Dear Maggie,

Merry Christmas! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas filled with joy, love, laughter, and happiness!
This is the first time I have participated in such a challenge, and it was a challenge. I never saw WHC, and balls are very distant to me, as I avoid them whenever possible. But for you, I took the challenge with joy, and I think I did the best I could. Unfortunately, you only get half of it today- the rest will follow for New Year's Eve.

Yours
Sabrina

Mistletoes

Part 1 Morning

Everybody could hear it—everybody in the lobby. Everybody who worked to keep the hotel lobby tidy and clean. Everybody who was working on the preparations for the Mountie Christmas Ball. Everybody who was sitting on the cozy couches and settees. Even everybody in the adjourning restaurant. Maybe even everybody outside the Grand Hotel in Big Valley. Everybody heard the loud, demanding, and annoyingly shrill voice.

"Do you have any idea whom you are talking to? I am Mrs. Albertina Augusta Aurelia Fulton-Smith. I am the mother-in-law of Mayor Wilbur Hall. And now think again if you do not have two rooms for my daughter and me for the next five days."

With a silent sigh and a deep breath, the receptionist answered patiently. "I am very sorry, madam, but you should have made a reservation at least three weeks ago. We are completely booked, and our only room is a simple single bedroom. But maybe Mayor Hall can host you?"

"This is not acceptable; I demand two rooms, now," her voice became even more shrill, and people started to duck just because of her voice.

"Excuse me, sir, but I might…" a friendly and calm voice tried to talk to the receptionist when harshly interrupted by Mrs. Fulton-Smith.

"This is my turn now. Would you please stay behind?" The high-pitched voice stopped the friendly and calm Mountie.

"Madame, if you would let me finish, I might be able to help you. Would you please let me do so?" responded the Mountie with dark hair, a little more energetically and determined.

All eyes were on them now, and everybody was anxious about the lady's reaction. "Well, if you think so, very well," was all he got, curtly and annoyed.

"My name is Constable Gabriel Kinslow. I booked three rooms, but now I only need two of them. Would it be possible to give the one I do not need anymore to the lady and her daughter?"

"Of course, Constable, that might solve the problem," the chief receptionist bowed thankful toward the Mountie, "would it be possible for you to wait until I finished the checking in of the ladies here, and then we will complete yours?"

"Thank you, Sir. Madame. I'm just happy to help," and with these words and a smile, Constable Gabriel Kinslow returned to his company, waiting until they could check in and rest a little before his companion had to go to an appointment with the commissioner.

"I just hope she will not have the room next door; I am not sure the walls are thick enough for…" Gabriel whispered to his friend.
"I am not either," the other Mountie said in a melodic low voice.

"Cilly, that might be the right one for you. He is handsome and a pure gentleman. It would be best if you followed him to find a moment to get to know him under the mistletoe," Albertina whispered, not so low as it would be only her daughter to hear. In fact, everybody in the lobby could hear them, and there was a constant, lively noise around them.

The two Mounties, waiting for their check-in, looked at one another, curious what that comment meant. They started looking around and realized that at least five mistletoes were hanging from the ceiling. And that was just in the lobby. Many of their fellow Mounties were moving in pairs, and many women stood around looking nervously, anxiously as if they were waiting for something to happen.

What was the meaning of that?

After the two friends checked in and went upstairs into their rooms, leaving luggage and changing into a clean serge, Gabriel knocked at his friend's room door. "Come in," came from the other side of the door.

"Nathan, I am hungry; would you like to join me for a decent breakfast? I think you have time for that before you meet the commissioner," Gabriel said while entering the room.

"That sounds perfect. It's exactly what I need after three days of traveling. I still wonder why the commissioner has summoned me. I am unaware of doing something wrong, but being called in cannot be good. What do you think?" Constable Nathan Grant asked his friend.

"Oh, you never know, they change procedures faster than you can read the old one, you never know… and you know with Hargraves as your chief superintendent. What have you done to him that he dislikes you so much?"

But all Gabriel got was a weird look Nathan cast to his friend. "Maybe I will tell you another time, not now. Let us get something warm into us, and we will be in a much better mood. It was pretty cold for three days on horseback. I think it was not that cold for quite some years. I am sorry Lillian could not come with you,"

"Yes, we thought it would have been nice, now that we are engaged, but too many children got sick," Gabriel sighed, looking sad. "I am ready to go; let's find some food; I am starving!" he added, much more cheerful.

When going downstairs, the two discovered more mistletoes. They were everywhere.

After having eggs and bacon, biscuits and gravy, two muffins, a chocolate cookie, and several cups of coffee, Gabriel looked much happier.

