Conversations of the Heart
A Journey of Love

Chapter 26 ~One Last Look~

Their trip was just around the corner but they wanted to visit their new home one last time before they left so they could show it to Jack. They wanted to be able to share conversations about it while they were away as they would have so much time to fill during their travel.

"Now Jack I am going to put you in front of me on Shadow Dancer and your mama will ride beside us on Sargent. You will need to listen very carefully to me so that I can keep you safe on the ride. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Papa."

"Elizabeth, will you lift him up a bit once I get on so I can hoist him up in front of me?"
"Yes just tell me when you are ready."

Lucas mounted his horse and then reached down for Little Jack who definitely didn't feel so little anymore. He lifted him and put him in front of him and showed him where to hold on. He signaled to Elizabeth and then said, "so are you all ready to go Buddy?"

"Yes, Papa. We are so high!"

"Yes, we are so high so you must listen carefully to everything I tell you and you will be just fine."

They eased into the ride taking it much more slowly than they would normally but once they were comfortable, they picked up the pace. They reached the path to the property and were pleased that the brush had been already cleared to some degree which made it much easier to ride in. Jack had been very good on the ride but he was now having a hard time containing his enthusiasm and Lucas did not blame him. It had been a long ride.

"We will be there very soon now Buddy. Just hold on for another little while and we can get off of the horse and run around." Lucas smiled and gave a hug to the little boy as he winked at Elizabeth."

They soon arrived at the house and Lucas lowered Jack down to Elizabeth. "Welcome to your new home Jack," Elizabeth said with a sweet tone of wonderment.

"It is soooo big like a castle!" the little boy declared.

"Yes, it is. We will be living on this side." Lucas told him.

"Who will be living on that side," asked Jack.

"No one for now. We will see what we may do with it in the future. Shall we go inside and look around? Mama can show you which room will be yours."

With that, they made their way inside and Jack walked with his mouth open ooing and ahhing at all the rooms. They showed him where they would be sleeping; they had selected the largest room that had a lovely view of the orchard and an adjoining small room to be used as a closet. Also adjoining was a room with beautiful windows that would make a perfect nursery. They selected a room on the other side to be for Jack. It also faced the orchard and jack could hardly contain himself with joy.
"Mama Mama… is this really all for me?"

"Yes, Jack this room is yours. It will be all fixed up and ready for you when we return from our vacation. Before you go you can pick the color that you would like the room to be painted. Papa has the examples that you can choose from."

"I want blue please."
"And blue it will be then." Lucas knew just the color of blue for the room. They had found some robin's eggs in a nest this Spring and he had selected a paint sample exactly that special color. Jack would be thrilled. Jack's belongings including his toys and books and a few treasures like his balloon mobile would all be brought over. Lucas and Elizabeth had written to Mr. Darcy in Union City to see if he could locate artwork from some of the stories that they read to Jack. Peter Rabbit of course but he was now growing up so Rudyard Kipling's works were on the list as were tales from Robin Hood.

Jack hugged Lucas around his legs "thank you, Papa. I love my room." Elizabeth watched the two from the doorway; her little boy was growing up so fast and despite a twinge of regret and or jealousy she was so happy to have Lucas here to love him.

"Shall we see some more?" she asked.

Jack came and took her hand. She smiled at that. He still wanted her and needed her. Lucas smiled at them with the most tender look. He knew her so well.

They headed to the kitchen which was obviously the most interesting room in the house. Jack listened to her attentively as she explained all of the wonders of the room. She explained about pizza and how Gustave would show them how to make it in the clay oven and they looked at the hanging pots and beautiful pottery. Soon Lucas thought it might be time for a tour of the outdoors so they opened the patio doors and headed out to the backyard. The men were testing the waterwheel and had the fountain going.
"Look water" exclaimed Jack as he watched the fountain and trotted around it excitedly.

"Yes, Jack and the water is very pretty but it is not for drinking just for looking. You understand?" Elizabeth stressed.

"May I touch it?" Jack looked at Lucas who lifted him up so he could touch the water. Lucas put Jack down when he was satisfied and took his hand so he could lead him down the path to the orchard. Lucas showed him the apple and pear trees which were now blooming and then they toured the equipment shed and the production facility. Jack was very excited that they would be making his favorite grape juice.

