Chapter Eleven
Nathan and Allie were quiet as they rode through Hamilton. Jack, who had woken up as they drove away from the train station, cheered and exclaimed over everything they passed—the trees in the park, street lamps, other cars on the road… His sense of joy lightened the mood as they approached the Thatcher mansion.
"This is your home?" Allie asked, gaping at the towering gates and massive house.
"This is where I grew up," Elizabeth confirmed. "But Hope Valley is my home now." She watched the young girl sit up a little straighter and tug at the ruffle on her dress, suddenly less sure of herself than usual. "You look beautiful," Elizabeth assured her, kissing the top of her head.
Nathan turned from the front seat, reaching back to squeeze Elizabeth's hand. "I hope you aren't intending for me to build us a house like this in Hope Valley," he teased.
"Only if you're going to be the one to clean it," she retorted, finally drawing a smile from Allie.
Once they were escorted inside, Elizabeth happily greeted the long-time butler. "Mr. Christy!" After engulfing him in a tight hug, she stepped back to introduce her family.
"This lovely young lady must be the Allie I've heard so much about," the older gentleman smiled. "A new generation of beautiful women in this house. Splendid."
Elizabeth ran her hand down Jack's back and hugged Nathan's arm. "And these handsome gentlemen are pretty wonderful, too. This is my son, Jack, and my fiancé, Constable Nathan Grant." She looked up, beaming. "This is David Christiansen. He's been with our family since I was a little younger than Allie."
"Miss Elizabeth and Miss Julie were the only ones to call me by the nickname you just heard. I thought they would grow out of it, but it seems they never did," he explained, feigning disapproval.
"Much to Mother's dismay," a voice chimed from behind them.
"Julie!" Elizabeth rushed to greet her favorite sister, pulling her over to join them.
"And who is this young man? This can't possibly be Jack! How did he get so big?" She glanced between her nephew and Nathan, winking at her sister. "Clearly the frontier air grows strong, healthy men."
"Julie!" Elizabeth scolded, laughing as she put her arm through Nathan's again. "I don't know if you officially met Nathan and Allie the last time you were in Hope Valley."
"I'm sure we introduced at the christening, but it's a pleasure to make it official." Julie surprised Nathan with a hug and a kiss on his cheek before turning to wrap her arm around Allie. "You and I are going to have so much fun while you're here. I can't wait to take you shopping!"
"Umm," Nathan frowned, looking between Allie and Julie cautiously.
Elizabeth smiled, wrapping her arms loosely around his waist. "I won't let them go overboard," she assured him. "But I do need to do some shopping myself while we're here. I have a wedding to start planning, after all."
Nathan smiled tenderly at her. "But until we find out what happened to your father, you aren't going anywhere without me."
"But Dad, you can't go with Mom to get her wedding dress!" Allie argued. "You're not allowed to see it until the ceremony!"
"We'll figure something out," Elizabeth promised, trying to keep the peace.
Mr. Christiansen directed them to the dining room for lunch while the staff put their luggage away. When they were done eating, he escorted them upstairs to refresh after their long journey. Elizabeth was in her old room, while Allie was in Viola's across the hall. The spare bedroom next to Elizabeth's had been turned into a nursery for Jack and, surprisingly, Nathan was in the room next to that.
"I figured they would put me as far away from you as possible," Nathan said quietly as he and Elizabeth watched the children explore the playroom.
Elizabeth leaned her head on his shoulder, sighing contently. "I'm sure Julie had more to do with the room arrangements than my mother. And I would have insisted you be moved closer if anyone tried to banish you to the other wing of the house."
Nathan chuckled, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "Are you ready to go?"
Julie agreed to stay with the children while Elizabeth and Nathan went to the hospital, promising to show them her favorite places in the yard and the best hiding places in the house.
"I bet if you ask Mr. Christy, he would help you build a blanket and pillow fort," Elizabeth suggested. "And perhaps Aunt Julie can have a picnic with you inside."
Jack's eye got wide and his face lit up as he ran from the room. "Mr. Crispy! We make a fort?"
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Elizabeth was grateful to find her father awake, sitting up, and in good spirits, despite the large cast on his leg and bandages on his head. She embraced him gently before being pulled aside by her mother.
