Chapter 170- The Trojan Horse
Happy Sunday friends.
Here we are at the start of the 'So This Is Love' Season 12 finale. I plan to post the rest of the chapters throughout the course of the week (every day or every other day when it fits into my schedule).
I'll also try to find some time to include a few of my inspiration pictures for the people, places, and 'costuming' in this chapter on the Sunday Night Serge Facebook page.
Hope you enjoy all the Mountie action that's to come!
Charlotte's mind raced. Running through not only every step and nuance of her and Nathan's plan, but she also had to remember every piece of royal etiquette Rosemary coached her on over the past couple days.
"The first time you meet, curtsy, and address the Prince of Wales as 'Your Royal Highness'."
"Got it." Charlotte said, jotting down notes as Rosemary rambled.
"But only the first time! After that it is appropriate to simply say 'Sir'."
"I don't call him by his Christian name?"
Rosemary's eyes grew wide. "Only, and I mean only if he tells you to call him Edward. Not before! This party may not be at Buckingham Palace, but that doesn't mean the prince will not expect to be treated as the next in line for the throne. And for heaven's sake, Charlotte, don't slouch. Shoulders back, chin parallel to the floor."
Charlotte let out a heavy sigh. It was all too much. Why in the world did she ever think she could pull this off? Rosemary must have read the sudden despair she felt, as she quickly came over and sat beside Charlotte.
"I'm sorry," Rosemary said, taking Charlotte's hand. "I'm being a mean 'ol school marm, aren't I?"
"Maybe a little." Charlotte winked and leaned her shoulder into Rosemary's.
"I just want you to be prepared for anything. My father always put so much emphasis on being prepared for his missions before leaving. Planning for anything he may come across. He said his training and being overly prepared is what kept him safe all his years with the Northwest Mounted Police. I figure, if that's what kept him coming home to our family then that's what's going to keep…" Rosemary's voice broke, and it was the first time Charlotte had ever really seen a chink in her friend's armor. "It's what's going to keep you safe and coming home to your family too."
Charlotte was deeply touched by her friend's reaction. It made sense though. Rosemary understood the danger, not only as a Mountie's daughter, but as a fellow parent. Nathan and Charlotte, realizing the perils that lay ahead for them as part of this mission, asked Rosemary and Lee to be the guardians of Allie and Liam should anything happen to them both. It was important to Nathan and Charlotte that their children be raised in Hope Valley in a place that was so much more than just a community. It was their family.
"I'll be safe," Charlotte said, squeezing Rosemary's hand in reassurance. "Between all the royal protocol you're teaching me, and Nathan's self-defense tactics he's gone over repeatedly, I'm prepared as I can be."
"There is only one thing that seems to still be missing from your plan." Charlotte furrowed her brow, prompting Rosemary to continue. "A dress not only befitting an evening with the Prince of Wales, but also one that is guaranteed to snag the attention of Seth Drake."
"I just thought I'd wear one of my nicer skirts and blouses."
"Nonsense. You are playing a part in this mission. Costuming is the piece de resistance of any quality production, and I have just the thing for our leading lady!"
Just the thing, ended up being an intricately beaded red satin dress which was currently making it hard for Charlotte to breathe as she sat in the back of the brand-new Lincoln Model L Brunn limousine driving down the streets of Edmonton on the way to the party. There she was to meet her old neighbor, George Lane. The gentleman she'd be accompanying tonight to the reception welcoming the Prince of Wales back to Alberta.
As Charlotte explained to Nathan when detailing her plan for the mission, this was bigger than the two of them. While they knew not everyone could be trusted, she finally convinced Nathan it was time they found a few more friends they could rely upon.
One of them was George Lane. She'd grown up knowing Mr. Lane. He'd been a friend of her father's, and was well respected not only in the cattle business, but all of Alberta. Charlotte knew of George's connection to Edward, the Prince of Wales, from when the royal toured Canada in 1919. The prince wanted to see a real working Albertan ranch and was shown to Lane's Bar U. He enjoyed the lifestyle so much he decided to purchase the neighboring property and named it the E.P., Edward Prince, Ranch.
