AN: This story is part of the Common Starting Point Fanfic Challenge. As the name implies, all stories in this challenge will have the same beginning. This common beginning text is in bold. As such, the text in bold will appear in others stories. The bold text is used with permission of the original author and the text following the bold is the work of the author posting this story.
Disclaimer: The characters and places in this story are property of Crown Media. This story is for entertainment purposes only.
Inspector Nathan Grant rubbed the back of his neck as he made his way through Mountie Headquarters in Union City to his office. He had spent the last hour inspecting freight coming through Union City by railroad for one of his current open cases. This particular case involved the smuggling of stolen jewelry from stores in big cities in Eastern Canada to points out west. The operation had been discovered when a shipping crate for Thatcher Shipping Company had accidentally been dropped while moving it from one train to another. Two small canvas bags with several precious gemstone rings had come dislodged from the lid of the shipping crate. Nathan had been called in by the railroad, and two other crates in the shipment had been found to have jewelry hidden in crates of dishes and utensils.
Today, jewelry from a reported robbery in Halifax had been discovered in crates of food bound for Cape Fullerton. Having no reason to believe that William Thatcher himself was party to the smuggling operation, Nathan had been in contact with the shipping tycoon. Confiding in only his right-hand man about the incident, William Thatcher had not been able to turn up any indication that the stolen jewelry was being added to the crates at their origination in Hamilton. Unfortunately, that still did not rule out involvement by someone in the Thatcher Shipping Company organization entirely. The inside man could also be associated with the railroad or a third party altogether.
Reaching his office, Nathan hung his hat up on the hook inside the door as he walked over to his desk. He had left the contraband in the crates today. Picking up the phone, Nathan called and alerted the Mounties that were near the trains next stop. His plan was to keep tabs on the contraband and see where they disappeared.
After making the call, Nathan leaned back in his chair. He reached out for the lone photograph on his desk. The photograph was of him and Ally taken at Abigail's café just before they had left Hope Valley. While Bill had stayed quiet about the promotion until after Christmas as he had asked, once the fact became common knowledge that he would be leaving Hope Valley for Union City, Bill had set about organizing a going away party for him and Ally.
The fact that the town that had been slow to accept him when he first took the posting was now sad to see him leave had been touching. However, he didn't regret his choice. The Inspector job had been one that he had wanted. He found his new job responsibilities challenging. As for Ally, his niece seemed to have adjusted to life in the city.
Nathan placed the photograph back on his desk as the phone rang.
"Inspector Nathan Grant," Nathan said into the device as he lifted the phone to his ear.
"Even after two years you like to throw that title around huh," Gabriel's teasing voice said over the line. "Sir," his friend added in a tone that an outsider would call irrelevant but Nathan knew was just Gabe's teasing way.
"I think the Mounties would have a problem if I did not answer the office phone that way," Nathan countered, earning a chuckle from Gabriel.
"You are probably right," his friend conceded.
"Was there a reason other than giving me a hard time that you called for?" Nathan inquired, leaning back in his chair.
"There was. I think I might have a lead for you with that case with the stolen jewelry being found in shipping crates." His friend's voice was serious now. Joking had been set aside and it was time to work.
Nathan sat back up instantly. "What do you have?" he asked, reaching for pencil and paper.
"We discovered a body in an alley way not far from the strain station here in Clearwater. Cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest. It looked like the shot was made from close range. Bruising on wrists and ankles indicate the guy was bound before being shot. The guy had no identification on him, so it took a bit of time to identify him - Clearance Smith. The identification came from a friend who seemed to think that he had been transferred by the railroad, as he worked for therm."
"What does the railroad have to say about Clearance Smith?" Nathan asked, knowing that his friend would have checked with the railroad about the victim already. "I don't recall there being a missing person report filed for the man."
