Part 2 Afternoon

Nathan and Gabriel ducked and hastened their steps. They tried not to run, tried to walk fast but with dignity, but went in strange circles to avoid the mistletoes on their way.

They were followed by Cilly Fulton-Smith, her mother, and her brother-in-law, Mayor Wilbur Hall. And soon by another party of women who thought that two so dashing Mounties would make fine husbands.

"You owe me something after that; I can assure you," growled Gabriel through his teeth. "How can I ever explain that to Lillian?"

The two went into a jewelry shop where Nathan hoped to find the perfect charm that represented the last year. But what could it be? What could symbolize an adoption? Becoming a family, father and daughter, not uncle and niece anymore. Nathan stared helplessly at the charms on the counter.

"Are you done, Nathan? I need to get into my hotel room or at least into the restaurant; I need something to eat," Gabriel whispered to Nathan.

"Help me, and it will go faster. What symbolizes an adoption?"

"Oh, come on. Take a heart. You are family now, father and daughter- a heart." And then Gabriel turned around and pointed out one. "That one."

Nathan looked at it and liked it. It was just not one- two hearts intervened in one another, sliver. "Thank you, that is perfect. Allie will love it. Don't you want to get something for Lilian too?"

"Nathan, all I want is to go back to safety. I see Mrs. Fulton-Smith, her daughter, and her son-in-law waiting outside. We need desperately go back into a room they cannot access."

Nathan talked to the man behind the counter, who took the charm, wrapped it, and gave it to Nathan. He sighed. It was much more expensive than he liked, but Allie was worth it.

"Let's go back to the hotel," Nathan said, putting the charm into his pocket.

As soon as they were outside, a whisper went through the women- "He bought a charm with two hearts, he wants to be prepared, he wants a wife…"

The two men looked at each other in shock and, this time, ran more than walked to the hotel, clinging to each other to never be alone under one of the many mistletoes.

When they finally arrived in the lobby, they felt relief and safety for a short moment, but they were so wrong.

Word had spread that one of these two bought jewelry, and now even more women were trying to get the right one under a mistletoe. They called them to help with one or another issue, but the two Mounties never went to any woman. One even tried to tackle Gabriel and let him fall under the mistletoe to claim the kiss and the marriage. But no one was lucky except the two Mounties, who finally went to the reception and asked for some food to be brought upstairs to Gabriel's room.

The two had just settled and calmed when a knock at the door startled them. "Room service, sir."

"Oh, good, I am starving. I hope they did not forget my second piece of chocolate cake. After that, the world might not be that bad again," said Gabriel and went to the door and opened it carefully, cautious not to be caught in a trap and under a mistletoe.

He was not overly surprised as he found one hanging directly over his door. He stretched and took it down, threw it fast into his room as if it were poisoned, and stepped aside to let the waiter in with their lunch.

"Grant, I am not sure you can leave this room. I fear we need to share a room as neither of us can go back to his one," before he started cutting his steak and let the first piece disappear, chewing happily.

"grmpf" was all he got as an answer.

Both ate and were drawn to their thoughts. Nathan thought about how he could leave town unharmed and unmarried, and Gabriel missed Lilian. He thought how much easier it would have been if she were with him. He would kiss her; they could get married immediately, and he would no longer say good night and leave her at home.

After a while, Gabriel lifted his head, looked at Nathan, and said: "And now, spit it out, what happened with you and Hargraves… I saw him arriving in the lobby while you ordered your lunch, and he and the lady accompanying him looked more than annoyed to see you. What have you done?"

"Nothing really, it is all a big misunderstanding. That's all,"

"What misunderstanding?" asked Gabriel suspiciously.

"Well, it happened when we were both or all three at Fort Clay. She was in distress. She fell, I helped."

"Who is she?" Gabriel asked in between Nathan's words.

