CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
It was almost Noon, and Nathan couldn't resist stopping by his Office. He was in his civilian clothes and had been told many times to stay away, but in some strange way, he missed it all.
Besides, he needed to thank the men who were covering for him.
They brightened as he opened the door, but then immediately started chiding him a bit, too. All three were there, and yes, that included Bill! But at least no Tilly! Or at least that Nathan could see. Knowing Gabe so well, Tilly could be hidden anywhere!
"I know, no work! I came to say thank you and buy you lunch!"
"Well, Heavens Day! Why didn't you say so? Come on, Boys, he's buying, we're eating!" No one had ever known the Judge to pass up a free meal.
"Now, that's the spirit! Knew free food would make you bite." Nathan laughed. "And I know..."
And all four said it together, "No Shop Talk!"
"Bill, why are all those boxes we carried still here?"
"Nope, can't talk about those. That constitutes Shop Talk! Hurry it up, Boys, before he changes his mind. Let's get out of here!"
"You all lead the way! I'll simply follow and pay," directed Nathan.
As they started to leave, Nathan thought he sensed movement. He turned around quickly and sure enough in the second cell, there was a wicker basket moving across the floor with a tail hanging out! And it didn't take any investigative skills, or even being a Mountie at all, to know that was Tilly's tail! Nathan just shook his head and put his hands to his face! Tilly had been incarcerated!
But there was something else that he wasn't as sure about. Those boxes were standing out like a sore thumb!
'Shop Talk, my eye! Those boxes are setting in the middle of my Office for a reason, and if I were a betting man, I'd bet Bill knows exactly what that reason is!' contemplated Nathan, never one to miss anything, especially where Bill was concerned.
Aaron and Gabe wanted a beer with lunch, so the Queen of Hearts, it was.
When they entered, Nathan quickly noticed Lucas was nowhere on sight. It would have been okay with him, either way, but he preferred Elizabeth to be with him when they talked to Lucas about Sargent. Again, Nathan was sure there'd be a logical explanation for the whole scenario. And he really didn't want Lucas to be feeling badly toward him or Elizabeth. He just felt like it would all be worked out, although he knew Elizabeth wasn't quite there yet.
Gustav came from behind the counter, as it appeared to be a slow day.
"Hello, Judge Avery, Constables, allow me to seat you myself. That way, I can tell you all about my specials!"
"Thanks, Gustav! You do know, whatever it is, I'm going to check it out thoroughly!" warned Bill.
"I would expect nothing less, Judge. I have to admit, your kitchen gave me an idea or two for changes in my kitchen. And you know, they've really helped me streamline a few processes. Who would have thought?"
"Yeah, who would have thought?" grumbled Bill.
"Gentlemen, this is our lunch break. Let's play nice and try to make it a pleasant one!" urged Nathan.
Both Bill and Gustav mumbled something under their breath.
"Yes, Constable. We have two specials today. Brunswick Stew and a Croque Monsieur Ham and Cheese Sandwich with Cornichons I pickled in my own kitchen at home. Both delicieuse! Even if I do say so myself!"
"I'll have the Brunswick Stew, with a side of those pickles," pronounced Bill.
"The Sandwich, please!" volunteered Gabe.
Aaron and Nathan looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
"Sandwiches for us, too, please! And four beers!" requested Aaron.
"Bill, you just made the best Brunswick Stew I've ever tasted. Why would you want to eat Gustav's?" inquired Nathan.
"Because, Nathan, I want to make sure mine stays the best. And this is how you do it!"
"I don't know, seems a little sneaky to me, Bill. But what do I know about the food business?"
"Exactly!" Bill shot back with one of his famous looks.
Both Aaron and Gabe couldn't help but laugh.
One of the waitresses brought their beers, along with a particularly sweet smile for Aaron and Gabe. Nathan was glad not to be included for once. Flirtatious smiles from a stranger always had made him feel so uncomfortable! And although most of the time Nathan hadn't even been aware of them, he got them all the time.
"Well, if we can't talk about work, what are we going to talk about?" asked Gabe.
"Nathan's love life would be a good start." declared Bill.
As if they were triplets from birth, all three Constables spewed out their beers in arcs across the table.
Bill loved the chaos he'd caused, chuckling, "See, it's definitely not a boring topic!"
"Bill, straighten up or you're the one that's going to be paying for that Brunswick Stew you plan to dissect!" threatened Nathan.
"Well, Nathan, we do need to know what's happening."
"No, Bill, you don't! Can't anyone have an ounce of privacy in this town?"
"Maybe, but not when you whirl her around on the street for everybody to see!" he retorted.
Nathan's face was as crimson as Elizabeth's would have been, and both Aaron and Gabe were cackling right along with Bill.
'Oh, this is bad!' thought Nathan. So he decided to take a different tack.