"No reason there should have been," Gabriel replied, the answer confusing Nathan. "According t o railroad employment records, Clearance Smith put in for a transfer to Union City three weeks ago. The transfer was granted. I called the Union City railroad office to inquire about Clearance Smith. According to their records, Clearance Smith has been working for them for the past two and a half weeks. He was there today, and I asked the person I was with to not say anything about me asking questions. There is no record of family in the area, friends in Clearwater think he moved to Union City and apparently someone is working for the railroad in Union City under this guy's name so no one is missing him."
"So someone killed this guy three weeks ago and has been impersonating him?" Nathan asked, trying to wrap his mind around the information that he had been giving.
"The body we found is no more than a few days old I would say. I think that whoever is impersonating Clearance either abducted the man himself or is working with someone. Clearance was held somewhere while he proved to be useful to his abductor. When he was no longer of use, they shot him and left his body in that alley. I'll ask questions around her to see if anyone had seen Clearance with someone new prior to him putting in for that transfer but I thought you might like to make an arrest there. If friends think he is working in Union City and have contact information I don't want a call or telegram that the local Mounties are asking questions about him to reach our imposters ears. I told the railroad office that they should expect Mountie presence shortly but that until then they should go on as business as usual."
"Hopefully, as I have been in and out of the station quite a bit over recent weeks no one panics," Nathan murmured, thinking out loud for Gabriel's benefit, as he finished taking his notes. " I will get a couple of men to accompany me and we'll see if we can arrest whoever is claiming to be Clearance Smith. After the arrest is made, you can start asking questions on your end and see if we can place the imposter in Clearwater in the last month or son. If not, my guy here may very well have an accomplice in Clearwater. Keep your guard up."
"I will," Gabriel assured him. "I will be waiting to hear from you," Gabriel replied. There was a slight pause, before Gabriel tacked on "sir." The amusement was back in his voice.
"Goodbye," Nathan said, choosing not to acknowledge his friend's teasing tone. Hanging up the phone, Nathan got to his feet. He wanted whoever was impersonating the dead man in Clearwater behind bars as soon as possible no matter what the connection was. Perhaps finally they were on their way to wrapping this case up.
A short time later, Nathan Grant was making his way up the steps to the Union City Train Station for the second time that day. It was a beautiful late April day, but Nathan really did not have time to enjoy the weather. Behind him were the two constables he had brought along as backup. The plan was to meet up with the railroad employee who had been his point man for the investigation so that the man claiming to be Clearance Smith could be identified. The station was busier this afternoon than it had been this morning. In Nathan's estimation that was both a good thing and a bad thing. More people meant their suspect might not notice them as quickly but it also meant that more people would be in danger.
As there were currently more people leaving the station than going in, Nathan had a feeling that a train or two had come into the station recently. Hopefully, that meant their suspect was currently occupied working so as to not raise suspicions about themselves. If the suspect was occupied, it meant that he and his men might be able to get closer before than man got spooked.
"Nathan!"
The familiar voice calling his name caught Nathan's attention. He heard the surprise in its owner's voice even as he scanned the crowd for the face he had not seen for two years except in his dreams. He soon spotted Elizabeth only a few feet away coming down the steps.
Nathan looked back at the two constables with him. "Wait here," he instructed.
Both constables acknowledged with a "yes, sir" even as Nathan started toward Elizabeth. The uniform allowed him to move easily through the stream of people coming down the steps as people either moved aside or simply stopped so he could pass.
Ally had stayed in touch with her former teacher after they had left Hope
Valley. Despite the short time there, Mrs. Thornton had touched Ally's life in a way no other teacher had. While Nathan had not exactly lost touch, he did not correspond as often as Ally. He and Elizabeth had exchanged cards for Christmas and each other's birthdays. Nathan's note in the first Birthday card had been very brief. He had not been sure Elizabeth would be interested in hearing from him. She had reciprocated with a thank you card, with her own note. After that, the notes exchanged were longer though they focused on the kids, work and Elizabeth's book. Nathan was content with that. Nathan did not think his heart could handle hearing about anything Elizabeth and Lucas may have done and so he had chosen that path to protect his heart. Despite the guilt of falling for Sgt. Jack Thornton's widow, Nathan still harbored feelings for Elizabeth Thornton. He had hoped moving to Union City would allow him to get over those feelings and extend friendship to the woman, as he would not ask her to choose between him and her friends and students in Hope Valley.
