Quinn strode quickly down the stairs of the schoolhouse, eager to put Elizabeth and the conversation behind her. All she wanted was to find Nathan and tell him about her discussions so they could move on and prepare for what happened next. Thinking back over the conversations, she was sure Florence would keep her secret, and after speaking to Elizabeth, she would too. Quinn knew their ongoing silence depended on Bill finding out what happened in Oakville and clearing her name.
As Quinn started to walk to town, she wondered where Nathan would be at this time of the day, probably at the Mountie office. She saw a splash of red in the distance; his red serge was like a beacon calling her. Watching Nathan walk toward her, her heart fluttered as always, and she met his concerned gaze with a broad smile, letting him know the conversations had gone well.
As they got closer, Nathan stopped before her, "so your talks went well, and you're okay?"
Quinn wrapped her hands around his arm, snuggling into his side and leading him away from the schoolhouse and back to town. "I'm better now you're here," she said, earning her a quick kiss on the top of her head. "I think, for now, they are both willing to keep what they have found out to themselves, but it is dependent on Bill and what he finds out." She said, taking a deep breath, "my concern is that Elizabeth asking Julie to dig around in Oakville will mean the story spreading somehow, but I can't do anything about that. The Thatchers and Mr Lydell also know, so there a chance they will spread it."
Nodding, Nathan squeezed the hand resting on his arm; he said, "Let's go home."
Quinn and Nathan walked to town, arm in arm, oblivious they were being watched. Elizabeth stared after them as they walked away from the school, wondering at the closeness she could see between Nathan and Quinn. Despite the fact she and Lucas had been together longer, she knew they didn't have the same connection. Shaking her head sadly, Elizabeth walked back into the schoolhouse to pack her things and head home. As she packed, she noticed a cardigan Rosemary had left behind and decided to deliver it to her on the way home and thank her for the talk to the class that morning, amongst other things.
Nathan and Quinn took their time getting back to town, enjoying being together. Quinn elaborated on her conversations with Bill, Florence, and Elizabeth; she knew they would have to tell Allie the story was out to prepare her, so she was glad Nathan suggested dinner at his home, just the three of them. Nathan offered to pick up the ingredients for dinner at the Mercantile before collecting her from Abigail's and Allie at Opal's on the way home. Quinn agreed; she knew Bill wasn't expecting her back at work that day, and time with Nathan and Allie was exactly what she needed.
Elizabeth strolled into town, keen to see Rosemary but still unsure whether she would tell her about Quinn, she trusted her friend, but she did publish a newspaper and was always looking for the next big story. Elizabeth visited the Newspaper office and was surprised to find it empty; she had assumed Rosemary would be there and didn't know where to find her. Shrugging, she decided to keep the cardigan and give it to her later and use the time she would have spent with Rosemary to visit Lucas at the Saloon on her way home.
Entering the Saloon, Elizabeth looked around, glad to see it almost empty of customers. Lucas couldn't use the excuse of being busy to avoid a conversation with her; it felt like an age since they had spent time together, the two of them. Heading toward Lucas's office, she turned as she heard her name called, seeing Rosemary coming from the kitchen, arms extended, ready to hug her friend.
Elizabeth didn't have time to wonder what Rosemary was doing there before being enveloped in a warm hug. Stepping back from her friend, Rosemary studied Elizabeth's face and knew something was bothering her. Grasping her hand, she drew her closer, asking, "What is wrong, Elizabeth, and please don't tell me nothing is wrong."
Hesitating, Elizabeth bit her lip. Should she tell her friend or not? She needed to unburden herself, "Can I talk to you as a friend, not a journalist?"
Rosemary's eyebrows shot up, her mouth dropping open, "of course, how could you ask me that? You can tell me anything in confidence."
Elizabeth drew in a deep breath and said, "let's use Lucas's office; I have something to tell you that I don't want anyone to hear." she walked ahead of Rosemary and into the office, pleased Lucas wasn't there for the moment. Elizabeth leaned against the desk as Rosemary sat on the loveseat, "it's about Quinn Standing. I have heard some disturbing things about what happened in Oakville and why she moved to Hope Valley." Elizabeth waited, preparing herself for the explosion of questions from Rosemary, but there weren't any, which was odd.
Then the realisation hit, and Elizabeth said, "You already knew; when did you find out?"
