7. Highs and Lows
It was time for Archie and Lizzie to take the promised trip up Ben Bogle. They decided to do it in two days, with an overnight at the top. It was early morning when they were ready to go with packs on backs. Lexie and Paul were there to see them off. Molly was not, as she was on holiday with Andrew in Amsterdam.
"So you two are in charge," Archie said to Lexie and Paul. "Do you have everything you need?"
"Aye."
"Yeah."
"Paul, You have the walkie-talkie, the mobile and the first aid kit.
"Yeah, I'm all set.
"Call me if there's anything you can't handle. The mobile works well on the mountain."
"Don' worry, we'll be fine," Lexie said. "Now do ye have all the food I put oot fer ye?"
"It's all packed," Lizzie said.
"And you have your first aid kit," Paul asked.
"Right here," Archie said.
Archie moved towards Lexie to kiss her goodbye. "Love you," he smiled. "Take good care of the Bairn."
"Don' I always?"
He shook Paul's hand. Thanks, Paul. Lizzie hugged them both.
"Bye. We'll be back soon."
"Have a good time."
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It was nearly opening time at the Glenbogle Wildlife Centre. As usual, Duncan was at the ticket booth chatting with Rosie. "Today's the day Jess' friends are comin'," he said. So anyone who says they're from GLOH gets half price. That means adults get the kid's price."
"What if there are any kids with them?" Rosie asked.
"Think about it Rosie. They're not gonna have any kids with them."
"If you say so, Duncan."
"Och, Rosie," Duncan smiled and shook his head. Then he went to open the gate to let the visitors in. For the first time all season there was actually a car waiting.
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Archie and Lizzie left the garden, their rucksacks on their backs, walking sticks in their hands, and a spring in their step. It was early enough that it was still cool.
Paul's improvements to the trail were in evidence everywhere. There were signs pointing the way, rope barriers where people were discouraged from straying from the path, a step built into the path where the mountain got rather steep. "Paul has done a lot here," Archie remarked.
"See, you're not the only one who works around here."
"I didn't say I was. I notice that you pitch in at lunch time and on Ewan's day off. I like your curries."
"Archie, as a newly recovering alcoholic, I'm really not able to do more. I don't know if you appreciate the fact that just keeping myself busy with Flora's horses is a big accomplishment. Dr Ross says so."
"I agree", said Archie, "you just do what you need to get better, okay?"
"Archie, why do you make that sound so condescending?"
"Lizzie, I'm sorry if I sound condescending," Archie said in an even a voice while seething just below the surface, "but could you try not to take offence at everything I say. I'm trying to be sympathetic and understanding and I really don't want to spend the next two days fighting on this mountain."
"I'm sorry Archie, I'll just try my breathing," she said as calmly as she could. Then shouting: "And I suggest you do the same."
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Lexie and Paul were in the estate office. They were discussing Paul's current draft of the proposal for the climbing school.
"I have all the cost estimates," he said. "The trouble is, some of the items are optional, and others have a range of costs. I just don't know how to put them together to get a final bottom line amount."
"Let's see what Archie did in his own grant proposals that were submitted for the Wildlife Centre," Lexie said. She fingered through the file drawer and pulled a file. "Here is the cost section," she said. He gives high, medium, and low projections. Then he asks fer the medium amount."
"Let me see that," Paul said. "This is good. If I follow his example, he ought to like it."
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The two hikers continued to climb. They were warming up and had rolled up their sleeves.
"Archie, do you realize we grew up in a dysfunctional family?" Lizzie said, her temper restored.
"I'm not surprised."
"Daddy was probably an alcoholic. Mummy was the supreme enabler. They had nothing in common, not even a bedroom. It's a wonder that any of us were born at all."
"Good points."
"Daddy hardly ever noticed us except to criticize, lecture, or reminisce about the good old days. Is there anything good to say about him?"
"He was kind to animals." Archie said reflexively.
"I don't think the deer would agree."
"He loved his dogs."
"Archie, do you remember when we were little we used to play that we were dogs?"