Nathan looked at his friend, bemused. "I have no idea how you do this. I had my fill already after eggs and bacon and a muffin. What time is it?" with a short look at the long case clock on the wall, he said," I need to go, the commissioner …" his voice a bit heavy and uncertain.

And so, the long, tall, quiet, and handsome Mountie stood up to leave the restaurant.

Immediately, another Mountie showed up beside him and said: "Are you out of mind, Grant? Going around alone? Do you have any idea what you put yourself in? Nobody clear of mind would walk just alone right now. They are on a Mountie hunt. Unless you desperately need a wife, you have not chosen for yourself. They even attacked our girls; we needed to hide them in their rooms."

"What do you mean? Why can I not go alone?" asked a bewildered Nathan back.

"You mean you have not noticed all the mistletoes? There are way too many unmarried women and daughters in this town, and the women conspired to find husbands for their daughters. They try to catch the right moment and get you in a compromising situation under the mistletoes. Where do you need to go- we need to find someone to accompany you." The eyes of the other Mountie looked around in search of someone who could escort Nathan Grant to his appointment.

"Wait, nobody needs to marry anymore if you kiss someone under the mistletoe. It is not 1765 anymore, and I doubt it was a compromise even back then," said Gabriel.

"You are right, but this town is unique. They have a town law that forbids the public showing of affection, and if you do, it is seen as a marriage proposal that should end with a wedding within two hours. They just passed that law a week ago. Supposedly, they are concerned about the decency and integrity of their women. And it only applies within the Town's limits. You should talk with Phillips, Miller, and O'Connor if you want to know more. Miller got a sweet little wife. He seems to be not so unhappy, but poor O'Connor got caught by a 55-year-old widow with three children, and now she demands he quit the Mounties to take care of her farm and the children. He is sitting in his hotel room, hiding and terrified."

"What?" the two Mounties said in unison.

Sanders explained that so far, only three Mounties had been caught, and since they figured out what was happening, they had moved in groups except for the few Mounties who wished to "find" someone. He also mentioned that it seemed weird that this law was entirely new, and that the town judge was unwilling to do anything to stop this madness. Commissioner Perry is negotiating with the town's alderman, but so far, no success. He finished with, "I heard he is in a very poor mood."

"I need to go to the commissioner," is all the Hope Valley Mountie said. Nathan looked very uncomfortable because everybody knew seeing the commissioner before the Mountie Christmas ball was never a good sign. Everybody knew the commissioner was in a bad mood before the ball, and he feared it would be even worse now.

"Oh, I am sorry, Grant. I hope you will still be alive after that. What have you done this time?" Sanders asked with a mischievous smile on his face.

"What do you mean by 'this time'? I have not done anything. I have no idea why he wants to talk to me," barked a nervous Nathan back.

"I will go with him, Sanders," Gabriel said quietly. "I had my fill now and think it will last until we have a nice lunch after the meeting." He smiled, looking happy because his belly was filled, and he was interested to see what this hunt looked like.

When the Hope Valley and the Brookfield Mountie left the restaurant, they stopped to look around. Obviously, not every Mountie wanted to be escorted and moved alone in the lobby. They were eying if the lady they chose would see them near one of the mistletoes. If they saw this was not the case, they looked disappointed and sat down on one of the settees, doing the same round again after a while.

The ladies waited in the hall, too—some with their mothers, some with friends. Looking, measuring the men walking around, coming, or going, if a pursuit of these men was worth it, or just for choosing the Mountie they wanted to find under a mistletoe.

Nathan and Gabriel decided they would like to watch more of the spectacle when they returned from the appointment. The two strolled to the town hall, where the commissioner had his temporary office.
And now they saw it. Mistletoes everywhere. On the boardwalk, in front of almost every shop door, the townspeople even managed to hang some around the Christmas tree in the center of their marketplace and everywhere, women of every age eying for men to be caught under one of them. Some men did not mind being caught under the mistletoe and enjoyed kissing a woman thoroughly after a long and lonely time in the mountains. The thought of having a wife out there in the wilderness with them filled them with happiness.

The two friends looked around, and Gabriel said in a low voice:" I do not know if that is something I will tell Lilian when I return home. Nathan, we need to be careful. Although you might be in need of a woman in your life, aren't you?"

"No, I am not. I have a wonderful young lady in my life. A head full of imagination, lively, she is smart, lovely, and can be very charming if she wants," a very proud Nathan said.

"And what is about a mother for Allie?