Lane's friendship with the English prince was exactly what Charlotte was relying on after she saw a news article from a couple weeks ago. She read Edward would be returning home to Britain by way of Alberta after being on an almost yearlong royal tour of India. The main reason for his stop in the territory was to see his ranch and prized breeding stock, but the newspapers also speculated the prince would be making an appearance in Edmonton to meet with the provincial heads of government in the city. An evening doing princely duties allowed him leeway with the royal institution and bought him some unbothered time in the territory before returning to England for Christmas.
When Charlotte contacted George Lane to find out if her assumptions were correct, he confirmed what she'd speculated. Prince Edward was being invited to a party in his honor by territory officials and socialites his first Saturday evening in Alberta. And what played into her plan even more was that it was being hosted by none other than Eldred Drake at his newly built mansion at the edge of the city.
Charlotte believed that this served two purposes for the Schneider gang. The first being that the high-profile party provided cover for a large shipment of illegal liquor, narcotics, and other goods that could be sent out from Drake's factory. Warren's notes alluded to this transport happening before winter set in based on evidence he'd gathered and what information Louis Gagnon gave him after his arrest in Cadotte Lake.
The second reason was her knowledge that whenever a member of the royal family was on Canadian soil, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police patrol escorted their every move and provided security. Having some of the Mountie's best guarding the prince while he was in Edmonton would allow any planned illegal activity to fly under the radar of the local law enforcement.
It was set up to be the perfect cover for the Schneider gang.
That was until Operation Trojan Horse was put into play. The name inspiration came from Allie, who, since the beginning of the school year, started reading from ancient literature. One of her favorite stories was Homer's telling of how ancient Greek forces used a wooden horse to trick the Trojans into letting them behind enemy lines. Then during the cover of night, they infiltrated the city and ended the war.
In this mission, Charlotte was to be the Trojan horse. The one who was to be brought into the inner folds of the Schneider gang and behind their guarded walls. Infiltrating them from within to end this war, once and for all.
Thankfully, George Lane was able to secure an invitation to the event and given the ruse that his wife Elizabeth was at home feeling unwell to travel, he invited his old friend Charlotte from nearby Hope Valley to accompany him to the prince's party at the Drakes. The soiree was scheduled for the following weekend, leaving not much time to prepare, but with precision from years of experience with the Mounties, Nathan, Bill, and Gabe did their best to make sure everything was ready.
The Saturday morning of their mission arrived. Charlotte was tired. Rest had not come easy the past few days knowing what waited for her around the corner. Last night, Beck came in her dreams. She felt his fingers coiling around her throat and the weight of him on top of her. The fury in his eyes, morphing and changing to that of Seth Drake's and then finally those of Duncan Aitchison's. Though it was only a dream, she felt their power over her. Sinister, yet controlled and calculated.
She'd forced herself awake. The sky outside the bedroom window was concrete gray. Nathan was still asleep beside her and the knowledge that it was all just a nightmare, and it was her husband holding her safely in his loving embrace gave her a small level of comfort. Nathan had his own battles to wage that day, and Charlotte decided not to add any more weight to his shoulders. Instead, she nestled into his chest, praying this would not be the final moments they spent in each other's arms.
When the time came, she loaded her suitcase onto the train bound for Edmonton, which arrived into the city early that afternoon. She took a short cab ride down the street from the station to the Hotel MacDonald, the grand building that stood at the center of downtown overlooking the river below. Charlotte drew a warm bath, in an attempt to calm her nerves and mentally go over her instructions while she readied for the party.
That evening, she waited in the hotel lobby for only a few short minutes, feeling self-conscious of other patron's stares, until one of the doormen informed her that the scheduled car had just arrived outside. The attendant helped her into the back seat, before tucking the red satin dress in around her feet so it did not get caught in the door of the limo.
The streets were relatively quiet this evening. No doubt, many of those who would normally be filling the downtown area on a Saturday night were already on their way to the Drake's estate to rub elbows with the Prince of Wales.
It was only about two and a half miles down Jasper Avenue until the car turned off the main road, through a tall, gated entrance that stood in the middle of the hedges surrounding the 28 acres that provided security and privacy for the residence. Charlotte heard the unmistakable sound of the fine gravel crunching under the vehicle's tires as it made its way up the driveway towards the party. Drawing closer, she pressed her face against the window to cool herself and steady her racing heartbeat.
The house was now visible at the end of the path. It stood high on the hill, and looked down over the town to the east, and the meandering Saskatchewan River to the south where it curved back like a horseshoe below the estate. Moving the water from the mountains out into the plains.
