PART NINE
"oh Arch don't go" said Lexie pleadingly as she wound herself tighter round
him, Archie tried to extricate himself unsuccessfully
"but Lex there is decorating to be done and I need to sort out the water
tank and paint over the patch on the ceiling"
"I know but I don't want our first night, in our new bed in our lovely new
home to end" she said smiling at him, as she attempted to run her fingers
through his hair, only to meet a rather stubborn patch of paint
"mmm it was wonderful" Archie said smiling as he looked into her eyes and
kissed her
"but Lex, I hate to point out the obvious but um the night is over and it
is now morning!"
Lexie hit him on the arm "oh alright spoilsport, go if you must don't worry
about me!"
"you know Lex, now it is daylight I can see properly, what you have done to
this room is just amazing, simple but perfect!"
"see I told you" she said, as they both looked around the room, the black
wrought iron curtain rail with the long white curtains, with a delicate
pattern of yellow and mauve flowers with matching bed linen, the cushions
on the deep sill creating a window seat and the tall vase of lilies on the
hearth. There was still some furniture needed but they could build that up
gradually.
Reluctantly Lexie let Archie go, she was half lost in thought and half
watching him with a contented expression on her face, he turned and said
"what?", smiling she said "nothing just thinking and wondering!"
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"Dunc are you sure you are going to be alright" Lexie asked
"Lex there is beer in the fridge, a pizza in the aga, not to mention
goodness knows how many pot noodles and packets of chocolate hob nobs in
the cupboard, now go Archie is waiting for you!"
"ok, ok" she said dropping a kiss on his head, "Arch have you got the
wine?" Lexie called out
"yes" he called back "you just need to grab the flowers"..
Lexie caught up with Archie outside, linked arms with him as they walked to Jill and Matt's house. Archie turned and smiled at Lexie "happy?" he asked "mmmm" was her response "Lex you've been in a dreamworld most of today, care to share?" "Sorry Arch, what were you saying? Oh yes very happy, I really like Banbridge and its wonderful to have made friends and our home is just well home really if perhaps a little empty!" "mmm" agreed Archie "but we have Duncan staying and we'll have other guests too" "Arch that wasn't exactly what I was thinking!" said Lexie laughing Archie didn't have a chance to respond as they had reached Jill and Matt's house and they were suddenly face to face with an elderly lady striding purposefully down the garden path "sorry no time to stop, I've got to get to the bus stop pensioners outing to the bingo and ten pin bowling in Mayfield" and with that she strode off Archie and Lexie looked at each other not quite sure what to make of it, when the front door opened and Matt appeared, he took one look at their surprised faces and said "I see you've just met Jill's Mum, Mary, completely mad but wonderful especially with Emily, come on in. Jill's just putting Emily to bed." He took their coats and gifts and ushered them into the sitting room, when Jill appeared "I was just putting Ems to bed, but she insisted on coming downstairs to meet Mummy and Daddy's new friends" she said rolling her eyes, beside her was a blonde haired little girl dressed for bed, holding onto a teddy bear. "hello Emily I'm Lexie and this is Archie, what is your bear called he's lovely?" Emily eyed her nervously, but then responded with a smile "Edward" she said, "that is a great name for a bear, do you know Archie has a bear he has had since he was as little as you, so its very very old now, maybe one day when you come to our house you and Edward bear can meet him" Lexie replied. Emily smiled and nodded in agreement. "come on Ems time you were tucked in and fast asleep say goodnight to everyone" Jill told her Conversation flowed around the table as Jill and Matt filled Archie and Lexie in on village gossip and village life in general. "so what made you decide to run a catering business" Matt asked "well I ran a restaurant for a while several years ago in London and Lex has catering experience so it seemed the ideal business venture" Archie replied "oh no here I am inviting you to a simple kitchen supper" said Jill "don't be daft it was delicious" Lexie assured her "so what catering did you do Lexie" asked Matt, at which she burst into laughter "Arch, you should never have put it like that" Lexie said despairingly, Archie grinned in response "well Matt, I was housekeeper and cook for a family on their highland estate" Lexie explained "hang on a minute, there must be more to this" said Jill "if Archie was in London running a restaurant and you were in the highlands Lex, then how on earth did you two meet and how come you ended up in Banbridge, judging by the expressions on your faces I smell a story and a good one at that!" Archie and Lexie looked at each other and laughed "ok" said Archie "it was my family's estate where Lexie worked, I had to come home to run the estate and left London. My father had badly