Glenbogle.com – Part 16

Paul looked up as the land rover drove down to where he and Craig were standing. He glimpsed his niece in the back in her car seat and smiled, excusing himself from his conversation and walking over to see them.
Opening the door he lifted Melanie out with a flourish " Hello Melly, how are you today?"
Melly screamed and giggled as Paul placed her on his shoulders and turned to Archie
" Man, you look like hell"
Archie raised his eyebrows " Thanks"
" Rough night?"
" My girl kept me up all night" Archie replied, with a yawn to illustrate
Paul smiled, " I take it you're talking about Melanie and not Lexie"
Archie shook his head and chuckled " Yes, Paul. Melanie"

" So" Archie stated after greeting Craig and letting him get back to his work,
" Everything up to your standard?"
Paul nodded, "You hired a very good man in Craig, he's kept it going very well, and on nearly the exact same lines that I would have."
Archie nodded, "Good, good. Lexie helped choose him- she said he reminded her of you."
" She's got good taste"
" Yes she does" Archie agreed with a laugh
Paul got what he was implying and smiled too,
" Come on" Archie commented, heading for one of the tents so that Mel could be kept an eye on while they talked " Tell me all about you're year away from us"

Paul told Archie about going to Yorkshire and tying up all the loose ends he could, seeing people he hadn't seen in years, and getting closure on many areas before moving on to inform him that he then went to London.
" London" Archie stated, " I used to own and run a restaurant in London"
" Really?" Paul echoed
" Yeah" Archie reminisced, " That was about the time that I came back here. It was opening night of the restaurant when I got a call from my mother saying that my father had had a terrible accident and to come home immediately."
" Was Hector okay?" Paul asked
Archie shook his head at the memory, not sure whether, on thinking about it now, he was happy about it, or still annoyed at being played for a fool.
" He was fine, not a thing wrong, it was just a trick to get me to come home. It was then that I learnt that I now owned Glenbogle, so therefore it was my responsibility to keep it going and get it away from the red figures."
" Ahh" Paul announced, "so that's how they got you back- I knew that you'd come back against you're will, but I wasn't sure how."
Archie shrugged, and Paul glanced at him
" Do you wish they hadn't done it?"
Archie stared at him for so long that Paul began to think that he hadn't heard him. Just as he was about to ask again, or change the subject Archie answered. Picking up Mel off the floor and resting her in his lap he spoke with the quiet influence of having considered the same question a lot over the years
" If I hadn't come back here I wouldn't have met Lexie. I had been with Justine at the time for five years, who knows where that would have gone or whether we would have married. Had kids. My whole life just changed dramatically with that one move back up here, the me that everyone knew in London, was a totally different me to the one that everyone at Glenbogle knows."
" I wonder the same thing sometimes" Paul echoed, " If I hadn't found that letter from the Estate lawyer concerning my father, who knows how different my life would be. I wouldn't have met you or Lex, or Golly, Duncan and Molly. I definitely wouldn't be a Laird, or live in a huge castle in the Highlands."
Archie smiled " Life changing place Glenbogle, hey?"
" Definitely" Paul responded, while playing peek-a-boo with Mel
" So" Archie added, " Meet anyone one special on your journeys?"
Paul glanced up, "Women wise you mean?"
Archie nodded
" Well…there was this one women in London. We saw a few movies, went out for a few dinners. But I don't think anything will come from it, I mean she lives in London, I live in Glenbogle. What are the chances that we will ever even see each other again?"
Archie shrugged and stood up "You never know" He remarked, hauling Mel up " Come on, time for lunch"