"Yes, I do. We would crawl around barking and whining and Jamie would pat us and take us for walks."
Archie and Lizzie looked at each other like a light bulb just turned on.
"Do you think?...
"Definitely. Wait 'til I tell Dr Ross."
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Two women approached Rosie's ticket booth. "Two adults. We're from GLOH."
"You get half off," Rosie told them. "Jess is at the Wildlife Centre."
Two men were behind them. "Two please, we're Jess's friends."
Several more men and women invoked the name of GLOH as they came up to the booth individually or in pairs to buy tickets.
Two women came, one carrying a boy about 3. "Two adults and one child," one said. "From GLOH."
"Half price for ye two," Rosie said. "And fer yew?" she paused for a moment to think of what to do about the child who wasn't supposed to exist. "Yer free," she decided.
"Hear that, Zander?" the mum said. "Yer free." Zander held up 3 fingers.
A teenage boy dressed all in black like his female companion were in back of Zander and his mums. He had his arm around her. "Two from Glow," he said. His companion giggled.
"Yer from GLOH?" Rosie asked. "That's nice. What does it stand fer?"
"What?"
"What do the letters stand fer in GLOH?"
"I dunno."
"Then full price fer yew, laddie."
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Archie and Lizzie had been following a small shallow stream for a while. "Oh look," Lizzie cried out. "The swimming pool." The stream had deepened to a point where one could sit in it and be submerged to the neck if one scrunched up enough.
"It's a little smaller than I remember," Archie said.
"Let's go in," Lizzie suggested gleefully."
"I didn't bring my bathing costume, did you bring yours?"
"Who needs a bathing costume?" Lizzie said taking off her rucksack and starting with her shirt.
"Lizzie, you're my sister. We can't to do this."
"Prude. We used to take baths together, remember?" Lizzie said flinging off her shirt.
"We were 3 and 5 then," Archie said, making a hasty exit behind a boulder.
"You'll be hot," Lizzie called out. She removed her remaining clothes and slipped into the pool.
Archie reappeared shortly wearing nothing but a towel.
"So you've decided to join me."
"Just close your eyes please," he said as he approached the pool.
"Oh really, it's nothing I haven't seen before...Literally."
"Yeah, well it would like at least the pretence of modesty, okay?"
Lizzie closed her eyes and muttered, "It's not like I'm interested."
"Thank God for that, " Archie flung his towel onto a bush and slipped into the pool.
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Paul decided that being in charge meant he should take a stroll through the tourist areas to see how things were going. A middle aged couple with American accents came up to him. "Do you hunt haggis here?" the man asked.
"I don't think so," Paul answered, not sure he had heard the question correctly. "Duncan would know." He walked the couple over to where Duncan was standing. "Do you hunt haggis here?" the man asked.
"Aye," Duncan answered, "but haggis season is from November to January, so we're not hunting any noo. Last Boxing Day we caught an even dozen."
"Aren't they an endangered species?" the woman asked. "Aren't they at risk for dying out altogether?"
"Some people think that," Duncan said. "But they're wrong. The haggii are just as plentiful in the Highlands as they ever were. They are very good at hidin' and very hard to catch. That's why they are thought to be endangered."
"What makes them so hard to catch?" the woman asked.
Duncan cleared his throat. "They are especially well adapted to livin' in the mountains. The two legs on one side of their body are shorter than the other two legs. That way they can go around the mountain at particularly high speeds. They always have to travel anti-clockwise, though."
"We were sure hoping to see some," the man said. "Are there any in zoos?"
"No, haggii canna be kept in captivity", Duncan said. "They mourn fer their native Highlands and die. But we have some soft ones in the gift shop, along with some canned haggis meat."
"Oh thank you," the man said. "We'll take a look."
"Duncan," Paul said. "I thought haggis was that Scottish dish made in a sheep's stomach."
"It is," Duncan said. "But it's also Scotland's biggest joke." Paul gave a shocked laugh. "The Americans are the best," Duncan continued. "They'll believe anythin'."
