Chapter Ten…Love, um, can move mountains?
Lili stood at the office door of the estate waiting for the officer from Immigration to arrive. The guy, Rolph McDonnegal, was late, very late. Finally after standing outside waiting upon waiting to get her work papers and everything legally sorted out, she heaved a heavy sigh, until a hire car came barreling down the driveway. The officer jumped out of his car and walked towards the front door of the old stone house.
"Excuse me?" Lili shouted out, as she called the man over, it was Rolph, all right and he was extremely 'rushed'.
"Sorry, I came late. The train, it got in late, anyway, Lili MacKay, is it now? I need those papers, do you have them?"
She handed him a folder and didn't even walk into the office or the house. She just wanted this all over and done with. At first he glanced up at her, and then glanced down at the papers, before asking, "Where's your husband?"
"He's working right now." She stated firmly. Duncan was working on the hedges in the back garden walkway. He was trimming them away with a pair of clippers as Jess stood there talking his ear off. A slight twinge of jealousy hit Lili, especially when she saw Minnie, her own daughter, being carted off from Megan, who sat in the garden terrace with the twins to Jess. She wasn't one for getting edgy, but she felt this way with Jess as Lili tried shrugged it off.
"I see. I certainly understand, considering I was late. Liliana, is it?"
"Lili!" A voice called out to her from a distant path which leads to Golly's. She turned to face Lizzie, who strolled up to her with Martha not far behind her. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were not alone…wait, we've met, haven't we?"
Lizzie studied Rolph as much as he studied her, before cracking a beam, one of the first for anyone to actually experience and see. "Yes, the sleeper. It was…"
"A few days ago when you met my mummy and I and you ran into her and knocked her down, her suitcase, and my bubby bear!" Martha finished for Rolph as she spoke up quickly.
Rolph then gave a laugh, as he gazed upon Martha, "That's very right and you must be?"
"I'm Martha and I'm going to be six...in the summer!" She announced proudly. "Are you my mummy's new friend?"
Rolph and Lizzie were equally speechless as Lili stood there feeling more uncomfortable at how Jess and Duncan were getting on with Minnie over near the hedges.
Lizzie beamed next before lowering herself to her daughter's height, "Martha, he's…"
Rolph couldn't help staring at Lizzie and her 'beauty.' He finally spoke up, forgetting all about his 'meeting' with Lili and focusing in on Lizzie, the woman he barely knew from the train station, "I'd like to be both of your friends, Martha who's going to be six in the summer."
Rolph winked at Martha as Lizzie blushed.
"That's very kind of you," Lizzie acknowledged, before realizing she could use Rolph to Lili's advantage. "Could I speak with you for just a brief moment?"
And Rolph, if he could drop everything for a beauty like dear Lizzie, he would, as so he nodded his head 'yes.'
"Lili is a dear relative of mine. I'd seriously like to see to it she stays here. I witnessed her marriage on Saturday." Lizzie began to explain, but Rolph had other ideas on his mind.
"I see. Well, I have the documents, and she seems very straightforward, too bad her husband isn't about. I'm not really supposed to overlook the meeting with her husband however."
"It would mean a great deal if…"
"You had dinner with me tonight?" He blurted out to her as a smile formed on Lizzie's face. She had Rolph right where she wanted him. Lili stood there getting antsy, as she started to talk to Martha as a way to keep the anxious girl occupied as well.
"Of course, I would. Um, Lagganmore Distillery serves great food that's pretty much the best place."
"Well, then, meet you here at 7pm?" Rolph replied as he dreamily started to walk way from Lizzie, forgetting all about Lili and telling her she was approved to stay. The documents worked very well.
"It's a date." Lizzie gave him a wink.
"Good thing." He walked off towards his hire car and climbed in, before driving away!
Lili stared at Lizzie as she had a bounce added to her step and she was grinning from ear to ear. Lili wasn't sure of what to make of her charm as Lizzie was definitely related to her mother. If Molly wasn't the world's best charmer, than Lizzie certainly was.
"I have a dinner date."
"Dinner date? But what about my?" Lili's mouth dropped, but Lizzie engulfed her in a huge hug.
"Dun worry, Lil, it's a go, yer staying pretty!" Lizzie beamed brightly and twirled Lili around and around before spinning Martha around too. The trio giggled, just as Jess, Minnie, and Duncan approached them. Martha ran off to visit the twins in the in the garden.
"Everything a go?" Duncan asked, before embracing his wife and child. Lili smiled warmly, before adding,
"Everything is a go."
Jess watched the small family closely. At first, she was stunned that Duncan had found himself a wife so soon and had a child. She smiled and spoke up, "Nice that things work out, aye?"
"Yes, it is." Lili smiled back at her, but she kept thinking about the jealousy from earlier. Obviously with the way Jess talked of Duncan and her father on the ride from the sleeper, she was closely attached to them both.