Ally had shared pieces from her letters at first but Nathan had a feeling his niece had picked up on his sadness and regret when it came to Elizabeth. Ally now kept Elizabeth's letters to herself though letters from Opal, Robert and Emily were freely shared. After a year of doing odd jobs around Hope Valley, Robert had actually expressed a desire to become a Mountie. Robert had even got up the nerve to write to Nathan, at Ally's insistence, to inquire about what the job was like. Though he had responded to the letter, Nathan had talked with Mr. And Mrs. Wolf and arranged for Robert to spend a couple of weeks in Union City, after Ally's school let out. Knowing his daughter would want to spend some time with Robert in the evenings, Nathan did not want his visit competing with her school work. Nathan intended to give Robert an honest feel for what it meant to be a Mountie, the good as well as the bad, so that the boy could make an educated decision. The job wasn't for everyone and Nathan had seen a few young men who had regretted their choice over the year. One young man in his own class had started purposefully failing at things in order to back out of his choice.
Nathan kept I close contact with Bill and the Weise's. Ally had even spent some time during the summer visiting with Opal and her family. Like Ally, Bill had quickly figured out to avoid mention of Elizabeth unless Nathan was the one to bring her up. Antics of his god son were a frequent topic of conversation though.
As he approached Elizabeth, Nathan's gaze went instinctively to Elizabeth's left hand. He expected to see a new diamond, perhaps even a wedding band, on the slim left ring finger. Nathan had just assumed that with him away, Elizabeth would accept Lucas' romantic overtures toward her. However, though the rings which Jack Thornton had given her were no longer on her ring finger, no new rings adorned them either.
Had Lucas gotten bored with Elizabeth? Nathan felt anger simmering at the thought of the saloon owner toying with Elizabeth's emotions after what she had been through. Nathan quickly pushed it aside though. Elizabeth's words about his job making him cynical and always suspecting the worst in people had stayed with him. He had worked hard these past two years to not be like that in his personal life. He had even reached out to his father when Archie Grant had been released from prison once again.
As his anger ebbed, Nathan felt his heart skip a beat in hope that perhaps there was still a chance for him and Elizabeth.
~Stop it! ~ Nathan chided himself. ~You live in two different places. It won't work.~
Except that Nathan knew he would be able to give up even his job as Inspector if Elizabeth would promise to be his wife.
Banishing the thought from his mind, Nathan focused on the current situation. He had a job to do, though he wanted to give Elizabeth a quick greeting before he sent her on her way. He did not want her at the station when they moved in on their suspect.
"I was going to stop by Mountie Headquarters to see if you were in the city or away," Elizabeth told him as he approached. The fact that she was going to seek him out, made his heart skip that beat again. The smile on her face reached her eyes and caused them to dance. It was clear that she was happy to see him. Elizabeth reached for his hand and Nathan allowed her to take it.
"Here I am," Nathan replied, cringing inwardly at the words. It seemed his ability to stay stupid things around Elizabeth had not gone anywhere.
"Obviously," Elizabeth replied, a giggle escaping her though her expression remained compassionate.
Able to focus on work even around Elizabeth, Nathan grew serious as he spoke again. "I am actually here for a work related matter so I can't linger. It would be best if you were on your way. Will you be at a hotel tonight?" Nathan inquired.
Elizabeth's expression grew serious as well. "Yes. I am staying at the Yorkton," Elizabeth told him, her concern palpable.
"I promise I will stop by as soon as I am done with work for today," Nathan told her.
