Chapter 12
"You're picking at your dinner. Is it that bad?" Nathan asked.
"No, I'm just getting tired of fish", Allie responded.
Nathan chuckled, admitting to himself that he had his fill of fish too. "I have an idea. Why don't we pack up tomorrow, and head back down the mountain? If I am right, we are not too far outside of Benson Hills. We could have a good meal, that does not include fish, maybe stay the night in the hotel. Do a little shopping."
"Shopping? What kind of shopping? You always shop out of the catalog."
"Maybe get some clothes for you. I don't know, maybe other things." Nathan was pretending to pay attention to his near empty plate.
"Sure. Ok dad."
Nathan was enjoying the time with Allie, but he hated that Elise was not there. In the few months that she had been in Hope Valley, she had become a huge part of his life. He never wanted them to be separated again because of improprieties. He did not want to experience these things without her. There was only one way to fix that. And it required a trip into Benson Hills.
Elise spent the night at her desk putting together the letters she needed to have signed and sent back to Toronto with Thomas. She also organized everything that Lucas had collected for her, made notes, and locked them into a safe she had hidden in the office. The file was full of information in the event he ever needed to make a plea to the government. She did not have enough information to tie everything together, but she knew the government would be able to. If they came asking, they would be able to deliver.
One of the documents she was finalizing was the business plan Lucas and she had developed. It was not complete, but it was enough to be sent to Mr. Thatcher so that he could see that Lucas was an honorable man, just as Elizabeth believed him to be. This appeared to be a wakeup call to the man.
She fell asleep at her desk about 2am, her head resting on the desk in front of her typewriter. That is where Bill found her. He was on his way to the cafe to open it for the day when he noticed her light was on. We went to investigate, opened the door, and saw her there asleep. He went over to tap her on the shoulder. Her head bolted up, and she quickly wiped at the drool at the corner of her mouth. She had an imprint from her hand on her cheek, and her hair was coming out of its updo. She looked at Bill blankly, blinked her eyes, looked around then focused back on Bill. "What time is it?"
"Just before 6. You look like you could use some coffee. Why don't you come down to the cafe and I'll make you some." She rose from her chair and followed him out to the street. They walked in silence for a moment before Bill said, "Does this have to do with Bouchard?"
"Yes. I think we came up with a plan. I cannot say too much, but he has postponed his engagement to Elizabeth, indefinitely. And the business plan could be a huge win for Hope Valley, if he implements it right. And it's all on the right side of the law."
"I'm glad I wasn't the one who bought the saloon." He looked over at Elise. "Lucas snuck in and bought it just before I could. I wonder how Elizabeth is going to handle Lucas calling off the engagement. I wonder if it will make her regret her decision?"
"Bill, I keep hearing about a decision. About something with Nathan." She stopped walking, grabbed his arm, and stopped him. "What don't I know Bill? What isn't anyone telling me?"
"That's not my story to tell. But I was furious at Elizabeth. It hurt our relationship. She was like a daughter to me, her husband, a son. I am her son's godfather. Nathan is like a son to me, and I do not approve of Bouchard."
"I see. I thank you for the offer of coffee Bill, but I think I need to pass. I really need to get back to work". She turned and walked back to her office as fast as her legs could carry her without running. She could hear him saying her name over and over. As soon as she was inside and the door closed, she leaned against the door and sank to the floor, putting her hands to her face, the tears falling like a dam bursting.
Nathan and Allie arrived earlier than they thought they would in Benson Hills. They dropped Newton and Storm off at the livery, found the closest hotel, arranged to get a room, and dropped their bags, then headed off to the stores. They stopped at a shop that offered clothing for younger women and got Allie a couple of skirts and new shirts that could interchange with each other and work well for both the switchboard and Elise's office. They then stopped at the shoe store. Allie's eyes made their way to a stylish pair of black and white boots with a heel on them. Nathan immediately said no. Allie gave him her best puppy dog face, so then Nathan asked the clerk if they had any black and white boots with little to no heel. The clerk went into the back room, and a few moments later walked out, announcing that they just arrived that morning. He opened the box, and inside were a beautiful pair of stylish white and black books, with no heels. For the first time in her life, Allie tried on a pair of boots that were not bought through a catalog. They fit perfectly, and when Nathan saw how happy they made her, he nodded his head at the clerk, and Allie jumped up and gave her dad a massive hug.