"Well, at least Gentlemen, I have one, so there's that! How are you and Lillian doing, Gabe?"
"Hmph! It's more like how are Sam and Lillian doing, Nathan."
"Gabe, you do care about her, don't you?" asked Nathan.
"Of course, I do! But she's pretty steamed I asked Sam to protect her."
"Without her knowledge?" asked a shocked Aaron. "Gabe, even I know better than that."
"You young Boys obviously need some help in the romance department. Now, Nathan here finally took my advice, and look, he's got the girl! Took him a while, but he finally did it. Slow as a crippled turtle, but he finally made it across the finish line!"
"Bill, I categorically resent that! Besides, I've never seen you out with a lady on your arm!"
"Pshaw, back in the day, I had one on each arm. And sometimes a couple trailing behind! Couldn't keep them away! And believe me, I tried. I guess you just have it or you don't!"
"What do you mean by "it," Bill?" bit Gabe.
"Well, Son, if you have to ask, you 'ain't got it' as they say!"
Aaron and Nathan laughed.
Gustav brought out their meals and gave them a big "Bon Appetite!"
Bill was already eyeing the Brunswick Stew with two very critical eyes.
The men just shook their heads, watching him.
"Here, taste this, is that cinnamon?" asked Bill.
"Tastes like it to me," answered Nathan.
"Okay, Nathan, you've had my Brunswick Stew. On a scale of 1-10, where would you put it compared to this one?"
Nathan took another bite, slowly considering the two separate flavors, "I've got it! And not because you're the Judge! Yours is at least a twelve, and this one on its own would probably be an eight, but compared to yours, I think a six!"
"I knew it! That's exactly what I thought! So, it looks like my Brunswick Stew is safe. How do those sandwiches taste?" Bill looked like he was ready to pounce and grab one off their plates to taste it for himself.
"Here, Bill take a piece of mine!" offered Aaron.
"Why, I never! That's just ham and cheese dressed up with a fancy name."
They all laughed, and Nathan took the lead.
"Alright now, are we finally through with the food wars? Bill, you'd better get back to helping Gabe, if you're so good with the ladies. And leave me out of it!"
"Thanks a lot, Nathan, that's a true friend!" said Gabe with a chagrined look on his face.
Aaron and Nathan chuckled as they loved seeing Gabe in the hot seat for a change.
"Where was I? Oh, the "it" factor. Do you Boys really have no idea what I'm talking about?" Bill asked incredulously.
All three faces were blank.
"This is even worse than I thought! Okay, Gabe, have you asked this Lillian out?"
"Well, no..."
"What are you waiting on Son, this Sam fellow will pluck her up like a ripe tomato, and you'll be left standing in the garden with a broken hoe!"
Aaron and Nathan couldn't stop laughing at the picture Bill was so perfectly painting.
"Bill, it's not that easy," complained Gabe.
"Well, of course, it is, Gabe. Aaron, you be Lillian. 'Hello, Lillian! You're looking mighty fine today. I was wondering if you'd like to have Dinner with me…'"
"Well, I don't know," Aaron said in a high pitched voice. "I'm awfully busy this evening."
Nathan was dying, biting his napkin to keep from bursting out laughing again.
"'Well, we'll make it tomorrow then! Pick you up at seven.' And that, my dear Gabe, is how it's done. Got a problem with that?" asked Bill.
"I guess I could do that, but what if she says 'No, I'm not going!"
"That's when you pour on the 'it' factor, Son!"
Gabe looked positively clueless, and Bill was losing his patience!
"Charm, you Idiot! Charm, don't you have any of that? The red serge ought to get you starting points. I know it always did for me. Are you really this clueless? Have you never been on a date before?" Bill was getting really worried.
"Sure, I have Bill. But I didn't care about them like I do, Lillian."
"Now you listen to me, and you listen to me good!"
Nathan rolled his eyes, "I've heard this one before."
"Because you needed to hear it! Worked, didn't it?"
"Yes, Sir, it did, and I'm forever grateful," answered Nathan with a sincere smile.
"Then, let's get Gabe sorted out! Help me, Nathan," demanded Bill.
"Oh, no, Judge. You're doing fine on your own. Besides, I'm still new at all this. He doesn't listen to me anyway."
"Whatever. Okay, Gabe, because you care about this one, it's even more important to ask her out. Either you ask her, and you have a chance, or you don't ask her, and this Sam fellow, or some other guy, gets the girl. Man up, Gabe! You can do this. You're a Mountie for Heaven's sake! You do know how to flirt, don't you? In case she does say no, and you need to sweet talk her a little?"
