Chapter 142: A Family Celebration
The Twentieth of June finally arrived bright and sunny, with brilliant rays from the rising sun streaming in through the Grant Suite's many windows.
Nathan lay awake, contented, holding his wife in his arms, something he would never tire of doing.
Part of him wondered if she would remember, but that wasn't really fair. They had only been married twelve days, and come to think of it the subject of his Birthday had only come up once before, on their first official date! No, his new wife couldn't possibly be expected to remember that.
They had talked about a million things that night!
Thankfully, his eye was now a mottled purplish-blue instead of the intense black following the first day after his injury, and thanks to his Mother's poultice treatments, the swelling had also gone down tremendously.
At least, the children could look at him now, without looking like they wanted to burst out crying.
And most gratefully, the same could now be said of his wife!
As Nathan lazily glanced up at the clock, he had to squint both eyes to make sure he was seeing the numbers correctly.
"Lisbeth, Godfrey will be here with our Breakfast in just a few minutes!"
"Hmm?"
"Our Breakfast, Darling!" but no response.
He reached to grab her lacy bed jacket, holding it up for her, but she had already fallen soundly back to sleep!
So, he tried another tactic.
"Lisbeth," and he bent, adding a kiss to her forehead.
At least with that, Prince Charming got a half-smile from his beautiful Princess, as her deep blue eyes began to flutter open!
"Love, here's your bed jacket. Godfrey will be here any moment!"
She stretched out her arm, chuckling as he laced it through her sleeve like he would do dressing a young Allie or Little Jack.
"Give me the other arm," he coaxed in a practiced, most soothing voice.
"There, now, you're all presentable!"
"Thanks…I think…" she mumbled sleepily while turning away from him.
"Good morning, Love!" he coaxed again, whispering while rubbing her hand, helping her to re-open her eyes, although just slightly.
Sleepily, she turned back toward him and wrapped her arms around him, but soon fell back into dreamland!
Nathan got up shaking his head with a smile, as Godfrey knocked on their door.
"Good morning, Godfrey!"
"Good morning, Sir, Mrs. G!"
Elizabeth finally rallied at the sound of her beloved Butler.
"Morning, Godfrey! Have…er…the children… been behaving...for Breakfast?" she asked sleepily.
"Yes, Mrs. G! And very nicely so, with their very best manners," but Godfrey cleared his throat, signaling to his favorite charge that there was much more to tell, though he felt it improper to do so.
That got her awake, as she sat up in bed, watching her beloved Butler and beloved Husband together setting out their Continental Breakfast of Pastries, Fruit, Coffee, and Juices.
"Out with it, Godfrey! What else do I need to know?"
"Unlike the two of you, the children and your parents are receiving a real proper Breakfast with every desirable Breakfast food available, but..."
It seemed Godfrey couldn't bring himself to finish his statement, as his voice just kept fading away, which concerned Elizabeth greatly, knowing this meant there was real gossip to dish!
"And?"
"Well, Mrs. G, I don't know how to tell you this, but the children, of course, are always in their pajamas, as you requested, but…"
"But what, Godfrey?"
"The Grandparents are wearing their robes, too!" he offered in a hushed whisper.
Elizabeth was aghast!
"My Mother and Father are having their Breakfast in their robes on this Train?" asked a shocked Elizabeth, with Nathan not at all understanding their reaction.
"But, Lisbeth, your parents occasionally wore their robes to Breakfast back in Hope Valley, along with my parents. I don't understand why the surprise!"
"Darling, that was Hope Valley, and a remarkable first! You don't understand, my parents never in their lives arrived for Breakfast in Hamilton or on their many travels in robes!"
"I'm afraid Mrs. G is correct, Sir! This is highly irregular!"
Nathan was unable to resist the chuckle that escaped from deep within his throat!
"Perhaps, we Grants have been a good influence on you Thatchers, after all!" he announced, proudly.
"I do indeed believe so, Sir!" commented Godfrey dryly, unable to hide his smile.
"Wonders truly never cease!" sighed an incredulous Elizabeth, as Godfrey, agreeing, made his way through their door with his cart.
As his wife still appeared too confounded to get out of bed, Nathan quickly made a few selections for them, put them on a tray, and brought them to their bed.
