THE TIME BEFORE THE FUTURE – PART 21 Molly sat at the desk in the study & stared out of the window but for the first time in many years she was blind to the exquisite view of the Glen. The box sat in front of her, still closed. Part of her (a big part), wanted to charge in & explore everything it held, but still she held back. It would be painful; much too painful. Why, oh why did Jamie always do this to her? Every time it seemed like she had him tucked up safe in the warm, cosy part of her heart she wanted to keep him in, he'd burst out, just like the boisterous child he always had been, & rampage his merry way all over her poor, battered soul. She was stirred from her reverie by her husband's hand on her shoulder. She took his hand & squeezed it: "It's done?" she asked. "Yes, just as per instructed. Lizzie was surprised, but she'll be here." Hector assured his wife. "Good. Archie will be pleased. It will be lovely to see her & Martha again. Lizzie can have her old room & Martha the one across the hall. Do you think Golly would find the time to make Martha a playhouse?" "Our beloved grand-daughter will have a finer playhouse than money can buy;" Hector predicted confidently, "& I'll see to it that there are fairy- tales bought for the library. According to Lizzie Martha loves being read to." Reluctantly but lovingly Molly picked up the box: "We'll keep this with the fragment for now; it'll be safe there." "That would be best. Archie will want to see the notebook though." Hector replied, opening it & retrieving the book before taking the box & turning for the Billiard Room. His wife looked away as if afraid to see any more, but Hector let it pass, for now. They'd both been through more than enough for one day. It wasn't until they were driving to the croft that Kilwillie realised that he'd never really talked to Lexie before. Oh, he always greeted her whenever they met of course, but they'd never really talked. There'd been the 'indoor cricket' match but that had been a group thing. He had employed her as a cook for a very brief time, but that was different. He really wasn't sure what to do; should he try & talk or should he remain silent? With what he thought he had seen earlier, should he treat her like staff or like family? This was all so difficult! It certainly wasn't made any easier by his own emotional state; getting his knife back had been a real shock and something he'd never expected! Thank goodness the journey was such a short one! For the first time in longer than he cared to remember, Golly was stuck for what to do next. Would Hector & Molly need him or should he let them be? No, some things were still private, even for a clan family like the MacDonalds. His instincts told him that now was not the time to go after Archie & yet, working, for once, didn't seem like the right thing to do either. Instead, he sat on the terrace steps & thought. He thought about the past, his memories of all the MacDonald children (especially Jamie), & about how much he'd always hated feeling helpless, just as he did right now. Surely there must be something he could do? Some retainer he was if he couldn't be of use to 'his' family at times like this. Then, suddenly, it came to him. It would be his job to make sure the news that was bound to spread about this stuck as closely as possible to the facts; it shouldn't be turned into gossip or, even worse, a ghost story. Golly sighed heavily as he stood up. Truth to tell, he wasn't too keen on Kilwillie's posh but wimpy manservant Badger, but sometimes, for the good of the Family, these things just had to be done. TO BE CONTINUED...