The Dreams We Share
Chapter 7 A Graduation Celebration
Lucas finished dressing for his dinner date with Allie to celebrate her graduation. He had an hour before she was to meet him in the library, so he decided to head down and spend the time reading the book he had started a few days before. He sat in his favorite chair and opened the book at the spot he had marked. He began to read but soon his mind drifted… he closed his eyes, and he could see Arawyn's looking into his. They held the beauty of the ocean in them, and he felt swept away. He stepped back in his mind to look at her face. Her skin was creamy and smooth and the light dusting of freckles on the bridge of her nose gave her a look of sweetness that was so endearing. But the fiery tresses added the look of a temptress.
He was enchanted and hoped to find out if she was already spoken for. He thought perhaps not; the way she met his eyes and the gentle way she smiled at him told him that she was not tied to a man. One of his skills was the ability to read most people; he hoped he was right. But who to ask, he wasn't sure. Perhaps someone at the ministry of education might know. Times were changing but a female university professor was still uncommon and would have drawn attention. He would make some inquiries himself or ask Marcus if he knew anyone in the ministry office.
He felt excitement for the first time in a very long time. To feel the pull of a woman again was not something he had been open to until now. It felt good to have those stirrings; he felt truly alive for the first time in so very long. To wonder at the possibilities. He tried not to think too far ahead until he knew for sure that she might be open to his interest in her. He knew she possessed some of the basic qualities that attracted him to a woman. Intelligence was an important one for him; he wanted a woman that could carry her own in a conversation, that would challenge him with her knowledge and opinions. The fact that she was well versed in literature was a plus as there were virtually no limits to a source of discussion. Places to visit, history to experience, people to meet, all through the written word. They only had had a few moments in each other's presence, but she seemed very personable; she had been very kind to Allie and nice to him. He had sensed that she wanted to laugh at his embarrassment but had held it in for his sake. He hoped to hear her laughter someday. He thought there could be sparks between them should they have a chance to explore a relationship further.
His thoughts were interrupted by Allie's arrival. "Ah, Allie you look lovely. Quite modern and sheik."
"Thank you. Fiona helped me select this dress in Buxton. I have been collecting my baby-sitting money so that I can buy clothes for school. And she gave me one of her dresses that Rosemary tailored in case I needed something fancier," she told him.
"Well, as it so happens, you will need such a dress. Marcus has secured us a box at the symphony for tomorrow night. We will be joined by the Minister of Agriculture, James Peterson, who has become a dear friend. His wife Mary and their two daughters Emelia and Constance will be joining us too. Emilia is a couple of years older than you and Constance has just graduated," Lucas said.
"Oh Lucas, the symphony, I am so excited. I can't wait. And I hope the girls like me," Allie hesitated.
"Allie, you just have to be yourself. They will love you. I hope that you can be friends as that will help you if you come to Edmonton for Fall term."
"Yes, it would be nice to know some people. It sounds great."
"Shall we?" He said as she linked her arm in his and they headed to the main entrance.
They had eaten their first course of lobster bisque and now a beef filet was being served with creamy whipped potatoes and asparagus. Allie had seldom had this sort of fare and certainly not in such a fancy setting as Chez Etienne. Fiona had apparently given her a tutorial on table settings… which fork or spoon to use for what. She did peek over at Lucas' choices to confirm she had the right one. Lucas found it very endearing. He hoped to one day sit at a table with his own daughter… but that was a dream for someday; right now, he was happy to enjoy the company of this young lady who had always had a special place in his heart.
"So, tell me more about the interview today," he said. "Did they ask any of the questions we practiced?"
"As a matter of fact, they did. They asked me to tell them about myself, which got me off to a good start. Most of their questions were designed, I think, to judge my overall personality and character. But they did ask me a few questions related to my knowledge of poetry since that is my declared interest. The questions were basic and all about topics that I studied with Mrs. Thornton. Since she found that I wanted to pursue poetry, she gave me some books to read about the technical aspects. And I was familiar with the poets that they asked about. And by the way, they did ask me why I thought they should select me. Thank you so much for interviewing me last night. It really did help me a lot."
"You are very welcome. I am glad that you felt prepared. Confidence is paramount in such situations. It comes across to your audience. Great job Allie. When do you expect to hear back?" Lucas asked.
"They said I should receive a letter by the end of the first week of July. I so hope I am selected," she told him.
"You should have every reason to believe you will be," he smiled widely at her.
Dessert soon came; they both had requested a Crème Brule, and it was delicious. The crunchy texture of the caramel on top paired so wonderfully with the creamy custard.
"Lucas, I have something to tell you. Something that I have had on my mind for a long time now. But if you don't want to discuss it, I will understand."
Lucas had the sense that it was about Elizabeth and her father. He could do this, he told himself. "Go ahead…." He told her.
"You know that way back I wanted Elizabeth to be with my dad. And I was a little bit unhappy with her choice. But once you were courting, I could see the love you two shared and how much you cared for Little Jack. I came to accept the two of you together and before long I was happy about it. I was even hoping that my dad would be with Faith. They seemed happy but things didn't work out. I was sad when you and Elizabeth ended your engagement. I know that you had to come here to save the town and that she wanted to stay in Hope Valley. Now that she and my dad are dating, I hope it works out, but I just wanted to let you know that I never wanted you to break up in the first place. I hope you excuse my bratty behavior when I was a kid."
"Thank you, Allie. I appreciate you telling me this. It was sad to have our love story end, but Elizabeth and I will always love one another, and we will always be friends. I want her to be happy and if she and your dad can find that together then I can accept it. Jack Jr and I will always be buddies too."
"I hope you find someone soon. I thought I saw a little something between you and the professor today…." she told him with a bit of inuendo.
"Allie… now you know better than to meddle. I can do fine on my own. And I am not saying I am interested, mind you."
"But you are… right?"
He gave her a very unserious frown, letting her know to drop it but not denying anything.
