Author's Note: This chapter is NEW! I inadvertantly missed posting this chapter, but have now made 72 the chapter it should have been and adjusted the subsequent chapters. So sorry, but you do need to read this for continutity as well as new information! Thanks for understanding. Eilie
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Revised Chapter Seventy-two
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Catching Up
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At his desk on Thursday morning, Nathan decided to take his break even before the workday began since Wes was out of the office for the morning and he needed to call Joseph. He hoped to catch him in his home, but Copper answered the telephone and told Nathan that Joseph was at the church. Ringing the church office, Nathan greeted Joseph's friendly salutation.
"Nathan, my friend! Good to hear from you. How is everything in Regina?"
"Do you have some time, Joseph? Even condensing the answer to that question will take a while!" Nathan chuckled.
"Sure, let me just lock the door so no one inadvertently interrupts." Returning to the telephone, Joseph commented, "I must admit I am going to enjoy the quiet and privacy of a dedicated church building now, but I still need to set office hours and have people learn that there may be others in need of my attention! So, what's up?"
"Wait. Dedicated church?"
"Oh, you don't know? The new school was opened yesterday so the church is now a true sanctuary and my office is finally private during the daytime. We've removed the bulletin boards, added some velvet curtains and a new cross in front and it looks lovely and set-apart for worship now. We are awaiting delivery of a carpet for the platform that Bill has donated and a new piano that the Coulter's donated. I am especially hoping that the piano arrives in the next week." Joseph chuckled. "We need to be prepared for Christmas!"
"I am suddenly realizing how distant I am, Joseph. I forgot the school's estimated completion was this week! It feels odd to know there is now a building that didn't exist during my tenure in Hope Valley." Nathan acknowledged. "I admit life here has been incredibly full though."
"Fill me in, Nathan. I'm anxious to hear it all." Joseph invited Nathan to continue.
Nathan gave an abbreviated recounting of the events in Allie and his lives in Regina, beginning with how wonderfully Zachary was fitting into the family, the visit with his parents, and entertaining the Best family from Barbados. Nathan also recounted the new responsibility with the funeral exercises and his growing friendships amongst the faculty.
He shared how appreciative he was for William's visit and how the Lord had used Nathan's poetry in William's life. "I guess you can liken it to a parishioner sharing how moved they were by your sermon, Joseph. I am beyond grateful that my simple words on paper have had an effect in the lives of others besides myself. It is surprising, but encouraging."
"As it should be, Nathan."
His voice low, Nathan questioned. "Do you know that William brought letters from Elizabeth?"
"I do. How do you feel about her confessions, Nathan? Are you alright?" Joseph asked, praying silently in the moment.
"My feelings are mixed. I am grateful for her admissions and request for forgiveness while at the same time, pained that I had to relive those memories. Plus, a few more memories surfaced as I read." Nathan took a deep breath. "Joseph? She asked me to write back and I did. I doubt my response is what she is expecting though. As I contemplated her words, I realized that I never had a chance to speak. Countless times Elizabeth spoke her mind then walked out or rode away and I never voiced my thoughts. I did in the letter, Joseph. I explained hard truths to her about her actions and the results of those actions. I also explained why I waited to disclose the Fort Clay information and how disrespectful her actions were on the street in that and another loud and public accusation against me. I hope I was not harsh, but I had to be honest, Joseph. Throughout the letter I explained that I had already forgiven her and did again."
Joseph could hear the emotion in Nathan's voice, but continued to wait for his friend to unburden himself.
Clearing his throat, Nathan spoke again. "Elizabeth declared her love… and she wants a second chance, Joseph." Nathan got quiet for a few moments. "I'm not sure. A restored relationship has been my hope and dream, but now that she is requesting that, I don't know if I can trust her. Does that make sense?"
Joseph responded quietly. "Remember, forgiveness and reconciliation are not the same nor always sequential. If I recall your admissions to me in the past, Elizabeth has broken your heart and your trust, Nathan. By her rejection of you and her subsequent relationship with Lucas, you can no longer believe her words. Especially knowing that the basis of her relationship with Lucas was so ill-founded. You both need time and she needs to show, to prove how different she is now and how she loves you in a deep and abiding way. That's a tall order to do long-distance, but it's not impossible."
