( 2 )
Jamie made way back to the estate as he was nearing the office, he noticed the light on. He decided he had to investigate, well, one could just assume a burgular was in there trying to steal money from the safe. But no, it was Archie in a sea of figures, as in negative figures, invoices and anger at the mess before him. Jamie waited a moment before entering the office as he was definetly entering at his own risk.
"Arch?" He replied, trying to distract his brother by breaking into his thoughts of doom.
"What is it, Jam?" He didn't even look up at his brother, just stared at the books, like his nose was to the grind stone.
"It's nighttime. Time to stop what you're doing and call it a night? Don't you think?" He asked in a reserved manner.
"We're 5,000 pounds short and you want me to call it a night? I'm trying to search for the mistake that says we're not short this money!"
"We can't be short that much." Jamie stated sharply as Archie looked up at him, while tossing his pen aside like he was going to give up.
"You tell me." As he stretched his arms and folded them across his chest while he sat in the old oak desk chair.
"Look, we'll find it. Let's just close up shop. Where's Lex anyway? Isn't she supposed to be keeping you from doing work?" He joked, hoping to make his brother smile, but it didn't work.
"She's off to town visiting a friend."
"Well, then, you need friends, ones who will keep your nose out of the books all day long. You've been at this since morning." Jamie stated firmly, trying to make a point.
"You've been blowing off work all day long, so what else is new?" Archie counteracted by trying to make another point that was just as important.
"Arch, you're cut out as Laird. I am not. Simply we're just sharing the duties until..."
"One of us decides to leave?" Archie tilted his head, while finishing Jamie's thought.
"I s'pose so. I'm not leaving any time soon and I don't believe Jess will be." Jamie's mouth turned upwards into a grin that Archie caught on as nothing but trouble. Archie then acknowledged 'Jess' in his bold statement.
"Jess?" A voice added to the conversation between the brothers as they both turned to see Duncan looming about in the doorway.
"Yes, Golly's daughter is here. You remember her, right, Dunc?" Jamie asked, knowing all about Duncan lusting after Jess when she was at Glenbogle years ago and being told that she was off limits since she is a relation to him!
"Of course, I do." Duncan gave a nod of his head.
"Duncan, shouldn't you be-?" Archie was cut off from asking what Duncan should have been doing, other than standing in the office chatting to both brothers.
"Actually, I came to put in a request for some time off." Duncan replied as his face dropped a bit.
"Time off?" Archie asked curiously.
"Yea, well, it's Marie-Helene." He looked at Archie for a flicker of rememberance and he didn't see one so he continued, "My French pen pal?"
"Yes, I remember her. I remember that whole week. How could I forget since you were Laird and I was the Head Ranger?"
Jamie laughed as he wasn't there to witness the whole event but he did hear all about it from their mother, Molly. Jamie was away in Glasgow during that time for a year. He was studying for his teaching degree and also teaching night classes about photography.
"Anyway, Alan was in a automobile accident and he's, well, dead." Duncan gulped before he replied. "She wants me to visit, Bosses, she needs me." He handed a Air Mail letter to Jamie for Archie to see. Archie looked at the envelope closely before asking, "When were you supposed to visit her?"
"Well, I kinda implied leaving tomorrow." Duncan's tone grew serious. "I should be there for his funeral. I wouldn't have asked this of you so soon, but it's important I be there."
"I see." Archie's brows arched and then his eyes wandered to Jamie's.
"Dunc, I think we could handle it without you for a few days." Jamie added it. "What do you think Arch?"
Archie's mouth went into a smile, as he felt good about granting Duncan's leave even if it was short notice, "Well, it's either you go to Paris or she comes here and I'm not playing Head Ranger again anytime soon. I assume you don't want the job as Laird." He joked.
Duncan beamed, "Thanks Bosses."
"You're welcome, send Marie-Helene our regards and sympathies." Archie approved.
Duncan turned to inquire about Jess to Jamie, "Is she really here?"