managed the estate, it was my inheritance and I had to sort it out, that was about 6 years ago, it was a complete nightmare but there was one very special saving grace, Lexie." "Oh Arch you make it sound so simple! Jill it was anything but simple, you ask Duncan he's the head ranger on the estate, it took him forever to realise I was the shining light and saving grace and not just his friend good old dependable Lexie, there was the girlfriend in London, the village school teacher, the banks account manager, it was a complete nightmare!" Jill and Matt laughed, "Lexie when we have our next girly get together you can fill in the blanks" said Jill, Lexie nodded in agreement. "so who is running the estate now" asked Matt "my half brother Paul" replied Archie "another long story, the details of which I won't bore you with now!" "so" said Lexie to Jill and Matt "how did you two meet?" "No where near as interesting as how you two met" said Jill "oh I don't know" said Matt winking at Jill "oh yes, tell us more" said Lexie "Well it was my first job straight from studying, almost like an apprenticeship at a architectural firm that specialised in school buildings. We were commissioned to build an extension for a school in Newcastle" Matt began "anyway, one morning I had to visit the site for an inspection and it had been raining in the night and building sites can get very muddy" Matt began to explain "go on" said Lexie as she noticed that Jill was trying hard to suppress a laugh "well, I slipped and fell face down in the mud, I was covered from head to foot, I could hardly see a thing, I managed to make my way into the school to see if I could find somewhere to try and clean up a bit, the first person I saw was Jill who tried to be sympathetic but just fell about laughing" continued Matt "women eh no good in a crisis" said Archie to Matt "what" shrieked Lexie "just you wait Archie Macdonald making comments like that, so what happened next?" "Well once he cleaned off some of the mud" said Jill "I saw he was actually rather nice and I did feel sorry for him, and felt a bit guilty for laughing so I made him a coffee, he asked me out for a drink and the rest as they say is history! " Archie and Lexie laughed as Matt added "I had hoped that by asking her out she might not tell everyone about my fall in the mud, but no such luck!" "sorry love but it was too good a story not to share!" Jill said "now would anyone like anymore coffee or liqueur?" "No thanks its been a wonderful evening, looking at the time we really should make a move eh Arch?" "Oh Lexie before you go, I meant to mention the village May Fayre, its an annual event, stalls, competitions, entertainment Morris dancers and the children always do May Pole dancing, and barbecue in the evening, would you like to come with me next Tuesday I think it is, there is a meeting about it?" before Lexie had a chance to respond, Matt added "I see Jill you have omitted to mention the wicked witch of the west?! " "wicked witch of the west?" Lexie asked "oh take no notice of Matt, he's referring to Margaret Mason the village busybody, she is nosey and interfering but she does get a lot done in the village" Jill replied "yes I'll come along, I'm intrigued, she can't be that bad?" "that's what you think Lexie" Matt said "hey Archie while these two are doing good works, how about you and I flex our muscles down at the pub quiz again on Tuesday?" "sounds good to me Matt, that pub will be like a second home soon, if we are going tomorrow as well!"
Lexie caught up with Archie outside, linked arms with him as they walked to Jill and Matt's house. Archie turned and smiled at Lexie "happy?" he asked "mmmm" was her response "Lex you've been in a dreamworld most of today, care to share?" "Sorry Arch, what were you saying? Oh yes very happy, I really like Banbridge and its wonderful to have made friends and our home is just well home really if perhaps a little empty!" "mmm" agreed Archie "but we have Duncan staying and we'll have other guests too" "Arch that wasn't exactly what I was thinking!" said Lexie laughing Archie didn't have a chance to respond as they had reached Jill and Matt's house and they were suddenly face to face with an elderly lady striding purposefully down the garden path "sorry no time to stop, I've got to get to the bus stop pensioners outing to the bingo and ten pin bowling in Mayfield" and with that she strode off Archie and Lexie looked at each other not quite sure what to make of it, when the front door opened and Matt appeared, he took one look at their surprised faces and said "I see you've just met Jill's Mum, Mary, completely mad but wonderful especially with Emily, come on in. Jill's just putting Emily to bed." He took their coats and gifts and ushered them into the sitting room, when Jill appeared "I was just putting Ems to bed, but she insisted on coming downstairs to meet Mummy and Daddy's new friends" she said rolling her eyes, beside her was a blonde haired little girl dressed for bed, holding onto a teddy bear. "hello Emily I'm Lexie and this is Archie, what is your bear called he's lovely?" Emily eyed her nervously, but