CHAPTER 32
"They've arrived, Bill!" Rose screamed, with all the excitement.
The cafe was completely silent. Charlotte had arranged with Bill that she would be hidden in the kitchen. She wouldn't let Jack or Elizabeth see her, at least not until next week. Bill, and had made him promise, that he would do nothing against that girl, that he would give him the chance to meet her and that he would fight for Jack's happiness, that is, his wife. Charlotte, still, had doubts about this Thatcher girl, she couldn't be everything that Bill talked about.
But Charlotte, knew Rose... Now thinking and laughing alone, she realized that her Rose, had not changed at all, not even all these years. She was still beautiful and from what Bill said, she became Elizabeth's best friend. Where, charlote, would you imagine something like that, the ex fiancée becoming the best friend... She saw the expectations of everyone there, with the couple's arrival. The cafe was all decorated with flowers, which the children had brought, the smell of Abigail and Bill's cooking was driving her crazy. Only Abigail, the mayor of Hope Valle and Bill's business partner, knew about Charlotte's presence. She was a beautiful and charming woman, and the two women got along very well from the first moment they met.
Charlotte, saw the emotion that everyone was waiting for the couple's entry; there was a young man named Robert who kept watch at the entrance to the city and when he saw the wagon coming, he ran to the cafe to warn everyone. Rose, as always screaming and gesticulating, and was only calmed down when her husband Lee hugged her. Charlotte was very happy to see that Rose had found her true love...
The door opened, and everyone shouted:
- Surprise!
Elizabeth, felt pulled by several arms. Rose talked incessantly, while in a corner Abigail and Bill talked with Jack, and he never stopped looking at his wife.
Charlotte, even from inside the kitchen, noticed her son's smile, never in her life had she seen that smile so big, not even when he became a mountie. And that doggy puppy look he had for his wife. Charlotte had to be honest with herself, the girl couldn't hide her love for her son either.
She saw her walking to the trio, after hugging and kissing Abigail, Elizabeth looked at Bill, and smiled...
— Huh... that smile, which must have knocked my son down, making him fall in love, laughed Charlotte.
She saw that her daughter-in-law was talking to Bill.
- Hi Dad; I missed you...
Bill opened his arms and pulled her to him. She spoke to him softly and Charlotte watched as tears ran down that man's face. This man was a good person, very honest, and she could see that he loved Elizabeth like a daughter. She saw, when Elizabeth, looked at him, and smiling, said she was the happiest woman in the world, and smiled looking at her Jack. Charlotte thought "I must be getting soft at heart, even from far away, this girl is already making me like her"... And smiling, she saw her son taking his wife's hands very affectionately.
It was a beautiful party, they were all a big family, several parents of students and students were present. The Princess of Hamilton was quite different from what Charlotte had imagined. She laughed, talked to everyone, treated each one in a special way. Everyone wanted to talk to Elizabeth, and everyone left beaming. And the children... Charlotte noticed the students' love for her, it just showed that young woman really loved her profession and the boys. She also saw the students' adoration for Jack, they loved their hero. He would be a mirror for many of those boys. And the people of that city loved their children.
Charlotte wanted to join the party, but she had already promised Bill, and she would keep it. But that didn't mean, that she wouldn't approach Elizabeth in the next few days and would be out of Bill and Jack's eyes, and so she would see with her own eyes, who was the real Elizabeth Thatcher;