CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
At the Mercantile, Elizabeth and Allie got distracted talking to Fiona, so Nathan was clearly alone with his food choices.
"Ned, do you have any fresh Flounder?"
"I've got four beauties!" he proudly answered.
"I'll take the Flounder, all four filets. What about canned tomatoes?"
"Let me check...you're in luck, Constable. Here's the best I have!" and he placed a full quart jar on the counter. "And these are really good! Mrs. Pinkerton canned them."
"How about a couple of sweet onions, some rice, and a loaf of bread?"
"Brown, White or Wild Rice?"
"I think Wild might go better with the Flounder, right?"
"That would be my choice! What kind of bread? I have White, Brown, and Sourdough. Oh, and a Multigrain."
"Let's go with the Sourdough."
"Good choice with the Flounder."
"Oh and six Lemons, please. Almost forgot the Lemonade. And do you have something quick for dessert?"
"Gustav brought by French Chocolate Puddings, and Clara brought in a couple of Lemon Meringue Pies."
"Definitely one of the pies! How much do I owe you, Ned?"
"Forget it, I'll just put it on a new tab. You're all caught up, you know."
"Thanks, Ned. I think that's it!"
Ned packed everything in the deep basket Allie had carried in and boxed the pie separately.
"Ladies, the Chef is ready when you are!"
Both Elizabeth and Allie gave Fiona a look of 'Oh, no! What are we in for?'
And Fiona couldn't help but giggle.
Nathan cleared his throat, "I heard that you know! You'll see, I know my way around a kitchen! And this time I remembered everything, even the main course! Here, Allie, you carry the pie, and I'll get the basket."
Elizabeth already had Little Jack, but Jack reached for Nathan.
"Come here, Big Guy!"
"Here, I'll take the basket. I'm sure it's lighter than Little Jack!"
"Dad, are you sure you didn't forget anything. Maybe we should double-check before we go, Mrs. Thornton."
"Allie, for your information, I had a list this time! So I assure you, everything we need is right here! Oh, no...Ned, can you add butter?"
Ned laughed and reached for the butter. He was very familiar with the Constable's add-ons!
"See, I told you!" and Allie just shook her head.
Elizabeth couldn't help but giggle.
"Well, we did get sidetracked with Fiona and we were supposed to be helping him! Do we get a hint as to the menu you've chosen?" asked Elizabeth.
"Yes, this evening, when you sit down at the table!"
"I'll help Dad!"
"Thanks, Allie, but I'm on my own with this one. You may set the table if you wish, but that's it. I'm cooking for my Ladies, and prepare to be dazzled by the food!"
"When should we come to this dazzling dinner, Nathan?"
"Dinner will be served promptly at half-past six!" he answered formally, with a slight bow, making Jack giggle all the more.
"Allie, he seems awfully confident! " Elizabeth whispered.
"Haven't a clue why! I mean, he can cook, but it's not fancy or anything..." Allie shrugged back, suspiciously.
Allie set the table and tried to sneak in the kitchen to see what her Dad was doing. But having no success, she finally gave up and went to her room to get her studying done.
Nathan, ever the organizer, had written out his menu, featuring a favorite dish his Mother used to make. Lightly Crisped Flounder on a bed of Wild Rice, smothered in Stewed Tomatoes and Onions, served with Buttered Sourdough Bread.
He first caramelized the Onions, at least he thought that's what his Mother called it. He remembered as a child, they were always sweeter this way. He added just a touch of brown sugar, like she always did, along with several spoonfuls of butter and simmered them slowly.
While he had the Onions simmering, he added the rice to a pot of boiling water with a good amount of butter, and some salt and pepper. His Mother always threw in a dash or two of Hot Sauce, so he did the same.
He then opened the jar of Freshly Canned Tomatoes, and they looked delicious. He tasted and added just a bit more salt, placed them in another pot on the stove, and added a touch of butter with a tad of cornstarch to help thicken them, leaving the lid askew to help them reduce down. He also put on a potato to boil for Jack. The Onions and Tomatoes would be too strong for the toddler, so he planned to make him some Mashed Potatoes, which Jack loved.
