By the time morning came, over a foot of snow had fallen over Hope Valley. The world was a serene blanket of white. Breakfast in the Grant home was an upbeat affair, all the fright and worry from the night before now gone. After breakfast, Nathan and Gabriel donned snowshoes, bundled up against the cold, and made their way across the placid expanse of white snow to check on the Coulters.
After cleaning up the breakfast dishes, Elizabeth padded her way back to the dinning room, her slippers creating whispering sounds on the smooth floor boards. As she wasn't going outside, she saw no reason to put on the shoes when her feet could be comfortable. Coming into the dining room, she found Billy and Ally playing Old Maid at the table. Jack was sitting in Ally's lap and the girl was letting the young boy pretend he was helping her play the game.
Elizabeth stood a moment in the doorway enjoying the sight. Jack had quickly come to idolize his older sister and the fact that Ally found ways to include Jack in a lot of things was sweet. A movement within reminded Elizabeth that there would soon be a third child to find his place in the mix. She could only hope that Jack made as good of a big sibling as Ally did. Thankfully, Jack had a wonderful role model in Ally.
"Remember you still have homework to finish, Ally," Elizabeth said. After finding out about the storm she had allowed Ally to spend the evening visiting with Billy and Gabriel.
"Yes, ma'am. However, I now have all weekend. I'll do it this afternoon. I promise."
"That is fine," Elizabeth said as she retrieved the essays she had been trying to grade yesterday.
Sitting down at the opposite end of the table from the children, Elizabeth went back to reading and grading the essays. Doing it at the table made writing comments and corrections on the essays much easier then her position yesterday afternoon.
"Gabe says I have to start school when we get back to Brookfield," Billy commented.
"Don't you want to go to school?" Ally asked as she pulled a card from the pile.
Billy shrugged his shoulders. "The kids at the school we went to while I was at my first orphanage weren't nice to us orphans. At the Home of Mercy one of the workers tried to teach us reading and math but not much else. I'll probably be way behind the other kids."
"So you will just catch up," Ally replied. "I'm sure Mr. Gabe will help you."
Billy nodded. "I almost wish I didn't have to go."
Elizabeth looked up from her essays. "Learning will open new doors for you, Billy," she told him. "It doesn't matter if you're behind the other kids your age. You did not have the opportunities they had. What matters is what you make of the opportunities given to you from now on."
"What if I'm too stupid to keep up?" Billy asked.
Elizabeth opened her mouth to reply but Ally beat her to it.
"You know how to read already so you can learn. As for keeping up, everyone learns at their own speed. The only one you need to compare yourself to is yourself. When I first came to Hope Valley, I was great in math and some of the other subjects but I wasn't so good with the social aspects of school. I had moved around so much that I didn't know how to make friends. I made some big mistakes, but Mama was patient with me and gave me the help I needed. I'm sure your teacher will do the same. All the kids at Miss Lillian's and Miss Grace's really like their teacher."
Billy nodded. "At least I already know Christian and Vincent. I suppose that will help. They said the kids at school are accepting of the orphans now."
"I'm sure you'll make friends there. I did here, even after I tired alienating them," Ally confessed.
Billy nodded again.
"I am sure you will do fine at school, Billy," Elizabeth added. "You may even like it."
"I wouldn't count on that," Ally said under her breath.
Elizabeth shot her daughter a look even as Billy smiled at the comment.
"Recess is always fun," Ally amended.
This time, Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh at her daughter's comment. If she were honest with herself, Elizabeth knew she hadn't always enjoyed going to school as a child herself.
The kids went back their card game after that, and Elizabeth went back to grading essays.
As no one came looking for him, Nathan stayed home, working on making paths to make it easier to get around outside. He even spent some time in the barn, caring for the animals. Knowing the Wolfs would understand a delay in his visit giving the circumstances, Gabriel stayed near the Grant's home as well, helping out. The two men took frequent breaks, to rest and warm up.
During one of those breaks, Gabriel found Billy sitting at the desk in the sitting room drawing. Ally was sitting on a blanket in front of the fireplace reading to Jack who was sitting in her lap. Gabriel let Nathan go into the kitchen first, to give him and Elizabeth some time alone.
"There you go," Elizabeth said, handing Nathan a mug of coffee before turning back to the dough she had been about to knead and put in the pan for baking.
"I thought you were going to take it easy today," Nathan commented, leaning against the counter.
"I am," Elizabeth told him sweetly. "However, we need some bread baked and I have the time. I was sitting on the settee reading a book while I waited for the dough to rise, and as soon as it is in the oven, I will go back to my book while it bakes."
Nathan remained quiet, debating between responding and just keeping his mouth shut.
"It's not like I'm out there trying to help clear the snow," Elizabeth told him.
"Do not even try it," Nathan said, absolutely no humor in his voice.
Elizabeth smiled to let him know she wasn't serious about it. She had never cared for clearing snow off the steps of her row house and had always been thankful for the neighbors that took care of the snow on the path out front of her home.