Pausing, Joseph then added. "I am grateful you took the opportunity to speak, Nathan. Elizabeth is continuing to discover how self-oriented she has been so it is an appropriate time for these revelations."
"Thank you for your support, Joseph, and for guiding Elizabeth over these past months. Please continue to pray for her as she reads my letter?"
"Oh, you both have had and continue to have my prayers, Nathan. I know what I want, but I am asking for God's perfect will to be accomplished nonetheless. Even though you are living so far away, this relationship is work and is a journey for both of you. I will not ask you if your feelings remain the same as I believe I know that answer. What I will ask is if you have gotten to know any other women as I suggested?"
Nathan chuckled and explained his Saturday morning coffee meeting with Rachel. "The comparison was glaring, I could not envision a future with her, except as the choir director of course!"
"There is more though." Nathan explained the request of the Chaplain and his hesitancy due to becoming overcommitted. "I have prayed about it and believe it is okay to decline. No sooner did I make that decision internally I was called into the office of a superior and ended up acting as a Chaplain in counseling, I mean listening, and praying for him on the spot! I have second-guessed my decision ever since. Any advice?"
Joseph thought for a moment. "Stay true to what you concluded in prayer, Nathan. Acting in that capacity, to listen, comfort and pray, is just your natural compassion, God's gifting and expression of your walk of faith. It doesn't have to be a career choice. Honestly, this is how we all should act." Joseph's smile could be heard in his voice. "Yet, if you ever choose to leave the Mounties, I would highly recommend you to the pastorate!"
Chuckling Nathan responded, "You are not the first to say that! So you are advising I turn down the offer?"
"I am, Nathan. With your corresponding relationship with Elizabeth and commitment to Allie, plus it sounds like you joined the choir, you are walking in God's plan for you right now. Relax some, don't strive for activity to keep busy, and enjoy your life, Nathan. God wants that too! Then you have something of yourself to offer when the opportunity arises!"
Nathan breathed a sigh of relief to have this confirmation from someone he trusted so much. "I cannot thank you enough, Joseph for your wise counsel over the years, and today! Thank you also for your prayers past, present and future. Before I hang up though, how are you?"
After Joseph shared about his schedule, life and family the friends concluded their call.
"I'll let you go and get to work here." Nathan stated then requested. "Give my love to Minnie and the children, please?"
"I will and give our love and a hug to Allie, Nathan? She remains a frequent part of our conversations at our dinner table! God bless you both."
Deciding not to let any grass grow beneath his feet, Nathan headed to the Chaplain's office. After exchanging greetings and handshakes, Chaplain Thom spoke. "I can see by the expression on your face, Nathan, you have come to say no to my request. I am not surprised but am disappointed, especially when I was talking to Tim late yesterday and he told me about your conversation and prayer with him. Still, God can surprise you with unplanned conversations just like that and still use you for His work."
"Thank you for understanding, Thom. It is a great opportunity, just not for me at this time. I conferred with a couple trusted friends and my pastor friend in Hope Valley and they are supportive of my decision, even pointing out some concerns I hadn't thought of yet. Thank you for thinking of me though?" Pausing Nathan decided to share. "As I was just walking down the hallway I was wondering if you have considered Wes Murphy? He has a strong faith and is one with whom I discussed this a couple days ago. He is already schooled and experienced in counseling through the hard things of life."
"Wes? I don't know why, but I haven't considered him. I guess I see him in his established role, but, let me consider this idea." Thom pondered briefly. "Thanks, Nathan."
"Just a thought, but I will pray you find the right person. I better get back to my projects! Take care, Thom, and God bless you." Nathan saluted and turned to the door.
Chaplain Thom responded, "God bless you too!"
