Lexie wasn't back at dinnertime. Archie, and all the others were very worried about it.

'Where can she be and why did she run away' Archie was thinking, ' Did she love him so much that she's so upset of it, she only knew him three, nearly four months. Can't believe it'

When it was dark Archie decided to look for her together with Golly and Duncan.

"Mother, you stay here. If you hear anything just give a Golly a phone call, he's the only one who has a phone with him. Golly, Duncan we take each another part and see eachother back here at the Loch within an hour, with or without Lexie. If not then we call the police. Allright !" Both the men nodded that they had understood it.

The weather was changed, it was pouring outside. That afternoon the sun had been shining, so Archie thought that Lexie was left without a jacket. If she was still somewhere outside she should be through and through wet. He didn't dare to think to what could be happened with her. He only hoped she was still somewhere around on the estate. As far he could see she didn't came back for her luggage or identity papers, so she didn't left by train or car. His heart hurted when he thought at her.

More than half an hour later he saw her silhouette. She was sitting on a rock nearby the fall. He shouted her name but she didn't react on it. Probably she didn't hear it at all. He walked further in her direction and shouted again. He was getting angry at her for her behaviour, why couldn't she give him a sign she heard hem.

"Lexie do you hear me ? Come back please ! " he tried again but she still didn't react on it.
" Allright then if you wont come to me I come to you. It's a dangerous place were you sitting on, you're stupid girl you are" Archie was getting very angry now, even though he was afraid to what could happen if he approached her. In his hurry to be there he was forgotten that the rocks were very slippery with this weather. At once he slipped out and couldn't grab himself at something. With a loud scream he fell down into the water. Now Lexie woke up out of her absence and shouted to him.

" Archie no ! no please ! " As fast as she could she tried to reach the place where she had seen him falling down. She also slipped sometimes but very carefully she tried to descend. She succeeded to come at the place where Archie was laying in the water. He was laying on his side and was unconsciousness. With all the force she had in herself she tried to get him out of the water. She was through and through wet and cold. In the meantime she screamed every minute for help. She pulled Archie's body to a place where it was a little bit dry under a rock, but was afraid no one could see or hear her. She wrapped her arms around him and cried.

" Archie, what have I done, it's all my fault. Please stay alive, I love you so much " She could see that he was hurt a lot, but he was still breathing. Again she screamed for help, but the force was going out of her. She could also feel a terrible pain deep in her body.

Duncan and Golly arrived an hour later at the place where they should meet eachother again, but Archie wasn't there.

" I thought I heard a scream a little while ago, " Duncan told to Golly, " But I thought it could be a bird that I heard. It came out of the direction of the fall "

They decided now to look for him together. They went into the direction of the fall and at once they heard someone screaming for help. As fast they could they ran into that direction. Something later they found Archie and Lexie together, both were unconscious. There had to come a helicopter to take both the victims to a hospital.

Some days later a nurse came sitting by Lexie in the hospital to talk to her. Lexie was looking with dead eyes before her.

" Lexie, may I call you Lexie ?" the nurse asked her. Lexie nodded very light. " You know what happened with you or not ? You knew that you was pregnant ? It was only 7 or 8 weeks. "

" Yes I knew it " Lexie said with a silent voice" I lost the baby I suppose ? " She looked the nurse in her eyes, who said yes to her, while she was taking her hand to comfort her.

" I'm so sorry for you, Lexie. Shall I say it to your boyfriend or do you want to tell it yourself ? " No Lexie was looking at her with asking eyes.

" My boyfriend ? "

" Well, isn't Mr. MacDonald the father then ? " now the nurse was getting red in her face.

" No, he is...wasn't, it was another man " Lexie replied. Then the nurse asked her if she must take contact with the father.

" Of course not, he doesn't know that I was pregnant and he's out of my life now. How is it with Archie, Mr. MacDonald ? "

" Oh, he'll be allright again. His body is still hurting everywhere but he'll be fine again. "

At that moment Molly arrived in her room. She went to Lexie and wrapped her arms around her. Lexie started crying.

