The shepherd's pie tasted as good as it looked; or it was possible that Lee and Rosemary were simply famished. The bed and breakfast was indeed packed full and there was no room at the large harvest table that seated the rest of the guests, so Mrs. Broad kindly found them a small table behind the stairwell that looked out on the bustle of Chestnut Street and the water beyond. They could even see the lighthouse on Beacon Island as its bright beam made lazy circles guiding ships into Fullerton Harbor.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Lee said, looking out at the water.
Rosemary nodded. "It's strange. I lived here for two months and never really thought about the harbor and the great ocean beyond. I'm not sure why I hid myself away in that little flat like a hermit."
Lee smiled. "You were alone. It's not always easy to get out into the world alone." He took a sip of his wine and looked at her over the rim of his glass. "Maybe we could take a walk after dinner? Down by the water?"
Smiling back, Rosemary said, "I'd like that very much."
"And," Lee said, "In the spring, I'll have a surprise for you."
Rosemary frowned. "Oh, you can't expect me to wait until the spring for a surprise," she said.
Laughing, Lee said, "No, you're right, I can't." He raised one eyebrow and said, "Have you ever seen a motorcycle?"
Rosemary's mouth formed into a perfect O. "I've heard about them, but I haven't ever seen one." She looked at Lee in wonder. "Don't tell me you have one?"
Lee nodded proudly. "Locked up tight inside a garage in Union City. As soon as the snow clears, I'll go get it."
Suddenly Rosemary frowned again. "And by then, I'll be as big as a house."
"There's always the summer..." Lee said, smiling.
"August the fifth..." Rosemary said. "And I'll be a mother." She looked up at Lee with sudden distress in her eyes. "Oh, Lee. I'm so happy about this little one, but I don't know the first thing about children."
Lee reached across the table and put his hand over hers. "But you'll be surrounded by people who do. Abigail, and practically every woman in Hope Valley." They both looked down at their hands and Lee said, "You're not alone anymore, Rosie."
Rosemary looked up and into Lee's kind eyes and she simply said, "I feel very lucky to have you." Then, realizing what she'd just said, she added, "All of you. To have all of you."
Lee took a deep breath and smiled across at her. His hand was still on hers and it felt so comfortable there. He didn't think he'd ever been happier.
A sudden burst of laughter rose up from the harvest table on the other side of the stairwell and it pulled them both back to reality. They separated their hands and looked over, laughing softly. It felt almost as if they were eavesdropping, hiding in the low light of their cozy little table with one tiny candle.
"Is it wrong that I'm glad we were late for dinner?" Lee said, spearing a large forkful of the savory pie. "I think we have the best seat in the house."
Rosemary gave him a knowing smile. "Oh, I think Mrs. Broad knew exactly what she was doing putting us here by ourselves. I can spot a matchmaker a mile away."
Lee stopped with the forkful of potatoes in mid-air. He frowned across the table and said, "No. Really?"
Rosemary laughed. "Oh, Lee. You men really don't understand how eagerly most women want the whole world married off to each other." She'd said it in an offhand way, but there was something about the word married that made them both stop and stare at each other. Lee's potatoes on his fork were getting cold and Rosemary looked across at them, frowning slightly.
Finally her eyes found their way back to his. "I'm assuming that you've never been married, but we've never talked about that, have we?" Rosemary said.
Lee put the fork back down on his plate. "Me? No. Never," he said, shaking his head. "Actually, never even close. Never found anyone I could imagine..."
Looking at Rosemary, with the light from the small candle playing across her face, he suddenly couldn't finish his sentence. Because although Lee Coulter had known a number of women, and had been in mildly serious relationships with a few, it had never crossed his mind to ask them to spend the rest of their lives with him. In fact, he'd been surprised it had occurred to them that he should ask, and that was usually the reason the relationships had ended.
