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Chapter 150

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Boxing Day in Hope Valley: The Trip to Montreal Begins

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This year, the day after Christmas officially known as Boxing Day had been particularly long-awaited in two Canadian Provinces: Alberta and Quebec!

Finally, the day arrived, and what an exciting day it was already turning out to be!

Though barely dawn, the little town of Hope Valley was abuzz, with most of its citizens already at the Train Depot. The mood was fraught with a sense of adventure, elation, excitement, and even a degree of nerves as the many families prepared to depart for the momentous Grant Wedding in Montreal. Parents were busily re-confirming the presence of their family's tickets, checking that all their luggage was where it was supposed to be, and ensuring their family members traveling with them were safe and all accounted for while leaving last-minute instructions to those remaining in town during their absence. There would be eight days of travel to and from Montreal as well as the four precious days they would be spending there getting to know the Bradfords: two before the Wedding with Allie's adoption and pre-wedding Celebrations, as well as two after to give them plenty of time to tour their beautiful city as well as relax before their long train ride back.

Yes, these friends would have made the trip for their Mountie, alone, as they had grown to love and respect him that much, but they had also fallen in love with his Bride-to-be as well, and couldn't fathom not being all those miles away, celebrating this life-changing event with the both of them.

Then, of course, there was Allie. The entire town adored her and called her their ray of sunshine. To see this little twelve-year-old girl have her dream of a family that included a mother and father, finally come true, was not to be missed under any circumstance, in and of itself.

Eagerness and enthusiasm accompanied the frenzy of excitement, along with a profound sense of adventure, which was being experienced collectively, pretty much by the whole town.

This myriad of wonderful emotions filled the wintry air, making this day every bit as special as their family Christmases had just been the day before, if not more so!

The entire Depot platform was humming as a deluge of luggage and trunks, all belonging to Hope Valley passengers, were now being sorted by the porters to be taken to the various assigned passenger cars, and sleeping rooms.

Many of the families were traveling outside the province of Alberta for the first time in their lives, while some were even traveling outside of Hope Valley for the very first time. There were several who had never even been on a train before, so there was a plethora of intermingled sentiments, but all overruled and fueled by sheer anticipation and exhilaration over what was to come.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many and they planned to make the most of it, enjoying every single moment!

Though positive attitudes abounded, little did these travelers realize just how extraordinary their next two weeks would be, far beyond what they expected and hoped!

Edward and Victoria had spared no expense for their VIP guests and had even sent their most luxurious sleeper compartment cars which were routinely used for Edward's many business staffs, directly to Hope Valley by way of Union City, making for quite the unusual sight as the now extra-long train had pulled in carrying these glistening, sleek new passenger cars never before seen in the area.

The huge Bradford Business Logo was emblazoned on the sides of each shiny car, but in true Bradford fashion, the family name was located at the bottom and so tiny in comparison that one had to look for it.

Bill seemed to be all over the place, proudly introducing Addie to those few people he had missed talking to one-on-one last night, still receiving overwhelming shouts of good wishes: "Congratulations" for the groom-to-be and "Best Wishes" for the bride-to-be.

Not only was Hope Valley having a New Year's Eve Wedding in just a few days' time, albeit in Montreal, but they were now also having a Spring Wedding for their confirmed bachelor Judge no less! That is, if the said couple, both fiancé and fiancée, could wait that long! Judging by the radiance of their faces and sweet longing looks, the vast majority of the town considered the couple's ability to do so to be highly questionable!

Although they wouldn't have had it any other way, Rosemary and Lee had their hands completely full with Oliver and the twins, even though, thankfully, their nanny had finally worked it out to travel with them. However, the young girl had her hands full right now, watching over their young, mobile son like a hawk! Thankfully, the infant girls were immobile, and much too young to know what was happening, except that being in a crowd of people out in the cold wasn't their usual day, leaving them quite a bit fussier than usual, with both Rosemary and Lee making faces and humming lullabies while rocking and shushing their little bundles of joy.