Now, all he had to do was lightly fry the fish, and he was a master at that. Almost every time his Mother had made this dish, she ended up having him to help with the fish frying. She always said hers came out tough, but Nathan's was always light and fluffy. She never could figure out what made the difference.
He tasted the Caramelized Onions - perfect. Then the Stewed Tomatoes - perfect, with just a little more salt! Then the Wild Rice - it was fluffy with the tiniest bit of heat.
He finished frying the fish - which was light, fluffy, and oh so golden! He had used just enough bread crumbs so that the fish was not overpowered. He quickly mashed Jack's potato with an old potato masher his Mother had given him, then added hot butter and a splash of milk and whipped them by hand. Finally, Nathan was ready to start layering the food on their individual plates. He then covered the filled plates and placed them on the stove with the fire out, so they would still stay warm.
He even made Lemonade just like he and Colleen made together as children. They liked their Lemonade sweeter than most, with just a hint of tartness. Perfect with the fish! And Allie loved it that way, too. He also had Apple Juice ready for Jack.
He glanced at the time. No unforeseen disasters and perfect timing. Elizabeth should be here right about now. He then set the breadbasket on the table and walked to the door as she knocked.
He gallantly took her coat, giving both Elizabeth and Little Jack a quick kiss. Allie heard them and quickly came down to welcome them. Little Jack went straight to her.
"Awee!"
"Hi, Little Jack!"
"May I help?" offered Elizabeth.
"Everything's done, my Love! Come, let's eat!"
He walked her to their table, and Allie brought Little Jack.
"Allie Bean, the table's beautiful!" he had lit the candles for her earlier, and the table was sparkling!
"Thanks, Dad!"
"It really is beautiful, Allie!" Elizabeth noticed she had placed a small potted Maidenhair Fern in the center of the table, on a little stand to give it height, and surrounded it with multiple white tapered and votive candles in a very creative pattern.
Nathan served their plates, and then brought out the tray of Lemonade with the Apple Juice for Jack. Elizabeth noticed both the Mashed Potatoes and Apple Juice Nathan had prepared for Jack, and she smiled, mouthing "Thank you!"
"Nathan, this is so elegant, and it looks delicious!"
He smiled his thank you to her and said, "It's just my Mother's fancier version of ranch fare! Let's Pray. Allie, would you like to lead us in prayer?"
"Dear Father in Heaven, We thank You for helping Dad cook, and mostly we thank You for helping him remember everything at the Mercantile (Nathan and Elizabeth stole a quick sweet glance at each other, with that first line), and we thank You for letting us share our table with Mrs. Thornton and Little Jack. And we thank You for our new Lake, which Little Jack and I are very anxious to see. Help us love each other and be kind to everyone. We love You! Amen!"
They all joined in saying Amen, even Little Jack, with his loud 'Men.'
"That was wonderful, Allie!" and Elizabeth smiled tenderly with pride. "This, Nathan, looks like something you would get in a really nice restaurant, definitely not a home-cooked meal by someone who claims they can't cook!"
He laughed, "This entrée is an old dish my Mother used to serve Colleen and me growing up, one of our favorites. Lightly Crisped Flounder over Wild Rice with Caramelized Onions and Stewed Tomatoes! You can actually use a variety of fish, but we liked Flounder best."
"I don't understand. You made Bill think you couldn't cook, but this is delicious!"
"Oh, that was for Bill's sake. Actually, I love to cook, just not under someone barking orders! It makes me all nervous, trying to do everything his way!"
"You two men! The Flounder is cooked perfectly, and I love the Caramelized Onions with the Stewed Tomatoes. You'll have to show me how you did it. And what is it that makes the rice so yummy? This recipe is definitely a keeper!"
"Mother says cooking is all about the butter and the seasonings, and here I almost forgot the butter! But to be honest, I've mastered seasoning on some dishes, and others not so much! However, I can fry any kind of fish with the best of them. Of course, with Allie and me being avid fishermen, that's our favorite thing to cook!"
