Author's Notes: Greetings all! I want to thank everyone who took the time to review/follow/favorite my story. I really appreciate your kind words of encouragement. Now where did we leave off? Oh, yes. How does Mr. Thatcher know Lucas' mother? Let's find out...
Chapter 16
As Elizabeth closed the schoolhouse for the day, she couldn't keep the broad smile from breaking out over her lips. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so genuinely happy.
She couldn't believe how much her life had changed in only a week. This time last week she had still been battling her inner demons, trying to decide who it was that she really loved – Nathan or Lucas. Now that struggle seemed so ridiculous. She should have realized her feelings after that dinner with Lucas in the library. When he had presented her with the opportunity to dictate whether it was only a dinner between friends or a real date, it had only taken her a moment to decide she wanted it to be a date. The entire evening had been so sweet and romantic. She had to admit that Lucas really did know how to woo her. The evening had reminded her of her first date with Jack in the café – the romantic atmosphere, the soft music, and the love and admiration for her shining in her companion's eyes. She would never forget that night for as long as she lived.
That was the night she had chosen Lucas – she just hadn't admitted it to herself. Though it certainly explained why she had been so eager one day for Nathan to ask her out, but so hesitant the next when he finally did. Lucas had already won her heart, and once she had finally admitted that she had quickly realized just how deeply in love with him she had already fallen. Some how, without her being aware of it, he had gotten past her defenses and buried himself so deeply into her heart that she now could not imagine her life without him. And while the thought scared her, it also elated her. She was in love with one of the most wonderful men in the world and what was even more amazing was that he loved her just as much as she loved him. She was so grateful that his father had taught him the value of patience. She couldn't imagine how devastated she would have felt had she discovered her true feelings for him after he had given up on her.
Her mind went back to that morning in the library when she had shown Lucas her bare ring finger. She could see how happy her revelation had made him and she couldn't help wondering how long he would wait before he proposed to her. Now that she had finally resolved her emotional issues, she found that she couldn't wait for the moment to come.
Something she was really looking forward to was being able to enjoy the engagement with her fiancé by her side. She had missed that so much with Jack. He hadn't proposed to her until the night before he had gone to the Northern Territories and then, except for a brief visit at Christmas and the two weeks between his return and their wedding, she had spent their entire engagement worrying about his safety. To be able to see her fiancé everyday was something that Elizabeth really looked forward to, though she hoped that Lucas didn't want a long engagement. She had already been through that. What she really longed for, especially now that her heart had opened to accept Lucas and their future, was being married to him. She wanted to have a normal marriage, like Clara and Jesse were now experiencing. She wanted to enjoy being a newlywed, not having to worry about her husband being suddenly called away to a potentially dangerous assignment. She wanted to wake up every morning and know that he's there and to go to sleep in the warmth and comfort of his arms. She had been cheated of that with Jack; now she wanted it all with Lucas.
Elizabeth felt her heart soar as she thought about everything that was in store for them, and it took every bit of willpower that she had not to start singing at the top of her lungs. The thought made her grin. What would the residence of Hope Valley think if their schoolteacher suddenly started serenading them with a song?
"Well you certainly look happy," a familiar voice suddenly said, causing her to jump slightly in surprise.
Turning towards the sound of the voice, Elizabeth smiled as Bill approached her, an amused look on his face.
"Being in love certainly does agree with you," he commented, giving her a teasing look.
Elizabeth blushed, but she didn't deny the statement. Instead she admitted, "I haven't felt this happy in a very long time."
Bill's look softened as he put his hands on her upper arms and said, "I'm very happy for you, Elizabeth. I know Lucas and I haven't always seen eye-to-eye, but if he's able to put such a look of joy on your face, then he can't be so bad. And I can't deny that man really does love you; and he loves Little Jack too. I saw the two of them earlier today as they were walking from the stables to the library. Jack was hanging off every word Lucas was saying to him."
Elizabeth felt her heart skip at the news. "I am so happy that they are able to spend some time together just the two of them."
"I am happy that Lucas wants to spend time with Jack," Bill admitted. "I have to confess that when Lucas first told me that you and he were courting, I wondered what type of father he would be to Little Jack. I know Lucas could never replace Jack, but I have always hoped that if you did remarry it would be to a man who would be a good stepfather."