Jamie smiled again, "Yes, Dunc she is. I'll head up to the house with you and tell you about her."
Jamie and Duncan strolled out of the office leaving Archie with the books once again. Archie getting fed up with the workload, closed the big black accounting book and decided to close up shop too. As Jamie and Duncan were heading towards the estate, Jess was walking towards them.
"She's coming." Duncan nodded his head in her direction. Jamie just laughed again before hollering out, "Hello!"
"Hi, I wouldn't have asked this, but Da, has nothing in his cupboards and it makes me wonder how does than man survive?" She waltzed up to them with her blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, dressed in a coat, jeans and boots. "Where is he anyway?"
"Golly's been a little busy down at Molly's shop. I'm sure he'll be back shortly." Jamie replied, "In the meantime, care to join us for a bite?" as he was extending the invite to Duncan as well.
"Sure. Duncan, nice to see you again." She smiled warmly as it made the rustic looking lad melt like butter.
"Nice to see you." He nodded, "Thanks for the invite, but me has packin' to do."
"Where are you off to?" Jess questioned as she was now striding next to Jamie and Duncan.
"Paris." He stated as if he was going somewhere very delightful.
"Bon Voyage. Au Revoir. Oui, Monsieur." She chanted at him as he looked at her baffled at what she had just said. "Duncan, I told you have a good trip, good bye, yes, Mister."
"Oh right. I knew that." He was clueless, but at least sincere about his lacking in understanding the language of love. Jamie simpered at the exchange before adding, "Let's get some food into ya, Jess."
The trio sat at the kicthen island, trying to eat a sandwich, as the sandwich making was around them-bread, cheese, meat, condiments, everything they needed. Jamie being sneaky, had also pulled out special occasion biscuits from the pantry. Lexie had hidden them way back in the far corner, so that he couldn't eat them as they were only for guests. He decided since Jess was a guest, that she's entitled to having them, so he brought them out. Duncan watched the interchange between the two, as he found it funny how much in common Jess and Jamie had personality wise, as they loved nature, both seemed to like being personable, and also had a hint of laziness. But Duncan would never say it to them directly, only that they seemed like two peas in a pod.
"So why aren't you at university?" Jamie asked slowly as Jess was chewing a bite of her sandwich. Duncan watched closely as the pair were starting to converse about something they had in common.
"Well," She paused, as she thought she had told him why she wasn't there back at her father's croft. "I told you, I'm done with school."
Jamie eyed her once again before choosing his response carefully, "It's April, Jess, term ends in May."
She felt cornered at first, almost like he didn't believe her that she was infact done with school, which was true, she wasn't. Duncan piped up as he was coming to her aide.
"I'm sure she's got her reasons for not being at university, right, Jess?" Duncan lifted a brow as he wasn't helping but putting her on spot. She gulped down her glass of milk, finished another bite and then as she felt heavy with the situation at hand and having two men staring at her for an answer...
"The truth is, I'm not going back, not right now anyway." She shrugged her shoulders and finished her sandwich. Jamie stared at her trying to figure out the next best approach, or a reponse to her statement as Duncan cut in again.
"Well, no harm done, right? Jamie did the same thing."
Jamie gave him an evil look, before trying to 'fix' the situation. He wasn't sure what her father would think if he explained why he left school and went back to it over a year ago. He had his reasons and all, but he wanted to keep peace and not make such a big deal out of it. It was too late, since Duncan opened his mouth.
"You went to university?" She asked with a look of shock.
"You seem surprised, why?" Jamie's eyes leveled with hers again.
"I don't know, I just assumed you being Laird and all, you wouldn't need an..."
"Education? You're mistaken, Jess, an education is a great tool to have and should never been taken for granted. I spent a few years at university in Glasgow studying education studies and I quit for a few years, but I went back for my degree over a year ago and I can teach now. I just haven't done the job 'hunt' yet for a classroom. So right now nature is my class."
