Molly was thinking back at the time she was the fiancé of Hector. She had arranged to travel with a good friend of hers to South- Africa for two months. But she was in doubts whether she should do it or not. Even though she loved Hector very much, she knew there was in the background another woman who was jealous of her.

Molly decided to do that trip and when she came back, Hector was changed. He could have such quiet moments. She asked him if he still loved her and then he hugged her as he would never let her go. After some months they had their wedding party and became a very happy couple. Well, as everyone they had their ups and downs and certainly after that accident with Jamie, their eldest son.

But now she was thinking what had happened in that time she was away. Could her thoughts be true ? That Paul, he ressembled to Hector in several ways. And then what just happened, why did Paul looked so on that way to the painting ? Questions that she couldn't give an answer on !

In the meantime Paul and Lexie were sitting at the edge of the wood looking over the Scottish hills.

" Something wrong Paul ? You're so quiet " Lexie was laying on the field in the sun. Paul was playing with a piece of grass.

" I'm thinking at something Lexie. I saw that the medaillon Hector is wearing on the painting is signed with his monogram. Let me show you something but don't frighten of it. " Paul took out of his jacquet a medaillon with the same letters on it as on the painting. An H and an M entangled to eachother. Now Lexie was looking from the medaillon to Paul's face with asking eyes.

" How did you get this ? " she asked him. Her heart was bouncing loud.

" My mother gave it to me. It was the only memory she had from my father. She didn't even tell me if he gave it to her or that he lost it maybe when he was together with her. Why didn't she tell me his name ? Maybe caus he was an important man ? " Paul looked at Lexie with tears in his eyes. " Can it be that Hector was my father ? And that I have a brother named Archie ?" Lexie didn't answer him but hugged him and kissed him.

" I think there's someone who can give us the answers Paul. Let's ask it Golly, he can probably tell us more "
Together they went to Golly who was working nearby his cottage. Paul showed Golly the medaillon he had.

" How did you get this " Golly asked him. " It belongs to Hector the old Laird. Where did you find it " Now Paul told Golly the facts that he knew and that he was afraid Hector could be his dad. After Paul told him everything Golly was quiet for some moments. He was desperate what to tell to this guy.

"Look lad, I've known Hector my whole life. We were good friends but he never told me that he made a mistake in his life. If so, then he took his secret with him in his grave. But are you sure your mother got this medaillon of Hector himself ? Maybe he lost it somewhere ! " Paul couldn't give an answer on it.

" Don't you have anything more that can prove that you could be a son of Hector ? " Paul nodded no.

"It's the only thing my mother gave to me, she didn't tell me more, I just told it you. I really don't know who I am, I'm a son of her, but I want to know who is or was my dad, can't you realise that ! " Paul was going to shout to Golly so hopeless he was feeling. Lexie laid her hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

" Come on Paul, let's go. I'm sorry you didn't got the answer you want to have " Lexie gave Golly a little smile and went away with Paul. Golly was looking at them when they were leaving. What should he have to believe of this story ? But now he was watching that guy he saw something that frightened him, the way he was walking, on his back he ressembled so much to Hector when he was young. Could it be true that Hector was his father. Golly should be the last one who would tell something about it. And he had also his doubts about Lexie's love for this man. Golly ever hoped that she should find love for someone else. But who was he to interfere himself in such things.

The other morning Archie was running through the house with an angry face. He was shouting and yelling to anyone who was walking before his feet. Several times Lexie was the dupe of his bad temper.

" Allright now Archie MacDonald I'm sick of you ! " Lexie shouted back. " I don't know what happened between you and that Katrina of yours last night but don't blame it on me. I'm off till it's over " She threw a towel down and wanted to leave the kitchen.

" Sorry Lexie, please don't leave " she heard Archie saying with a gasp in his voice. He was standing before the window arms over eachother looking so sad that she would run to him to wrap her arms around him. The only thing she did was turning around very slowly and looked at him.

" She didn't arrive at first last nigt " Archie started now with a very soft voice, " I called her after an hour and she told me that she was it forgotten. She had an important meeting with the provost and some other members of the community. What have I done that I am not interesting enough for a woman ? " Now Lexie couldn't stand it any longer and walked to him to hug him. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a light kiss on her hair.

" It is good that I have you always around me."he said now with a little smile, " I hope you don't leave Glenbogle with your boy friend. I think I should miss you a lot " Lexie didn't answer him. She only laid her head on his breast for a while.

" I have to go now Archie. See you " she said to him and left the kitchen.

Some weeks later Paul finally found someone who could tell him more about his mother, an old friend of her with whom she used to go to school. But the things he heard he didn't want to tell to Lexie. That woman couldn't tell him that his mother was a good girl when she was young. It seems that she had more than one boy friend at the same time and the old lady couldn't or didn't want to tell him names of them. Paul was very confused after his visit to her. Was Hector one of the men who met his mum ? Or became she pregnant of another man, that she herself didn't know who the father of her baby was ? There were so many questions that he would never get an answer on. He would never know who his father was and decided to stop his research.

It was very hard for Lexie to see that Paul was so confused. If she asked him what he should do, maybe trying to find a job in the area, he told her that must think about it. He didn't know if he wanted to stay there or to go back to the place where he was from. Till now he didn't ask her to come with him if he would leave.

But they still met eachother many times.

One day in the early morning she walked with the laundry basket outside when Archie was also leaving the house.

" Are you allright ? " he asked her. " you're looking so pale "

" Yeah I'm fine" she replied to him but not convincing enough. Archie thought at himself that maybe something was wrong between her and Paul but wouldn't ask further. If so then she would tell it him out of herself, he knew almost for sure.

When she was putting the laundry on the clothes line Paul arrived. She could see at his face something was wrong. She also was feeling something sick the last days, it was hard to keep the knowledge quiet that he could be family of her good friends.

" Lexie, I came to say goodbye to you " Paul started. Lexie frightened of it. "It's not that I don't like you. You've been very good to me the last time. But as you know I can't stay here. And ...even though I like you very much I don't love you enough to spend my life with you. I hope you can understand it "

Lexie got tears in her eyes " Oh Paul, was that the reason you were so quiet the last week and it's all over now ? was it that for you ? You wanna leave ? I... I thought everything was allright after we saw eachother so many times.. and ... you told me that you loved me when we were.... you know.... oh Paul why ? Why ? Oh go away then ! "

"Lexie, I didn't want to hurt you and you were also so quiet the last time that I thought maybe it's the best for the two of us ..."
She started crying, let the laundry fall and ran away into the direction of the loch.

"Lexie,wait ! Please let's talk about it " Paul shouted to her, but she didn't listen to him and Paul didn't follow her.
There was happened so much the last months, he loved it that she comforted him, but why should he promise her something if he knew that his love for her wasn't deep enough ? He only hoped that she would forget him soon enough. Maybe she would find within some time another man who was better for her.

Before Paul left Glenbogle he saw Archie, who was repairing a gate. He also said goodbye to him and told him that it was over between him and Lexie.

Archie looked very surprised.

" Where is she now ? " Archie asked to Paul. Paul answered that he didn't know, only that she ran away from him.