Chapter Nine
Elizabeth opened her eyes slowly, seeing a pair of hazel eyes staring over the edge of the mattress at her. When she smiled, the eyes crinkled and the child giggled. As she was trying to figure out how Jack had gotten out of his room and into hers, she recognized the sound of the train rails clanking beneath them.
And that her "pillow" was breathing.
"Oh my goodness!" She sat up with a start.
"I wondered how long the two of you were going to sleep," Allie said wryly as she came out of the washroom. She was wearing her nightgown and carrying her toothbrush. "Jack and I are ready for bed, but he wanted goodnight kisses."
Nathan opened his eyes and sat up, leaning over to boost Jack onto the sofa with them. "Thank you, Allie." He raised an eyebrow at her and nodded towards the cushion next to him, and she quickly crawled in with them.
Handing her book to Elizabeth, she asked, "Do you think, since we're all snuggled in here, we could read a little bit together before bed? I know it's not one of Jack's stories, but he probably won't make it past the first page anyway."
Jack's eyes were already heavy as he snuggled against Nathan's chest. "Story, pwease," he yawned.
Elizabeth settled back down with them, her head resting on the arm Nathan reached across behind her and Allie. True to Allie's prediction, Jack was asleep within minutes, and she wasn't far behind.
"Come on, everyone," Nathan said, getting to his feet slowly with Jack cradled against his chest. "Off to bed."
"Are you guys staying out here?" Allie asked as she collected her things from the table and stumbled sleepily towards the bedroom.
"No, Allie," Nathan replied patiently. "Elizabeth and I will be in shortly, me with Jack and her with you."
"If you would just get married already…" Allie stood on her toes to give Nathan and Jack kisses, bussed Elizabeth's cheek, and then crawled into bed.
"Let me put this guy down and I'll help you straighten up out here." Nathan waited while Elizabeth kissed her son, then tucked the little boy in, stacking some extra pillows next to him to keep him in place. When he returned to the parlor, Elizabeth had the toys gathered, the lights dimmed, and was attempting to fold the sofa back in. Nathan hurried to help, then did the second himself.
Elizabeth ducked into the bedroom to change into her nightgown, coming back out shyly to use the washroom before going to sleep. Nathan seemed reticent, too, both very aware that this state of dress was an intimacy not usually shared before marriage. It made their kiss goodnight a little awkward, but no less sweet.
"I love you," Elizabeth breathed.
"I love you," Nathan whispered to her door as it shut. Sighing heavily, he made one last sweep of the room, checking the lock on the door and turning off all but one of the lights, before crawling into bed. Jack, who had already scaled the pile of pillows in his sleep, turned and snuggled against him.
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Both Elizabeth and Nathan dressed before leaving their rooms the next morning, though the children were still in their pajamas for breakfast. Arthur arrived with their requested food at the appointed time, taking their lunch and dinner orders back to the kitchen. By the time he returned with lunch, the children were wearing Elizabeth and Nathan's nerves thin. No one could blame them for being bored, remanded to a single car instead of running and playing as children do, and the confined quarters were already trying them all.
"With your permission, Sir, Ma'am, I can take the children for a tour of the train if you like," Arthur volunteered. "I know your guards just finished lunch; I'll ask one of them to accompany us."
"Pleeeease," Allie begged.
"Pweeease," Jack mimicked.
Elizabeth looked at Nathan. "Do you think it's safe for them to be out and about?"
Nathan looked at the children, perched on the edges of their seats awaiting his answer, and then into Elizabeth's worried eyes. After a moment, he finally spoke. "You two are to stay together, and stay with Mr. Willington at all times. You do whatever he says, or he will bring you back here and you can stay in your rooms for the rest of the trip, understood?"
Allie and Jack jumped to their feet, hugging Nathan and Elizabeth and promising to behave. Holding hands, they waved goodbye to their parents as Mr. Willington escorted them out the door.
"They'll be fine," Nathan promised, tugging Elizabeth away from the door and guiding her to the sofa by the window, pulling her down beside him. "They can let off some steam and we can relax for a little bit. Everyone wins."
"Except poor Arthur and the Pinkerton. They are going to have their hands full, especially with Jack," Elizabeth replied, only half joking. She knew her son would be the more troublesome of the children, not out spite but by pure toddler curiosity.
