Over the next few days, Nathan and Julie met either for lunch or supper. Rosemary and the others began making comments near Lucas suggesting Nathan was becoming enamored with a certain redhead. Since Mei had seen Nathan and Julie returning from supper that first night, she had stepped up her attempts to attract Nathan's attention. Trying unsuccessfully to catch him alone to talk, she had been happy when she had seen him having lunch alone at the café. But as she approached his table Rosemary and Julie showed up. He had been nice and invited her to join them. It was obvious that he had actually been expecting them, to her annoyance. After a few minutes of sitting with them, she wished she hadn't because Julie dominated the conversation and there were a lot of private jokes that made her feel like a third wheel.

Julie agreed to have supper with Lucas that evening at the saloon, it was the night before Elizabeth was due to leave Hamilton.

"You know Lucas, I heard that you were taken," Julie said.

"Did you?" Lucas replied, faking nonchalance. "I can't imagine who they would be referring to."

"The schoolteacher? Elizabeth Thornton, I believe they said her name was."

"Oh, that! I did her a couple of favors, and I bought her supper a few times, but it was nothing serious though she thinks it is. I tried to let her down gently, but she didn't want to believe it. I mean, it just wouldn't work for us. The poor girl went to Hamilton for the summer out of embarrassment and to heal from a broken heart."

Julie fumed but kept her cool. She would be calling her sister when she got home to Fiona's. At this point, there was plenty of proof that Lucas was definitely not who he portrayed himself to be.

"Well, I heard it was because she was doing a book tour," Julie said, taking a sip of wine.

"I bet it was Nathan, wasn't it? He will do whatever he can to discredit me in your eyes. Please disregard whatever he says because he is just jealous since he wanted Elizabeth, and she didn't want him. That is his way of retaliating since she preferred me."

"It was quite a few people, actually. To satisfy my curiosity, why wouldn't it work with her? From what Fiona said, she is very beautiful and very well-connected and comes from a similar background as you."

"She is everything that you said. However, she also has a child and actually loves to teach, even considers it her calling. I'm just not a family man, at least right now, and I'm not comfortable raising someone else's child, especially when I'm not sure I want one of my own. Not to mention I don't like the feeling of being tied down. In fact, this is the longest I've ever been anywhere. When I bought the saloon on a whim, it was meant to be a diversion while I laid low."

"Oh, I see. I had been wondering, since you have traveled extensively, if you missed all the excitement and delights of the big cities. You know, the parties, going to the theater, attending concerts, and being able to enjoy fine dining whenever you want. I know I always long for them and couldn't ever see myself living in a place like Hope Valley." Julie had to take another sip of wine to cover her amusement as Lucas was taking her bait. Wouldn't he be shocked when he found out not only her identity but that she was thinking of moving there?

"I do, although I am able to enjoy fine cuisine thanks to my cousin Gustav. He is a very talented chef who can cook any cuisine. However, he doesn't get the chance to really use that knowledge since the people here tend to stay away from good food." Lucas said his words dripping with derision.

"I don't know if I would agree with you. I've tasted the food at the café, and it is pretty good." Julie said, feeling the need to defend Abigail's. "The fish supper Nathan prepared for me last night was delicious too. It was probably the best I've ever eaten."

Lucas scowled at the mention that she had that private supper with Nathan. Julie smiled as she saw his reaction. She had intentionally left out that Bill and Fiona had also joined them to strategize this very conversation. It was apparent that Lucas had never been truly interested in Elizabeth and it had been a flirtation and a challenge all along. Though she had everything she needed she decided to see what other information Lucas would let slip.

"So, if Elizabeth isn't what you're looking for in a courtship what exactly are you wanting? She said it in a way that would give Lucas the impression she was looking to fill that position, adding a flirtatious smile.

"My father knew that my mother was the one for him as soon as they met though mother took a little longer because she needed convincing. She had been courting a friend of his when they met you see. After asking her out many times and a few proposals later she finally gave in and said yes."

"You don't believe in destiny or that somewhere out there is someone meant for you?"

"Destiny is the stuff that fairy tales are made of. I have always felt that when I see the woman, I want to spend my life with I will know immediately. My father told me that when I meet her do whatever it takes to win her and don't take no for an answer. I guess you could say I am more the master of my own destiny type. When I see what I want I go after it."


Exactly how did you help Elizabeth get her book published? According to Rosemary you were instrumental in her getting that book deal?

"Oh, that really didn't take much effort on my part. Gustav had been the one to suggest I send a couple of chapters to mother. Originally, I started out reading her little book that her late husband had made for her." Lucas snorted. "He even provided these quaint little chapters though the book and stories were still amateurish. I read them and tried to discourage her as gently as I could, but she ended up writing a novel. I read some of the pages and they were better but the only thing capturing my interest was the character of Luther Brant. Gustav found them on my desk and began reading them and as I said suggested Mother read them. She of course loved them and the whole book deal fell into place. Of course, once mother became involved, I stepped out of it and just provided her with a place to work when needed. I had Gustav read them over when she asked for my opinion to keep her motivated."