"Oh, you get so many extra points for this, Dear Husband!"
"Actually, I should be the one still in bed this morning!" hinted Nathan.
But instead of taking the bait, although she knew exactly what her husband was implying, his wife pretended to be oblivious, as she bit into a Chocolate Croissant, and took a sip of her Coffee.
"I'm still so sleepy!" she complained, feigning a moan, trying her best to thwart his intention of finding out whether or not she had remembered his Birthday.
"Here, drink your Juice, and go back to sleep," he suggested, totally giving up on his inquiry…
Unbelievably to Nathan, it had been almost five hours since they had had their Breakfast, yet his beautiful wife was still fast asleep, while he had spent the morning trying to get caught up on his reading.
"Love," he whispered. "It's almost noon!"
"Noon?" she shot straight up sitting in their bed.
"Oh no, Nathan! I've slept all morning! But on the bright side, this means I'm definitely pregnant!"
"It does?" he asked closing his book and squinting his face, not following her at all.
He came close to reminding her she had slept through the mornings when they first got married, too, but he suddenly and wisely thought better of it, instead shifting to brace her from behind, placing his hands gently across her stomach, with his silk pajama-clad legs bent on either side of her.
"Are you absolutely sure, Lisbeth?" he asked while nuzzling her neck from behind. "Your beautiful tummy looks as flat as ever to me. Could we possibly be mistaken?"
"No, Love! We are not mistaken! It takes quite a while to show. But you just wait till I punch out like a balloon about to pop! Then we'll see what you say!"
"I'll say you look beautiful as always!"
She giggled, reaching up to kiss him.
"That's because you're an adoring husband!"
He chuckled.
"That's because I tell the truth," thoroughly excited about the prospect of her ever-expanding stomach!
She turned her face again, lifting her lips to his, then totally gave in by turning her entire body and wrapping her husband in her arms.
"I love you so much!"
"I love you, too, Lisbeth! But keep this up, and we're never making lunch!"
"Would that be so terrible?" she grinned, innocently.
"No, but Allie and Jack will be coming after us in about five minutes, followed by our Parents, then Godfrey!"
Suddenly she remembered again, what day it was, and literally jumped out of their bed!
"Oops! You're absolutely right, Love!"
She wanted to say more, much more, but thankfully, as she turned her back to him with a sly grin, she had caught herself just in time.
Boy, did she ever owe this Dear Man...
Quickly, Elizabeth dressed in a brand-new day dress she had bought just for this occasion, then she twisted her hair back into a low chignon, hurriedly pinning it into place.
"Uhm, I love your new dress and your hair pulled back like that! You look positively beautiful, Lisbeth!"
"And you look very handsome, my Love!"
She was right, he looked very handsome, indeed, as handsome as he thought she looked beautiful, dressed casually in his favorite blue slacks and matching vest over a blue and white striped shirt with his collar left open, coordinating perfectly with the beautiful new blue and white dress she was wearing!
"Are you ready for Lunch?"
"Just have to put my earrings in!"
He smiled watching her do this most feminine task, another gift of marriage he would never tire of!
In fact, he even planned to go shopping in Hamilton to find her several new pairs to take home to Hope Valley. Ever attentive, he had heard her mention she had lost a few earrings and needed to get some new ones. To choose something for his wife that she loved, connected him to her even more closely, and that made this new husband, very happy, indeed!
"Are you looking forward to lunch?" she asked nonchalantly.
"Yes, I am," he declared, smiling because he knew, without a doubt, at least his Mother and Allie would remember what day it was...
As they walked from their room and Nathan shut the door behind them, he couldn't help but chuckle remembering the time Allie, unsupervised, had insisted on making him Chocolate Birthday Cupcakes.
It hadn't turned out well at all, but he had eaten every single one, gritting his teeth the whole time, as she sat and watched.
He had even helped her clean up their kitchen afterward which looked like a chemical experiment had exploded in the center of it! It had taken them most of the afternoon to clean the mess from floor to ceiling, after which Nathan had to make an unscheduled visit to the Infirmary!
But it had been worth it all, as Allie had been so very proud!
Though try as he might, he had never been able to figure out what the offending ingredient had been.