Not far away the American couple were walking towards the gift shop. "I told you," the woman was saying. "They make up these tall tales about a food made from sheep's organs and then they tell them to you with a straight face. It's a national pastime."
"Better to be told the tale than expected to eat it," the man said.
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Archie and Lizzie were refreshed, dressed, and back on the trail.
"Archie, remember how we used to hit each other's walking sticks?"
"You mean like this?" Archie tapped his stick against Lizzie's.
"I didn't like it when you did it to me, but you and Jamie seemed to revel in it. You were like stags at mating season."
"I think we were just being boys."
"I remember the time you started duelling with them."
"Yes, I think Jamie started that, although I thought it was a brilliant idea.
"Daddy was so angry when you wouldn't stop at his command he took the sticks from you and gave you a whack apiece with them."
"That was a bit of a shock. I don't think I had seen him get really angry at Jamie before. I think Jamie was surprised as well."
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"Lexie, does this look right to you?" Paul was in the estate office struggling over the computer."
Lexie looked at the screen. "Ye have too much on one page. Put the costs on one page, the income on the second page, and then a summary of the two on the third page."
"That's a great idea. Where did you learn all this? Did you take a course?"
"No, I learned it mostly from Archie. Some of it I figured out myself."
"Blimey, I wish he would have shown me some of this stuff. It would have saved me a lot of time."
"Did ye ever ask him fer help?" Lexie asked.
"No, I thought I was supposed to do it alone. You know, show my mettle."
"Ye sound like a typical MacDonald. I'm sure Archie would of been glad to help ye."
"Well, thanks for your help. This makes a big difference."
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Archie and Lizzie were sitting on a rock having lunch.
"Archie, I still have some questions about the accident."
"I don't want to talk about it now."
"Can you suggest a better time? Dr Ross thinks it would help with my treatment."
"All right, if it's important to you." Archie returned his sandwich to its bag. He had suddenly lost his appetite.
"How did you capsize the boat?"
"I was jumping around in it." Archie said softly.
"What did Jamie think? Did he have time to say anything or did you just tip over?"
"He said, 'Way to go, Arch,' so I jumped around some more. Then we tipped over."
"It's sounds just like you two," Lizzie said with some disgust.
"What do you mean?"
"You were always doing things like that, slapping each other with towels, bonking each other on the head with balls, pushing each other around."
"We were boys."
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A large group had gathered by the wolf cage, where Golly was speaking. "Our cubs are 14 weeks old noo. That means they have weaned and are able to eat solid food. If they were in the wild they would be huntin' with their parents." The wolf pups were tumbling about in play.
"What do you feed them?" somebody asked.
"Rabbit," Golly answered. "We get them frozen from a supplier."
A little boy holding the hands of two women came up to Golly and started to ask a question. Golly crouched down to hear better. "Come again, laddie?"
"Go ahead, Zander," the mum encouraged.
"Do they have big teeth?" Zander asked.
"Aye," Golly said. "And sharp. That's why we keep them in there and we stay oot here." Zander giggled with a shiver. Golly stood up again.
"You must be Jess' dad," the second mum said.
"Aye, Golly MacKenzie at yer service."
"I'm Sondra, this is Kyla, and our son Zander. I'm verra pleased to meet ye."
"Hey, this is Jess's dad," a man called out to his friends. He thrust out his hand to Golly. "I'm Doug," They shook hands.
"I'm Golly."
"Pleased to meet ye."
All of a sudden there was a queue of GLOH members wanting to introduce themselves to Golly and shake his hand. Jess wandered into the area and everyone had to greet her with a hug.
When Golly was able to get near enough to her he asked. "What did ye say to them. They were treatin' me like a TV star."
"Nothing much," Jess said. "Just that we work together, and live next door to each other, and that you've been really cool about my being a lesbian."
"Ach, that's it then," Golly said with the faintest hint of distaste.
"Not everyone's as lucky as I am to have a cool dad." Jess said. Golly straightened his shoulders and smiled.