A meal that did not include fish was next on the agenda, but a store window caught Nathan's eye, so he slowed down as they started to pass it. Allie saw him slow down and stopped to look in the window. "This is where I get your charms".
"I think we should go in, Dad." Nathan nodded, not telling her this was the main reason why he wanted to come into Benson Hills. They entered the store and the owner greeted him as Constable Grant.
"Hello Mr. Todd. This is my daughter Allie."
"This must be the beautiful girl you get all of the charms for."
"Yes, sir I am. Do you mind if we just wander around?"
"No, my dear, go ahead, anything for Constable Grant". He then stepped back behind the counter, and Nathan and Allie perused the room. They stopped at the cabinet full of charms, and Allie pointed out what she liked. They next came to a cabinet full of rings, and they both stopped to look inside. Allie bent over, looking closely at the selection. She then stood up straight, pointed and said, "That one".
Nathan looked at her and she responded to his curious look. "I know why we're here. I know why we came into Benson Hills Dad. I have seen how you have been all week. And that's the one."
Nathan looked down into the cabinet, and he instantly knew Allie was right. It was the one. It could not have been any more perfect.
Elise was finally able to finish the documents she needed to have signed within a few hours. Thomas was scheduled to leave on the afternoon train, and the papers had to be with him.
For the first time since she had come to Hope Valley, Elise entered the saloon. She could see that Lucas was being true to his word. He had a member of his staff removing bottles of liquor from the shelves behind the bar, and a sign was posted that alcohol was no longer being served. A moment later he walked out of the kitchen.
"Mr. Bouchard, I have those documents for you to sign". She walked him through each page, told him where to initial and sign. She then separated each page from its carbon copy and placed the original in the envelope traveling to Toronto. The copies would be kept with the rest of the documentation that Lucas had given her. "Congratulations Mr. Bouchard, you're becoming a legitimate businessman." He chuckled and said "It will definitely be an adventure. A little scary, but an adventure. "Elise gave him a small smile, then exited the building.
Elise's next stop was to find Elizabeth. As she was heading towards the rowhouses, she noticed that the library door was open. As luck would have it, Elizabeth was there with Jack, putting away the returns. Elise stepped through the threshold, and briskly said "I have the documents ready for you to sign". Elise pulled them from the envelope while Elizabeth sat at the table in the center of the room, and she placed them in front of Elizabeth. Elise could not tell what Elizabeth was feeling. There was no emotion on her face. She read the document, which stated that her engagement was called off, and there was no reason to have the prenuptial agreement signed. Elise then added the documents to the envelope. "Good day Mrs. Thornton." Elizabeth just shook her head in silence as Elise left the room.
The train would be leaving within the next hour, so the final stop was to deliver the envelope to Thomas. She rounded the saloon to head to the door that took guests directly into the hotel, and she was almost run over by Thomas. He grabbed her by the elbows to keep her from falling over. "I think we may need to put a collar on you. Weren't you wearing that yesterday? You're looking a little rough, Elise."
"Ha-ha, very funny", she said as she swatted the envelope at him. "Please deliver this to your father. It is everything he will need. My clients have called off their engagement, allowing Mr. Bouchard the time to take care of his pressing issues. Everything should be in order".
"Your timeliness amazes me. You know, if you ever change your mind, I know dad would love to have you back".
"I will keep that in mind. Anyway, you need to go, before you miss your train". She gave him a hug, and her old colleague and friend started his way to the train station.
Elise was exhausted, and the idea of her bed was sounding better by the minute, but her eyes strayed back towards the library. She turned her body in the direction of the open door, and as she walked in the door, Elizabeth looked up from the shelf she was working on. Elise asked her point blank, "I want to know what happened between you and Nathan."
"You better shut the door and have a seat".