Rosemary looked sheepishly at her friend and said, "almost immediately after she arrived. I am a journalist Elizabeth, and when she arrived in town accompanied by Bill and Gabriel Kinslow, having worked for Sam Madison, I knew there was something more to her story. I looked into it and found out everything." Rosemary swallowed, "After talking to Bill, I decided not to say anything because I knew what would happen if people found out and didn't have the whole story; that wouldn't have been fair to Quinn." Rosemary narrowed her eyes and asked, "How did you find out? I doubt anyone who knew would have volunteered the information, especially to you."
Elizabeth dropped her eyes, unable to maintain eye contact with her friend. "I asked Julie to look into Quinn," she said hurriedly. "She called and told me what she had found out and sent some newspaper clippings; Florence saw them, so she knows too."
"Oh, Elizabeth," exclaimed Rosemary. "If Julie wasn't discrete, this could cause quite a stir in Oakville, and people may find out where Quinn is living now. I know Bill was hoping to avoid that."
Elizabeth sat wringing her hands in discomfort, "I didn't think it through, Rosemary; I hadn't expected to find anything, and it was weeks ago when I asked Julie. I had forgotten about it." Elizabeth looked at Rosemary, appealing to her for forgiveness but was met with a stern look instead.
Rosemary looked at her, "have you spoken to Nathan or Quinn about this?"
Remembering the look Nathan had given her, she was glad he hadn't approached her, "only Quinn, she came to the school this afternoon and gave me a chance to ask her questions; I believe she did the same with Florence."
"And?" asked Rosemary, hands-on-hips, "what do you think now? Do you really believe Quinn Standing is capable of murdering her father, then fooling Sam Madison, her friend and Lawyer?" Rosemary continued, "do you think she also fooled Bill, an Ex-Mountie, investigator and Judge, and Nathan and Gabe, who are still Mounties?" She didn't wait for her friend to answer, knowing the truth. "Elizabeth, have you asked yourself why you did this but, more importantly, what you will do about it?" she demanded.
"What is there to do," Elizabeth asked, bewildered?
"Well, besides feeling sorry for yourself, you need to apologise, Elizabeth." Rosemary exclaimed in frustration, "accept the responsibility for what you did. If Quinn's past is exposed, she will need people to support her, and as the possible cause of it, you need to be the first one ready to step up and do that," she said firmly. Rosemary knew Elizabeth would have to come to terms with her jealousy soon, or it would destroy any chance of happiness with Lucas. Although Rosemary believed her friend had chosen poorly by choosing Lucas, she wanted her to be happy.
"I am not sure Quinn would want me to stand by her side, and besides, we don't know that anyone is going to find her here," Elizabeth said hopefully.
"Find who and where?" asked Lucas as he walked into his office, his eyes widening in surprise to see it occupied by Rosemary and Elizabeth.
"Quinn Standing", Elizabeth responded shortly, not ready to talk to Lucas about what she had done, especially now she admitted her motivation had been jealousy over her relationship with Nathan and Allie.
"Elizabeth, your wrong," Lucas stated bluntly, "I have just checked in a guest who specifically asked where to find her." His eyes darted between Rosemary and Elizabeth as they shared a look, he knew he was missing something, but neither of the women looked inclined to fill him in. "Is everything okay with Miss Standing?" he asked, frowning. Lucas didn't share Elizabeth's aversion to Miss Standing, having found her quite pleasant during their interactions.
"Someone needs to warn Nathan and Quinn," said Elizabeth heading to the door. A hand reached for her, grabbing her arm and halting her progress. She looked at the hand, then to Rosemary for an explanation as to why she had stopped her.
"I will go to Quinn and Nathan, not you," Rosemary said, glaring at her friend, "You have done enough. You would be better to spend the time working out how you will make this right." As Rosemary closed the door, she heard Lucas ask, 'what have you done, Elizabeth?' and was glad she wasn't part of that conversation.
Quinn was glad to see Bill at Abigail's when she got home; she wanted to fill him in on her conversations and get his thoughts. "Hi Bill," she called out as she walked into the kitchen, "as always, something smells amazing," she commented.
Bill spun around, scrutinising her face to get a read on how she was. "Your conversations went well then?" he asked, surprised that the conversation with Elizabeth had been positive; he had been expecting it to be complicated.
"The discussion with Florence was fine; in the end, she gave me some advice for you," she said with a smile, filling him in on where Florence thought he should start the investigation. "I am not proud of my conversation with Elizabeth. I suggested her jealousy of Nathan and me motivated her to look into my past." Quinn frowned as she admitted this to Bill.