"Sorry, Gabe, I'm with the Judge on this one. I've only been really in love once. Felicity's her name. It's an old family name, and she was a beauty! But stupidly, I didn't think she'd be interested in me that way. So, I never really got the courage to ask her out, except as a friend. We had the best times together, and she always acted like she wanted more, but I just didn't know how to get us out of the friend zone."
"What happened, Aaron?" asked Nathan, genuinely interested.
"The Mounties sent me to the Northern Territories for a couple of months, and when I got back, I couldn't wait to see her, and I was ready to finally ask her out on a date. But she had already gone back East to her parents."
"How long has that been, Aaron?" prompted Nathan.
"About six months."
"Aaron, you've got to call her. You've got to call her today and tell her how you feel!"
"I agree with Nathan on that one! Call her today, Aaron. Don't you dare not call her! Women come and go, but love doesn't. Once you find that, Boys, you hang on, and you fight like you've never fought before. You hear what we're saying, Gabe? You need to make a call, too. Call Lillian tonight and tell her you were thinking about her all day long and wondering how she's doing. Do I need to write it out for you, Gabe?" Bill was clearly getting frustrated.
"No, Sir! I think I can handle that. I think I might even do better on the phone than face to face."
"Well, there you have it! Now, that's what I want to hear: success stories from both of you tomorrow. And if it doesn't go as we expect, we'll regroup then! Never, ever give up when love is involved. It doesn't come along that often! The Judge has spoken!"
Nathan paid the waitress and left her a large tip, more for putting up with the four of them vs. serving them the food!
"Judge, Constables, I'll take my leave here, since I'm forbidden in my own Office! I had planned to have the three of you over for a good old-fashioned fish fry, but with this cold weather, the fish haven't been biting much, by the time I get there. And now, with Sargent's episode, I may have to give you a rain check on that! But Elizabeth wants to have you all for Dinner Friday evening at my house, half-past six. By the way, you three were the only ones I trusted with Sargent. Thanks for all your help with him. I seriously don't think I could have made it without the three of you. We both really appreciate it!"
Then someone stopped the Judge to ask a question, so his attention was taken from their conversation.
Nathan took that opportunity to whisper threateningly to Gabe and Aaron, "Don't you two dare forget to take that mutt out for breaks!"
Gabe's eyes widened, but he finally got exactly what Nathan meant! "Oh no, Aaron! We forgot about that! Don't worry Nathan, we're on it!"
"You better be on it, or you're gonna be standing in it!"
"Sorry, Nathan..."
"And for your information, you two geniuses," Nathan continued, "Tilly's moving that basket all around her cell, and now somebody's tail is hanging out! You might want to find a new way to hide Tilly, give her an early release for good behavior, or keep Bill away from the Office altogether! Bill is a bona fide Investigator, you know, although a two-year-old would be able to figure this one out!"
"Nathan, it was the best we could do! Bill walked in on us unannounced!"
"Well, get used to that! I have to ask, did you two complete Tilly's official paperwork? I know that's one arrest I sure would have loved to seen!" Nathan's grin was as broad as they come.
"Very funny, Nathan!" and Bill was suddenly back in the conversation.
The three then graciously accepted their Dinner Invitation, thanked him for lunch, slapped him on the back, and headed toward Nathan's Office. Nathan called after them, "Let me know how your calls go. And remember, we're Mounties, one for all and all for one! You both can do this!"
They turned and gave him the thumbs-up, and Nathan noticed both Aaron and Gabe had huge smiles on their faces, and they weren't Tilly smiles!
"Hate to admit it, but come to think of it, Bill usually does know his stuff," Nathan muttered softly under his breath.
Nathan had trained Seth to watch over Sargent, now that he was better, and keeping small amounts of solid food down. But he had made Seth promise that he would notify Nathan immediately if there was the slightest change whatsoever.
Nathan pulled out his pocket watch to check the time and headed to Lee's Office to update him on the sleigh. When he got there, he found both Lee and Rosemary sitting at Lee's desk.
"Hi! Are you all alone?"
"Hi, Nathan. Yes, we are and loving it! Rarely happens, you know. I sent Jessie out to oversee the men today. What can we do for you?"
"Well, first of all, just kick me out if you'd rather have the privacy. I didn't mean to interrupt anything, but I really would like to talk with the two of you, if you've got the time."
"Don't be silly! For you? Of course, we've got the time! How can we help, Nathan!" asked Rosemary.
"I really came to tell you the sleigh's been ordered, and Jason called today to tell me they were able to get the extra bench seat thrown in with another delivery they already had scheduled, so our sleigh should be ready by Friday or Saturday, at the latest!"
"That's wonderful news, Nathan. Thanks for handling everything." and Lee reached out for him to take a chair with them.
"The other thing, I might as well go on and tell you is quite extraordinary. You know, I met with Mr. Helmsley yesterday for lunch with Bill. Apparently, they go way back. Elizabeth joined us, too. Unknown to me, he had changed the acreage. When he looked back over the plat, the old lines ran right down the middle of a huge lake! So, he made them redraw everything so that the entire lake and surrounding land is included with the cabin!"
