Lillian wasn't sure if she was crying or smiling after she heard the whole plan of Lucas' proposal to Grace.
"Oh, Lucas!", she mumbled "She is going to love it!", she wiped her tears with shivering fingers "You don't know how much it means to me to see her this happy", and then she let out a little laugh "I don't know how will I manage to keep it a secret for a day and half!"
Both of them laughed happily and Lucas took a handkerchief from his suit pocket and offered it to Lillian.
She accepted it and smiled gratefully before wiping her eyes and cheeks.
As she did that, Lillian noticed a tinge of nervousness still present on her soon to be brother-in-law's face.
"What's wrong?", she asked.
Lucas let out a breath, looking upwards then back at Lillian.
"Do you think she'll say yes?", he asked.
Lillian's eyes went wide open, her mouth slightly gaping.
"You can't be serious!", she chuckled. As she realized how nervous he was, Lillian's eyes softened "Lucas, you have nothing to worry about. Grace loves you. Of course she'll say yes!"
Lucas took a deep breath in and then exhaled slowly.
"I don't know why am I so nervous", he mumbled as he got up and held onto his chair with one hand, while running his fingers over his face.
Lillian smiled warmly.
"You know what?", as Lucas looked at her, she said "I could do with that drink now. To toast to my future brother-in-law."
That did the trick. Lucas smiled warmly as he nodded and invited her with the movement of his head to follow him to the bar that stood close to the window.
As he opened the bar, Lillian inspected the offer and smiled.
"A glass of red wine, thank you", as he nodded and poured a glass of wine for her and a glass of whiskey for himself, Lillian smiled "Now, allow me to make a toast", she put her glass up and pulled on a serious facial expression "To Lucas Bouchard, my very soon to be brother-in-law.
May you never do or say anything that would make me want to strangle you!", as she said that, both of them laughed and clinked their glasses.
"I'll drink to that", said Lucas, smiling widely "Thank you, Lilian."
—--
Grace walked around the living room rocking baby Madelaine in her arms and making funny faces at her. Little girl gave her a toothless grin and Grace could feel her heart melting.
She smiled as she gently kissed Madelaine's little head, inhaling her adorable baby scent.
"How could anyone leave you, little munchkin?", she whispered as she moved a baby on her shoulder, reveling in a feeling of little hands playing with her hair.
She heard a phone ringing and turned around looking for Bertha. Their cook went to bring the kids in from the yard where they were having a snowball fight and was helping them to get ready for dinner.
Grace quickly picked up the phone and whispered so she wouldn't upset little Madelaine:
"Hello? New Hope orphanage, how may I help you?"
Lucas stopped his walk beside the table in his office.
"Why are we whispering?", he silently quipped.
Grace smiled as she held a phone receiver on her shoulder with her chin as she repositioned Madelaine in her arms.
"Because little Madelaine and I were having a cuddle and you interrupted us", she quipped, her smile widening as baby Madelaine cooed happily at the sound of her voice and Grace made kissing noises to a baby, her hair falling in reach of Madelaine's tiny fingers, which just made a baby girl squeal in delight.
Lucas felt his heart skip a beat at the sweetest sounds of Grace and baby on the other side of line.
Grace smiled as she put Madelaine on her left shoulder and took a phone receiver back in her right hand.
"Well, since you already interrupted us you are more than welcome to crash our girl's afternoon", said Grace, her heart accelerating at the mere thought of seeing him again "Lillian went to town so I can't actually leave the house."
Lucas smiled warmly at her invitation. Oh, he was dying to see her! It was almost 18 hours since they said goodbye to each other.
"Very well. I accept your kind invitation", he said as he checked the time "I'll be there to help you and Bertha put the munchkins in the bed."
Grace smiled warmly.
"We'll be waiting", she warmly said then spoke in a playful gentle tone of voice to a baby in her arms "Isn't that right, Madeleine? You're looking forward to see Lucas too, aren't you?", her smile widened as the baby cooed happily "I think you have a new fan here, Lucas."
Lucas smiled, his heart warming at his love's words.
"Well, then, I better hurry", he said as he left his office and walked down the corridor "Don't want to keep the audience waiting."
Grace chuckled as they said goodbye and putting the phone down she raised baby Madelaine high up in the air, causing the baby to squeal in delight.
—--
The dinner was a happy, loud event with children so exuberant from their playing in the snow.
Lillian was back about half an hour after Lucas' call and was full of happy energy. She shooed Grace away from the kitchen with a wide smile telling her to just go and feed baby Madelaine and she will help Bertha with dinner.
And so it happened that Grace was sitting on the settee and feeding little Madelaine with a bottle, when there was a knock at the doors.
She slowly got up and walked toward the doors, her eyes still on the baby in her arms.
She had to pull a bottle away from baby's mouth for just a moment in order to open the door, but it was enough to cause little Madelaine to whimper in protest.
Grace put the bottle back to baby's mouth as she looked up, smiling warmly at the sight of her Lucas stepping in quickly as he grimaced apologetically.
"Sorry", he whispered, immediately realizing why was Madelaine fussy. He gently caressed baby's little head and whispered "I also hate when somebody interrupts my dinner", as the baby looked curiously at him, tears forgotten, Lucas smiled and looked up at Grace "Hello."
Grace felt her heart melting along with the rest of her at seeing him talking to a baby.
"Hello", she whispered, leaning in to give him a short, but loving kiss. As he gently nuzzled her nose, they heard Madelaine make a popping sound as her lips left the bottle and she gave them a toothless grin.
Both of them looked down at the baby in Grace's arms and smiled.
"I'm going to put her bottle away. Could you hold her?", asked Grace.
Lucas nodded.
"Yeah, sure", he took a little towel from Grace, put it on his shoulder and paid full attention to a tiny baby being transferred slowly in his arms.
At the simple feeling of a little baby in his arms, Lucas felt his heart warming as he whispered "Hey, Madelaine. Did you have a nice dinner?", as he said that, he expertly placed a tiny baby on his shoulder and gently patted her back.
Grace's fingers were frozen at little Madelaine's soft blanket as she watched Lucas taking such a gentle care of a baby.
Her heart skipped a beat and she let out a shuddering breath as an image showed up in front of her eyes…
She could see her dear Lucas losing a battle with tears of joy as he took a hold of a newborn baby for the first time.
She could see her beloved Lucas teaching a little girl to walk as she sat on the blanket under the shade of a tree, smiling and watching them move slowly toward her across the meadow.
She could see him up on a little pink bed, his feet crossed as two little girls snuggled to his sides as he read to them.
She could see him slowly closing a book and gently caressing two sleepy brunette heads as he looked up at her standing at the doors of the nursery.
And as Grace looked up at Lucas holding little Madelaine in his arms, she could see her emotions mirrored in his dark orbs.
Grace gently smiled, her cheeks blushing as she gave a baby in Lucas' arms a gentle caress before rushing toward the kitchen.
Lillian looked up as her sister barged in the kitchen, flustered and breathing heavily.
"What's got you so worked up?", Lillian mumbled as she poured some more cocoa in the cups.
Grace let out a breath and showed to the corridor with a slight movement of her head.
Wiping her hands on the apron Lillian creased her eyebrows and walked toward the doors.
And as she peeked out she couldn't help but smile at the sight in front of her.
Lucas with a baby.
Lillian smiled and went back to the kitchen. She took one look at her sister and grinned.
"Oh, Gracie, what's got into you?"
Grace turned to look incredulously at her sister.
""What's got into me?!", Grace hissed in disbelief "Didn't you just see him out there?!", she asked and closed her eyes "I won't survive this."
Lillian bit her lower lip in order not to laugh.
She gave her sister a pat on her back.
"Courage, Grace. Courage", she quipped, but it was like Grace didn't even hear her.
Her little sister looked up at her.
"If he could have a sneak peek inside my mind right now, he'd run away screaming", mumbled Grace, throwing Madelaine's bottle in the sink.
Lillian shook with stifled laugh.
"Have a little faith in him, Gracie", as those words left her mouth Lillian nearly bursted to laugh at her sister's facial expression.
Grace let out a humorless laugh.
"Oh, oh, one day, Lillian", she put her index finger up "One day you will stand here, falling apart because the most perfect man has swept you off your feet and I will just laugh!", and letting out a forced laugh, Grace stormed out of the kitchen
Lillian bursted to laughter as she spread some butter and jam on the bread.
"Oh, I can't wait!", she yelled out, laughing all the time.
Lucas looked up as Grace stormed down the corridor and pulled a mocking face at the sound of Lillian's laugh.
"What's the matter?", he asked as both he and little Madelaine looked at Grace.
And only one look at the two of them watching her made Grace's frustration melt away.
She smiled at Madelaine, wiggling her fingers to invite the baby back in her arms but a little girl turned away, looking up at Lucas as she munched on her tiny fingers.
Lucas gently caressed baby's soft cheek causing her to grab his sleeve and trying to pull out a cufflink with all her might.
It was only then that Grace noticed that Lucas took off his coat and suit jacket.
Lucas looked at her, and as he gently rocked the little baby in his arms, he whispered:
"It's alright. I got it", he smiled at her as he stepped up three steps and went back inside the living room.
Grace let out a shivering breath as she watched him walk away, talking silently to a baby in his arms all the time.
I am a hopeless case.
She hung her head in defeat before picking it up, bolstering herself.
Come on, Grace. It's just a baby. And it's just Lucas. It's not like you didn't see him with kids before.
Slightly encouraged by her own thoughts Grace went inside the living room…
And stopped dead in her tracks.
Lucas was laying on the settee, his feet propped up as he put an index finger on his lips and made a shushing sound. At the next moment he smiled and showed with his eyes to a tiny baby laying on his chest.
Fast asleep.
Grace felt her heart melting and she smiled as she tiptoed toward the settee.
Gently picking baby up, she whispered:
"I'm going to put her to sleep", as a baby whimpered, Grace gently rocked her in her arms and whispered "I'll be right back."
Lucas sat up, putting a little towel beside him and looking after Grace.
He could hear her slowly moving up the stairs and silently singing a lullaby to the baby.
"Hush, little baby, don't you cry; Mama's going to sing you a lullaby…."
—--
About two hours later, Grace tiptoed to the kitchen to grab a piece of paper and scribble something on it.
Folding it, she rushed into the hallway and quickly put the paper inside the pocket of Lucas' coat.
Right on time.
She turned around at the sound of footsteps and watched her love coming toward her with a smile on his face.
"Well, the munchkins are asleep", pressing his lips tightly together, he raised his eyebrows "Or, they will be very soon", he stepped into Grace's personal space and smiled warmly at her loving glance "What?", he asked as his arms slowly wrapped her up in an embrace.
Grace melted in his arms and sighed playfully.
"I had to share you the whole evening", she pouted "It's not fair."
Lucas gently nuzzled her nose.
"How can I make it up to you, my lady?", he whispered.
Grace smiled as she inched closer.
"Oh, there is a way…But, I'll let you figure it out by yourself", she watched as his eyes turned a shade of darker and he leaned down, his lips brushing against hers.
Grace smiled against the warmth of his lips and sighed as she placed her hands on his chest.
He kept on kissing her sensually, slowly, lovingly, like she was the most vulnerable china in his hands. She trembled from the gentleness in his touch, never wanting to leave his arms.
As the kiss broke, Lucas gently kissed her forehead before turning around to get his coat.
Grace put her hands on her back and bit her lower lip, watching that the paper doesn't fall out from his coat pocket.
Lucas put his coat on and chuckled.
"I was in such a hurry to come here that I forgot to get my gloves", he smiled as he approached her and kissed her one more time.
Grace smiled dreamily as he let her go and whispered:
"Then you better hurry up, Governor. You don't want your hands to freeze on your way home", she said as she took both of his hands and bringing them up, slowly kissed the inner side of his palms.
He watched her mesmerized as she kissed his palms and then she whispered:
"That should keep you warm till you get home."
She barely finished her sentence when Lucas closed a small space between them, kissing her passionately, causing her to sway on her feet, her entire body bursting into flames.
He pulled her closer to him, causing her to sigh and open up to him. He took a chance and deepened their kiss, finally kissing her the way he wanted to the whole evening.
Both of them gasped for breath and Grace leaned her forehead on his, never breaking the eye contact.
"You are my home", he whispered passionately as he cupped her cheek and caressed its soft skin.
Grace smiled lovingly at his words, her heart beating faster than ever and she closed her eyes as his lips kissed her one more time.
Somehow, they managed to pull away from each other and after saying "good night" and "sweet dreams", Grace closed the doors behind him and leaned her back on it, her eyes closing and her smile widening.
Lucas stepped into a winter night pulling his collar up a bit as the cold wind picked up.
He rushed to get to his car and away from freezing weather that made him put hands in his pockets.
And that's when he felt it under his fingertips.
A piece of paper.
Creasing his eyebrows, Lucas took it out and as he sat in a driver's seat, he unfolded it.
Dear Governor Bouchard,
Please be so kind and join me for a very special date in your honour at Friday night. Dress code casual because I am taking you to see the stars.
I will wait for you in front of the mansion at 19.00 sharp.
Yours truly,
Grace.