Elizabeth soon came to find them. She had their lunch with her so they decided to have it under the pergola outside the office where she and Lucas had lunched before. The wisteria was now in bloom and the lavender flowers smelled delightful. They munched on sandwiches and pickles that Gustave had made and the most delicious chocolate torte Elizabeth had ever tasted. She couldn't help but moan when she took the first bite and then realized what she had done when she saw Lucas' expression. A look of lust that wasn't for chocolate but there was naught they could do with a little boy between them. He rolled his eyes and gave her a look that told her she was in "trouble" as soon as they were alone.

After their lunch, they headed down to the stream to see the water wheel and the foreman's cottage. Lucas made note that he and Elizabeth would need to decide how best to ensure that Jack was safe with the stream so near the house. Mostly they would have to impart to him the importance of having someone with him if he wished to go close.

They ran into the men that were testing the water wheel and Lucas talked to them for a while holding firmly onto Jack's hand. He seemed to sense that he needed to stay close to Papa. It was soon time to head back to find Elizabeth; they found her still under the wisteria but with her head down on the table sleeping. Lucas motioned for the little boy to be quiet while he approached Elizabeth quietly and kissed her on the cheek but she didn't stir. He then moved her hair and kissed her behind the ear which had her soon smiling. He whispered in her ear… I love you Mrs Bouchard… you are so beautiful sleeping under the flowers. She then sat up and smiled. "I had a little nap I guess."

"And you are more than entitled." Replied Lucas.

"Mama, we saw a water wheel going around," exclaimed Jack.

"Oh, you did, did you? That must have been very exciting. You must be sure that your Papa or I or another adult are with you when you go to see the stream or the wheel. Just to be safe. Promise me."

"I promise Mama."

"Thank you, Jack."

"You just have to tell us and we will go with you. Or we will tell you when we can go."

"I promise Papa. I will wait until someone can go with me. Do you think we can catch a fish?"

"I think we should invite Allie and Mountie Nathan when we return from our trip. They have all the right equipment and a lot of experience. If we are going to get a fish then they are our best bet."

Elizabeth was smiling at him. He and Nathan had come a long way.

"What?" Lucas queried. "I am not so proud that I don't know when to delegate. It is what makes a businessman successful. Knowing what you are good at and leaving the rest to an expert. So, unless I am going to wade into the stream and catch fish with my magic hands, I am leaving fishing to the experts."

Elizabeth and Jack both giggled envisioning Lucas standing knee-deep in water so he could catch fish. She was envisioning him in his three-piece suit.

"Okay enough laughing at my expense," Lucas said with a put-on frown and pout which just had them giggling even more. Lucas joined in with that deep chuckle that warmed her heart.

"All right troops, it is time to return to home base which is currently in the row house in Hope Valley." Lucas led the way back to the house where the horses were while Elizabeth trailed behind admiring the pebbles that Jack retrieved from his pockets. Some smooth rocks had caught his eye down by the stream. "But before we go, I want to show you both a special tree." He led them to the area with the fountain and then to the stand of trees beside the backyard. There was a large cedar tree that was perfect for building Jack a treehouse. "I think this is where the treehouse will go. Jack, we will work on the plan when we are on our trip and then we can start when we get back. How does that sound?"
"Sooo good!"
"I am wondering whether delegation applies here?" queried Elizabeth.

"Have some faith my sweet. I can actually drive a nail now." He laughed and she joined in. "But I will need a second man to help carry boards so I will choose very wisely." With that, they circled the house and mounted the horses for their return trip to Hope Valley.

It had been a special day and Lucas didn't want it to end. So, they rode the horses to the saloon so he could check to see if all was well and if they could spare him for the evening. They were only days away now from leaving on their trip so he had been easing out of all duties gradually. So far, the team he had in place was managing very well and he felt he could leave with no worries.

While Lucas was checking in with the staff Elizabeth and Jack headed in search of Gustave. "Bonsoir Madam Elizabeth. Bonsoir Jack." Gustave greeted them. "Will you be dining with us or I can send you home with your dinner?"

"We have had a long day including a round trip out to the property on horseback, so I think we would prefer to return home so we can clean up, relax and end the night there. So, if you don't mind packing our dinner, we would be most grateful."

"That is not a problem. Just give us fifteen minutes and we should have everything ready to go. Why don't you go to the office and rest? I will direct Lucas there if he comes in search of you."

"Come, Jack, we will go to Papa's office and wait until Papa comes for us."

"Will you show me where we are going on the big ball in Papa's office?"

"It is called a globe and I would be happy to show you. In fact, we can make a picture of the part of the globe we will visit on a piece of paper. It is called a map. And then we can take a pen and mark all the places we will go and we can take it with us on our trip."

