"Here you are," Julie said, finally discovering Lucas hidden in the wingback chair that had a perfect view of the front drive. "I feel I've looked in every single room in the house!"

Julie flopped down in the twin chair next to him, exhausted. She tilted her head and gave him a long look, forgetting that Lucas had the ability to stare anyone down for virtually any length of time.

She smiled, her eyes twinkling. "So... what are you doing here?"

Lucas smiled back at her, his eyes soft. "Julia. Has anyone ever told you that you're a very difficult person to surprise?"

Julie laughed. "Only since I was about five." She flipped her hair adorably. "It's because I don't like surprises."

Lucas nodded. "Well, I happen to like giving them, so I don't suppose you'll indulge me just this once?"

Julie raised her eyebrows. "Lucas. It's not as if we haven't talked about this for months..."

He laughed softly, "...only because you keep bringing it up."

Pursing her lips, Julie said, "So you would like me to simply walk away and pretend that you aren't waiting for Father to come home so that you can ask for my hand in marriage?"

Lucas sighed. "God save me from a modern woman," he said, shaking his head. He looked at her. "I should surprise you by not asking you."

She leaned over and put her hand over his. "Then I'll just have to ask you instead," she said softly.

Lucas laughed, exasperated. "And what if I say no?"

Julie lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it. "You never would. You can't resist me," she said, fluttering her eyelashes.

Sighing, Lucas paused for a moment and then smiled. "No, I can't."

Julie's eyes went wide. "So, how are you going to ask him?"

Shaking his head, Lucas said firmly, "No. That's where I draw the line. This is a man-to-man conversation and you will not be privy to it." Raising his eyebrows, he said, "For once, you'll have to wait to find something out. It should be a novel experience for you."

Lucas was always amazed at how Julie's face could go from a bright smile into a frown and a pout in a split second. In truth, he found it charming, and it made him laugh. "Aw, poor Julia," he said, and he could stand it no longer. He stood and pulled her up into his arms.

"I know how hard this is for you, but I need to do this my way." He leaned back slightly and looked into her eyes. "You know how much I love you, and that I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy, but I need just this bit of old-fashioned tradition." Lucas touched his lips lightly to hers, and Julie's frown disappeared, as he hoped it would.

Julie toyed with the knot on his tie. "And what will you do if Father says no?" she asked softly.

Lucas graced her with the soft smile that always made her knees go a little weak. He bent down and kissed her neck, and his warm breath on her ear caused her to shiver. "I'll marry you anyway," he whispered.

The crunch of gravel made them both turn and look out of the window. Lucas took a deep breath.

"Courage," Julie said with the French pronunciation, straightening his collar and tie. Then she leaned up and kissed him in a way he wouldn't soon forget. And before he knew it, she was off down the hallway.

William Henry Thatcher's office in the rear corner of the mansion was his refuge. It looked out on the gardens, and the room surrounded him with warm, dark wood and solitude. The deep-red drapes sheltering the tall windows gave him peace in a household filled with servants and women - a man with a wife and three daughters learns quickly that getting away is not just a desire but a critical necessity.

So he had furnished it long ago with deep leather chairs and a massive mahogany desk. There was the requisite globe on the table next to him, though the demands of business had kept him from traveling to most of the parts of it. The books on the shelves were plentiful and richly bound, but the only ones that had been opened were the ones that Elizabeth had snuck out and read from a very early age. Who had time for reading when a multinational shipping company required constant care?

William had been asked by a colleague once if he was happy. The colleague seemed to be going through some sort of crisis of confidence at the time, and because he respected him, William had favored him with an answer that was largely true. "Happiness is not a requirement in life, it is an infrequent and sometimes distracting state of mind. Pin your contentment on business, old man," William had said. "It will not let you down nearly as often."

William had made that statement a number of years ago, and as with many things in life, he wondered if it was still true for him. As he began to realize that he had more years behind him than ahead of him, a natural introspection had begun to occur.

Of course, he had shared this with no one - not even Grace, though he'd been occasionally tempted. Grace had her circle of comfort; society, ball gowns, teas and gossip. But lately, William had begun to see some cracks in Grace's outward calm, and he wondered if she, too, was re-evaluating her life.

