Chapter 10---Push One's Luck
Katrina stood there as Fergal and Kieran waited for her to answer at first she sighed, "I don't know, but I need a word with you, Mr. Maclure."
Fergal hand signaled to Kieran, "Be right back,"
Kieran smiled and replied, "That good huh?"
Fergal gave him a smug look and followed Katrina out into the hall.
"What's with you?" Katrina spoke up, "I might be rusty on my sign language and missing any naughty and snide comments that the two of you possibly have been making about me and each other, but must you use your brother to get an answer from me about that proposal? I told you I need time to think about it, Fergal, not have you do trickster things!" Katrina lowered her voice, "I want your brother to go through the operation too, as for Ireland I'm not moving anywhere until I know for sure we're meant---?"
"For one or another, I understand, just---?"
"What?"
"Kieran knows about the 'unveiled' proposal and wanted to know the answer, your answer, how you feel about me? Katrina, it might work to our advantage..."
"I told you how I felt about you nights ago when you showed up at Xavier's! You know, if we lie to your brother on his possible deathbed, no, Fergal, I'm decent person and I won't break his heart this way. I'm not going to---?" Katrina started to go off on Fergal in a low uneven tone just as her eyes caught his, "All right, we'll tell him it's on,"
"Wear the ring, please?" Fergal inquired as Katrina slightly panicked, nervous and annoyed snatched out the ring box from her hand bag and shoved it into Fergal's hands, as he replied in a whisper, "You could be nicer about it, remotely interested in wearing it? I bought it only for you in mind, you know..."
"Just hush up and put it on me before I change my mind,"
"You haven't even made up your mind...answer me?"
"Fergal, I will answer you when the time is right, like I said in the forest, don't pester me, for now, lets chat up with your brother into going for that surgery," as Katrina was about to turn away when his hand latched onto hers, "The ring..."
"Oh right," Katrina held out her left hand.
"Okay, but I have to get down on one knee as it's the romantic thing to do," Fergal chirped as he knelt before her, trying to put on a show in front of Kieran's room as his fingers placed the glittering, sparkly and fascinating moonstone ring onto Katrina's left hand...at first her heart sank, and then it fluttered, Katrina stared at Fergal as he started back at her...and then his eyes went into his brother's hospital room, "Okay we're on...must make it real..."
"What?" Katrina asked after being caught up in the moment, which she knew wasn't a real marriage proposal--not like the one Fergal and Katrina both managed to muck up in the forest earlier that day. Katrina told him she'd think about it and she meant it, just she'd go along to help get Kieran into surgery if Fergal's plan did indeed work. Fergal stood up, pulled Katrina close and leaned in, as his lips caught hers in a generous lip lock. They stood in the quiet hall of the ICU floor. Katrina blushed and Fergal apologized, "Sorry, Kieran's witnessing everything, might as well start playing our 'engaged' couple part," Katrina and Fergal returned to the room, hand in hand, as Kieran signed, "Well?"
Katrina spoke right up, "Tell him, there's a lot he's going to miss if he doesn't go for the surgery, like being an uncle one day and also a god father at some point in time, maybe he might meet the right one to settle his own self down with like you have,"
"You serious?" Fergal asked as Katrina looked at him and answered, "Don't push it,"
"No really, you serious about MI5 rug rats?"
"I teach dedicated, delightful, and sweet children," Katrina teased, "I want them as much as you do,"
"What's she saying?" Kieran hand gestured as Fergal smiled wide, "Go to surgery, and I'll tell you,"
"No, I wanna know now,"
"She wants to marry me, wants to go to Dublin to set down roots, if you wanna see this happen, you need to go through those transplants, understand me?"
Kieran sighed, "How sweet, biscuit-head, you really want me around don't you? I like her already especially her telling you what to do..."
"Of course we do, besides what about the church?" as Fergal answered hopeful while Kieran added, "The church will always stand even with or without me...get the specialist, I want to talk to her."