As William Thatcher stepped onto the platform in Hope Valley he was quickly engulfed in hugs. Jack hugged his legs, Elizabeth kissed his cheek and hugged his left arm and Grace, after a quick kiss in spite of the public setting, hugged his right arm.
"Well! This is a very welcome 'welcome!'" William laughed. "I might guess you missed me!"
"I missed you Granddaddy! We need to play trains again." Jack lowered his voice. "Mommy and Grandmommy just can't make the right engine noises."
At that, everyone within earshot laughed heartily.
"Guilty as charged." Elizabeth grinned at her son, then caught his hand in hers. "Shall we release your grandfather so he can help carry the suitcases?" Turning to David Wright, Elizabeth welcomed him. "Hello, David. I hope your trip was uneventful?"
"Hello, Miss Elizabeth. We had some events, but all is well and I am sure your father will fill you in!" David gathered the two large suitcases while William took hold of the satchel of work items.
Grace pointed to the automobile. "Elizabeth drove us so we could meet you here, much to Hudson's dismay. I think he felt we were usurping his responsibilities!" She squeezed her husband's arm. "We'll have to make it up to him somehow…"
"Are you hungry, Dad?" Elizabeth spoke then winked at her father. "We all want to hear all about your trip!"
"Sure, I can eat. What's on the menu?"
"Potato and Corn Chowder for lunch and Stuffed Cornish Hens for dinner. Sound appetizing? Probably not as fancy as you've had during your time in Regina though." Grace commented.
"Well, my food selections were varied, but all delicious and the company was memorable! I have so much to tell you!" William winked at his daughter, then asked David. "Would you prefer to drive or shall I?"
Elizabeth assisted Hudson as he served the soup by bringing the teapot and the basket of Pilot Crackers (##) to the table. Gathered around, the family and Hudson joined hands as William gave thanks for the food, God's safekeeping of his family and their loved ones and a safe journey home.
"I hope you don't mind, but Bill will join us for dinner this evening." Elizabeth offered as she passed the butter. "He cannot wait for an update on Nathan and Allie!"
"I figured he would be included sooner rather than later. While I eat a little, why don't you all share what I missed in Hope Valley?" William chuckled. "Then I can begin the Regina report!"
"We saw the new school and Mommy talked. In front of everybody too!" Jack contributed as he tried to find a piece of bacon in his chowder. "There!"
"I have missed this little fella!" William nodded his head towards Jack. "So, how was your speech, Bessie? What did you say?"
"Well, I made a copy so you can read it later. I commented on the changes between when I arrived to teach in the Saloon and now, and mentioned the wonderful new building and shared about my health crisis, thanking everyone for their understanding and forgiveness."
"I should answer that question, William." Grace interrupted. "Elizabeth gave a lovely speech and everyone appreciated her all the more for her honesty and openness. She said just enough and not too much."
"Good. What do you think of the building?"
"I am pleased." Elizabeth shared. "There is so much room to expand and grow. The new teacher, Mr. McNutt, is very personable, knowledgeable and full of ideas. There are exciting days ahead for the students of Hope Valley!"
William eyed his daughter thoughtfully. "Any regrets?"
"None as far as the future of the school. No." Elizabeth responded.
"Tell your father about the bulletin board, Sweetheart." Grace suggested.
Blushing, Elizabeth ducked her head for a moment. "I think Mother wants me to tell you about a particular board entitled, "What I Learned from Mrs. Thornton."
By the time the family had shared about the bulletin boards, the school, the progress on the renovations for the Hotel, how lovely the church sanctuary looked now and the news of the Coulter's adoption in the works, lunch and cookies were over.
"Why don't you ladies join the menfolk in the front room while I clean up the dishes?" Offered Hudson.
"Thank you, Hud! You are the best!" Elizabeth gave him a kiss on the cheek as she carried the dishes into the kitchen. "I appreciate this!"
Before sitting on the floor with his grandson, William retrieved a couple wrapped packages from his satchel. He handed one to Grace, then Elizabeth, then once seated on the floor, he handed one to Jack.
