Author's Notes:
First, my apologies for neglecting to add a warning to the chapter that showed Elizabeth's episode in the schoolhouse. I hope no one was triggered. Also, I am not in agreement with any physical violence and have stated so in my SM comments regarding another character's recent 'slap.' So, please let me explain how I think E's reaction, acting out, is different and yet real. E is so angry she is out of control and doing something physical is her last and regretable resort. The fact that Nathan ducked out of her way, allowed me to include it. Hitting in anger was her intent, but Nathan was not actually hit.
Secondly, nervous breakdowns are a serious matter, not to be trifled with or treated lightly. They may be the lowest of the low for the person experiencing them and they can be devastating to the families of those hurting dear ones as well. In our century there are many mental health medications and specific counseling treatments available. Also, a breakdown like this takes much longer to recover from than this story can allow. (Many thanks to the person who shared their personal story with me and answered my questions. God bless you!)
Thirdly, please remember this is fiction. Elizabeth's journey needed to start at rock bottom with loss and shock, but recovery will be accelerated in this story. In addition, in 1920 the diagnosis, resources and treatment were different, making Faith somewhat uncertain and dependent on Pastor Joseph. Knowing my pastor's father's counseling with those in need, including two women who were released from the hosiptal into his care in our home, I know God can use that Spiritual input. Plus, we'll see William Thatcher providing what assistance money can buy.
Finally, I am humbled and amazed at the support for this story. 'Thank you' is not enough to say! I believe this is the story we all need at this time, no matter what we see in previews on screen. Here there is a lot of love and there are many happy times for Nathan and Allie, a soothing balm to their hurting hearts.
Please continue to let me know your thoughts and I'll make every effort to respond as I can.
With appreciation!
Eilie
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Chapter Ten
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Dinner and Discussions
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"Dad? Can you fix my hair? I just did one side, but can't get the other to match." Allie called into the sleeping quarters where her father was getting dressed for dinner.
"Give me a couple minutes and I'll see what I can do."
Emerging from behind the door, Nathan saw Allie, dressed in her bathrobe and now seated on the sofa waiting for his rescue. "I am assuming you will change right before we depart, but won't that mess up your hair?"
"No, Dad. It'll be fine." She pointed to the problem. "Do you need to start over or…?"
Nathan sat down and Allie stood between his knees. "Let's see…" He tried to match the partial French braided style and sent Allie to the mirror for approval.
"That's really good, Dad. Thanks! Back in a minute."
Nathan tied his shoelaces while Allie changed, but when he looked up his breath caught. "Oh Allie! You look lovely. That's the new dress Aunt Rosemary gave you, isn't it?"
Allie nodded as she twirled around. "Do you like it? I love the color. I think Aunt Rosemary called it Prussian Blue and she said it is the latest style for young ladies." The dress was perfectly tailored to fit Allie's curves, with a wide collar, a crossed bodice, and double-breasted buttons. Cinched in at her slender waist, the skirt was more slim than her older dresses, but had a pleated section on the side. Allie felt quite grown up. "And look!" Allie held out a length of ribbon perfectly matching the dress.
"What do I do with this?" Nathan took the ribbon and waited as Allie turned her back again.
"You gather the two braids and tie them together at the bottom and make a nice bow. The braids hang over the long hair in back."
Nathan did as instructed. "That looks good to me. What do you think?"
Allie approved and returned with a necklace and her charm bracelet, handing them to Nathan. First, Nathan clasped the bracelet around her slender wrist. "I'll have to find a charm to celebrate this big move, Honey. Would you like to choose it together or be surprised?"
"I love your surprises, Dad." Allie wiggled her wrist to jangle the charms then turned her back to her Dad. Allie lifted her hair in back so he could fasten the chain of the cloisonné heart necklace that used to belong to her mother.
When Allie turned to face her Dad, his eyes glistened. He remembered fastening that very necklace around his sister Colleen's neck in their youth. Allie resembled Colleen so much as she was maturing, that Nathan was often taken aback.
Allie recognized her Dad's expression and reached up to kiss his cheek. "Thank you, Dad. I love you."
"And I love you, dear Daughter." Nathan shrugged on his dark gray suitcoat and pulled down his shirt sleeves.