"Are you all right?" Lizzie glanced over at Lili.
"I'm fine." Lili added, but her mind kept wandering back to how exactly close was her husband with Golly's daughter?
"Well, come on then, I have to pick out an outfit and you should help me!" Lizzie tried to tote Lili off. Duncan nodded his head as if in approval before walking Minnie back to Megan so he could finish trimming the hedges. Jess continued to stand in the driveway.
"Jess?" Duncan called out to her. "Are you coming?"
Jess shrugged her shoulders and decided to follow the father and daughter pair.
Lili wandered inside right behind Lizzie. "You know, Lizzie, maybe you shouldn't date Rolph."
"What do ya mean?" She tilted her head to stare at her.
"He still thinks Paul is Duncan, that's why."
"Lil, dun worry. I'll have him so many sheets to the wind, he won't even remember meeting Duncan as Duncan!" Lizzie shouted aloud, "Now help me out, okay? Then I have to be off to mother's shop, to meet her for lunch."
Lexie was busy chopping away in the kitchen but she was in a state of gloom. Still no word from her husband and it was going on a day since she had seen him last. She missed Archie terribly and so did the twins.
She hollered out to Lizzie and Lili as they waltzed into the kitchen, "Hello!"
"Hi."
"Well?" Lexie stood there with a knife in her hand as she took a break from cutting vegetables.
"I'm staying, and there weren't any issues about it. However, Lizzie has a date." Lili shouted out as she ran over to hug her cousin.
"What a relief, aye? Date?" Lexie asked, as her eyes went to Lizzie.
"A date," Lizzie smiled impishly, as she tried to cart Lili off while Lexie asked, "Who?"
"I met the Immigration officer at the sleeper yesterday."
"The man who knocked you down like a rugby player?" Lexie's brows rose as she waited for a response. Lizzie beamed, "Yes."
"But he still hasn't met Duncan as Duncan yet." Lili added in as Lexie gave them each a ghastly look.
"That's not a good thing, is it?" Lexie asked, as she waited an answer from Lizzie again.
Lili paused for a moment, as Lizzie spoke out, "Now Lex, I'll just get him good an' drunk an' he won't know the difference!"
"But ye're taking meds and they don't allow ya to get an edge on?" Lexie said motherly, without even taking notice.
"I know, but it doesn't mean I can't enjoy getting Rolph plastered for a good cause no doubt—to help Lili!" Lizzie and Lili left the kitchen and a concerned Lexie.
Lizzie's bedroom resembled a cyclone disaster as her clothes were everywhere. Lili sat on the bed as Lizzie kept showing off her wardrobe. Lili had to ask her a question, and it couldn't wait.
"How long has Duncan known Jess?" Lili blurted out as Lizzie stopped dancing about the room to gaze at her.
"What do you mean?" Lizzie said.
"Well, I get this feeling that they were together at one point?" Lili asked quietly as Lizzie plopped herself beside her on the bed.
"Actually they were never together. I hate to bring this up, but Duncan had a small thing for her years ago. Nothing major, Lil."
"Really?" Lili spoke like she wasn't convinced.
"They weren't allowed to date as Golly told Duncan from the start that Jess was off limits."
"Why's that?" Lili replied.
"Well, first off Duncan and Golly are a distant relation and secondly, Jess is very young. There's a good 10 years between them, you know."
Lili answered, "I see."
"Oh come now, it's nothing to be worried about. You are his wife." Lizzie smiled and gave Lili an arm squeeze.
"I know. I normally don't get insecure, but it feels like they are just very compatible?"
"Lili, you need to think about something else." Lizzie urged, "Seriously, you'll drive yourself mad, if you think about that that way."
"Why didn't Duncan ever tell me?"
"Prolly because you're his one true love and he saw no reason too." Lizzie rose up from the bed and continued to stare into the mirror trying to think of the best dress to wear.
Jess wandered into the small bedroom with a tray of food for Golly. He smiled up at her as he placed his newspaper to the side. Lexie had set up a room for him in the house until he was deemed fit to live on his own again. "Da, Lexie sent you some soup."
"Thank-you to Lex, eh?" He answered as Jess placed the tray of food on her father's lap, before sitting down on a chair near the bed.
"How are you?" Jess asked, as her father spooned some soup into his mouth.
"Well, I'm tired, according to Doc, weak, and wanting to be out working again on the land." He grumbled as his eyes peered over to his daughter.
"Soon Da, you're very lucky."
"I know, but I hadn't felt well in sometime. I s'pose this is what I get when I don't eat well."
"You're healthy and in shape, Da." Jess smiled patiently.
"With diabetes now," He mumbled, as his eyes shifted to the glucose pill on the tray.