Nathan chuckled, conceding her point. "So we should enjoy the break while we can, since he's not likely to offer again tomorrow."
"Not that there will be time tomorrow," Elizabeth reminded him. "We should be in Hamilton by lunchtime."
"So this may be my last chance to be alone with you for who knows how long…" Nathan murmured suggestively, leaning in to press gentle kisses along her cheeks.
"Umm…yes?" Elizabeth replied absently, her mind quickly going blank to everything except the man beside her.
They kissed for several minutes before just snuggling together and watching the scenery passing outside the window.
"Your friend Charles sounded disappointed when you told him about our engagement. He's not still in love with you, is he?" Nathan wasn't concerned about Elizabeth having romantic feelings for her old friend, but did worry that his feelings for her might make their time in Hamilton uncomfortable.
"I have no idea how Charles feels, but I hope he doesn't still think he's in love with me." Elizabeth shrugged, nestling closer and curling into his side. "I am completely taken."
Nathan looked at her in disbelief. "He only thought he was in love with you?"
Elizabeth looked up from her spot against his chest. "We have been good friends pretty much since birth and we care for each other, but if he ever loved me, it was the woman he wanted me to be. He sees the proper society lady that I was raised to be, the one whose entire life centers on her social calendar and dress shopping. He's never understood the teacher, the woman with a mind of her own."
Nathan hugged her close, pressing a kiss on the top of her head. "And your parents?" he asked quietly. "Have they finally seen you for who you are, or do they still want you to be that high society lady?"
Elizabeth sighed. "I think they've accepted it. They aren't happy about it, and I'm sure if there is an opportunity, my mother especially will do whatever she can to pull me back into that world. I won't stay there," she vowed. "Of course it's nice to be waited on occasionally, to have someone else worry about dinner and the laundry for a few days, but my life is in Hope Valley. You, our children, my students, our friends…everything I need is there."
They sat quietly for a few minutes before Nathan spoke again. "We'll go straight from the station to your parents' house to get the children settled, then you and I will go to the hospital."
"You can stay with Allie and Jack," Elizabeth stated reluctantly.
"I'm coming with you," he insisted. "First, because it's my assigned duty to accompany you, but more importantly because it's my job to stand by you through everything. For better or worse, remember?"
"You haven't actually made that vow yet," she reminded him. "But thank you. I know the children are too young to visit at the hospital, but I want you beside me."
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Allie and Jack returned a couple of hours later, full of stories. Arthur had taken them as far up the train as passengers were permitted, through the dining car, and even showed them around an empty sleeping compartment.
"Did you know…?" Allie was full of new facts and facets about trains that she couldn't wait to tell her friends at school about. She even brought her journal out so she could write everything down while it was still fresh in her mind.
They spent the evening much like their last, with Nathan and Elizabeth on one pulled out sofa reading and talking, Allie doing her homework at the table, and Jack playing on the floor between them. When the little boy started to doze off, Elizabeth rose to get him ready for bed. With Jack and Allie both in their pajamas, the four of them once again squeezed in together to read, this time one of Jack's stories. When both children fell asleep, Elizabeth got Jack settled into bed while Nathan carried Allie to hers.
"We should do this every night," Allie murmured sleepily as he tucked her in. "I like family reading time."
"Me, too, sweetheart," Nathan assured her, kissing her forehead before he stood, dimming the light as he left the room.
After setting the parlor to rights, Elizabeth and Nathan both went into their rooms to change. They met for the same slightly awkward and very reluctant parting.
"Soon," Nathan sighed, resting his chin on her head as they embraced. "We won't have to say goodnight like this anymore…"
"Soon," Elizabeth agreed, reaching up to kiss him quickly before ducking into her bedroom and closing the door. Nathan waited until he heard the lock catch, then made his way to his own bed.
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The next morning brought mild chaos. Jack was inconsolable over a lost toy, which Elizabeth was frantic to find before they reached Hamilton. Allie was pouting because, after two days of traveling in pants, Nathan informed her she had to wear a dress for their arrival and introduction to the Thatchers.
"If they don't like me just because I'm wearing pants, they aren't going to like me any better in a dress," she grumbled.
"Allie," Nathan warned. "You know Hamilton is a stricter society than Hope Valley. You want to make a good impression on Elizabeth's family, don't you?" When the girl rolled her eyes and nodded, he continued. "They expect to see young ladies in dresses. I will concede the frilly bows and lace and all of….that, but you will dress appropriately."
