Elizabeth and Faith had gone inside already to prepare for bed while Nathan and Gabe took care of the sleigh and the horse. If they appeared in a hurry, neither man said anything and just worked in silence.
Gabe said a quick goodnight and headed towards his house, a bit trepidatious at the thought of the kiss and what that meant for them.
When Nathan got to their room to change, Elizabeth had already changed into her nightclothes and was brushing out her hair. She smiled shyly as he grabbed his clothes and headed to the bathroom to change. She was in bed when he came back in. Putting their clothes away, he slipped into bed beside her, and she quickly moved to snuggle up to him and let out a contented sigh.
He cuddled her closer and, with a kiss on her forehead, said, "Night, Lizbeth,"
"Good night, Nathan, and thank you for a wonderful evening," Elizabeth replied sleepily. They were asleep within minutes of each other.
MEANWHILE IN HAMILTON
Sunday, Jan 1, 1910
The following day William was up early, sitting in his study, reflecting on the previous night's events. As the clock ticked closer to midnight, William watched his wife flit around, trying to ensure that everything was ready for the engagement announcement and the midnight toast. He noticed she kept trying to interfere with the Carringtons and the Bensons. In her mind, she was protecting Elizabeth's interests, and he hadn't yet told her that Elizabeth was, in fact, already married.
He thought back to the conversation on the phone with Elizabeth, and his heart hurt at her hesitation and distrust, though not because of her but because he had given her reason to be. He vowed that from now on, he would put his daughters' happiness first over anything else. He also would not allow Grace to continue on the same path she was on either. It was time for her to get a taste of reality, starting with there wouldn't be a joining of the two families anymore.
Phillip's parents had understood when he told them that Elizabeth was adamant about not marrying Phillip. He felt that the mother was relieved, especially when Agatha told him she was childhood friends with Mrs. Benson. Now he just had to tell Grace and the others about it. William chuckled, thinking about the reaction it would get along with the trip that none of the others would be allowed to come on.
He looked at the clock, sighed, and headed toward the dining room. "Might as well get this done," William said. Walking in, he found his daughters and wife already seated.
"William, did you know the Carringtons left after the champagne toast last night? With the Benson's?" Grace said, her voice sounding a bit shrill at the last part.
"Yes, I did know. I arranged for their things to be taken to the Benson's per their request after our discussion in my study."
"William! Father!" his wife and oldest daughter said. He noticed that Julie just eyed him with interest as if suspecting something. His youngest took a lot of ribbing from others thinking she was flighty and not as bright as her sisters. Looking at her now, he could see that people, including himself, underestimated the intelligence behind the façade.
"Why on earth would you do that? What discussion are you talking about?" Grace demanded.
William held his hand up, signaling they would wait until the servants finished serving. Grace looked like she wanted to argue but gave a brief nod. He wasn't ashamed to talk in front of them because they had good help. But he didn't want to subject them to the tirade that was about to occur. He knew that Agatha had already informed the staff of Elizabeth's marriage and subsequent happiness. He chuckled as he realized how much he was already changing after Agatha's hard truths and time spent praying and reflecting.
"Well, William?" Grace said. "What will poor Elizabeth think when she returns and her fiancé is with someone else?"
"Congratulations, I would imagine," William said flatly, trying to keep the amusement out of his tone.
Julie giggled but attempted to cover it up, earning a stern look from her mother.
"How can you say that? This is her chance to take her proper place, and she couldn't do any better than Phillip Carrington. Other than us, they are the cream of the crop in Hamilton society." Grace objected.
"MOTHER!" Julie shouted, clearly offended by her view.
But Grace ignored her and continued. "William, we simply must demand that she return home."
"GRACE!" William said, interrupting what looked to be a tirade starting. "I will not order her home, and Elizabeth will not be marrying anyone. I told the Carrington's that no announcements would be forthcoming."
"I don't understand," Grace said, confused.
"The truth is that Elizabeth is already married," William said.
"To whom?" Grace said, her tone turning glacial.
"To a Mountie in the west since December 28th. From what Agatha has said, it appears to be a happy match too."
His wife and oldest daughter looked like he had two heads at the moment, but he could see Julie was happy. "Are you saying that Elizabeth, assisted by that woman and my sister, eloped as a mail-order bride for some, some constable?"
"I am," William said.
William was shocked at the look that came over his normally placid wife. She was livid, and her eyes took on an iciness he had never seen before. Calmly Grace stood up without saying a word. Her lips pressed into a thin line.
"Where are you going?" he asked her, also standing up.
"Someone has to save the reputation of this family so that my other daughters don't suffer for what their sister did," Grace said, heading for the door.
"GRACE! SIT DOWN!" William ordered. She just looked at him briefly and then continued out the door.
GRANT RANCH
Elizabeth woke up to find that Nathan was already up and about. Looking at the clock on the bedside table, she realized that she had overslept. As she got ready for church services, she smiled as she thought of the kiss at midnight and the subsequent ones on the way home. It filled her with warmth, and her cheeks pinkened as she recalled how wonderful it made her feel and created a longing for more.
As if summoned by her thoughts, there was a knock on the bedroom door, followed by Nathan calling her name.
"It's okay, Nathan. You can come in."