"Oh! What did you get me?" Jack asked as he tore into the wrapping paper. "Yay! A car, a little horse and a Mountie Nat'an! Look Mommy! The right size for my town!"
Elizabeth looked at her grinning father and couldn't wait to hear what he thought of Nathan, but her fleeting thought was that it must be good if this is what he chose to bring home for Jack. "Isn't that nice, Jack. A perfect size. What do you say to your grandfather?"
Jack hopped up and reached to give William a hug. "Thank you for this, Granddaddy. I love them."
"You are welcome. I was in the right city to find Mountie things!" As the adults chuckled, William turned to his wife and motioned to the package in her lap. "Open it, Sweetheart."
"You didn't need to get anything for me, William, but I can't wait to see what it is!" Grace giggled like a school girl. "Oh! How lovely!" Grace held up a wool shawl woven in a leaf pattern that incorporated beautiful dark colors of blues and greens and rich maroon.
"I thought that would go with everything you have and with winter almost bearing down on us, you can enjoy being warm."
"Thank you, William. Truly lovely!" Grace pursed her lips in a quick, distant kiss.
"Your turn, Bessie."
Elizabeth laughed, clearly able to guess by the shape of the package that it was a book. "A journal! How did you know? I will soon be running out of space! Thank you, Dad, for this. It is beautiful!" She held up the leather bound volume that had a built-in belt that wrapped around it and buckled on the front.
"I chose that design for a reason, Bessie. I thought it might remind you of a certain part of a certain uniform."
Immediately understanding, Elizabeth caught her breath as her eyes watered. "S…S… So special…" She fingered the buckle as she thought of the belt and strap that Nathan wore. Later when alone she marveled that her first thought was Nathan in his serge. She hadn't even thought of Jack's uniform.
William began to make the perfected train noise that Jack had mentioned previously and Jack was bouncing with glee. He imitated his grandfather, although he pushed his new car in between the train tracks. After a while, William leaned down and whispered, I need to talk to your Mommy and Grandmommy, but you go ahead and play, my boy, okay?"
"Umm hmm." Jack hardly noticed but picked up the mini-horse and Mountie as he made the noise of hoof-beats by clicking his tongue, "Clop. Clop. Clop. Clop..."
William drew a chair to the sofa and looked at his girls. "So what do you want to know?"
Elizabeth's face lit up as she whispered. "Everything."
William gladly described his first meeting with Nathan, the high praise given by the Commissioner and Nathan's blue serge that had surprised him. He then described the fancy restaurant, what Allie had worn and how Allie had enthused about the décor.
"That girl has won my heart! She is just charming and, together with her Dad… they are precious. She described a special dinner she and Nathan shared on the train, when they got dressed-up for their date. She was aglow as she described the surroundings, the food and how proud she was of her father. Their relationship is beautiful and they each are so supportive of the other, even when Nathan has to give her a word of warning, Allie respectfully listens. I am impressed with both of them."
William paused as he considered how to share the next part of that evening. Finally he decided to be upfront and bluntly stated that Lucas Bouchard interrupted their meal. William noticed as a cloud of fear crossed his daughter's face, but it dissipated as he described everything else, including how impressed he was with Nathan Grant as he tackled the man to the ground and handled the questioning, knowing exactly what to do.
Elizabeth had never known details of an arrest, a booking or the RCMP procedures that William described to her, so she hung on every word, especially pleased with her father's admiration of Nathan's Mountie skills and leadership at the precinct. "He had everything running like clockwork and everyone working as a team. Nathan is well-respected. I could see it in the faces of the two Mounties who arrived while Nathan had Bouchard pinned to the ground. As soon as they knew who Nathan was their admiration was palpable."
"I attended Knox Presbyterian Church with them on Sunday morning. Nathan sang in the choir, so I sat beside Allie and some dear friends of theirs. Jon, he's a Sergeant and fellow instructor with Nathan, even invited me to dine with his family should I return to Regina on a Sunday! I aim to arrange that!" William chuckled. "The two families have a regular tradition to share Sunday dinner and afternoon together, then soup before Allie and the other two girls go to youth group. I am glad they were willing to forego that time together so that I could spend more time with the Grants!"
