Bill's Reaction - Chapter 35

Elizabeth pulled on the doorknob of her son's bedroom door until she heard it quietly click.

Alone with him for the first time since that awkward discussion in Hope Valley, Elizabeth felt comfortable in Nathan's presence. Time and space had proven to be beneficial to them both. Gone was the tension between them from the last time they saw each other in person.

Elizabeth let go of the doorknob, and turned to face Nathan with her hands clasped in front of her. Unconsciously she began to swish side-to-side.

Nathan was standing in the middle of the hallway with his hands in his pockets. It was a good look on him, she thought. He had been looking over the bannister at the main floor below, when he heard the door click shut, he turned to face her, with a one-sided smile and a sparkle in his eyes. He raised his eyebrows as if to silently ask "What's next?"

Elizabeth smiled and said, "Dinner should be ready shortly. Shall we go onto the terrace?"

"Yes, that would be nice," Nathan said. Elizabeth breathed a contented approving smile as they both turned and descended the stairs.

She hoped and prayed the dinner was satisfactory. She knew if the staff had made it, it would be exemplary; with her hands involved, she would settle for satisfactory.

The terrace at the Thatcher home was as large as the parlour. The August weather was quite warm and they still had plenty of light before sunset. The terrace overlooked a large garden, including a rose garden. A seasonal dining table had been set up at Elizabeth's request. She recalled when the family was all at home, they enjoyed their meals outside and took in the gloriously beautiful surroundings, including the gardens below.

As beautiful as it was, Elizabeth had never used the area to entertain a date before.

As Nathan and Elizabeth approached the table, they were enthralled with the significance of being in each other's presence. Enjoying the view around them would come later.

The table was beautifully set using Grace Thatcher's Royal Doulton "Victoria Violet" china, sterling silver cutlery and Waterford crystal glassware. The china had been purchased in England, when Grace was there visiting Viola. The only thing that was missing, by Elizabeth's request, were candles.

Nathan had no problem remembering to do the gentlemanly thing and escorting Elizabeth to her seat first, scooting it gently beneath her before taking his seat. They had no time to feel awkward sitting at the table as the staff immediately wheeled out the elegant serving cart with their dinner. The meal was served onto their plates. When the butler went to pour the wine, Nathan politely declined, since he would be on duty the next day.

He said to Elizabeth "I realize you've seen me have a drink in Hope Valley and then go on duty the next day, but there is a big difference between Hope Valley and being on duty at Mountie HQ, Hamilton!"

Elizabeth smiled and requested the wine be replaced with ice water, with coffee to follow, after the meal.

After the blessing was said over the meal, they enjoyed Chicken Parmesan accompanied by a small garden salad served with homemade dressing.

Nathan smiled at her, "I hope I told you how beautiful you look, tonight." He couldn't take his eyes off her.

Elizabeth was somewhat taken aback at Nathan's direct approach. She returned his smile and softly replied, "Yes, you did, however, a lady always likes to be told that more than once, so thank you again."

Her eyes danced when she looked across the table and returned the compliment, "You look very handsome tonight, yourself. The colour blue really suits you." She giggled as she continued, "I must say though, I agree with Little Jack - I think you look better without the tie. You look more relaxed."

Nathan gave a chuckle and said, "Well, if we're being honest, I agree with Little Jack, too."

Elizabeth's mood turned serious and she said, "I really must apologize for Little Jack's behaviour. I never saw that coming; I'm sure you didn't, either."

Nathan laughed, "Oh, there is nothing to apologize for. One never knows what a child will do or say at any time. Remember, I do have some experience in dealing with unpredictable children. Allie was about Little Jack's age when she came to live with me." He chuckled as he remembered, "If you think Allie challenges you as a teacher, you should've seen her as a small child! A lesser man would have crumbled."

Elizabeth spoke right up, "Other than the first few days when she was settling in, Allie has been an excellent student and a positive influence on the class." She paused and cast her eyes down to the table to avoid looking at Nathan, "I always wanted to be a good influence on my student's lives; I never thought I would be capable of doing something so misguided and hurtful to one of my precious students, as I did. Considering all the mistakes I made, I believe my hurtful actions towards Allie were the worst offence of all of them. You'll never know how sorry I am for that."