"I happen to agree with you," Bill said honestly. "I am glad that you seem calmer about this, Quinn, and that they will wait for me to investigate until they say anything." Bill smiled at her, "I had a productive day as well. I finally read your notes on the investigation and reviewed the financial accounts. I called both Lawyers and told them what you found, and the defendant has decided to plead guilty. The trial is over, and I can head out to Oakville tomorrow."
"What about Waldon's involvement? " Quinn said, concerned that Bill was putting his potential crime on the back burner, "we need to follow that lead. More importantly, you need to be out campaigning for Mayor; the vote is only a couple of weeks away; you need to be in Hope Valley right now." Quinn didn't want Bill to risk losing the election for her.
"I need to be in Oakville; I couldn't focus on the election knowing I had more important things to do elsewhere," Bill's tone was serious, his eyes compassionate; he knew how important this was.
"Thank you, Bill, and you have my vote," Quinn said with a smile; leaning in, she kissed his cheek, laughing at his embarrassment.
Nathan chose that moment to walk into the kitchen, smiling at the blush on Bill's cheeks, glad to see Quinn laughing again. "What's going on here, Bill, flirting with my girl?" he joked as he walked over and placed a kiss on Quinn's cheek.
Neither Bill nor Quinn answered his teasing comment, knowing it wasn't necessary. Instead, Bill said, "I got a break in the trial due to Quinn's good work investigating the financial records; I am heading out first light tomorrow to Oakville."
Nathan looked at Quinn, gauging her reaction to Bill's statement and was happy to see that she was pleased, and the shadows in her eyes that had been there earlier were gone. "That's great news, Bill; I know you'll get to the bottom of what happened." Nathan drew Quinn to his side, sliding his hand around her waist, "then Quinn can finally move on without worrying people will find out about what happened; she can grieve for her father without the complication of the accusations against her."
Quinn leaned into Nathan's embrace, grateful he understood how she was feeling without the need to be told.
"Are you ready to go home, Quinn?" Nathan asked. Bill raised his eyebrows at Quinn to see her reaction to the comment about 'home' and smiled when there was no reaction. He was glad that they had found their home in each other.
That evening as Nathan, Quinn, and Allie prepared dinner, they chatted easily about their days. They made plans for the upcoming weekend, Allie deciding they needed another picnic and a day of fishing. After they held hands and silently gave thanks for their meal and blessings, Quinn thought about how to approach the subject of what Allie would call her. Quinn didn't want to force the issue on Allie and hoped she would be willing to try something less formal; she didn't know how to start the conversation.
Nathan watched his two girls; clearly, they both had something on their minds, but he was pretty sure he knew what Quinn was thinking. "Allie, is everything okay? You look like you have a lot on your mind," Nathan said, hoping his daughter would open up to them.
Allie looked down at her plate, not making eye contact with Nathan or Quinn, placing her knife and fork down, finished with her dinner for the moment. Allie spoke into her lap, "I wondered what was happening with you and Miss Standing?" she mumbled.
Nathan didn't quite hear her and asked her to repeat the question. He thought she had asked about him and Quinn but wasn't sure; he was concerned the story was already out there, and they were too late to prepare her.
"Dad, you told me a little while ago that you and Miss Standing were courting, and I wondered what that means for all of us?" Allie had raised her head, and although her voice was still quiet, they could at least understand her.
"Are you unhappy about how things have been going?" questioned Nathan, reaching out to hold her hand, glancing at Quinn, concerned.
"No!" Allie exclaimed, "not at all, but I wondered if it would change and when?"
Quinn took Allie's other hand, "what would you like to change, Allie? The last thing I want is for you to be unhappy?"
"In the beginning, we said Miss Standing would be my friend separate from you, Dad, and she is, so I wondered if that meant I could call her something else besides Miss Standing? I call all my other friends by their names," Allie said. "And people court each other while deciding if they will get married, and I wondered how long that takes.
Quinn couldn't help but laugh as she looked over at Nathan, who joined in as soon as she caught his eye. "I am sorry, Allie," Quinn said, controlling her laughter, "but your dad and I spoke about this very thing today and were going to talk to you about it after dinner."
"You're getting married?" Allie asked, jumping out of her seat.
Nathan turned horrified eyes to Quinn as he stammered, trying to find the words he needed. Nathan saw marriage in his and Quinn's future, but he would ask when the time was right and not in front of Allie. He didn't want to give Quinn or Allie the wrong idea with his answer, so he struggled to respond.
