Author's Note: Thank you all so much for your continued support. I have loved your feedback and find it so encouraging. From the shock that happened two chapters ago to the revelation of 'the rest of the story' our couple has been through quite a bit in the past couple of chapters. And now, they return to Elizabeth's home... But first, I need to thank metacaroliner, wcthlcr2014, SaSeLi777, lynnkersting, nole, hollyelvira, HopeValleyOwl, Lilian Hazaz, Louise, Karen Pearson, Terry Howard, Sindie, Ljd21690, Rockshelle99, victorywins, Divine Lustre, Kate and Guests and anyone I missed (in order of posting) as well as other Hearties who have given me feedback through other venues for all of your kind words. Yes, you've gotten a little whiplash in a few chapters (record scratch moments) but, as Kate rightly pointed out, the beginning chapter tells you their end. I love writing for you and love writing these rich characters and watching them develop with you. This chapter will be a little shorter but I think it's a little different from the past few. I very much hope you enjoy and please Review and let me know what you think! Janine
Lucas followed Elizabeth as she walked briskly toward the front of the house.
"Now, remember what we agreed to," she said, as they stepped into the mansion together – a servant holding the door. "We stand strong no matter how hard of a stand they take."
"And you do the talking." Lucas added.
"Yes. I'll deal with father. He doesn't know you, but he knows me and ultimately I believe I can prevail in helping him to see reason" she said as they walked into the main foyer.
"But must we tell him everything about what she did? I mean, the de Lacys have never been given the full story, and in their minds, I just left their daughter on our wedding night. Father made the arrangement with Mr. de Lacy that in exchange for the annulment we would speak no ill will concerning Daphne in public. They have no idea what she did."
"Well, apparently they didn't care to avoid speaking ill of you if, as Daphne's mother says, 'you're not welcome in polite society'. Whatever that's supposed to mean."
"I'm not sure how much of that was deliberate, because I moved to the states and stayed hidden for a while. I'm sure a lot of people said a lot of things as to why I had gone."
Elizabeth turned and faced him. "Listen, Lucas. My primary concern is not protecting the de Lacys from the truth but clearing the record concerning you. You should not have to live under that shadow as I'm sure my father will see. But first… we need to see Aunt…Aggg-gatha!"
Elizabeth stopped walking so quickly that Lucas collided with her, nearly knocking her over. After an awkward, but comical, instance of him grabbing hold of her to keep her from falling and the two of them trying to regain decorum, Elizabeth forced as bright of a smile as she could before addressing her aunt, whom they had just encountered.
"Aunt Agatha, you're just the person that I wanted to see!"
"There's a coincidence. I was just coming to find you. I'm happy you're back." Agatha replied as she looked at the couple with a congenial smile." Elizabeth ignored the pleasantry.
"Aunt Agatha, we need to talk." Elizabeth said as she and Lucas followed Agatha down the hallway and through a corridor. "Do you remember when I was here several years ago and you told me that 'nobody is perfect?' And how you said sometimes we need to do things that are selfish the interests of self-preservation?"
"Yes." the stately woman replied. "I recall saying something like that."
"Well, something happened long ago, in Lucas's past, that may seem selfish, but…"
Agatha interrupted as they reached a doorway leading to another hallway.
"Elizabeth, dear, I am sorry, as I'm sure it's a very interesting story, but would you save it for later? We need to get down to your father's office right away," she said.
"Father's office? Why? What is happening?" Elizabeth said in confusion as they walked through the door.
"Your father has called an emergency meeting. Just the family." Agatha replied.
Lucas stopped immediately when she said this and stood still as the ladies continued on. After a short distance, Agatha turned and saw that Lucas was nearly twenty feet away, trying to appear inconspicuous as he looked at a sculpture that Mrs. Thatcher had recently shipped in from London.
"What on earth is that man doing? I said we were in a hurry." she mumbled. "Lucas, dear, you're involved in this too. Now, come along!"
Lucas was surprised but didn't doddle as the older woman held the door open for him and Elizabeth and they entered Thatcher's domain.
William Thatcher's home office was a smaller version of his main office downtown. With rich, dark woodwork and deep burgundy walls, it was decorated with various artifacts from his career and mementos from his travels. But as Bouchard scanned the room, what he saw was telling.
On the surface, William Thatcher's office was not unlike dozens of offices or board rooms he had been in during his life but scattered throughout the room he noticed a plethora of personal items as well - photos of his daughters, handmade trinkets, and embroideries that were no doubt made by the same, and a painting of the entire family made when Elizabeth was likely around seven or eight years old. Somehow, he doubted that Mr. Thatcher's business office was quite as personal – but at home, he surrounded himself with that which was most important to him and that was his family. This immediately earned Lucas's respect and he felt gratified that in knowing that if things didn't turn out as they hoped with her family, at least she grew up in a home where she was loved.