She glanced over to him before concluding, "I went for education studies too, but I'm burnt out."
"Tough program, it happens, but you should go back one day." Jamie explained, while chewing a bite of his sandwich as well. "I taught photography classes at night while I went to school during the day. It was long, hard and pretty tough, but I enjoyed every penny of it, considering I'm an old man." He tossed in a pun and she laughed at him. Duncan sat there amazed as this was the second time she was laughing at Jamie. He had told her a few bad jokes earlier on their way into the house and she was still giggling and smiles. Duncan didn't get it, but he noticed something going on between the pair.
"You're not, your mighty lairdship." She stifled a giggle.
"Yes I am, fairhaired maiden. Right, Dunc?" Jamie gandered at him.
"Oh come on, I'm younger than you but not by much. You saying you're old, makes me look just as ancient." Duncan flattered.
"How old are you?" Jess cocked her head to the side at Jamie.
"37."
"Erm, I'm 23." She laughed, before smiling again, "And I feel old."
"You two are not." Duncan simpered, polished off his sandwich and then tipped his head. "I'm off to pack."
"Stay." Jess implored, trying to change his mind as she was hoping he'd continue to keep them company since they were enjoying it so much.
"Sorry, I have to pack as I'm heading out in the morning on the sleeper." Duncan nodded but threw his arms around Jess giving her a big brother/sisterly hug. "I'm happy to see yer here."
"Me too, Dunc." He wandered out of the kicthen and up the back stairs to his quarters. Jess sat there at the table as she was about to get up and help Jamie with the dishes, but he declined her help.
"I better do these on my own, so Lex doesn't have it in for me in the morning. Eat the biscuits and chat with me while I wash these?" He suggested, hoping she'd stay and keep him company.
"Sure, I s'pose." She grinned sheepishly at him. She gathered a biscuit from the package just as Jamie was about to do so and their hands brushed. "Sorry." She blushed and pulled hers away as he then smiled, trying to put her at ease as he nabbed a biscuit, took a prompt bite, tipped his head again in approval for the taste and went back to washing the plates and putting away the sandwich making mess. Golly walked into the kitchen as he looked at his daughter sitting there at the kitchen island.
"Jess?"
"Da?" She rose up from the table, walked past Jamie and threw her arms around her father to give him a huge hug.
"What are you doing here, lassie?" He released his daughter from his embrace to look at her.
"I'm done with university and I was going to head back to Mum's but I wanted to see you." She explained, as Jamie had turned from the sink after listening to her lie to her father. He now picked up on it as the tone of her voice changed slightly when she was trying to cover something up.
"Great. Let's get a move on. I'm sure Jamie has things to do and no time for looking after my daughter." Golly replied, as if Jamie was babysitting Jess. She didn't exactly like how her father was implying she needed looking after, but she kept her complaint to herself.
"No foul done, Gol, just thought I'd feed her." Jamie nodded again, as he finished washing the last dish and placed it in a dish strainer. The kitchen was almost immaculate, just Jess' milk glass and the biscuits were left out as he snatched them up.
"Thank-you, Jamie." Golly replied with approval.
"Um, one thing, Gol, I was out roaming the lands and I noticed one of the fences down over near the bird sanctuary." Jamie gestured to Golly's handy man work.
"No problem, I'll tend to it in the morn, if that'll be all right?" Golly assumed it was.
"Yea, no problem."
"Well, let's get a move on." Golly put an arm around his daughter about to cart her out of the room. She spoke up quickly in a mocking tone, "Night, your mighty lairdship."
"Night, fairhaired maiden."
Golly watched the interchange and thought nothing of it. He just assumed that Jess was joking around with Jamie in a big brother/ sister manner like she would with Duncan. He had no idea that attraction was blooming between the two and if he found out that one fancied the other or their feelings were possibly mutual, well, he'd demand them to stop in a civil way. He'd lecture her on the whole principle of dating men and not boys her age.