"How much of a difference are we talking about?" asked Lee.
"Would you believe double? Of course, from what I understand, it's mostly lake, but for a fisherman, that's a pretty good thing!"
"I'm in shock! So, there's this gigantic lake close to the cabin? Oh, no, now we'll have to get a boat!" exclaimed Rosemary.
"Hold on, Darling!"
Nathan grinned.
"That's unbelievable, Nathan! Thirty-two acres of the best land in the country. You know, that's pretty extraordinary! I haven't even been able to get an appointment with the man."
"You won't have any trouble now, Lee. I told him I'd only accept it on one condition, that he become part of our family. He's really lonely without his wife and children. And he's a very impressive man. Very sophisticated and very nice. I think you two will really like him!"
"Nathan, you're just the gift that keeps on giving! Can't wait to meet him."
"Lee, Rosemary, I need your advice on a few things and even your help, if you're willing. I know this is a lot to ask of you, but I would need you both to keep this mum from everyone, especially Elizabeth. It would be just between the three of us, and for a fairly long time. Are you willing to hear me out with the promise of never sharing with anyone?"
"Of course, Nathan! Rosemary, you and Elizabeth are awfully close, can you do it?"
"I'm an actress, Lee, and a pretty good one, if I do say so myself! I'll just pretend I'm playing a starring role. Not a word, Nathan. I promise on our lives, not a word."
"I can't ask for more than that. Elizabeth and I talked and talked in the cabin about our future plans. And we pledged this was top secret between us, but I don't know how I can pull it all off without your help. So here we go..."
"Elizabeth doesn't want a long engagement, and she loves the idea of a June Wedding, which is perfect with me as well."
Rosemary let out a shriek of delight!
"But I'm insisting on asking her Father for her hand in marriage, which means a trip to Hamilton, probably sometime in January, getting back no later than Valentine's Day. I would like to propose to her sometime around then, but I think back here in Hope Valley. I thought it might be nice to purchase the ring before we leave so that her parents can see it in Hamilton. I guess I'm not being very clear, but we would love for you two to accompany us to Hamilton."
The excitement on Rosemary's face was beyond anything Nathan had imagined.
"That's perfect, Nathan. That's just perfect. I've always wanted to meet Elizabeth's Mother and see their home. Lee, can we please, pretty please go?"
"You're pulling out the 'pretty please?' You know I can't say no to that! And actually, Nathan, if I have to be away, that's as good a time as any. Count us in!"
"Oh, thank you both so very much," and he rose from his chair to give them both big hugs.
"There's one other thing, and this one falls to you, Rosemary. You have the best taste of anyone I know, and you also know Elizabeth better than anyone else. Would you please get some idea of what Elizabeth would love for an engagement ring? And if you can, do it indirectly, without her knowing. Money's no object. I want her to have the very best, something that's uniquely hers."
Lee groaned, "Nathan, never say 'money is no object' to my wife. You don't have any idea how very dangerous that can be!" Lee's eyes had gotten large and were rolling up to the ceiling!
Nathan chuckled, "What can I say, Lee, I really do want Elizabeth to have the very best!"
"This is heavenly! Two tasks that aren't even tasks. I would pay you, Nathan, just to be able to do these two things! I couldn't be more excited!"
"Hey, see what I told you. If Rosie keeps this up, I'm going to either be working till I'm one hundred years of age or go broke!" Lee threw both his hands in surrender.
Nathan took both Rosemary's hands and kissed them, "I'm placing my heart, Rosemary, in your capable hands. Thank you from the depths of my soul."
She smiled back at him, "Nathan, I love being partners in crime with you! Unlike Mr. Fuddy Dud, here!"
And she threw Lee a scowling glance.
Lee just rolled his eyes, yet again.
"And Rosemary, I don't even want to look for a ring here in Hope Valley, too many prying eyes!"
"Of course not, Nathan. Wouldn't consider it. Elizabeth's taste is much too sophisticated for that! And you know how everyone around here loves to talk!"
Lee and Nathan shared a knowing smile with that remark, as everyone knew Rosemary was the one who loved to talk the most.
"Nathan, don't forget, it's time for another driving lesson! I don't want you to forget what you learned last Sunday. How about tomorrow at 9 AM?"
"That's perfect, Lee. I'll meet you here! You'll be happy to know, I've written everything out and gone over it several times!"
"Now, that's what I like to hear. A diligent student!"
They said their Good-byes and Nathan knew that when the time came, and with the Coulters' help, Elizabeth would have the perfect engagement.
Now they could concentrate on the Holidays! And learning to drive in time for the Mountie Ball!