"Alright," Elizabeth said, releasing his hand. "Be safe," she added, reaching down for the bag she had placed on the ground beside her.
"I will do my best," Nathan told her.
As Elizabeth continued down the steps, Nathan looked back at his fellow Mounties. With a motion toward the station, he continued up the steps. His comrades started forward again as well, with the intention of joining their superior officer at the entrance of the building. They had a suspect to arrest.
It was almost six o'clock that evening by the time that Nathan arrived at the Yorkton. He had not intended to be so late, and was grateful that Ally had afternoon supper plans with a friend. Despite his visit to the hospital, he had not interrupted those plans. His niece would be upset with him tonight when she saw his sling but at least he had spared her a little bit of worry.
As the hired carriage came to a stop, Nathan climbed carefully from the carriage. Still, he felt a twinge from the shoulder he had dislocated mere hours ago. Despite the doctor telling him to go home and rest, Nathan had not been home yet. Upon leaving the hospital, he had gone to headquarters to get caught up on the case.
The man posing as Clearance Smith had the smuggled jewels that Nathan had checked on that morning on him. The man must have waited for Nathan to leave before retrieving them. Though their suspect was not talking, the possession of the jewels was enough incriminating evidence to send the man away for jewelry smuggling. The whole operation was bigger than just this one man though. Nathan had spoken to the judge involved, knowing that any plea deals would need to go through the judge. Nathan's hope was that they could convince the young man, who looked to be in his early twenties, to give up whom he was working with or for, in exchanged for a lesser sentence. Giving his reluctance to talk, Nathan had decided sitting in jail, on the charge of jewelry smuggling along with assaulting an officer, for a bit might make the man more cooperative. Meanwhile, he had called Gabriel back. After giving him a good description of the imposter, Nathan had told Gabriel to start asking questions. If they could place this man in Clearwater, Nathan planned on charging him with murder of the man he was impersonating. At the very least, the fact that he was impersonating Clearance Smith meant that their suspect could be charged with accessory to murder. Nathan planned on waiting until he heard back from Gabriel before deciding which additional crime to charge the man for with a lawyer present. Perhaps either of the additional charges would be enough to convince the young man that talking was in his best interest.
As for tonight, Nathan had a promise to keep.
Despite living in Union City for two years, this was only the second time he had walked into the grand hotel. The first time had been for a welcome dinner that Super Intendant O'Reilly had invited Nathan and Ally to, just after their arrival in the city. The O'Reilly's had taken the Grants for a carriage tour of the city before treating them to dinner. It had been an introduction to the city that Nathan had been grateful for and it had seemed to help put Ally at ease as well.
Two years later, both he and Ally were active members of a small Presbyterian church that was located two blocks from the small home he rented. Their two story bedrooms had three bedrooms, indoor plumbing, a combined kitchen and dining area, a sitting room and a small room which Nathan had turned into a library of sorts. Both a desk and two comfortable arm chairs had found their way into the room, allowing him and Ally to either work at the desk or read quietly surrounded by their books. The extra bedroom had been used by Gabriel, Bill and both his parents who had paid him visits since moving to Union City. The current plan was for them to also host Robert while the young man shadowed Nathan to see what being a Mountie was all about.
Walking into the sophisticatedly decorated lobby of the hotel, Nathan made his way to the reception desk. Nathan was glad he had opted to put on a fresh uniform so that he did not feel underdressed in the fancy hotel. When the man behind the desk asked if he could help, Nathan told the man he was there to see Mrs. Elizabeth Thornton. As soon as the name was out, Nathan realized that he wasn't even sure if that was still her name. However, the man behind the desk checked the register and was soon using a nearby phone. He was soon hanging up the phone and turning back to Nathan.
"Mrs. Thornton will be right down, sir. You could have a seat there across from the staircase and you'll see her coming downstairs."
"Thank you," Nathan told the man.