"Guess what?" William chuckled at the surprised faces of his wife and daughter. "I went to their little cottage for a delicious brunch, spent the afternoon and enjoyed a simple supper before Nathan dropped off Allie at church! He's a good cook, Elizabeth! Nathan made apple pancakes, fruit compote, eggs and sausage, scones and then at night we had melted cheese sandwiches, soup and cookies! I enjoyed every moment and they made me feel a part of their family."
William and Grace watched as Elizabeth absorbed this information before continuing. 'While Allie was in her room, Nathan and I had a wonderful conversation about his poems, his family background, his work at the Academy and even a new responsibility he is being asked to take on. You can pray for wisdom as he makes the decision this week, Elizabeth. He thinks he'll decline, but he's been invited to become the on-call person for the Chaplain at the Academy! Having read his poetry I believe he would be perfect for the position. He is hesitating though as he doesn't want to become over-committed. I also understand he is now one of the leaders in preparing new Cadets to participate in funeral exercises. According to Allie, that is a privilege and an honor!" William caught his breath. "Evidently the Chaplain's on-call position would be created for Nathan and…Oh! Allie also divulged that her Dad has many, many commendations and awards and he doesn't display any of them! Allie says there is a full crate in his closet!"
"I never knew…" Elizabeth whispered quietly.
"No one knows but Allie!" William shook his head with a wide grin spreading across his face. "That young lady! She was such fun, so effervescent, so bright and so thoughtful. The bond she and Nathan share is beautiful to behold! Her artwork is lovely too. Oh, and her mother's paintings, Nathan's sister's works, are stunning. They have them in every room."
"Did you tour their entire house?" Elizabeth asked, surprised.
"I did! My goodness, Elizabeth, do those two people like to read! There is a stack of books beside their beds, and a full bookcase in each of their bedrooms, plus the front room has bookcases flanking the fireplace. Full ones!" William questioned. "Did you know that, Bessie?"
"I knew Allie loved to read, but didn't really think about where that appreciation came from. I only recently learned that Nathan is an avid reader, so this confirms that report!"
"Oh! On the tour I saw a beautiful jewelry box on Allie's dresser. Turns out that Nathan carved it for her. Did you know he is a woodworker?"
Elizabeth blushed. "That plaque in the Library? Nathan carved that as a gift to me…"
As Jack began to yawn, Elizabeth explained she had better take him upstairs for a nap. "I still want to hear everything you have to share, Dad…" She hesitated to ask, but the question was burning within.
Seeing Elizabeth's hesitancy, William stood and went to his satchel. "I have a couple things for you, Bessie." Handing two envelopes to his daughter, William gave her a side hug. "Take your time and your mother and I can listen for Jack when he wakes up, okay?"
Distractedly, Elizabeth got Jack settled in bed, kissed his forehead and went to her room. Shutting the door behind her, she immediately collapsed into her rocking chair, holding the envelopes to her chest. Unbidden tears began to fall even as she opened the envelope with Nathan's handwriting and unfolded the pages. With a deep breath, Elizabeth began to read the handwritten lines.
'Dear Elizabeth,
Thank you for your many apologies and for your honesty. It was difficult to revisit all those encounters after forgiving you throughout the past few years. Once I knew the pain was gone and I was just recalling facts, I put those memories aside to preserve my peace…'
"Ohhh…" The whisper escaped her lips.
(##) Pilot Crackers – A form of Hardtack (a flour and water mixture baked multiple times until it is extremely hard) used as a long-lasting source of food by sailors and soldiers. This particular Pilot Cracker was actually as equally appealing, warmed in the oven then slathered with butter, as the bowls of clam chowder my New England grandmother served in my childhood! Per online research these crackers were known in the Canadian Maritimes and during the 1949 Gold Rush, so I am guessing they may have been available on the Frontier! Unfortunately they are no longer sold so I only have my memories, but chowder of any type is no longer the same!