The house itself was large. Three stories of sandstone made it look as grand as a castle in one of Charlotte's favorite novels. It had a high gable roof with raised ends and groups of rectangular windows. The large bay windows released warm interior light into the dark evening. Casting shadows on the ground from where guests and workers moved about inside.
When the car came to a stop under the porte-cochere was when Charlotte felt her anxiety start to come over her in unrelenting waves as though she was caught in an ocean tide and unable to get to the surface for air. She was drowning. Everything around her was swirling. A blur of activity. The sounds of the party inside were clearly audible now. Yet it was muddled by the strong buzzing, like a beehive, in her head.
She was aware of her jaw tightening, teeth clenching painfully. She tried to focus on the quieter sounds around her. To find a center to gravitate towards it. Normally for Charlotte, that was nature, or hearing her children's laughter, or feeling Nathan's touch, but she was miles from any of that now.
Instead, the sounds and voices coming from the party slowed and morphed together. They became muted so she couldn't follow them or distinguish who said what. She tried to swallow, but it didn't work. Her heart was racing as though she'd thrown herself into the icy water of the Saskatchewan River below.
Charlotte's limbs were heavy and numb, but she forced them to open the clasp on her clutch purse and reach in until her fingers wrapped around the small piece of paper inside. She didn't have to pull it out to know what it said. She'd memorized it on the train ride since her daughter handed it to her that morning before leaving Hope Valley.
Be safe, Mom.
We love you.
Allie, Liam, and Dad
Charlotte shut her eyes again. This time though, her visions were of home. Allie studying at the kitchen table, Liam crawling on the floor and pestering Remi, and Nathan with his arm around her lower back as they watched the happiness unfold in front of them.
Their happiness.
"Mrs. Grant?"
She saw her children and husband's wide smiles and heard their bubbling laughter. She told herself, by tomorrow night she'd be home again and the moment she saw her family, she would throw her arms around their bodies and squeeze them tight, peppering their faces with kisses.
It would be quiet there.
"Mrs. Grant!"
She shook her head and looked over to Constable Patrick O'Reilly, Jr. Or rather tonight, her driver under the alias of P.J. Malloy. He had been one of Nathan's conditions. In addition to George Lane, who promised her husband to always be within distance of Charlotte throughout the evening, Nathan wanted one undercover Mountie available too. Superintendent O'Reilly's son Patrick Jr. fit the bill. He was in disguise and would stay by the car parked at the nearby carriage house throughout the evening. Near enough, should anything happen.
"Mrs. Grant." Constable O'Reilly repeated her name again. "We're here." His eyes were barely visible from underneath his newsboy cap. They were kind brown eyes that silently spoke to her, reminding Charlotte she was not alone in all this. P.J. had opened the car door and now offered her a hand to get out of the vehicle. Just over his shoulder she could see George Lane making his way down the stone steps of the house to escort Charlotte inside.
"Thank you." Charlotte took P.J.'s hand and allowed him to guide her gracefully out of the back seat of the car. He dipped forward and discreetly straightened the hem of her dress as it cascaded in flattering folds of scarlet fabric from where the skirt gathered at Charlotte's slender waist and pooled at just the right length around the T-strap red satin dancing heels she wore to match. Charlotte was irritated that she let Rosemary convince her the pumps would be the right accessory for the evening, instead of her more practical lace up boots she was accustomed to wearing. The heels made her feel even more unstable than she already was. Like a newborn foal, trying to use its lanky legs for the first time.
"Remember I'll just be over there if you need anything." O'Reilly tipped his chin towards the southwest where the rest of the cars and drivers were taking their place for the evening around the old carriage house. "It's just a few steps outside of the conservatory where the dance is being held should anything happen."
Charlotte gave his hand a small squeeze before turning her attention towards Mr. Lane who now stood beside them in his finest suit. A cowboy all his life, George Lane's face was wrinkled and worn like balled paper flattened out. His full head of hair was white and the mustache that concealed the edges of his welcoming smile was just the same.
"Thank you, sir, for delivering Mrs. Grant." Lane said to O'Reilly. "We will fetch you when she is ready to leave this evening."
O'Reilly gave a quick nod in understanding and moved around the front of the car, bringing the motor to life, and moving it down the path to clear the way for the next guests who were arriving.
