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Chapter One hundred thirty-three
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A Snowy Morning!
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"Dad! It snowed! And it's still snowing!" Allie cried from her bedroom window. "Dad?"
Suddenly realizing she heard the scraping of a shovel, Allie hurriedly grabbed her robe and went to the front room window. There was her dad, shoveling the snow off of the porch after clearing a path from the Cottage to the main house. He was not going to allow for any obstacles between all of the family today!
Stomping his feet and setting the shovel beside the front door, Nathan entered and quickly closed the door behind himself. "Hey, Allie-girl! It's cold out there. Pretty though, eh?"
"It's beautiful! Do you think the Thatchers can drive over though?" Worriedly, Allie questioned as she reached for her father's coat and draped it over the chair closest to the fire.
"I assume Hudson knows how to drive in snow, so I think they should be able to come." Nathan carefully moved his boots to the mat and tiptoed over the puddle in front of the mat. "Let me get an old towel, Honey. Don't slip on the water."
"I'll start breakfast, Dad. It doesn't look as though you shaved yet…"
"I started the fire and made coffee, then decided to shovel before making myself presentable. Give me a few minutes to wash my hair in the kitchen sink before you start breakfast, okay?"
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A knock on the front door startled them just as Nathan was rinsing his hair.
"I've got it, Dad." Allie hurried to the door, surprised to find Miss Bess and Jack standing there with a basket. "Oh! We aren't even dressed yet! Dad, Miss Bess and Jack are here!"
Quickly grabbing a towel, Nathan started to rub his hair dry as he headed into the front room. "My goodness! You are up and about early. I just finished shoveling and… What?"
Elizabeth and Jack were in a fit of giggles as they observed Nathan's disheveled hair. "Your hair… You look…. Wild!"
"Oh, that!" Nathan grinned as he looked into the mirror beside the door. "It's my new look." He rubbed the towel again, then made a funny face at Jack. "What do you think, Buddy? Do you like it?"
"You look silly, Daddy," Jack giggled, adding, "And your face is dirty!"
"Dirty?" Nathan glanced back in the mirror and guffawed. "Buddy, that's my beard! It grows overnight and I shave it in the morning." He grinned at a laughing Elizabeth and Allie. "I guess he has not been raised with men! You mind kissing me with my bristles, Honey?"
"I guess I better get used to it!" Elizabeth gave him a quick kiss. "Not sure I will ever get used to your morning hairstyle though!"
"Jack you want to come with me and watch while I shave and get presentable for the ladies? This will be fun!"
"Yes! Please!" Jack walked as close to Nathan as he could.
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"That's really cute and Dad will make it fun. Jack has never seen a man shave?" Allie asked as she hugged Elizabeth.
"I never thought about it, but I guess he only sees men after they are dressed and ready for their day. Did you start breakfast yet? Gramma Carol sent some muffins that Uncle Bill made early this morning and I think they'll be great with our porridge. Sound good? We have eaten such fancy meals, I think it would be good to get back to normal!"
As Allie began to make the porridge, Elizabeth emptied the basket of muffins, scones, jam and a jar of summer's peaches.
Laughter and giggles carried from the bathroom to the kitchen so the ladies turned off the porridge and snuck down the hallway to the open bathroom door. The sight that greeted them warmed their hearts.
Jack, standing on a chair beside the sink, was looking from the mirror to his Daddy Nathan, his face covered with soap suds just the same as his Daddy's. Nathan shaved part of his beard, then taking the back of a comb, made believe he was shaving Jack's face. It was a good thing the comb was harmless as Jack wiggled and giggled and tried to help, only serving to get the suds on his hands and shirt! Finally Nathan took a damp washcloth, wiped and then dried Jack's face and hands.
"Now that you are shaved, Buddy, you need to be very still so that I don't cut myself while I finish up here. Okay? Here, will you please hold the towel?"
From the corner of his eye, Nathan realized he had an audience so he commented, "Am I to assume that you find this process as fascinating as your son, Lisbeth?"
"Oh, I could stand and watch this for a very long time! Seeing that handsome face emerge from behind a mask of suds is very appealing!
Allie rolled her eyes. "Then you would be late for breakfast every, single, day! You know this happens every morning and even sometimes later in the day if he is going out for an event, right?"
"Oh, I know, Honey. Someday you'll understand that just watching the man you love do everyday things is fascinating! Like wearing an apron and cooking, or chopping wood, or shoveling like this morning. Utterly mesmerizing!"