"Lucas will be a wonderful stepfather to Little Jack," Elizabeth informed Bill eagerly. "He already loves Jack as if he were his own son."
Bill gave her a warm smile. "I know, I can tell from the way he interacts with him. A little while ago I could hear the two of them laughing in the library together. I couldn't hear what was being said, but Little Jack sounded excited about something."
Elizabeth felt tears fill her eyes and her heart once again started to soar at the news. "I am so glad to hear that." Then after a moment she informed Bill, "I just want you to know, when Lucas does ask me to marry him, I'm going to say 'yes'."
Bill smiled softly at her and said, "I expected you would. Any idea when that might be?"
She hesitated for a moment before lifting her bare left hand. "He's been waiting for me to be ready. I took off Jack's rings last night." When Bill's eyes dropped to her hand she said softly, "It was time."
Bill studied her for a moment before wordlessly reaching out and pulling her in for a hug. "I know that must have been very difficult for you."
"I don't want to live my life with any more regrets," she admitted honestly when he pulled back. "I keep asking myself, 'What if Jack and I had gotten married sooner?' How might things have been different if we had been married with children when he had gotten that posting? Would he have even been given that posting if he'd been married with children? We wasted so much time because of our fears and insecurities holding us back. I don't want that to happen again with Lucas. We have so much of our lives ahead of us and I don't want to squander any of that precious time because of doubts or fears – or because I clung too long to the past."
Bill gave her a look of concern. "Don't feel you have to rush into anything because of fear of losing him. If he truly loves you, he will wait for you."
She gave her friend a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Bill. I'm not rushing into anything. Lucas has already assured me that he is willing to wait as long as necessary for me to be ready, but I have thought all of this through very carefully. I love Lucas with all my heart, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. Of that I have no doubt." She gave him a mildly sad look. "I think everything that happened with Jack has forced me to grow up in my outlook of love. I'm not the same uncertain young woman who first fell in love with Jack. The last few years have taught me a lot of hard-earned lessons, including the fact that you never know what life is going to throw at you or how long you will have to enjoy it. I want to grab on to the things that I love and hold on for as long as I can. I want to be Lucas' wife and build a life with him and to enjoy as many years as we can together."
Bill gave her a warm smile. "I wish you nothing but happiness and a long, long life with Lucas."
"Thank you, Bill," she said gratefully. "Please don't say any of this to anyone else. I don't want people gossiping any more about us than they already are."
He pretended to pull an invisible zipper across his lips. "My lips are sealed."
Elizabeth gave him an affectionate look as she admitted, "I told Lucas the other day that you were like the town's 'uncle' – someone who loves and always tries to protect the family." Her look turned mischievous as she added, "And is a little suspicious of strangers."
Bill gave her a mildly chastised look, but then said, "Well you know, I have to protect the family from any potential dangers."
Elizabeth chuckled and said, "I honestly don't know what we'd ever do without you."
"Well, I couldn't imagine being any place else," he told her. "So, I guess you're stuck with Good Old Uncle Bill."
"Good," she said. "After all, Little Jack needs his godfather around to help him grow up into the same sort of man his father was."
Bill gave her a tender look. "With a mother like you, how could he not."
Elizabeth reached over and gave Bill another hug. When she pulled away the two of them fell into step side-by-side and continued towards the town's main street.
"You headed to the library?" Bill asked curiously.
She smiled and nodded. "I have a few books to return."
He gave her a knowing look. "And you're hoping to run into your co-librarian."
"Well, there is that," she replied, not bothering to deny it.
"Elizabeth!"
Elizabeth turned in the direction of the voice that called her name and found Ned Yost coming towards them, a piece of paper fluttering in his hand.
"You got a telegram," he announced. "From Abigail."
"Abigail?" Elizabeth repeated in surprise as she took the paper.
"Is everything okay?" Bill asked, moving to stand beside Elizabeth so he could read the message too.
"Henry is with me. Arrived last night. Looks tired and disheartened but otherwise fine. Thought you should know. Write more soon. Abigail."
Bill and Elizabeth exchanged surprised looks.
"Did you know Henry was planning a trip back East?" Bill asked her curiously.
"No," Elizabeth replied. "He never mentioned it. Though it seems there were a lot of things he wasn't telling people."