Nathan leaned forward, and looked at her directly in the eyes. "Hey, I have forgiven you for that" he said with sincerity, "and I have every confidence Allie will too. Ironically, this morning at Chapel service, the chaplain spoke on the topic of 'Second Chances.' I don't remember everything he said, but one thing stood out - we all fail God and we fail ourselves, too. It's what we do next that counts."

He cleared his throat, before finishing his thought, "Normally, I would have stayed after service to discuss the message, but for some reason, I was in a hurry to get on with my day." He gave her a big smile to let her know all was well between them.

Elizabeth returned the smile and was thankful he didn't ask about her church service. She didn't want to explain how she became lost in thought after hearing the passages that were read. One day, she hoped she would have the opportunity to tell him – but that was only if things worked out between them.

All she said in reply was, "Thank you for sharing that, Nathan."

The butler returned to see if anything more was required and Nathan passed on his compliments to the chef on a delicious dinner. He said he had never eaten such a lovely Chicken Parmesan before, also adding that he appreciated the salad side dish, instead of the usual spaghetti.

Before Elizabeth could say anything, the butler spoke up, "Thank you for your kind words, Sir, however, Mrs. Thornton prepared tonight's meal. We merely cooked what she had prepared."

Nathan regarded Elizabeth with surprise admiration and repeated his words, "My compliments to the chef. It was a lovely meal, Elizabeth. Thank you for making the dinner extra-special by preparing it yourself. Why didn't you tell me?"

Elizabeth shyly lowered her head, "Well, I am not known for my abilities in the kitchen. In fact, if the kitchen staff weren't employed by my parents, I don't think they would have let me in."

Nathan laughed and assured her she couldn't possibly be that bad of a cook.

"You wouldn't say that if you had been in town when I first went West! That's all I'm going to say." Elizabeth laughed.

Nathan looked at her curiously, "You know, that's one thing I've always wondered. What made you go West in the first place?"

Elizabeth became pensive, "I wanted my life to make a difference. I desperately wanted to teach. My parents wanted me to secure a teaching position in Hamilton, find someone from the same social realm, get married and have children. They even had someone picked out for me. My mother spoke to the school superintendent without my knowledge in order to make it happen. I was initially assigned to a very prestigious school here in Hamilton."

She looked at Nathan with a disgusted look on her face, "That is until I found out what the school superintendent expected me to do for him in order to secure the position. Well, when I turned down his advances, he rescinded the offer and assigned me to Coal Valley, which appealed to my sense of adventure."

Nathan considered that and replied, "I'm thankful it all worked out well, but what of him? Was his behaviour ever called in question or investigated?'

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, but not until a few years later. That is a very long story, but suffice to say Thomas Higgins will never forget me!"

Now it was her turn to ask a question or two. "How about you? I know why you said you joined the Mounties – to be different from your father. What made you stay in the Mounties after Allie came to live with you? I know a little bit about Mountie life. That could not have been easy."

Nathan promptly answered, "You're right – it was not easy. I stayed with the Mounties for many reasons. I still wanted to be a very different man than the example I had growing up. I was determined to raise Allie with my values. What better way for a young man to gain both maturity and discipline than the Mounties?" He paused to take a breath before continuing, "Besides, for the most part, the Mounties were sympathetic and understanding of a single man raising a four-year-old."

Elizabeth cautiously asked the next question, "I don't mean to bring back 'the memories', but what was Colleen like?"

"Those are good memories, Elizabeth." Nathan unexpectedly chuckled, "As for Colleen, well, have you met Allie? She is so much like her mother. It's almost like having Colleen back with me."

With dinner long since finished and their coffee cups emptied, Elizabeth suggested they go for the walk around the gardens.

When Nathan stood up to full height on the terrace, he gasped in awe at the panoramic view. The Thatcher mansion was a few blocks from the waterfront, but set high enough that the water was visible from the terrace. "Elizabeth, this is beautiful! I didn't realize there was water over there. What's the name of that body of water, do you know?"

"Yes, that's Macassa Bay, it flows into Lake Ontario. It is just off Bayfront Park." Elizabeth replied.

Nathan thoughtfully inquired, "It can't be far from here. Would you be interested in going down there on our walk?"

Elizabeth froze. 'Surely, Nathan did not realize what he was asking her? How could she say no, without creating an awkward situation?'

Thankfully, she thought of a plausible reason not to go that was at least partially truthful, "Well, Little Jack is in bed sleeping and my parents are out for the evening, so I really should stay here."

Nathan nodded his understanding. "Of course, you can't leave. What was I thinking?"