"It's a pleasure to have a face to go with the name," William said when Nathan introduced himself, then lowered his voice to a whisper. "Any update on that little situation you mentioned the last time we talked?"
Nathan sat back, grinning. "Julie didn't tell you?"
"Tell him what?" Elizabeth asked as she came to stand beside him.
Nathan squeezed her hand, running his fingers over her ring as he looked up and winked.
"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed. "I thought they knew!"
"Knew what?" Grace inquired.
Elizabeth turned to face her parents, her face radiant as she exclaimed, "Nathan and I are getting married!"
Grace looked truly startled, but William was beaming. "Congratulations, son," he said, reaching to shake Nathan's hand and then drawing his daughter in for another hug.
Once things settled down, William told Elizabeth and Nathan what he remembered of the crash and the current state of the investigation. The police still didn't have a lot to go on, but were examining all of the Thatcher cars and questioning both the household staff and the employees of Hamilton Shipping. Charles Kensington, after several conversations with the police, was overseeing the company until William was cleared to return to work.
Nathan, having checked in with headquarters while Elizabeth was getting ready, had a few updates to offer. None of the other cars had been tampered with, and all of the household staff had been cleared of suspicion. There were a few people at Hamilton Shipping who had yet to respond to the requests for questioning; two were out of town on planned sales trips, and another was visiting family. All were supposed to be back in the next few days, so all they could do now was wait.
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William watched his wife and daughter leave with their Mountie and Pinkerton escorts, his heart heavy. There were several things that had been weighing on his mind in recent months, and the introduction of Nathan Grant into their lives had brought them to the forefront. His current state of health had made it all the more clear that he needed to have a long, and likely difficult, conversation with Elizabeth.
When his favorite daughter had decided to go out West to teach, he thought it was just a phase. He was sure that after a few weeks or months, perhaps a year, she would feel her duty to the less fortunate children in Coal Valley complete and would return to the high society life in Hamilton. When Grace had a scare with her heart and they called Elizabeth home, he thought that would be the end of her little adventure. Then Jack Thornton appeared on his doorstep. The look in his daughter's eyes made it clear the man was more than just her escort home, and William realized for the first time that she might actually intend to make her life out West.
Jack Thornton had been full of bravado. He knew he didn't measure up as the kind of man William and Grace Thatcher intended for their daughter, and he had no intention of trying to be. Despite Jack's determination not to be intimidated, William did his best to do just that—showcasing their wealth and position in society, inviting Charles Kensington as an example of the "right" sort of man for Elizabeth, even making a point to physically look down on the younger man. When Thornton made a hasty retreat back to Coal Valley, William considered himself the winner of their first battle. It was only later when he learned that Elizabeth had followed Jack to the train station to see him off that William realized the fight had only begun.
He and Thornton clashed again a few weeks later when he and Elizabeth returned to Hamilton following Julie and Tom's car accident. William had been ready to have the younger Thornton prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent, certain that this would finally convince Elizabeth to see her error in judgement. When Jack's investigation found that Julie, and not Tom, had been at fault, William managed to humble himself enough to offer Thornton a place in his business. Having the man throw the offer back in his face made him furious.
The fact that Jack and Elizabeth managed to mend their relationship, and that it continued for years before progressing to an engagement, further irritated William. He wanted his daughter to be happy, and if life in Hope Valley would do that, then he wanted her settled and starting a family. Jack finally proposing to her mere hours before leaving for a long and dangerous assignment, and without asking his blessing, was yet another strike against him, but for his daughter's sake, William prayed daily for the man's safe return. When Elizabeth wrote to them of Jack's surprise Christmas furlough, William and Grace expected to get word of a quick wedding, and were relieved when it never came. He was truly startled when, months later, Jack Thornton appeared at his office in Hamilton, belatedly seeking his blessing to marry Elizabeth. He had to grudgingly respect the man for willingly facing him, and he had to admit, the idea of grandchildren on this side of the Atlantic was quite appealing.