Hours upon hours later, in the waiting room of the hospital, Mavis, Katrina and Fergal sat down on chairs or the sofa, stood up and paced the floor while they drank quite a few more cups of tea before...the specialist finally entered the room with a medical chart in her hand and a smile.
"Is he?"
"Out of surgery and very lucky that he changed his mind when he did, happily, he'll be fine..." The specialist replied, "He's in recovery and will be brought to his room shortly and when he wakes, he'll probably want some visitors or two..."
Katrina sat still as Mavis stood up to hug Fergal with relief and then to 'Thank the specialist,' as she sat there witnessing the event she forgot all about removing the moonstone ring from her left hand ring finger as she was about to take it off and slip it into her pocket...
"I'm so happy to have met you, and you're going to make a lovely bride!" Mavis latched onto a wide-eyed Katrina, gave her a huge hug, focused on the moonstone ring, and squealed aloud, "Especially with the wedding at all...Kieran mentioned something odd enough on his way to the operation table about you two and marriage, at first I was unsure until Fergal confirmed it...Kieran and his big heart had told me just in case he didn't make it to bless your union and well, now he can do it all by himself!"
"What?" Katrina asked as she referred to Kieran and his blessing.
"Well, didn't you know that Kieran's studying to become a minister? Well, he should be one, just he got sick and never got ordained properly--after surgery he will be right away, I'll see to it..."
"I see," Katrina stared at Fergal and smiled at Mavis as Mavis turned to Fergal and Katrina glared at him again.
"Sorry, love, I left out that wee detail," Fergal grinned, but knew Katrina was ready to clobber him, and she said, "Aye you did, out in the hall, please."
Fergal glanced to his mother and Mavis smiled as her eyes went to the ceiling as if she were praying to 'the almighty', "This is the brilliant day, the happiest day of my life, thank-you! I have both of my boys back..."
Katrina smiled, "Excuse us?"
"Of course, dears," Mavis winked as Katrina toted Fergal by the arm out of the room and down another hall away from the sleeping patients as it was now very, very, very early in the morning...
"Kat, come on..."
"Fergal, you stupid treacherous Irishman!"
"Look, I didn't tell you because..."
"Why?"
"Because I don't really think Kieran's meant to be a minister or wear a collar, I mean--we joke a lot and I'm kinda worried that we won't be able too joke once he's ordained, but anyway my mum keeps forcing it on him and saying, 'we're a rare breed us Protestant Irish folk...there's only 3 percent of Ireland's population with Protestants and how important it is that he helps the religion live on'...sorry I'm being disrespectful," as Fergal made a funny face and tried to talk like his mother.
"Oh," Katrina blinked as she waited for Fergal to say something else...
"Katrina, I'm really sorry how this has turned out. I didn't want to upset you in any way, or trick you into any kind of commitment. I just wanted Kieran alive and safe and it worked, we worked as a team together..."
"We lied, Fergal and not just to Kieran but now your mother! Disaster between us strikes again! Fergal, now what do we do?"
"I love you. I told you this in the thick of our special, magical and mystical Silver Birch forest...I still wanna marry you."
"I---?" Katrina stopped for one moment, and then looked down upon her feet, as Fergal paused, blew out a breath and gathered her hands with his, "It's morning now, we have a long ride back to Glenbogle and we should have breakfast with my mother and see Kieran, I'll tell them before we go that we're not married, or getting married, but we're still together? Does that work for you? Give you that time to think about it? About us?"
"I s'pose so...I mean...yeah," Katrina replied now quite puzzled over everything that had happened between them in the course of almost twenty-four hours...just as Fergal and her came to some kind of a compromise, part of her just wanted to make like they really did promise to get married for sure.
"Good, Katrina?"
"Yes?"
"You do still love me?"
"Of course I do," Katrina didn't answer with the three words that Fergal wanted her to say, but he nodded his head, happy she still agreed...