"It's not the end of the world? The doctor said it was hereditary and had nothing to do with you being too thin or overweight, which you're none of those things." Jess insisted as she wanted to make him feel better about the situation and not worse. Golly nodded his head as he understood what his only daughter tried to do.
"Aw, Da, pretty soon, you'll be moving again and working the land. You're just supposed to take it easy until you get some strength back. Da?"
Golly looked over her way, waiting for her to give him a question and she did, "When did Duncan get married?"
"I was wondering when this question would be posed. They got married a couple days ago, Jessica."
"Really and they have a young child?"
"Jess, they were together for a couple years before marrying on." Golly wanted to reroute the discussion about Duncan, but Jess kept steering them back into the conversation.
"I just always assumed Duncan would never wed." Jess gave a laugh.
Golly smiled, "Well, you were mistaken."
"I guess so."
Chapter Eleven…One thing or another…
The study was certainly a busy place for phone calls that afternoon as Lexie was scrubbing vegetables and finishing up her prep work for lunch. Paul walked into the kitchen to alert her that Archie was on the phone. She bolted, placed the knife down and then in a mad dash ran for the study.
"Hello! Archie?" She spoke into the phone quickly and out of breath.
"Yes, it's me sweetheart. I've made it to Boston." Archie stood in the living room of Andrew's condo. It was huge, furnished, but still missing something… or three special some ones…his family.
"Great! How was your flight? Jayne popped another tooth and Wayne, he started saying a puppy and a kitty by pointing them out in a book…Arch, I miss you terribly." Lexie rambled on and on as her husband waited for her to finish on the other end of the line.
"That's great, Lex. I miss you all too. I'm sorry to do this to you, but off to the restaurant." He spoke evenly, not thrilled with having to let her go so soon.
"Restaurant?"
"It's 3pm there and well, 9am here. I'm not supposed to go in until 10am to check the place out since it's my first day."
"Arch." Lexie replied.
"Yes, Lex?" Archie replied back.
"Love you."
"I love you, Lex. I'll give a ring back on Wednesday. Snuggles to the kids and tell the others hello from me." They exchanged their sweet goodbyes and ended the phone conversation. Lexie hung up the phone receiver on the cradle and became teary eyed. Megan walked up to the door with the twins hanging off each hip as it was nap time for the twins. "Lexie?"
"Meg, hello you two," Lexie wiped the tears from her eyes and then collected up Jayne as Megan continued to hold Wayne.
"Was that Archie?" Megan asked quietly, even though she didn't like to pry.
"Aye, let's put these little ones down for a nap? They look tuckered out, don't they?" Lexie forced herself to smile. She kept thinking about her husband and the fact that he was so far away.
Megan nodded as she followed Lexie upstairs to the twins' room. The twins' room was wall to wall toys, two beautiful cribs, and lots of pink and blue blankets, a huge dresser, two rocking chairs, and also one solid changing table in the corner of the wallpapered room with sheep everywhere. The wooden floors were covered by a yellow area rug which matched yellow background of the paper. Lexie couldn't help laughing at the pink and blue sheep, especially since it was her husband who picked the paper out the day he had decided to redecorate his brother's old room as the nursery. Lexie set Jayne down in her crib as Megan set down Wayne. Both women tiptoed out into the hallway.
"I have to go. You will need me tomorrow, right?" Megan gestured.
"Of course, but only from 12-3pm as for Wednesday, I won't need you at all, because my Uncle is coming into town and I'm sure my cousin wants the family to spend time together. I'm also taking the day off from the kitchen since I hired a cook for the day."
"Ah." Megan smiled as she trailed behind Lexie down the stairs to the front foyer.
"Aye, an old friend named Ewan, will be taking over." Lexie always knew she could count on Ewan to give her a day off, as long as he was still on school holidays. One more week and school would be in full force again.
"Great, good day to you, Lexie,"
Lexie grinned at Megan before waving her on, "See ya tomorrow!"
That night, Paul was in the front room reading a paper when he heard a car door shut. As his curiosity peaked he decided to check out his younger sister's date. Lexie informed him, after he asked, in the kitchen an hour ago that Lizzie was off on a date. At first he was surprised that she was going out on a Monday night, but then again Archie had warned him that their sister liked to sneak out every now and then. He had asked Paul to keep an eye on her, because she was his sister, his only sister as he couldn't bear to lose another sibling.
Paul strolled up to the door as Lili scampered out from the kitchen. She was eager to hear about Lizzie's date and had left Minnie with Duncan for a short while down at their croft. The pair met each other at the door.
"Hello." He spoke up, as Lili nodded, "Paul."
"I see we're both interested in Lizzie and her date, aye?" He asked, as he gentlemanly opened the door for her, "Ladies first."
"Thanks. I wanted to see how drunk Rolph MacDonnegal was, hoping he wouldn't remember me or you or us." Paul glanced at her before posing a question while they stood in the doorway.