They had been very much in love when they'd first courted. Grace was always the most incandescently beautiful woman in the room and she came from a very good family, so the match was a good one on many levels. William still loved her deeply, but somewhere along the road they had forgotten how to show it to each other.

William couldn't know that Grace was on exactly the same path he was, and that over the last weeks, their feet had somehow been set on that path by the love they'd witnessed between Elizabeth and her Mountie.

It was hard to ignore. The profound affection, of course, but also the deep well of respect, their care for the little boy they'd committed to raise together, their fathomless joy about the twins, their humor and intelligence – their friendship. These were the things that were making William remember his early years with Grace, when the girls were little, and life seemed... simpler.

After a week of chastising himself for his sentimentality, William had begun to rethink his reaction and relax into it. He remembered Jack Thornton well, and he was trying to understand why this Mountie was so very different. Jack had been almost entirely on the defensive for his short stays in Hamilton, and William had done his best to keep him off his feet, hoping that Elizabeth would see reason and change her mind about her courtship with him.

But Nathan... well, Nathan was clearly a very different man. William found himself developing at first a grudging respect, and then, astonishingly, he found he enjoyed his company in the little time they'd had together. Nathan was a sensible, quiet, and relatively uncomplicated man who saw honor and nobility in the simplest of tasks. A man who would rather spend time at the carriage house asking the stablemaster, James, about the horses, than enjoy the pleasures of the mansion.

Where years ago, William might have concluded that this made Nathan an ordinary man, William was beginning to surmise that it actually made him rather extraordinary. Nathan Grant clearly didn't give a fig whether he was liked or respected by the Thatchers, beyond the fact that it would make Elizabeth happy. And that lack of ambition, paradoxically, made William like and respect Nathan Grant.

William and Grace knew how much time their Hope Valley visitors spent below stairs with the servants. At first disconcerted, William was now remembering the talk he'd had with Collins when the butler's mother had passed away early in his employ with them, and also Elsa's kindness and liberal application of her almost medicinal chicken soup when William had been ill last year. They had good people working for them; people who had been with them for so long, it wasn't surprising that the girls thought of them almost as family.

I'm getting old, William thought. Old and sentimental. He smiled. But I'm not fighting it nearly as vigorously as I thought I would.

Pushing back from his desk, William stood and made his way toward the door. Of course he knew what this was about. And though he would have fought it tooth and nail a few years ago, William was now inclined to believe that if Lucas Bouchard wanted to take on the considerable challenge of Julie, he wouldn't make it too difficult for him. On a purely practical level, dinner was being held until this conversation was over, and William was hungry.

William opened the door. "Won't you come in?" he said, as Lucas rose quickly to his feet from the chair outside his office.

"Sir," Lucas said with a slight bow of his head. The young man seemed a bit nervous, which was uncharacteristic of the demeanor William had seen over the last two weeks. Smiling, William thought, well, I won't torture him too much. I was young once, too.

Indicating the chair across from him, William sat down again. "Lucas. How can I help you?"

Good eye contact, William thought. No furtive glances, straight back, a certain reckless confidence, and of course, that disarming smile that had no doubt helped him immensely in his businesses.

"I won't take up too much of your valuable time, sir," Lucas began. "I know we're both looking forward to tasting whatever is producing the delightful aromas coming from the kitchen."

The smile again. William had been charmed by the best of them, and if he thought he could tempt Lucas away from Hope Valley, he'd be offering him a job right after this conversation. But whatever it was about that town that had bewitched his daughters had also worked its magic on Lucas and Nathan. Even William could see that.

Nodding solemnly, William waited for what he assumed would be a well-rehearsed and needlessly long speech from the classic suitor. Then again, William was beginning to expect surprises from these young men.

"I love your daughter very much, Mr. Thatcher. It would mean the world to us if we could have your blessing on our marriage."

Quick and to the point. Good man. William leaned back in his chair and narrowed his eyes slightly. "I know quite a lot about negotiation, Lucas. That was not a question."

Another charming smile. "No, sir, it wasn't."

"I assume that means you'll be marrying my daughter whether I give my blessing or not?" Lucas was silent and simply raised his eyebrows. "Then why ask me?" William said.

"Because although we've made the decision to spend our lives together, it's important to both of us that you see value in that," Lucas said. "Julie loves you, and I have tremendous respect for you and the life you've built here. And your daughter wants very much for you to give her away at our wedding."

