Chapter 14 – Sunday in Hamilton

Sunday morning dawned, Elizabeth stretched and opened her eyes. She knew that she needed to get up, but she was so comfortable laying next to Jack. Finally, she carefully lifted his arm and slid out of the bed and headed to the bathroom. When she came back into the bedroom, she looked at the clock and realized that it was still early even though the sky was showing signs that the sun was showing its face. Elizabeth decided to crawl back in bed. As soon as she was under the covers and close to Jack, he reached out and pulled her close. She loved how he pulled her to him even in his sleep. It was something that had happened since the first night they were together. Elizabeth quickly fell back asleep next to Jack. It was a little while later that Elizabeth woke up when there was a knock at the door. She quickly slid from the bed again and grabbed her robe as she headed to the bedroom door. She cracked it just enough to see that it was Aunt Elizabeth there. She slipped from the room and into the hallway.

"Everything okay?" Elizabeth asked.

"I just wanted to check and see if you felt up to going to church or did you want to stay here?" Aunt Elizabeth asked.

"I think that Jack and I will stay here." Elizabeth said. "He is still sleeping."

"Okay." Aunt Elizabeth said. "I completely understand. There is stuff in the icebox if you want to make breakfast. Wynn plans on leaving the keys to the second car. If you are up to it, I left the address to the diner that we go to have lunch after services. We should be there about 11:30 if you want to join us. If you don't, I will fix you something when I get back."

"Thanks." Elizabeth said.

Aunt Elizabeth gave her niece a hug and let her return to her room. She headed back to finish getting ready. Elizabeth knew that she wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep again, so she pulled out some paper and started working on one of her stories. She hadn't gotten far in her writing when she heard Jack stir. Elizabeth turned to see Jack stretch and reach for her when he didn't find her his eyes flew open and looked around until they landed on her sitting at the desk.

"There is my beautiful wife." Jack said, sitting up in the bed.

"You think I was gone or something." Elizabeth said.

"You weren't in bed, and I was a little worried." Jack replied.

"Aunt Elizabeth stopped by earlier." Elizabeth said. "I told her that I wasn't up to attending services and that you were still sleeping. She did invite us to join them at a diner they usually go to after services. She said that they would be there about 11:30 if we wanted to join them."

"If you are up to it." Jack said. "I would love to go."

"I think I would like to go." Elizabeth said. "Aunt Elizabeth said that she would leave the address and keys on the kitchen counter. She also said that there was stuff in the icebox if we wanted to make breakfast. Don't forget we are supposed to meet with the Russell family this evening."

"Are you up for that?" Jack asked.

"Yes." Elizabeth said. "If that changes, I will let you know and I know Mr Russell would understand, but I think Little Beth is going to love seeing you again."

Jack nodded.

"How about you go get started on a light breakfast." Jack said. "I will join you in a little bit, then we can eat and read a little in the Bible before heading out."

"Sounds good." Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth stood up from the desk and headed to the kitchen. She was still in her night clothes and robe, but it was fine since everyone else was gone. She looked in the icebox and saw that there were eggs, so she decided to make a couple of omelets for her and Jack. She was just finishing when Jack came out into the kitchen. Elizabeth plated the omelets and took a seat next to Jack. Jack said a quick prayer and they started to eat. They didn't really talk while they ate and when Jack was finished, he turned to Elizabeth.

"When you finish." Jack said. "Why don't you head back, get dressed for the day and I will do the dishes."

"Thank you." Elizabeth said.

Jack sat there and watched Elizabeth as she finished her breakfast. When she was done, she stood and gave Jack a kiss before heading to their room to change for the day. Jack quickly stood and started the dishes. There wasn't much to do, but Jack didn't like leaving a mess, especially since they were guests. Jack finished before Elizabeth returned, so he sat at the table and opened his Bible to look for the passage that he wanted to read with Elizabeth. He found the passage and left the Bible open on the table and waited for Elizabeth. While he waited he bowed his head and said a prayer. When he heard Elizabeth walk in he looked up and motioned for her to sit.

"I thought we would read in John 14." Jack said.

"I haven't read that in awhile." Elizabeth said. "Why did you choose that one?"

"It has been one of my favorites to turn to when things get hard." Jack said.

They read through John 14, then they talked about what it meant and how it applied to their lives. It was not something that Jack did often, but he didn't mind sharing his thoughts on the Bible with Elizabeth. He also knew that it was his responsibility as a husband and one day a father to lead his family not only by example but also through his words and deeds. Yes, they could have gotten up and gone to services with Wynn and his family. Jack was actually a little relieved that Elizabeth wanted a quiet morning just the two of them. He was glad that she was willing to take it easy after everything that had happened. Jack also knew that he was going to keep an eye on Elizabeth through the day, he didn't want her to push it and he knew she would. When they were done with their Bible reading, Jack looked at the clock and suggested that they get going.

"I hope you know where this place is." Jack said. "Because you will have to let me know where to go."

Elizabeth looked at the name and address of the place Aunt Elizabeth left.