"You were watching?" Nathan grinned, drying his face. "I didn't know!"
Splashing some Lilac Vegetal in his hands, he rubbed them together and patted his face, then patted Jack's.
"That smells nice. You smell nice!"
"Thanks, Buddy. Now run along and I'll be out for breakfast in a few minutes. Maybe give Mommy a kiss? She may think you smell nice too!"
As Jack ran to kiss his mother, Nathan straightened out his wild hair and turned back to see Elizabeth still watching him. Wordlessly he crossed the room and captured her lips in his. When he pulled back, he breathed deeply. His voice husky he commented. "March fifth cannot come soon enough…"
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"How shall we spend this extra holiday? Any ideas?" Nathan was enjoying his toasted muffin, having sliced the muffin and scones and toasted them lightly in the frying pan over a low flame.
"Mmmm. This idea of warm baked goods is growing on me, Lisbeth!" He winked. "So, today?"
"Mother left a message for me, asking if we would like to bring Ruth and Archie with us and get a tour of the apartments this morning. Would that be fun? Peter just headed to Depot to deliver the Boxing Day contributions and Carol and Bill were busy chopping vegetables for the turkey soup we'll have for dinner so that is already simmering."
"I'd love to see the Hotel. How about you, Allie? Maybe we can take a ride, or a walk together downtown if the snow lightens up? No promises, but maybe we could stop at Victoria's Café?" Nathan offered.
"Let's do this, Dad. I would love to see the grand hotel!" Allie enthused, happy to add more memories to this incredible holiday.
"As soon as we finish and clean up, we'll go ask Mom and Dad and see what Bill's plans are."
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"Thanks, but I'll pass." Bill responded. "Carol and I are making plans for the Open House and we'll be baking. I'll get there another time, I know."
Having joined Carol and Bill washing breakfast dishes, Ruth declined as well. "Arch? Feel free to go. I believe I'll remain here to assist with the baking. Carol and Grace want to meet with Elizabeth this week to discuss some wedding ideas, so I can see the apartments then."
Archie responded. "I think I will wait also. If the ladies need some supplies I can accompany Bill, if Jake can drive us downtown. I imagine we need to stock up!"
"If you are sure? I feel I am not pulling my weight to leave you working while I tour!" Nathan met everyone's glance and was reassured that they should go, so back in the car and bundled against the chill of the falling snow, they headed downtown.
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"I'm grateful the roads have been plowed although it is still coming down." Nathan observed.
"Can we make a snowman later, Daddy?" Jack asked with his face pressed against the car window.
"Maybe? Let's see how the day goes, Buddy, but keep that as an option."
"Isn't it beautiful? The snowflakes?" Allie looked out her window dreamily. "It reminds me of one of the poems in the book Jared gave me. It's called, 'Snowflakes on Wool.' I'll have to read it to you later."
With one raised eyebrow, Nathan glanced at Elizabeth and gave a close-lipped smile, noticing that Jared Blake seemed to enter conversations more and more frequently.
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"Wow!" Allie exclaimed as she and Jack entered the side entrance of 'Le Chateaux Qu'Appelle' when a uniformed doorman opened the door. "Look at this place, Jack!"
"It's really big!" Jack stared up at the high ceiling, leaning his head so far back that his hat threatened to fall.
Quickly releasing Elizabeth's hand, Nathan caught it just in time. "Whoa there, Buddy."
Responding to the doorman's welcome, Nathan and Elizabeth nodded and introduced themselves. "Good morning, Sir. I am Sergeant Nathan Grant and this is my fiancée, Mrs. Elizabeth Thornton, daughter of William Thatcher? We are here for a tour and the Thatchers are expecting us."
"Good morning to you, Sergeant, Ma'am. I believe I saw you the other day with your parents, but I am new to the assignment at this entrance. I am Theodore Harris and pleased to make your acquaintance. And who might these young ones be?"
"Mr. Harris? Let me introduce my daughter, Allison or Allie, and Elizabeth's son, Jack. Children this is Mr. Harris. Is there another name they should call you, Sir, or is your formal name required for your position?"
Chuckling, Mr. Harris looked at this tall man with the clear blue eyes. "I am a grandfather, so I go by Grandpa Teddy to many?"
Elizabeth interjected, "Congratulations, Sir, but we have a number of real and adopted grandparents for the children. Might they call you Mr. Ted?"
"Love it. Mr. Ted it is. Lovely to meet you Miss Allie and Master Jack!" Mr. Ted squatted to shake hands with the children, then stood.