"She went on a date with the Immigration officer?"
"You didn't know that?" Lili replied, as Paul glanced at her again.
"No. Here they come."
Rolph was tripping all over himself, in a jolly good mood with his arm stretched across Lizzie's shoulders before bellowing and also belching out, "Ah, the lovebirds! There they are! They should snog, shouldn't they?"
Lili stared at Paul in slight horror, Rolph remembered them both all right, regardless if he was drunk or not. Paul just rubbed the back of his head before peering over to Lizzie. She spoke up immediately, "Rolphy-poo, they aren't love birds."
"Och no! I met them before haven't I?" He asked, but he reeked like whiskey, like he had bathed in it. Paul felt his stomach lurch since he hated whiskey and everything about it as he considered it to be 'nasty' stuff. Lili didn't seem to care for it much either.
"Um no," Lili lied as she elbowed Paul trying to get him to play along. Rolph became insistent as he staggered up to Paul and Lili and nodded to them both. "You two make quite a charming couple."
Lili shifted from foot to foot as she felt Paul wrap an arm over her shoulders. For some strange instant he felt like he had to protect her from the drunken slug. In the meantime, Duncan and Minnie had wandered up to the main house to find Lili, because Minnie kept crying for her mother, 'Mummumumummum…" Duncan deciding he couldn't take it any longer with his wife so far away, had decided to backpack the little bundle in hopes to put her sleep. As he entered the kitchen, they ran right into Jess. She was sitting at the table eating a sandwich as Lexie had told her to make herself welcome to the food in the house.
"Duncan?"
"Jess."
"Mummumumumumumumumumumumumum…wwwahhhhahahh!" Minnie squelched with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Poor wee lass are having some teething issues and needs her…"
"Mum." Jess replied as she helped Duncan take the backpack off and plucked Minnie up from the pack before handing her to her father to be held. Jess smiled at first, before feeling uncomfortable. Duncan added, "Off to find, Lil."
"Wait here. I shall fetch her." Jess replied immediately as she stood up and voyaged out of the kitchen. Duncan sat himself with Minnie down on a stool.
As Jess neared the front foyer, she witnessed and watched Paul and Lili close together with their faces inches from each other…
Duncan and Minnie, who was still squawking about needing her Mum, gave up waiting for Jess and Lili to return. The father/daughter duo walked out from the kitchen down the hallway…to the front foyer as Duncan stopped dead in his tracks.
Paul and Lili stood there in the doorway as Rolph continued to pester them. He still quite buzzed up, but he knew them both as Duncan and Lili MacKay from days ago.
"You're Duncan and you're Lili. Of course, I remember them, woman." He turned to Lizzie, as she shifted on her own two feet as well.
"Rolph, it's not them."
"It is too so kiss yer wife you bloody fool."
"I believe you need to leave…" Paul got defensive and pulled Lili behind him. He was lucky he didn't throw a punch at Rolph. The officer stood there with a smirk on his face, "Kiss her or I'll…"
"Or you'll what?"
"Report the both of you to the office as a fake marriage." Rolph instigated. He belched again and staggered on his own two feet. Paul turned to Lili and glanced at her with very apologetic eyes about what was going to happen next…his lips brushed hers magnetically. They stood there for lingering seconds, kissing each other, trying to make it look real like they were in love with one or another before breaking their lips apart.
"There, that's better, isn't it!" Rolph hollered allow, tripping over his own feet once again as Lizzie carted him towards the hire car.
"Sorry." Paul added, but it was too late as Jess, Duncan and Minnie were already at the front door, confused as heck. Lili, aside from Paul, felt equally awful.
Chapter Twelve… The confession of being homesick…
Duncan stopped himself from becoming further distressed at the scene that he had just witnessed between his wife and his boss. He had felt some remorse for giving Paul two slightly black eyes days ago, now he wanted to ring his neck. He didn't say anything as he stood there in shock and complete disbelief.
"Duncan?" Lili replied, before glancing at Jess as they watched him thrust Minnie into Jess' arms and stammer back into the house down the hall, slamming open the kitchen door as it swung shut behind him.
"I better…Duncan!" Lili yelled aloud as she zipped into the house. Duncan bolted out of the kitchen's back door and down a pathway towards the croft. He wasn't sure of what to think at that exact moment. He heard his wife, yelling out to him, "Duncan!"
Lili kept running, scampering down the pathway, until she reached the front door of the croft. Duncan stopped himself at the door.
"Dunc! You have to understand that…"
"It wasn't anything big, Lili! Ya kissed him like you meant it! Like you kiss me!" He turned to glare at her in the darkness of the night.
"Duncan that bozo from immigration was going to report our marriage as false. He remembered us, as in Paul and I, even when he was drunk. Paul and I had no choice but to…"
"Kiss each other?" Duncan was furious, upset, and then sad.