"Shall we?" Mr. Lane asked, taking Charlotte's hand, and placing it into the crook of his arm, guiding her with gentle reassurance towards the steps of the mansion.
Operation Trojan Horse had commenced.
Nathan again peaked under the cuff of his coat and noted the time on his watch.
She'd be there by now. Behind the Trojan walls.
It was hard for him, letting go in this way. Trusting such a big part of his world to other people. And to be honest, he worried about how Charlotte would handle tonight. He'd been by her side in the aftermath of Beck. He knew all too well the effect tonight could have on her, and he also understood how it could change her. How it could heal her. Giving her the final closure to a wound that still lurked occasionally behind her easy smile.
You can do this, Charlie. He thought to himself. We can do this.
He sent up a silent prayer just to be sure, before pulling the lapels of his brown coat tight around his neck to ward off the chill of the late fall evening. He didn't dare leave his position now, yet he ached to move in order to circulate the blood through his long limbs and be ready for whatever may come.
Part of Nathan wished that Bill and Gabe were with him on this mission. Yet, at the same time, he knew they were right where they all needed to be. Gabe was in Brookfield awaiting the birth of his and Lillian's baby- and their soon to be niece or nephew- which were due to arrive any day now. On top of the babies coming, Gabe, Lillian, Chuck, and Grace were both working at settling into life as new parents. Soon after Matt and Megan adopted Theo and Violet, the two couples began seeing their two remaining orphans, Vincent and Mary Louise, as something more. Mary Louise always had a way with animals, and since living on the Stewart ranch she'd thrived and seemed to find her calling following in Chuck's footsteps as a veterinarian. The same could be said for Vincent, who for years now, looked up to Gabe. Understanding that each of the children would be the perfect fit in their expanding families, the Kinslows and the Stewarts began paperwork to formally adopt Mary Louise and Vincent into their homes.
Even though Gabe never asked it of Nathan- to not be involved in this mission- Nathan never gave Kinslow an option. Nathan knew how important it was to be there for your child's birth, and he didn't want Gabe to feel like he had to choose between family and duty. Brookfield was where his friend was needed most of all tonight.
As for Bill, Nathan wanted assurance that if anything went wrong with their set up in Edmonton, or if the Schneider gang got wind of the mission beforehand, someone he trusted was in Hope Valley. Not only to protect the evidence that they collected on the criminal organization, but more importantly, to protect the people Nathan and Charlotte held most dear, their children.
Nathan knew, for his part in the mission, he would need to have at least some help from the Mounties. The task was made even more difficult by Aitchison's now clear involvement and Nathan's termination. There were, however, two people he, Bill, and Gabe felt would be able to provide assistance. Superintendent Patrick O'Reilly who offered Nathan the promotion to inspector in Union City all those years ago. Nathan respected the man, and his instincts told him O'Reilly would be an asset to them. The other officer Nathan turned to was Chief Superintendent Collins.
Not knowing exactly who else they could trust with Aitchison's influence unknown, the group determined they would keep their task force small. Nathan asked to pull Constable Caleb Landry from Potter's Creek and Superintendent O'Reilly's son, P.J., from his posting. He also turned to Constable Rogers, the Mountie who secretly checked in on Allie a year ago when she was living with Dylan in Edmonton. Rogers knew the area, and he was again, someone Nathan felt as though could be trusted.
The last person involved was the one Nathan was most concerned about in their plan.
Dylan.
He'd become a central part to the mission in catching the Schneider gang 'red-handed' in transporting the illegal goods scheduled to depart from the Drake's warehouse bound for the Northern Territories tonight. Upon returning from Hope Valley last week, Dylan found the right people involved in the 'after-hours' warehouse activity and proved to them that he could be trusted to be brought into their fold. Nathan hadn't asked what Dylan did to prove his allegiance. He decided the less he knew the better.
According to Dylan, the trucks for transport weren't due to the warehouse until close to nine o'clock. Over two hours from now. Nathan realized the timing of everything needed to be perfect. If Charlotte moved too soon, she could tip off the Drakes and they could call off the shipment, or vice versa. If he or one of the others stationed inconspicuously around the factory and warehouses fired off a warning signal before it was time, they could all put Charlotte in danger at the party.