Could it have been baking soda? And lots of it?
Perhaps, and hopefully, Elizabeth would be able to help his sweet daughter with her cooking next time around!
But as the couple looked out over their Living Quarters, Nathan was shocked!
Blue and Green Balloons (his favorite colors) were everywhere in addition to matching Silk Ribbon Streamers that hung from the main Chandelier to every corner of the Passenger Car and in between!
And suddenly, he was being besieged from everywhere by blue and green confetti!
"Hey, truce!" he yelled.
The Family, along with Godfrey, all screamed "Happy Birthday!"
And Nathan was truly dumbfounded.
They had all remembered! And not only had they remembered, but they were also throwing a party to end all parties!
Elizabeth included!
He was instantly and joyfully bombarded by his entire family, the men giving hugs, the women giving kisses, and the children giving both!
"Daddy, up!"
Nathan chuckled and instantly lifted his little boy as high as the ceiling allowed!
He then wrapped one arm around Allie and bent down to kiss her, then started talking to her with Jack now happily perched on his leg.
"Happy Birthday, Dad! I almost couldn't keep our secret! I love you so much!" Allie excitedly pronounced.
"Oh, I love you too, Allie Bean! So very much! Are we having your special Birthday Cupcakes today?"
"Believe me, I tried, Dad! But they wouldn't let me in the Kitchen! Don't worry though, I'm going to make them when we get to Granda and Granddad's!"
"Now, that's something wonderful to look forward to in Hamilton, Allie!" grinned Nathan from ear to ear, feeling quite sure Godfrey would come to his rescue and eliminate the offending ingredient!
"Did you and Jack do all this decorating?"
"We helped, but Granddad, Grandpa, Granda, and Grandma all helped too! We started working on it right after Breakfast, but we had to do it quietly, in case you were sleeping!"
"Well, I wasn't sleeping," but he decided to leave it at that rather than teasing his poor wife.
As he stood up, Elizabeth looped her arm through his, and he bent to happily kiss her.
"Here, you knew it was my Birthday all along!" he chided.
"Of course, I knew, Darling! But the Family insisted I keep our surprise! I promise, Nathan Grant, you get your Birthday Breakfast in bed tomorrow! But if I had fixed it for you today, you would have known I knew. Because I would have let it slip, and I couldn't risk that! The very best Birthday ever is what we hope to give you, today. A Birthday to remember! Ready to eat your special Lunch, which I personally selected?"
"More than ready, Love! I'm positively starved!"
The two tables were decorated with lovely blue china and there was a huge bouquet in the center of each table, with lots of blue Bachelor Buttons mixed in with their white Wedding Flowers!
"Everything looks wonderful!"
As they sat, Nathan couldn't help but chuckle.
Here in this fancy setting of their Passenger Car, he had expected a fancier meal, but the simple meal selected couldn't have pleased him more.
There on the table were Grilled Rib-Eye Steaks served with French Fried Potatoes, Baked Beans, and Corn on the Cob, accompanied by a huge Tossed Salad with his favorite Blue Cheese Dressing, all served with huge Yeast Rolls, that looked suspiciously like Bill's!
"This is absolutely perfect! All my favorites," and he reached to kiss his darling wife, who had left out no detail.
But there were also Champagne Mimosas for the Adults and Ginger Ale for the children.
Before Archie led in prayer, he stood to give a toast.
"To a most Honorable Man! A man who is everything his own Father wishes he could have been! We are all so very proud of you, Son, and count it a privilege to be celebrating with you! May this be your most special year ever! Happiest of Birthdays to both you and your beautiful Sister in Heaven! La Breithe Shona dhaoibh! Which means Happy Birthday to Twins, in Gaelic!"
Instead of being sad, Nathan felt blessed and heartened at his Father's special words, as well as his remembrance of Colleen. They warmed his very soul, for she was a beautiful part of him, his twin, never to be forgotten! It was impossible for him to celebrate his own special day of birth without remembering and including her, as she was an equal part of it all, a part of him who had been there with him from his very beginning!
"To Nathan and Colleen!" offered Archie jubilantly.
"To Nathan and Colleen!" answered all with happy smiles.
Glasses were clinked by everyone, with lots of love sprinkled all around.
