CHAPTER 23

Nathan called Bill and Frank and they walked to his house. He needed to clean himself up, but he needed their opinion. A judge and a pastor was all he needed. After his shower, he sat down on the sofa and recounted everything Carson had explained to him:

- Elizabeth and I, we had talked last night, and we decided on a wedding date for four weeks from now; but now with this worsening of her health, this surgery due to the TBI, I've ended up having to stay in her room, we've had to change her several times and you know what the gossips will say and they'll put an end to her profession She's my fiancée, my Lizbeth, I won't allow it.

- They'll ruin her job and yours too Nathan! Frank said.

- I only care about her.

- But Nathan, we both know that you as a mountie were saving her life, Bill said.

- Yes, Bill, but society is hypocritical, and they will talk about the mountie and her fiancé, unfortunately, she as a woman will suffer even more. Frank said.

- I was wondering if you two could get everything ready for our wedding as soon as it's light. I'm going to move in with Alien, because it's bigger and little Jack is used to it, so I can look after Lizbeth until she's better and the children. Let's just bring this wedding forward so that no one can say a word about her reputation.

- You want to marry her? Bill and Frank asked at the same time.

- You're my friends, and you know how much I love that woman. I'm doing nothing wrong, I'm just anticipating our marriage, she's ill with our little boy and I can't leave her alone. A marriage is about living together forever, about being together in good times and bad, in sickness and in health. I want to be with her and face everything during our life together.

Frank smiled looking at Bill, and two men had just witnessed a great love between Nathan and Elizabeth.

- And what do we do if she takes a long time to wake up? Frank asked. After all, she's still unconscious after the surgery.

- I can sign for her. When Jack died, and her parents practically abandoned her because they wouldn't accept a widow, I became her guardian.

- How? Everyone asked at once.

- Yes... A month and a half after Jack's death, Elizabeth was still in Hamilton with her parents, she needed those days of mourning alone, but Grace and Viola didn't care about the pain of Elizabeth's loss, and started throwing lavish dinners and grand parties, always trying to unite Elizabeth with Charles Kensigton III, but she didn't accept this man's proposals when he came to Hope Valle and proposed to her inside the school. She wouldn't accept now.

Nathan was open-mouthed, he knew some things, but he would never have imagined how incessant they had been with her.

But Bill continued:

- I remember Jack telling her and crying at the police station, he saw the rich guy on his knee proposing, he was going to do the same. But they got over it and with a lot of struggle they got married. But during this time of mourning in Hamilton, Grace Thatcher and Viola, her daughter, played hardball with this girl.

They did everything at parties to ensure that Charles was always close to Elizabeth. They even tried to set other men up as suitors. But Elizabeth had just lost her husband, her great love, and she didn't want a party or another husband. They pushed her to let society see her, so that she would return to her position as Princess of Hamilton and more suitors would appear. Her father, Willian Thatcher, wanted power... a lot of power and money... That's why he kept tabs on the family, wanted good marriages and a widow, according to them, contributed nothing to the family or society.

Frank interrupted and went on:

- Bill, I know everything she's been through. To tell you the truth, I think I know more than you do, because I listened at the foot of the church altar when she needed to get it off her chest. But how could you help, I don't understand?

- And at that time, when she returned to Hope Valle, she was disappointed with her family, and only managed to escape many traps because she had the help of her younger sister Julia. As soon as little Jack was born, she came to me after talking to Lee and Rose, who were the baby's godparents and also became his guardian. When I asked her about it, she cried. Elizabeth had realized that she was alone in the world. Her family wasn't a family. When she told them about the pregnancy, she heard some curses and her parents said they would find a good, quiet clinic where she could have that fetus removed while it was still small and no one had noticed...

Then, after the baptism, she did the paperwork to become little Jack's guardian, so that if anything happened to him, he would have someone to love him.

Nathan was angry, pacing restlessly from place to place and running his hands through his hair, showing how nervous he was.

- How dare they do this to her. Nathan was furious.

Frank wasn't calm either, his face was all red.

- God forgive them for this blasphemy, how dare they talk about abortion? That child is a gift from God. And the pain they caused Elizabeth...

- Yes, Frank, they crossed the line. I saw in her voice and in her eyes that she felt alone, abandoned and still worthless. It was at that moment that I decided, I took her into my arms and from then on I became her legal guardian; a father to her, before the law.

Only I, Lee, Rose and Abigail were aware of these documents. I needed to give Elizabeth the stability and moral and psychological support she needed at that moment. I didn't want that Thatcher family coming after her.

- So Bill, are you her legal father? Nathan smiled.

- Yes, and very proud of it.

- Will you give me your daughter Elizabeth's hand? I promise to respect and love her until the end of my days.

Bill stood up and taking Nathan in his arms, spoke movingly that he was now gaining a son and a granddaughter, and that he couldn't be happier.

Frank would draw up the church documents and Bill the registry office documents. Together they would adopt Alien and Jack Junior, so that they could protect the two children. Bill commented that he had a document in which he knew how to handle all of Elizabeth's bank accounts and asked Nathan what he wanted to do.

- Bill, I would like you to be Alien's guardian, in my absence and Elizabeth's, you will love her as your granddaughter. As for her finances, you will continue to help manage them. You're her father and I'd like you to do the same with my account. I also want you to put all my accounts and my property inside in Elizabeth's name, I want her to help me with everything and I want her to be involved in every part of my life. As for little Jack, put his name as Jack Junior Thorton Grant, and his certificate should state that he is Jack Thorton's natural son, but that I am his guardian and adoptive father, I don't want him to feel like he has other children if we do. As for Alien, you should put on her document that Elizabeth is her guardian and adoptive mother. And Elizabeth's name should keep the surname Thorton and add Grant, she will be Elizabeth Grace Marie Thorton Grant.

- Agreed, the men said before leaving.

Nathan, alone in his house, began to pack his things and those of his daughter, tomorrow his new life would begin, he thought of Elizabeth and smiled.

- Tomorrow you will be Mrs. Grant!