CHAPTER 14

Elizabeth, upon entering Abigail's house, found her and Rose waiting for her. Abigail smiled, showing Elizabeth that she understood very well the reason for her delay and that she knew where those red lips were coming from. Their eyes met and the two women shared the love that was found there. As for rose, this one was agitated, her dramatic mode was at 100% now, gesturing her right away and saying:

"What are you thinking, Elizabeth?" Your wedding is just around the corner and you haven't even started getting ready yet... We should never have let you go out with Jack.

—Rosemary! Elizabeth yelled, hands on her hips, her gaze saying she wouldn't tolerate anyone talking or trying to pull her away from Jack.

"I love that man, Rose. I spent that time with him and it was wonderful and as for the time... The time we do it and you have everything ready, I go to the bath...

Abigail had already prepared a bathtub, with warm water, where Elizabeth, after taking off her clothes, was helped to enter without risk of slipping. Bill had borrowed the bathtub from Henry, Henry was the only one who had that luxury at home, and he wanted Elizabeth to relax. Rose, who was at the door now regretting the sermon on Elizabeth, was saying:

"I'm sorry Elizabeth!" I think I'm more nervous than you are the bride.

"Rose, why would I be nervous if I'm going to marry the man I love...

"Elizabeth, when you went into the water, I noticed a heart-shaped mark on your—"

"On my right buttock, Rose. Yes, both my aunt Elizabeth and I have this mark. She is my mother's sister. If her son hadn't died, we'd be the same age, because we were born on the same day. Rose talked to her, stating that Jack would fall in love with that little mark and that she should always use it to make Jack silly and fallen in love. Rose was a person from New York City, well lived, she was full of love experiences with everything that included, besides everything she was Jack's ex-fiancée, but who became a great friend of Elizabeth over time. She started having a serious woman-to-woman conversation with Elizabeth, even though she could see that she was red as a bell pepper she had to go on, Rose was not going to allow her friend to get into a relationship without knowing at least as little as possible about a man and a woman and her bed, after all, every woman was taught not to show feelings, and that it was something very painful, but nobody counted the good parts...

After leaving and closing the door, Elizabeth calmed down a little, she didn't know if she was afraid of the pain that those relationships could cause as she was always taught, close your eyes, don't scream and let him do what he has to do as his husband, as her mother and nanny said or if what Rose said could be a pleasant and loving relationship between the couple, but Elizabeth noticed that her desire for Jack only increased and she knew that he would be very affectionate and careful with her .

And thinking about it, Elizabeth remembered to thank God for her friends Rose and Abigail.

She lay in the bathtub with the water up to his neck and relaxed, he really wanted his family to be there, on this happiest day of his life. But she knew what her family was like... Two years ago, after graduating and after several attempts to get a teaching job in Hamilton, Elizabeth found out after talking to Mrs. Claus, her housekeeper and her nanny, that her parents had contacted the secretary of education and after a large donation of money, it was agreed to deny me all vacancies. Her parents wanted and were already arranging her marriage to Charles, as the two families were friends and wanted to unite the companies, but for Elizabeth, Charles was just a friend. The inspector in charge was of a bad character who, in addition to receiving bribes, on the day that Elizabeth went to look for him to take satisfaction, he insinuated that if she did him some warmer favors, she could benefit from getting a job and that he could be her protector. Elizabeth was so upset and shocked by her parents' attitude that she spent days and more days alone in her room with the excuse that she was reading books, which was true, she couldn't forgive her parents and, moreover, was dying of shame and fear of the education inspector. Elizabeth made a decision and sent a letter to her aunt Elizabeth, it was thanks to her that she had become a teacher. She looked up to her aunt, she wanted to teach and make a difference in her students' lives. Aunt Elizabeth always called her my Beth, she loved her like a daughter. But Elizabeth's parents always tried to keep the two Elizabeths apart, they said that her aunt only approached her out of jealousy, as she had lost a son. Her uncle Wynn was a charming person, Beth always considered him the most handsome man she had ever seen, whenever she saw him she ran into his arms, she loved this uncle like a father. Uncle Wynn was mountie commander, Beth wanted and needed to tell Jack that fact, but she didn't want him to think she lied to him. At that time Aunt Elizabeth was so indignant with everything that was happening to Beth, after all she had already gone through the same thing in the past, so together with Wynn Delane, they made a complaint and that inspector was arrested after they delivered the tests where several girls who were candidates for teachers were sexually harassed. As soon as the new inspector arrived at the board of education, Elizabeth was given her new position in Hope Valley, it was a distant place, but she had no experience, it would be a great place to start. Of course, her parents didn't like that idea, they tried in every way to ban her trip, even all her money was blocked, but she, putting her foot down, didn't allow anyone to disturb her plans, packed her bags and took the train to the border town of Hope Valle. Only Julia, his sister, supported his idea and his new job. Viola made her feel like the worst woman in the world, saying certain things and making suggestions as if she would become an easy woman, being alone on the border. Her mother, Grace, spoke loud and clear that she was bringing shame to the Thatcher family. Then came the train journey, her arrival in Hope Valle was disastrous after the stagecoach was robbed, without money, without clothes and still being rejected by the students' mothers, who considered her a princess incapable of teaching the children of miners. And it was at that moment that she met Abigail, a woman who protected her, welcomed her, and taught her a lot about life. She was the mother that Elizabeth never had, not that her mother wasn't loved, but greed made her, being a cold type of person that only makes people walk away. While Abigail was a strong woman after the death of her son and husband in the mine, she was honorable and very loving. Thanks to her, Elizabeth learned the basics to know how to live alone, she called her attention when she needed it and she praised her when she did something good. And then there was Rose, the extravagant, Jack's ex-fiancée, Elizabeth would never believe if someone told her, that her best friend would be Jack's ex-fiancée. Today she was there. Rose might have all the faults, but she would never let anyone harm Elizabeth. Rose loved her like a big sister and was doing her best to make her wedding day special. Leaving that bathtub, after a touch of perfume, she, already in her intimate clothes, was now helped by Rose, to dress her wedding dress. I couldn't believe she had made that dress in a matter of hours.

"Rose, this is wonderful..."

"Glad you liked it. Me, Clara and Florence did our best with the time we had, and we tried not to deviate from their taste types when making this model.

It was a white dress, it had a small v-neckline in lace, its back was all in double lace in the shape of small flowers, its sleeves up to the elbow the famous 3/4 followed by lace gloves, it molded all over your waist in guitar coming down with an impeccable fit, it was an enviable dress, but the woman wearing it was beautiful. Elizabeth wore her hair loose, as Jack loved it that way, with a small crown borrowed from Abigail from the time of her marriage. When Abigail entered the room, she had tears in her eyes, this girl looked like a princess, she was beautiful.

"Elizabeth, I'm going to tell you the truth.

"Jack won't know what hit him when he sees you..."