Quinn hid her laughter at Nathan's expression and decided she should put him out of his misery, "No, Allie, sorry if I confused you. We were going to talk about what you would feel comfortable calling me while your Dad and I continue our courtship. I hope to spend a lot of time with you and your Dad, and I would be happy for you to call me something other than Miss Standing. We are not getting married."
Nathan jokingly wiped his brow and let out a deep breath, glad to have made a narrow escape. His antics earned him laughter from both his girls, and he was pleased Quinn had saved them all from an awkward conversation and wasn't upset.
"Quinn said she would be happy for you to call her Miss Quinn, or even a nickname you agree on. What do you think?" Nathan asked Allie.
Mulling it over, Allie sat for a moment before asking, "Can I do both? Can I start calling you Miss Quinn while I think of a nickname we both like?"
"Of course, you can, sweetheart," said Quinn, pleased with such an easy resolution.
As Nathan walked Quinn home, holding her hand in his, he thought back to the conversation earlier and marriage to Quinn. Laughing, he said to her, "so you didn't seem to panic when Allie suggested we were getting married."
Quinn nudged him and replied, her laughter matching his, "that's because you panicked enough for the both of us. I wish you could have seen the look on your Face, Nathan. My big strong Mountie, frightened by the M-word; if only the criminals you round up could have seen it. Or even better, Bill."
Nathan took her teasing in his stride, knowing they would talk about marriage again, and he wouldn't be frightened or lost for words, and he hoped she would say yes when he asked her to be his wife.
"I am glad Allie took the news about your past becoming known so well, although I still think we should have told her how it came to be known." Nathan said, frowning, "she had no right to do that to you, Quinn; it's another example of Elizabeth butting into mine and Allie's life."
Quinn shook her head, 'it's hard enough for her, Nathan; she didn't need to hear about how it happened on top of her concern. I also believe Elizabeth will stop interfering now. She knows it was wrong." Quinn wondered why she was defending Elizabeth but realised the truth in her own words; she truly believed the behaviour would stop now, so there was no point in giving Allie another reason to be angry at her Teacher.
Quinn yawned behind her hand as they approached Abigail's, suddenly very tired. She couldn't believe how much had happened in one day. It began with betrayal, tears and heartache and ended with a declaration of love from this remarkable man beside her. The deepening of her relationship with Allie was the icing on the cake, and she hoped tomorrow would be less eventful. She had to admit she was also curious about the nicknames Allie might come up with for her.
Nathan stopped outside the door and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her soft curls before whispering, "I love you, Quinn Standing; I am sorry for what happened this morning, and I am glad Bill can finally investigate. I believe in you, and anyone who knows you will never think you are capable of hurting anyone."
Quinn's heart swelled with love for Nathan, grateful he trusted her with his heart and daughter. His voice against her ear caused her to shiver, his deep voice raising goosebumps on her skin.
Quinn lifted her head and slid her hands up Nathan's chest, allowing one to tangle with the hair curled on his collar, "I love you, Nathan; your support means everything to me. I couldn't do this without you and Allie."
Quinn stared into his eyes, their breath mingling together; she reached out to caress his face, so beautiful in the moonlight. Eyes so blue in the daylight sparkled darkly in the starlight, but nothing could hide the love shining from them.
A crooked smile flashed across Nathan's face before he slowly dipped his head and captured her lips in a kiss. The kiss confirmed all that had happened between them that day; it was a slow kiss at first, filled with sweetness, care, devotion, and love. Passion flared; Nathan pulled Quinn closer while she moulded herself to him. His love for her overcame Nathan, and it flowed through into the kiss, his mouth becoming more urgent the longer the kiss lasted, Quinn matching his eagerness.
Nathan growled low in his throat and broke their kiss, looking deep into Quinn's eyes, breathing heavily. His hands framed her face; he pressed his lips to her forehead. Nathan gazed at her, saying, "sorry, Quinn, sometimes I am overwhelmed by my feelings for you," his voice husky with emotion.
"I feel the same way, Nathan. I want to be close to you," Quinn said breathlessly.
Holding each other, they stood silently in the moonlight as they let their racing hearts slow to normal, content to be together.
The door opening pulled them apart, Nathan drawing her close, an arm going around her protectively as they looked toward Abigail's. Bill stood silhouetted in the doorway, the light behind him preventing them from reading his expression. "You frightened me, Bill," Quinn exclaimed, her hand resting on her heart.
"I am sorry, Quinn, but I have been waiting for you to return; come inside; I need to talk to you," Bill said, turning away from them, grasping the door, ready to close it behind them.
Suddenly Quinn was wide awake.