Hope Leads the Heart
Chapter 15 After the Dance
Normally, Allie would have been annoyed with her dad going into work so early on a Sunday but on this particular day she didn't mind it at all. She wanted to find out more about Matthew Doyle and how he was keeping himself occupied in Hope Valley, so she was happy her dad dropped her off at the Canfield's before Sunday service. Their house was very close to Mr. Doyle's house, and she hoped to get a glimpse of his nephew on the way to church. She really had fun at the dance, and especially with Matthew.
Stepping into the Mountie Office for an early Sunday meeting, Nathan and Bill looked forward to talking with Robert. They wondered if he had seen or heard anything suspicious happening in town while most people were enjoying themselves at the dance. Poor Robert had put in a very, very long day of work while Nathan was enjoying himself in Joanna's company. The young Mountie certainly deserved a couple of days off from Mountie business and Nathan was going to make sure that he, personally, made that happen. He had already warned Bill that he would be spending more time in town on law enforcement and less time on ranch duties…..at least for a couple of days. For once, Bill didn't grumble too much about this fact.
"Good morning, Robert," Nathan said.
"Hi, Nathan. Bill," acknowledged Robert from his chair behind the desk. He motioned to the men to grab two of the other chairs and be seated.
"Well, Robert, anything interesting happen last night?" asked Bill. "There sure was a crowd at the Center and things were pretty loud. If anything happened outside, we wouldn't have heard it."
"Main Street was pretty deserted and there were only a few people in the Le Veaux lobby or dining room. I didn't notice anything unusual around the rowhouses, the church, or the pond in general. A few cars rode into town over the bridge, but then they parked and their occupants went directly to the Center for the dance. No unusual noises at the livery, so the horses were calm for the night and settled. About the only thing I noticed was a couple of people leaving the dance pretty early. Ronnie Stewart left first, followed shortly afterward by Sam Tremblay. They went directly to the Le Veaux, had a drink, then went to their rooms. Their conversation was short. Henry Gowan left early, too, and went directly home. He didn't talk to a soul," relayed Robert, as he stifled a yawn.
"I've never known Henry to dance with anybody at these things. He tends to make an appearance to talk and socialize a little, but when the music starts he always says his good byes. Leaving early like that, is pretty standard procedure for him," said Bill.
Nathan took a few moments to gather his thoughts then said, "I don't know Sam very well, but my impression of him has always been positive. He did a lot of handyman work at the orphanage in Brookfield and I know Gabe and Sam are pretty good friends. Pretty sure Gabe would vouch for him. Ronnie, on the other hand, has managed to make a lot of bad, questionable decisions in the past. He doesn't look before he leaps and is easily duped. I don't recall him directly initiating wrongdoing, but he sure manages to get wrapped up in the bad behavior of others. Gabe told me his sister was constantly bailing him out of his poor decisions." Turning to Bill, Nathan asked, "What do you think, Bill? You spent a lot of time with Tess last night. Did you see her talk to Ronnie or did she happen to mention anything about him and his recent business dealings?"
"Tess and I had other topics to discuss last night," retorted Bill slyly. "To your point, though, she didn't spend any time with him at all while I was around and his name didn't even come up in our conversation."
"I think I'll call Gabe and share all this with him," said Robert. "Perhaps he should keep an eye out on their movements in and around Brookfield. Gabe eats a lot of his meals at the hotel, so he might be able to get a glance at the hotel register and Ronnie's signature, too."
Still stymied about the fifth signature and the general lack of unusual behavior in the community, the three men were in agreement about the plan to shift focus to Ronnie and Sam in Brookfield. Nathan then offered to cover all Mountie business for the next two days so that Robert could catch up on his rest. The young Mountie was grateful and happy to take him up on the offer.
"Thanks, Nathan," said Robert.
They grabbed their hats and headed toward the church, hoping to be on time for the service.
Scrambling up the steps, the three men opened the church doors and took their seats. Nathan's eyes scanned the congregation looking for Allie and he found her towards the front of the church, sitting with Minnie and Cooper Canfield. In back of them were Tom Doyle, Matthew, and Fiona. Joseph walked to the pulpit to start the service as the choir sang the first hymn, accompanied by Angela on the piano.
Nathan smiled as he listened to the hymn, but his eyes were fixed only on Joanna. She looked just as lovely in a simple pink and white dress as she did in the party dress she wore to the dance. Instead of listening to Joseph as he started the sermon with a verse from scripture, his thoughts drifted to a certain waltz that he wished had gone on forever. He closed his eyes and relived the dance, and the breathtaking, exhilarating, feeling of holding this beautiful woman in his arms as he guided her across the dance floor. He could still smell the intoxicating aroma of the perfume she had worn. Fascination Waltz…..yes, indeed it was, he thought. He WAS absolutely fascinated with this woman, and he hoped she was equally fascinated with him.