In the end, Thornton won their war, and William travelled across the country to see his favorite daughter marry her Mountie. He saw firsthand just how much she and Jack meant to the people of Hope Valley when they rebuilt and remade the entire wedding in the course of a day after a fire in the church. Reluctant though he was to see her so far from the life he and Grace had planned for her, he had never seen Elizabeth as radiantly happy as she was on Jack's arm when they walked down the aisle and as they danced at the saloon. William saw for himself how loved and in love Jack Thornton was, and he was determined to make peace with the young man, and perhaps even forge a relationship with him down the road.
But then Jack died.
Less than two months after he'd gone to Hope Valley to see Elizabeth a bride, William returned to bring her back to Hamilton a widow. He and Grace didn't make it in time for the funeral, though thankfully Elizabeth had plenty of friends there to support her. The worst days of his life were those he spent on the train home, holding his daughter as she cried at the unfairness of it all. A brave young man who'd faced down bandits and bullets in the Northern Territories, killed in an accident during the safest kind of assignment, while he should have been on his honeymoon.
William wanted to be angry at Jack Thornton. A part of him even wanted to yell at Elizabeth. This was exactly the sort of thing he and Grace wanted to protect her from when they tried to talk her out of getting involved with Constable Thornton. A Mountie's life was never his own. There would always be new postings and assignments to track dangerous criminals. It was a life of uncertainty and turmoil, and William fooled himself into thinking that once she was back in Hamilton, Elizabeth would see that here was the life she was meant to have. But she didn't settle back into society. She saw a few of her old friends, accepting their condolences but never their invitations. She commented on Julie's new dresses, but never wanted to go shopping herself. As his child wasted away in front of him, William realized that this wasn't her home anymore. He couldn't help her pining for her husband, but he could set his own feelings of fear and loss aside and send her back to the people and the town that could help her heal. He watched her pack and drove her to the train station himself, holding her closer and longer than usual before he escorted her onto the train and waved good-bye.
When Elizabeth wrote them a few weeks later to tell them she was pregnant, he and Grace both cried, thankful she would have a piece of Jack Thornton to hold on to, and at the same time devastated that her child would grow up without a father. Grace wanted Elizabeth to move back to Hamilton, but William knew her attempts would be in vain. Though she would surely struggle, their headstrong daughter would raise her own child with the people and in the place that had become her home.
William could admit that they didn't make as much effort as they should have to go visit Elizabeth and young Jack. She didn't want to travel alone across the country with an infant, and he and Grace found excuses not to go to her. They wrote back and forth regularly, and Elizabeth called on occasion. It was clear that she was healing and while perhaps not "happy", was content with their life in Hope Valley. Her son was thriving, her friends were supportive, her students kept her busy, and after several months, a new Mountie arrived to take Jack's place in town. William never imagined the man would also find a place in Elizabeth's heart.
It was clear from the first time Nathan Grant called that he was different. Elizabeth had told them about the apparent stage robbery, an incident at the saloon, rescuing her and some of the schoolchildren during a storm, and all the other ways Constable Grant protected the town. She had shared stories about his niece and related to his struggles as a single parent. She even commented once about how he put his family ahead of his duty to the Northwest Mounted Police, a trait she wished Jack had shared. "Perhaps he'd still be here," she'd sighed. William knew she considered Constable Grant a friend, but was not expecting a call from Nathan, telling him he wanted to court his daughter. For perhaps the first time in his life, William Thatcher was speechless.
Now that he'd seen the two of them together, he couldn't help but smile. Grant was clearly in love with Elizabeth and her son, and he wasn't afraid to show it. He wasn't intimidated by being in Hamilton; there was no posturing or trying to make himself seem bigger or better. He just introduced himself and then stood back and let Elizabeth shine. Much to William's chagrin, Grant was the one looking down on him this time, and not just because he was lying vulnerable in a hospital bed, yet the younger man never tried to use it to his advantage. When he spoke to William, he sat or stooped next to the bed, coming down to his level. When he spoke to Grace, he was courteous and reserved. He clearly took his job as Elizabeth's personal guard seriously, trying to remain professional, but she wouldn't let him be aloof or distant. Though respectful of her parents' presence, she held his hand and leaned on him, telling stories that showed his bond with her and the children. And the way he looked at Elizabeth when she spoke…no father could argue with that kind of devotion.
William shifted, trying to get comfortable as he closed his eyes. While he wasn't sure how to apologize to Elizabeth for everything that had happened with Jack, he would welcome Nathan into the family whole-heartedly.
