Chapter Sixty-Three
The Union City Hanover was the largest Hotel in Union City and the Hotel where most of the Mounties were staying. To say it was a busy place, was quite the understatement!
The Hanover was all decked out for the Holidays, sporting colorful Grand-scaled Decorations that were a joy for all to see. The Holiday colors for this year's special Season were Red and Gold, much like the Red and Gold of the Mountie Dress Uniform, which would be seen on hundreds of handsome Mounties tonight!
The Hanover's Grand Ballroom was the venue for tonight's main event, and the Holiday Décor chosen for the Ball, itself, was absolutely breathtaking, and also in colors of Red and Gold!
The massive Space had been magnificently transformed for tonight's Festivities, into a Golden Paradise with touches of Red that echoed the overall theme the Mounties had chosen: "Golden Stars of Christmas!"
The theme referenced the fact that the Mounties themselves were the true Stars of this Official Mountie Christmas Ball.
Irridescent Gold was to be found everywhere throughout the Ballroom, all of it grounded by a solid bright Red Serge-Colored Carpet and Runner. The long Red Serge-Colored Runner was bound in large bands of Gold Edging, and it ran the length of the entire Grand Ballroom. But there was a reason for that, which we'll see in a bit!
The already Ornate Ceiling had at least a hundred monstrous-sized Crystal Chandeliers that had been interlaced with Gold Twinkly Lights that constantly sent out Flashes of Golden Light throughout the entire Space.
The Ceiling, itself, had been transformed into Clouds of Metallic Golden Mesh. Shiny Metallic 'Golden Stars' hung from the ceiling, and through the Mesh at a myriad of varying levels, glistening as they danced downward over the crowd of attendees.
Two gigantic Christmas Trees stood at the Front of the Ballroom, one on either side of the Dais. They were literally covered in Golden Lights with some Solid and some Twinkling. This Lighting, along with the Chandeliers, emitted bright Golden Rays, making the Grand Room come alive with a Golden Light that seemed to be emanating from everywhere.
These Trees were also covered in Golden Star Ornaments of all sizes, and they were also wrapped beautifully in Garlands made of the same Golden Mesh that hung above them.
That identical Golden Mesh was also draped across the very long Front Table that was being used for the Dignitaries. And it was intertwined with the same Gold Cording from the Mounties' Official Dress Uniforms.
The only Red at the Front of the Ballroom Dais, besides the Uniforms of the Mounties, of course, were huge Golden Baskets of gorgeous Red Poinsettias, and they were literally everywhere, stacked at varying heights all across the front of the Dais.
But behind the large Dais, the entire Front Wall was plastered in Poster Sized Photos that had been edged in Bands of Gold. The Photos had been made of each Mountie in their Dress Uniforms of Red and Gold, during last Season's Festivities! As such, the Wall of Red and Gold served as yet another counterpoint of Décor, emphasizing the Red Serge color among all the Gold.
The Wall in itself was both striking and humbling at the same time. It was as though the Mounties' Bravery, which was actually the Showcase for this evening, shone through loudly and clearly, just by being there!
Hundreds of additional huge Golden Branch Trees were covered with Golden Twinkling Lights also, and they literally formed a forest of Twinkly Gold Lights around the massive room perimeter!
The "Golden Stars of Christmas" Décor was truly spectacular and with deep meaning. What couldn't be known now, was just how spectacular! Because there was a Special Surprise that would occur when the Lights were dimmed and everyone was dancing on the Dance Floor.
Back at the Le Havre, their Car was waiting as Nathan led Elizabeth down the Grand Staircase, and there was not a pair of eyes in the entire elegant Lobby that was not watching the handsome couple descend the Stairs.
Little did the Couple realize, except about the other, that the two together looked like European Royalty.
Nathan and Elizabeth were oblivious as they only had eyes for each other, and truthfully it was hard for them to take their eyes away in order to maneuver the Stairs.
Pierre met them at the foot of the Stairs, nodding his head, in acknowledgment, then paving the way for them to make it easily through the busy Lobby and on into their waiting Car.