Oliver, however, was fully aware of his surroundings, as they were standing on the platform of the Train Depot, his favorite place in the world! That coupled with the fact he was going to be boarding and riding a real train in a matter of moments, left the little boy so eager he was simply beside himself!

"Papa, do I really get to ride on the train for four whole days?" he asked pulling on Lee's pant leg.

"Maybe even a bit longer, Son, but definitely four days!"

Oliver clapped his little hands with glee, wishing his playmates Little Jack and Eliza Jade were there too, but his Mama had explained over and over that they were already in Hamilton with Charles and Elizabeth, where they would spend a few more days with their families before taking a train from Hamilton on into Montreal for the Grant Wedding.

Popping up all over the place, Florence was taking her role as Edward's point person quite seriously, running around like a mad woman, checking on every single person who was planning to board, while making sure to answer any questions they might have.

Ned and Mollie had been recruited to assist her and were already proving to be invaluable and worth their weight in gold.

Faith, Fiona, and Mei Sou, the new Pharmacist, were looking extremely stylish in their travel garb which included fancy hats, but it was their excited faces that one couldn't miss!

"I simply can't wait to see Montreal," Fiona gushed. "Seems I'm the only one of the three of us, being a San Francisco gal, who hasn't!"

"You'll love it, Fiona. It's just magical," enthused Faith, whose medical practice, most gratefully, was being covered by Dr. Henderson out of Buxton.

"I do hope there's time for me to introduce you to my Uncle Zǐ Chén. He owns the best Chinese restaurant in all of Montreal and will offer us a real Chinese feast, on the house of course!" announced Mei.

"Ooh! Sounds fun! What's his restaurant called?" asked Fiona.

"It's called Chang's! We'll have to go, or at least order into our hotel!" insisted Mei. "But if we can't all go to eat at the restaurant, I still want to go by myself and at least pay my respects. I would never be forgiven if I didn't!"

"Oh, we'll go with you and eat there, for sure," promised Faith. "There's no way we're not meeting your uncle!"

That was when Mike Hickam walked up, trying to say something casual to Mei, whom he was obviously sweet on, but instead, his words came out all garbled. So giving up while turning a brilliant shade of red, he turned quickly, running away to the object of his interest's clear dismay.

"Don't worry, Mei! We'll be on a train for four days," assured Fiona. "He'll be a captive audience, which means the man is toast!"

"Fiona's just made an excellent point! There'll be no place for Mike to run to. Not by the time we get through with him! Just leave it to Fiona and me," winked Faith, ready to do her part in helping Fiona with her matchmaking.

Even Lucas, though dressed in formal travel attire, had a smile on his face, and seemed more relaxed than usual, enjoying escorting his sister, Antoinette, while his father proudly escorted his beautiful wife. Due to Juliet's diligence, his stepmother, though neither of them could stand the term, all four had now bonded as a family, and each of them was equally looking forward to taking this trip together to make new memories and further cement their relationships.

Thankfully, Gustav was manning The Queen of Hearts in their absence, which took a huge worry off Lucas, especially now that his trial was looming in the New Year.

"Son, I admit, I'm sure looking forward to speaking with Edward Bradford again! The man is a legend, and to have him be willing to show me the ropes of business in Canada is indispensable. I do hope you're able to meet with us. If you're interested, that is, of course!"

"You know, Father, I just might be. Mr. Bradford is a most intriguing man. The thing I don't get, he could buy anything in the world he could ever want, but he seems to care less. And everyone seems to think so highly of him, yet he seems so humble and down-to-earth."

"That's a unique combination, Lucas, one seldom encountered. However, being down to earth is quite an honorable thing to always strive for, no matter what your choice of vocation may end up being or how successful you find yourself to be."

Lucas nodded, beginning to understand, though still feeling so unsettled given his past year.

Deep down, he loved his father, but oddly, it was Juliet who seemed to be able to read his mind, and even to some extent his younger sister, Antoinette.

With no small amount of shock, it suddenly dawned on Lucas that even in his mind, he was finally getting past the dreaded 'step-sister' nomenclature, and all the resentment that entailed, while beginning to fully accept his 'Toni' as simply his sister!