Yes, there were a few bittersweet tears too, but only briefly so, as the Grants knew having a joyful celebration of their children's special day was exactly the way their vivacious daughter would have wanted it to be.
Happiness and smiles abounded, all thrilled to be celebrating the humble man before them, who meant so much to each and every single one of them.
"I think, since I've offered the traditional Gaelic Celebratory Toast, I'd like to pass the honors of saying Grace on to my Dear Friend, William."
"Thank you, Arch!"
And the family, all the way down to Little Jack, humbly bowed their heads in prayer.
"Dear Heavenly Father, we come before You today in celebration of this Dear Man who has come to mean so very much to all of us. We celebrate his life and ask that You pour out your most bountiful blessings upon him and those he loves. Give him the joys of his heart! But first and foremost, keep him safe, always to return to those of us who love him and need him in our lives. We thank You for this, his favorite meal we are about to receive, but we thank You most of all, for him and the many, many blessings he offers each of us every single day! In your blessed name, Amen!"
William's prayer was followed by a chorus of hearty Amens, including a very boisterous one from Little Jack, intermingled with Mothers' tears, as everyone lifted their silverware to begin eating Nathan's favorite meal.
Conversation was immediate, fluid, fun, and rampant, as everyone was so excited that they had been able to pull off their Birthday Surprise!
Everyone, including Nathan, was now ready to celebrate!
And celebrate in style, the Grants and Thatchers did!
The simple meal was delicious and enjoyed by all.
"This just might be the best steak I've ever had!" complimented William.
"Really delicious," agreed Grace.
But when the Birthday Cake was wheeled in by Godfrey, everyone oohed and aahed, as it was quite remarkable!
Then the family joined together in a rousing chorus of 'Happy Birthday to You,' heartily sung by all, to a blushing Nathan. (*113)
He had never felt so loved by those he held dear, and he already knew, his wife had been right. This was a Birthday he'd never forget!
There was something almost magical about celebrating on a moving Train, while traveling to a home he and his entire family had never seen before, but were being openly welcomed into.
He looked around him, and now knew without any doubt, that the Grant Family now also equally included the Thatcher Family!
And he was truly grateful that the two families were now one together.
It was a miracle, no doubt given their different backgrounds, but the four parents had put all that aside, coming together as both family and friends!
Something truly, neither Nathan nor Elizabeth had ever imagined prior to their first meeting.
"This is one exquisite Cake!" declared Nathan.
And it was, indeed!
The huge Sheet Cake had candles all around, but in the very center sat a huge three-dimensional horse made in the likeness of Newton, artistically made out of Spun Sugar, and mounted on his back, sat a Mountie in the likeness of the dark-haired man standing before them, dressed in Nathan's new Dress Uniform!
The man they were all happily celebrating!
"Blow out the candles, Dad!" begged Allie.
"Think I can do it?" laughed Nathan. "Hey, this looks like more than there should be!"
"Sorry, it's the right number, Dad! I counted them myself. But you have to make a wish first!"
He thought, then stood back and took a deep breath, exaggeratingly puffing to blow every single candle out!
Everyone clapped!
"Do we get to know the wish, Son?" asked Archie.
"No, Dad! They say it won't come true if it's told and this wish I want more than anything to come true!"
"Then we wish it with you, too, Son!"
Everyone clapped again, each hoping and praying that Nathan's secret wish would be fulfilled!
"Do I have to cut this beautiful work of art?" asked a terrified Nathan, as Grace handed him a large Cake Knife. "It's much too beautiful! Why that's my Newton!"
"And you, Son! But I'm afraid cutting is indeed the responsibility of the Birthday Person being celebrated!" Grace insisted, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"Then you help me!"
"Now, that I can do," and she looked absolutely delighted. "But first we'd better allow Madelyne to save both you and Newton, before we slaughter your beautiful Cake!"
Madelyne carefully lifted the sugared pieces of art from the cake, saving them to be kept for later.
"Yum, Chocolate, my favorite!" exclaimed Nathan, hesitantly slicing into the beautiful Cake.
"And your favorite Cherry Ice Cream, too, Son!"
"Thank you, Mother! That's perfect! Remember when you made it for me every single year?"