Lee had missed them a little at first, though not in the way a man should feel when the love of his life walks away. But right now, looking at Rosemary, the idea of her walking away forever, just the thought of it, caused him pain.
Rosemary nodded. "I understand," she said softly. Then she took a deep breath and gazed out the window into the harbor beyond. "The course of true love never did run smooth," she said, lifting her chin and speaking in a quietly dramatic tone.
Lee smiled. "A Midsummer Night's Dream," he said.
Impressed, Rosemary gasped a little and turned back to him. "How do you know that?"
Finally taking his bite of cold potatoes, Lee said, "I'm not entirely unfamiliar with Shakespeare. During that same trip to New York, we saw the revival at the Empire Theatre."
"Oh, I saw that one too!" Rosemary said, "It was such a wonderful show! Lord, what fools these mortals be!" She placed her hand on her chest and threw her other arm out, almost knocking over the coat rack that was right beside her.
Lee smiled at her and said softly, "Though she be but little, she is fierce."
Rosemary stopped and looked at him. They gazed at each other for a moment and finally Rosemary said, "Lee Coulter. You are a surprising and extraordinary person."
Lee smiled back at her, his eyes soft. "Yes. I can be." He took a deep breath. "I think you bring out the best in me."
Rosemary picked up the small glass of claret in front of her. She held it between them and Lee raised an eyebrow and picked up his glass as well.
"To bringing out the best in each other," Rosemary said softly.
Lee touched his glass to hers and realized that for the first time, he was imagining what it would be like to spend the rest of his life with someone. And not just someone, but Rosemary.
And he knew that he would wait as long as it took for her to feel the same. But as he looked into her deep green eyes, it didn't feel any more like a matter of if.
It felt like when.
The three women stood with their arms resting on the rail to the corral and shaking their heads.
"What is it," Julie asked, "that drives men to competition? I know we women do it too, but men take it to a whole new level."
Elizabeth laughed, nodding. "I had this conversation with Nathan this morning as he was getting dressed for this little showdown. I told him I thought it was something ancient, about warring tribes and providing food for their families," she said, looking over at Julie and Clara.
"What did he think about that?" Clara asked.
"He laughed and said, 'No, it's just fun.'" Elizabeth shook her head again. "I'm not sure I believe him."
Of course James had gotten involved, and there were a few of the unoccupied servants lining the rail. They had all pulled together to line up some old barrels and oil cans in the middle of the corral and now Charles Kensington and the Mountie of Hope Valley were playing a hybrid of polo and barrel racing and laughing like schoolboys.
They were both trying to hit the ball in a pattern around the barrels and then to get it into a goal. Elizabeth had to admit she hadn't ever seen Charles Kensington quite this... loose. And she certainly couldn't remember him laughing with such abandon.
Julie leaned over and said, "Oh, if Cecile could only see him now. She'd be positively scandalized!"
Elizabeth looked back toward the house and checked to see if Grace was still in the window. And yes, there she was, sipping her tea and looking as if she was watching something akin to the apocalypse.
Elizabeth giggled and said to Julie and Clara, "I'm going to be able to go back to Hope Valley in the sure knowledge that our mother's heart is in fine condition. We've certainly been testing it."
"Goal!" Nathan suddenly called out, laughing. The spectators on the rail sent up a cheer.
Charles rode past him, holding his polo mallet high in the air. "You got lucky!" he said. "Best three out of five."
Nathan shrugged and grinned. "Whatever you want. I can do this all day," he said, raising his stick and lightly tapping the one Charles was holding.
The women couldn't help but laugh themselves.
"When are you going back to Hope Valley, Elizabeth?" Clara asked.
"Nathan was just asking me that," Elizabeth said. "We're both missing Allie, and he's feeling that Mother's health isn't an emergency anymore. I agree with him. We're thinking of getting train reservations for the day after tomorrow."
Clara looked as if she was going to say something else, and then stopped herself.