"Yes."
"Be honest with me, Lil! Ya never wanted to ever get married because ya always fancied Paul!" He replied, but she stared at him.
"Paul? What does he have to do with this? I picked you almost a year ago!" She shouted before concluding, "We married, Duncan, you and I, not Paul and I or anyone else for that matter. Why on earth would I want to mess that up? I'm just as dedicated to being with you as I ever have been! Be honest? Be honest with me, why hadn't you told me about Jess!"
"Jess?" He glanced at Lili slightly confused and overwhelmed before adding, "What about Jess?"
"That you liked her years ago!" Lili shouted out aloud. Duncan gave her a very sorry look, as he started to feel bad about not telling Lili everything from the get go about Golly's daughter.
"I-I…I didn't think I had to do such a thing. Oh come on, you never big on getting married until this whole immigration mess started! Ya never once thought of marrying me because you wanted too!"
"You're such—an!" Lili said, as she was equally upset, angry and now sad too. She turned on the balls of her feet and started to run for the house and Duncan stood there, realizing he had hurt her, really hurt her and it was something he had told himself he'd never ever do. He hollered out for her, "Lil!"
Lili didn't look back at him. She kept running until she entered the kitchen. She hid in the pantry, sitting there on the old cement floor, and then bringing her knees into her chest. She sobbed and sobbed as she only wanted to be like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz…she just wanted to go home.
Lexie heard the whimpers from the far side of the kitchen. She had Jess take Minnie into the small living area with a warm bottle of milk, so Jess could set Minnie down in the play pen. Lexie approached the pantry to check out the noise and she was shocked to find her cousin on the floor. "Lili, what's a matter?" She knelt down to console her cousin, embracing her as Lili just let out the tears and soaked the shoulder of Lexie's shirt. "What's wrong? Did you and Duncan have a squabble? I noticed you both running out of here like bats on wheels…"
"I want to go home."
"What? You are home." Lexie replied as she stroked her cousin's head with her hands.
"I want to go back to the states, with or without Maeve." Lili continued to cry.
"What happened to make you decide on this?" Lexie soothed as she stared at her cousin and joined her on the floor. They sat beside each other like they were little girls once attending a small tea party with stuffed animals as guests.
"It's terrible. I shouldn't have ever come to Scotland to visit you. I'm sorry, I mean Duncan just doesn't understand why we got married days ago and I'm beginning to think the same thing. Lex, I had to kiss Paul in front of that jerky officer."
"You mean Lizzie's date?" Lexie asked as her eyes twinkled, as she sympathized with her cousin more.
"Yes, the girl went out with him! She had derived this scheme to get him drunk thinking he wouldn't even remember Paul and I. I ventured up to the house to find out how Lizzie's date went and well, Paul met me in the hall. It was a mess, Lex, just an awful mess. I know what it's like to be cheated on, you know this. I never ever intended to do anything with Paul. I'd never hurt Duncan. I don't have it in me to do it. "
"I understand, Lil, I know this. You don't have to explain it."
"Lex, I will admit was jealous."
"Jealous of what?"
"You moving to Boston."
Lexie laughed aloud, "Why?"
"Because it would mean going home." Lili admitted, feeling dreadful for confessing she was envious of Lexie that way.
"Lili, why didn't you say something? I would have been happier, having Archie send you to Boston then himself. You know I never wanted him to move to Boston for the next six months, let alone take me and my children there. I understand what it's like to be homesick and away from home. Lili, I've been there."
"Maeve. I couldn't exactly leave Duncan and Maeve." Lili rubbed her forehead, but as they were chatting on the floor, Lizzie crept into the kitchen. She wanted to apologize to Lili. She walked over to the pantry and spoke out, "Any room on that cold old floor for me?"
"Pull up some cement," Lili remarked with a frown on her face. Lizzie sat down on the floor Indian style in front of Lexie and Lili.
"This brings back memories," Lizzie hooted, as she smiled, "Arch and I always played hide and go seek, and well…"
"Hid in the pantry?" Lexie asked as she nudged Lili's side with her elbow to get her to laugh.
"Lili, I am so sorry. I shouldn't have ever accepted that dinner invitation from that buffoon," Lizzie said smoothly.
"Well, you did and now, I'm dealing with the brunt of it, aren't I?" Lili whispered.
"I could talk to Duncan for you."
"No. I'm not ready to even deal with him right now." Lili remarked as both friends glanced at her, wondering why Lili wanted avoid him all the sudden.
"What do you mean?"
"Duncan thinks the marriage is a mistake," Lili whispered.
"Oh no, of course not! He wouldn't think that way! You're newlyweds for crying out loud! The marriage is only three days old! You did it for yourselves and Minnie" Lexie and Lizzie spoke together as Lili came unglued again, with tears fleeting down her cheeks.