Elizabeth looked up as Nathan held the Car Door for her, and smiled at Nathan, saying, "You were right, the falling snow is glorious!"
Of course, they were under the huge Canopy of the Le Havre and safe from any damage, but looking out the snowfall was beautiful, nonetheless.
Nathan helped her tuck the train of her Ball Gown in the Car and quickly walked to the other side, getting in beside his precious Elizabeth.
Whatever the night held in store for them, they had certainly dressed the part, and Nathan marveled at the beauty of the woman sitting beside him.
He had never seen her look more lovely with her ravishing gown, her bare decollete and arms, and her Fur loosely wrapped around her. He especially loved her hair, as it was both formal and informal at the same time.
Elizabeth not only looked amazing, she looked pure Elizabeth.
And at that moment, holding her hand wasn't enough. All he wanted to do was marry this woman beside him, sharing all with her through good times and bad. Their love and need for each other were palpable, filling the Car with joy.
Even the Driver was smiling.
Their ride was a quick one, as the distance from the Le Havre to the Union City Hanover was short.
And when Nathan helped his Elizabeth out of the Car at the Hanover, just as at the Le Havre, all eyes turned toward the Couple.
Nathan helped her with her train, then stood tall, offering his arm, looking down at her with a warm smile full of pride.
She returned his smile, looking up at him with an illustrious smile of her own.
And now, it was their smiles of love, their looks of love, that stole away the eyes of the people who had before only stared at their attire. But now those same people could clearly see these two faces so full of love, that it was that love that now was completely mesmerizing them. And somehow, it made them smile and feel as though they were a part of this perfect love that seemed to encircle this special Couple.
The feeling of the night was quite an extraordinary one, indeed, anticipation and excitement filled the air!
The Concierge immediately stepped out from his desk and led the Couple the long distance to the Ballroom and the very same thing happened. All eyes were on them, the entire way.
As the Couple finally stood outside the Grand Doors to the Grand Ballroom, Nathan realized there was a Formation inside. He could sense it, as only a great Mountie would. He looked down at his Love and whispered, "We'll have to walk through an Honor Formation, are you okay with that?"
She reached to kiss him, then whispered, "This is your night, Darling, and however you're honored, it's well deserved. Relax and enjoy it with me, Love!"
He smiled down at her and nodded to the Gentlemen guarding the Doors.
They smiled in acknowledgment, then waited a moment, till they counted through and heard the final orders:
From: "Form Two Lines"
"Carry Sabers"
"Forward…March"
"Halt..Center Face"
"Present…Sabers"
Which had already been completed prior to the Couple's arrival…
To: "Arch…Sabers"
And instantly the Grand Doors opened before them, showing an Honorary Formation on such a large scale, that it even took Nathan a bit aback. He had seen many Honor Formations, but none nearly as large as this one.
The two lines of Constables in their Dress Uniforms, one on the right and one on the left, stretched from just inside the Grand Doors all the way to the very front of the Ballroom where the large Dais was.
As a Mountie, Nathan now had to remain looking straight ahead in Formation Mode, but he squeezed Elizabeth's arm a bit tighter with his own, reassuring her as they began the daunting task of walking through this very long Honorary Arch of Sabers.
As they started their walk on the long stretch, with the Red Carpet Runner beneath them, everyone clapped, and the clapping continued, only getting louder as they proceeded.
As this was the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, there could be no smiles, but there was still joy in the room, and there was immense pride for one of their own.
Commissioner Harold G. Blake was standing at the very end of the Honor Formation, along with his entire Team, plus one exception. Judge Bill Avery was also standing there, very proudly, to his right. But as far as Elizabeth could see, it appeared Bill was alone.
When the Couple finally reached the end of the Honor Formation under the many Arched Sabers, Nathan realized that Aaron Latham and Gabriel Kinslow were the last two Constables standing.
And although he couldn't show it, he knew, with a little dread, what was coming next, and it did…
Latham and Kinslow closed their Sabers down to Cross at Waist Level, demanding a 'Kiss for Passage.'
