Life after Glenbogle Part Four

Archie and Lexie entered the old farmyard and walked across to the small barn that was destined to be the new kitchen. The brilliant sunshine of earlier had now been replaced by dark clouds and there was a distinct nip to the late April air as they hurried to get inside quickly.

"Brrr! It's freezing in here and I can hardly see a thing" exclaimed Lexie. "Put the light on Arch".

"Err, we don't exactly have one yet Lex. That's something the fitters are going to deal with."

"Well, how are we going to see anything in this light?" asked Lexie with sarcasm in her voice.

"Well we'll just have to get here early in the morning and have a good look round before the man arrives," Archie replied.

As they walked back to the house they could hear the distant ringing of the phone.

"Now, who's that? How many people know this number and would be calling at this time?" Archie considered before running on ahead to answer the call. The phone wasn't that easy to find. It had been buried under all the wrappings from Molly's boxes that were now standing in the hall. Paper and cardboard went flying everywhere before Archie managed to locate the phone and hold it to his ear.

"Hello."

Lexie arrived in the hall and looked at him enquiringly.

"Oh, mother, how are you?" he responded, "And everyone else?"

Lexie mouthed to him 'Say hello from me' and he nodded at her.

"Yes, yes we're both really well. Lexie wants me to says hi from her. We just had the new aga installed and the kitchen is nearly finished now. Your boxes came this morning and Lexie's been unpacking them this afternoon. You shouldn't have gone to all that trouble."

"No, no, we were about to leave actually."

"I don't know. I'll ask Lex." He called to Lexie who had wandered back to the kitchen and was inspecting her new aga. "Lex ... Lex ... mother wants to know if you've got any idea where the quake was put.

Lexie popped her head round the door. "Erm .... I think it's in the chest in the study or .. if not .. try looking in the cabinet in the library. Oh, and ask her how Golly and Duncan are ... and tell her to tell Ewan that the freezer needs defrosting. If he doesn't do it soon then the door will get stuck open and the food will go off."

Archie started to relay the information to Molly while Lexie wandered back to the kitchen and warmed her hands in front of the aga. She looked around the kitchen for something to use to christen the new oven. There were a few eggs on the side that Archie had collected from the handful of hens left behind by the previous occupants. There was still some bread left from their lunch along with some milk, tea and butter. "Looks like scrambled eggs on toast then" she muttered.

Lexie rummaged around in the recently arrived collection from Glenbogle and set to work while Archie continued his telephone conversation in the hall. By the time he had finished and returned to the kitchen she had almost completed her task.

"What's all this?"

Lexie looked at him mischievously. "Well, I was going to wait for you to do this as you're sooo much better at scrambled eggs than me."

"Aaaah, yes, scrambled eggs. Nothing better" he commented as he took the plate with a knowing smile.

"You know Arch, I was thinking. We have to be here early in the morning. Well this place has warmed up nicely now the aga is working and I was just wondering .. well, maybe ..."

"Yeeeess?" Archie had a bemused look on his face as he watched his wife turn into a pleading child.

"Well, why don't we just stay here tonight. It's lovely and warm and this sofa is big enough for the both of us and we could get that blanket in from the car and there's still some food left for breakfast and we have to be here early in the morning anyway and the cottage will be cold if we go back now and .....

"OK, how many more reasons can you come up with?" Archie rolled his eyes at Lexie who had now turned all doey eyed and was mouthing "Please" at him. How could he possibly refuse the love of his life.

"Oh, alright then, but I bet we don't get a wink of sleep."

"That's my intention," Lexie replied with a disarming look.

Archie raised his eyebrows speculatively.

Over supper Archie began recounting his conversation with Molly.

"She said everything was alright up there but I just sensed that she wasn't telling the whole truth. I think that since you left she must have been feeling a bit lonely. I know she talks to Golly a lot but I think she really misses your little chats. Perhaps you could give her a call tomorrow."

Lexie contemplated this for a while. "It's not just that Arch. You weren't there last winter. When she found out you were giving up Glenbogle it was a huge shock to her. You have to remember that she thought hers and our future was pretty well mapped out. You would be laird, we'd still live there and our children would be born there. She really couldn't see any of this coming, let alone Paul taking up the lairdship. She has coped so well but I know it hurts her. She even told Golly that she thought her future had been stolen. You don't get over a thing like that in just a few months."

Archie paused and contemplated this.

"I hadn't thought about it like that. She never let on to me that was how she felt. I know what I did was selfish but it was something that I felt I had to do. You don't know how much freer I feel here. I love Glenbogle, you know that, but I was never totally convinced that it was meant to be mine. Glenbogle was meant for Jamie and when he died I was just the caretaker until Paul came along. I hope mother can come to understand that.

Lexie wrapped her arms round him and gave him a reassuring squeeze before resting her head on his shoulder.

"It'll be alright, I'm sure"

Archie sighed, "It still doesn't resolve the question of mother."

"Well, let's make sure that Molly is our first house guest as soon as we move in here properly." Lexie suggested.

Having agreed on their first houseguest they decided to settle down for an early night. Archie brought the blanket in from the car, Lexie found some old pillows and they settled down comfortably on the sofa. There was an air of quiet contentment.

"Penny for them?" Lexie inquired, as Archie was absent-mindedly stroking her hair.

"Oh, I was just imagining us here in a few years time. You know, with the house sorted, the business up and running, the folk from Glenbogle coming on visits ... and maybe children playing in the garden?"

He looked at her quizzically.

"Yes, I was thinking something the same this afternoon. This house would just suit a family, but you know we agreed to get the business running first." Lexie reminded him with a smile.

"There's no harm in thinking ahead though is there?"

"Plenty of time for that Mr. Macdonald. Just for now, I'm enjoying having you all to myself."

"You know I'm so lucky to have you, Lex."

"Yes, you are." Lexie giggled and, placing her arm round his neck, she pulled his lips down to engage hers.