Chapter 11---Minnie's First Birthday Party
The next weekend, everyone was putting the finishing touches on the birthday party for wee Minnie MacKay. Lexie, being the Lady of the house now, had spent weeks upon weeks planning the best children's party for Minnie since she was turning one year old. And now that Duncan surprised everyone by coming home a week ago, Lexie felt the party was instantly complete...
"OK, streamers," Lexie announced to Archie as she pulled out supplies from a box that was from a party shop in the village.
"Check!" Archie grabbed the streamers out.
"Party hats!" Lexie shouted aloud with a clipboard as her pen glided across each party 'component' on her 'Party to Do List' in her hands. Archie picked up the hats so Lexie could check them off.
"Yep!" Archie replied as he pulled out a party blower as it made a still trumpet sound with the whoosh of air from his breath...
"Arch, you're not supposed to test the party stuff before the party! What's wrong with you?" Lexie grabbed the party blower away from him and waltzed into the sun room where the party would be held.
"Right, sorry," Archie frowned and replied low with a big grin and in his wife's direction, "Party pooper,"
"I heard that!" Lexie called out behind her as Archie shrugged to Megan, "She is being one..."
Megan laughed while standing in the hall with the twins around her as the twins giggled out, "Daddy!"
Archie laughed as both twins ran after him into the sun room and Megan followed as well.
Molly and Ewan stood in the kitchen as they had joined forces (under Lexie's specific instructions) on the birthday cake front. As they both stood there with the undecorated cake before them and with frosting tubes in their hands and smiled, Ewan added with a laugh, "On your mark, get set, ready, steady,"
"GO!" Molly hollered as they both started frosting the cake which resembled a 'HUGE' butterfly. Claire walked into the room and laughed as she noticed the pair racing to finish the cake on time. The party starts at 1 o'clock and it was now 12:30pm!
Meanwhile, Lexie was directing Duncan and Archie on how she wanted the streamers, where to put the party hats, plates, utensils, napkins...cake and ice cream...Golly had all of the music lined up with Nigel as they both had been to practicing 'Happy Birthday to You' on the bagpipes ever since Lexie had informed them two weeks ago that she wanted a quaint get together of family to ring in Minnie's special day.
"Now, I want the chairs over there...Minnie here as we open presents...and oh man! Where are the balloons!?! I ordered balloons with Helium for the party! Oh they must be out into the truck!"
"I'll go get them, you relax," Archie added after tacking his side of the sign up as Duncan replied, "OK, Lexie, is the sign up straight?"
"Up, Duncan just a tad, down...up, no down a bit...no..." Lexie spoke up and Duncan, poor innocent, Duncan, kept moving his arm up and down as he blurted out, "My arm is getting tired, hurry up, Lexie, it's not like me offspring can read it! Whoooah!" Duncan tittered and tattered on top of the ladder and the half hung sign swayed back and forth...until 'crashed out' Duncan tumbled off the ladder and became a heap on the floor as the sign side that Archie had tacked up fell of the wall...
"That about does it," Lexie laughed, "I think the sign is lovely just as is..."
"On the ground?" Duncan grumbled as he rubbed his head...and then began to laugh before going back to struggle with the pink and purple 'Happy Birthday Minnie!' sign.
Archie came back carrying about twenty pink, purple, and white balloons all floating high in the air, tied to pink and purple ribbons, "Okay, what happened?"
"Oh there they are!" Lexie latched onto the balloons and Archie decided to help Duncan with the sign again. Moments later, Duncan and Archie each snagged a Helium balloon with out Lexie looking and then wandered out...about seconds later, they wandered back into the room in a high pitched squeaky, chipmunk voices, Archie said, "Hi Lexie!" as Duncan sang out, with Minnie in his arms, "Happy Birthday Me Minnie Mouse!"
Lexie then scolded both men while taking Minnie from Duncan's arms, "Archie! Duncan! Those balloons are for the party! You can talk in funny voices afterwards!"
Archie and Duncan both laughed with high-pitched squeaks again...Lexie found herself giggling too... "You two,"
"C'mon Lex, I used to do that balloon thing every child birthday party at the house—its tradition according to me, since I'm laird, all must try it...its fun, you should try it..." Archie urged as Lexie announced, "After the party!"