A young woman standing nearby, the one who had introduced herself as Portia, put an arm around Jess but addressed herself to Golly. "We're so glad to have Jess in our group," she said. "she's a lot of fun and has good ideas."
Jess beamed. "Who wants to see my nature centre. Follow me." A large contingent followed Jess, with Portia by her side.
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Paul had built a cement surface for building campfires and had filled a large wooden box with artificial logs, as there were no trees at the top of the mountain. Archie and Lizzie were sitting around a campfire, although the summer sun was only beginning its downward arc. They were finishing a meal of beans, potatoes, and rice.
"Dr Ross thought it would be healing for us to take some time to remember Jamie. I thought now would be a good time," Lizzie said.
"What's wrong with the traditional toasting of marshmallows?"
"We could do that as well. Did you bring any?"
"No. Just kidding."
"Okay, are you ready? Dr Ross and I came up with some questions to get things started. "I'll go first if you like."
Be my guest.
"What is your earliest memory of Jamie?" She paused as if hearing the question for the first time. "My earliest memory is I think of both of you actually. It was Christmas. You were a baby sitting in Mummy's lap. Jamie and I were decorating a very obliging black dog with ribbons and bows. I think it was Sheba. When she tired of us, she trotted away and we went running after her. It was a great lark." She smiled like the two year old she once was. "Okay, your turn."
'That's nice." Archie said. "My earliest memory was of Jamie getting into bed with me to read at night It was Thomas the Tank Engine, as I recall. He must have been in primary school so I would have been 3 maybe. It seems to me that when he was done we would have this kicking and giggling frenzy under the blankets until Mother came to put him to bed.
"I don't remember him ever reading to me," Lizzie pouted.
"Maybe Mother was reading to you then." Archie suggested.
-------
The work day over, Golly and Jess were walking back to their crofts together.
"That Portia seems like a good friend of yers," Golly said. "Is she, ye know, yer... sweetheart?"
"Not yet," said Jess. "But I'm working on it. Keep your fingers crossed."
Golly took a deep breath "Oh I will, lass. That I will."
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Lexie and Paul were alone at dinner.
"This seems strange withoot the others," Lexie said.
"I know," said Paul. "We should have invited some people over. Like maybe all your single girlfriends."
Lexie laughed. "Let's see who there is in the village. There's Gwen at the library. Ye should go check oot a book and check her oot. There's Flora, whom ye met, but Lizzie says she has a boyfriend. And there's Maureen at the school. I dunno if she's around this summer, but ye might like her. Would ye like me to introduce ye?"
"Why not. It's worth a shot... I don't mind telling you, I envy what you and Archie have together. A solid relationship and a baby on the way."
"Yeah, we're lucky, I guess. Not that we haven't had our ups and downs, but nothin' serious. I think we're doin' awright... So how is it that a smart, attractive man like yerself is still single?"
Paul smiled awkwardly. "Being in the army isn't too conducive to long term relationships. For most of the time that was fine by me. I guess now I'm interested in something more."
"I'll keep my eyes open for ye," Lexie said. "You know, it suddenly strikes me as kinda funny, having yew and me alone at this table. We are the low born ones, but now we're sitting in this ancient, noble, castle like we own the place. Kinda cool isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is," Paul said. "Okay, now we have to play We were so low."
"What's that?"
"You've never played We were so low? I learned it in the army. I say, 'We were so low that we had the loo in the back garden. And if you can top that you say, what it was like when you were growing up. You usually have to be pissed to enjoy this game." he apologised.
"Oh, I get it. We were so low that the loo was in the neighbour's back garden."
"Really?"
"No. We had a toilet inside. But my mum made me clean it."
"That's low... All right, we were so low that I had to sleep in the sitting room."
"We were so low that I had to sleep in the bathtub," Lexie said.
"You're cheating again."
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"Okay, last one," Lizzie said reading from the card. "What would you say to Jamie right now if you could? Your turn, Archie."
What would I say to Jamie? Hoo, that's a hard one." Archie hugged his knees. "How about... Hi?"