Allie adjusted his oft wayward collar, then straightened his black tie and giggled. "I have the best-looking date on the train tonight, Dad!"
"Oh? I was going to say that." Nathan nudged her shoulder. "So, are we ready for our fancy dinner?" Nathan offered his elbow and they proceeded out the door. As they walked down the hallway, Nathan added, chuckling. "I even wore socks tonight. Just for you!"
Allie grinned, but whispered, "Behave, Dad. Behave!"
Escorted to their reserved table, Nathan stood by as Allie was seated, then sat opposite her.
"Thank you, Sir." Allie responded as the waiter handed her the menu.
"May I get you a drink, Sir? And what about for the Miss?" Asked the waiter.
"Tea for me and, Allie? Do you want to try a ginger soda or a cup of herb tea?"
Allie looked up at the waiter and, sounding very adult, replied. "Ginger soda now, please, and herb tea with our dessert? Thank you."
Nathan just watched, marveling at how self-assured his Allie was becoming. He was proud and very, very grateful.
They perused the menu and made their choices. Allie chose the pork loin with a wine reduction, buttered noodles and green beans almondine. "Dad? Is that okay, the 'wine reduction?'"
"It's fine, Allie. The alcohol in the wine disapates when it is heated. Reduced just means the sauce thickens."
"Good. I'll get that."
Nathan contemplated the rosemary chicken, but when he heard Allie's choice, he seconded it for himself and was ready to order when the waiter returned. "Two orders of the Pork Loin and may we also have a small green salad to share, please? Thank you." The waiter was ready to take the menus when Nathan spoke up. "May we look at the dessert offerings while we wait?"
"Of course, Sir. But remember there is a dessert cart that might change your mind!" He grinned and departed.
"Oooo! A dessert cart! Shall we just make a back-up plan?" Nathan opened the menu and began to read the options aloud, with occasional eye brow movements to indicate his approval.
"Daaaddd… I think you like the desserts better than the main dishes." Allie giggled. "I guess some things never change!"
"You are correct." He used his hand to express that everyone should know this. "Isn't dessert the most important part of any meal?"
They chose their individual back-up desserts and promised to share a bite with each other.
Setting the menu aside, Nathan glanced around the dining car. "What do you think of the ambiance, Miss Grant? Does it set the mood for you?"
Allie followed her Dad's glance with a critical eye. "Yes, Sir. I believe it does. The low-burning lamps give just the right glow to each person's face. Really nice. And the maroon velvet makes everyone's complexion look healthy too. Of course the setting sun helps also."
Nathan chuckled. "Spoken like a true artist and the daughter of one too. Your mother would have commented on just those things…the lights, the glow and the color."
As they enjoyed their salad course and their entrees, Nathan and Allie watched the sky turn from golden to coral pink to lavender clouds and discussed their hopes for their new life.
"I hope you'll feel less pressured, Dad, now that the safety of an entire town doesn't depend on just you. I hope you'll be home more and sleep better too."
"How would you know how well I may or may not have slept, Allie?"
"I live with you, Dad. I hear you go downstairs and sit on the front steps some nights. Other nights I see your table light go back on and I know you're reading until you get sleepy again."
"Honey! I didn't know I was bothering you. I'm so sorry."
"Don't be, Dad. I would always say a prayer for you and then go right back to sleep. It was okay." Allie smiled and paused in the middle of cutting her meat. "You carried a lot of burdens for most of the time we were in Hope Valley, I know. And Dad? I'm sorry when I contributed to those burdens."
"Oh, Allie. You have never been a burden. I might worry sometimes, but that's a part of parenting and loving. Other than that first day of school in Hope Valley, even my worries were not that bad. You have always been trustworthy, Sweetheart." Nathan lifted his fork and paused. "That is except for that first day!" He took his bite and watched as Allie blushed slightly.
"I guess I will never live that down, eh? I can't believe I said my teacher 'smelled like chalk!' How embarrassing!"
"Well, I must admit it was pretty difficult for your teacher and for me to keep a straight face with that comment!"
Changing the topic, Allie queried. "So what are you looking forward to in Regina, Dad?"