"Thank you, Agatha," William said, continuing to look down as the couple made their way into the room. "Would you close the door? Elizabeth, Lucas, would you please take a seat?"
Lucas stood until Elizabeth sat and he took a seat next to her and they both waited until Agatha sat down. Looking around the room, Lucas took note of the faces of Elizabeth's mother, sister Julie, and Aunt Agatha and he tried to prepare himself for whatever negative consequences were about to occur. To his surprise, however, the look on each of their faces was decidedly pleasant. At least they don't look like they're going to hang me immediately he thought to himself.
His eyes turned toward William whose expression was a bit more enigmatic. Thatcher was looking down at his desk writing inside of a book and didn't look up until he finished. At that point, he carefully ripped the page out that he was writing on and his eyes focused on Lucas.
"Young man, take this." he said, flatly, holding the paper out to Lucas. "It's for you."
Lucas stood, took hold of the paper and realized it was a check for twenty-thousand dollars, made out to him. Lucas frowned then looked at Elizabeth. Both presumed to know what it was for.
"You're paying me off?" Lucas asked, raising one eyebrow. Before Thatcher could answer, Elizabeth bolted up from her seat. "Father! How could you?!"
"Elizabeth, my love, please. Let me handle this." Lucas handed the check back to Elizabeth's father. "Sir, I love your daughter with all of my heart and while I can understand that my presence is somewhat of a family embarrassment, I can assure you that if you were to offer me all of the gold in the king's coffers, I would not accept this check. I want your blessing on our union, but even if I do not receive it, even if you think of me as the worst rogue to ever walk on the planet, I am going to marry your daughter and trying to buy me off will not prevent it!"
Elizabeth held her chin high in the air, grabbing hold of Lucas's arm as a sign of solidarity.
"That's good that you feel that way," William said with a smirk. "But the check is not mean as a 'pay-off' to keep you away from my daughter."
Elizabeth released Lucas's arms as her fiancé cocked his head to one side and William returned to him the check.
"It's not?" Lucas asked.
"I should say not! I'm giving it to you so that you can help set up a new business venture that Northwest Shipping and the Thatcher Foundation intends to invest in – headquartered in Hope Valley. Please, both of you, return to your seats and let me explain."
Lucas glanced over at Elizabeth who was just as confused as he was. They did as they were told and sat back down next to Elizabeth's mother.
"Now, I've taken the liberty of reaching out to Sir Lionel who got me in touch with Louis Wentworth, a friend of the Duke's"
What does Wentworth have to do with the deal? Lucas thought, looking very concerned at the mention of the name of the man who had ended his marital aspirations with Daphne de Lacy.
"To his credit, Louis was willing to go on record about his relationship with Daphne de Lacy, whom he called, and I quote 'a tawdry tart'. End quote."
"His relationship with Daphne?!"Lucas looked to Elizabeth with alarm. "But, wait…how did you know?"
"From your letter, of course," Julie replied.
"My letter?" Lucas replied his heart beginning to race.
Julie responded with a sheepish grin. "Yes, when Elizabeth took off so quickly with little Jack and you were nowhere to be seen, I went up to her room. It was sitting right on her dresser…"
Elizabeth blinked in astonishment. "And…and, you read it?!"
"Well, I had to! I didn't know where you had gone!"
"JULIE!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "That letter was very personal! How could you?!"
Lucas began to sink in his chair, looking pale.
"Well, the way you took off out of here, I was afraid you were in some sort of trouble or something. I had to find out where you had gone." Then, she giggled. "Little did I know your Lucas was such a romantic!"
"Juliet Thatcher!" Elizabeth said, darting up from her chair.
"I was only trying to help!" Julie said, getting up and shielding herself behind their mother.
"And be glad that she did, Elizabeth!" Agatha added. "We were afraid that William was about to kick poor Lucas out onto the street…which would have been a shame, particularly after the part about him waiting for more than just your hand."
"You ALL read it?!" Elizabeth exclaimed, moving toward Julie.
"Elizabeth, sit down!" Grace ordered. Elizabeth complied.
"Well, I think it's sweet. Particularly since he's sooooo handsome." Julie purred.
"Oh, sweet mercy!" Lucas said, burying his face in Elizabeth's shoulder. She could feel the heat radiating off of his cheeks.
"Only because it was urgent that your father find out about our future son-in-law," Grace replied.
"Mother, I can't believe you…you…did you say, future son-in-law?"
Lucas slowly looked up towards Elizabeth's mother, face still flushed.
"Yes. I did." Grace replied with a sweet smile. She reached out to Lucas and patted him on the hand. "Welcome to the family, dear."