"Where's Min?" Lili asked with concern about her daughter's whereabouts as Lexie tossed and arm around her cousin.
"She's tucked away in the front room sleeping soundly. Jess put her down with a warm bottle of milk." Lexie answered, but Lili didn't stop sobbing.
"He acted like it wasn't a big deal about telling me about her." Lili sobbed.
"Who?" Lexie asked as she glanced over to Lizzie.
"Jess." Lizzie answered for Lili.
"Duncan doesn't have a thing for Jess." Lexie shook her head, but Lizzie replied, "He did once, Lex."
"Ah-uh."
"Yes, he did." Lizzie replied, before gathering Lili's hands in hers. "He doesn't love her, Lili, he loves you."
"He's got one great way of showing it after telling me I married him only for immigration reasons, you know, so I could stay here!"
"He said that to you?" Lexie outspokenly snapped, getting just as emotional as Lili.
"Yes."
"That's why you're feeling this way?" Lizzie pried, but Lexie and Lili didn't tell her about Lili's homesickness too.
Lili nodded. Lexie fumed.
"I'll have words with Dafty Bam pot MacKay, what a cheap skate! He needs a good knuckle sandwich that's what he needs! He can't even see right infront of him when he's got a good thing going for himself! Argh!" Lexie rambled out, but Lili just spoke up, "Don't talk to him."
"Why not?"
"Because he doesn't know that I want to go home so bad, Lex, if you bring it up to him it'll only make things worse."
Lizzie sat there before a smile danced on her face. "Why don't you stay with me in the twin bed in my room for the night and then talk to Duncan in the morning. Lex can call down to the croft and tell him. I bet he's worried about you, right?"
Lexie smiled back, "I think it's a best if you stay too. It might give Dunc some time to think about what he's said to you. I know I have done this on occasion to Arch, after we have a tiff. Normally it works, I sleep somewhere else and he well, sucks up to me about stupid he's been the next day."
Lili wiped her face, but didn't laugh or smile, she just said, "Okay."
"Oh Lil, this is exciting! I haven't done this as a kid! A smashing girl's only Pajama party! You're the guest star!" Lizzie exclaimed.
"But I don't have PJs," Lili sniffled.
"You can borrow a pair of my Jim-Jams." Lexie said, as she nodded happily. "Besides, Minnie is comfy and we should just let her sleep."
The phone rang at the house as Lexie answered it, after leaving her cousin with Lizzie in her bedroom to change into some pajamas.
"Hello! Lexie! Have you see Lil?"
Lexie sighed as she answered a very troubled Duncan, "Dunc, they are safe here at the house. They're staying the night." She tried to be civil, even though she thought of hanging up on him to teach him a lesson. But she did tell Lili and Lizzie that she would call him and let Duncan know Lili and Minnie were all right.
"Oh." Duncan asked, as he wanted to apologize to his wife, hold her, cuddle her, tell her how much of arse he was for hurting her and trying to understand that she only kissed Paul for show, and to never keep anything from her again.
"Dunc, you need to give her some space."
"Lex, she kissed…"
"Paul. Yes, I know, but it didn't mean a single thing. Duncan, they did it for keeping you both together and you have to see it that way."
"I know, Lex, but…"
"Dunc, give her the night. Minnie is up here sleeping soundly in the play pen."
"Minnie." He slapped his forehead as he had forgotten all about his daughter after being overly concerned about the whereabouts of his wife.
"Night, Dunc." Lexie ended the phone call. Duncan sat there on the couch as he held the receiver in his hand. He felt awful as he dialed up the house again, only for Lexie to let out another heavy sigh as she answered the phone, "What Duncan?"
"How did you know it was me?"
"Duncan, I just knew."
"I wanna talk to her."
"Duncan, leave her alone."
"But I wanna…"
"Dunc, ye're as daft as yer a day old. I suggest you to give her some space. She's not very happy with you, you know." Lexie explained, as she could tell her old bosom friend wasn't getting the hint.
"Lex, she's my wife."
"Oh now, she's yer wife?"
"She told you didn't she?" Duncan's heart sank to the bottom of his stomach, knowing he was going to eat his words for telling Lili she didn't marry him because she loved him.
"Ya bam pot, what on earth were ya thinkin' about telling her she didn't marry ya with her whole heart days ago! Ya crushed her!"
"Lex…I know. I know."
"Good night Duncan." Lexie replied, as she pulled the phone away from her ear and about to set it down on the cradle.
"Lexie, don't hang up." He begged.
"Whad?"
"Just tell Lili that I love her." He pleaded pathetically but Lexie hung up the phone as Paul came walking out from the kitchen.
"Who was that?" He asked, before glancing at her.
"Duncan."
"Oh." He dropped his face, still feeling awful about the rift that the for show kiss created between Lili and Duncan.