Elizabeth sighed inaudibly. She was thankful she didn't have to awkwardly explain to Nathan that Macassa Bay - connected to Bayfront Park – is where couples go to celebrate their 'first kiss'.

As they walked away from the table, Elizabeth showed Nathan the stairs that led down to the garden area. She was pleasantly shocked when Nathan started down the stairs ahead of her, turned around and reached up with his left hand to help her down the stairs. When she took his hand, she felt shivers down her spine and her heart was racing. She was so disappointed when they reached the bottom of the stairs and he gently let go of her hand.

As they resumed their walk, she asked, "Nathan, how is Allie coping with you being away? I presume she is staying with Opal and her family, so that will help."

Nathan replied, "Actually, the Weiss Family had gone out of town. Allie is staying with the Coulters and from all accounts, she's having a wonderful time. Did you know Rosemary's father was a Mountie?"

"Um, yes I did. There's quite a story there. Of course, I didn't find out about it until she arrived in Coal Valley, as it was called back then. You should ask her about it sometime. It is not my story to tell, or else I would share it with you."

Nathan nodded, "I understand. Allie has settled in quite nicely. Apparently, Rosemary is teaching her some simple meals to prepare and making her a recipe book. I never learned anything beyond basic cooking, which I've always regretted. My mom tried to teach me, but I wasn't interested in learning how to cook. I thought that was for girls! I wanted to be out catching the bad guys – and the odd fish or two. Of course, I wasn't expecting to be twenty-four years old and the sole guardian of a four-year old girl. Over the years, cooking would have saved me a lot of money eating out in restaurants. How about you?"

"Me? Well, I was raised with servants. If I wanted a glass of water, it was the servants' job to bring it to me. When I left Hamilton, I barely knew how to boil water!" Elizabeth laughed. "If it weren't for Abigail, I would have starved."

"Well, you certainly did a lovely job with tonight's dinner." He tilted his head, almost if he was afraid to ask the next question. "Would you…" he paused; not sure he could ask her that.

Elizabeth encouraged him to finish the thought.

Nathan continued, "With Allie learning to cook a few new things, I was just going to ask if you would be willing to teach me how to make tonight's dinner, when we get back home of course."

"Nathan, I would be delighted to teach you the recipe." Elizabeth realized how difficult it was for Nathan to ask for her help, so she decided to make him feel less vulnerable, "How about this, I will teach you how to make Chicken Parmesan and you will teach me how to cook fresh fish. Does that sound fair?"

Nathan smirked at her, "Does that include catching and cleaning?"

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose and said, "Well, I think I could manage going on the fishing trip, as long as I didn't have to touch the bait or the fish." She quickly added, "I don't want to interrupt your special time with Allie, though."

Nathan looked at her thoughtfully, "You know, if the two of you are going to move beyond the past, you are going to need to talk about what happened at some point and I want it kept outside the classroom. It might as well be down at the water doing something at least one of you loves doing."

Elizabeth was taken aback by the change in the conversation. She was so shocked, she sat down on the courting bench located in the garden. "Exactly what are you saying, Nathan." She held her breath – not knowing what to think, but trying to hope for the best.

Nathan sat down beside her, took her hand in his and began to softly massage the back of her hand with his thumb. In a soft voice he said, "Let's face facts Elizabeth, this has been a first date like no other for both of us. And that's fine; we've known each other for a long time. I haven't dated much, but I know what a first date is like – and this isn't it."

"What I am saying is I think tonight has been a really good start for us to find our way back, if that's the path we both want. This has been a lovely evening and I am enjoying every minute of our time together. I know the direction I would like this to go – but this is a bit of a pretend evening."

He paused to let that sink in before continuing, "Once we are back home, evenings like this will be few and far between; a relationship between "us" will mean negotiating life around our little foursome. I wouldn't have it any other way. I love your son as if he were my own child. Mistakes were made, but I know you love my daughter. Before we commit to a relationship with each other, we are going to need to talk and sort through some issues. It may not be easy, but I'm willing to commit to trying, if you are too."

Elizabeth squeezed his hand tightly to make sure she wasn't dreaming his hand was there. She swallowed hard and said, "You are right – I do love Allie as my own daughter. I will also commit to being there for the tough conversations. Thank you for agreeing to give "us" a try." She paused before adding, "I guess we were both right after all. Love really is worth fighting for!"