then responded with a smile "Edward" she said, "that is a great name for a bear, do you know Archie has a bear he has had since he was as little as you, so its very very old now, maybe one day when you come to our house you and Edward bear can meet him" Lexie replied. Emily smiled and nodded in agreement. "come on Ems time you were tucked in and fast asleep say goodnight to everyone" Jill told her Conversation flowed around the table as Jill and Matt filled Archie and Lexie in on village gossip and village life in general. "so what made you decide to run a catering business" Matt asked "well I ran a restaurant for a while several years ago in London and Lex has catering experience so it seemed the ideal business venture" Archie replied "oh no here I am inviting you to a simple kitchen supper" said Jill "don't be daft it was delicious" Lexie assured her "so what catering did you do Lexie" asked Matt, at which she burst into laughter "Arch, you should never have put it like that" Lexie said despairingly, Archie grinned in response "well Matt, I was housekeeper and cook for a family on their highland estate" Lexie explained "hang on a minute, there must be more to this" said Jill "if Archie was in London running a restaurant and you were in the highlands Lex, then how on earth did you two meet and how come you ended up in Banbridge, judging by the expressions on your faces I smell a story and a good one at that!" Archie and Lexie looked at each other and laughed "ok" said Archie "it was my family's estate where Lexie worked, I had to come home to run the estate and left London. My father had badly managed the estate, it was my inheritance and I had to sort it out, that was about 6 years ago, it was a complete nightmare but there was one very special saving grace, Lexie." "Oh Arch you make it sound so simple! Jill it was anything but simple, you ask Duncan he's the head ranger on the estate, it took him forever to realise I was the shining light and saving grace and not just his friend good old dependable Lexie, there was the girlfriend in London, the village school teacher, the banks account manager, it was a complete nightmare!" Jill and Matt laughed, "Lexie when we have our next girly get together you can fill in the blanks" said Jill, Lexie nodded in agreement. "so who is running the estate now" asked Matt "my half brother Paul" replied Archie "another long story, the details of which I won't bore you with now!" "so" said Lexie to Jill and Matt "how did you two meet?" "No where near as interesting as how you two met" said Jill "oh I don't know" said Matt winking at Jill "oh yes, tell us more" said Lexie "Well it was my first job straight from studying, almost like an apprenticeship at a architectural firm that specialised in school buildings. We were commissioned to build an extension for a school in Newcastle" Matt began "anyway, one morning I had to visit the site for an inspection and it had been raining in the night and building sites can get very muddy" Matt began to explain "go on" said Lexie as she noticed that Jill was trying hard to suppress a laugh "well, I slipped and fell face down in the mud, I was covered from head to foot, I could hardly see a thing, I managed to make my way into the school to see if I could find somewhere to try and clean up a bit, the first person I saw was Jill who tried to be sympathetic but just fell about laughing" continued Matt "women eh no good in a crisis" said Archie to Matt "what" shrieked Lexie "just you wait Archie Macdonald making comments like that, so what happened next?" "Well once he cleaned off some of the mud" said Jill "I saw he was actually rather nice and I did feel sorry for him, and felt a bit guilty for laughing so I made him a coffee, he asked me out for a drink and the rest as they say is history! " Archie and Lexie laughed as Matt added "I had hoped that by asking her out she might not tell everyone about my fall in the mud, but no such luck!" "sorry love but it was too good a story not to share!" Jill said "now would anyone like anymore coffee or liqueur?" "No thanks its been a wonderful evening, looking at the time we really should make a move eh Arch?" "Oh Lexie before you go, I meant to mention the village May Fayre, its an annual event, stalls, competitions, entertainment Morris dancers and the children always do May Pole dancing, and barbecue in the evening, would you like to come with me next Tuesday I think it is, there is a meeting about it?" before Lexie had a chance to respond, Matt added "I see Jill you have omitted to mention the wicked witch of the west?! " "wicked witch of the west?" Lexie asked "oh take no notice of Matt, he's referring to Margaret Mason the village busybody, she is nosey and interfering but she does get a lot done in the village" Jill replied "yes I'll come along, I'm intrigued, she can't be that bad?" "that's what you think Lexie" Matt said "hey Archie while these two are doing good works, how about you and I flex our muscles down at the pub quiz again on Tuesday?" "sounds good to me Matt, that pub will be like a second home soon, if we are going tomorrow as well!"