Lucas soon found them in his office working away at two maps. One showed Canada and the Atlantic Ocean while the other showed a map of the Netherlands France and Spain bordering the Atlantic. She had included Italy and Switzerland as neighboring countries although they wouldn't actually travel there on this trip. He looked over his shoulders as she outlined the train route to Montreal and then down to New York City and then the transatlantic passage to Rotterdam.

"Very good job my love. I'll get the itinerary if you want to use it for your markings of our stops and route through France and Spain and actually, we will cross Portugal on our way to Lisbon for the return voyage across the ocean." He opened one of the drawers and handed her the itinerary that the travel company had sent them. They worked at the map for a while and then heard a knock on the door. "Come in" Lucas called out.

"I have your dinner in these baskets. The main course is in a pot that will keep it warm but you can always reheat it if it cools. The cold items are in the other basket. Do you need a bottle of wine?"

"Thank you, Gustave. No, I brought a number of bottles and stored them in the root cellar at the row house." Lucas replied.

Elizabeth gave Gustave a grateful smile. "You are a jewel, Gustave. I think we would have gone to bed without dinner tonight if it weren't for you. We are just that tired. I see a nice picnic around the fire this evening. There is still a chill in the air in the evenings and it is such a cozy thought."

"Is there a sweet?" Jack asked Gustave.

"Sûrement" declared Gustave. "What is a fine dinner without dessert?"

"Goody" exclaimed the little boy. He grabbed his mother's hand and tugged her toward the door. Lucas took the baskets from Gustave and they were off.

They ate their picnic and then relaxed on the quilt in front of the fire. Jack was building yet another fort. "Papa who is the Black Knight and why is he so mean?"

"Ahhhh" said Lucas. "The tale of the Black Knight is a long one indeed."

"Tell it, Papa!"

"Well, we can begin tonight but we will have many nights before this story is finished," Lucas replied and smiled over at Elizabeth. She knew that Lucas was going to delve into his treasure trove of stories and weave a new tale for them to enjoy. Each of them would get to tell a part with his prompting. They had shared little stories with Jack like this all Winter and Spring but she could tell this one was going to be a grand tale that he would draw out during their travels. There would be so much time that would need to be filled with entertainment for a young boy. They, along with Laura, would have to reach deep in their arsenal to come up with things to do and this would certainly be one activity they could share. She would be certain to catch Laura up on the story before they left.

So, Lucas started the tale….

Long ago in a land far far away, there lived a girl named Rosalinde. She was kind and gentle and grew up in a small castle in the land of Collineverte where her father Lord Gervais ruled. Rosalinde loved to walk the paths around the castle that was built upon a hill. She picked wildflowers and greeted the small creatures that lived there. The rabbits and the little wrens were her very favorite.

Her father loved her dearly and wanted her to be happy but safe. So, he told her to always be sure to stay within the wall that surrounded the perimeter of the castle grounds. There he knew that his men could protect her.

Rosalinde grew up to be a beautiful young woman who was full of life. She loved both her mama and her papa dearly and she was very precious to them. She was their only child but she made friends with the animals and some of the children in the village within the castle walls so she was never lonely. She learned to read from her tutor and loved to spend time in the library sitting in a window alcove reading books that told tales of faraway places….

Lucas then tailed off and said, "this is where we will start next time. Elizabeth and Jack, you must tell us next time of some of the places she might have read about. But for now, it is time for bed."

"Papa just a little more?"

"Let's go up and I will read you the next chapter in the book we started. We will keep our story of the Black Knight for another time. Perhaps when Laura can join in too."

"Okay," the boy said a bit reluctantly. Lucas gave Elizabeth a quick kiss on the forehead and then rose to his feet and held his hand out for Jack. Lucas turned to mouth the words "I will be back" to Elizabeth.

Once the boy was tucked in and had drifted off during the story Lucas returned to find Elizabeth sleeping on the quilt. He sat on the sofa and watched her for a while. She looked beautiful with the glow from the fire touching her. Of course, she always looked beautiful to him but when he saw her in the firelight or moonlight, he always remembered the night of their wedding.

He hated to wake her but he knew she would be much more comfortable upstairs. He had put the warming irons in their bed so it would be nice and cozy for them to slip into. He whispered to her until she woke and smiled sleepily up at him. He helped her to her feet and then they went upstairs. He opened the drapes to let the light in from the starlit night, removed the warming irons, helped her into her nightgown, and then tucked her in. She moaned as she felt the warmth of the sheets against her skin. "That reminds me….." said Lucas. And he proceeded to show her what had come to mind when she had sampled their dessert at the orchard.

"Mmmmm More please…" she whispered.