"What's the deal with Henry and the oil company anyway?" Bill asked. "Why did he sell out to Lucas?"
Elizabeth hesitated. She was trying hard to stay quiet about what she knew about the transfer of ownership. She felt guilty enough as it was for her part in the whole mess. She felt as if she had pushed Lucas into buying it to appease her.
"You'll have to ask Lucas about that," she told him.
"You don't know what happened?" Bill pressed with a frown.
"I know," she informed him. "But it's not my business to tell."
"Well as town judge I have a right to know about anything that could affect this town," he told her.
Elizabeth gave him a knowing look. "This has nothing to do with your office as town judge. This is more about your role as town uncle and the fact that you love knowing everything that's going on in town."
Bill gave her a pointed look. "I think I may have to have a conversation with that man of yours."
She gave him a baleful look and said firmly, "You will do no such thing, Bill Avery. Lucas has enough on his plate without you interfering. All I will tell you is that he is trying very hard to save the company so that the workers and the town aren't badly affected."
When Bill opened his mouth to say something she cut him off knowingly, "No, Henry didn't do anything wrong – at least nothing illegal – he just undercut his competitors too much and ended up running the company at a loss because of it. Lucas said he was trying to expand too quickly."
Bill scoffed. "That sounds like Gowen. Too big for his britches."
Elizabeth gave him a reproving look. "Henry has come a long way in the last few years, Bill. He's not the same man I met when I moved here 7 years ago. You didn't see the look of pride on his face as he talked about the fact that he was finally doing something that people respected him for. He's a complicated man, Bill. But I think underneath all the stubbornness and seemingly detached demeanor he has a good heart."
Bill gave her a soft smile. "You can be very persuasive in your arguments. No wonder Lucas keeps giving Henry the benefit of the doubt. I just hope he knows what he's doing taking over the oil company like he did. Sounds to me like Henry left him a big mess to clean up."
"I have faith that Lucas will figure out the best thing to do," Elizabeth told him confidently. "He's a very smart businessman, and he has already reached out to some other equally-successful businessmen for advice."
"Like whom?" Bill frowned slightly.
"Like my father and his," she replied. "He's asked both for input and if either of them had contacts in the oil industry he could reach out to. He's trying to do his best by the town."
Bill gave her an impressed look. "Well, at least he's not trying to figure it out on his own. That takes a lot of humility."
"One of his many wonderful qualities," Elizabeth informed him.
"Indeed." Bill smirked in amusement. "Spoken like a woman in love."
Elizabeth gave Bill an amused smile before saying goodbye and heading in the direction of the library. She was slightly taken aback when she ran into an out-of-breath and slightly flustered Laura.
"Laura, what's wrong?" she asked with concern. Her thoughts immediately went to her son. "Is something wrong with Little Jack?"
"I don't know," Laura admitted, "I mean I'm sure he's fine. He should still be with Mr. Bouchard."
Elizabeth frowned slightly. She knew that Lucas usually only spent an hour with Little Jack, so that meant that Laura should have collected him over half an hour ago.
"I'm really sorry, Mrs. Thornton," the young girl exclaimed looking as if she were about to cry. "I left Little Jack with Mr. Bouchard at the saloon at two o'clock like usual and then I went to the dress shop to see if Mrs. Coulter could make me a dress. I've been saving for months to buy a store-made dress and Mrs. Coulter, Mrs. Flynn, and your sister were helping me design it and I lost all track of time. I just checked the saloon and Mr. Bouchard and Little Jack didn't come back yet. I was just going to check the library when I saw you. I am so sorry, Mrs. Thornton."
Elizabeth gave the young girl a reassuring smile and put her arm around her shoulders. "Calm down, Laura, everything is going to be just fine. I'm sure that Mr. Bouchard and Little Jack are at the Library. Perhaps they decided to wait for you there, or perhaps they got caught up in reading a book and lost track of the time too. I don't want you to worry about anything."
Laura gave her a relieved look, which once again turned concerned. "I hope Mr. Bouchard isn't so upset with me that he wants his money back. I've already used it to pay Mrs. Coulter for my dress."
"What money?" Elizabeth asked with a slight frown.