Nathan and Elizabeth turned to each other, but somehow Elizabeth knew, and she made it easy for her Constable, reaching her face toward him. He lowered his lips to hers and the entire Ballroom erupted in Cheers! But the Couple didn't really hear the Cheers, as their kiss took them away into their own little world, just as it always did. They parted and Nathan then smiled at his Love, and Constables Latham and Kinslow smiled, too, as they lifted their Sabers high for the Right of Passage the Couple had so bravely and romantically earned!
Even Commissioner Blake was beaming after that spectacular kiss, and he heartily congratulated Constable Grant first, then met with Elizabeth, as Nathan introduced her to him.
Commissioner Blake then personally did the honors of introducing the Couple to his entire row of Dignitaries and their Wives.
As they were doing that, the entire Ballroom was forming a massive Receiving Line of Couples for Constable Grant and his Elizabeth…
Nathan was so proud of how Elizabeth handled it all with such dignity, grace, and even joy. Her spirit was so infectious, it allowed him to do as she had asked. He relaxed and even enjoyed meeting with his colleagues.
The Receiving Line was long, but moving steadily along. It was especially nice when there were people Nathan and Elizabeth personally knew…
Suddenly Tess was before them!
Nathan kissed Tess on the cheek and Elizabeth hugged her, as she came through with Assistant Commissioner Harlow Bennington, and the smile radiating from Tess's face told Elizabeth everything she needed to know.
"You look stunning, Elizabeth, absolutely stunning," beamed Tess.
"Tess, you look absolutely beautiful!" praised Elizabeth. "And so very happy!"
It was clear now, to see that Tess and Harlow were a Couple, and seeing them together left no doubt love was in the air! That was one mystery solved! It hadn't been Bill at all! And who was Bill with, if anyone? How could Elizabeth and Rosemary have been so wrong?
Unknown to Elizabeth, Tess and Harlow had been Childhood Sweethearts who had lost touch, and they had only reconnected because of Tess meeting Bill. The Judge was an old friend of Harlow's and he had known exactly where Harlow was. He had even made the call to let Harlow know where Tess was, and voila, a romance was reborn!
Elizabeth was so excited when Aaron came through the line with Felicity. The couples hugged and kissed and were thrilled to see each other!
"Felicity, you look so beautiful. Your gown is really lovely!" complimented Elizabeth.
"Elizabeth, you look like a Princess!" whispered Felicity.
"Let's get together tomorrow for Breakfast…" begged Elizabeth.
Nathan and Aaron made the arrangements to meet, over the Girls' conversation.
Behind them, came Gabriel and Lillian, which brought on more hugs and kisses.
"Gabe, Breakfast in the morning! Get the details from Aaron and we'll see you then!" urged Nathan.
"Elizabeth, I have never seen anyone look so lovely. The Gown is spectacular, so simple and so very elegant!"
"Oh, Lillian thank you. You look divine as well. I'm just so very happy to see you. Can't wait for us to catch up! You and Gabe enjoy your evening!"
That brought huge smiles from both Gabe and Lillian, who both looked very happy! Elizabeth even noticed Gabe grabbing her hand, which was almost hidden in the folds of her gown. But Elizabeth had clearly seen it, and she was happy she had.
The long Receiving Line continued, but it eventually, at long last, came to an end. It had been wonderful to meet so many couples who were living the same lifestyle Nathan and Elizabeth were living. The lifestyle of being and loving a Mountie. Meeting these couples had encouraged Elizabeth immensely. And Nathan was very thankful, as he could see that it had.
Nathan and Elizabeth walked to the Front Dais, where they had the distinct Honor to be seated next to Commissioner Blake and his Wife.
For the first time this evening, the Couple had the opportunity to glance around at their surroundings, and they were truly amazed.
The Holiday Décor was simply spectacular, and both Nathan and Elizabeth were so happy to be here, sharing this magical experience together.
Bill was sitting on the other side of Commissioner Blake, so Elizabeth couldn't see who he was with or even if he was with someone, although it wasn't for lack of trying. But, she did notice both Aaron and Gabe were seated along with Felicity and Lillian on each end of the Dais.