"I'll never forget! Nor will I stop making it for you, my dear, sweet Son!"
Nathan reached to kiss his Mother, this strong lady he adored, who had sacrificed so much for him over the years.
As Nathan and Grace cut the Cake into slices, a smiling Godfrey served both tables, loading everyone up with generous servings of both Cake and Ice Cream.
Watching, Elizabeth smiled broadly, thrilled that her husband had so lovingly embraced his special day and her own Family.
After joyfully filling themselves with the delicious Chocolate Cake and Cherry Ice Cream, Elizabeth nodded to Allie who was thrilled to give hers and Jack's joint special gift to their Father.
Allie quickly retrieved the rumpled package, which both she and Jack had wrapped, and grabbed Jack's hand, pulling him up to stand in front of their Dad.
Then in a soft sweet soprano voice, Allie began singing acapella, with Jack sweetly joining in on the most important words as well as some familiar phrases of a song Nathan had taught them both to sing along with him when he played his guitar.
"This is my Father's world,
And to my list'ning ears
All nature sings,
And round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world:
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees,
Of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.
This is my Father's world,
The birds their carols raise,
The morning light,
The lily white,
Declare their Maker's praise.
This is my Father's world:
He shines in all that's fair;
In the rustling grass
I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.
This is my Father's world,
From the shining courts above,
The Beloved One,
His Only Son,
Was giv'n to show God's love.
This is my Father's world:
Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King;
Let the heavens ring!
God reigns;
Let earth be glad! (*114)
Nathan listened intently, with a proud smile on his face, but with unshed tears in his eyes the entire time.
Elizabeth hadn't realized the full impact of this song, knowing only that her husband was deeply touched, and she placed her hand on his thigh, to tenderly show her support, and calm him.
Without looking, he placed his own hand over hers and seemed to settle somewhat.
Nathan marveled as Allie hit every single note beautifully, just as Colleen, her own mother would have.
Nathan's parents understood what their Son was feeling, for they recognized this as the song their own children had often sung together many times while growing up, and now Nathan had taught the words and music to his own sweet children, their grandchildren.
And the music filled their hearts too, in the exact same profound ways.
Needless to say, at the end of the song, there wasn't a dry eye in that Passenger Car, as life came full circle with another generation carrying on this beautiful Grant tradition.
As they finished, Nathan reached to gather his children to him, unashamed to shower them with tender kisses.
Their words had been pure and all-encompassing, child-like, yet so adult, too.
And he was so very proud!
"I don't think the two of you could have given me a better gift! You see, my sister and I used to sing this for our Parents, many, many times over! Thank you, Allie! Thank you, Jack!"
And then Elizabeth suddenly understood the tears.
She had meant this to be a song of joy for Nathan, as she had heard the children singing it with him many times, having no idea it had been tied to Colleen.
"I'm so very sorry, Darling," she whispered.
"Oh, no, Lisbeth, don't be. This song is perfect for today! It's part of Colleen and me. I'm sure she and Jack Senior both heard it in Heaven," he smiled and reached to tenderly kiss her. "Now we've passed it on to Allie and Jack. For them to carry on the Grant tradition! It means everything, my Darling!"
"Dad, Jack and I have something else we made for you!"
"You do? How wonderful! Do I get to see it?"
"Yes, Jack, give it to Dad!"
Jack took the rumpled package and handed it to Nathan as though it were gold, and to Nathan it was, no matter what was inside it.
He took the wrinkly wrapped package, and carefully tore it off, thrilled with what was inside the box.
"I will treasure this always, and this goes on my new desk, in my new Office for everyone to see!"
Then he proudly showed everyone the framed photo of his two children taken twelve days ago at his and Elizabeth's Wedding.
"Jack and I made the frame Dad!" explained Allie.
"You did?"
"Yes, we made it from the grapevine we gathered at the Ranch, close to the Lodge! Jack helped me gather them and then we wove them together. Grandpa and Granddad cut them for us!"
"The frame is beautiful, Allie and Jack! Just perfect! I will always treasure both the frame and the photo! Thank you, my Loves!"
The children were beaming from ear to ear, as everyone clapped to lighten the love-laden mood.