Could that even be possible?

Glancing down at the innocent girl on his arm, so full of beauty, charm, and strength, along with the same vibrant joy de vivre her mother possessed, he couldn't imagine not having her in his life, as a wave of protectiveness swept over him.

That overwhelming feeling of protectiveness was quickly followed by a tsunami of something else, though fiercely unfamiliar to Lucas.

Troubled by this strange feeling, not knowing what it was nor what to do with it, ashamedly, he suddenly realized that he wouldn't even have his life at all, had this brave young girl not stepped in, heroically fighting the Syndicate to save it.

How had she possibly come to mean so much to him in such a short time? As he looked down at her in confusion, she looked up at him with pure adoration and pride. And then he knew: they were simply family, the way a real family was supposed to be, now bound together forever by that evasive love he had missed his entire life, but still, so craved.

Almost as though she read his thoughts, Juliet, standing on his other side, lightly touched his arm.

"Lucas, the new year will unfold as it should, and soon all that will be behind us," smiled Juliet. "But this trip is to be enjoyed. Please don't get mired down in 'what ifs' and allow that to rob you of your joy. We have a saying in Paris, 'vivre l'instant présent,' meaning 'live in the moment.' You deserve that as much as any of us do."

Lucas reached out and squeezed Juliet's hand, something he wouldn't have imagined doing even a few weeks ago, but in the short time they had spent together, it had been clear that Juliet only had his best interests at heart.

And if Lucas was perfectly honest, this young woman had treated him like her son more than his own mother ever had!

Oh, he had been harshly resistant at first, even antagonistic, and quite honestly horrid, yet Juliet had been patient and truly cared for him, just as she had her own daughter, while astoundingly treating them no differently.

He couldn't help comparing that to the fact his birth mother had never seemed to notice him, except when it benefitted her. Yet, Juliet cared, she truly cared. Though he wasn't at all used to the maternal attention.

Why, quite frankly she wasn't much older than him, yet she was filled with compassion and there was a calm, caring wisdom about her.

The truth was this whole family relationship was growing on him, and he found himself more and more wanting to hear this woman's wise words of counsel regarding love and life.

"I understand now why Father fell in love with you, Juliet!" he noted softly, barely above a whisper. "Perhaps someday, I'll be so lucky!"

"Ah, but the right woman is waiting for you right now, Lucas, and I for one can't wait to meet her!" promised Juliet flashing her brilliant smile.

"Perhaps, I already have," she added poignantly in her thick French accent.

He chuckled absent-mindedly and a bit nervously, though deep inside, he couldn't help but believe her. At least the 'waiting' part, definitely not the 'already have' part. That simply couldn't be possible!

Not far from the Bouchard Family, Cat Montgomery stood chatting nonstop with Adeline, so excited that they would be working together.

"I can't tell you how lovely it was to meet you last night, Addie! I haven't been able to think of anything else, but our new venture! Knowing I can rely on your experience as I learn how to become a librarian, is truly a godsend!"

"We're going to make a great team, Cat! I have no doubt," enthused Addie. "And since I've recently been through the training, we'll make sure the courses are a breeze for you!"

Angela, Emily, Opal, and Anna were standing in their little clique, gabbing nonstop while conjecturing what their passenger car would look like. They were expecting rows and rows of bench seats having no idea that what they would be boarding was much different than they had ever seen before, or even imagined! They were also missing Allie and couldn't wait to see her new part-time home and meet her new family!

The rest of the Canfields were thrilled to finally be visiting Montreal, as Minnie had a great aunt there, whom they would be meeting for the first time.

"I'm so excited Aunt Henrietta is looking forward to meeting my family! And I'm so proud to introduce my handsome husband and beautiful children to her."

"We're anxious to meet her, too, Honey!"

But the truth was Joseph was beyond excited about helping with the Grant Wedding ceremony, as well!