"Yes?" Lizzie prodded.
"Hi Jamie?"
"Go on, Archie."
"Um... Having a good time, wish you were here." He scrunched his face and shivered. "Oh this is stupid. It's not like he can hear us."
"You never know how the spirit world operates." Lizzie said indignantly.
Archie rolled his eyes.
"Anyway, we're not doing this for Jamie's benefit. It's for ours."
"I'm sorry, Lizzie. I know this is important to you but I just can't do it. You go ahead."
"I'll take my turn in a minute," Lizzie said tight lipped. The karma isn't very good right now." She closed her eyes, placed her hands on her knees and breathed deeply.
"Hi Jamie," she said finally. "It's Lizzie here. I know Archie has some things to say to you. He just doesn't know how to let them out yet. So it's up to me to tell you, he's been a pretty good laird. I think you'd be proud of our little brother."
"Thank you, Lizzie. That means a lot to hear you say that."
"Shush. I'm not done. Jamie, I miss you but I'm also angry at you." Her voice rose, "Why did you have to try to rescue that dumb old dog? We would have missed Sheba, but at least we would have had you." Now she spoke plaintively. "And maybe now, that you and Archie were no longer boys, you would remember you had a sister who was once your favourite playmate, and maybe we could be friends again," she gulped a breath of air.
"It must have been hard being the only girl in the family."
Lizzie was crying now and Archie put an arm around her. "When we were little, you used to tag along after the two of us. Then the three of us would play together. By the time we were all in school I was tagging along after you two. In our teen years, I wasn't part of your world at all."
"I'm sorry. I never knew it was so painful for you. I guess from your point of view, I took Jamie from you even before the accident."
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Lexie was talking to Paul at dinner. "Even after my father left we were never 'so low' as ye put it that I didna have enough to eat or proper clothes to wear. Our place was small but I had my own room."
"We lived with my grandparents," Paul said. It was pretty tight, but that meant they could look after me whilst my mum worked. She and I were supposed to get a council flat when I was 11 but first my granddad died, then my gran took sick and my mum quit her job to look after her."
"That's rough," Lexie said. "My dad left when I was 6 and I havna seen him since. My mum worked in a nail salon, but whether she was home or no', I didna see much of her. I usually had to fix my own meals - I'd have cereal or butter sarnies with crisps for supper. Eventually I got adventurous and learned how to broil a chop. That's all the cookin' I did before I came here."
"My gran died my last year of school. After school I went into the army. I didn't see much of my mum after that. Just two weeks here and there when I was on leave. I wish I had seen more of her now that she is gone."
"What was she like?" Lexie asked.
"Not really lovey-dovey, but she took an interest in me. She always checked to see that I had done my homework, she asked me about my friends, and she noticed if I was growing out of my clothes."
"I bet you were doin' that a lot."
"Every time she turned around, she said. We'd watch the telly together at night."
Ewan came in to clear away the dinner things, and Paul and Lexie helped stack the plates, something they normally didn't do when the others were around. Ewan came in moments later with rhubarb and custard for dessert.
"Sit down and join us, Ewan," Lexie said.
Ewan stood with his hands on his hips. "And who d'ya think is gonna wash the dishes if I do?"
"They will wait," Paul said. "We want your company."
"Come on," Lexie said. She tugged lightly at his jersey and he played along by seeming to fall into Archie's seat.
"Tonight the serfs are taking over the castle," Paul said.
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Archie and Lizzie had retired to their tent and were in their sleeping bags.
"What do we do now?" Archie asked. "Tell ghost stories?"
"Yes, and make noise until the big people yell at us to go to sleep."
They rolled over back to back.
"Lizzie, you've said some kind things, but somehow I just can't get over the feeling that I should never have become laird. That was Jamie's job and I feel like I stole it from him."
"Well it's on your shoulders now. You're the only one left, not counting me and I don't think I'm laird material."
"How about Paul? You don't think he'd make a good laird? Look at all the work he's done on this mountain. Sometimes I think I ought to pack it all up, hand the estate over to him, and start all over again, where I can put all this behind me."