"May I inquire of my manager what you might call me, please? I am fine with first names, but the Hotel may not be. I assume I will be seeing all of you periodically, so I will let you know?"
"Of course. While you are asking, please inquire if you may refer to us as Elizabeth and Nathan as well?"
"I will, Sergeant, Mrs. Thornton. Do you know the way to the apartment since you were here previously?"
"Thank you, Mr. Harris. I do. Have a good morning!" Elizabeth followed the children through the interior door and pointed them towards the elevator.
As the door opened, an operator stepped out and welcomed them aboard. "Are you here to see the Thatchers? Mr. Thatcher informed me that guests were arriving this morning."
After going through similar introductions, Mr. Upton Dorman laughed as Allie and Jack looked around, yet commented to Nathan and Elizabeth. "I know! I should be in Mr. Harris's position according to my last name, eh? But Mr. Upton is a good one for an elevator operator!"
"What is this?" Jack asked nervously as the elevator doors closed.
Squatting down, Nathan opened his arms to Jack. "This is an elevator, Buddy. It moves up and down and takes people to other floors. You know when we looked at the building from the outside we saw many floors stacked on top of each other? Grandaddy and Grandmommy live on one of these levels and we are going to see them. Taking the elevator is much faster than having to climb up the stairs."
As the elevator moved, Jack gripped Nathan's arm tightly. "Ohhhh…"
"Feel that? We are going up! See those buttons? Mr. Upton presses those buttons so the elevator knows when to go and stop." Nathan pointed to the controls. "Oh, now feel that? That means we are coming to a stop. Watch, he'll open the doors now and we'll go into a different hallway for Grandaddy and Grandmommy's apartment. Please hold Allie's hand again?" Nathan stood and, placing his hand against Elizabeth's back, thanked the operator.
Emerging from the elevator into a long hallway, Jack immediately asked, "What's down to that window?" Turning towards the opposite direction, he again questioned. "What's down there too?"
"Maybe we will look later, Sweetheart," Elizabeth redirected Jack's curiosity. "Right over here is your grandparents apartment. Why don't you…"
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"Hello! Hello!" Hudson opened the door wide. "I heard you talking. Come in! Welcome!"
"Are they here? Oh! Sweethearts! Welcome!" Grace hurried to hug the children, then Elizabeth and Nathan. "Good morning."
"Good morning to you! This is a lovely place." Nathan quickly surveyed the parlor in front of them.
"Let me take your coats and we'll have a little tour." Hudson offered.
Normally talkative, Allie was very quiet although mentally taking notes of colors, wallcoverings, furniture and windows.
Entering the parlor, William welcomed the family and noticed Allie staring at the window. "Come over, children. Do you want to look outside and see how high up you are?"
"Wow. You can see really far…" Allie commented.
"We are really high!" Jack exclaimed. "I can see the top of everything up here."
Chuckling, William bent over. "Almost everything! Look over there, Jack. What do you see? That smoke and…"
"A train! Look everybody there's a train!" Jack excitedly exclaimed, but without looking away from the approaching locomotive.
"Everything is dusted with icing sugar from up here. Wow!" Allie stared at the views.
"I thought I heard voices! Hello!" Julie Thatcher came through a door near the back of the parlor. "What do you think?" She joined Allie and Jack at the window. Waving her arm at the view, she added. "Wait until you look out of my window. You can see your street!"
"Let's show them this place first, shall we?" Grace began to explain the layout and pointed to Hudson's room near the entrance. As Hudson opened his bedroom door, he motioned for everyone to step inside.
"This is very cozy, Uncle Hudson, but, you don't have a window! Don't you miss that?"
"I thought I might, but I am usually in my room at night, so it doesn't matter then. I come out here to see daylight, or moonlight or city lights."
"Your room is very nice, except for the window part." Allie gave her seal of approval. "Oh! You already hung my picture!" She pointed to the illustration of books displayed on the wall above a bookcase. Laughing, she added. "That's a good place for it!"
"Isn't it?" Hudson leaned closer. "Thank you again, dear girl. I treasure that gift, and the tie, of course."
Moving on through the dining room to the kitchen, the family noted that it was small, but the view while washing dishes was wonderful. Down the hallway was the bathroom, which included three high square windows, and at the end of the hallway the Thatchers' master bedroom and a small empty room behind Hudson's.
"Everything is so beautifully decorated and coordinated." Nathan observed. "Is this place furnished by the Hotel or are these your belongings?"