He opened the door with a shy smile and a tray in his hands. "Good morning Lizbeth,"
"Good morning, Nathan," Elizabeth said softly as he set the tray down. She went over, intending to kiss him on the cheek, but the scent of balsam and cedar enveloped her, and a new boldness came over her. She drew closer, and then as she had done last night, she initiated another kiss that quickly turned fiery as he deepened it. As they paused to breathe, they looked at each other, passion burning high and a deeper need reflecting in their eyes. Their lips met once again, and just as they inched closer to the bed, they could hear Allie calling for them.
With a sigh, they broke apart, looking at each other guiltily for a moment before Elizabeth giggled at the humor of it. They were married and were not being improper after all. They had no reason to feel guilty. Nathan chuckled and pulled her close, relishing in the feel of his wife in his arms.
He kissed the top of her head and stepped back with a rueful smile. Allie knocked on the door, and he crossed over to let her in. "Good morning, sweetheart," Elizabeth said as Allie ran over and held her arms up for cuddles.
Elizabeth sat down on the edge of the bed and scooped her up happily. Nathan stood momentarily, just watching, before joining his little family for morning cuddles. He still had a hard time believing that this was his life now. He still felt the effects of the kisses they had shared moments before. A quick exchange of glances over Allie's head revealed Elizabeth was too.
Elizabeth sat there cuddling Allie thinking about how quickly she and Nathan were moving forward in their marriage. She knew she was in love with Nathan but wondered at what point it would be fitting to tell him. Should she wait until he said it? What if he never did? She knew he cared for her because his actions showed it. But what about his feelings for Alice because he was planning on proposing after all? That is not something that a man does on a whim. In the short time that she had known Nathan, he wasn't a man to just do things without a lot of thought. Glancing over at the table where the forgotten tray sat with a cup of tea and scone on it, she smiled at his thoughtfulness.
Nathan had noticed the pensive look on Elizabeth's face and wondered if she regretted their kisses last night and this morning. He could tell that though she was happily cuddling Allie, something was weighing on her mind. Something that had begun when they were interrupted. He noticed she smiled as she looked at the tray and realized she hadn't eaten. He started to say something to Allie, but she already wanted to go back and play with her dolls and dollhouse shutting the door behind her.
"Your tea is probably cold now," Nathan said, smiling softly.
Elizabeth reached for his hand and said, "Thank you for bringing it to me. It was very sweet of you." It was the second time and she could get used to it.
They sat there quietly, holding hands for a time. Then Nathan moved his hand from hers only to put his arm around her and pull her closer, resting his head against hers. He closed his eyes briefly, relishing the moment before asking, "Elizabeth, is everything all right?"
She looked up at him and saw concern in his eyes. "Yes, Nathan, everything is okay. Why do you ask?"
Clearing his throat, he said, "You looked bothered a few minutes ago after our kisses, and I was wondering if maybe we were moving too fast for you, and you regretted them?"
She didn't answer but captured his lips with hers, letting him feel all her passion and love for him. Nathan was frozen in shock for a minute but then returned it with a similar intensity. Their control slipped slightly as they gave themselves up to what was happening. Needing to be closer, Elizabeth drew closer as Nathan pulled her into his lap. Their need to be closer intensified, but the need for air caused them to part, allowing for a bit of clarity at the moment. It was the middle of the day, and everyone else was up, and they knew they were on the brink of no return. Nathan held her tucked into his chest as their breathing and heartbeats returned to normal.
"Elizabeth,….Uh," Nathan said, trying to regain control.
She pulled away to look him in the eye. "Nathan, I love you," Elizabeth said in a rush, unable to hold the words in anymore. "I fell in love with you the moment I saw you, and it has only gotten stronger. You don't have to say anything, but I can't keep it in any longer. I know it…."
Nathan silenced her by gently placing a finger on her lips to stop her from saying more. "Elizabeth, I love you too. Like you, I was a goner from the moment I looked into those beautiful eyes. Being married to you is the best thing that has happened to me. I want you to know that what I feel for you has made me see that I wasn't in love with Alice, and what I felt for her pales in comparison to what I do for you." His breath caught at her smile and the look in her eyes as she heard his words.
She kissed him softly, with gentleness and reverence, and it was apparent to both of them that they had crossed over to a new level of intimacy with each other.
Seeing that it was time for them to leave, Nathan let Elizabeth know that they would be traveling separately since Nathan and Gabe would have to work a few hours after services were done, and they would also be wearing their Serge.
"Ma will drive all of you while Gabe and I will ride Newton and Apollo. We should be home in time for dinner."
"Do you work every Sunday?" Elizabeth asked as he grabbed his Serge from the closet.
"No, it goes on a rotation schedule with Gabe and me having on-call duty every other weekend."
She loved watching him put on his Serge and secretly held a picture in her mind of what he looked like underneath it. It was hard to miss the muscle definition of his biceps as they strained against the material of his Henley underneath. It also was a bit snug, showing his defined chest and broad shoulders. She could also see a bit of his chest hair that was exposed by the unfastened buttons creating an intimate look that made her flustered and have trouble thinking of anything else. One thing was for certain her husband was a very handsome man, and he was all hers.