She now knew there were more surprises for Nathan, who, so far, seemed to be holding up very well.
A silence came over the Crowd as Commissioner Blake stood and took the Podium for his Opening Remarks.
"Welcome to our Annual Mountie Ball, as we celebrate you, our very own "Golden Stars of Christmas." There was a huge welcoming round of applause…
"For those of you who don't know, and you better all know, (laughter) I'm Commissioner Harold G. Blake, and it's indeed a privilege for me to welcome you here tonight on behalf of my Team."
"We are honored to have a very special Mountie with us for tonight's Festivities, one who we are all celebrating, and that is our esteemed Constable Nathan A. Grant. We're going to have a bit of fun tonight before our Dancing begins. And, yes, it's at his expense but as you know, that's the Mountie way!"
"It is also my distinct privilege and honor to announce the dates for our real celebration, the Official Medal & Parade Ceremonies at Headquarters that will honor Constable Grant as well as many of you who assisted him in his most successful endeavors to capture our most heinous criminal, as well as his entire gang of heinous criminals! And it gives me much pride and relief to be able to say that. So, thank your Constable! At Constable Grant's insistence, we will also be honoring the brave men of Hope Valley who were deputized and worked right along with our Mounties."
"I can tell you it's an accomplishment of monumental proportions, and we are still studying the processes Constable Grant used at Headquarters, trying to further learn for all of us from the entire experience."
"Make Reservations for the 2nd weekend of January to be at Mountie Headquarters.
Festivities will begin on that Friday Morning and go through Saturday Afternoon. We look forward to seeing you all there! And yes, in case I've left any doubt, that is a command performance (laughter)!
"But for tonight, Nathan, you're in the Hot Seat, as we bring the three men who work with you most closely, to Front and Center Stage. First, let me introduce Constable Gabriel Kinslow who heads our Brookfield Station."
Gabe rose to a round of applause, gave Nathan a look that only Brothers can give, and took to the Podium.
"I'm here tonight to tell you about my Brother. I met Constable Grant just after I joined the Mounties, as we both entered Training. And oh, the stories I could tell there…(understood laughter from the Mounties). Quite frankly, I was stymied. You know what we went through, and most of us were stressed, to put it mildly. But there was this one rather tall guy who just took everything in stride, never once got rattled, and believe me, I tried my darnedest (lots of laughter as everyone knew Gabe, the prankster)!"
"I thought, who in the world is this machine, does he not even have a heart? So, I just decided to keep my distance, why there was no way I wanted to be compared to him (laughter)! But you know the powers that be, they just kept throwing us together, contributing in leaps and bounds to my already prominent inferiority complex (more laughter)."
"But you know how those higher-ups have a wisdom we don't? I didn't want to admit it, I was mighty proud in those days (more laughter because anyone who knew Gabe, knew he was a proud man, a good man, but a very proud man). And believe me that pride was humbled, having to work with Nathan Grant. He not only completed all his tasks in record time, he excelled at them, all of them!"
"But I finally gave up and let him in, in spite of all that. Because surely some of that would rub off on me, or so I thought! And it eventually did, because not only is Nathan Grant humble, he's caring and giving. It wasn't long till we were friends."
"Then we were given a mission, that I was failing miserably at! Believe me, it wasn't pretty, and my life was at stake! We were alone on top of some mountain in the Northern Territories, so yes, there was real danger involved as well. But my friend figured out a way both of us could succeed in our mission by coming together, coming out alive together, and that's when he became my brother."
"We've carried each other ever since, professionally and personally, we're always there for each other! He excels at a lot of things, but I will tell you there's not a Tracker anywhere that can begin to compare! Which reminds me of our last little escapade together. It involves a ten-pound mutt, named Tillie, who is a citizen of Hope Valley. After Johnston and his gang were captured, Constable Aaron Latham and I stayed to help out and cover for Constable Grant."