Turning from the desk, Nathan headed toward the chairs the man indicated. Only one was occupied and Nathan took one of the empty ones. Ever observant, Nathan found himself glancing around taking in the decorating as well as the people. Even so, Elizabeth was just coming into view when he noticed her on the staircase. She was as beautiful as ever, and the dress she wore was not one he had ever seen on her before. Made of one of the shimmering fabrics, the form-fitting bodice of the dress was a medium grey, a bit of dark green lace around the formed ruffles around the modest scoop neck. The sleeves hugged her arms until just above the elbow. The skirt flared out from the fitted waits, dark green lace overlaying the skirt of grey material.
A few steps after noticing her, Elizabeth's eyes met his. Her smile once again made her eyes dance but only for a few moments. The joy was soon replaced with concern, and Nathan knew she had taken in the sling he wore.
Nathan got to his feet. His long strides took him to the staircase where he met her as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
"What happened?" Elizabeth asked, her left hand reaching out to rest on his upper right arm, which was not in the sling. "Are you all right?"
"I will be fine, Elizabeth," Nathan told her. He was using the most reassuring tone he could muster. "When our suspect saw us coming, he ran. At one point, he upset a stack of crates, that I did not manage to avoid. I cannot say for sure whether the crates hitting me or the fall caused the injury, but I managed to dislocate my shoulder. I will be in the sling for a couple of weeks but the doctor says it will heal as good as new."
The breath that Elizabeth had been holding came out in a soft whoosh of air. "Thank God it wasn't worse. I hope the guy responsible is behind bars," she said, her hand sliding down the serge of his jacket to find his hand.
"He is," Nathan assured her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Have you eaten yet?"
Elizabeth nodded. "I did. You had not given me a time frame and I was hungry after the train trip," she told him. She let go of his hand, her hand once again moving to his upper arm. "Between chasing a suspect and being seen by the doctor, I doubt that you have had time to eat, so let's get you something to eat," she said starting to lead him toward the dining room. She glanced up at him. "Unless, Ally is expecting you?"
"Ally is not expecting me until seven thirty. She had dinner at her friend's house this afternoon."
Elizabeth nodded as they still headed toward the hotel dining room. "So she doesn't know yet."
"Not yet," Nathan replied. "She'll be fussing just like you when she does find out."
Elizabeth blushed. There was no chance to say anything as they had reached the maitre de. The man quickly showed them to a table. Nathan used his good arm to help Elizabeth with her chair and then took the seat across from her. Telling them that their waiter would be there shortly, the man left.
"Do you plan on watching me eat?" Nathan asked, looking across the table at her.
Elizabeth shook her head. "I think I am going to have a salad so I am not calling for room service later tonight," she told him.
Nathan nodded, thankful that he would not be the only one eating. The waiter arrived. He poured coffee for the both of them and took their orders. Nathan opted for a chicken dish that did not look to fancy.
"So, what brings you to Union City? Do you have a second book out that I am unaware of?"
"My second book is still in the half-written stage," Elizabeth admitted. "I am actually in the city to take in a play. Julie and Lucas bought me tickets for the theater for my birthday and arranged for the hotel stay. Rosemary and Lee are watching Jack though he begged to come with me to see Mountie Na'tan."
"Jack remembers me?" Nathan asked. He wasn't sure if that or the fact that the boy knew his name surprised him more.
Elizabeth nodded. "Jack kept looking for you after you left. At first he wasn't using your name. He just referred to you as 'the Mountie like Daddy'. When I realized that your brief interactions with him were not going to be forgotten, I taught him your name. I even read bits of Ally's letters to him. The few times Ally had come to visit with Opal, Jack seems to look around for you. Why didn't you ever come visit, Nathan?"
Nathan searched for a way to avoid the question. However, there did not seem to be a polite way to do so and he knew he could not lie to her. He looked down into the dark liquid in the coffee cup that his fingers wrapped around. The cup looked awfully small in his hands right then.
