From The Ashes – Chapter 45/Epilogue Pt4
Nathan was surprised to see Bill's car parked outside Elizabeth's row house and the man himself sitting on the front steps, his seemingly relaxed countenance not quite hiding the slight tension in his shoulders. In his hands was the bouquet of flowers he had picked for Elizabeth last night and Nathan made a mental note to say thank you to Allie for remembering to wrap and deliver them for him.
"What are you doing here Bill? I only left you at the stables a while back. If I'd known that my offering to sort Hero for you would result in you rushing out here to woo my fiancée I may not have been so willing. And with flowers too!"
He couldn't keep the amusement from his voice. Their closeness meant that he could almost write the script for what Bill would do next.
"Well, you know me Nathan. Always trying to keep in with the pretty ladies in town."
With a flourish of his hand he presented the bouquet to Elizabeth, the look he gave Nathan over her head a challenge for him to say something different but Nathan just nodded at him as though conceding that he had been outplayed.
"Oh Bill, these are beautiful. How very sweet and thoughtful of you", Elizabeth exclaimed. She pressed her nose into the flowers to smell their fragrance more before pulling back and saying, "Oh look, there is a note tucked down inside."
Nathan was struggling to stop himself from laughing, his eyes fixed firmly on his friend as Elizabeth was about to read what was written on the card. "Go ahead and read it out loud my love, we're all friends here."
She immediately guessed that something was going on but still opened the folder paper and began to read the words written in a familiar hand. "My love, we may not yet be together as we wish but always know that the taste of your lips is the first thing I think of when I wake in the morning and the last…."
She stopped, unable to read any further as a giggle was threatening to burst from her lips with each word. She looked between the two men, ready to join in with Nathan's fun, knowing how much the playful banter between the pair of them meant to him.
"Why Bill, I never thought you cared so much. To use the language of love, Je t'aime également".
As she went to fling her arms around him Bill stumbled back, a look look of shock on his face at the predicament he found himself in. "Wait Elizabeth, there's been a misunderstanding", he stuttered. These are not from me!"
"But Bill, you just indicated that they were. I guess now we don't need to hide it anymore. I am so glad that finally we can let our feelings for each other out into the open. I don't want to hurt Abigail or Nathan but we know there are things that just cannot be denied." Turning to Nathan she added with a wink, "I know you understand".
Nathan gave a shrug of his shoulders, keeping his voice serious and a mock hurt look upon his face. "What do I know of love, Elizabeth. It seems we are not meant to be after all. But you know there will be talk and the scandal may be hard for everyone to deal with, especially the children. Perhaps it would be better if you both went somewhere else and started afresh. I can break the new to everyone if you want to leave Hope Valley quietly."
"I think you are right. Thank you for being so understanding." When she turned back to Bill his expression made the ruse so worthwhile. He was watching their interaction with his mouth agog, not sure what was happening. "No, no….listen to me. I was just playing around. These are from Nathan!"
He realised then that he had been rumbled at the very beginning and although he joined in with their full laughter Nathan could still sense some uncertainty in his friend.
"Is everything alright Bill? You seem unsettled by something more than this prank."
Bill straightened his back before answering, as though giving himself extra strength, and made sure that his voice sounded steady. "I'm fine. Just under instructions from Rosemary to find out what is holding Elizabeth up and to get her to the café as quickly as possible." Turning to Elizabeth he added, "Everyone else is there, including Allie. She said to let you know that your dress and hers have been taken across, along with all your other bits. Whatever they may be. So my job is to drive you there."
Elizabeth was not sure why they were so concerned as she still had plenty of time to get ready and surely her being out of the way meant there was more space for others to dress. She knew Fiona was doing the bridal party's hair and makeup, with Rosemary's help of course, but had decided this morning to sort as much of her own as possible so that there was one less person for them to worry about.
"I'm not really late Bill. In fact, all I need to do once I get to the café is slip into my dress and shoes, freshen my make-up and pick up my flowers. But I know how bride's like to make sure everything is in place and with Rosemary fussing about I can imagine my absence has been exaggerated out of all proportion. Of course I will come with you now. The last thing I want is for Rachael to be fretting about anything. Today is about her."
Nathan could see relief on Bill's face as Elizabeth turned towards the car. Maybe it was just Rosemary doing her usual ticking of boxes and yet he still had the feeling that there was more to it.
"Well, I guess I'll see you both at the church. I'm going to get dressed in my house and then walk along to the hotel to meet Lucas and Gabe. I'll pick up Little Jack from your house Bill so that the ladies have one less child to think about. He can sit in the pew and wait for the others. Do you think that will meet with Rosemary's approval?"
Bill gave him a look that said there was no need to be sarcastic but still Nathan couldn't resist adding, "I'll just need to put these flowers in water for Elizabeth if you don't think that will take too much extra time!"
"That will be fine Nathan but don't take too long getting ready. The bridegroom needs support too, just like the bride."
That did make Nathan laugh and he couldn't stop a small amount of derision from creeping into his voice. "Lucas? I'm pretty sure he will have everything under control and Gabe is there to handle any last minute requirements." Putting his hand up when Bill began to speak he added, "And before you have a go at me that was what Lucas suggested. "
Suddenly Nathan felt the bubble of frustration burst inside him and he let out a big sigh. He looked across to where Elizabeth was now seated in the car and lowering his voice quietly said. "I'm sorry Bill, that was uncalled for. I guess I just let my own feelings get the better of me for a moment. I have spent so much time keeping Elizabeth from feeling down about our continuing delay, trying to keep her spirits up, that I've been bottling my own emotions up inside."