"Well, needless to say, Tillie's owner thinks she's a show dog, but she's a mutt…and the poor thing would never stay home! And Mrs. Ainsley, Tillie's human Mother (laughter) was calling us constantly to go find Tillie before she hurt herself! Aaron and I were chasing that dog every single minute we weren't chasing criminals, and I'll just tell you, it got to be quite the chore (laughter)! Pretty much worse than the criminals (more laughter)! Why we were ready to build her a fence and pay for it ourselves (lots of laughter)!
"Why one day Aaron had to chase her up the side of a mountain, and when he came back with a torn Red Serge and briars sticking in him everywhere, we had to do something! Judge Avery was ticked about having to replace that Serge, and we both knew better than to tick Judge Avery off! So, we complained to Nathan, and he very calmly said "Can't tell you how many times I've thought about just locking her up…(laughter). Well, that gave Aaron and me an idea! We'd deputize Tilly and bring her into the Station to work with us (roars of laughter). Well, it was better than chasing her all day long (laughter)!"
"But the problem was, we had to do it without Judge Avery knowing. And if you know Judge Avery, that's no small task! One day we put poor Tillie in a cell, but the Judge walked in, so we had to quickly cover her with a basket (more laughter) to hide her! Hey, that's all we had! But Nathan happened to come to take us to lunch that day, and as we left, little Tillie was on the move, and she moved that basket clear across her jail cell and somehow, poor thing, her tail came out…(laughter)."
"Well, Nathan, being the investigative whiz that he is, was almost out the door, when he turned around and…well, we were busted (laughter)! Believe me, Nathan read me the riot act! Aside from Judge Avery, of course (laughter)! But, really? Wouldn't have it any other way. As I said, Brothers through thick and thin. Love you, Brother!"
Nathan stood as Gabe came to hug him, and Nathan reciprocated.
Commissioner Blake stood and went to the Podium, "And yes, let the Record show, Tilly has officially been Cleared for Duty by Headquarters! (roars of laughter). It is my pleasure to introduce to you Constable Aaron Latham, who is now permanently stationed in Hope Valley. Congratulations, Constable Latham!"
Aaron rose to a round of applause and some hollers from his old Regiment members.
"As you have seen and heard, Gabe is the comedian of our trio, while Nathan and I tend to be the more serious ones! Nathan Grant and I met under very difficult circumstances, during a Transport gone very wrong, where we ended up losing one of our own, the Mountie who happened to be my partner."
"What you need to know about that fateful day is the courage and valor of the man we are honoring tonight. You see, Constable Grant was the one to dismount and calmly walk toward our attacker, our would-be hijacker. She was a tiny female, but she came out of nowhere with her demands for her brother's release, and she had a loaded rifle pointed directly at us."
"Nathan talked to her gently, calmly, telling her she didn't want to do this, that if she gave him the rifle, she would get off much easier, that her brother was only facing a short sentence, but this would put them both behind bars for a very long time. "You know you don't want to do this. Just hand me the rifle," he said with the calmest voice I've ever heard, all the while, facing the end of that same loaded rifle which was already cocked to shoot."
"Constable Grant actually had his hand on that barrel. And she was ready to give the rifle to him, but other things happened behind him we had no control over. And the rifle went off out of sheer panic, with Nathan's hand literally on the barrel. But in that heroic act, a life was saved, simply by a thread, by the few millimeters Nathan was able to move that rifle."
"I've never seen such courage, and I knew right then and there I had a lot to learn and I wanted to learn it from this Man, who had a calmness and a courage I'd never seen before. It is my distinct Honor and Privilege to serve with Constable Nathan Grant, alongside Judge Avery, and I will forever be grateful for that opportunity. I also believe and hope it to be true, that Nathan and I are now not only Colleagues and Friends, but also Brothers! And on a lighter note, Gabe, I hate to tell you this, but it turns out, Judge Avery knew about Tillie all along! (tons of laughter) And it just so happens, he's her biggest fan (more laughter)!
Aaron walked to Nathan, who stood and came to Aaron as both men hugged, and Nathan smiled and quietly said, "Yes, Aaron, we are Brothers. Proud to serve with you!"
Now for perhaps the scariest part of the night, Commissioner Blake went to the Podium to introduce the third Speaker...
