Part Ten

"Come on boys, where are you?" Lexie muttered impatiently under her breath as she put on her earrings and did a final check of her appearance in the mirror.

It was twenty to eight on the Saturday evening and, having already arranged to meet Matt and Jill at the pub at eight, unless she left now she'd be late. Grabbing the pad by the phone, she scribbled a note

"Gone ahead. Meet you there, Lex, xx"

"Oh wonderful!" she exclaimed as she opened the front door.

It was raining heavily and as Archie had the car she was going to have to make a run for it. Umbrella at the ready, she hurried out of the house and through the garden gate.

Fifteen minutes later and a rather cold and shivering Lexie arrived at the pub.

"Evening there" replied Dan, "Nice weather eh?" he joked, whilst taking in Lexie's dishevelled appearance.

"Hm, maybe for the ducks." Lexie smiled.

"So what will the lady be having to drink?"

"Er, a white wine please."

"Coming right up"

Lexie rummaged in her bag for her phone. One new message.

'b a bit late mum not in yet c u later Jill' she read.

"All on your own this evening?" Dan queried as he rested the drink down on the bar in front of Lexie, making her jump a little as she fished around for her purse.

"Yes I've been stood up," Lexie said in mock distress. "No, they're all on their way, just running late."

"Shame, and there was me thinking I'd have some company for the rest of the evening," mused Dan, leaning heavily on the bar in Lexie's direction. Lexie suddenly felt slightly uncomfortable.

"So, how's the business coming together?" said Dan changing the subject.

Glad of the change of topic Lexie responded. "Oh we're getting there, the fitters are in next week for the industrial kitchen and then of course we have to get a final inspection on it but, yeah, it's all coming together. We've still got quite a bit to do in the house though."

Dan wandered off to serve someone on the other side of the bar but returned a few minutes later looking rather smug.

"I've just had a brainwave. Why don't you have a publicity event here in the pub? You know the sort of thing. You could have an evening where people get to try the food for free and you could hand out a few flyers. It would certainly get the word around wouldn't it?"

"That sounds like a fantastic idea." Lexie clasped her hands together in excitement. "I'll see what Arch makes of it when he's in later," she said, patting Dan gratefully on the arm.

"My pleasure" said Dan. He smiled and rested his hand on hers.

Lexie was aware that Dan's hand had continued to rest on hers for what was now becoming an uncomfortable length of time. She no longer felt at ease and removed her hand to reach for her glass.

Dan wandered off quickly to the other end of the bar. Perhaps she was putting two and two together and coming up with five. But what Dan had just done had unsettled her. It did not feel friendly or natural. It had felt forceful and predatory like he was trying to imply that he had an alternative agenda.

She was awoken from these thoughts with a jump as some arms settled round her shoulders in an embrace that was anything but unfamiliar.

"Arrh, I'm sorry sweetheart we got held up at the DIY store and the reception on the phone was non existent," Archie apologised, kissing her on the head. "You haven't been lonely have you?"

Dan, who had been polishing glasses while eavesdropping, interrupted, "Oh I've been keeping her entertained, don't you worry."

Archie didn't notice the intense look Dan was aiming in Lexie's direction.

"Duncan's got us a table over there. I'll get the drinks in."

Lexie spotted Jill and Matt arriving and was grateful of an excuse to leave Dan's presence. She was also desperate to introduce them to Duncan.

"You know you really shouldn't leave a pretty girl like that to drink on her own," Dan suggested casually to Archie.

Archie decided to take the comment lightly, even though he wasn't entirely sure Dan had meant it that way.

"No, your right, I shouldn't leave my wife on her own but, if you haven't realised already, Lexie is a very independent woman."

With that Archie picked up the drinks and went to join the others at the table

The evening progressed happily with Jill and Matt warming to Duncan instantly. Jill was most intrigued by Duncan's kilt. Especially when he revealed that, yes, indeed, he was a true Scotsman.

"Really, doesn't it get a bit cold?" she giggled

"Ach no, but I tell you the midges can be a bit of a nuisance," he replied cheerily.

As the evening continued Lexie became more and more aware of how happy Jill and Matt were this evening. Both looked like they had won the lottery. They kept exchanging knowing glances, which Lexie was trying to read without feeling intrusive. She had her suspicions but waited until the opportune moment arrived before acting on them.

"So, how come you're not drinking this evening?" Lexie quizzed, giving Jill a friendly nudge.

Jill paused as if considering her response. "Oh all right you got me, but you're not to tell anyone." She smiled.

"We've only just found out for certain and Matt said we shouldn't tell you yet but I'm just so happy that I need to tell someone. Anything can happen in the first few months so I don't want to say too much in case I jinx it."