Bill nodded, giving him a pat on the arm, "I understand. That's kind of the other reason I came out here, to make sure you were ok. You need to keep the faith. Your time will come, my friend. And very soon I believe."
"Thanks Bill, I certainly hope so. There has to be a solution to our dilemma out there, we just need to find it."
"You will, son, you will. And I can tell you no-one is wishing for it more than the people in this town who love you and Elizabeth. We want nothing more than to see you both happy. To be a family with Allie and Little Jack."
In the hotel Lucas had stopped halfway down the staircase, taking a birds eye view of the room below to check that all was in order. It was not an easy thing for him to be setting out such a large function to someone else's wishes but even so he knew that on this particular day it was imperative that whatever the bride wanted, the bride got. And he hoped that he had managed to achieve that because making her happy was very important to him.
Gabe had gone to make sure that everything was done at the church and then to hurry Nathan along, although Joseph had popped in a while earlier to tell them they were all set there and he had seen Nathan and Elizabeth on their way to the row houses.
He knew he was worrying for no reason but couldn't stop himself from wishing that he had arrived in Hope Valley earlier than just yesterday. Organising something like this from afar was so difficult, especially when he was having to interpret someone else's dream and make it a reality. He guessed he would be able to tell from the look on her face when she began that walk down the aisle whether he succeeded.
Gustav's voice rang out from the kitchen doorway as he barked orders to the young sous chefs who had come up from Vancouver to help with the wedding meal. He had wanted to bring in waiters from some of the top restaurants as well but Lucas knew that would be taking things too far. This wedding was as much for the community of Hope Valley as the bride and groom and so he had instructed Gustav to find help here in town and spend time training them.
Now he watched as familiar faces moved about the tables with ease and skill, placing the finishing touches to the settings and adding the floral decorations to the centres. He had resisted the temptation to add more bits here and there, knowing that was not what she wanted and now, if he was honest, he could see a real beauty in what had been done. He hoped everyone else would.
"Non, non, non! I have told you so many times that we do not prepare the sauce for the boeuf until the entrée has been served. It needs to be fresh. The flavour of the herbs will be lost if make it too early. You must throw those away and we will cut more when we are ready!"
Gustav looked up to see Lucas watching him. Normally he didn't worry too much what his boss thought about how he ran his kitchen, after all it was his domain. He was Chef. But on this day he knew things were different and felt the need to explain. "It will be perfect. I have told them all that I will settle for no less than that. In a moment I will go to the café to check that the desserts are all finished."
When Lucas went to speak Gustav stopped him, "I promise I will close my eyes so that I do not see the bride. I want to be as surprised by her beauty as everyone else today."
Lucas descended the rest of the stairs, turning at the bottom towards the corner where the musicians would be playing that evening. He had suggested bringing in a band from Vancouver but Rosemary had persuaded him that they had enough talent here in Hope Valley to provide an equal quality of music for the evening. So he acquiesced, then with trepidation had insisted on hearing them last night and had to admit they were excellent. Mike Hickam clearly had a hidden talent for it was him who organised the group and oversaw their practice. Now he listened as they began to tune their instruments, checking the sound was still good here in the hotel. This was possibly the most important occasion they would ever play and Mike wanted to do Hope Valley proud.
When the door opened Lucas was surprised at the relief he felt at the sight of Gabe, Nathan and Little Jack. Perhaps he was more nervous about the day than he realised. He was pleased with the suits he had chosen for the men, not quite the latest fashion but he had wanted to make sure they would be comfortable in what they were wearing. Even so, they certainly looked the equal of any of the society toffs he knew in Vancouver and he expected that all their guests would be suitably impressed.
"Welcome chaps, I'm glad to see you all here." He bent down as Little Jack approached, "and you, young man, are looking quite the smartest of anyone in this room. I think all the girls will be swooning over you in the church."
Nathan laughed as Jack looked up at him with a scrunched up questioning face, "I'm not sure that he knows what swoon means and certain that it is not what he wants. He is more interested in knowing if Gustav has any more of that delicious ham he was cooking yesterday. All we have heard on the walk over here is how yummy it was. I hear Little Jack and Allie were his chief tasters."
No more words were needed as Gustav appeared, a plate of ham sandwiches in his hand which he placed on the side of the bar. "I thought you gentlemen may need a little….what do you call it here? Un collation?" He looked at Little Jack as if the boy would be able to finish his sentence, which made the others laugh. "I think the word you are looking for is snack, Gustav", Lucas answered.
"Yes that is it….un snack. Something to keep you going until we eat later." He gave Little Jack a big smile before marching back towards the kitchen, muttering to himself about chocolate cake as he went.
No-one had heard Bill come through the door until his voice boomed out, "Did someone say sandwiches? That sounds good to me. Breakfast seems so long ago because someone wanted to do rounds early this morning."
"No-one asked you to come Bill", Nathan countered. "And we didn't even end up seeing your land after all the fuss you made about it. You spent so long drinking tea and eating the eggs that Mrs McCormack insisted on making for us that we ran out of time."
Bill grunted in reply, reaching for a sandwich as he gave a nod towards Gabe. The two men had formed a close friendship over recent months and now the banter that was bandied back and forth between them all showed how far they had come from their Christmas in Brookfield. There was a playfulness in their manner, the four men standing together with Little Jack now perched on one of the stools by the bar, happily demolishing the plate of food in front of them.
Eventually Bill paused from eating long enough to speak. "How are you feeling about today, Lucas? I know how nervous I was when Abigail and I married a few months ago. How can the happiest day of your life be filled with so many nerve wracking moments?"
Gabe's dig into his ribs made him realise what he had said, "Well, not really that many I guess. It is just such a momentous occasion. Sometimes I wonder if eloping is the answer. What do you think Nathan?"