Stepping forward, she carefully put her hands around her husband's neck, being careful not to touch him with her hands which had dough on them. Nathan placed his mug aside and wrapped his arms around Elizabeth's waist as she continued to talk. "I am happy to stay inside where it is warm, but I can still do my part to make this place warm and cozy for you when you come in," she told him. "If I get tired, or my feet start to hurt, I will sit."
"All right," Nathan replied, lowering his head so that he could kiss her.
Instead of the usual warmth of his lips, Elizabeth felt a cold sensation as their lips touched. Though she imagined it would be what kissing ice cream would feel like, she didn't pull away. However, the mental image the comparison brought to mind soon had her laughing. The laughter brought the kiss to an end, as Elizabeth rested her forehead against Nathan's chest.
"I realize I'm probably not the suave kisser some rich guys are, but you have never laughed at it before," Nathan commented, looking down at the woman in his arms.
Elizabeth looked up, the laughter under control but the merriment still in her eyes. "It wasn't your kissing," she assured him. "It is just your lips are cold, and I thought that might be what kissing ice cream would feel like and the image just set me to laughing."
Nathan chuckled at the comparison himself. "Is that what girls from wealthy families do? Practice kissing with the ice cream? I only ever caught Colleen practicing on her pillow or the mirror."
Elizabeth smiled. "I'm sure she loved you for walking in on that."
"She threw the pillow at me," Nathan confessed. "When I caught her at the mirror, I wisely didn't let my presence be known. I didn't want to chance getting the mirror thrown at me."
"It was embarrassing enough to have Viola walk in on me practicing a kiss on one of my old dolls. Having a brother or my father walk in on me would have been mortifying. I hope you never teased her about it."
"Maybe once or twice when we were alone," Nathan confessed. "So you used a doll to practice kissing?"
"Yes," Elizabeth confirmed.
"Do I at least kiss better than the doll?"
Elizabeth laughed. "Yes, Nathan Grant, you kiss better than the doll, cold lips or not," she said, pressing her lips against his again for a quick kiss. "I should get back to the bread," she said taking a step back.
"Can I come get coffee now?" came Gabriel's call from the next room.
"Yes, come get your coffee," Nathan replied, moving to the coffee pot himself as Elizabeth returned to the bread.
Nathan picked up the mug that Gabriel had used earlier and filled it. He handed it to his friend as Gabriel joined him by the kitchen stove.
"Is Billy okay at the desk?" Gabriel asked Elizabeth. "If you need it to grade papers or anything I'll have him move."
Elizabeth shook her head, looking over at Gabriel as she kneaded the bread dough to get it ready to go into the baking pan. "I suggested that he use it in the first place so he wasn't drawing alone in the dining room. I forgot to mention it yesterday, but I passed your request about finding an art instruction book for him to Julie. She's the artist in the family and I thought she would have a better idea of what books would be useful. She's going to send them directly to you in Brookfield."
"Thank you, Elizabeth," Gabriel replied. "I realize that learning from a book might not be the best way for him to learn but I don't know anyone in Brookfield that could teach him."
Elizabeth nodded. "Perhaps when he's older you can send him to a summer art program. Hamilton has several and I know my parents would board him for you."
"Maybe," Gabriel replied, as Elizabeth put the dough she was working on in a pan. "Right now, I just want him to get comfortable with Brookfield and being with me."
"Of course," Elizabeth said.
There was a knock at the front door.
"I hope that isn't bad news," Nathan commented, moving from the warmth of the stove, his coffee cup still in hand.
Both Gabriel and Elizabeth followed him. Reaching the door, Nathan opened it to reveal Bill standing on the front porch.
"Is everything all right, Bill?" Nathan asked, steeping aside so that Bill could step into the foyer and out of the cold.
"Everyone is safe and accounted for in town and in my area," Bill replied after greeting everyone. "Lee's office suffered some minor damage and as I was riding out to tell him I wanted to make sure you had gotten home okay."
"I got back right as the storm got bad. I had to track down Ryan Sloane but everyone out this way was safe at home for the storm. I've been trying to dig us out around here today."
"As it should be," Bill said. "People know where you are if you're needed. Most people are going to be busy digging out today."
"You said Lee's office suffered some damage?" Nathan inquired.
Bill nodded. "The snow caused a minor roof collapse. Jesse and some of the men living near town have put a tarp on the roof and are cleaning the snow out to limit water damage inside. I thought Lee should know, and I also plan on telling him to stay put for now. Jesse's got things under control right now and even on horseback moving about is treacherous."
"At least no one was hurt," Elizabeth said.
"Yes," Bill agreed. "Overall, I think we made out well with this storm, even with the minor property damage, which other than the roof of Lee's office seems to be limited to a few scattered broken windows."
"If I'm needed in town to help-" Nathan started to say but stopped when Bill held up his had.
"We have things under control in town," Bill told him. "No need for you to take the chance of riding in. Stay with your family," he told him, with a nod toward Elizabeth.
"All right," Nathan agreed.
"Do you want to sit down and warm up for a little while, Bill?" Elizabeth asked.
Bill shook his head. "I should get the message over to Lee. I'm sure I'll get an invitation to warm up there before I head back into town. I just wanted to check in with you all as I was out here."
"We appreciate that," Elizabeth told him.
Bill reached for the door and headed back out to his waiting horse.