"You know, Minnie, to meet the Bishop and Archbishop serving St. George's Anglican Church of Montreal and get to perform a Wedding with them is beyond anything I've ever imagined. But to have these highly respected colleagues to confer with is just such a special gift! Ministering with them is going to be a whole new experience for me as a pastor, one I'm determined to learn from yet fully enjoy." (*197)

"This was meant to be, my dear husband. I am so very proud of you!" smiled Minnie as she took her husband's hand, pulling him close while melting him with her angelic smile, then reaching to kiss his sweet lips.

Cooper, embarrassed by his parents' public display of affection, turned to find a friend! He was simply enthralled about the entire trip, ready to enjoy every single moment of this new adventure!

Even the McCaliffes had worked it out to come on the trip with Caleb McCaliff saying he wouldn't miss the Grant Wedding for the world!

He was a new man post having his ulcer surgery in Union City, and he would be forever grateful to Millicent and Nathan for giving him his life, and his family back to him. In addition to the young couple being the ones to convince him to have the surgery, it was Millicent's Foundation that had provided the resources to make it all possible. Through it all, they had been there to support the entire family.

Even after Millicent returned to Montreal, she called the McCaliffes frequently on the phone and wrote them letters along with checks, making sure that all their needs were being met.

Caleb and Nancy were standing talking to the Weisses who had also befriended them in their time of need which had resulted in the two families having grown very close.

"Ellen, I can't believe the difference in Caleb. Why he's able to work the farm now like he did when we first married, without any problem at all, and energy left over to spare! Things seem to be booming for us again!"

"I'm sure the sewing you're taking in has helped as well. You are becoming quite the seamstress, Nancy, known far and wide," smiled Ellen Weiss, her new best friend.

"Can you believe I had a huge order from Buxton last week? Thank goodness I can get to it when we return from our trip as the outfits aren't needed till Valentine's Day!"

"That's wonderful, Nancy! Remarkable too, that you've accomplished so much, so quickly! But I always knew your work was above everyone else's and this only proves I was right all along!"

"You've been such a help and encourager, Ellen! I've appreciated it so much! Jake and Maddie are just thrilled to have their father back with all the old family stressors gone. And I for one am thrilled to have my healthy husband back, as well as my happy children!"

"The kids are happy and thrilled because I tell them the old stories my Papa told me," grinned Caleb. "They're becoming quite the little riders too, as we go out with the horses for a half hour every day after they come home from school. Speaking of which, since they've been able to go to school full-time, Mrs. Thornton says they are doing better and better with their grades! Jake seems content with learning farming but is excellent in math too. He still wants to take over the farm someday, but their teacher has mentioned several times that we may need to think about college for Maddie."

Caleb said the last sentence in a low voice, as Maddie was standing close by them with her nose in a book.

"She and my Opal are about the same age, so we'll probably be sending them off together, Caleb," remarked Bruce Weiss, full of pride but with a twinge of sadness.

"Mama, can I go with Cooper?"

"Yes, Dear Jake, but come back here when we get ready to board," winked his mother. "So, I know you've made it onto the train safely and we don't leave you behind!"

"Yes, Ma'am! But don't worry, Mama, there's no way I'm missing out on this!"

The adult couples laughed as Jake had just expressed what they were all feeling.

The Steam Engine suddenly sounded with a huge burst of raucous vapor full of gaseous droplets! Just after the initial explosion, the friendly and stocky Conductor leaned out from the platform.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of Hope Valley, last call for passengers. All aboard for Montreal!"

There was a flurry of activity as the families lined up at their assigned passenger cars and began to board, expecting a typical crowded train ride with a flood of strangers.

But that was not at all what was awaiting them.

There were soon shrieks of delight as each family boarded to much more luxurious accommodations than they had ever seen or imagined before, but when they were ushered to their staterooms, all were truly shocked and beyond thrilled, with Florence excitedly summing it all up.

"Why this is pure luxury, and this is going to be the trip of a lifetime!"

Without a doubt, Florence was completely right.

"This is spectacular! I may never want to deboard, Flo," admitted Ned.

But truthfully even she nor Ned, though partially briefed, had no idea of all the exquisite pampering that was to come…

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197. St. George's Anglican Church of Montreal opened on June 30, 1843, Public Domain.