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"Mama!"
Jack bounced excitedly at the top of the stairs, waiting for someone to help him down. As soon as Allie reached the bottom step and placed him on the floor, he scrambled over to Elizabeth and Nathan. "We made a BIG fort! Mr. Crispy gave us lots of piwwos and two bwankets and Aunt Juwee gave us cookies and Awwie read me a story and I even sweeped in da fort!"
"My goodness," Elizabeth smiled as she picked up her son and hugged him close. "It sounds like you had quite the adventure this afternoon."
Jack nodded and hugged her back, then reached for Nathan. "Daddy Na-tan! Come see our fort!"
Nathan chuckled, scooping the boy into his arms and swinging him around, eliciting more laughs and cheers. Settling him against his side, he reached for Allie with his other hand, drawing both children close as they turned to face Grace. "Your mom and I will come see your new fort in just a minute, but first I want to introduce you to someone special. Jack, Allie, this is your Grandmother."
Allie smiled tentatively, not sure the correct way to address the woman in front of her. She was family, sort of, so a handshake didn't seem proper, but did Hamilton girls curtsey? She was saved from wondering when Grace drew her into a gentle hug.
"My daughter has told me so much about you," Grace said, leaning back to study the young girl's face. "I feel like I already know you." She turned and reached for Jack. "And you, young man," she sighed. "I had in my mind you were still a little baby, but you're such a big boy already!" She looked at Elizabeth, her smile wistful now. "He looks so much like his father."
"He does," Elizabeth smiled, rubbing her son's back reassuringly. "Jack, can you say hello to…" She looked at her mother sheepishly. "I guess I should have asked how you want the children to address you. They call Jack's mother Grandma Charlotte."
Grace hugged her grandson and smiled at Allie. "Why don't we go with Nana Grace? That's what Viola's children call me."
Elizabeth smiled. "Jack, can you say hello to Nana Grace?"
Jack grinned and wrapped Grace in a strangling hug. "Hi Nana Grace!"
Nathan stepped forward, carefully untangling the boy. "Why don't we let Nana Grace breathe and then you and Allie can show us this fort we've heard so much about."
Grace and Elizabeth watched as he followed the children back upstairs, talking and laughing with them. "He's a wonderful father, to both of them," Grace observed. "You've found an incredible man, my dear. It's a very special person who takes on raising someone else's child, especially alone, and his daughter has turned out beautifully. And Jack clearly adores him." She hugged her daughter. "Congratulations, darling. You have a beautiful family. I'm sorry it's taken something like this for us to meet them, but I'm glad you're all here."
Elizabeth hugged her mother and they walked arm in arm toward the stairs.
"Poor David," Grace sighed then looked pointedly at her daughter. "I thought what you and Julie called the man was bad enough. Really, Elizabeth. Mr. Crispy?"
Dinner at the Thatcher mansion was a far less formal affair than usual. For the first time in the staff's memories, the family didn't change for dinner. To even more surprise, the children were included. Elizabeth insisted that, with it being their first day in town and the first time meeting Grace, Allie and Jack were going to eat with her and Nathan. Grace, though surprised by her daughter's request, was not opposed to the idea. Nearly losing William had made her realize that there were more important things than a "perfect" home, and if her grandson wanted to make a mess at the dining room table, she wasn't going to stop him.
As they were enjoying coffee, cocoa, and dessert, Superintendent Godfrey arrived, asking to speak with Nathan and Elizabeth in private. Grace directed them to use William's study, then returned her attention to the children.
"We may have found a connection between Hope Valley and your father's accident," Superintendent Godfrey explained. "Do you know anything about Vincent Bouchard?"
"Bouchard?" Nathan asked, startled.
Elizabeth shook her head. "I know Lucas Bouchard, as I am sure you are aware. I assume they are related?"
Godfrey nodded. "His father. It seems he had some business with Mr. Thatcher that didn't go as planned."
"Did Lucas ever mention him to you," Nathan asked, pulling a chair closer to her and sitting down, holding her hand.