"The new job. You know how I love horses having been raised on the ranch. So being able to concentrate on horsemanship and how to bond with and work with your horse is something I will enjoy. I guess part of me doesn't mind instructing in tracking either. I know that whatever the recruits learn from me may save their or someone else's life. That is an important and rewarding task." Nathan paused thoughtfully. "I think I am also looking forward to the camaraderie of my fellow Mounties. You know? Like I had at some of the Forts? A group of Mountie brothers all working together towards a common goal? It's very satisfying."
Allie listened and watched carefully, her head tilted. This was something her father had never told her. Nathan didn't notice. "I guess your friends in Hope Valley weren't the same?" Allie inquired carefully.
"Not really. I mean Uncle Bill and Uncle Gabe speak the same language, so we are close, but it took a long time to solidify other friendships. You know Uncle Lee and eventually Pastor Joseph became close and I had discussions with them I wouldn't have with my fellow Mounties." Nathan chuckled. "Unless we were camping out under the stars. That's when Mounties share their hearts!"
"What about Mr. Yost, Mr. Henry, Mr. Mike and Mr. Jesse?"
"Never really had a heart-to-heart with them. I guess the closest was when I rescued Jesse that time. But he shared more than I did."
"And the ladies?"
"Aunt Rosemary finds her way into the hearts of us all, and there is Mrs. Yost, of course. Miss Fiona and Dr. Faith are friends. Their friendships are more recent though, you know… after Mrs. Thornton made her decision. I think that's when the other ladies rallied around."
"Could you learn to like-like any of them? I mean the single ladies." Allie was on a roll and decided to ask as much as she could now that they had left Hope Valley behind. She wanted to assess the state of her father's heart.
Nathan stared out the window unseeing before quietly answering. "If I had gotten to know either of them before Eliza… I mean Mrs. Thornton, I think I could have been interested in Miss Fiona or Dr. Faith. They are wonderful ladies, strong and with kind hearts, a strong faith and a sense of humor."
"Will you miss any of them?" Allie was still searching.
"Allie, I will miss all of them, all of our Hope Valley friends, but I am not going to focus on the past we are leaving behind. I intend to focus on God's new path and look ahead." Nathan took a deep breath and returned to the original question.
"Another thing, Honey, is that I am looking forward to you having a good experience with the Collins family and in your new school. I can't wait to see you shine! You are so bright and I think the opportunities at St. Anne's will be rewarding for you."
Allie shrugged. "We'll see. I'm not really worried about my studies, I just hope I can make some friends."
"I am praying that you will, Sweetheart. If you're just yourself, funny and witty and kind and thoughtful, I believe you'll make friends very quickly. You are a lovely young lady, Allie, and I'm not the only one who thinks so."
"Maybe not, Dad. But all my admirers are your age or older, so they really don't count!"
Nathan laughed. "So us old fellas don't count, eh?"
"You know what I mean, Dad."
"Honey?" Nathan waited until Allie looked up at him. "I know making friends is a concern for you. Let's pray about it when we get back to our cabin, okay? God has brought us here and I am sure it is for our good." Nathan leaned back as he set his knife and fork carefully on the plate. "That was delicious. I'm glad I followed your lead!"
Allie hadn't finished the entire plate. "It was good, but too much food for me! I am saving some room for dessert remember. Would you like some of mine?"
She offered her plate to Nathan who declined. "Oh, I haven't forgotten about dessert,Allie-girl!"
When their plates had been cleared and the dessert cart arrived, Nathan and Allie were impressed, but very indecisive. "Everything looks so tempting, Dad! How can we decide?"
"Why don't we each chose a favorite and then share? I vote for Pavolva with summer fruits. Doesn't that look delicious?"
"It does, but I think I'd like to try the Chocolate Pot de Crème. Doesn't that look good and rich?"
Nathan ordered and the waiter disappeared to collect their choices, returning only a moment later. "Enjoy Sir, Miss. Anything else I can get for you?"
"Another cup of tea please? Thank you so much." Nathan eyed the desserts set before them.
"We should have skipped dinner and just had dessert, right? Maybe we need to say another blessing over our desserts!" He winked at Allie. "These are wonderful, but decadent. We certainly have made a memory, haven't we, Miss Grant?"
Allie giggled, "Yes, Sir, Mr. Grant, Sir. We certainly have."
