CHAPTER 58
The day had gone to plan and by 8 pm they were sitting down to dinner in The Grand.
Mr. Thompson had been so welcoming again, he had even shuffled other guests and bookings around so they had adjoining rooms.
"Has your Uncle Charles stayed here himself Bea?"
"No he hasn't but Mr. Thompson is an acquaintance of Mr. Hinds the manager of The Seville in New York, that is where I stayed for a few days, he has stayed there on numerous occasions, he asked Mr. Hinds to have a word. He left nothing to chance, but that is Uncle Charles."
"I really do look forward to meeting him, hopefully next year I will."
"Believe me once we know when we are going back he will be inviting himself to stay, he does that all the time." She smiled at the thought, " He would often just turn up, just like he did at Christmas, and tell Ethel he was staying, She would pretend she was mad but never was. He is such a good man, a very clever man, he has never forgotten where he came from and the hard life he had, he does so much for charities that help those in similar situations."
"So he didn't come from a wealthy family?"
"The total opposite, his father died when he was an infant and his mother struggled to keep a roof over their head for years, he was left to fend for himself from about 5 years old. Grandad caught him one day trying to steal some bread, but Grandma had sensed there was more to his story and he had told her everything he knew. That led to his mother coming to work for my grandparents and Charles being more or less adopted by everyone. He, Dad, and Uncle Harry were always like 3 brothers. They were so funny when they were all together, I have so many happy memories."
"Well I have to say I have stored a few these last few weeks, but Henry's face when we asked him this morning was a great one. You chose well there I have to admit that. Mind I wish I could see Jed's wife's face when he told her, I think we have spread a lot of joy today, that is down to you."
"No, that is down to us, remember we are Team Grant."
He reached across the table and squeezed her hand, " That we are princess."
After dinner they went out for a walk, Nathan wanted to show her where Head Quarters were, she would meet him there around lunchtime tomorrow. He thought she might like to see the stables, they were very impressive. Bea of course couldn't resist that one. He would have a word with whoever was on guard duty and get them to escort her to the stables. He would also catch Vic in the morning and ask if he would look after her and show her around until he was finished for the day. He must remember to tell Vic not to mention anything about Merlin, that was going to be his big surprise, well if things went as he thought.
They walked back slowly, neither really wanting to have to say Good Night, it was Nathan who read her mind this time.. " Nathan you know we could..."
"No we can't, well yes we could, and as much as I long for that again Bea, let's just wait. We are another day closer, and I want Tuesday to be such a special day, to end it by making love to you again and then falling asleep with you in my arms will be the perfect ending to a dream day. We can hold out for a few more days, can we not?"
"I love you Constable Grant, and if you can then I can."
"I love to too and come Tuesday I will show you how much but until then..."
The following morning Nathan left early, he would get breakfast at the canteen if he had time. Bea had a list of things she wanted to try and buy before they met, one would be a surprise wedding gift for Nathan, the others were things for her that she didn't want him to see, well not until Tuesday, so she too was out and about early.
Her first stop was the lovely little haberdashery she found when she was here before. The beautiful ribbons she bought came from here. The lady remembered her, that was another thing about having hair like hers, once seen it was seldom forgotten.
"How lovely to see you back, are you looking for anything specific today."
"I actually am but I am not sure if you will have any, I know a lot of places only tend to stock it around Christmas, I am after some tartan ribbon, plaid I think you call it here. I am getting married next week, her heart fluttered when she said that, and I wanted some for my bouquet and the men's buttonholes if I can find any."
"Well you are right, we do tend to display it at Christmas but if you give me a couple of minutes I might just be able to help."
"That would be wonderful, it would bring a touch of home to our special day."
The lady returned with a box about the size of a shoebox. When she removed the lid Bea could have cried, there were tartan ribbons of all widths and colours.
"Oh you have made my day, I thought I would struggle to find some, and I had my heart set on tying my bouquet with it. Now what clan, colour do I pick? I need a broad one so if I could take a couple of yards of the green, actually just give me a couple of yards of each of those 4 broad ones, I love ribbons anyway. Then the same with the really narrow one, that will be perfect for the buttonholes."
"That is sixteen yards in total, that is a lot of ribbons."
"When you have hair like this you can never have too much ribbon" Bea was laughing. " I hope the rest of the things I would like to buy today are as easily found."
"Can I help at all, is there anything else we might have or can I point you in the right direction of shops that might?"