" It's allright my girl. Everything will be allright again. I just saw Archie, well as far I could see him, he's more a mummy than a man for the moment "Molly said with a little smile.

"I'm so sorry Molly for what I have done. I feel so guilty towards Archie, it's my fault that he's in hospital now." Lexie said between her tears. Molly comforted her and rubbed her hair.

A couple of weeks later as well Lexie and Archie were back home again. Lexie was feeling much better but Archie's leg was still in plaster. Molly and Lexie coddled him a lot.

Lexie brought him a cup of tea and some biscuits she made especially for him. She knew he loved her selfmade chocolate biscuits. With a smile on his face he smellt at the biscuits and invited her to sit down next to him. She was sitting very close to him and he wrapped an arm around her.

" Lexie will you tell me now why you ran away that day ? Do you still love Paul so much ? " he asked her. Now Lexie couldn't keep that secret for herself, she had to tell it to him.

" Archie, I hope you wont be angry about what I'm gonna tell you now, but ...I was pregnant, Paul was the father. I've been so stupid. And then that moment he told me that he didn't love me enough... it was to much for me. I didn't know what to do. I've been sitting there all the time not knowing what to do. I couldn't tell it to anyone .." tears were coming up again.

Archie took her chin in his hands and put a little kiss on her mouth.
" I love you Lexie, I think I always have. Why didn't you come to me to ask what to do ? " She looked at him in his dark eyes and her heart was bouncing very loud. Did he really tell her that he loved her ? She couldn't believe it !

"And then Archie, if I didn't lost the baby.... "

Now Archie was quiet for some moments and then he said her,
" Then I would have accepted it as my own ... "

Very confused Archie didn't dare to look in her eyes at the moment he said this. He tried to ignore the feeling inside him that he was lying.But he would have done it, he knew it for sure, even though it would have been very difficult to accept the child as his own and he should ever been reminded to that other man.

Lexie laid her head on his shoulder. She was thinking how stupid she had been, only one time in her life she made love without taking any measure and then she was pregnant. After all she knew that Paul wasn't the right man for her. From the moment she knew a new life was growing in her she felt happy for some moments. But if she thought at the man who was the father, she knew that she would never spend her whole live with him. Even though she was feeling very sad when she realized that she lost the baby, she was glad that she never told it to Paul. She hoped that one time she would ever be pregnant again, but then the father should be the one she really loved. She nestled herself deeper in Archie's arms.

At once she realised something else, should he still...why not asking him

"Archie ? and Katrina ? " he looked at her.

" Katrina " he laughed "what do I have to say ? She never meant something for me, she has never been more than a good friend. I never loved her if you want to know that, you're the only one for me " he whispered in her ear why he gave her little kisses.

Should she tell him also that other secret. She decided to wait with it, not now, maybe within some months she would tell him that she once loved a man who maybe could be his step-brother.If there was a future for them together, she might not have anymore secrets for him, even not that one.

"Lexie ? " again he looked her deep in her eyes, " I hope you also love me " he could read the answer in her eyes, " do you want to marry me ? "

" Yes Archie, I love you so much, I think I loved you from the moment I met you long time ago, the shy young boy you was then. " With a kiss they sealed their love.

Something later Molly opened the door of the library and saw them sitting, laying there. She smiled and got a happy feeling of it. At once she saw something running on the floor. Molly gave a loud scream.

" A mouse !" Lexie and Archie frightened of it, their heads were coming up. Lexie threw Archie off her, he felt on the floor.

" Minnie, you're back !" she shouted while she was jumping up.

"Don't you feel pity for me " Archie was murmering, "I'm still recovering from an accident " he said while he was trying to stand up again. Then he saw her caressing the little mouse.

"Why do women always feel more for other things than for me ? Do I always have that effect on women ? " Archie was complaining.

" Oh you... wait a moment, I'm right back " Lexie said and ran away to put the mouse back in it's cage. It didn't take more than a minute before she was back and was sitting again next to her lovely friend.

" So, where did we stop " she said, "oh I know... here " and she started kissing him on his skin just under his chin, while she was opening the buttons of his shirt very slowly.........

THE END.