"Where's the cake? Paul? Okay, did you remember to finish wrapping those presents?" Lexie commanded as Paul laughed, and Susan entered the room, "Here they are..."
Susan had about ten birthday presents in Minnie's new red wagon as she wheeled in the gifts behind Paul... and placed them in direction of Lexie's pointing fingers...
"Over there!"
"Okay, cake..."
"Molly and Ewan have the cake," Claire replied with a laugh as she had never seen a frenzied pregnant Lexie before in a 'party planning mode'. Lizzie and Martha entered the room as they replied quickly, "Golly and Nigel are set with the pipes!"
"Good, on time...now...don't touch the nibbles, Paul!" Lexie swatted at Paul as he was about to take a potato crisp from one of the many snack bowls on the food table.
"What good are nibbles if you can't eat them?" Paul groaned, as Lexie gave him the evil eye, "They are for the party! Wait for the rest...Killwillie will be here soon? Right, maybe I better phone him!"
Archie eyed his wife, "Since when do you care for Killwillie's arrival?"
"Well, since Flora is in town with her daughter! It's not nice to start a party with out our guests is it?" Lexie replied smartly, "Paul, what did I say about those nibbles?" Lexie caught Paul red handed stealing a potato crisp and a 'crunch' was heard from his mouth before Paul smiled while swallowing, "What nibble?"
Lexie cast an unpleasant look at Paul and mumbled as her mother and father walked in...
"Minnie is one years old..." Pamela replied, "My only brother's grandchild, I wish Phil were here...Maggie said she couldn't make it..." Pamela spoke of her only sister too.
"Aunt Maggie is off in South Africa and I didn't expect her to be here. Uncle Phil will be here in a couple months to visit us and see Minnie, I'm trying to get him to move back here...but he won't do it," Lexie frowned, as Archie strolled up behind his wife and added, "He's got his life over in America, Lexie."
"Archie's right Phil's been over there for 35 years. I haven't spoken with him in months, he always says, home's for visits, not to stay..." Pamela replied as the group heard, "Where's the birthday girl?" Killwillie bellowed as he smiled and Flora and her daughter wandered into the room with their gifts...
"Hello!" Lexie waved as Killwillie couldn't believe the sun room and how it looked, "Quite the party for a one year old? I haven't been to a children's party on the inside since Archie was yea-high in trousers! Well, aside from the twin's first birthday party picnic, but..." Killwillie smiled at Archie and hand gestured how tall he was and didn't want to offend Lexie about the twin's birthday bash, and he didn't.
"The last real children's blow out, aside from the twin's birthday picnic on the beach, was when I was what..."
"Twelve years old," Molly spoke up just as she entered the room, "Jamie was alive then..."
Lexie added, "Where's Ewan?"
"Still finishing the cake, he wanted to put his penmanship on it and suggested I join all of you—Flora! How nice to see you darling?!" Molly hugged Killwillie's only daughter, "This is Zelda? My, she's grown so tall!" Seven year old Zelda stood there very quietly with her blonde hair done up in a French braid and her coke-bottle glasses hanging off the bridge of her nose, and her bright blue eyes hidden behind the lenses. She was wearing her best party dress as her mother had informed her to do so.
Flora's grin went wide when she saw Archie and both of the twins, "Hi Archie...oh wow, the twins, they look so much like you! You're married, father said so that you did years ago, congratulations, where's your wife?"
Archie noted that Flora had slimed herself considerably down...she was actually barely recognizable to him, but Flora always knew who Archie was...as he hadn't changed, except for the wedding ring on his hand this time! Flora still gave Archie a squeeze and kissed both twins on their rosy cheeks. Before letting go and turning to face Lexie...
"Yes, they do, and---" Lexie replied as she was about to tell Flora who Archie was married too and he head Lexie off at the pass, "Flora, you remember Lexie? She's my wife,"
Flora showed a friendly face, "Delightful, Lexie, you must be very proud, and of course, I remember her!"