He turned to helping Elizabeth look for Jack's missing horse. "If we don't find it before we arrive, we can always send someone back to look for it. It's not as though the car is going anywhere until your father is ready to travel." Elizabeth agreed, shifting her attention to helping Jack finish his breakfast and getting him dressed, while Nathan organized their luggage. He knew she was worried about her father and seeing her family, so he wanted to make their arrival as easy as possible.
"Found it!" Allie exclaimed, rushing out of the girls' bedroom. "He must have brought the horse in here this morning when he came in to wake Mom up." At Elizabeth's surprised look, she shrugged. "I thought…I just figured if Jack can call my dad 'Daddy' all the time, maybe I can start calling you 'Mom', at least in private…?"
Elizabeth hugged the girl tightly, tears threatening as she smiled. "I would love it if you called me 'Mom', in private or in public."
"Except at school," Allie pointed out. "Then you'll be Mrs. Thornton Grant, just like you are to all the other kids."
Elizabeth wiped her eyes on the handkerchief Nathan offered, laughing. "I'm still not sure what to have you all call me in the classroom. Fortunately, I've got time to figure it out."
Releasing their daughter and turning to pack the stuffed horse before it escaped again, Elizabeth finished gathering hers and Jack's bags. She had just placed them next to the door when Nathan came out of the other bedroom, and she found it impossible to take her eyes off of him. He was in uniform since he was officially back on duty once they reached Hamilton, but hadn't fastened his jacket. She gravitated towards him, reaching for the buttons. "May I?" she asked softly.
Nathan nodded, lost for words and overwhelmed with emotion.
Allie knew she should probably look away, but she couldn't help herself. She sat with her back to the bedroom, but could clearly see her dad's reflection in the small mirror on the wall across from her. She couldn't see Miss Elizabeth's—Mom's—face, but she had never seen the kind of expression on her dad's that she did now. He looked like he wanted to either cry or kiss Mom, but couldn't decide which. Personally, she voted for the latter, as they had all had far too much of the former. She stealthily watched as Mom fastened his buttons, straightening his serge as she went over his hips, his abdomen, and up his chest. Allie finally ducked her eyes back to her book with a pleased grin when Dad pulled Mom close, certain they were about to kiss. Helping button his jacket had always been Allie's job, but she was more than willing to share the task.
Nathan placed his hands on her hips as Elizabeth fastened his jacket, gradually pulling her closer as she worked her way up. He shivered as she paused on the last two buttons, reaching beneath to brush her fingers over the unfastened buttons of his shirt. Her head had been bowed as she focused on her task, but now she looked up to meet his eyes.
"This," she said quietly. "I love this spot right here." She smiled. "Everyone sees the red jacket, the Mountie. They know your sense of honor and duty. But this," Nathan inhaled sharply as she leaned in to press a soft kiss on the exposed skin beneath his collar bone. "This is the side only the people who love you most see, the man beneath the serge. The father. The husband-to-be. The man with the biggest, kindest heart I have ever known. I feel privileged to know this man, to love him."
Nathan pulled her firmly against him and kissed her, momentarily blinded by passion. He thought his heart might burst from the sheer force of his feelings for her. They were so caught up in each other that they didn't notice the train slowing down, and were surprised by the jolt of the seemingly sudden stop. Elizabeth, already off balance from their kiss, was knocked entirely off her feet, and would have fallen had he not been holding her so tight.
They parted reluctantly so Elizabeth could put her own coat on while Nathan finished his buttons and then bundled the still sleeping Jack into his. Allie put her book away and got her coat on, and then they waited. Protocol demanded that they stay in their car until most of the other passengers had departed. Though the train had arrived on time, the added security measures meant they had to wait nearly an hour before actually exiting to meet their escorts and proceed to the Thatchers.
"Didn't know you had signed on for actual babysitting, did you?" one of the Constables teased as Nathan stepped off the train with Jack asleep on his shoulder.
Nathan grinned. "I know exactly what I'm signing up for." Elizabeth's engagement ring sparkled as she reached to take her son, cradling him as Nathan guided her and Allie towards the rest of their security team and the Thatcher chauffer.
The other Mountie smiled back, falling in step beside them as they crossed the platform. "So this is as much personal as professional duty, huh? Well let's get you all back to the Thatchers and we can plan from there."