During a break from singing Joanna was also daydreaming. Her parents would not have approved of their grown daughter's behavior, Joanna thought, as she was far from engaged in today's service. She couldn't stop watching Nathan as his face displayed that he was deep in thought. What was he thinking about, she wondered? She fervently hoped he was thinking about their dances last night, because she didn't think they could ever be duplicated by a partnership with another man and it was an evening that she would never forget. His embrace was strong but gentle, just like the handsome man who gave it. Joanna realized that she was feeling far more than attraction to the Mountie Inspector. She appreciated the strength and comfort of his character as much as she appreciated his dance skills, blue eyes, and humor. She appreciated his sweet daughter, too.
An elbow jabbed into his ribs abruptly brought Nathan to attention, as Bill was only too happy to provide a jolt back to the present. At this point, the service was over and general announcements had been made. The final hymn was How Great Thou Art, sung solo by Joanna in her strong, clear voice.
The congregation gathered outside the church, enjoying conversation as much as the sunshine. Allie caught up to her dad, Robert, and Bill, with the Doyles and Fiona right behind her. To no one's surprise, it looked like Tom was enjoying Fiona's company as much as he enjoyed dancing with her, for they were laughing at each other's jokes and looked very comfortable together.
"Hi, Robert," said Allie breathlessly. "This is Matthew, Mr. Doyle's nephew. Did you two meet at the dance? I know you didn't stay long at all."
With a knowing look, aware that Allie was rushing her words and blushing a little, Robert was quick to pick up on Allie's attraction to Matthew. After all, he was once the subject of her attraction too. He reached out to shake Matthew's hand and smiled. "Nice to see you again, Matthew. I was on duty yesterday and had to leave to take care of my responsibilities. Are you enjoying your visit to Hope Valley?"
Before Matthew could respond, Allie interrupted. "Matthew graduated from school a few months ago and hasn't decided what his next goal will be. He wants to learn more about the Mounties though, and I told him you might be just the one to teach him about the job, Robert!" she said enthusiastically.
"Yes, Robert, I am especially enjoying my time here in Hope Valley," Matthew interjected, looking directly at Allie. Ignoring her blush he went on, "Allie told me about your friendship, and I really was hoping to spend a little time with you learning more about the Mounties- the requirements, the training, and all of it. Do you have any time when we might be able to talk a little?"
With a sidelong glance at Nathan, who nodded his approval, Robert replied, "Yes. I have a couple of days free since Nathan will be covering. Why don't we meet at Minnie's café for breakfast tomorrow? We will have enough time to talk and I can show you around Hope Valley a little, too, so you have an idea of what we do on rounds."
"That's fantastic!" said Matthew. "Shall we meet about 8:30 in the morning?"
"Yes. That works out just fine. I will see you there," replied Robert. Turning, he tipped his hat and said, "Ladies, enjoy the rest of the day." He then headed away from the church and toward Main Street.
"Wait up, Robert," called Bill. "I'll walk with you. Tess and Ronnie are heading back to Brookfield and I want to see them off."
Nathan stifled a comment he was going to tease Bill with, since he saw Joanna approaching the group.
"Good morning, Nathan. Did you enjoy the service this morning?" Joanna asked.
Nathan laughed and his face flushed. "Uh, to be honest, I did a lot of daydreaming. My mother would not have been proud of me today."
"Why, Inspector Grant!" she admonished. "Not paying attention during that beautiful sermon? I am shocked at your behavior!"
Looking intently into her eyes and taking in her beautiful features, he said, "If I don't miss my guess, I believe I saw you doing the same thing, Dr. Bryant, and I would bet that you were thinking about a certain dance, just as I was!" he said confidently.
It was Joanna's turn to blush, and she was momentarily tongue-tied.
"Well, well," uttered Nathan in low tones. Judging by her reaction, he knew the dance had the same profound effect on both of them! Before he could say another word, Allie interrupted.
"Hey, Dad. Isn't it time for us to have a big party at the Double M? Maybe we could have a trail ride and a cookout and a hayride, too! It's almost harvest time and the weather is cooler. We should invite everyone out and have a good time," Allie coaxed hopefully. "Can we, Dad? Can Matthew and Mr. Doyle come?"
Joining in, Joanna said, "Well you DID invite me out to go riding and that hasn't happened yet, you know!"
Feeling confident that his partner wouldn't mind a celebration, Nathan said, "All right, all right. I'm smart enough not to argue with two females! Trail ride and cookout at the Double M next weekend, everyone. You are all invited! We will get Bill to do the cooking!"