Lexie spoke up, dignified, trying to show off-just a little bit in front of Flora, "Yes, I'm proud of my husband and my three children,"
"Three? You mean there's another one?" Flora asked as she counted only two kids...
"Lexie means she's pregnant," Archie spoke right up as Flora then ecstatically wrapped her arms around Lexie and gave her a huge spectacular squeeze, "I'm so excited for you! Another baby! They are so much fun aren't they?" Flora rattled off and Lexie looked at Archie unsure of what she had done. Flora let go of Lexie so she could breathe, "Sorry don't mean to squish the soon bump!"
"It's all right," Lexie simply gasped for air and looked at Archie, "I'll be right back to hurry Ewan up, excuse me,"
Flora was all cheer and smiles.
"You married?" Archie asked after watching Lexie scamper away to Flora.
"No, I met Zelda's father right after I left Glenbogle years ago...a son of an old business friend of Daddy's who works in Florence. Anyway, whilst I was there, we lived together sort of, while I was pregnant with Zel, and it just didn't work out,"
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear this," Archie began as Flora smiled again.
"Eh, he was a scammer anyway, still hooked to someone, forget it, I'm lucky! I have Zelda...she's got a very high IQ for her age and has been told she'll be worth millions, but to me she already is! Serious, she's been told she'll make a great nuclear physicist in school, Lizzie?! This must be Martha??" Flora walked away from Archie to say her hellos to Lizzie. Flora also squeezed Lizzie and then gave Martha a pat on the head as Zelda stood by Flora's side.
"Flora! How wonderful to see you? Who's this?"
"I'm Zelda Flora Sharon Killwillie, the second. My great grandmother was Zelda Flora Sharon Killwillie, the first," Zelda trumpeted to Lizzie as she turned to Martha, "Hello, and how do you do?"
Martha smiled sheepishly, "Hi,"
"Sorry, Lizzie, Zelda gets a bit particular about her name...her teacher said she would go far with her math and science mind and that she's such a 'gifted child' for being only seven years old and with such a distinguished name as Zelda."
"That's marvelous." Lizzie nodded to Flora as Martha and Zelda took off. Zelda was quite a smart ticket as she instantly went with Martha to food table.
Meanwhile...Katrina and Fergal stood at the front of the house with a couple gifts in hand for Minnie, "Now you're sure you want to go in there?"
"I'm sure, Fergal, I want to, Lizzie told me I should see Minnie and at least the others..."
"Let's have a password for when to go," Fergal began, "You remember the night of our going away dinner?"
"How could I forget?" Katrina replied, "Kiwifruit was the password..."
"Kiwifruit it is?"
"How about moonstone instead this time?" Katrina asked, as Fergal glanced at her quizzically...
"Moonstone?" Fergal noted that Katrina had the ring on her left finger on her hand...he hadn't seen it on her since they were in London talking Kieran into going ahead with his kidney transplant.
"Fergal, I know you didn't tell your mother or Kieran about us not really being engaged over a week ago...your mother phoned last night looking for you and asked when we would wed..."
"Ah, yeah, I didn't quite know how to tell you that I didn't say it to them after we left the hospital..."
"It's all right, but I've been thinking since you moved in and since her phone call...maybe its best if we are engaged?" Katrina displayed the ring once again on her left ring finger and Fergal picked right up on it as she was ready to commit to him? After one somewhat mucked up proposal, then a fake one, she was actually suggesting they do get engaged?
"Katrina you're serious?"
"I've had a week to mull it over and I told you I'd think about it and get back to you--it's not like I had forgotten the proposal in the forest! Your mother sounded so certain, so yes, I mean it would be nice to be, if the offer still stands...I mean I know we're living together again at my place but the week, even though your mother thought we really were still getting married, has been a dream, us being together again, and so..."