"When I told Mr. Bouchard about the money I'd saved to buy a store-made dress he wanted to contribute and gave me some coins as a thank you for bringing Little Jack to him every afternoon," Laura explained. "I tried to refuse but he insisted. He also told me that I had his undying gratitude for everything I did to help you."
Elizabeth smiled and tightened her arm around Laura's shoulders. "Well then, I'm sure that Mr. Bouchard isn't upset with you for being late picking up Jack. But if for some reason he is and is mean enough to want his money back then you leave him to me. I'll straighten him up right away."
Laura let out a little giggle and the two of them fell into step in the direction of the library.
As they reached the front steps, Elizabeth could hear voices inside. Something made her stop and lean her ear against the door. She could make out two voices – Lucas' and her father's.
Straightening up she turned to look at Laura for a moment. "I'll tell you what, why don't you head on home for today. I'll collect Jack from Mr. Bouchard and make sure all is well. I'll see you in the morning."
Laura gave her an uncertain look. "Are you sure? Perhaps I should apologize to Mr. Bouchard right now and try and smooth everything over."
Elizabeth moved away from the door as she addressed the younger girl, giving her a reassuring smile. "Everything between you and Mr. Bouchard is fine. I doubt he even noticed that you were late picking up Jack." At Laura's continued look of uncertainty she explained, "My father is in the library talking with Mr. Bouchard. They only met yesterday when my father found out that Mr. Bouchard and I are courting."
It took a moment before a look of understanding of the import of what Elizabeth had said filled Laura's face. "Oh, well I'm sure everything will be fine," the girl told her reassuringly. "There's no way your father couldn't approve of Mr. Bouchard. He is a very kind and generous man."
Elizabeth smiled at the girl's words. "I agree, but fathers can be hard to please sometimes, especially when it comes to their daughter's suitors."
As Laura said goodbye and headed for home, Elizabeth turned her attention back to the voices inside the library. Knowing she shouldn't stand outside and eavesdrop she took a deep breath and slowly turned the doorknob.
"I have never met your father, Lucas," her father was saying as she pushed open the door. "I only know him by reputation. It's your mother that I'm acquainted with."
"How do you know Lucas' mother?" she exclaimed in shock, causing both her father and Lucas to look at her in surprise.
"Mama!" Little Jack said excitedly. He climbed down off Lucas' lap and headed for her, a book in hand. "Hunca Munca!"
Elizabeth bent down to pick up Jack, looking more closely at the book he held. "The Tale of Two Bad Mice," she read.
"Hunca Munca," Jack repeated and laughed. "Hunca Munca! Bang! Bang!"
Elizabeth looked at Lucas questioningly.
He laughed and explained, "Hunca Munca is one of the mice in the story. Jack seems to find the name a lot of fun to say." His eyes twinkled as he added, "I think it may become his new nickname."
Elizabeth looked at her son and asked, "Are you a little Hunca Munca?"
Jack laughed and repeated, "Hunca Munca!"
She laughed and moved towards where Lucas was sitting on the loveseat, settling down beside him. He gave her a warm smile and reached over to squeeze her hand after she'd settled Jack on her lap.
"How was your day?" he asked, keeping her hand in his.
"It was good," she replied. "And yours?"
"Productive," he informed her. "I think I may be making some headway with Gowen Petroleum."
"That's great," she said, giving his hand a squeeze before turning her attention back to her father and repeating her earlier question, "So, how do you know Lucas' mother?"
She noticed that her father looked mildly uncomfortable by her question, but after a moment's hesitation he finally replied, "The summer I graduated from University, your Aunt Elizabeth and I went to London to spend the season with our Aunt Margaret."
"Grandmother Thatcher's sister," Elizabeth said.
"That's right," her father nodded. Looking at Lucas he added, "She was a widow with a son and daughter our age, our cousins Christopher and Sarah." After another pause, the older man continued, "The first weekend we were there, the five of us were invited to a garden party in the country hosted by friends of Aunt Margaret's. While at the party, Elizabeth and I met many friends of Christopher and Sarah's, including one Emma Lidstone who had a cousin of hers visiting from Montreal."
"Helen Robichaud," Lucas supplied knowingly.
Mr. Thatcher nodded his head, and repeated, "Helen Robichaud." Then looking at Elizabeth he added, "Now, this was a couple of years before I met your mother."