With that he looked up and saw the sun beginning to set. "C'mon, let's go watch the sunset before we have to call it an evening."

They stood on the edge of the grounds watching the sun go down in majestic beauty. With the disappearance of the sun, she felt a shiver. In no time flat, Nathan had removed his jacket and wrapped it around her for warmth.

She looked at him, appreciatively. They stood like that for a short while longer, before reluctantly heading back.

As they walked back toward the house, hand-in-hand, Nathan stopped her and said, "I promised your father I would let Benson drive me back to the barracks. If you don't mind, I think I would like to say our goodnight here, and I will walk over to the garage."

Elizabeth nodded her head and said, "Thank you for a lovely evening, Nathan. I can't tell you the last time I had such a lovely time."

Nathan gave her a bright smile and replied, "Thank you for a delightful evening and lovely dinner. Most of all, I enjoyed the company and the conversation."

She closed her eyes and murmured, "Yes, the company and conversation was wonderful. Will I see you again before you go back to Hope Valley?"

Nathan looked at her and shrugged his shoulders, "I know why I'm here; I just don't know the length of my stay. I am hopeful I will be able to see you again. I will make sure we at least speak on the phone before I leave."

They turned to face each other. The lingering shades of colour of the sunset from one side, and the lamplight from the terrace emphasized the curves of his hair, the lines of his neck and shoulders. He stepped forward until his chest was just a few inches from her. She had been in a state of constant blush all evening. She thought it wasn't possible for the sensation in her cheeks to thrill even more, but it did. She tipped her head back slightly and became lost in his eyes. Nathan was never one to waste words, although he had said plenty this evening. Now, though, words weren't necessary. He leaned over her and gave her a kiss on the forehead, before giving her a sweet, but chaste kiss on the cheek. His lips were warm and soft and she felt immobilized by their touch.

He glanced down at her lips and then back up to her eyes. Although unconventional, this is still their first date and they both knew the accepted society rules about first dates.

Nathan moved back a half step. Elizabeth was still unable to move as their eyes communicated deeply one last time. Finally, Nathan said "Good night, Elizabeth." He smiled warmly and then turned to walk briskly away. Elizabeth let out a puff of air as she found her voice and called out softly "Good night…."

The lighting from the house illuminated his path and enabled her to watch after him longingly. She had thoroughly enjoyed their precious few hours together and it surprised her how much she already felt his absence.

Elizabeth slowly glided back up the stairs to the terrace, sad that their wonderful evening had ended but glowing with the knowledge that Nathan was willing to give "them" a chance.

As she passed by the area where they had shared such a lovely meal, Elizabeth pleasantly noticed the colourful roses Nathan had given her had been taken inside and set in a place of honour on the dining room table. She moved to the roses and inhaled their aroma once more as her fingers caressed the satiny smoothness of the petals.

Lost in thought, Elizabeth was surprised to hear the doorbell ring. The clock on the wall showed it was 9:30 at night. How unusual to have a caller that late.

Their few weekend servants were off duty for the night. She approached the door and gave a peek through the entryway window before quickly side-stepping and opening the door wide.

Nathan was standing there, centred in the doorway. Giving him a bright smile, she asked, "Well hello, did you forget something? Please come in."

Nathan stepped inside far enough for her to shut the door before he answered her. He spoke so softly, she barely heard the whispered words, "Yes. Ah, no. I didn't forget. It's just…," He paused for a moment. Elizabeth raised her eyebrows in curiosity at the gleam of intent in Nathan's eye. "Elizabeth, I know the rules for a first date, and as hard as it was, I followed them. I walked away from you and got as far as the garage when I realized our first date is now behind us. So, I came back here because …" pausing, he continued, "I wanted to leave you with this..."

He leaned down and tenderly touched his lips to hers. Then, he reached up with his hand and gently embraced her neck, drawing her closer to him. They locked eyes and both knew they were on the same page. As she reached up to complete the embrace, he passionately kissed her on the lips. When the kiss ended, he beamed as he saw pure joy on her face.

He amazed her further by saying, "If you can't bring the lady to Bayfront Park, you find a way to bring Bayfront Park to the lady."

"Um, how do you know about…" Elizabeth started.

He put a finger to her lips and smiled, eyes twinkling, "Well, I am a Mountie!"

This chapter pretty much wrote itself, but I do extend my thanks to Mamabethany for her input and suggestions to improve the initial story.