"Yeah, oh. You deserve to apologize to him, you know. Arch left you to run the place and ye've created nothing but shenanigans since he's left!"
"I beg your pardon?" Paul spoke up.
"You heard me. You first screw up her papers, con her into marriage, which thankfully didn't work out and she betrothed to the real man she loves, and then you kiss her anyway in the driveway to prove some blasted point to a drunken stooge!"
"Lexie, calm down." Paul added uncomfortably. He knew he had screwed up quite a few things before and after his brother left for Boston.
"Paul, ye're…"
"Lex."
Lexie blew out an exasperated sigh before rubbing her throbbing temple.
"Lexie, I came here because I needed to find my father. I never came here to find a family, but I did. I might have created a few glitches but things have been running smoothly since…?"
"You call this smooth?" Lexie replied as her brows rose, but Paul hung his head again.
"All right, fine. I'll have a few words with Duncan since I'm his boss now. Lexie you…?"
Lili walked down the stairs, staring at Paul and Lexie, knowing their argument was about her well being.
"Lil?" Paul was surprised to see her standing at the top of the stairs. "What is she doing here?"
"She's spending the night since her and Duncan aren't doing so hot because of you." Lexie snapped.
Paul focused in on Lexie, before adding, "Don't blame me for their mess."
"Paul, have ya heard a word of what I just said to ya?" Lexie shouted aloud, but Lili stood at the bottom of the steps.
"Lex, just let me talk to him alone." Lili suggested, baffling her cousin more, before she gave in. Lexie heard Minnie making sounds from the front room. "I'll check on her."
"Thanks."
"Nice Jim jams." He laughed as he noticed she was dressed in pajamas with rubber ducks from head to toe.
"Yeah, well, leave it Lizzie to find me some night clothes. I guess I shouldn't be scared of the dark with these on."
"I'm sorry, Lil."
"You should be." Lili parked herself on the bottom step of the stairwell, only for Paul to sit beside her.
"Why aren't you with Duncan?"
"I need space."
"Space? Yer newlyweds, normally, they don't…"
"Need space. Well, believe me, I do." She shrugged, getting annoyed, as someone listened in at the top of the stairway to their conversation.
"Lil, you're a smart woman." Paul commented, not trying to make any kind of a pass at her, just being friendly and straightforward.
"I don't feel so smart, Paul. I came here a year and half ago to help Lexie out with her pregnancy and the twins. I got not only involved with you and Duncan, but ended up having a child too. I don't call Maeve an accident, Paul. I just don't, but I want to go home. Scotland isn't home for me. Now that I'm permanently here, no one can assume that I'd regret marrying Duncan, because I don't. I just feel right now, kind of trapped."
"Trapped? Why? You didn't have to marry him."
"And be deported back to the states because you frigged up my paper work?"
"Lili, you married him to stay here though, not just because you love him." Paul didn't gag out the idea that Lili and Duncan were in love because he understood that they were. No matter what kind of feelings he had for Lili the day she stood in the front foyer with Molly, Lexie and Archie.
Paul walked down the stairs as he witnessed the three busy-bodies chit chatting and also stepped over the food pile carefully. He didn't recognize the brown haired lass who were standing next to Archie's wife, but he was instantly in his own form of "awe" by her presence.
"Paul," Archie announced as he observed his mother become uneasy once again and she swiftly scampered off to the kitchen to fetch Marina and more afternoon tea.
"Who's this?" He asked intrigued, while walking up to his half brother.
"Lili MacKinney." Lili replied, as she took notice of his outdoorsy type form. He was tall, and as the description goes, dark and handsome too.
"Paul Bowman." He answered casually, while trying to avoid all of the stares, but hers. Lili became nervous and uncomfortably shifted her heels while looking into his dark blue eyes.
"Lili will be joining us for the next couple of weeks at Glenbogle. I'm looking forward to her companionship! Now where is Duncan? I'm going to kill him for leaving your suitcase where it tripped up poor Molly! Anyway…C'mon Lil! I'll show you to your room!" She then playfully tugged her cousin's arm and was trying to lead her away once again.
"I'll show her to her room, Lex." Duncan spoke up fast, as he had viewed the whole exchange between Paul and Lili after returning from the outside. He had left her suitcase for just a brief moment to "wash down the truck" with some water. But judging from the food catastrophe nearby, he was late as usual with finishing Lexie's requests.
"I married Duncan also for Maeve's welfare as she needed her parents here together."
"I'm sure Duncan would have moved with you to America."
"I didn't want him to give up his life here, his family, or anyone or anything for me."
"He would have."
"I know. That…"
"Scares you?"
"Paul, it frightened me! No one has ever given anything up for me. I couldn't even get my ex-husband to give up his job in New York for me. I just assumed that Duncan wouldn't want to do it. Duncan and I got married so quickly days ago because we didn't stop to think about what we were doing-just like how we got together so quick because of Maeve. We should have gone slow, dated slowly, waited months or maybe a year or so to move in, and planned a wedding slow, just did everything slow…but we rushed in."