"And you were captivated by Helen Robichaud," Elizabeth remarked.
Her father smiled softly. "I was…instantly."
Elizabeth felt Lucas squeeze her hand as he said, his tone full of emotion, "I know exactly how that feels. I was quite taken by Elizabeth from the first moment I saw her. At first, I was disappointed to learn that she was 'Mrs.', not 'Miss', though I soon learned the rest of the story."
She looked at him, blushing at the love she saw radiating in his dark eyes.
"You have your mother's eyes." Elizabeth heard her father say to Lucas. "I've never forgotten them. Her eyes were just as expressive as yours."
Lucas chuckled, a look of amusement on his face. "They are still very expressive, especially when she's annoyed."
"So, I remember," Mr. Thatcher commented wryly.
Elizabeth gave Lucas a mischievous look and asked, "And just how often were you on the receiving end of those expressively annoyed eyes?"
"More often than I would have liked," he confessed with a mildly guilty look. "Especially when she was trying to edit manuscripts."
She laughed and gave his hand a squeeze. "I'm going to have to ask her to tell me some stories about what you were like as a boy. It'll give me an idea of what I may be in for if we ever have a boy of our own."
She noticed the love in Lucas eyes deepen and he lifted her hand to place a kiss on her knuckles. "I can't wait," he whispered softly. "For the boy, not the stories." He gave her a mischievous wink causing her to lower her eyes and blush.
Remembering that they weren't alone, she quickly turned her attention back to her father. "So, what happened after you met Helen Robichaud?"
Her father looked a little uncomfortable, whether it was because of the exchange between herself and Lucas or because of the story he was telling Elizabeth wasn't sure. But after a moment he continued his story.
"As I said, I was immediately captivated by her. I asked Christopher and Sarah what they knew about her, but it was very little since they had only just met her themselves. Sarah made it her mission though to find out everything she could about her from Emma. I soon learned that Helen had a beau back home, but Emma wasn't sure how serious it was since they'd been courting for some time already without an engagement being announced."
"What year was this?" Lucas asked curiously. The other man named the year and Lucas looked at Elizabeth. "That would have been year number five."
Elizabeth nodded in understanding. "The year they finally got engaged."
Lucas nodded and turned to look at Mr. Thatcher. "My father told me that the summer before they had gotten engaged my mother had been in London visiting her cousin. I even read some of the letters he wrote to her while she was there." Looking at Elizabeth he said, "My father was quite the smooth talker, especially in a letter."
Elizabeth gave him a sly look. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree then."
Lucas gave her an amused smile before the two of them turned their attention back to her father, giving him an expectant look.
"Since Emma and Sarah were quite good friends and our families were part of the same social circle, Helen and I ended up seeing quite a lot of each other that summer," he related. "And the more I got to know her, the more I came to admire her."
"Were you in love with her?" Lucas asked, his tone low.
Mr. Thatcher smiled a little sadly. "At the time I thought I was. In fact, I was sure of it. She was so beautiful, intelligent, and kind. I would find any excuse I could to spend time with her. Sometimes I would even offer to be her escort to different parties or social events."
"Didn't she tell you herself that she had a beau?" Lucas asked with a frown.
Elizabeth's father smiled sardonically, "Oh, she told me – repeatedly. I was just too stubborn to listen. I was sure that I could steal her heart." He looked at Lucas and admitted a little guiltily, "It became a competition."
Noticing the silent exchange, Elizabeth looked from her father to Lucas and then back again, wondering at the look of understanding she saw on both their faces.
Frowning, she looked back to Lucas, uncertainty suddenly filling her. "You…you don't feel that you've won some sort of competition because you succeeded in winning my heart, do you?" Another thought occurred to her. "You don't feel that you've beaten Nathan because I chose you, do you?"
"Absolutely not, Elizabeth!" Lucas exclaimed emphatically, sliding forward on the loveseat, and turning to face her more fully. He took her hand in both of his and added, his eyes looking directly into hers. "I have never considered what was going on between you, me, and Nathan as a competition. If you had decided that you wanted to be with Nathan because you love him, then I would have wished you both well. I would have been heartbroken, but I would have abided by your decision. All I have ever wanted was your happiness, though I will admit to a selfish desire to be the one that made you happy. I love you so much, and I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else but you. Everything I ever did was to show you how much you mean to me, not to win some competition against Nathan."
