Two years later.


Lexie was still living at Glenbogle. She never heard anything again from her mother. She really loved to be there. Here she had her friends, and in Glasgow she never had any of them.
Hector could sometimes be odd, but he was a nice man. Molly was becoming a second mother for her. She was always very friendly.

With Lizzie she became also friends. Only when Katrina was at Glenbogle, Lizzie could do very strange to her. Well, it was caus Katrina and Lizzie always have been friends and to come between two girls with such a good friendship isn't easy after all. They were always giggling together.

If Archie was with her when Katrina came, Lizzie always invented something to get Archie away from Lexie. Most of the times he had to be with them. Lexie found that very strange, but who was she to say something about it. He was just like a doll they were playing with. It seemed he didn't have a strong character. Sometimes he went with his elder brother rowing with a boat on the loch or both of them went together with Golly hunting. Then Molly was always afraid that something could happen with her youngest one.

And Jamie. Jamie could sometimes look at her on a way she didn't like. Then at once he was standing behind her that she frightened of him. He liked to make her afraid. And then the way he always said Alexandra to her. He never called her Lexie.

Archie was the nicest one. She liked to be with him. Together in the garden. Or on the swing, then he pushed her and when it was going to high he tried to stop it. They could both have a lot of fun together.

Molly learned her how to make cakes and other biscuits. Or she may help her in the kitchen preparing dinner. Lexie really liked it to work in the kitchen. Maybe one day she could take it over from Molly and do it all herself. Hector appreciated it when she had cooked. Then he was waiting in the dining room with knife and fork in his hand, napkin under his chin.
When she came in with the plate full with food she made, he could give her a big smile.

And then Duncan, silly Duncan. When Lizzie and Lexie were busy with the laundry he frightened them with a sheet over himself.
"I am the ghost of Glenbogle" he said with a heavy voice.
"Oh no, you are Duncan "Lizzie then said, caus the first time he did this Lexie shivered, she thought it was a real ghost. "There are no ghosts here on Glenbogle you know " And then the girls started hunting on him till he fell down.

Golly used to take the girls with him for a walk through the hills. He learned them the names of all the birds or other animals in the area. Lexie enjoyed those walks. The scenery was so beautiful and it could be so quiet and calm, that you only heard the singing of the birds around you. That was something else as the traffic in the city she remembered.

If it was up to her, she would never leave Glenbogle. This was the place she could be happy.

Until that day came.

It was summer. She was alone in the garden picking the strawberries. There were a lot of them this year. At once she feeled hands on her hips.

"Alexandra, you are so beautiful " Jamie was singing in her ears.

" Leave me alone you ! " she tried to turn around but she only wringed herself more in his arms.

"Kissy please " he said. In stead of kissing him she hit him in his face.

"Well you Glaswegian floozie I'm going to learn you how to be nice to a boy " His hands were at once everywhere on her body under her clothes and he tried to avoid her to scream with one hand on her mouth. Lexie saw that it was hopeless to fight against such a strong boy. At the moment she decided to let him do what he wanted to do someone grabbed him away from her.

"What are you thinking you're doing ! Keep away from her ! Leave Lexie alone ! "

It was Archie who saved her out of Jamie's hands. His eyes were very dark. He made fists with his hands ready to attack his brother.

"Well ,well, our little Archie. I have never seen you so angry like now. Do you want her for yourself of course. Allright allright, I'll stop ! No need to fight little brother. She isn't even worth fighting for. " Jamie said with a humiliating voice.

"Just know that I'm gonna hit you if you'll touch her one more time " Archie shouted still to his brother who was walking away.

In the meantime Lexie was sitting down with her hands around her knees tears in her eyes.
"You're allright ? " Archie asked her while he was sitting down next to her. She nodded.
" I go away " she sniffed. "He doesn't want me to be here "

"Oh no, Lexie. You stay here. I don't allow you to run away. Don't be afraid, he will never do this again. He didn't mean what he said. I think you must blame it at his age. He want to prove himself. "
"And you then ? " She looked at him, still sniffing "don't you want to prove yourself also ? "
Archie nodded no. " I respect you to much and don't wanna lose you. Please Lexie, stay here. I can't miss you. I'll talk with Jamie, he must apologize for what he did. Trust me. You'll see, he must stop to frighten you. " Archie didn't dare to think at it that Lexie would go away from Glenbogle. He would travel all over the world to find her back if necessary.

He tried to hug her but she pushed him away. "I have to work further, there are still good strawberries in the field that I have to pick " She dried her face and stood up.

"I'll help you with it " Archie said. He hoped that she would still trust him. He surely had to have a good talk with his brother.

And indeed it worked. Some days later Lexie found a note under the door of her room with on it :

Sorry Lexie,

I'll never do it again.

Jamie.


She smiled, it was the first time he called her Lexie.