"Well I would have loved to have found some heather, but that is pushing it a bit, I really want some nice silver hair combs, and could you tell me which shop would have the best lingerie selection?"
"There is a wonderful lingerie shop just off the main street here, turn left at the greengrocers, she gets all the latest things in. Your combs, one of our jewellers would be best there I think and your heather, now I was in the florist just yesterday and I do believe they actually had some heather plants, well I think that is what they were. Just a bit further down the street on the opposite side."
"Thank you so much, what a help you have been. Now how much do I owe you? Oh, I had better take some long pins for the buttonholes if you have any, and would you have any longer hairpins, I might need those too. Now I think that is everything."
That had gone much better than Bea had expected, next stop the lingerie shop. The lady had been right, the selection was again more than Bea could have hoped for. She bought three of the most beautiful nightdresses she had ever seen, a wrap, silk stockings, and a suspender belt, one of the really modern thin ones, a garter, and several pairs of beautiful silk French knickers. Maybe it was the number of things she was buying but the sales lady was bending over backwards to help her.
"Forgive me for asking but if I am not mistaken this looks a lot like someone is preparing for a wedding?"
"I am indeed. As you can tell from my accent I am a long way from home, and I did not bring such beautiful things with me."
"Well, you have everything you need I think except a brassiere, I do have some of the latest ones from Paris, would you like a look?"
"Well my dress is actually from Paris too and it is backless, it is all specially corseted, so I won't need one there but I will have a look if I may, I love good lingerie and the French are real masters at making it."
Having taken her measurements the lady brought out 6 she had in the right size, Bea bought four. They were so modern and well made, and as Ethel always said "you only get what you pay for. "I am so glad the lady in the haberdashery pointed me in your direction, I live over in Hope Valley and only come over once in a while, I will make a point of calling again."
"I was just going to ask where you were getting married, I would have loved to see your gown, the new styles coming out are so feminine and beautiful."
"It isn't actually a bridal gown as such, it is an evening gown I bought just before I left to travel here. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it but it really is a bit too glamorous for most events, it is one of the new art deco styles. It is so hard to describe, I knew when I tried it on it was meant for me, if that makes sense."
"It does to me, and it will turn a few heads I bet, art deco has not reached us here yet. I so wish you were getting married here, I would have shut up shop to come and see" she was laughing.
"Well, I will call in again when I am here next and I will bring a photograph to show you."
"Have you got something old, something new?"
"Well the new I have but I will need to sort the other things."
"In that case" the lady went back into the drawer where the garters were and pulled a beautiful one out, it had a thin blue ribbon running through it, "let me give you this little gift, there is your something blue."
"How kind, thank you so much, two things down and two to go. My husband-to-be is going to wonder what I have been buying when he sees all these bags. I really have been fortunate this morning."
As she crossed the street to the florist Bea knew someone was watching down on them today and that was such a heartwarming feeling.
The gentleman in the florist was just as helpful, he did have heather plants, white and purple. He must have seen the tears in her eyes when he brought one of each to show her.
"Forgive me, I am so happy to have found these, I really didn't think I would. It will mean I have another touch of home in my wedding bouquet, every bride back home in Scotland has white heather tucked in hers for luck. The purple I will use to make the men's buttonholes, with a touch of the white one. You really have made my day, thank you."
"So they are for a wedding, how wonderful, can I ask what flowers you are having in your bouquet?"
"Whatever I can pick on the morning, I am wanting wildflowers. Back home at this time of year I would have gone with roses, heather, and thistles with lots of trailing ivy, here it will be what I can find."
"Now that is one I would have loved to have made, very different."
"Would you have been able to find thistles? I know roses are no problem."
"I am sure I would, when are you getting married, maybe you would let me make it for you?"
"Next week " Bea laughed "but I am afraid we live over in Hope Valley so wouldn't be able to pick it up or I would have gladly asked you to make that and the buttonholes for us."
"What time of the day is the ceremony?"
"2 pm, it isn't a grand affair, we only wanted a quiet one, but we are still sticking to as many traditions as we can. I have been so lucky today, I even found tartan ribbons this morning."
"Would you give me the honour of making it for you? I promise to have it to you in Hope Valley before lunchtime, it isn't often I get the chance to make something so different."
"Mr, sorry I don't even know your name,"
"Henderson "he replied and may I ask yours?"
"I am Morag Gregory, soon to be Grant, but everyone calls me Bea, if you can promise to have them with me in time then it would be one less thing to worry about. I have the ribbon here, let me show you. I would like the stems tying with it with some trailing, I think the green would be best, what do you think?"
