Made For Each Other

Chapter 4

At 5 o'clock the group at Molly's began making its way to the party in town. The first official joint bachelor and bachelorette party had been planned and set up by Faith, Minnie, Fiona and Mei Sou, along with Mike Hickam as the male representative.

Motherhood had finally convinced Rosemary that she truly couldn't do everything and so this party was one thing that she had completely turned over to others to handle and, to the ladies and Mike's great surprise, she had only asked how they were coming with their plans once!

Tables and chairs had been placed in front of the cafe much like they had been for the community dinner that Minnie and Joseph had hosted. All the tables had a tablecloth and wildflowers arranged as a centerpiece. Fiona and Mei Sou had painted a sign with the words "To the Bride and Groom" with clinking champagne glasses and flowers around the edges that they had hung over the Abigail's Cafe sign. Additional banners and buntings were hung along the Cafe's roofline and porch railings.

Elizabeth gave each of the ladies a hug and told them how beautiful it all looked!

Once it seemed that everyone had arrived, Pastor Joseph stood up on the porch of the Cafe and called for everyone's attention. He said a few words of welcome, then asked a blessing over the food they were about to partake of.

As soon as everyone had time to fill their plates and enjoy a bit of visiting Fiona, always the one for coming up with new and exciting games and party entertainment, announced that it was time for the bride and groom-to-be to come join her on the porch. Lucas and Elizabeth made their way to the front to take the two chairs that had been placed for them to sit in, where everyone would be able to see them. Elizabeth looked a little nervous not knowing for sure what was going to happen. Lucas, always acting the gentleman, held the chair for her to sit down in before he took his seat beside her, with a look that said "I hope this isn't too embarrassing".

When they were in their places Fiona began to explain to them and everyone watching what was going to happen. "Last week I gave Lucas and Elizabeth each a list of questions. They have filled them out and given them back to me." She held up the folded papers. "So now, when I ask a question to one of them and they give their answer, we will then have the other one's answer to compare it to."

Elizabeth and Lucas looked at each other with an expression of "let's hope we don't do too badly at this"!

"Some of the questions might be pretty easy... others might be harder", Fiona said, building excitement to see how this would go. "Faith will be marking down how many of their answers are matching vs. how many are not matching. So why don't we all give Elizabeth and Lucas a hand of encouragement as we get started and let's see just how compatibly made for each other these two love birds really are!" Fiona said full of enthusiasm.

As everyone was clapping for them Elizabeth's mind jumper back to the strange thoughts and feeling she had two evenings ago when Pastor Joseph had said "before you marry someone you have to know that God has made you for each other" But not wanting to go down that road again she simply gave a big smile and told herself that it had just been a random thought that didn't mean anything!

Of course, the first few questions were easy, like "what is Lucas's favorite color?", and "What's Elizabeth's favorite flower..." and Elizabeth began to relax and feel encouraged. Thinking to herself see we are made for each other.

The next question Fiona asked Elizabeth was, "If you could live anywhere, where would you choose?" Elizabeth of course responded with "right where we already are, Hope Valley"

"Let's see what Lucas's answer is..." Fiona paused to build up a little suspense. "Paris, France!"

Elizabeth looked at Lucas in both surprise and question. Lucas just shrugged his shoulders and said with a mischievous grin "the question said if... Paris would definitely be exciting, and I already know French! It could be a great adventure."

"Our next question is for Lucus. Where did you and Elizabeth have your first date?"

"Now that's a harder one," said Lucas, running his hand over his beard. Do I go with our first "not a date but really it was a date" when we went to hear Virginia Woolf in Union City or our second "not a date" dinner in the library or, finally, our first officially called date where we had dinner in Elizabeth's backyard by candlelight? He gave Elizabeth a quizzical look as if he was trying to decide which one she would have chosen to write as her answer.

Of course, there was some laughter from the audience, with Fiona playing off of Lucas's answer by saying "OK folks what will it be? Did Elizabeth answer, Virginia Woolf reading in Union City… dinner in the library… or backyard by candlelight?" She waited a moment then, pausing for emphasis, "and the winner is… back yard by candlelight!" At that everyone clapped.