"Lil, you had no choice."
"No, I didn't. I had a choice to have Maeve in the states and you tried talking me out of it remember?"
Paul remembered the day very well as he had tricked her into driving to the doctor office to confirm her pregnancy.
When they arrived in town, Paul kept his cool. He was simply going to pick up the bird homes and then take her into the direction of the clinic. He decided he'd lie and just say he was picking something up for Lexie, information on how to prevent Post Partum Depression, that way he'd get her inside. They entered the clinic as Lili wandered to a reception desk. She was about to ask for it when Paul announced, "Lili MacKinney." She cringed at being set up.
"You, you're…" She got upset with him for tricking her into getting checked out by a nurse.
"I owe you a big mornin' meal, I know, Lil." He winked and nodded...
"You owe me more than that." She challenged him with a stubborn glare.
"Excuse me, are you Lili MacKinney? The nurse wants to see you." She announced between the bickering pair.
"Yes, I am." She replied, and with defeat, she followed the nurse into an exam room…while Paul waited for her in the sitting area.
She was nervous at the results of the pee test, but the nurse came back and confirmed she was having a baby. She explained the importance of vitamins an eating well, while handing her a packet of baby lingo. Lili was now officially scared and going home seemed like the best option—or just like her cousin would do in a time of love crisis…run away. "Are you planning on having the child here? Our healthcare system is very different from the US." The nurse explained, but Lili wasn't sure of how to answer.
"I'm only here for another week and then I'm going back to the states." She explained.
"Well, it sounds like that gent outside will be disappointed." The nurse knew who Paul Bowman was, as he was Hector MacDonald's son, as her children were thrilled when they were exploring the Wild Life Centre yesterday afternoon! She also knew the Laird himself, Archie, since she confirmed the pregnancy for their twins about nine months ago.
"He's not the father. " She added, while her mind wandered in circles and she felt faint.
"Aye, well, good luck to you then. Please ring us if you do in fact stay." The nurse winked and walked Lili out into the sitting area. Paul stood up right away. Lili wasn't sure of what to say. She just followed him to the desk and she was about to pay the woman at the check out. The woman explained the gent picked up the bill and not to worry about having to pay.
"Thank-you." She said to Paul in the truck as she held the folder.
"Aye, well…you shouldn't have had to go that route alone. I wasn't going to let ya." He gestured, as he would explain to Archie later about the bill for the nurse's visit when it showed up in the Wild Life Centre's post box! "So what was the result anyway? Mummy-dome or going back to America?"
"I'm doing both." She stated short and to the point, as her eyes guided out the window. He didn't like the sound of her answer and he knew the father wouldn't approve either…
"I'm sorry that I butted into your life."
"Don't be, Paul. I shouldn't be comparing Duncan to my ex-husband or vice versa. I thought I was over his betrayal, but I don't think I'll ever be over it."
"Yeah, you will, you'll get past it."
"Paul. If things had been different between Duncan and me, if we hadn't had Maeve, would you and I be together?"
Lili posed a very modest question and she deserved a modest answer. They didn't exactly get along so well when she first came to Glenbogle. He had created a bet with Duncan for her affections and lost it. He never talked to her about his feelings for her after he found out about her pregnancy and becoming 'coupled' with Duncan.
"Lil, leave that subject alone."
She sensed the tension, the hurt in his eyes before finally replying, "You love me, don't you?"
"Lil, you chose Duncan remember? I would have done anything for you, yes, but it's not the point now. You can't look back at the past and be upset at a path that we didn't take." His heart ached because she was looking at him so intently.
"Paul, fate decided it for me, you know. I didn't ask for it."
"I know. Lili, I'm not going anywhere. I'll always be right here. Two years ago, I set out to Glenbogle to find my father and that was what fate had in store for me. When I didn't find him, Lili, I found my brother, I found his wife, I found the mother I never had, and also a sister. It doesn't matter anymore about finding my father, because I found all kinds of pieces of him in everyone I've met here-the good pieces and the bad ones." He explained it to her deeply as he could still read her like a book, a very good book that he never would put down or throw away.
"I'm sorry you never met your father. I'm sorry about your face." She gave a small chuckle, as she touched her hand to his cheek, relieved that his face wasn't swollen or red or black and blue anymore, since Duncan punched him at the vicar's office.
"Me too," He gave a chuckle back, before becoming concerned, and then playing devil's advocate, "You know, I told you, I found a family. We didn't get along at first, but they grew to like me and I grew to accept them. I don't have any regrets. You shouldn't have any regrets with marrying the love of your life. However, Lili, if you feel you're going to resent him because of your homesickness, then you might want to consider going home."