CHAPTER 10
Jack held Elizabeth's hands, looking into her eyes, pulled her into his arms saying that they would protect her.
- Do you trust me Elizabeth?
- Yes, Jack. With all my life.
And in silence, they sat down at the table where Bill was explaining...
- Listen here young lady! I as your guardian have more rights and I will claim the supreme right over you, at least until your marriage where I as a father will pass that honor on to Jack, I will do this immediately, to invalidate William Thatcher's document, as your marriage needs be signed and consummated with your husband so that only later can he ask for this right.
A very anxious Jack was already asking when they could get married.
At that moment Lee and Rose, entered the cafe and explained that Charles had left for a short trip, but that he left the hotel paid for as he would return in four or five days and then leave with Elizabeth. Charles was very confident of himself after receiving a telegram from William Thatcher in the hotel restaurant.
- He went to buy train tickets, my father must have given the order to him, apart from there he could have access to documents about me, and here in Hope Valle, he could have problems with my father here, to have access to these papers.
- Your father? Without understanding anything Rose was asking, with wide eyes.
Elizabeth just pointed her finger at Bill and smiled saying:
- Yes, my father this wonderful man here and kissed his cheek.
- Huh...said Rose and Lee at the same time with their mouths open, but already liking that story. Everyone knew of their love for each other.
Abigail, got into the subject:
- So we have four days to set up a wedding and a beautiful honeymoon.
Seeing Elizabeth and Jack turn purple with embarrassment, she laughed a lot together with the others.
- Boys, you two look like children. But look, if you don't have a marriage and show that it's real, it might give a judge cause to question. So let's get the quick fix for everything.
Abigail asked Clara to call Henry, Ned, Florence and Molly and they all came to the cafe. After a small snack of chocolate cake, Elizabeth's favorite, they set to work on the problem.
Henry offered the house next to Lee's, it was vacant and in a day at most it would be ready to move in after all Jack lived at the police station and Elizabeth was living in the back room of the cafe. Abigail donated some furniture for the new house together with Molly. Rose offered to help clean up the new house with the women, in addition to giving away some items for the kitchen. Lee gave the dining table and wardrobe that would be made from the wood of her lumberyard in one day.
Ned gave the bed as a gift along with the bedding all from his shop's stock. Clara, Molly, Rose and Florence would decorate the church for the wedding that night, while Abigail and Bill would cook the food for the reception. Rose was so excited that in a few hours she promised she would have the perfect dress for Elizabeth. Bill kept telling Charlotte and Tom about everything that was going on. Even though Charlotte didn't know Elizabeth personally, they had already exchanged several letters because the two loved Jack with the same intensity. Bill was going to walk Elizabeth down the aisle, he was on cloud nine. Frank was arriving in town at lunchtime and he was going to do the church wedding, as for the civil, it would be Abigail as mayor who would do that part and sign the documents. After the wedding, the cafe would have a small reception for them. The school children would pick flowers and all over the church would be the little white and lilac asters that Elizabeth was so passionate about. Henry gave Jack the key to his cabin at the top of the hill, where he headed towards the coal mines, according to Henry, the cabin was clean and tidy, as Bill used it to host Lilian and the children from the orphanage days ago, so they would have a honeymoon away from the city. Bill would cover for Jack and do his rounds and protect the townsfolk. Abigail would also put together food baskets and bedding for them to take to the cabin and while they enjoyed their honeymoon, during those days the group would do all their moving to the townhouse.
- It is us? What should we do?
Bill looked at everyone and then at Jack and Elizabeth laughing...
- You young people, go for a walk and come to the church at 17:00, where we are going to have the most beautiful wedding in Hope Valle. My daughter's wedding.