"Dad, I think this might be the best thing you've cooked in a while. I want this again, please!"
"Allie, I think we both owe your Dad an apology for the teasing. This is as good as any meal I could cook! I'm so sorry I doubted you!"
"Now that's being a little too generous, but all apologies and complements accepted, Ladies!"
"Dad, I like it when you call us Ladies!"
He grinned back at her "Well, that's what you and Elizabeth are, and Jack and I are fortunate men to have you both in our lives, aren't we, Jack?"
Jack looked up from his food to nod and smile at Nathan. Now whether he understood what had been said was another matter, but it was adorable anyway!
"I am glad you two are enjoying dinner!" he added and scooted over to help Jack with his fish, making one last check to ensure there were no bones, although he had already done that very thing three times previously in the kitchen.
"I cannot tell you how wonderful it is, especially after the day I've had, to come home and have the man you love to prepare your meal for you. Thank you, Darling! You're spoiling me rotten, but I sure could get used to it!"
"It's my pleasure, Love!"
"You may have to do this on a regular basis, Constable!"
"Hmm, we'll have to see on that one," playfully touching the tip of Elizabeth's nose.
"Allie, you didn't say how you did on the Math test," prompted Nathan.
She grinned, then answered shyly, "I got a hundred."
"And I might add, the only hundred in the entire class!" interjected Elizabeth with pride.
"Allie, that's wonderful. I'm so proud of you!"
"Thanks, Dad! Thanks, Mrs. Thornton!"
Both smiled back at her.
"There's a bit more if anyone would like some!"
"Yes, please!" came from both Elizabeth and Allie.
"Hmm, maybe I didn't do so bad!" teased Nathan as he went to get the second servings.
When he returned from the kitchen, Little Jack could wait no longer to reach out for Nathan.
"There's my Buddy!" Little Jack settled in comfortably on Nathan's lap, while the ladies finished their meals.
"Mrs. Thornton, I read Chapter 21 for Assignment, but did you say to cover Chapter 22, too?"
"Oh, Allie, I can see how what I said might have been confusing. We won't cover Chapter 22 until Wednesday of next week. So you have plenty of time to cover that later. Did you enjoy reading Chapter 21?"
"Yes, Ma'am, but the characters are getting to be a little confusing."
"That's an interesting observation. Perhaps we should do a short character analysis on each one before we continue to Chapter 22. Because as we go along, it does get a lot harder to follow."
"I know that would really help me, and I think Opal and Emily are having a little trouble with it, too."
"Then it's settled, we'll start working on the individual characters before we take on any more Chapters. Thanks for letting me know that, Allie."
"Elizabeth, I don't see how you keep all your lessons for so many ages straight."
"Oh, believe me, it's never easy, but the children help each other a lot, and that's a huge help to me! And of course, it helps that I love what I do!"
"That's because you're so good at it. All the kids think so. And I know so because I've had other teachers, like Mrs. Humpstutter!"
"Mrs. Huffstetter, Allie Bean, Mrs. Huffstetter."
"Oh, maybe that's why she got so mad all the time. All the kids called her Mrs. Humpstutter. I really thought that's what it was! Anyway, it was like we were all teaching her, instead of her teaching us. We even had to find her books for her. She never had the right one. And she was always waving this big ruler around, pointing it like she wanted us to look at something really important, but there never was anything there! Once she tapped that ruler so hard on her desk, that is broke into a million pieces, and we wanted to laugh so bad, we were about to bust. We didn't think she could do anything without that ruler. But she just pulled out another one. We were doomed."
"Allie..." warned Nathan, trying to keep a straight face.
Elizabeth couldn't help but let out a little giggle, "Sorry, but you've got to admit that's cute. Sad, but cute!"
"Are you two ladies ready for Dessert? You can relax. It's a surprise, but Bill made it. So you're safe. Jack, you want to help me carry it in?"
From the kitchen, they heard a loud "Pie...e!"
"So much for that surprise!" Nathan laughed, bringing out the pie. "I'll go back and get the plates."
"I'll get them, Dad!"