"I know about where it is." Elizabeth said. "We should be able to find it."

Jack went, left his Bible in their room and grabbed his wallet. When he came back out, he helped Elizabeth with her coat and then pulled his own navy pea coat on. He led Elizabeth to the car and started it before asking her which way to go. They were easily able to find the diner. They had plenty of time before Wynn, Elizabeth and Dee would arrive. Elizabeth pointed at some of the shops along the street, so they decided to go for a short walk and look at some of the shops. Some were open, others were still closed but would be open later. Elizabeth saw a dress shop and was looking in the window. She liked one of the dresses, but realized that even if she could afford to spend money on something so extravagant, she wouldn't have anywhere to wear it. She knew in reality she had the money, but she didn't want to think about her trust funds or any of that as hers, she only wanted to use what she and Jack made from working. She knew using that money for the house was one thing, but for something that wasn't needed was a waste in Elizabeth's head. She knew that she had to be more practical and that dress was anything but practical. Jack caught her looking at the dress and wondered if she regretted her decision. Jack walked up next to her and took her hand.

"That is a very pretty dress." Jack said.

"It is." Elizabeth said. "But it is totally unrealistic for Hope Valley. Besides, I would never ask you to spend that much on a dress for me that I wouldn't be able to wear that often."

"Are you regretting your decision?" Jack asked. "You know that I will not be able to provide you with fancy dresses all the time. Maybe we could have Dottie make you one for something special."

"I don't regret choosing you." Elizabeth said. "I love you and I don't care about new dresses all the time. I was just thinking about how it wasn't practical to have in Hope Valley. It is pretty and all, but it is not me."

Elizabeth just turned and walked away. Jack followed her, when he caught back up, took her hand in his and lifted it to kiss the ring that he had placed on her finger. Elizabeth loved the small gestures that Jack would do to show his love. She didn't need the grand gestures from Jack. She loved how he pulled her close or slowed his steps to hold her hand. She liked the grand gestures once in a while like when he had Abigail make them a special supper at the cafe, but it was the little things that he did that meant more to her. She knew that she had told him that, but she wondered if he believed it, especially here in Hamilton. Jack and Elizabeth continued to walk and look at the shops along the street. Neither spoke, but they were okay to just walk and look at the shoppe windows.

Finally it was getting closer to the time that Wynn, Elizabeth Rose and Dee would be getting to the diner, so Jack led Elizabeth to the diner. When they entered, it was just starting to get busy. Jack let the waitress know that they were waiting for three other people. She showed them to a larger table near the back. She brought them water and menus. She said to just let her know when the rest of their party arrived. Jack and Elizabeth had sat next to each other and were holding hands under the table. They looked at the menu, but wanted to wait to talk to Wynn and Aunt Elizabeth before making their final choice. Jack and Elizabeth didn't have to wait long. Jack looked up when the bell above the door jingled. Elizabeth Rose and Dee walked. Dee was looking around and Jack stood to get his attention. Dee spotted Jack and pointed to him to show his mother. She encouraged Dee to join Jack and Beth and she would wait for her husband. A couple moments later, Wynn joined his wife at the front door. She led both of them back to where Dee, Beth and Jack were sitting.

The waitress saw Dee walk in followed shortly by his parents. She saw them head back to the couple that she had seated earlier. She quickly placed the order she had just taken and then headed back to greet some of her favorite customers. She waited until everyone was seated before coming up to the table.

"Oh why didn't you say you were waiting for Dee here." The waitress said.

"I am sure that they didn't know, Annie." Dee said.

Jack and Elizabeth exchanged a look before turning back to everyone else.

"Are you ready to order?" Annie asked.

"Can you give us a minute?" Dee said. "I will take a coffee to start."

"I know that." Annie teased. "Be right back."

"Everything is good." Dee said. "Was there something that you were looking at?"

"I was wondering how the burgers are." Jack said. "I haven't had a good burger since I was in Regina when I was in the academy."

"The burgers are great." Dee said. "I would recommend the loaded burger. It has three different types of cheese, lettuce, pickles and onions on it. I usually leave the onions off, but add barbecue sauce."

"Oh that does sound good." Jack said.

By the time that Annie came back everyone was ready. Jack and Dee both ordered the loaded burger. Elizabeth got a plain burger with just lettuce and pickles. Wynn and Elizabeth each ordered their usual meatloaf and potatoes. Dee also convinced Jack and Elizabeth to try his other favorite – fries with their burgers. Annie went to place their order and brought coffee back for Jack as well. Even though it was starting to get busy, it didn't take all that long for their food to arrive. After Annie placed the last plate and turned to leave, Wynn bowed his head and led everyone in a prayer before they ate. While they ate, Jack asked about the service that they attended and shared that him and Elizabeth had read John 14. The conversation was light and no one talked about what had happened the day before. It wasn't like they didn't need to talk about it, it was just that it was a conversation that was better when they were back at the house.