Elizabeth shook her head. "Not by name. He mentioned him in passing a few times, in regards to his mother and their relationship." She turned to face the Superintendent. "Helen Bouchard is helping publish my book, and she came to Hope Valley to encourage me to finish it. She later admitted she'd actually come because her marriage was in trouble, and she didn't know where else to go but to her son."
"Did Lucas ever mention his father's business?" Nathan asked. "Was that why their marriage fell apart?"
Elizabeth shrugged again. "Lucas never said a word about his father's work. He never even told me what his father does. He actually got rather upset with me for trying to help his mother fix their marital problems."
Nathan put his arm around her before looking back at Superintendent Godfrey. "You think the Bouchards had something to do with Mr. Thatcher's accident?"
Godfrey nodded. "It's a possibility we are looking into. It seems Mr. Thatcher broke off a business deal with Vincent shortly after Mrs. Thornton ended her relationship with Lucas."
Elizabeth paled, shrinking back in her chair. "So this was some kind of revenge on me?"
Nathan hugged her closer. "This is not your fault." Turning back to Godfrey, he added, "I don't buy it. Lucas may be selfish, but he isn't a criminal. I don't see him conspiring with his father, who he rarely speaks to, as some sort of retaliation."
"How well do you know Mr. Bouchard?"
Nathan shook his head. "We aren't friends, that's for certain. He always seemed to see himself as better than most of the people in Hope Valley. Elizabeth was the only one he considered his equal socially, though in reality her family's wealth and place in society are far higher than his. While people respect him as a business man, on a personal level he hadn't made any real friends. I don't think anyone really trusts him. The only person he allowed to get remotely close was Elizabeth, and when their relationship ended, he pulled even further away from everyone."
"Do you trust him?"
"I'm not the best person to answer that," Nathan admitted. "He and I spent most of the last couple years vying for the same woman's attention. There are some residual hard feelings on both sides."
"But do you think he's capable of something like this?"
Nathan was silent for a moment, carefully considering his answer. He looked at Elizabeth, then down at their joined hands, and sighed. "If it were business related, I wouldn't put anything past him, but this….I don't think so. I don't like the guy, but I don't think he's capable of attempted murder."
Superintendent Godfrey finished his notes and thanked them for their cooperation. Elizabeth stopped him as he stood to leave. "Are you looking into any other suspects?"
Godfrey paused, making sure the door was still closed before answering. "We have a few other leads. I know you've been away from Hamilton for quite a while, but do you have any idea who would want to hurt your father?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't. The staff have all been with him for years. No one's been fired or even reprimanded as far as I'm aware; I'm sure Julie would have told me about it." She gasped suddenly. "His driver. I never asked what happened to Father's driver. Was he injured, too?"
"Your father was driving, alone in the car." Nathan squeezed her hand, shaking his head and smiling before she could speak again. "The police have already cleared Mr. Kane. His wife was in labor the night of the accident, and your father gladly let him go. From what I understand, Mr. Kane felt incredibly guilty about not being there. He thought that if he'd been waiting with the car as usual, the sabotage wouldn't have happened."
"And as your mother pointed out, had Mr. Kane been there, the culprits may have hurt or even killed him to get access to the car."
"So we're back to nothing," Elizabeth sighed, frustrated.
"Not necessarily," Superintendent Godfrey pointed out. "We have other avenues to explore, this just seemed the most promising one. We aren't going to stop until we get the person or persons at fault, I promise." He tipped his hat and let himself out.
"Thank you for being here with me through all of this," Elizabeth said as they got to their feet. "This isn't exactly how I imagined you meeting my family. I hope this is over soon so we can turn our attention to my father's recovery and to our wedding."
"We'll get through this," Nathan promised, hugging her to his side as they started up the stairs to get the children ready for bed. "The Mounties always get their man."
Elizabeth turned on the landing, pulling him into an alcove behind a large potted plant. Reaching up, she pulled his head down to hers for a kiss.
"So do I."
Author's Note: I forgot I wanted to add a couple of comments...
I lost it writing the section about Jack and William. While I hope you don't ugly cry like I did, I do hope it tugs at your hearts a bit.
And please forgive me for little Jack's nickname for the butler. Auto correct changed it the first time I started typing, and then it just kind of made sense to me. Little kids say the craziest things, and it was a fun, so... I'm sure someone will correct him shortly, but for now, I hope it made you smile.