"Oh that would make Mummy really happy" Lizzie said sarcastically. "And have you consulted Lexie about this?"
"Not yet."
"Well take it from one who knows. There's no place on earth that's far enough away that you can escape your troubles. They follow you wherever you go."
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Back at Glenbogle House, Lexie and Paul were helping Ewan with the dishes and cleaning up. "My family is so mixed up I canna even tell you how many brothers and sisters I have," Ewan said.
"Good one," said Paul.
"No, really. First my mum and dad had me, but they split when I was a baby. So the one I actually call dad is the man my mum married when I was 2. My mum and this dad had 2 kids, but he awready had 2 from before. Sometimes one or both of them would be livin' with us. Then there was my cousin who came to live with us when his mum died. I actually thought he was my brother until two years ago.
"Okay, that's confusin'," Lexie admitted.
"Wait, I'm not done," he continued. "Then I found out that my first dad has two more kids livin' with him on the other side of town. They never lived with us but the rest did, in a 5 room flat."
"Okay, you win," Paul said. "You have the best sob story of the night."
Duncan walked in through the back door. "Hi, are you havin' a party."
"It's a dish washin' party," Lexie said. "You just missed it."
"He was too busy snoggin' his girl, Rosie," Ewan teased.
"Rosie, from the ticket booth," Paul commented. "I've noticed you've been spending a lot of time together."
"Aye, we have," Duncan admitted. "Actually, I was hopin' to catch you, Lexie. Do ye have a minute?"
"Aye, I do. Shall we go into the study?" Lexie was enjoying certain aspects of Archie's being away. Treating the laird's study like it were her own, was one of them.
"What can I do for ye," she said when they were settled. She even poured him some whisky from the private cupboard for which she had the key.
"It's a delicate matter," Duncan began. "It's about Rosie. She's not stupid but she has lead a sheltered life. I'm the first boyfriend she's had and I'm not even sure how much she knows about things that go on between a man and a woman, if ye know what I mean."
"I think I know what ye mean."
"I think the world of Rosie," Duncan continued. "I think I mebbe even love her. I'm kinda ready to take things to the next step, but I wouldna want to take advantage of her if she doesna even know about things, if ye know what I mean."
"I think I do."
"So what I was wonderin', is if, seein' how yer married and havin' a baby and all, ye might not have a little chat with her. Fill her in on anythin' she might need to know."
"Wait a minute, Duncan." Lexie laughed. "I hardly know Rosie. I don think it's my place to lecture her on the birds and the bees. I'd like to save myself for my own children, if ye know what I mean."
"Aye, I was afraid ye'd say somethin' like that." Duncan got up to leave."
"Duncan, I do have a suggestion. Why don' ye go to the library. Find a book on the subject, one with plenty of pictures. Ye can give it to her or read it together, whatever you like."
"Thanks Lexie. That's a good idea. Wish me luck."
Lexie gave him two thumbs up.
-------
It was morning and Archie was tending the pot on the gas stove and setting up breakfast things, such as they were. Lizzie was finishing her yoga exercises. He poured out water for instant coffee. Lizzie joined him and took a cup.
"Your choice of granola bars or instant oatmeal," he offered. "And an orange."
"No thanks," Lizzie said. "I brought my own dried fruit. Would you like some?"
"No, that's okay."
"It's very good for the bowels," she added.
"Somehow that doesn't make it sound more appealing."
Lizzie shrugged. "Suit yourself."
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After breakfast, Paul walked out of Glenbogle House for another keeping-an-eye-on-things stroll. He was immediately approached by another middle aged American couple.
"Do you live here?" the man asked.
"Yes, I do," Paul answered.
"So your family owns this estate?"
"Yes, the estate has been owned by the MacDonald family for 400 years."
"It's nice of you to make your land open to the public," the woman said.
"It's become an economic necessity," Paul explained. "They didn't have land taxes and death duties when my ancestors lived here but now it's pay or you're on your way."