Tears filled her eyes as she saw the earnestness in his face. "I love you too, Lucas. I didn't honestly believe you thought this was a competition; that wasn't like you. At least not what I know of who you are. Nathan seems to be the only one that had that idea."
Lucas gaped at her in surprise. "You knew?" When she nodded, he asked, "How?"
"Nathan told me so himself," she informed him. "The day after you both brought me flowers, he stopped me in the street to talk about the fact that I had gotten more flowers than just his. He then told me that he didn't shy away from competition."
"I can't believe he said that," Lucas exclaimed in disbelief. "The nerve of that guy."
"I think he thought I would be flattered by it," she said with a slight grimace.
Lucas frowned. "Were you?"
"I admit I was surprised when he had said it, but then I didn't give it a lot of thought afterwards," she told him. "Moments after he had said it, Florence called him away saying he had a phone call. He never mentioned a competition to me again and to be honest, I forgot all about it until now." She frowned at him. "But how did you know?"
Lucas looked like he wasn't going to tell her, but she gave him a look that obviously made him change his mind. "This afternoon while Jack and I were in the stables visiting with King and Sergeant, Nathan came in. During the course of the conversation he mentioned it. Sounds like I was more surprised about it than you were."
"Forget about Nathan," Elizabeth said, dismissing the whole thing. "His pride is wounded right now, but I don't believe his heart is. He'll get over it. The only thing that really matters is that I love you, and you love me and that we're together now with our whole lives ahead of us."
Lucas gave her a warm smile before leaning forward and planting a kiss on her forehead. "And there's a conversation we need to have about that very shortly."
"I can't wait," she whispered back.
"Fortunately for you, Elizabeth," her father commented, breaking into their little interlude, "Your young man is far more honourable than I was when I was younger. When it came to Helen Robichaud, I was ready to win at all costs, which means that I ended up doing nothing but embarrassing myself."
He looked from Elizabeth to Lucas as he admitted, "That's why I reacted the way I did yesterday when I discovered exactly who you are, or more specifically who your mother is. I still cringe when I remember my behaviour that summer. The worst thing is the fool I made of myself the day she left. I all but begged her not to go back to Montreal, but to marry me instead."
Elizabeth's eyes widened in astonishment. "After one summer's acquaintance?"
Her father gave her a sheepish look. "Like I said, I was a foolish, arrogant young man who was out to win a competition against some unknown opponent."
"What did she say?" Lucas asked curiously.
Mr. Thatcher gave him a wry smile. "Let's just say that she put me in my place and told me exactly what she thought of me and my proposal. She then went home to Montreal and married your father a few months later. I never saw her again."
Lucas shook his head. "Mother never mentioned any of this."
The older man sighed. "No, I don't expect she would. She probably wanted to forget the whole unpleasant experience. And the thing is…" He looked at Elizabeth and Lucas as he admitted, "I don't know how I'm ever going to face her. My consolation has always been that I never had to see her again, but now…" He let out another sigh. Looking at Elizabeth he asked wryly, "Why didn't you fall in love with the Mountie this time?"
"Father, you have to face her," Elizabeth told him firmly, tightening her grip on Lucas' hand. "You have to clear the air between you. One day Mrs. Bouchard is going to be my mother-in-law, and I don't want there to be any friction or hard feelings between Lucas' parents and you."
Her father gave them a wry smile. "I don't suppose there is any way we can just avoid seeing each other. After all, I never met Jack's parents."
"That's because his father died when Jack and Tom were young, and his mother is a bit of a…" Elizabeth struggled for the right word to use. "…character." She didn't quite know how to describe her former mother-in-law. Then turning her attention back to her father, she added, "Lucas' parents are on their way to Hope Valley as we speak. This will give you the perfect opportunity to clear the air with Mrs. Bouchard."
Elizabeth was surprised when the colour all but drained from her father's face. Handing Jack to Lucas, Elizabeth slipped to the floor, kneeling in front of her parent. "Please, Father, do it for me."
He let out a deep sigh. "Very well, Elizabeth. I will do my best to smooth things over." Looking at Lucas he asked, "When do you expect them to arrive?"