"Next, on a much lighter note, we have games!" announced Madelyne.
"Count me out! Allie's going to win them all, anyway!" complained Archie, teasing his granddaughter.
"Archeford Grant, what a poor sport you are! Everyone has to play! Whether you get brutally beaten by your grandchild or not!" insisted his wife.
"Sorry, Old Man! Looks like we're in too!" nudged William.
Grace and Elizabeth laughed.
"Looks like you're playing too, Birthday Boy!" teased Elizabeth.
"I'm ready! Where do we start?" asked the ever-competitive Mountie.
"Pin the Tail on Newton and Sargent!"
"Well, at least we might have a chance at this one Arch!" laughed William.
"Okay, who's blindfolded first!"
"Me! Gramma, me!" cried Little Jack.
"Our first brave volunteer!" she snickered, pointedly at Archie and William, as she blindfolded her Grandson, who after having been spun around and around by his Grandma was able to at least hit the large poster board!
Everyone clapped for Little Jack, who was as proud as could be!
Allie soon followed, then Grace, then Elizabeth, then William, and Archie, with tails plastered all over the board, leaving only the Birthday Boy to add his!
"Are you ready, Son?"
"I most certainly am!"
As tall as he was, his Mother spun him around and around, just as she had Little Jack, but Nathan was a professional tracker, with a very good sense of direction, and this Mountie knew his horses, expertly!
To everyone's chagrin, Nathan hit the two marks perfectly! Even, unbelievably matching the correct tail on the correct horse. Right in the exact location, where the tails were supposed to be!
"What did I do? Why is the silence so deafening?"
When his mother finally took off his blindfold, Nathan whooped and hollered!
"Dad, did you peek?" asked Allie.
"I most certainly did not, Young Lady! Told you all I knew my horses!"
"Yes, Son the patoot of your horses!" laughed Archie.
All the men burst out laughing!
"All of my horses," added Nathan, chuckling. "Next game!"
"Ah this one!" and Madelyne shook her head.
"It's an Egg Toss!" but what Madelyne didn't share was that Godfrey had hard-boiled the eggs!
You should have heard the women shriek as the eggs were tossed around and around, the men doing their best to break one, the women protecting their clothes and their faces!
In the end, Archie won by catching the most tosses, and now having finally won one, he was ready to play whatever game came next with gusto.
But imagine how he felt when his wife announced "Musical Non-chairs!" where everyone had to stand in the center of the Passenger Car, half-squatted, then quickly sit down on the floor in the right hall as the music stopped, Ladies excluded except for Allie!
Well to nobody's surprise, Little Jack, having the shortest distance to fall, won fair and square, leaving even the competitive men proud!
Nathan lifted his Son, squealing with delight, up high, in victory!
By this time the Party had become a full-blown blast of a party for all ages, with laughter and joking galore for both young and old!
Unknown to their Guest of Honor, the family had planned for these next moments, even before the Grant Wedding.
But the most important part had been carried out by Archie, William, and Allie, who had traveled all the way to Portland, Oregon just after the Wedding, leaving Grace, Madelyne, and Jack behind to take care of the Grant home with Godfrey.
It was then that Nathan noticed a pile of gifts hidden under and around the main seat of the Passenger Car!
Thoroughly now in party mode, he yelled out.
"Family! I Spy Gifts! Do I get to open?" he asked excitedly.
"Yes, my Darling! Allie goes first. Because none of these gifts would even be here if it weren't for her. So, you must give all the credit to Allie for all of what's to come!" pronounced Elizabeth, giving her daughter a sweet kiss.
Allie then went to Nathan and kissed her Dad.
"Just a minute, Dad! I've waited forever to give this to you, but now I have to find it!"
She looked and looked, crawling on the floor, moving package after package, finally locating her gift, which had moved with the Train's movement from where she had left it.
"Here we go!" she yelled, triumphantly.
"Quick, open it, Dad! I couldn't wait to give you this! I got it back when Mama took me to Buxton for our Ladies Day with Auntie Rosie!"
"Allie, that's been some time ago! You thought of my Birthday back then?"
"Sure did, Dad! I wanted you to have something real special! I knew you didn't have one of these and I wanted you to have it as soon as I saw it!"