"Are you the lord of this castle?" the man asked.
"My brother is. He's the laird. That's Scottish for lord,"
"Now correct me if I'm wrong," the woman said, "but you don't have a Scottish accent, do you?"
"No, I grew up in England. Yorkshire. I lived there with my mother. But if my brother were here, my half brother, that is, you'd find that he doesn't have a Scottish accent either, even though he lived in Scotland. He went to boarding school in England and was taught to speak proper English there," he said imitating a posh accent well enough to make the Americans laugh.
"I see the tour of the house is at 1:00," the woman said. "I'm sorry we'll miss it. Our bus leaves at noon."
"Tell you what," Paul said on a whim. "I'll give you a private tour." He whisked them through the front door and into the great hall. "This is a picture of my father, Hector MacDonald," he began pointing to the portrait above the landing. It was painted by his wife, my stepmother..."
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Archie and Lizzie were packing up in preparation for the climb down.
"Lizzie, when you were talking to Jamie last night, you said you were angry at him for trying to rescue Sheba."
"I did," she said. "I am."
"I thought everyone thought that he was a hero the way he died. Like a brave war hero."
"More foolhardy I'd say. We loved Sheba but she was just a dog. She wasn't worth the risk."
"I don't know Lizzie. I just don't know."
"You know, Archie, we'll always miss Jamie, we'll always wish things had turned out differently, but we don't have to be in unbearable pain all our lives."
"Yeah?"
"What I'm trying to say is this may be a good time for you to work on your feelings about the accident. Maybe you should go into therapy."
"Aw come on, Lizzie. Don't give me that," Archie said wearily.
"Really Archie, you have all this guilt burning inside you," she placed her hand on his chest and he flinched. "It's going to eat you alive if you don't do something about it."
Now he was angry. "Don't tell me what I'm feeling, Lizzie."
"Don't listen to me if you don't want to," she shouted. "If you like beating yourself up day and night then go ahead. Stay in your cocoon of guilt for all I care. It seems to keep you warm."
"Oh shut up," Archie said. He picked up his rucksack, and stomped down the trail.
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After awhile he slowed down and stopped. Finally he looked back up the trail but didn't see Lizzie, so he started to walk back. They met about half way.
"I'm sorry, Lizzie, I shouldn't have run off like that."
"No you shouldn't have. I had to pack up the tent myself. Here you carry it." She dumped the tent in Archie's arms.
"I'd like to ask you nicely to please back off of touchy subjects." Archie said.
"Like Jamie?"
"Like Jamie." Archie busied himself with strapping the tent onto his rucksack. When he was done he said, "I've enjoyed this trip with you, but its been a little intense. I think I need some cool down time, okay?"
"Okay."
Archie waited for the final verbal punch, but it didn't come. They continued walking down the mountain, mostly in silence.
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Lexie was in the estate office leafing through and sorting papers when she paused at a letter addressed to Archie that had arrived the day before. The return address was Charles Gilroy, Solicitor. She knew the name. Charles Gilroy had his office in Glenbogle and most of his business came from the village.
She opened the letter with an uneasy feeling.
Paul burst in the door. "I was just talking to some American tourists about my family's ancient home and so forth. When I told them my name, they asked if it was proper to address me as Sir Paul," he laughed.
"What did ye tell them?"
"I'm ashamed to say, I told them no. I can't lie with a straight face," he giggled.
"I'm sorry to prick your bubble, Paul, but we just got a letter from Charles Gilroy, a solicitor from the village. He's representin' Gordon Strachan in a suit against the estate.
Paul looked at the letter. "He can't get away with that. He can't possibly have that much in damages. All right, I admit that when the bullet went through, it ruined his trousers. I'll buy him a new pair of trousers. But he should have healed completely by now."
He's suin' for pain and sufferin', as well as permanent disability. It doesna say anythin' about his trousers.
"Permanent disability? That's bull," Paul said. "He's no more disabled than I am."
"We don' know that, but I'm inclined to agree with ye."
"So what do we do?"