"And I'll slice it. Oh, Lemon Meringue, I love it," added Elizabeth.
"I'm sorry it's not Cherry..." and he reached to give her a quick kiss on her neck, as he passed with Little Jack to his chair.
"I'll just have to suffer through, I suppose. As much as I love Lemon Meringue, there should really be a law against anything without Cherries."
"I'll see if I can work on that particular law proposal when I get back to the Office!" and he reached to kiss her again.
"Tough work, though, making a new law, and all!" he teased.
"Dad, shall I bring the coffee in?"
"Yes, please, Allie. Just be careful. It's really hot," and he was grinning adoringly at Elizabeth the whole time he said that especially the hot part.
"Nathan Grant, I've never known a man who could turn anything into flirting!" she whispered.
"Are you complaining, Mrs. Thornton?"
"Oh, no, not at all, Constable. I guess I'll just have to adjust!" giving an exaggerated sigh.
"I guess you will!" There was his crooked grin again, and she was a total goner, yet, once again.
Was she ever going to gain any immunity against that crooked grin, or was it going to cause her to be a dithering mess the rest of her life? Right now, she was leaning toward the latter.
My word, that man did things to her she couldn't begin to explain. Life with him was definitely going to be exciting, not to mention, intensely romantic, she was learning!
"Thanks for bringing the coffee, Sweetheart!"
"Here, Allie, let me pour!" and Elizabeth did the honors.
Jack made a face with the first bite of pie Nathan gave him. But Nathan noticed Jack watching Allie. As soon as she finished her mouthful of pie, Jack was reaching for another bite. This time his adorable little face was a mixture of a frown, a smile, and a scrunch! But being the trooper he was, he decided to try again. The third time was the charm, and his face turned into a huge smile, which he directed at Allie.
"Great job, Little Jack!" and she reached and high-fived him!
Elizabeth just watched in amazement, "As I said, Allie, you're in charge of the getting Little Jack to eat department! I completely surrender that task to you!"
"Allie Bean, if you'll take Jack into the living room to play, I'll clean up while Mrs. Thornton sits and talks to me."
"Sure, Dad, that's a pretty sweet deal!" and off the children went with loads of giggles.
"Here, Darling, let me help!"
"Absolutely not, you sit and rest. I've already got the pans washed and dried. Just talk to me while I wash up the plates, glasses, and silverware. You choose the topic. I just love to hear your authoritative and beautiful voice."
His eyes were literally melting into hers, and he bent down to kiss her nose.
She smiled lovingly. She wasn't sure if she had ever felt this cherished.
"Nathan, you don't know how much I wanted to tell Lucas about your books!" she giggled. "Can you imagine what his response would have been to that?
"It was funny, wasn't it? But thanks for not blowing my cover. I owe you one!"
"You owe me nothing, Darling. You give to me constantly! I just stood there watching you, and realized no one would have ever been able to tell what you were thinking. How do you do that? You didn't even flinch when he brought up the trip!"
"I don't know. I guess it's part of the job and maybe just part of me. I've always been on the quiet side, you know, and I do completely trust the Love of my Life!"
"Aww…here, at least let me dry!"
She jumped up and stood directly next to him, very closely.
"I think you're right, this is much better!" He bent to give her a passionate side to side kiss.
"See, it is so very much better, I would never complain about doing dishes if we could do them like this!" she brightened.
"Me neither, Darling! Elizabeth, are we going to need to change our plans for June, given this book tour? If so, I'd understand."
"Look at me, Nathan. Not a chance! You and I are getting married in June, no matter what. Nothing, and certainly not any book tour, is going to stop that."
"That makes me ecstatically happy, my Love! But, you know, I've been thinking. What if you talked to your Publishers and had them to schedule your tour for the month of July?"
"Nathan, I am not leaving you!"
"No, you wouldn't be leaving me."
Her eyes grew wide, "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"
His eyes sparkled in response, and he laid down his dishcloth, wiped his hands, and touched her face tenderly.
"Elizabeth, why don't we take the children with us and go together to New York for your Book Tour as our Honeymoon?"