"Yes!!! Great!" Fergal announced thrilled, not even listening to a word Katrina had just said and jumped to the punch line as he clutched onto Katrina and lifted her into the air and set her down, covering her whole face in kisses. "Moonstone it is then!"
"Fergal..." Katrina tried to catch up with him before going into the Glenbogle House...
"Yeah, Lady Love!" Fergal exclaimed dreamily as he walked on cloud nine.
"Let's not tell them all in there yet..." Katrina emphasized 'there' as in the particular residents of the Glenbogle House: Archie, Lexie, Molly, Golly, little Martha, and Lizzie especially... oh how would they all react? Katrina mused.
"Why?" Fergal asked, curiously as his face dropped, "Katrina, something really wrong with telling the world finally after careful 'mulling' it over for a week that we're to be wed?"
"I---?"
"You all right?"
"I'm okay, just..."
"Look, we'll tell them all when were both ready, let's go in join the party and when it's time to go we'll say..."
"Moonstone," Katrina replied low and watched Fergal wander into the front foyer as she stood there more confused with herself than ever before.
"Katrina? Fergal? Good of you both to come! Come in! The party's this way dears!" Molly ushered the pair into the party room and Katrina and Fergal followed as Archie met them at the door.
"Hello Archie," Katrina replied as she held her hand with the moonstone ring on behind her back. Fergal gave her shoulders a squeeze to let her know he was right behind her.
"Katrina and Fergal. Great of you to come, I was afraid you weren't," Archie replied as Katrina smiled and Fergal added, "We weren't going to miss it. Direct us to the birthday girl!" as the pair joined the group and Katrina (and Fergal) continued to keep a tight lid on the now 'on' engagement...
The party was well under way after Fergal and Katrina entered the house, everyone gathered right around watching Duncan and Minnie open up her presents, books about 'Just William', a red wagon to tote her around in, Little People toy castle with a king and a queen, and many other gifts. Lexie smiled and took photographs and video through it all as she just wanted Minnie to be happy.
"That's it for pressies!" Duncan shouted as Minnie wanted to climb off his lap.
"I think the birthday girl has had enough?" Paul gathered by how restless Minnie had become from sitting so long on Duncan's lap. Duncan gave Paul an unruly look, "She's fine, Paul."
"It's time for cake and ice cream!" Lexie shouted aloud as nodded her head, "I'll go get it, 'cause I have a special candle for it!" Lexie wandered out of the room while the birthday party guests talked on and on...Archie, Golly and Nigel nodded about getting the pipes ready to play 'Happy Birthday,' as Archie led them out of the room explaining again exactly how Lexie wanted them to come in...
"Dada!" Minnie chanted as she wandered to Paul while Duncan gave Paul another jealous look.
"Minnie, he's Dada," Paul replied matter of fact as Minnie held out her arms to be picked up and not listening to Paul as she started to get upset because she wasn't getting her way, "Dada?"
"Minnie," Paul added glancing at her, while Duncan grumbled, "It's your fault you know..."
"Now look, this isn't the time or the place to start blaming..." Paul tried to be diplomatic and Duncan stood up from the chair, just inches from Paul and took a swing nailing him in the jaw. "You child robber!" Duncan snapped, as Paul rolled his eyes and rubbed his scarred chin, "You left her remember? You're the one responsible, neglecting..."
"You remember my wife? I went to New Zealand to get over the loss of Lil and possibly start a new one—and then I saw your grubby hands picking up my daughter after she took her first steps to you!—You swine!" Duncan took another swing and hit Paul again.
Paul rubbed his cheek and charged on into Duncan, yelling aloud, "Lili would never have approved of you!" The men scuffled and then tumbled onto the floor, squishing presents, and then both jumped to their feet, shoving each other into walls and wrecking havoc on Lexie's perfectly planned party, "Well, she never wanted you!"
Archie ran back into the room after hearing the commotion, "Oh no, C'mon!"