"It is now my distinct honor to introduce a man who is truly Golden. He served with the Mounties for many years, became an Inspector, and now sits as a Judge. And he is my dear friend and colleague of more than thirty years. I present to you a very special man, a very good man, Judge Bill Avery!"
There was a heavy round of applause as most people knew the Judge in one way or another, and they also knew to sit on the edge of their seats, because you never knew what might come out of the Judge's mouth! There were several Mounties in that Ballroom who were saying a prayer of thanks that they weren't now in Constable Grant's shoes!
"I want to take you back in time to the first time I met Constable Nathan Grant. The funny thing is I didn't know him, and I most certainly did not know he was a Man of the Law. Well, Hope Valley is tight, and some would say I'm tight, in more ways than one, if we're being completely honest (laughter)!"
"Hope Valley had just lost a Mountie, a great Mountie, Constable Jack Thornton, God rest his Soul! And I can tell you, nobody, including me, wanted another Mountie replacing our beloved Jack! Well, the night Nathan came to town, unknown to me, he decided to slip in undercover so to speak, in civilian clothes, to get a real feel for the townspeople he was coming to protect."
"Not a bad idea to follow for those of you with new posts coming up. Oh, don't worry! I can promise you it won't end like our little experience did. Because I'm as sure as rain there's only one Bill Avery!" (laughter)
"So, back to my story. The night Nathan Grant came to town. I was in the Saloon making sure everything was on the up and up when a fight broke out. Well, Nathan here, who none of us had even met, jumped up and decided to play Mountie. But of course, I didn't know he was a Mountie, so I did what any good Law Enforcer would do. I arrested him (laughter) and then threw him in jail for the night (tons of laughter). Hey, it wasn't my fault! How could I have known? And you may have heard, the Man can be very quiet. I mean really quiet! Well, he was quiet as stone that night, not saying a word, just letting me make a bigger fool of myself than I already had! When I finally figured it out, don't ask me how. Oh, I remember, after some time in jail, being the fair-minded judge that I am, I told him if he promised to not get in any more fights, I'd let him go on good behavior. He just quietly said, "I can't do that." "Well, why can't you do that?" I asked more than a little annoyed. "Because I'm your new Mountie!" (laughter)
"Well, I'll probably never live that one down! Believe me, he reminds me at every opportune chance he gets! Dangling that little blunder over my head!"
"It was a slow process, adjusting to our new Mountie, but I dare you to ask any citizen of Hope Valley what they think of Constable Grant now. They'll just go on and on about him for hours, just singing his praises! They love the Man! And here after all these years, I'm still just the curmudgeonly old Judge!"
"I've watched this Constable in dire situations time and again. Life and Death situations. And I can tell you, I've never seen anything like it. Never ruffled, analytical, methodical, slow by nature but as quick as lightning when needed – quite frankly the best I've seen. I told him once, that he wasn't motivated by the action, like most of us, although he's great at the action! He's motivated by the peace that follows the action. And that's him in a nutshell. He's made of steel, never doubt it, but he has a heart of solid gold. I know, because he is my Colleague and part of my Family. And I might as well go on and say it: for all practical purposes, he's my Son. And I'm mighty proud to serve with him. You know that loaded rifle Aaron was telling you about, well I'm very thankful Nathan had the courage and wisdom to put his hand on that rifle, although at the time, I thought he was a bit daft! But I'm so thankful he chose to take that huge risk and move that loaded rifle those few millimeters because you see, I'm the life he saved (thunderous applause)!"
Bill and Nathan walked to each other and hugged each other tightly right there in front of everyone, with glistening tears in their eyes.
Nathan then took the Podium, "I do want it to go on Record that I was officially on Leave during the latter episodes of our beloved Tillie (laughter)! And no, I was not the one to deputize her, Gabe, but I must say she's gotten pretty good at sniffing the criminals out! (more laughter). And she now reports to work, sometimes earlier than Aaron and I do (lots of laughter)! On a more serious note, I can't tell you how honored I am tonight to receive your Honors and Support. They are both deeply appreciated. But I can tell you, I'm a man who just believes in doing my job and doing it to the best of my ability. You all have allowed me to do that, the people who lead me, train me, support me, and those who work alongside me. As well as those who love me. For that, I am most blessed and grateful. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!"