Bravo, thought William, nodding. All the right themes and cleverly said. And slowly, a smile did begin to tug at the corners of his mouth. Then his stomach growled. Enough, William thought.

Leaning forward, William put his hands on the desk. He spoke in a tone that Lucas thought his Board of Directors might find familiar. "I don't need to ask you about your prospects. I've done some checking into Gowen Petroleum and although it's been badly managed, it shows nothing but promise in a growing town like Hope Valley. The saloon gives me a bit of pause, but you seem to keep a close rein on your customers and its reputation is good. I do also know that you and my daughter, in addition to the obvious personal connections, have a business relationship in a small restaurant." William smiled at Lucas' raised eyebrow. "French, I believe? Which explains why you've been spending so much time with Elsa in my kitchen."

"Impressive," Lucas said, smiling. "I would never be so foolish as to underestimate you, Mr. Thatcher."

For a moment, William met Lucas' gaze and held it. It wasn't exactly a game of chicken, but it was beginning to feel like one when William stood and put his hand out.

"Since you're marrying my daughter, Lucas, I think it's time you call me William." As they shook hands, he said, smiling, "And yes, I'd be honored to walk Julie down the aisle."

Lucas walked directly from William's office to the sitting room and found Julie, as expected, with the rest of the family awaiting the bell for dinner. Without saying more, he took her hand and lifted her to her feet. To the surprise and delight of everyone, with the possible exception of Lionel who had his head in his London Times and missed the entire show, Lucas got down on one knee on the priceless Persian rug.

If he'd wanted to surprise Julie, this was the way to do it. She'd thought he would choose something more sedate, more private, but as her hands flew to her face, Julie realized that this was exactly what she wanted. This very public display, everyone's jaws dropping, then the joyful laughter of those in the room. Except of course for Viola, who seemed in such a constant state of consternation these days that she was simply unable to stop and enjoy the moment. Elizabeth and Nathan found themselves in each other's arms with Jack between them, transfixed by what was happening.

Lucas raised his eyebrows and tilted his head as he reached into his waistcoat. "Julia?" he said softly, looking up at her.

Julie giggled and bounced a little on her toes, full of happiness. "Yes, Lucas?" she said.

Lucas held up the ring, a glorious creation from Kevin, made with gold and a starburst of diamonds that reminded Lucas of the sparkle he so often saw in Julie's eyes.

And in those eyes, Lucas now saw tears forming, just as his own throat began to constrict. He knew if he didn't do this fast they would make a spectacle of themselves. He couldn't remember the last time he'd cried in public, but he was fairly sure he was in short pants. Luckily, he had memorized his proposal completely.

"Julia?" Lucas said again, his voice beginning to quaver a bit. "I love you more than I thought possible. You are the light that shines on my darkness and the unbridled joy that tempers my caution. I am more myself with you than I have ever had the courage to be alone." Lucas paused, regaining control of himself. Then he took a deep breath. "Julia. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Technically, it was actually only "my wi..." because before he could finish, Julie had thrown her arms around him, saying "Yes. Yes. Yes!" Lucas managed to break free long enough to stand, place the ring on her finger, and kiss her before the room erupted and the two of them were surrounded by congratulations. Even Viola's eyes seemed to be glistening a little, and Lionel managed to fold down his paper long enough to assure himself that no one was actually dying in the room.

There was another audience that, although quieter, was very joyful. Collins, Elsa, Cora, Maisie and Edith stood just out of sight awaiting the dénouement of the drama they had known was unfolding all day. And they were no less happy about the outcome than those in the sitting room.

Elsa was beside herself with the havoc wreaked on her timetable for the dinner meal, but it was, as expected, delicious. And there was a different feeling tonight around the large table in the Thatcher's dining room.

Though it wasn't possible for Nathan and Elizabeth to feel more love than they already did, they were reliving in each other's eyes their own memories; Nathan's extemporaneous proposal in the pergola with a cast on one leg, their family wedding and Allie's adoption, and their night in the Summer Cabin protected by Charlie's dreamcatcher.

William looked down the long table at Grace, and her eyebrows raised in a question. He was gazing at her in a way she remembered from long ago.

As if the sun rose and set in her.