"She is his sister. Magnolia Hargraves. She runs his household," Nathan's voice became lower. He didn't want to talk about it, but he knew his friend would never stop asking, and he also knew the story was safe with him. He inhaled and started to tell the story of how Hargraves became so very not fond of Nathan Grant. He left nothing out:" Magnolia Hargraves tried to impress recruits. She took the most dangerous horse from the stables and rode up and down in front of them. When they needed to shoot a salute, the horse threw her off into the ditch. The recruits were all sneering, but none helped. I helped her out there. She was full of mud and other stinking stuff. As a thank you, she invited me for dinner. Well, I couldn't say no. She did not let me. I tried to excuse myself for taking care of Allie, but she just said I should take Allie with me. I had no chance to avoid it. At the dinner, she wore her best gown; I could see that she cooked a delicious meal and flirted so much with me that I already felt uncomfortable. Hargrave told me I might call him Heathcliff when we are in private. I did not know what to do or say. I felt trapped. The evening finally ended when Allie collapsed and needed to go to bed. God, I was never so happy that that child needed to go to bed early. But Hargraves and his sister did not stop inviting me, and often, I ran out of excuses. Then he sent me out on a mission. Allie spent those days with a neighbor and her family, and although Magnolia said she would take care of Allie, I did not want that. She had already started to act like she was her mother. Not that Allie could not need a female touch in her life, a woman she trusts, but Magnolia felt wrong, and I thought her affections towards Allie were not genuine. Allie did not like her. Magnolia was offended when I declined and Hargraves with her. When I came back with those two cattle rustlers I arrested, Hargraves called me into his office and said that I needed to do things right and should start with proposing to his sister as I raised her expectations. I told him I surely did no such thing and would not offer. Then he told me that I was suspended and would not lead the training mission I was planned for. I did not follow orders, so I must bear the consequences. Jack Thronton then got to take over the training mission and died during it."

Silence. Nathan said nothing more. He knew he was forgiven; he knew she, Jack Thornton's widow did not blame him, yet the thought of her did hurt him. He fell in love with her, and Elizabeth chose someone else. Nathan swallowed.

"I do not know what to say. It would be best if you told the commissioner. That treatment is not fair. You did nothing wrong," tried Gabriel to encourage his friend.

"No, there you are wrong. I did not follow orders. I did arrest those cattle rustlers instead of just observing them. But everybody, including some of the higher-ranking officers, thought I did right. But it was Hargraves's mission, and he was my commanding officer. It was his choice. And ever since, when he thinks he can get me into trouble, he tries to do so."

"But why don't you change your posting? Out of his reach?"

"I cannot. Allie is so happy in Hope Valley, and then there is…no, I can't leave Hope Valley."

"Ah, the teacher, I remember. Nathan, why are you torturing yourself? Find another posting, something quiet for Allie but out of reach for Hargraves. I am sure there must be something. Although I would hate to lose too."

"Yeah, maybe I should think about it. Maybe I should give it a try," said a sorrowful and quiet Nathan.

"But tell me, Gabe, why did you come to the Mountie Christmas Ball when Lilian is not coming with you?" Nathan asked.

"Oh, Because I still hope she can make it. I still hope she can catch the train and be here just in time. I would not want to miss it if possible. And besides that, you truly needed me here. All these women hunting you?" with a big smile, he ate his last bit of those two pieces of chocolate cake.

Nathan laughed, saying, "If your dress uniform still fits after everything, you ate just the last hours."

"It will fit, you will see," laughed Gabriel back.

The two stayed in Gabriel's room for some more time. But being a Mountie also means that being locked up in a hotel room is not something they are used to, at least not these two. So, they decided to join at least their fellow Mounties in the lobby.

The lobby was even fuller than in the morning or at lunchtime. There were more women of all ages, and it was almost impossible to move in the lobby anymore.

Suddenly, Gabriel felt a hard push and found himself almost under one of the many mistletoes where Cilly Fulton-Smith, with a big smile, had already waited. Only Nathan's fast reaction caused Gabriel to be drawn back to his old position next to his friend. They looked around and wondered who might have pushed Gabriel when they saw Albertina Fulton-Smith frowned and seemed annoyed that her plan to push the chosen Mountie towards her daughter's mistletoe failed.

"Maybe we should handcuff ourselves. Then, they cannot separate us," said Nathan when he abruptly felt a pull. He was pulled under the mistletoe and found himself with none other than Magnolia Hargraves. This time, it was Gabriel's time to save his friend, and so he did.

Finally, the two found two empty spots on one of the settees and thought they would be safe sitting there.

"Can we not just go to our horses and go home?" Nathan asked. "My business is finished, and I would rather sleep out in the cold than participate in this madness," he continued.

"No, I can't. I promised Lilian to stay and wait and see if she could make it. But I am unsure if I could make it that long without being married until then," responded Gabriel.