"What is it, Clara?" Elizabeth asked, moving closer.
For a long moment, Clara kept her eyes trained on the men running their horses around the corral. Then she turned to Elizabeth. "Do you think I could find work in Hope Valley?"
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, surprised. "I'm sure you could. The town is growing so quickly, and I know Abigail can always use help in the Café..." Elizabeth stopped, realizing what she'd just said. She looked over at Clara. "I know how much she'd love to meet you. To know that you're a part of her family."
Clara frowned and her eyes began to glisten. "How could she forgive us... forgive me, for keeping this secret from her?"
Elizabeth put her hand over Clara's on the rail. "Abigail has lost so much, Clara. I really believe it would make her so happy to get something... someone back."
Julie was listening, and she was getting a feeling about something. She turned to Clara and said, "Did something happen at your job with Mr. Fletcher?"
Clara looked up quickly and then looked out at the corral again, clearly embarrassed. Elizabeth and Julie watched as a deep flush spread across her cheeks.
Frowning, Elizabeth squeezed Clara's hand. "What happened, Clara?"
She took a moment longer and then Clara turned to them. "Well, it's a small office. And Mr. Fletcher seems to... he likes to... he leans over me. Too close," Clara said, looking down, her voice faltering.
Julie put her arm around her and nodded. "Yes, I know some leaners," she said, arching an eyebrow ominously. "Sometimes you simply have to smack them on the nose with your fan."
Clara was so surprised that she laughed. "Oh, I couldn't," she said, sighing. "I need this job. I came all the way across the country for this job." Her eyes began to fill with tears. "I probably should have stayed in Cape Fullerton. They were good to me at the Miner's Supply. They... protected me," she said softly.
Elizabeth moved around to Clara's other side and smoothed a curl back from her forehead. "But if you'd stayed in Cape Fullerton, we never would have met you." Raising her eyebrows, Elizabeth said, "And I believe we were supposed to meet, Clara. I think it's your destiny to come to Hope Valley. To meet Abigail."
"My father's doctor bills... sometimes I think I'll never get ahead..." Clara said. Now the tears were threatening to fall.
Elizabeth pulled Clara close. "That does it. You're coming back home with us." Then she leaned away and looked into Clara's eyes. "If you want to."
"Of course I do," Clara said, and the tears slipped over her lower lashes and fell unevenly down her cheeks.
Elizabeth hugged her again. "Good. And don't worry about your father's doctor bills. Nathan and I can help you with that." Elizabeth looked back at the opulence of the mansion behind them and remembered what Nathan had said to her when he had first decided to build the housing for the miners in Coal Valley. I don't know what money is for if you can't do good with it.
Elizabeth had always had access to the Thatcher fortune. Her father had often expressed his amazement that she didn't ask for more. It had been a principle of hers that she wanted to do things on her own whenever possible, but right now she could think of nothing more important than to bring Clara and Abigail together and to ease the mind of this sweet, hard-working girl who belonged in Hope Valley.
"You're coming home with us, Clara," Elizabeth said again. She held Clara out at arm's length and smiled with tears forming in her own eyes. "I can't wait to see Abigail's face when she meets you."
Another roar went up from the crowd that now included all the stable hands and a few of the gardeners. This time, it was Charles who had scored the goal. Elizabeth looked over just as Nathan said, "Four out of seven?"
Julie laughed. "Oh, my goodness. They're going to be at this all day! I don't know about you ladies, but I'm ready for a civilized lunch."
Elizabeth nodded, feeling herself getting hungry. "You go ahead with Clara. I'll be right in."
She stepped up on the lower rail of the corral fencing, and waved to Nathan. He rode over to her, grinning. He was riding Whiskey, who had turned out to be quite a good barrel racer. "Your horse is a good one, 'Lizbeth!" he said, breathing heavily and wiping the sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his blue cotton shirt. His eyes were dancing as he leaned far down in the saddle and kissed her.