The audience stood and clapped thunderously in honor of this humble servant, one they all aspired to be a bit more like.
Nathan turned to go back to his seat as Commissioner Blake rose and first shook his hand, then embraced him. They exchanged private words, and it was those private words that meant the world to Nathan, who first bowed his head to his Commander, and then formally saluted him. And that formal salute was returned with vigor and pride.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Constable Grant and his beautiful Elizabeth Thornton will now open our Official Mountie Ball, "The Golden Stars of Christmas," and I don't need to tell you, you've seen one of those Stars tonight, in our very own Constable Nathan Grant. We thank you, Constable Grant!" (thunderous applause with a standing ovation)
Nathan walked and held out his hand to step down from the Dais and confidently lead his Elizabeth to the Dance Floor as the orchestra started playing "The Skaters' Waltz, Op. 183" by Waldteufel (15*).
Nathan knew that in writing this particular piece of music, the Composer was trying to capture a wintry day in Paris, France, when Ice-Skaters ventured out onto the Seine River, which had frozen. The music, both serene and exuberant, contains many melodies within the single piece, and reeks of the ambiance of winter. Nathan even knew the music includes the ringing of sleigh bells, and this particular piece just happens to be one of his favorite classic pieces.
"It's just you and me, Darling, in our cabin in the woods!" whispered Elizabeth.
"And then we're skating, as we promised, Darling, across the frozen pond!" encouraged Nathan in a low voice.
Nathan smiled and nodded, taking Elizabeth in his arms, and with their words to each other, they were first in their tiny cabin, alone, loving each other through the art of dancing with each other, then as the music took them, they moved to skating together across their frozen pond.
Each was now focused only on the music and their love for the other and it showed from the moment they took their first pronounced step together.
Nathan fluidly led her in their waltz, in three-quarter rhythm, stepping strongly on each first beat, making sure their shoulders were exactly parallel to the Floor, just as was proper, but doing it all automatically, naturally, because they were dancing together, and it was now second nature to them.
Being the only couple out there alone, was not at all intimidating to Elizabeth and Nathan, instead, it was freeing somehow, with no fear of interruption from others. It was simply the two of them, alone in their own world, together.
The setting was formal and grand, but Elizabeth and Nathan's waltz was still very intimate and very romantic, just for the two of them. It didn't even occur to them that hundreds of people were watching. They were simply together. And as Nathan held her close, elegantly moving to the music, his love and pride for her overwhelmed him, and he put all of those feelings into their Dance, rather than be distracted by them.
The two were literally gliding across the Floor, as though they were skating across that frozen pond.
The train of Elizabeth's Ballgown splayed out behind her in a sea of Deep Red, and the sight of the couple dancing so beautifully took the crowds' collective breath away.
The result was a Waltz that could have been used to teach others.
It was truly a fairy tale come to life!
So, instead of joining in, everyone stood on the sidelines throughout that entire First Dance of Honor, watching the fluid beauty of the Couple in synchronous motion before them.
But just as our Couple's first Waltz was coming to an end, a spray of Golden Confetti fell directly on them from above, just over the spot where they stood, and just prior to the music stopping, leaving a circle around them as though it were magic.
They finally parted with Nathan still holding Elizabeth's hand as he properly bowed formally to his partner, both covered in glorious Gold Confetti!
And the beauty of it all lured the others to join them on the Dance Floor, dancing, moving, and swaying in three-quarter time to the melodious orchestra music!
The night had already included conversation, friendship, food, drink, fun, excitement, life lessons, love, dancing precision, military precision in the form of an elaborate Honor Guard, music, mystery, relationships, romance, surprises, and pure enjoyment of each other.
The Official Mountie Ball was now fully begun and the night was just beginning…
(15*) Emil Waldteufel, "The Skaters' Waltz, Op.183," or "The Skaters," 1882, (Public Domain)