We're Home – Part 22

How much has to be explored and discarded before reaching the naked flesh of feeling. Claude Debussy

Later that day Paul had the very same idea as Lexie. He wasn't just going to stand there and take orders from Archie, he was going to explain his part in it, explain what it was like to be Archie MacDonald's brother.
Archie wasn't as surprised to see Paul as Katrina had been to see Lexie. He was sitting on the floor in the lounge room playing with Mel with some dolls that Martha had long forgotten about.
Melanie had found them hidden away in Lexie's old bedroom and was ecstatic from word go, so much so that now, for what seemed like hours Archie had been sitting with her and playing restaurants, balls and dress ups. He didn't particularly want to see his brother, in fact he would have been much happier if it was Lexie who had stepped through the door, but Paul was better then no one and a good excuse to escape for a break.
" Honey " Archie whispered to his daughter as Paul stood watching in the hallway, " I'm sure Duncan would love to pay dolls with you for a while, while daddy and Uncle Paul talk. Is that okay?"
Melanie nodded, and picked up the collection of dolls, clothing and accessories that were strewn across the floor and headed off to find her favourite playmate.
Paul nodded at Archie expectantly, and Archie returned it with civility and not a touch of anything else.
" Can we talk?" Paul asked
" Go for it" Archie answered, dragging himself to his feet. " But not here out in the open. Follow me"
Paul did as instructed and trailed after his brother up the stairs and down the hallway until the reached a room he wasn't familiar with. Archie walked in and shut the door after them
" What is this room?" Paul asked, looking around
" It's Lexie's old bedroom before we got engaged" Archie answered, sitting down on the bed
Paul nodded and wondered if Archie had chosen this room out of all the possible rooms within the house for a specific purpose.
" It looks like Lexie" Paul commented, glancing round
" You should have seen it when it had the fairy lights and lava lamp" Archie recalled
" Is she younger then you?" Paul asked suddenly, realising he had never thought about it
" Yeah. By 5 or so years" Archie answered nonchalantly
Paul raised his eyebrows, he had never really thought about the age difference
" Where do you want to start?" Archie asked, breaking through his thoughts
Paul took a breath and thought over all the things that had been running through his mind lately
" You always had everything," He announced
Archie stayed decidedly composed and glanced at him " Please explain?"
" When I came here you had the estate, wonderful family and friends, Lexie"
" Yes. But now you have the estate, you're the Laird" Archie answered
" That's the thing. Even though I have so much more then when I came here, it still seems like you have everything. I mean Lexie, Melanie, your own restaurant in Glasgow."
" You're jealous of me?" Archie asked
" I envy how you have everything, and everything just works."
" You definitely weren't here last night," Archie confirmed under his breath
" In a way I wonder how it may have been different if I had been the one who had come home earlier. Whether things would have turned out differently"
'Whether I would have got to Lexie before you' Paul's mind added
" I mean why on earth did it take you so long to get together with Lexie?"
" Oh, and I suppose you and she would have been together in the first year of meeting?" Archie quipped
" Probably" Paul answered
Something inside Archie stirred, as a rule he wasn't prone to acts of violence- but Paul was just saying all the wrong things, and pushing all the right buttons.
" You might have ended up staying with Katrina" Paul added
Archie shook his head, " We wouldn't have lasted. It was too much trouble, too on again off again. We could never communicate properly- about anything"
Paul sat down next to him on the bed and they rested in silence for a minute, before Paul decided that if he'd said this much he might as well go the whole hog.
" I have always been a bit taken by Lexie. But I mean who isn't? You know how charming she is."
" Hmmm" Archie mused, trying to remain cool
" I've always known she was forbidden territory. That's what frustrated me about you. It was like you were flaunting her, you didn't know how lucky you were. You had this beautiful. charming, gorgeous wife and you just seemed to take her for granted."
Archie raised one eyebrow impeccably at him and almost challenged him to continue
" That's all Arch. I just don't like the way you treat her sometimes, how you act around her. It's like she's insignificant- you've made up you're mind and you don't really care what she has to say about it."
Right now Archie was about ready to either punch Paul in the face or burst out laughing. Amazingly he managed however, to hold off on both for the time being.
" Paul, you haven't really know us that long, how can you judge us like that? You don't see us behind closed doors, know our thoughts, or how we feel."
" I know how Lexie says she feels," Paul challenged
" I have my faults Paul, Lexie knows them, she knew them when she married me. She knows me better then anyone- It's not really any of you're business"
Archie stood now and looked at him, " Where do you get off saying all this to me anyway? What do you know about engagement or marriage?"
Paul stood and looked him dead in the eye, " Katrina and I have been engaged for 2 months."

Just then the door opened
" What-" Lexie exclaimed
" Is going on?" Katrina finished