'Just like you didn't read the Virginia Woolf book' Julie thought. She had a pretty good picture of Lucas Bouchard, and she didn't care for the man at all. It was time to end the evening and let her sister know and hope that it wouldn't hurt her too much. Since Elizabeth would be boarding the train the day after tomorrow, she couldn't wait any longer.

Luckily dessert arrived so after they finished, she excused herself, claiming a headache, after giving him a vague promise of a possible lunch date.

After letting herself into Fiona's apartment she made a phone call to Rosemary asking her to come over then placed the call to Hamilton.

Meanwhile Nathan was getting ready to head home when the phone rang in his office. He briefly considered not answering but his professionalism and commitment won out.

Hello, Corporal Grant speaking.

"Nathan, I have your mother on the line." Florence said apologetically.

"Put her through Florence."

Hello, Ma?

Nathan, you are not going to believe what happened today. I still can't believe it myself.

"Did something happen to Allie? Is she okay?"

"She is fine Nathan," his mother reassured him. "I didn't mean to scare you. It's just that we were over at the church bazaar in Meadow Springs and ran into Dylan's parents.

"Did they attempt to talk to Allie? Did she know who they were?

"They were too shocked to say anything. Nathan, they didn't even know they had a granddaughter. Apparently, Dylan told them Colleen had lost the baby and then when they got transferred to France, he stopped communicating with them and the only thing they had heard from him was that Colleen died. When I told them the truth, they were horrified but agreed not to say anything until after I had a chance to talk to you." His mother said.

"I need to think about it and do some praying before I decide. Ultimately, I want them to meet, but I need it to be in the best way possible for Allie. I won't allow her to be hurt again." Nathan said, thinking of the last year with Elizabeth. "I also want to do some research to make sure we are getting the truth from them about their whereabouts."

"I'll await your call back, Nathan."

Nathan hung up the receiver, thankful that he had taken the call. This could be a good thing for Allie, but he had some thinking and praying to do first. He started to head home but then seeing that the light was on in Bill's office decided that it might be nice to have another trusted person to talk it through with.


"Sister, I really hate to have to be the one to say this but everything that Rosemary said is true. On second thought it is worse because according to his own words it was all a front."

"It is all right, Julie, go ahead and tell me everything. At this point, from what Rosemary said I'm braced for the worst. I just want to be able to confront him with all of it as I break it off with him."

"Well, I'm looking forward to the look on his face when he realizes that I'm your sister." Julie said.

Elizabeth listened as Julie told her what Lucas had said. How could she have been so taken that he completely fooled her? She had recalled the conversation that night in Union City and had known that he was deliberately trying to make her believe that she was the woman he had been waiting for. But back then Nathan was always looming as a possibility, and he overshadowed Lucas on his best day.

Startled, she repeated those last words out loud to herself. "Nathan overshadowed Lucas on his best day." She knew it was true even with all the grand gestures that Lucas did Nathan could do something as simple as bringing her an apple and it was always something she treasured. Even the two bouquets that they had brought. Lucas' were nice but consisted of the hot house flowers while Nathan's were more along the fall flower and wildflower variety which is what she had preferred.

Lucas didn't read the Virginia Woolfe book, but she knew without a doubt if the situation had been reversed Nathan would have not only read it but had an opinion on it.

"Beth, are you still there?" Julie called out. Elizabeth realized that she had been deep in her thoughts and had gone silent.

"I'm sorry Julie, I was just processing everything."

"There is one last thing I think you should know. It involves how your book got published."

"Oh?" Elizabeth said.

So, Julie explained what Lucas had said, sparing no details though she knew it would hurt her sister.

"Thank you, Julie, for telling me and finding out everything." Elizabeth said as silent tears fell down her cheeks.

"Are you going to be okay, Sister?"

Wiping her cheeks, she said "I will be Julie. It may take some time, but I will be fine." The rest of the call they discussed her travel arrangements, and that Lucas was not told anything of her arrival. She also managed to make a quick call to Helen who confirmed that it was Gustav that had referred her story. She had been able to find out without alerting Helen by suggesting Lucas had mentioned it and she wanted to do something nice for Gustav.

Afterward, she spent the evening with her son and then retired to her room for the remainder of the night with her journal to process everything. It wasn't until the early morning hours that she was finally able to fall into a troubled sleep.


A/N Starting with the next chapter, there will be actual transcript information used as part of the story. It will be Bold and italicized, and at the end of the chapters, the episodes will be referenced. We hope that you will find this inclusion to be an enhancement as we seek to resolve the aftermath into a believable Nathan and Elizabeth story. It was important to us to reclaim what was taken from us by those who truly didn't understand where the true love story was. One other thing to make note is that in our story, NONE of Season 9 has taken place.