Elizabeth was already sniffling.
They had waited a long time for this special gift to be received!
As Nathan opened the exquisitely wrapped package from the little shop in Buxton, for some unknown reason, his hand began shaking, as though he knew this was going to be a profound, pivotal moment in his life, without knowing why.
As he unfolded the tissue wrapped around Allie's treasure and saw the Leather Woodworker's Pouch, he literally gasped, then turned ashen, unable to speak.
He recognized the item immediately, but as he noticed Allie waiting expectantly, he began to collect himself for her.
"Oh, Allie, this is the most exquisite present I've ever received in my whole life! How did you know?" he asked of his daughter incredulously.
"Know what, Dad?"
Tears flowed down Nathan's cheeks.
"Allie, this same Leather Woodworker's Pouch, I started to buy it around six years ago, but it was just too expensive. I suppose you and I needed other things more. Allie, I even went back years later to get it, but it was gone, and I was told they had stopped making it. How did you ever find this, Princess?"
"I saw it in the display window and just knew you had to have it! The nice man told me I had exactly enough money to buy it, from all my chores and babysitting, so I bought it for you. The man even wrapped it up for me, and wrote you a letter, too! He said to tell you that a Mountie once saved his life. And that I should thank you for your service! He said Mr. George A. Lawrence (I think his middle initial was 'A') was his father and he had made it, along with one other that belonged to him. So, he only made the two, and the younger Mr. Lawrence told me to tell you they are very rare. He even wrote a letter that he tucked in the box under the Pouch. It's under the tissue!"
"But, Allie, you gave all your money for this!"
"But I wanted to Dad! You deserve it! Think of all the things you've done for me!"
Her words overwhelmed her father with love.
Immediately, he had recognized that George A. Lawrence was THE founder and owner of the most legendary Leather-Making Company in all of North America, if not the world.
He lifted this piece of art Allie had gifted him, almost reverently, as though he were in awe, moving it ever so slightly so he could find the letter.
As he lifted the envelope from the box and turned it over in his hand, he recognized the embossed crest as the Lawrence Company's Crest.
He slowly opened the envelope.
Surprisingly, as he read the words of the letter, everything and everyone in the room suddenly faded away.
Nathan was shocked at what he read, the words transporting him back to another time.
How could this possibly be?
The man was describing him!
And he remembered each and every moment as though it was yesterday.
He remembered the day, back in Union City, in excruciating detail.
As a young Mountie, he had stumbled upon a very well-dressed young man fearfully running from something at the edge of town.
Out of breath, the man explained, a gang was following him, trying to rob him, if not kill him!
He had begged for help, and Nathan had freely given it, turning to see unsavory men coming toward them from every direction.
Nathan had just previously captured another criminal, taken away by his partner, and he hadn't even had a chance to reload his gun, knowing he had only three remaining bullets within his chamber.
Without thinking, he had shoved the man into an old warehouse.
It was their only possible escape!
But with no way to block the entrance, and only those three remaining bullets loaded, Nathan had forced the man to climb into an empty tank, where they both had hidden with limited air, silently, without any movement whatsoever, as they listened to the men around them, as the gang thoroughly perused the entire warehouse trying to find their prey.
They had heard the shots, magnified by the metal around them, when they had been fired by the gang, who several times had mistakenly thought they had their man, proving their intent to not only rob but to kill the stranger.
After a long wait, Nathan finally thought everything was clear, as it appeared all the men had given up and left.
But what Nathan hadn't been able to see was the three men who were still lying in wait for them at the warehouse entrance.
Three bullets and three men.
Nathan couldn't miss.
He aimed, while running and shielding the man behind him, as bullets flew about them.
Miraculously, by the Grace of God, he squarely hit each of his three targets, killing them all.
The men lay fallen around them.
The incident had haunted him his whole life through, even though he knew he had done the only thing that could have possibly been done.
There had been no other way to escape.
He had been so upset to kill three men in a matter of seconds, and the man he had been guarding was in such shock having seen it all, Nathan hadn't even had time to get his name or find out why he had been followed.
The only thing Nathan knew, was that the man was wealthy, and that was only by judging his expensively cut clothes and shoes.
