. When I was old enough, he sent me away to boarding school. I do not want that for my children. Come back to Glenbogle. We will work things out."
"but Lexie…." "I am not saying that I am divorcing her or leaving her, I love Lexie, I always will love Lexie., but come back and we'll work things out." "I am coming back. Maybe anyway. I have been given the chance to run for council from Glenbogle and I am thinking about taking it. I just don't know if I could take seeing you and Lexie possibly everyday always thinking what might have been, what could have been…. Living with the choices I have made in my life. Archie, I will always love you and that will never change."
Archie was a bit taken back by that remark, "Just come back for now. Let me help. When we get back we will figure something out. I promise."
It was later in the evening, Lizzie had left the flat to relieve Martha's babysitter. Archie had stayed behind to "work things out with Katrina" Katrina was sleeping on the couch. Archie looked over at her. He thought, How could I have let her go? I love Lexie, but I loved Katrina too. I was never truly able to show her how much I loved her. She drove me crazy with all of her preaching. He knew that everything she said was true, but he had a family with a vast history on the estate to protect. It never would have, could have worked out between them. He definitely knew that for a fact. He was confused, but knew what he had to do to make things right. He looked down at Emma, the little girl sleeping in his arms. She had Katrina' s falling curls, but his color and his eyes. He knew at that moment he needed to keep this child in his life. She was his daughter. Lexie had to understand that, didn't she?