"I agree, I am going to get so much joy out of making this. So are we going for the lilacs and purples of thistles and the heather with may be white or cream roses? I think cream would be nicer but I will have a look at both."
"Mr. Henderson you are a star, I will leave the actual design to you, I would like it to have trailing ivy or something similar, so a long bouquet rather than a round one if that makes sense."
"It does indeed, what about the buttonholes would you like me to do those as well, they take no doing."
"Yes please, we need six and two ladies' corsages."
"Could I ask one thing Bea, would you allow me to take some photographs of them once I am finished? I would love to display them here in the shop."
"Yes, of course, I am so excited. Wait until I tell Nathan. Now what about payment, if you can give me an estimate I will leave that with you now and any extra I will settle later if that is alright with you. Am I alright taking these two plants or will you need them?"
"You can have those from me as a gift, I have another couple I will use. Did you have the narrow ribbon I will need that?"
"Oh yes, I have that here. Thank you so much Mr. Henderson, and what a lovely surprise it will be for me on Tuesday."
"Bea I am going to excel myself on this one, I can't remember the last time I felt so excited about making something, you have renewed my love of floristry today, you really have."
Having paid an estimated amount Bea left the shop even happier than she was before if that was possible and headed back to The Grand to drop her packages off.
Mr. Thompson was on the desk as she entered the foyer and rushed around the desk to relieve her of some of them.
"Well someone has been busy, have you managed to get everything you wanted Bea."
"Mr Thompson I have done even better than I ever imagined, Mr Henderson the florist is even going to make a bouquet for me and deliver it on Tuesday, how wonderful is that."
"Well Bea you won't be disappointed there, we often use him for special occasions, he is a gifted man. Here let me help you take this lot up to your room. Did you get everything you wanted?"
"I have a couple of things left, one is a very important one, I am heading back out as soon as I drop this lot, hopefully, I will have time before I meet Nathan as it is a wedding day gift for him, well come birthday, that is Tuesday too. Maybe you can point me in the right direction, I would really like a nice watch for him. I want to have an inscription put on it if there is time, where would be the best place. I want a special one."
"Well Bea all the jewellers would have some but if it was me I would go to see the watchmaker we have here in town. He has a little workshop, I tell you what I need to go to the post office, why don't I take you there, it isn't easy to find."
"Everyone is being so kind today, that would be a great help Mr. Thompson, thank you."
Bea would never have found the place, an elderly gentleman greeted them, he and Mr. Thompson obviously knew each other, "Well who is this charming lady you have brought to see me today?"
"This Teddy is Miss Morag Gregory and when she asked me about a special gift she was looking for I knew you were the man."
"A special gift, can I ask if you have anything in mind Miss Gregory."
"It is a wedding gift for my soon-to-be husband, I am unsure if I should go with a pocket watch or a wristwatch, I want it to be very special and I want to be able to have it inscribed."
"Silver or gold, I even have white gold, not such a big selection but they are very special. Let me show you what I have."
"White gold would be my choice as our wedding bands are white gold too."
Bea knew which one as soon as she saw it. It was a wristwatch, it had a white gold dial and pointers. The actual watch face was black with white gold Roman numerals, but sitting just above the 6 numerals engraved into the face were a pair of footprints. It was on a black strap. She held it so lovingly, it was beautiful."
"I need to see nothing else, I could never have wished to have something so apt."
"What do you think Mr. Thompson, do you think Nathan would like it?"
"Bea he will adore it, it truly is a magnificent piece."
"Did you say you would like an inscription on it, I can do that for you now if you can wait ten minutes?"
"This day just gets better and better. Could you inscribe "One step at a time" on it for me?"
I told you the watch was perfect, the footprints fit so well."
"Let me take it out the back and I will do that, won't be long."
"I can't thank you enough Mr. Thompson, I really can't."
"Bea you are welcome, I told you anything I can do I will and Constable Grant is going to treasure that, I know I would."
When Teddy returned and showed Bea the inscription, she cried, it was so so perfect.
"Happy tears," she said.
The watch was placed in a beautiful black leather case, even that was special.
Having paid she left the workshop feeling so emotional, someone was definitely looking out for her today.
Mr. Thompson took the watch back with him as Bea didn't want to carry it around with her all day, she would collect it from him later when Nathan wasn't watching.
Thanking him again she headed off to meet Nathan, she needed a hug, a big hug.