Heading back towards the hall door, Grace explained the situation when leasing a group of furnished apartments like this and they headed next door to see where Julie was staying. Having entered through a connecting door off the parlor, they entered Julie's apartment at the end of an internal hallway to find the exact layout as the Thatcher's place, but with a different color scheme. "This is where Elizabeth and Jack will stay until the wedding day! Isn't this grand? We will keep it to use as guest quarters after they move to the main house."
"This is amazing, Grandmom. I love the colors and the views and, it's wonderful. Could I come visit and stay overnight sometime? It would be such fun!"
"We will arrange that, Sweetheart!" Grace placed her arm around the young woman's shoulders. "Now we must go into the third apartment where William has his office and David Wright will be living."
A reversed layout allowed the parlor to serve as a waiting room and contained a desk for David. A modification of double, glass doors afforded William's office privacy, in what was a dining room in the other apartments, plus the addition of a hall doorway made David's apartment area private.
"We also have a few other rooms reserved down this hallway, but they are single or double rooms and not full apartments." William explained. "I hope to host as many Hope Valley friends as can come to the wedding, although some may be on other levels!"
"Oh, William! Really?" Nathan shook his head. "This is unbelievable!"
"It will be a big event and you two deserve to be surrounded by those who love you! Now, would you like to sit and enjoy a cup of tea, or shall we return to the main floor for a tour of that area?" William asked.
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The consensus was to continue the tour, so everyone gathered at the elevator and with two runs the family was downstairs and being greeted by the Hotel Manager, Mr. Curtis Durand.
"It is delightful to meet all of you. Actually, do I assume this is all of you?" The Manager laughed, until he heard William Thatcher explain that there are more, but aren't here today!
"Oh my! Well, let me tell you, Sergeant Grant, Miss Allie, and Master Thornton, that we are finishing last minute details in preparation for the gala and open house this weekend. Please excuse everyone scurrying about and anything that is not yet in place? Come, follow me."
On their way to the main entrance and lobby, Mr. Durand showed them the Ballroom. "This is almost ready. We will be adding fresh floral arrangements early Saturday and, of course the orchestra may rearrange their seats. What do you think, Miss Allie?"
"I would feel like Cinderella in a fairy tale palace here. This is beautiful." She surveyed the murals on walls and ceiling, the liberal use of gold, and rich teal, velvet drapes. Round tables, dressed in crisp, white linens, and chairs formed groupings around the edges of the room. She stepped towards the middle and, holding out her hands to her sides, twirled around imagining a magical Ball.
Elizabeth nudged Nathan towards his daughter and, interrupting her twirl, he asked quietly, "Miss Grant, may I have this dance?"
To admiring eyes, Nathan danced his delighted daughter around the floor to imaginary music and they bowed to each other and, again, for the applause they received when they ended in a hug.
"Nathan! You dance beautifully! I had no idea… well, except that Elizabeth did tell us you danced at that special dinner date before she returned to Hope Valley. You may have a line of hopeful partners at your wedding reception." Grace enthused.
William took Elizabeth's hand and brought her to Nathan. "Son? Bessie? Would you allow me the privilege of hosting your reception here on that special day? I am envisioning…"
"Father!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"Here?" Nathan questioned, taken aback.
Laughing, William explained. "Guests from out-of-town will be staying here and I doubt the Mounties will host an event here before March so we will introduce everyone to a stunning venue while celebrating a beautiful couple. I'm not sure anywhere else would be as elegant for you."
"I am astonished!" Nathan gulped. "I am grateful, William, but I am not sure. I never dreamed of such a place or of such a celebration as I would prefer a place somewhat less ostentatious. Are you sure?" Nathan searched William's face.
"Absolutely sure. You two deserve it and I am grateful to have the means to provide it." William observed. "Bessie? You haven't said anything."
With tears overflowing, Elizabeth let go of Nathan's hand and wrapped her father in a hug. "I am honored, Dad. Thank you. But could you please let Nathan and I discuss this and let you know for sure?"
Aware that Nathan preferred simplicity, William agreed, even while hoping he could provide this. "You may let me know and you're welcome. Now let's continue our tour. We have time to meet and discuss the details after the New Year weekend!"
In a not-so-quiet whisper an excited Allie asked, "Are you talking about having your wedding party here?"
Nodding to Allie, Nathan responded. "Yes, Honey. We're thinking about it." He and Elizabeth shared a glance and brief kiss as they returned to the family group exiting the Ballroom.
"I will never have a normal dream again! Wow!" Allie giggled and turned back for one last look.
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