Duncan and Paul were in the middle of a full out fist fight, one dodging a left, the other dodging an upper cut. Archie found himself caught in the middle of the fight and then a game of 'human dominoes' as Duncan pushed Paul, Paul went right into Archie whom stumbled right into Lizzie, knocking her into Killwillie, then Killwillie fell backwards into Martha, who fell down with him at the front of the door. Lexie within seconds walked into the room and tripped over Martha with the cake. The airborne, beautifully decorated baked butterfly really spread its wings as it flew out of Lexie's arms... and landed on top of Sir Killwillie's head! Susan, Lizzie, and others watched in horror and Flora went to her father's aide. Katrina and Fergal glanced at each other, yelled quickly in sync, "Moonstone!" and cantered out of the room.
"Daddy! You all right?" Flora called out as she went to help Killwillie stand right up.
"This is a maddening disgrace!" Killwillie yelled, as he wiped his 'caked' head with a hanky from his pocket, and then tested the cake, "Yum, chocolate, my favorite, well done, Ewan,"
"Thank-you sir," Ewan replied as Molly asked, "Killwillie, you sure you're okay?"
"Fine, hence, one wearing two jackets can always take one off if need be," Killwillie removed his 'caked' cloak and sighed, "Thank goodness I wasn't wearing my favorite cap..."
"Never seen a children's party end this way," Molly remarked to Claire, "But at least we won't forget it..."
"You..." Lexie picked herself up off of the floor and helped up a very upset Martha after blaming herself for 'tripping up Auntie Lexie'. Lexie, with an evil eye now directed at Duncan and Paul, who had stopped taking swings and noted what they had done...just as Golly and Nigel, came walking into the room playing 'Happy Birthday to You' on the bagpipes...the air from the instruments went whooshing out when they both stopped playing and surveyed the scene.
"He started it!" Duncan and Paul shouted at each other the same time but Lexie now extremely livid grabbed Duncan by the ear to tote him out of the room before Susan latched her hand on Paul's ear and followed Lexie's lead.
"Oww! Ow! OWWWWW Lexie!!!" Duncan shouted out in pain as Lexie held onto Duncan's ear for dear life, dragging him outside.
"Suz, that hurts!" Paul whined while he rubbed his ear after she let go and pushed him out of the house...
"Both of you take your spat---outside!" Lexie yelled as Susan agreed as they both watched Katrina and Fergal wave from Katrina's car as it took off down the lane. The pair had just escaped the party in the nick of time.
"Something's rotten and it's now an old can of worms! What on earth has gotten into yourselves--baiting each other and on a special day?! You've both ruined the party!!!" Lexie accused as Paul stood there silent and Duncan hung his head.
"Well, aren't ya goin' to say something to Lexie after you both destroyed Minnie's big day!" Susan stood there with her hands on her hips, as both women were not impressed with what they had just witnessed.
"Sorry," Duncan spoke low as Paul muttered, "Sorry,"
"There's a wee girl in there that has a very big heart and needs stability, support, not two men walloping each other like ogres!" Lexie snapped, as she continued to scold, "I am completely disappointed in you Duncan! Paul, you're a buffoon instigating all of this..."
"I didn't do it..." Paul rolled his eyes and pointed at Duncan, "He did!"
"Me? He started! Taking over my place..."
"I didn't take over anything and I was minding my own beeswax, when you took a swing at me!" Paul cursed as Duncan started up again, "You! I'm sick and tired of the likes of you!"
"Oh really then why did you return!" Paul argued as Susan shouted out as she placed herself between Duncan and Paul, "ENOUGH!"
"I'm leaving for New Zealand soon. I have had means to tell people that I'm taking Minnie with me...that's why I returned!" Duncan blurted loudly as Lexie's face fell immediately and she became very distressed as her mouth dropped wide open, "What? No..."
Archie walked out of the house, as Lexie then within seconds outspokenly blew right up at Duncan, "You're not taking her anywhere!" as she stomped right back into the house.
"Lexie!" Duncan glanced in her direction, knowing he had completely approached the idea of bringing Minnie back to New Zealand wrong.