"I did not want to take a chance of seeing you with Lucas," Nathan admitted quietly. "I don't think my heart could have taken that."
"Me with Lucas?" Elizabeth repeated, her voice telling Nathan she was clearly trying to understand his meaning of the words. "I do see, Lucas on occasion but other than a casual conversation when we pass in town, Julie is always there. I have to admit, that hurt at first but now I am truly happy for the two of them."
Nathan looked up from the coffee cup. "Happy? Lucas and Jule?"
"Then no one told you?" Elizabeth asked.
"Told me what?" Nathan asked.
Elizabeth was prevented from answering the question right away by the arrival of their meals. Soon though, the two plates were placed in front of them. The waiter asked if there was anything else they needed right then. Nathan managed to inform him that they were fine. As the man left the table a second time, Nathan silently waited for Elizabeth to speak. As his stomach was informing him how empty it was, he started his meal while Elizabeth started her story.
"Lucas did continue to show interest in me after you left Hope Valley. It was flattering," she admitted. He took me to dinner a few times. We took some walks. However, I did notice that he was interested in just me and not Little Jack. I guess I can't blame him but something in the back of my head said that I wasn't being fair to my son. However, I did like the attention Lucas was showering on me and he continued to do so until Julie paid a surprise visit to me at the end of March after you left. She'd had a huge fight with Mother and Father and wanted to get away. My parents were relieved she had run off to me and didn't say anything. She wasn't there long when Lucas started showing interest in her."
A reproach of Lucas was on the tip of his tongue but Nathan held his tongue. Elizabeth had not appreciated it the first time he had made a comment about Lucas' attention towards her, after Opal got injured in the woods and he doubted it would go over any better now. Besides, he had come to realize that he did harbor a bit of jealousy when it came to Lucas Bouchard spending time with Elizabeth.
"Lucas did have the decency to apologize and officially break things off with me before asking Julie out. Though she was staying with me, I may have given Julie the silent treatment for a couple of weeks. Not my finest moment, I know."
"You did have reason to be upset with both of them. Especially given that you were still struggling with your grief over losing, Jack," Nathan told her. In his opinion, her emotional reaction was perfectly understandable given the situation.
"I think you are more gracious than I deserve, but thank you," Elizabeth told Nathan. "After a couple of weeks though, of thinking and praying, I realized that it wasn't Lucas I missed but someone making a fuss over me. Jack had made a few grand gestures. You should have seen the candles Jack managed to find to make his proposal. You probably would have complained about it being a fire hazard."
Nathan smiled. Perhaps he was too serious at times.
"I guess Lucas' attention made me remember those gestures and how it made me feel. When he turned those attentions to Julie, I was hurt but when I really thought about it, I missed the attention more than I missed Lucas. I also realized that Lucas and Julie are better suited to one another. They both like things eloquent and are happy to put on a show. Julie would be more than content to hand on Lucas' arm while I need to have a sense of my own independence. By the time they chose to marry that following Christmas, I was able to stand up with Julie with nothing but joy in my heart for the two of them."
"So, this weekend is simply a gift from your sister and brother-in-law?"
"Yes," Elizabeth said with a light laugh. "Lucas is still generous with his gifts, though one of my favorite gifts is still a plaque that someone made that hangs in the library."
Nathan felt his cheeks warm at the comment and took a bite of his food so he would not be expected to reply.
"I have lost count of how many times I have looked at that plaque and thought about reaching out to you beyond the notes in the few cards we have exchanged."
Nathan looked up at Elizabeth in surprise. "Why didn't you?" he asked.
Elizabeth stabbed some of the vegetables in her salad. She took a bite, and chewed thoroughly before answering.
"Part of me was worried you didn't care for me like that," Elizabeth replied. "I guess I was hurt that I was not enough of a reason for you to stay two Christmases ago. Though I realize that wasn't fair. I never gave you any encouragement. I never asked you to stay because I wasn't sure if I was strong enough to risk loving another Mountie."