At one point, Jack excused himself and Elizabeth took the opportunity to talk to Dee about Jack's birthday gift that she wanted to get him. She told him how his father had given him a Martin and it had been damaged beyond repair when he was in Fort Garry. She told Dee how she really wanted to get him a guitar for his birthday. Dee told her that it wouldn't be a problem to get him a guitar and that he could probably even find a Martin for a decent price. Dee also let her know that it would only take a couple of days for him to ship it out to Hope Valley and could easily have it there before Jack's birthday. Dee promised that they would talk more about it before they left. Dee smiled, because he knew exactly the guitar he was going to help Elizabeth get for Jack. He also knew that he wasn't going to tell Elizabeth how much it cost, because to Jack it would be priceless.

Jack returned and everyone finished their food. Elizabeth agreed that the fries were good. She wondered if Abigail would be able to make them some time. As everyone finished, Wynn got up and went to pay for everything before Jack had a chance to object. When Wynn returned to the table, they started to get ready to leave. Jack asked how much he owed. Dee said that it was taken care of and that there was no point in arguing. The group made their way back to the house and Elizabeth wanted to sit and read in the library. Jack went to their room, got his sketchbook and planned to sit with her and draw before they were to meet with the Russell family. When he came out of his room and before heading to the library, he pulled Aunt Elizabeth aside because he wanted to talk to her about something.

"I was wondering if you can help me?" Jack asked.

"If I can." Aunt Elizabeth said.

"Well, you know we never really had a real honeymoon, so I wanted to take Elizabeth out to a really nice place to eat." Jack said. "Anyway, yesterday after we were at the hospital and stopped somewhere for lunch, Elizabeth was upset because she felt people were looking at her because she didn't have on a fancy dress. She was upset because she felt people were judging her. All that she packed were her nicer, but still plain clothes from back home. I don't think that she is going to want to go out to eat at a fancy place if she doesn't have a dress to wear. Then again today when we were looking at some of the shops near the diner, she saw a really fancy dress, but said she would never ask me to spend money on something that was so impractical."

"Sophie still has some of her fancy dresses here." Aunt Elizabeth said. "They used to be the same size. Let me take care of things. When did you want to take her out?"

"I was hoping for tomorrow night." Jack said. "It is our one month anniversary and I planned that we would leave on Tuesday and get back to Hope Valley Wednesday evening. If we had been in Hope Valley, I would have planned to take Elizabeth to the cafe for a special meal. I just really want to do something for her so this trip isn't just hard memories."

"Not a problem." Aunt Elizabeth said. "Do you have a nice suit? Otherwise, I think you and Dee are about the same size."

"I have my nice blue suit with me." Jack said. "Where should I take her?"

"I will take care of everything." Aunt Elizabeth said. "Leave your suit out and I will make sure that it is pressed."

Before Jack went to the library, he went, got his blue suit and gave it to Aunt Elizabeth. She then headed to Sophie's room and started pulling dresses that should fit Elizabeth and that would look good with the blue suit. After she had pulled five or six dresses, she went and got Elizabeth to check out the dresses. Elizabeth wasn't in the mood to try on dresses, but her aunt insisted. Finally Elizabeth found one that fit well. She wondered why her aunt was having her trying on dresses. She figured that Jack was planning something, but also didn't want to ruin it if he was planning a surprise. When she was done, she went back to the library and looked at Jack. He saw her look and bowed his head. Elizabeth shook her head. She then went and sat next to Jack. She was going to try and get information from him and she wondered if he would tell her.

"What?" Jack said with a dimpled grin.

"You're up to something." Elizabeth said.

"And if I am." Jack said. "Are you mad? I just want to do something really nice for my beautiful wife."

"I told you that I wanted to go home." Elizabeth said.

"We will." Jack said. "I need to finish some paperwork at the station and make sure that Tom gets on the train heading to Port McNeil. I had planned for us to head home on the afternoon train on Tuesday and then get back to Hope Valley late Wednesday."

"Okay." Elizabeth said. "I guess that will be alright."

Jack and Elizabeth enjoyed their time together in the library. Jack was working on a sketch and Elizabeth was sitting close reading a book that she had pulled from a shelf in the library. It was one that she had read before but it was also one that she didn't mind reading or leaving. They enjoyed being close, but each was able to do their own thing. Both lost track of time and were into their activity, that neither noticed when Dee came into the library. He called both of their names and neither responded. He really didn't want to disturb them, but he had been sent to get them so they could leave for the Russell estate. Finally he picked up a pencil off the desk and threw it at Elizabeth like he used to do when they were kids. He hit her head and she jumped up. When Elizabeth jumped, Jack looked up to see what happened.

"Was it necessary to throw a pencil and hit me in the head?" Elizabeth said.

"Well." Dee said. "I called both your names and neither of you answered. I didn't want to shake you, since I know that you have a wicked right hook."

"That is good information to have." Jack teased.

Elizabeth just scrunched up her nose and shook her head at Jack.

"You know you are really cute when you do that." Jack said.

"Before you get too involved." Dee said. "Mom said you need to get ready to leave."

"We will be out in a minute." Elizabeth said.