Grace left the room excited and immediately sought out her daughters. She found Julie in the sunroom sketching. "Julie, where is your sister?"
Julie looked up at her mother and was surprised to see a huge smile on her face. "Viola went off with Lionel, Mother. What has you so happy," Julie asked, placing her pencil and sketchpad beside her on the settee.
"I just found out that I am a grandmother, and you are an aunt," Grace said, her eyes dancing excitedly.
"What are you talking about?" Julie said, confused.
"Elizabeth and her husband are adopting his three-year-old niece," Grace said, sitting beside her daughter.
"And you are happy about her marrying a Mountie now?" Julie asked as she watched her mother warily. Julie was pleased for her sister because she had never wanted a society life. From what her father said and the fact that her aunt Agatha and Aunt Catherine approved, Elizabeth must be happy. Neither of her aunts would have ever helped Elizabeth into a situation like marriage unless they were assured she would be safe and happy.
Grace looked at her youngest and saw the wariness in her eyes. Suddenly as if a blindfold was taken away, she could recall the words of her sister, followed by her reactions to Elizabeth's refusal to follow along with her parents' wishes regarding the marriage. Her features softened, and she reached out a hand to Julie. "I think I am, sweetheart. However, I am not proud of my behavior up until now. I don't know how to explain it, but when you reach my age, the idea of being a grandmother is like someone offering you the crown jewels."
"Even though she isn't Elizabeth's by blood?" Julie asked.
Grace's eyes softened. "One of the things I have learned in life, though you wouldn't know it by my behavior, is that family is bonded through the heart. So even if later Elizabeth and her Mountie have biological children, I won't love them more. I would love grandchildren no matter how they came into our family." Tears began to fall from Grace's eyes as she thought of the faceless little girl already in her heart, sight unseen. Julie was speechless and just embraced her mother in a hug.
Unbeknownst to either woman, William had been just outside and listened to the exchange, and a love he didn't know he had for his wife grew. Clearing his throat to alert them to his presence, he stepped into the room. They pulled back from each other, smiling as Grace wiped her eyes. William reached into his pocket and handed his handkerchief to his wife, smiling at her warmly.
His wife returned the smile and asked. "William, what are Elizabeth's Mountie and daughter's names?"
He chuckled. "Nathan Grant and Allie, I believe it is a nickname. Agatha would probably be able to tell you more. In fact, why don't you two get ready while I have Thompson have the car brought around? We can go shopping for a few things, and then I'll treat the two of you to lunch afterward." William said to the delight of his wife and daughter. As he stepped out into the hall, the ever-present Thompson was already there and waiting.
After letting him know the plan, he went across the hall to his study and placed a call to Agatha. After telling her what had happened and assuring her, he felt the change was real; Agatha insisted they stop by and pick her up. She had also planned to bring little Allie a gift and wanted to talk with her sister. Shortly afterward, William, Grace, and Julie were headed towards Agatha's, excited about shopping for their new family members.
Agatha had hung up the phone, a bit shocked at what William had said but hopeful that it was true. She knew that Julie would be happy for her sister and hoped Grace's change of heart was true and permanent. In their early days, before the demands of society had been placed when they were girls, it had been different between them. Grace had been lots of fun and mischievous. Julie reminded her a lot of Grace when they were kids before they came out. The two sisters had got in lots of scrapes and were very close. Oh, how she missed that Grace and wished she would return.
Fifteen minutes later, William, Grace, and Julie entered her drawing room where she had been waiting. She gasped when she saw the difference in her sister's countenance right away. Usually, Grace was aloof and stiff, but the woman standing there had the sparkle and the smile of her baby sister.
"Aggie, can you help me find something to send to sweet Allie and Elizabeth's family?" Grace said, using her old nickname from childhood. Agatha only hesitated for a second before going over to embrace her sister.
"Gracie, I would love to because I have a list of ideas and want to pick some things up too. We can do it together because you always have the talent for picking the best gifts." It wasn't a stretch to say that either because Grace was very good at knowing just the right gift that others would like. Before long, they were off and heading to the Hamilton shops.
BACK IN ABERDEEN
Dinner was almost ready by the time Nathan and Gabe arrived back at the ranch. It had been a quiet day spent mainly talking to the townspeople congratulating them, and talking about their wives. One good thing that came out of it was that he happened to see Judge Williams and was able to discuss Allie's adoption. He and Elizabeth had an appointment to meet with him on the fourth at noon to sign the necessary paperwork to begin the process. He couldn't help chuckling as more than one person expressed glee at Alice's reaction to Nathan being married. Gabe had been approached about whether Faith might be willing to help out at the Infirmary a few days a week. Gabe promised to talk to his wife and let them know.
They could see Elizabeth near the stove as they passed to the barn and recalled that it was their wives' turn to make dinner. Remembering the burnt biscuits and beef stew from the last time, they grimaced a bit as their stomachs growled. With a tired sigh, they dismounted and began to bed down their horses for the evening, surprised to see that the stalls were taken care of and there was fresh water, hay, oats, and some apples waiting for Newton and Apollo. Quickly removing the saddles and brushing them well, they finished shortly afterward and headed for the house.
Upon entering, Allie approached her uncle and said, "Aunt Lizbeth, Aunt Faith, and I hep in the barn with Newt and Aplo. