Round Robin Chapter Eight
Hope Valley had slowed down again now that the riddle about Lucas Bouchard had been solved. Everyone went back to their own lives, and everything just rippled along. Hope Valley breathed out and returned to a steady, calm rhythm.
A knock at the door caused Nathan to raise his head. He was not expecting anyone to visit him. Allie was out with Angela, and Elizabeth enjoying the remaining time with her family.
After Lucas had left Hope Valley with all his extended family, the Thatchers moved into his house, which they rented from him. Rosemary was not too sad about this because when it turned out to be a more extended stay than Elizabeth and her parents had anticipated, the Coulter house felt a little overcrowded with so many adults living there.
So, Nathan was very surprised when he saw Wiliam Thatcher before him.
"Superintendent Grant, Nathan, may I have a word with you?" the older man asked, looking him straight in the eyes.
"Ahm, yes, of course. Please come in. How can I help you?" Nathan said, stepping aside to let Elizabeth's father into his home.
Wiliam looked around, curious how a single man would live. He expected some chaos but was surprised to see a spotless home. Nathan showed him to the settee and asked him to sit down, offering a cup of the coffee he had just brewed.
William Thatcher thanked him, took the cup, sipped, raised one brow, and was astonished at how aromatic the coffee tasted. Nathan looked at him, not saying anything. It wasn't that he was not curious about what Elizabeth's father wanted from him, but he thought he would let him make the first move.
"Well, I guess you expected my call before we leave the day after tomorrow. Grace and I had been worried about who the man might be… and when we met you and Allie, we were relieved to see you are not some scoundrel or headless adventurer. You will not put her in danger or jeopardize her safety. You seem to be a man who takes good care of the people he holds dear, and I see how Elizabeth looks at you. Let me come to the point of this: What are your intentions about my daughter?"
"Sir, my intentions are honorable. I am courting Elizabeth. My feelings are honest, true, and steadfast. In all clarity, I want to marry her if she will have me." answered Nathan.
'So, this is what it's like when the father starts to grill you,' thought Nathan. He became a little nervous about what Elizabeth's father might think of him. He didn't want to say anything that could be misunderstood, but he also wanted to make his point.
"Mr. Thatcher, I love her. It took us quite a while to get to where we are right now. We also needed the children to be all in on this."
"Yes, the children. Where is Allie's mother? How do you intend to treat Jack?" the older man asked. He was worried about his grandson and Nathan's possible lack of morality by being a father without….
"Allie's mother was my sister. When Colleen died, Allie was four years old. I became her legal guardian, and she has lived with me ever since. I adopted her some time ago with Allie's consent. Regarding Jack, if Elizabeth marries me, I will treat Jack just the same as any child we have, no matter if I fathered it or not. Love, Sir, is a matter of the heart, not the blood."
William Thatcher nodded in agreement. He was satisfied with all the answers he had received. Elizabeth had chosen a good, honest, and honorable man.
Again, the older man looked Nathan straight in the eyes, cleared his throat, and said," I know you do not need my permission to ask to marry my daughter or marry her at all, but I want you to know that Grace and I will welcome you with open arms and hearts if you decide to unite our families. Goodness, Elizabeth would be furious with me, knowing we talk about all this without her."
Nathan smiled at the thought of how Elizabeth would react when she heard about this conversation. He nodded and replied:" Well, Sir, I take it as we have your blessing then?"
"Yes, Grace and mine. Nathan, let us know whenever you propose so we can join you two on your wedding day. Grace missed Elizabeth's first wedding, and I do not want her to miss the second, either."
"I will, Sir. I promise."
After those words, William Thatcher stood up, thanked his daughter's suitor for the coffee and their open conversation, and then turned towards the door. Nathan accompanied him, opening the door, and before finally leaving the house, William Thatcher said, "Nathan, I just wonder if you might consider leaving the Mounties to take a position…. No, no, you would not leave the Mounties to go into my business, right?" With these words, William Thatcher left.
Nathan was wordless. He didn't know what to say. He closed the door, returned to the settee, and started thinking. 'When was the right time to propose? Am I sure Elizabeth would accept me already? How about the Mounties? Would they want me to go back to Fort Simpson? What would we do if they could not find a way for me to stay in Hope Valley? I have some ideas, but would headquarters go along with one of them? Were the children already fine with us being one family, sharing parents, and not having one alone for themselves? Where would we all live? We could squeeze into one of the rowhouses for a short while, but what if there were, hopefully, more children to come? What if, what if, what if,….'
Elizabeth enjoyed the afternoon picnic with her mother, Julie, and Jack. Her father excused himself with very important business matters, which caused Grace to look at him sternly while she said, "William Thatcher, don't overdo it! You still need to rest. I do not want to relive such a worry ever again. You need to take things slow!"
Wiliam smiled at his wife, touched by her concern after all their years together. He loved her madly, just as he had when he asked her to marry him—no, that was not true, even more. He promised that it would not take long and that he would rest afterward.
Sitting on a blanket, looking at how lovely Julie and Jack got along, Elizabeth told her mother how difficult it was to finally admit that she loved Nathan Grant. She told her mother how often she hurt him and that no matter what she did or said, he never stopped protecting, forgiving, and loving her. Hearing her daughter's story, seeing her glow of love for the man who showed how devoted he was to her, and understanding how much he must love Elizabeth, Grace knew that this was the right man for her daughter. Grace Thatcher took her middle daughter's hands, looked into her eyes, and encouraged her to be brave and take the last step to marry him.
Elizabeth blushed and admitted, almost inaudible, that he hadn't asked the question yet. She wondered if he needed more time to ensure she was committed to him wholeheartedly after all the mess she created. Grace smiled at her and said the only man she ever saw as much in love with someone was Wiliam when he asked her to marry him. Hope rose inside Elizabeth's heart that the day might come when she could finally say yes to the man she loved more than any other one.
The night was dark, except it was not dark. It was a moonless night, but the stars shone so brightly that they made up for the lack of moonlight.
Nathan was carrying a basket in one hand and a blanket squeezed under the same arm when he knocked at Elizabeth's door. He knew her parents and Julie were at her house, so he thought he could whisk her away for an hour or so. He felt nervous, but he just hoped…. He couldn't think of more as Elizabeth opened the door, looking at him curiously. "Nathan, how can I help you? Is Allie alright?"
"No, no. Allie is fine. She is at home, deep in her book. I thought that since you have someone to watch Jack and because it is such a marvelous night. I, I wonder if you would like to join me for a dessert picnic?" Nathan stumbled over the words, looking hopeful and frightened at her. "I, ah, I have some pie and apple juice," he swallowed hard. He hadn't thought asking her would be so hard, but he stood there with weak knees and damped hands.
Elizabeth looked at Nathan. He looked nervous, but after they hadn't had much time together lately, she nodded and said: "Just give me a minute."
Nathan watched her while she talked to her parents, took her shawl, and then she joined him with a broad smile and happy eyes. She closed the door behind her and asked, "So, where are we going?"
Relief was on his face, and with a smile, he took her hand with his free one and led her down the gravel lane on the outskirts of Hope Valley.
"Oh, not far. Just a nice picnic under a tree where we can watch the stars. I read in the newspaper that there should be a lot of falling stars tonight."
"That sounds wonderful. Thank you for wanting to share them with me."
She did not need any answer; his eyes brightened when he looked at her, telling her more than his words ever could.
Nathan sat with his back to the tree trunk, Elizabeth in front of him, leaning against him. His arms around her, holding her hands, caressing them gently, he kept his nose buried in her hair from time to time to inhale her scent and feel the softness of her curls, placing small kisses on her head. They had seen several falling stars, and each secretly wished the same thing every time.
"Nathan, do you think our destiny is written in the stars?" Elizabeth asked.
"No, I do not believe that. I think our destiny is what we make of our lives. If we succeed, we do because we are brave, regardful, and observant enough to read the situation and make the right decisions. I think it is an easy way out to blame destiny for failure. We make our choices, not the stars." He inhaled, readying to say more, and Elizabeth felt his tension. He removed one arm from her, but before long, he embraced her again.
"Elizabeth, you know what I feel for you. You know how much I love you. What… what do you think …of us?" With those words, he opened the hand he had moved earlier to reveal a delicate ring with a shiny diamond in his open hand.
Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat as she looked at the ring. She hadn't expected that. She looked at the ring- it wasn't pompous and overloaded but simple and elegant. It was honest, a question, and a promise—it was hope, happiness, and the future.
She turned her head, smiling as happy tears ran down her face. She nodded fiercely, unable to pronounce a simple yes.
He didn't know how, but suddenly, she sat on his lap, facing him, holding his face in her hands, and kissing him over and over again. All he could do was draw her closer, kiss her back, and be so happy that he thought he must explode for happiness.
"My love, my sweet, sweet Elizabeth," were his last words for a while. They couldn't stop kissing. Hands, were discovering, holding, caressing, touching each other, communicating about wants and needs, love and trust, hope and promises. After a while, Nathan said hoarsely with a happy smile, " I guess we need to marry soon. I think I already got addicted... to you."
Elizabeth blushed, breathing heavily, nodding her agreement before she leaned her head against his chest to calm down and still be close to him. She heard his heartbeat, knew this was her home, this was her safe place, that this was where she was meant to be, and felt that the future would be theirs.
And Nathan? Nathan knew how much he loved her. He knew that she was all he would ever want and need. He was happy. No, happy would not in the least describe what he felt, but he now looked to a future with her as his wife, and the pure thought of it made him laugh loudly.
"What do you think of tomorrow or the day after tomorrow to marry? We need to talk to the kids, and we need wedding bands, we need to talk to my parents and so many other people, and we need to invite your parents, I need a dress, we need to…, Elizabeth was stopped talking by a kiss of a laughing, a very happy laughing Nathan.
"If you do not mind, I already have wedding bands, but we can get new ones if you do not like them. We can have breakfast together tomorrow morning and tell Allie and Jack. We need to make many decisions, but nothing we need to hurry as long as we live under the same roof and share…," and with a mischievous smile added, "life together. And Love, you could wear a potato sack and still be the most beautiful woman in the world," he laughed: "I am sure your parents will stay a little longer to be with you when we marry."
Nathan was so happy he seemed to float. They could not stop kissing, whispering words of love, promises, and wishes for the future, but reality brought them back when a brisk breeze and a squirrel that tried to get some pie leftovers from their plates brought them back into this world and reminded them that it was indeed in the middle of the night and time to go home.
With a guilty conscience, because it was already 1 am but so incredibly happy, Nathan walked Elizabeth back home. They kissed goodbye at the steps in front of her house, but every time she tried to go upstairs, he pulled her back to him, and every time he tried to leave, she sighed, and he couldn't do anything else but kiss her once more. They were unable to separate until they heard someone clearing their throat.
"I think we all see how much you are in love with each other, but I also think this is a good time to bid good night. Elizabeth, your mother and I are tired and want to go to bed. Julie left one hour ago. Would you please come in and release us for tonight?" Wiliam Thatcher wanted to sound stern, but his understanding smile told everything about his happiness for his daughter to have found love again.
"Father, I am sorry. We just got lost in time," said Elizabeth, smiling and looking content and guilty simultaneously. She grabbed Nathan's hand and drew him inside her rowhouse.
"Father, mother, we just got engaged. We want to get married in a couple of days. Nothing big or posh, just a quiet and small ceremony. I hope we have your blessings."
Nathan looked at his fiancé. Oh, how it sounded: fiancé or wife-to-be. He was deliriously happy and raised his gaze to look into his future father-in-law's eyes. He saw how Wiliam nodded his approval.
"Oh, it was about time you asked her. Please call me Grace." With these words, Grace Thatcher went straight to Nathan and welcomed him warmly into the family. Then she turned towards her daughter and said, "Better you go to bed. We are going to have some exhausting days before us. A wedding in a couple of days? I think that is a challenge. But we will talk about it tomorrow, rested after breakfast."
Nathan claimed a quick kiss from Elizabeth before leaving the house with his future parents-in-law. At home, he went upstairs to check on Allie. Even though she was no longer a small child, he still needed to make sure she was safe and sound before he went to bed. He found her reading.
"Allie, you should sleep. Turn the light down. We will have some exciting days ahead, and you should be rested.
Allie looked at her dad; he looked different somehow, but she was too occupied by the story about Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet to look closer and ask to explain what he meant. She just nodded, turned the light down, crawled under her blanket, and said, "Good night, Dad. Sleep well."
"Good night, my sweet girl. Sweet dreams." With those words, he closed the door and went to his bedroom, realizing that she no longer wanted him to kiss her good night.
Elizabeth also checked on her son before she went to her bedroom. How will Jack take it that they will be a family with Nathan and Allie? She hoped the children had bonded enough over the past time to feel confident about getting a sibling and becoming one.
She changed into her nightgown, crawled into her bed, and wondered how it would be to have Nathan beside her, holding, warming, and loving her. 'Oh, I need to tell Rosemary,' she thought, playing with the ring Nathan had slipped over her finger that night. Then she fell into sleep, still glowing with happiness.
Grace Thatcher snuggled into her husband's arms, happy for her daughter. "I am so glad you succeeded in making him propose tonight, Will. I must admit she chose well, and he is so madly in love with her. It is so sweet to see. She told me everything this afternoon. She did not make this easy, I can tell, not only for him but more for herself."
"Yes, I think he just needed a little push, too. Who knows what they would have waited for? And I am pleased you will see your daughter's wedding this time. Hopefully, it's her last. I don't think she can find someone more devoted to her, the children, and their lives." William answered.
"Will, how on earth shall we organize a wedding in only two days? The dress, the location, the invitations, the cake, the announcements. We need more time. How in heaven's name shall we convince them to wait a little longer now that we have pushed them over the edge?"
"Let's wait. Maybe we will find an ally or two. I might have someone in mind. Let's sleep, my dearest." And so Wiliam Thatcher kissed his wife tenderly on her lips; both sighed and tried to fall asleep. One managed immediately, satisfied with the day, while the other thought about dresses, decorations, and many other things related to weddings.
Granville Prison got a new inmate: Andrew Moretti. He was known for robberies, blackmailing, kidnapping, and smuggling. He had his operations around Vancouver but was convicted, arrested, and sentenced in connection with the investigation against Peter Bouchard.
The authorities decided to lock him up in Granville because they hoped he might have less influence in this part of the country than in the Vancouver area. That would mean less interference, complications, and trouble.
But his name was soon whispered through the prison halls—through walls, cell to cell, mouth to mouth. And those who knew his name shuddered either in fear for him or in the hope of gaining a piece of his power and opportunities. It was a famous name, a name that meant no good.
So, it did not take long for Andrew Moretti to build a network of volunteers for everything he wanted and needed. May it have been founded on special treats, protection, or information.
Dillion Parks didn't know which side he wanted to belong to. He didn't care. The only thing he knew was that he wanted revenge. Revenge on Nathan Grant, who had tricked him into prison. Oh, he hated that man.
Three days after Andrew Moretti arrived, Dillon Parks found himself seated next to him for lunch. Andrew smiled at him, encouraged him to eat, and even organized an extra dessert for Dillion before he started a light conversation. Dillon did not know what was going on until Moretti asked him," So, you are the brother-in-law of that Mountie Nathan Grant?"