"ENOUGH! THAT'S ENOUGH!" boomed a voice used to give commands and did not accept disobedience through the lobby. In the entrance stood Commissioner Perry with a red and furious face.

"I expect that all, except one, of the mistletoes will disappear within five minutes. I further expect that everybody who does not have some sensible business here is leaving this building, and I expect that all Mounties gather in the ballroom NOW!" shouted through a sudden stillness.

Everybody, even Albertina Augusta Aurelia Fulton-Smith, became quiet and looked with admiration toward the commissioner. That would have been my man, she thought disappointed, as she understood that the hunt was over. It had taken her months to convince her son-in-law to install that law that public showing affection should be seen as a marriage proposal with an intermediate wedding. Albertina knew that would probably have been Cilly's last chance to find a husband. She wasn't very beautiful, witty, or intelligent and did not like to do housework and cooking. Who would like to have such a wife? She knew that her son-in-law was a weak man, easy to influence, so she took her chances and lost.

After only one minute, the lobby was almost empty, and staff began to take down all the mistletoes. They kept only one in a corner close to the stairs where only people would find each other who would like to find each other under a mistletoe.

Meanwhile, in the festively decorated ballroom, the commissioner told his men that all today's marriages were not legal as they were forced, and his men could go to the town hall and get them undone. He added that he wanted to see his men in their dress uniform at the ball in two hours and did not wish to hear about more problems. He ended with, "Constable Grant, one word, please."

Hargraves was as present as almost every other chief superintendent and started to have an arrogant smile. Grant even messed up with the commissioner. What a glorious day, he thought.

Nathan went to the Commissioner, who just gave him a piece of paper and said that if he wanted to have a change, this place seemed safer than Hope Valley. Perry noted that so low that Hargraves couldn't hear, but he was sure it did not mean anything good for the man who refused his sister.

Nathan opened the folded paper and read: Eden, Pictou County, Nova Scotia. Nathan frowned, started thinking, and did not know what to do with this. Gabriel took the paper, read it, folded it, and returned it.

"That, my friend, is way too far away," he said, worried and sad.

Suddenly, the lobby started to hum again. All the hidden women came out of their room to get some fresh air before they began preparing for the ball. Nobody knew how they knew it was safe to come out of their rooms.

Nathan and Gabriel stayed in the lobby, enjoying its everyday busyness, when Gabe rubbed his belly and said: "Maybe I should get some dinner; I do not trust…Lilian! You made it!"

Suddenly, Constable Gabriel Kinslow jumped up, ran to the door, took a lovely young woman into his arms, whirled her around, and laughed happily.

"Gabriel, let me down; what should all the people think of us?" she laughed at him.

"I do not care, my love," was all she could hear before he kissed her.

"Ahm Gabe, I think you have a problem now," came from behind them. Nathan tapped his friend on his shoulder and said: "You gave her room to that woman who chased you later."

"Ah, come on, Nathan, we share your room. Your bed is twice that big than mine,"

"Yes, but there will be no space for me left if you continue to eat that much," Nathan laughed.

"Come, Lilian; we need to get you settled; then we should eat a little bit before we go to the ball." And with those words, a thrilled Gabriel Kinslow led his fiancé upstairs to show her his room and to gather his belongings to move into Nathan Grant's room.

Nathan laughed; it made him happy to see his friend happy, but it also hurt his heart, knowing that the woman he loved did not love him enough to be with him. 'Eden,' he thought, 'would that be the solution to find peace? Would leaving be the best for all of us? I do not know,' then he sighed and looked around.

A young couple was coming into the hotel. They looked tired and exhausted, simple clothes but well cared for. The woman was highly pregnant; she walked with heavy feet, her hands on her back as if she had some pain and inhaled several times deeply before all seemed to be normal again.

The young man asked if a hotel room would be available, but the concierge denied it. They were fully booked out due to the Mountie Christmas Ball.

Nathan made a quick decision. He went to the counter and said: Sir, Constable Kinslow and I can sleep in the stables or the attics if you do not mind. I am sure this couple needs a proper room."

The concierge looked at him, nodding, and said:" Well, constable, that is very kind of you. We have one room with a bunk bed in the attics where our staff sleeps unoccupied. If you think that will suit you?"

"Just give me 5 minutes to pack my belongings and my friends', and you can go upstairs. By the way, I am Constable Grant." Nathan said to the couple.

And before Nathan even reached the stairs, the woman cried out, looked at her feet, and saw her water had broken.