"Oh that's wonderful," Lexie said, giving her a subtle squeeze so as not to alert Matt or Archie, who were deep in conversation, to the news she had just been told.

Duncan meanwhile was making friends with Lucy the girl who worked behind the bar.

"So are you down here for long" she said enquiring

"Oh no, only for a week or so then its back to the Highlands" he smiled.

"Well, if you want me to show you around while you're here I'd be happy to"

Duncan was just about to say that Archie and Lexie would be doing that when he thought better of it.

"You know what? That would be great, just great," he said collecting the drinks, as she gave him a winning smile.

Back at the table Matt had moved on to discuss land matters.

"So what about this estate place your family run? Have they had it long?"

Archie hesitated before replying. "Well it's been in the family a while I suppose."

"Quite a few years then" responded Matt.

Duncan was just in the process of handing out the drinks and gave a quick snort and a chuckle.

"Quite a few hundred, eh, Arch?"

"Wow, that's a really long time," Matt joked light heartedly "what sort of a place is this then, a castle?"

There was silence around the table as Archie and Lexie struggled to come up with an answer.

They had agreed not to let on too much about Glenbogle just yet. Although they had warmed to

Jill and Matt instantly it wasn't exactly easy to drop into conversation that you owned a thirty five thousand acre estate and had been the fourteenth chieftain of the Clan MacDonald.

Matt could feel the sudden suspense in the air. "Oh, right. Do I take it I have just stuck my great big foot in it and it is a castle."

"Well not exactly a castle," protested Archie "It's called Glenbogle House."

"Might as well be called a castle" contributed Duncan. "It certainly looks like a castle. It's big and old and it's got turrets everywhere. And its got a great long drive up to it and a gatehouse and a loch and a beach and ...." His voice trailed off as he caught Lexie's eye. She was frowning at him and he sensed it was best not to continue.

"No, it's all right Lex" Archie said turning to give a reassuring smile in Duncan's direction. Before he told Jill and Matt the whole story.

"Well, it sounds like a beautiful place" Matt enthused after Archie had finished.

"Yes it does and I can fully understand why you didn't want to tell us about it straight away. Not something you can casually introduce is it?" Jill reassured them.

The air having lightened, the chat turned to a house that Matt was currently designing where the owners were insisting on every computer- assisted gadget going.

"Boys and their toys huh," Lexie said, raising her eyebrows as the conversation become less and less appealing to her.

"Oh it's ridiculous isn't it? Matt has such an obsession for anything gadget wise. You know I'm sure he's more interested in Emily's electronic toys than she is. Still if this one turns out to be a boy then at least he'll have someone to play with."

They both laughed.

"So what about you and Archie? Thinking of expanding the family anytime soon?"

"I don't think so, not at the moment," Lexie replied, a little too quickly. Jill sensed that there might be issues here and tried to repair the damage.

"Is it Archie?" Jill prompted, "Because Matt was just the same before we had Emily. You know. Thought our lives were going to change into chaos and things would never be the same again. But as soon as we knew about Emily he was over the moon and when she was born I had to fight to get a look in. Completely smitten he was."

Jill smiled as she recalled the image.

"No no it's not Archie. If it was up to him we'd be on our way to a football team by now." Lexie looked across at Archie and smiled. "No, it's me who's put the brakes on. It's not that I don't want kids, because I do, very much. And a big part of me is going 'oh just go for it' but then there's this nagging doubt."

Although Jill had touched on a subject that had always been something of a raw nerve for her, Lexie realised that perhaps this would be an excellent opportunity to share some of her thoughts and fears. She sat back in the booth and made herself more comfortable as she prepared to admit her misgivings on the subject.

"I didn't exactly have the best of childhoods, my dad left when I was still quite young and my mum at times made it pretty clear my presence was unwelcome. I guess if I'm honest......... I'm scared. I want to do the best job I can and I don't ever want to resent my child being around like she did to me."

"And anyway, now is not the right time to have a baby. We're only just getting the business up and running and..." Lexie stalled, trying to find another excuse.

"Hmm you know what? You surprise me with that confession. You seem so confident about most things."

Jill paused to search for the right words.

"Well, first of all Lex, you have to remember you are not your mother and you're not on your own. You have a husband who, from what I've seen, loves you to bits and would give you the stars if he could. And don't you think everyone's scared before they have a child? I know I was terrified."

"Were you?" Lexie questioned.

"Oh god, yes, and when I had Emily it was hardly the best of timing but you just work around it. Lexie, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I think you and Archie will make fantastic parents when you think the timing's right. Really I do. You just need to have the same faith in your abilities that Archie obviously has. All right, I know I've probably said too much. I'll get off my soapbox now."

Lexie smiled. "No you haven't said too much. Only things that I probably needed to hear anyway."

As the conversation drifted on to other topics, Lexie remained thoughtful.