Elizabeth found herself feeling a little uncomfortable hearing Lucas say out loud in front of everyone that she had gone out of town with him to a book reading, especially with him pointing out that it was a date no matter how she had tried to say it was just two friends sharing a mutual interest. It didn't help that she could see some surprised expressions by those who were hearing about this for the first time. She wondered why she hadn't ever thought about how it could have looked to people before this and it also didn't help that as Fiona was asking the question she had noticed that Nathan had just arrived and had found a seat at a table with some of the other single men of the town.

Thankfully the next few questions were easy and far less potentially embarrassing. So, Elizabeth began to relax a bit again.

The next question to Elizabeth and was, "What is Lucas's favorite food that you make for him?" Thinking for a minute, she realized that she hadn't actually cooked very many meals for him as so often Lucas had their dinners together catered by Gustave. So, playing it safe, she said, "my homemade muffins". Fiona then read Lucas's answer, which was "everything she cooks for me!" This of course got all the ladies at the tables to go "aww", which was definitely not lost on Lucas.

"Our next question is for Lucas. Can you tell us when you first decided that Elizabeth was the one for you?

"Well," Lucas began with a smile, "That would be the day that she came marching into the saloon after Allie had tried making friends at school by using a card trick I had shown her the day before. Needless to say Elizabeth was not happy with me. And she told me so as only Elizabeth can..." Lucas then did his own pause for emphasis and there were some knowing chuckles from the crowd. "Anyway," Lucas continued. "As she turned and walked out the door I knew I'd be hitting the jackpot if I could just play my cards right to win over her affections. Though, mind you, I realized it would be the hardest hand I had ever played." He then gave Elizabeth one of his smiles that usually made her melt and go "Oh Lucas", but for some reason this time it didn't have the same effect. And she thought to herself, am I just a challenge to be conquered, a prize to be won?

Elizabeth's answer had been "when they were working on the new library together." She knew it was when he had donated the library that her thoughts and opinions about him had begun changing, but now thinking about it she remembered that Lucas had donated it right after that day in the saloon when she had talked to him about teaching Allie card tricks. Was that one of the cards he had just referenced to needing to play right?

Nathan remembered that day as well, as it was at the meeting in the schoolhouse that afternoon that he first began having feelings for Elizabeth. As always, Bouchard had been one step ahead. Everything Nathan had ever tried to do to build a relationship between him and Elizabeth, Bouchard always seemed to be able to play a better card.

Elizabeth was grateful that the last few questions went quickly and other than a couple of surprised gasps from Florence and Molly that Fiona would be so bold to ask where they had shared their first kiss whilst in such a public setting, overall, the game ended on a good note and everyone of course clapped for them.

Fiona and Mike announced that it was now time for the combined party to split and go it's separate ways, with the men heading to the Queen of Hearts for some drinks. and the ladies finding their way into the café for tea and dessert.

Having simply sat there as an observer of the evening Abigail couldn't help but feel that there was something off about this whole thing and she was very glad she had made the decision to come sooner than planned. The thought of Elizabeth with a gambler just didn't sit quite right.

There was no question that Lucas was still the charmer that enjoyed working the crowd and getting attention and just from what was mentioned tonight it was clear Lucas had certainly pulled out all the stops when it came to their courtship. But with some simple reading between the lines of the answers the two of them were giving it was clear that Lucas wasn't quite as settled and planted on the idea of a life here in Hope Valley as she knew Elizabeth was.

What had he referred to himself as when first arriving in Hope valley? That was it, a tumbleweed! Abigail thought back to a conversation she had had with Elizabeth regarding Lucas when he first moved to town. If she recalled correctly, she had told Elizabeth that she had thought that Lucas was a gentleman, before he had clearly told her one thing to her face only to then do the exact opposite. Elizabeth had responded with "I have met charmers like him before, they give you a wonderful presentation, but the flowers soon wither on the vine."

What had changed Elisabeth's mind about him? Had Lucas actually changed, like Elizabeth seemed to indicate in her letters? Or was it Elizabeth who had changed? Abigail didn't have the answer yet, but she intended to find out.