Lucas raised his eyebrows and let out a sigh, whether of relief or uncertainty it was difficult to say. "Th-then that means I have your permission?" he asked.
"Of course, you do," Thatcher replied. "I don't care about what happened, or didn't happen, seventeen years with de Lacy's daughter. What I care about most is if you are a man of character who will take good care of my daughter and grandson. Besides, I'd heard rumors about Daphne Beaumont before all of this and the way she behaved at dinner was atrocious. I didn't even need the corroboration to know that there was more to that story than met the eye and was going to say so to de Lacy when I got the chance."
"My history with him makes your business plans more difficult."
"That's true – but let's worry about that in a minute. Right now, I would like to make you a proposition."
Lucas just stared at him, motionless, until Elizabeth gently elbowed him.
"Oh! Did I not respond?" he said, almost to himself. "A proposition?"
"Yes. You may not know it to look at me but I was not always so blessed with material things. I was the fourth son of a wealthy family and therefore was expected to go into business on my own to earn my keep.
I built Northwest Shipping from the ground up and intended to pass it along to my own son when I retired. But God only saw fit to bless me with three daughters and therefore I've had to look toward my sons-in-law to fulfill my legacy. My daughter Viola's husband, Sir Lionel, isn't the least bit interested in running a business nor is he particularly capable of administering one so far from home. Jack Thornton turned me down flat when I offered him a position in the company and Elizabeth's other suitor, Charles Kensington, was willing but Elizabeth was not."
Lucas glanced at his fiancée with surprise but said nothing as she lowered her head.
"My dear Julie desires to live the life of a provincial wife and art teacher and is not at all interested in taking on anything grander – which leaves me with you, Lucas. I know of your familial background and have seen in the short time that I've had to look into you that you are a man who enjoys a good investment and has had moments of great success in business. Of course, your wanderlust appears to have had you selling before you were fully established. Still, as you're now settling down and starting a family, I would like to offer you the opportunity to come on board at Northwest Shipping and help us launch our new venture beginning in Hope Valley – with the thought that, at the end of the day, if you should so choose, I would pass the entire business on to you and Elizabeth when I retire."
"But there aren't any ports in Hope Valley," Elizabeth said.
"Excellent observation, Beth," William teased. "But I'm not referring to ships. Trucking. That's where the future is. We're investing in a fleet of delivery trucks to bring merchandise inland through Canada and the United States. Our core planners believe that this is a trend that is about to explode and we will be in on the ground floor as it does. With proper management, we could own a good portion of the market share for ground shipping on the continent. And, I would like for Lucas to head up our Western division."
Lucas, again, appeared stunned. "I…I don't know what to say."
"Say yes!" William said. "I have confidence that you could do it and that's not something I say about just anyone."
"Well…we'd have to talk about it." Lucas replied, looking at Elizabeth.
"We? Why me?" she asked.
"Because, when we marry, what is mine is yours. If I have any big decisions like this to make, I would want you to be fully informed and comfortable with it since it's your money too." He replied. William looked at Grace and winked.
"But I'm not the one with a head for business. Remember, I'm the one who goaded you into trying to save the oil company."
"Making a profit is not the sole reason for business. If one is to truly build a legacy worth having, helping improve people's lives also has to be a part of it as well." Lucas said.
"Which you can do by helping to bring the goods they need to live comfortable and healthy lives to them faster in trucking." William added.
Lucas glanced his way and then at Elizabeth.
"Whatever you decide." she said. "It could be a new start."
Lucas nodded. "Then, I accept…on one condition…"
William smirked. "Which is?"
"That I get to run it. I know the people of Hope Valley and what kinds of things are priorities in their lives. I would like to run the business my way so that the community as a whole is bettered because of it. I know next to nothing about the shipping industry but I have gotten an education both formally and practically in what makes for good business practices, and I know the region."
William nodded his head. "I believe I can agree to that. As long as you're not losing me money, I can trust your judgment and stay 'hands off' if you will."
"And the board of directors?" Grace asked.
"Lucas will be added to the board, of course. Any innovative ideas he might have he can sell to them as well as myself. If he's half as successful with that as he was in capturing Elizabeth's heart, he'll do fine. Welcome to Northwest Shipping, Mr. Bouchard. I for one am happy to have you on board."
"Thank you, sir." Lucas said, standing and shaking Thatcher's hand.
"Now…onto that other matter." William said. "Would you mind joining me as I have a little talk with Hugh de Lacy."
Lucas looked at him apprehensively and put his hands in his pocket, then nodded.
"If you'll excuse us ladies," Thatcher said standing. "The new President and CEO of Northwest Shipping's Trucking Division and I have some business to attend to."