As a Mountie, Nathan had just been relieved they had made it out alive, as it had truly been a horrific, almost impossible life-threatening situation!
Someone else in the Main Office had filled out the reports, as the man he had been protecting had been hospitalized.
Nathan had soon been called out of town on a long assignment, never knowing the name of the man whose life he had saved, nor ever thinking their paths would cross again.
But here now, all these years later, his own daughter had found him!
And the mystery was finally solved.
Not only had Allie stumbled on the man whose life he had saved, but she had also purchased him the exact same Woodworker's Pouch he had wanted to purchase all those years ago!
How was all this even possible?
He pulled his daughter to him.
"Allie, our Lord truly does move in mysterious ways his wonders to perform! Someday, I'll tell you the whole story and explain the details!" (*115)
"Please do now, Son!" urged Archie, as all wanted, needed to hear.
And so, Nathan recounted this series of Miracles word for word…
After listening intently to Nathan's entire story, his family was mesmerized at how miraculously everything had happened, to resolve the case, from strategically using the three bullets to Allie unwittingly finding the unknown mystery man who had been saved!
"I'm so very thankful you were kept safe, Son," thanked his grateful Mother as she offered a silent prayer of thanks, too.
"I think this is the perfect segue way for you to open your remaining gifts, Darling" suggest Elizabeth. "But just remember they're all because of Allie!"
Next, Nathan opened a Leather Knife Case from Little Jack, who was so proud and thrilled to be cuddled by his Dad. A Leather Trunk from Elizabeth for his workshop, who was lovingly kissed by her new husband. Extra Leather Bridles and Saddles for their Stables from the two sets of Parents who were thanked profusely, two Leather Desk sets with Journals for their Parents' Partner Desk from both the children who were kissed yet again, and a huge box of every Leather Good possibly imaginable from Mr. George A. Lawrence, himself, and his most grateful son, Geoge W. Lawrence, which Archie and William had hidden in the second Passenger Car.
"How did you all find all this?"
"Well! Allie and we Grandfathers made a trip to Portland, Oregon just after the Wedding! While Jack manned the house with Godfrey guarding Madelyne and Grace," explained Archie, thrilled they had gotten one over on Nathan! "Our Allie took a picture of you just in case she ran into anyone who knew the man who sold her your Woodworker's Pouch from Buxton. And find him they did! Turns out, as you now know, he was the Boss's Son, and everyone knew him. The man was as thrilled as could be to see Allie again, and find that the Mountie who had saved him was actually you! But he didn't share any details to us at all, and even asked us not to say anything to you. Instead, he just insisted we give you all these wonderful Leather Pieces!"
"Yes, Son, you might say we planned some of this even before your Wedding, and most definitely just after!" added William, with a wink.
"You all are quite something!" thanked Nathan. "This has been the most extraordinary birthday I've ever had, and I love each and every one of you more than you'll ever know for making it so…"
Even after the Birthday Party had officially ended, the celebration of Nathan continued on!
Everyone paired off in the Main Sitting Area, ready to relax with their preferred choice of reading materials, full of food, full of love, and all very content.
The moving scene was quite picturesque, both inside and outside, as the Train traveled onward, closer and closer to their destination of Hamilton.
Outside, the passing Countryside was breathtaking, and well worth the frequent glances out the many windows on both sides of the Passenger Car.
Inside, sat Allie on the floor reading to Little Jack, as the two Fathers sat in one corner reading their Newspapers, and the two Mothers sat in the other corner reading their most current magazines with their needlework conveniently placed on the table in front of them, while Nathan and Elizabeth snuggled together on the smallest sofa, reading two of their new books, holding hands, and each other!
Yes, all was blissfully right in the Grant-Thatcher world!
Nathan relaxed completely, contented and thankful deep inside for the greatest gift of all.
A solved mystery, yes.
But most of all, his beloved family!
What a Birthday it had already been, and the day wasn't even half over…
(*113) Happy Birthday to You, Mildred J. Hill Music, Patty Smith Hill Lyrics, June 27, 1859, Public Domain
(*114) This Is My Father's World, Maltbie D. Babcock, 1901, Public Domain
(*115) God Moves in a Mysterious Way, Lyrics and Music, William Cowper, 1774, Public Domain