Nathan put down his fork and reached across the table for Elizabeth's hand. "I could give the Mounties up if it meant being with you," he said softly, the words slipping out naturally. Even as he heard them, Nathan realized that he did not want to take them back. It may not change anything, but at least Elizabeth would know what she meant to him.
"So, you did have those kind of feelings for me back then?" Elizabeth said, the words more of a statement than a question really.
"I did," Nathan told her. "When I helped you hand that cardinal on the tree, I almost kissed you but guilt stopped me. I wanted to come to Hope Valley to watch over you and your son for Jack, not fall in love with his widow. Especially when I wasn't convinced, you were completely over his death."
"I wasn't," Elizabeth admitted. "I thought the first Christmas without Jack would have been hard but that second Christmas was harder. Perhaps the excitement of the coming baby had something to do with it. I was excited to have a piece of Jack still with me through our child that first year, while the second Christmas without Jack, I kept dwelling on everything that he was missing with our son." Elizabeth paused for a moment and then said, "I regret that I did not ask you outright to stay in Hope Valley. I tried to hint at it when I spoke of friends you had made there. It wasn't those friends that I really wanted you to stay for. I wanted to ask if I was enough of a reason for you to stay."
"I would have stayed for you, Elizabeth," Nathan told her. The admission came easily. Yes, Elizabeth was worth giving his own dreams up for, if there was a chance she would be willing to make new dreams together. "I left because I did not think I had a chance with you. I figured my job would be a constant reminder about the love you had lost and I knew I could never compete with Lucas and what he could offer you."
"Maybe we both should have just spoken what was in our hearts," Elizabeth told him wistfully. "We can't change the past but do you think you can find the time to enjoy the show with me tomorrow? Julie and Lucas gave me two tickets with the instructions to take a friend. Rosemary was supposed to come with me, but she claims she sprained her ankle yesterday and was sorry she could not come with me. She told me specifically that perhaps I could find someone in Union City to accompany me."
Nathan chuckled. Rosemary was not always subtle when she went about her matchmaking. "You said claims?"
"Well, I felt bad for her at first. I was sitting on the front steps with Jack when she limped over to tell me the news. Then she limped back to her house on the opposite ankle than she was favoring on the way over."
"Yes, that does sound suspicious," Nathan admitted.
"Right now, I am happy she backed out. If you say yes to my invitation, I would be even happier. It is a matinee so perhaps Ally could join us for supper after the show," Elizabeth said. She did not miss Nathan looking around at the opulently decorated diningroom they were sitting in. Knowing exactly what he was thinking, Elizabeth added, "we can go somewhere a little less formal to eat."
Nathan felt his cheeks flushed as he looked back to his dinner, unable to meet Elizabeth's gaze just then. "I didn't mean to be so obvious."
Elizabeth placed her other hand over the one she held. "You like to keep things simple. There is nothing wrong with that but please say you can come to the theater with me tomorrow."
Though it was his scheduled weekend off, Nathan had planned on working on the case. Not that he didn't trust the other men working on the case. He did. Any of them were perfectly capable of following through on trying to identify the guy they had arrested yesterday. Unless he talked, there wasn't much else they could go off of. All they knew for sure is that they had disrupted the smuggling chain.
"I would be honored to escort you to the theater tomorrow, Mrs. Thornton," Nathan told her. "As for supper afterwards, if you had no plans for the evening, why don't you come with me to pick up Ally and ask her yourself."
Elizabeth beamed from across the table from him. "That sounds like a pleasant alternative to sitting in my hotel room alone."
"Then that is settled," Nathan said, gazing across the table into her eyes. After a minute or so, their gaze finally broke and Elizabeth reached his hand. "Having you with me, might also take Ally's attention off of the sling some," he admitted as he returned to his meal.
Elizabeth laughed at the comment. Nathan couldn't help but think that laugh sounded more beautiful than the soft piano music coming from the piano across the dining room.