"You would do that for me?"
"Absolutely. It makes perfect sense. We could get adjoining cabins on the train, with a connecting door for the children. I think Allie and Jack would love it! And I would love to get to see your dream of launching your book come true. In fact, I can't think of anything more perfect."
Elizabeth just looked into Nathan's eyes with her excitement building to a fever pitch crescendo.
"It's perfect Nathan! It's absolutely perfect. But can you be gone that long?"
"Actually, yes. Headquarters had our quarterly review last month. Turns out I have a lot of vacation time built up over the years, as I never have gotten to take the full amount. allotted. In fact, I've barely taken any. I can easily handle a month, and probably two additional weeks for travel and still have a bit of time left over in case it's needed to finish our house."
"Oh, Nathan! I've never been so happy!" and to prove it, she kissed him gently, tenderly, melting into his lips, breathing the same air he was breathing, letting him know that desire for him was the sole thing in her heart and on her mind. His hands were caressing her hair, as though that's all they knew to do. And in that instant, the fact that they were really going to be together as one became crystal clear to the two of them. It was real and they could almost feel it. It was now a matter of only counting down the days till June. They would be married and have a honeymoon, but now, their honeymoon was no longer an unknown. It was a planned trip. And that trip was tangible and perfect for not only the two of them but the four of them together.
He lifted her up and held her to him, till their smiles got so big, they started laughing with joy.
He finally sat her down, but the smiles stayed glued to their faces.
"Nathan, this gives me such joy, and it takes away all my worry about the Book Tour. I didn't want to leave you or the children. And now I won't have to. This is a dream come true and you're giving it to me, Darling! We're going to New York City! I can't imagine a better honeymoon!"
"And don't forget the countryside, we'll be passing through on the train is absolutely spectacular!"
They stood there together wrapped in their excitement.
"Nathan, have you ever been on a Book Tour? I don't even know what to expect."
"Yes, a couple of times. They wanted me to do more, but it was impossible to work them into my Mountie schedule since I was also training new recruits at the time. Then, later, there was no way I could leave Allie. The tours are hard work, but they're also a lot of fun. You get to meet so many different people. And they're so open and honest with you in giving their opinions. I think if you can go into them with thick skin, you can really learn to become a better writer throughout the process."
"That's an interesting perspective. I'd never thought of that."
"Everything's done here, Darling. Come, let's relax in the living room."
"Dad, is it okay if I take Little Jack up to my room?"
"It's okay with me, but you need to ask Mrs. Thornton, too."
"Yes, Allie, that's fine. Can you please shut the door behind you, so he doesn't wander down the stairs?"
"Yes, Ma'am! This way, the adults can have some privacy. Come on, Little Jack!"
And Allie lifted him up the stairs with Jack giggling along with her
They sat down on the settee, with Nathan shaking his head.
"What am I going to do with her?"
"She's a very perceptive young girl, Nathan. And that's a very good thing."
"Yeah, your job is to keep telling me that about a hundred times a day! How does she know so much?"
She laughed and cuddled into his chest, and he kissed her hair.
"She's a female, Darling, and let's just say as women, it's our job to know a lot!"
"Is that so? Funny, but now that I have you in my life, I can totally understand that!"
"Then, I'm doing my job well," smiled Elizabeth.
"Oh, that you are! You know, Darling, we'll need to start making Christmas plans soon."
"Nathan, I can't believe it's time for Christmas again!"
"What is your perfect Christmas, Love?"
"The four of us, cutting the Christmas tree, decorating the Christmas tree, baking cookies, and having lots of friends in! Oh, and riding in our new sleigh, of course! The children are going to be so surprised!"
"Yes, they are. Sounds pretty wonderful, Elizabeth!"
"What is your perfect Christmas, Nathan?"
"Your list, plus going to the Christmas Eve Service at Church. When we were little, Dad would also gather us around the fireplace and read us the Christmas Story from the Bible on Christmas morning, before we opened presents. I loved that. I missed it so much when he was gone. I tried to fill in for him a couple of Christmases, but it wasn't the same. I think that was my favorite Christmas tradition of all. I also love to go caroling! I remember our Family going into town and doing that together."