He hated not being there with her. Almost every night since she told them her plan, he experienced flashbacks to that dreaded day two years prior. When he was tricked away from her and as a result, almost lost her forever. It all came back to him in his dreams as he searched through the fog for her. The way his heart pounded against his chest. The way his lungs refused to fully inflate. The relief he felt when he finally held her again was fleeting as the next moment, she was ripped away from him once more. The tormented gasp that came from deep within her when Beck touched her in that repulsing way of his. The end of the gun barrel.
Then it all went black.
Always do what you are afraid to do. Charlotte's words came to him. God he was afraid. Afraid of this all going wrong. Afraid of her getting hurt. Afraid of losing everything.
Yesterday, on his way home for his last evening with his family before the mission, he visited the cemetery and paid his respects to Warren's memorial there. Vowing to bring justice for his comrade and friend. Walking back to the car, he saw a single light on in the church and thought to investigate. Only to find Joseph there working on his sermon for the weekend.
"Oh, sorry, Joseph," Nathan said from the doorway. "I didn't mean to interrupt; I was just walking by and saw the light on and thought I should check on things."
"Come in, come in," Joseph waved from the pulpit. "You are no interruption. I was just talkin' to God about you and it seems he delivered rather quickly tonight." He gave a kind smile to Nathan. "He doesn't always do that ya know, so I'm going to show my gratitude." Joseph moved and sat down in the front pew and directed Nathan to join him.
Nathan came to the spot beside the pastor. They both let the silence linger between them for a while before he decided to confess. "I was just visiting Warren's memorial."
Joseph nodded in understanding. "I figured as much."
Nathan let out a long, slow breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Tonight, when I was there, I remembered Bill's words from the ceremony. He said that Warren 'led the life he was born to lead. He followed his destiny and protected everything he held dear. No life can be better lived than that.'" Nathan leaned forward, folding his hands together and letting them rest lightly on his knees. "Do you believe that, Joseph?"
"Believe what?"
"There is nothing better in life than following your destiny? Living the life you were born to lead?"
Joseph seemed to stew on those questions for a moment. "I believe God has a plan for each of our lives. He uses our individual talents, our experiences, not only to enrich our own lives here on earth, but… to also serve His greater purpose."
"You and my wife sound a lot alike." Nathan could feel the corners of his mouth curl upward in a slight smile. "She said something similar the other day."
"I'll take that as a complement." Joseph gave a rich chuckle, and slapped Nathan's back in a brotherly gesture before his face turned slightly serious again. "I imagine that it wasn't in your plan for you both to be going to Edmonton tomorrow morning. Nor was it your plan to have Charlotte be placed in the lion's den without your protection."
"No, and even now, I wish they weren't the plan."
"How many plans have you made in your life, Nathan?"
"Countless." He gave a bleak laugh. "Or at least I've tried."
"When you were growing up, did you always plan on becoming a lawman? When you were just starting your career with the Mounties did you plan on losing your sister and then taking guardianship of your four-year old niece? Did you plan for the events that happened at Fort Clay that led you to your posting here in Hope Valley? Did you plan on finding love in a woman who, when she first arrived in town, never believed she could let herself be loved? And maybe more so, she never believed she could love someone in return? Did you plan for the community and family you have here?" Did you…"
"I get it, Joseph." Nathan interrupted. "I really do. I never planned for the greatest things that have happened in my life, because they weren't my plan, but His. I realize my life is blessed and that's why this is so hard for me. It feels like the life I have here, it could get stolen away from me and I don't know if I could- if I could forgive God if that happened."
"Have you prayed about this?"
"Of course."
"And through your prayers, you don't believe this is what God is calling you and Charlotte to do?"
"I didn't say that." Nathan ran a shaky hand through his hair. "As much as I hate to admit it, everything seems to be pointing us in this direction." Then under his breath, he added. "Doesn't make it any easier to accept."
"No, it sometimes isn't. When our plans and God's plans aren't in line, He sends what I like to call disruptors. Things that make us change course. They steer our plans back into His plans and I think that is what this Edmonton trip is. Look at how many stories in the Bible have ordinary people doing extraordinary things in His name. Maybe that's been Charlotte- and your- purpose all along. Two ordinary people with an extraordinary story. A story of love-" Joseph squeezed Nathan's shoulder. "Of love conquering all."