"I got their telegram early this morning, so my guess is they'll arrive either by hired car or on the stage sometime tomorrow afternoon," Lucas replied. "The day after that at the latest."
"Maybe it's time for your mother and I to be heading home to Hamilton," Mr. Thatcher remarked to Elizabeth, a half serious look on his face.
"Please, Father," Elizabeth pleaded, looking up at her father earnestly. "Please speak to Mrs. Bouchard and make sure there aren't any hard feelings. She has already been so kind and helpful to me by sending my manuscript to the publisher. I wouldn't have gotten this book deal if it hadn't been for her and Lucas. Please, I don't want to lose her respect now because of something that happened so long ago."
Her father looked at her lovingly. "If she's still the same kind-hearted woman I remember, she would not hold you responsible for the stupidity of someone else." He let out another sigh and said, "But I suppose it's time I faced the consequences of my foolishness. I promise I will speak to her as soon as she's rested from her trip."
Elizabeth threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Father. I really appreciate you doing this for me." She pulled back and turned to look at Lucas and Jack as she added, "For us."
"I can't say 'it's my pleasure'," the older man told her honestly. "But you know I would do anything for you and your sisters."
"I know," Elizabeth acknowledged.
"Well, I suppose I should see about finding your mother," he suddenly commented, pulling out his pocket watch and checking the time.
"Where is Mother?" Elizabeth asked curiously as everyone got to their feet.
Her father smirked slightly. "This morning at breakfast we met two fine ladies in the café – a Mrs. Florence Blakely and a Mrs. Molly Sullivan. Well your mother hit it off with them instantly and I believe she has spent the entire day in their company."
Elizabeth exchanged an amused look with Lucas who had come to stand beside her. "Well, that fits. Mother loves to gossip and so do Florence and Molly. But I'm glad that Mother has made some friends in town. I know she wasn't too sure about the place when she arrived yesterday."
"Hope Valley is a wonderful little town, Elizabeth," her father told her sincerely. "And while I would love nothing more than to see you move back to Hamilton, I have come to appreciate that that is not what you want. Your life is here." He looked at Lucas as he added, "And I'm glad to know that you have found another wonderful man to look out for you and my grandson."
"And I will do so to the very best of my ability, sir," Lucas promised solemnly.
"I know you will," Mr. Thatcher said, clasping Lucas on the shoulder. "I have already come to appreciate what a fine man you are. And if there is anything I can do to help you with the oil company, please don't hesitate to ask. I know it can be scary and a bit intimidating embarking on a new business venture."
"I appreciate that, Mr. Thatcher," Lucas told him, extending his hand to the older man. "I can certainly use all the help I can get."
"Why don't you and Mother come to my house for supper," Elizabeth suggested to her father. Then looking at Lucas she added, "You too."
He smiled and said, "I would love to."
She smiled in return before turning back to her father and saying, "That will give you a chance to get to know both Lucas and Little Jack better."
Her father's eyes shifted to the little boy in Lucas' arms. "Your mother and I would both like that very much."
Elizabeth smiled in delight. "Wonderful. Say 7:00 for supper, though feel free to come earlier to visit."
Her father smiled and leaned over to press a kiss against her temple. "We'll be there." Then with a nod to Lucas he left the library.
Elizabeth looked at Lucas and the two of them let out a laugh of disbelief.
"Can you believe that?" she asked him incredulously. "My father tried to break up your parents' courtship! Talk about a small world!"
Lucas shook his head. "What gets me is that if he had somehow succeeded, we would be brother and sister."
Elizabeth's eyes widened. "I can't even imagine that!"
Lucas took a step closer to her and rubbed his free hand up and down her arm. "Me neither. I definitely don't want you as a sister."
"And I think you would make a horrible brother," Elizabeth told him slyly. "At least to me, on the other hand I think you'll make Julie a wonderful brother."
"What about Viola?" Lucas asked with a smile.
Elizabeth shrugged. "Viola has never been quick to approve my choices, no matter what they were."
"Well, if we were brother and sister, I certainly couldn't do this," Lucas said before leaning in and brushing a kiss against her lips.
"And that would be just awful," she whispered after he'd pulled away.
"Terrible," he whispered in return. "Remind me to thank my mother for refusing your father."