"What a lovely tradition for Christmas morning. I don't remember Father ever reading to us. Mother and Father were always interested in entertaining their huge groups of friends and business associates, all the social elites. And the Carolers that came to our house were professional ones. We had elegant parties galore, but we kids really missed out on the basics, the real, homey Christmasy things I mean! Let's do the Christmas Eve Service and the Christmas morning reading with Allie and Little Jack, Nathan! I love the idea of going caroling, too! That would be so much fun. We could do it on our sleigh!"
"I think you're loving that sleigh!" he teased. "It's going to be fun, for sure!"
They both got quiet, dreaming of their first Christmas together as a family.
"Elizabeth, I have something very important to ask you. I've put it off because I'm not even sure I should ask you at all. But you said to always be open and honest with you. Just know upfront that if you don't want to do this, I'm perfectly fine with it. Promise me, you'll make the decision without any pressure one way or the other, Darling."
"I promise."
"The Mountie Ball is going to be a particularly grand occasion this year, and I've been requested, or I should say, I've been commanded to attend. I know you went with Jack before, and if it's painful in any way whatsoever, I won't even ask you."
He had taken his hand, turning her face to his, and he was studying it intently for any sign of reaction.
For once, her face appeared void of any reaction at all. She looked down, then back up at Nathan.
"Please ask me," she whispered, looking directly into his eyes.
He got up, knelt down before her, and took her hand, "My beautiful Elizabeth Thornton, will you allow me the great honor of taking you to this year's Annual Mountie Ball?"
"Yes...yes, my Darling. I can't imagine not being there by your side."
"Wear your new Teal Ballgown, and I promise you'll be the Queen of the Ball! Though I'll be the proudest man there, no matter what you wear!"
And then Nathan remembered something. Something very special.
"Wait right here, just a minute, my Love!"
Nathan walked to his desk drawer, opened it, and found a little package wrapped in the most beautiful gold paper with a gold fabric bow, almost as big as the tiny package. He came back to Elizabeth and sat down beside her.
"Let's call this your Mountie Ball present," he said softly, handing her the stunning package.
She looked at him, and their eyes met and locked, as only their eyes could do.
Her hands were shaking as she gently unwrapped the package to discover a gold velvet box inside. She held it and looked up at him.
"Open it, Darling," he whispered.
When she lifted the velvet lid, she gasped and put her hand to her mouth.
Inside were the most exquisite pair of earrings she had ever seen.
The gold frames around the stones were cut in an emerald shape and covered in diamonds. The diamonds were set separately from each other, but touching, with each single one sparkling like a star. The diamonds continued up each gold Shepherd's Hook like a shooting comet as far as they could fit.
There was another band of gold around each of the large center stones, both of which were also fashioned in the classic emerald cut. The center stones were brilliant and a deep azure blue in color that perfectly matched her teal ballgown. The earrings were simply stunning, and all she could do was stare at them through her tears.
"I don't even know what to say, Darling. These are the most exquisite earrings I have ever seen!" And she lifted her mouth to his in a long kiss filled with love and wonder.
"Wherever did you find these?"
He gently held her hair back to help her try them on.
"In Buxton, when I picked up the sleigh."
"But you hadn't seen my gown then. Did Rosemary tell you the color of my gown?"
"No, she didn't, my Love. I would have given them to you to wear that night, had I known. But I noticed them in the window of this beautiful little Jewelry Shoppe, and they instantly made me think of you. They were just so elegant and lovely. They looked like you. I admit thinking, 'but I've never seen her wear that color.' Still, somehow, I knew they were meant for you. Not even dreaming that you would choose that color gown. Can you imagine what I felt when I saw you standing at the door? I knew then that there was no question about it. These earrings were made for you."
"And yes, I agree the earrings are exquisite, but they're not nearly as exquisite as you. I hope you enjoy them for many years to come, my Darling!"
"Forever, my Love! Forever!"