"She has me, and we manage just fine since we are in Hope Valley. And…" Nathan did not complete this sentence. No, he couldn't. Pain in his heart made him stop saying more.

"I know," Gabriel said. "I know, my friend." Then, both stayed silent until they reached the commissioner's office.

"Nathan Grant, for Commissioner Perry."

"Ah yes, Constable. He is waiting for you. Just go inside. And you, Constable Kinslow, how can I help you?

While Nathan went inside with slightly weak knees to find out why he was summoned, Gabriel Kinslow sat down and wanted to hear about the newest gossip within the Mounties.

"Ah, good, Grant. Sit down, Constable. I will be ready for you in just a few minutes," Commissioner Perry said when he briefly looked up from the papers he was reading and saw that Nathan had entered his office.

Nathan sat and looked nervously at his hands, holding his campaign hat tight. 'I also use these tactics to get someone nervous. When I need to talk seriously to or interrogate someone,' Nathan thought and tried to relax, still wondering why he needed to come here and realizing that this tactic worked.

After some more minutes, the commissioner laid the papers aside and looked directly into Nathans's eyes.

"So, Constable, you surely wonder why I summoned you. You see, I haven't heard from you for a while, and as I remember you from your days as a cadet, you've been very ambitious, and yet you are still a constable, and that even in this tiny sleepy, what was its name? Ah, yes, Hope Valley. Wasn't that Jack Thornton's posting before he…Never mind. So, tell me, Constable, why are you still constable? Did you not get an inspector promotion to Union City? Why did you not take it? Why not even try to get a better posting?"

"Well, Sir, as you may have heard, I took in my niece after my sister's death, and I need a place where Allie can develop and be safe. I adopted her last year. I need to stay as safe as I can, Sir. Hope Valley is a nice place to raise a daughter and a good place to protect and help those living there."

"Grant, you can do more than that. Reconsider."

"Sir, there is nothing to reconsider. Allie needs me, and I will be there for her."

"What's with the girl's father?"

"I put him behind bars, Sir. He was no good man, father, or husband. He blackmailed me and attacked me. He had some records even before he met my sister."

"I see," the older man said, "but you must understand, Grant, that I am not happy with your decision. But I respect your decision, at least for now."

Then he took a file and looked through it. "What is going on between you and Chief Superintendent Hargraves? I do not understand why he is so hard towards you. That hearing, for example."

"Sir, please, I would not like to elaborate on that subject."

"What is going on, Grant?"

Nathan's face closed up, and he looked down.

"Well, I will ask him then. Constable, I wanted to offer you a promotion in Halifax, but I see it would not be something you would consider. At least not now. Would you prefer another posting with an even quieter location?" the Commissioner asked.

"No, sir. I am fine in Hope Valley," Nathan replied.

"Well, then you are dismissed constable. Enjoy the ball tonight. With whom did you come?"

"Sir, I came alone and will return tomorrow morning. I'm not sure I will show up tonight,"

"Hm, be careful, Grant; it is a dangerous time in Big Valley right now. Except you are looking for a wife, but I expect you at the ball tonight," and with these words, more sighed than spoken from his highest commanding officer, Constable Nathan Grant left the room, still not understanding why he was summoned and what the Commissioner wanted but grateful it had nothing to do with any problems he had with his Chief Superintendent.

Gabriel stood up when Nathan left the commissioner's office—looking at his friend, trying to read his friend's face.

Suddenly, all the men ducked reflexively like a bullet was shot towards them. A shrill voice from outside the office in the town hall, "Wilbur, your sister-in-law found the man she would like to marry. A very handsome Mountie, now it is your responsibility to help her to catch that man. We saw him going into this building; he must be here somewhere. Do something!" There was no way not to know who was speaking and who they were looking for: Gabriel Kinslow. At least Nathan and Gabriel knew.

"Is there another way out? Nathan asked the commissioner's right hand.
"Nope, just that door. Please don't ask me how many mistletoes I already took down that hang precisely over our door. Only God knows if there is another one right now. He is getting crazy," he nodded toward the commissioner's door.

"We cannot hide here forever; we need to go back to the hotel," Gabriel said; let's face it and avoid mistletoes.

"Ah, actually, I thought I could shop for Allie," said Nathan meekly.

"Nathan, you cannot be serious! In that situation?"

"I need to; I still need a charm for Christmas for her. Gabe, have a heart for a little girl."

"That's blackmailing, and you know it," was all Gabriel said. And so, with a deep breath, they opened the door, entered the hall, and tried to sneak out of the building.

They did not come a long way when they heard- "There he is- Cilly- go and follow him."