Elizabeth grimaced a little and laughed. "Once you two adolescents are finished frolicking, lunch is served." She reached up and wiped away the combination of sweat and dirt that Nathan had deposited on her cheek. "And you might want a bath before you join us in the dining room."
Nathan simply took that as a challenge. He jumped down from Whiskey and leaned over the railing, proceeding to give her a kiss that he knew she wouldn't wipe away. By the time he moved back, she was gripping the rail for dear life, her eyes closed, and breathing as deeply as he was.
Nathan adjusted his shoulders a little and groaned. "I might be getting too old for this..." he said, wincing.
"The first sensible words out of your mouth all day," Elizabeth said, smiling at him as she stepped down from the fence.
She started to wipe the dirt off her face again, and Nathan reached out and said softly, "No, don't. It reminds me of the first time I kissed you out there on the road, when you flattened me." He ran his thumb gently across her cheek.
Elizabeth laughed and raised an eyebrow. "I believe I was the one who kissed you," she said.
Nathan leaned closer and whispered, "And I kissed you back..." He had just pressed his lips against hers when a voice from across the corral called out.
"Are you conceding, Constable?" Charles said loudly, leaning down on his saddle and catching his breath.
Nathan kissed Elizabeth quickly and turned, pulling himself up on Whiskey with a little more effort than Elizabeth was used to seeing.
"Not on your life!" Nathan called back, pressing his heels gently into Whiskey's flanks.
Shaking her head, Elizabeth laughed. As she walked toward the house she murmured to herself, "Boys will be boys..."
The liniment that Elizabeth had gotten from Collins smelled like a nasty combination of witch hazel and pine tar. She wrinkled her nose while straddling Nathan's lower back as he sprawled out on the bed, groaning softly.
She poured out another measure of the thick liquid and rubbed it between her hands before placing it on Nathan's bare skin. He exhaled loudly as she pressed her fingers into his aching muscles.
"Oh, you're an angel," Nathan said, sighing as she worked on the tightness in his neck and shoulders.
"And you're not twelve anymore," Elizabeth said, laughing softly. "It's high time you remembered that."
Nathan grinned against the down pillows under his head. "Yes, but I won," he said with a note of triumph in his voice.
Elizabeth reached over and pulled the warm towel from the water she'd had brought up with the liniment. She squeezed the excess out and put the towel over Nathan's back and he groaned again. She gently rubbed off the witch hazel and then used it to clean her hands.
The room still smelled of the strong substance, and she knew his skin would as well, but she couldn't stop herself. The skin of his back was so beautiful. Smooth and warm, rising and falling in waves over the muscles that she had just loosened. She leaned down and put her lips in the shallow valley between his shoulder blades, over his spine, and she kissed him gently. Elizabeth felt him shiver and then he arched his back slightly. In one quick move that seemed to contradict the aches he was just feeling, Nathan turned over and held her firmly in place until she was suddenly in his arms.
"You're a good nurse," he murmured against her neck, holding her tightly against him.
She laughed softly. "And you're a terrible patient," she said, but the playful edge she had hoped would be in her voice seemed to transform into a sigh as she melted into his arms.
They were in the Green Room tonight, surrounded by colors that ran the gamut from light sage to deep forest green to mint. The accents of brown in the wood of the bed and the wainscoting on the walls, sprinkled with the aqua of the flowers on the wallpaper made them feel almost as if they were sleeping outside.
"I can never get enough of you," Nathan whispered, gently pulling her nightgown off of her shoulder and kissing the soft skin there.
"Well, I should hope not," she sighed, "We haven't even been married for two weeks yet..."
"Two weeks, two years, twenty years, fifty..." he said, moving his lips up toward hers with soft kisses, until he finally said against her mouth, "Forever..."
Elizabeth yielded and pulled him closer, feeling a happiness she could never have imagined. This man was hers, forever.
Forever and forever and forever.