"I'll have to thank her too," she said. Then with a shake of her head she remarked, "It's hard to believe how far reaching one decision can be."
"Well, because I decided to move to Hope Valley and buy the saloon, you and little Hunca Munca here have become two of the most important people in my life."
"Hunca Munca!" Little Jack repeated in excitement. "Hunca Munca. Hunca Munca."
Elizabeth gave Lucas a wry smile. "You just had to mention that name."
Lucas smiled and tweaked Jack's nose. Jack responded by throwing his arms around Lucas' neck and hugging him.
Elizabeth smiled and turned her attention to the framed sketches sitting on the table. Picking one up she studied it carefully. "I can't believe how much the town has changed in the last seven years. You can't tell from these drawings, but the buildings were very drab back then. In a lot of ways, they matched the spirit of the town. The coal mine disaster was only a few months old and most of the town was still in mourning. It wasn't until after the trial and the coal mine was shut down that things began to change."
"What sort of things?" Lucas asked curiously.
"For one thing, the name changed from Coal Valley to Hope Valley," Elizabeth replied, "And Lee opened the sawmill, providing employment for all the out-of-work coal miners. At the same time, Jack built the school, well with a lot of help from the other men in town."
"So, it wasn't a single-handed act," Lucas commented with a smirk.
"No," she chuckled. "Not at all."
"Good, because we both know what I'm like with a hammer," Lucas said with a smile. "Jack is a hard act to follow. For example, while I can hang these pictures and build a few bookcases, I will not be building our house like Jack would have."
Elizabeth gave him a mischievous smile as she leaned forward and brushed a kiss against his lips. "Don't worry, my sweet Lucas. I love you…bent nails and all."
Lucas laughed and stole another kiss. Then looking back to the framed pictures on the table he said, "I'm hoping to have these up on the walls by the end of the week. I figured we could unveil the display on Saturday morning, sort of like we did with the library last year."
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Elizabeth told him, slipping an arm around his waist. "Have I told you how remarkable you are?"
"I don't know, have you?" He gave her a mischievous smile.
She returned it with an amused look of her own. Then reaching up she stroked his bearded cheek tenderly and said, "You truly are a remarkable man, Lucas Bouchard. Not only are Little Jack and I so fortunate to have you in our lives, but you have gone above and beyond to make sure that Jack is not pushed into the background, either in our lives or with the town. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your unselfish and generous attitude. I love you. I love you with all my heart."
"You don't play fair, Mrs. Thornton," he told her in a husky tone. At her confused look he added, "There is no way I can respond to that the way I want to while holding your son."
Elizabeth gave him an amused look. "Perhaps that is for the best, Mr. Bouchard," she informed him primly. He gave her a mock-pained look causing her to laugh. "Come on," she encouraged as she led the way out of the library. "I have supper to make and I need to be getting home."
She waited until he'd locked the library door before asking, "Are you going to walk home with me?"
"Actually, I should go over to the saloon before heading to your place to make sure everything is going okay," he told her. "I should have been back there over an hour ago."
She gave him an apologetic look as she said, "I'm sorry my father waylaid you in the library."
Lucas gave her a reassuring smile. "It's fine, Elizabeth. Actually, your father and I had a nice conversation and I even got to ask him a very important question about you."
It took Elizabeth a moment to realize what it was he was trying to tell her. "And, what did he say?"
Lucas gave her a warm look. "He gave us his blessing."
Elizabeth couldn't help herself; she threw her arms around Lucas even though they were in the middle of the main street and hugged him tightly. "I am so relieved," she told him honestly. Pulling back, she added, "Not that that would have stopped me from marrying you, but I'm glad that Father has given us his blessing."
"Me too," Lucas agreed. "So, I guess there is only one thing left before it becomes official."
Elizabeth swallowed, her eyes looking deeply into his dark brown ones. Was he going to ask her right now? She felt her heart start to race in her chest.
"Lucas!"
It took a moment for Elizabeth's brain to register the sound of the unfamiliar female voice calling Lucas' name. Turning her head, she saw a smartly dressed couple over by the newly arrived stage. The woman was waving at them excitedly.
Elizabeth heard Lucas' breath catch in surprise, however before she could ask him who they were, she heard him exclaim in confusion,
"Mother? Father?"