"Wait for Archie to come back. I don' think we need to ring him on the mountain for this. He'll be back tonight."
"It will be a lovely welcome home."
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Archie enjoyed the trip down the mountain without Lizzie's constant chatter, probing, and reminiscing. It gave him time to think.
The silence is wonderful. You can hear the birds and the wind in the trees. I'll miss this if we go. But there are other places just as nice... It's amazing that I'm here at all. I did not want to be laird. For ten years I wouldn't hear of it. Then one phone call from Mother and here I was. Everything I had put into the restaurant, my relationship with Justine - just down the loo. Well now I know, I really don't want to live in a big city and things wouldn't have worked out with Justine anyway...
It was just a year ago Lexie and I got married. If someone told me then we weren't going to spend the rest of our lives at Glenbogle playing Mr and Mrs Laird, I wouldn't have believed it...But now, how can I make Lexie understand that getting away from here is the right thing to do... Lexie, where was your favourite place we visited on our honeymoon? Do you ever think about living there?... Lexie, don't you wish we could live in some cosy place alone? Someplace we could heat adequately?... Lexie, sometimes I just can't bear the memories of this place. There are too many ghosts. Maybe if we were somewhere else I'd be free of them...
The memories: Rocking the boat. "Way to go Arch." Rocking even harder. The boat tipping over. A yelp from Sheba, a thwacking splash, the icy cold of the loch. Scrambling onto the overturned boat. Looking for Jamie. Oh cripes. Sheba going under and Jamie diving in after her.
The waiting. The interminable waiting. Waiting for Jamie to come back with Sheba. Shivering and waiting. Heart pounding and waiting. Refusing to give up hope and waiting. Shouting and waiting. JAMIE!... JAMIE!... JAMIE!... Golly coming out in another boat and diving in after Jamie. Now waiting for both of them. Golly up, gasping for air - no Jamie.
"Come on son, it's time for us to go in."
"But Jamie's down there. We can't just leave him."
"We'll call the police. The police will find Jamie. Come on, lad."
Stupid, stupid, stupid sod. All my fault. All my stinking fault.
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Somewhere in Amsterdam, Molly and Andrew were sitting in a cafe, waiting to pay the bill. The waitress came, Andrew paid, and they left.
Outside they walked a considerable distance before Molly noticed something was different.
"Andrew, that's not your satchel."
"Yes it is."
"No, yours had two clasps on either side. This has just one in the middle.
"I don't know what you're talking about Molly." He opened the bag and looked inside. "This has my things in it."
"I could have sworn," Molly said puzzled. "I'm usually good at noticing things. I must be slipping."
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On the mountain, Lizzie was kneeling on the ground. "Look Archie, thyme."
"What? Yeah, it grows all over the place. Mother has some in her garden."
"It's wild mountain thyme. Remember the song we used to sing?"
"Yes, it was called Wild Mountain Thyme as I recall."
"Do you remember how it went?" Lizzie asked.
"Not a chance."
"Yes you do. Sing it with me." Lizzie began to sing.
Will ye go lassie go
And we'll all go together
To pull wild mountain thyme
All around the bloomin' heather.
Archie picked up some thyme and fingered it contemplatively. Softly, he joined in for the last line.
Will ye go lassie go.
"Do you remember the time Jamie convinced us to sing bloody heather instead of bloomin' heather? Lizzie asked."
Archie smiled. "Do I ever. Mother was so offended. I still cringe to think of that talking-to she gave us.
"Is that why you have trouble singing the song. Get over it."
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Ewan was in the kitchen when he heard the strains of We are marching to Pretoria from outside. When he went out to the yard, he found that Lexie and Paul were already there waiting for the returning "troops." There were cries of "Welcome back," and "We missed you," and "Did we miss anything," and there was a big smooch between Archie and Lexie, followed by "Ew, ye smell like Jabba the Hut." Archie wagged his finger at her with mock severity.
"It was great," Lizzie said. "And as you can see, we didn't kill each other."
"We only had to call in the U.N. negotiating team twice," Archie said.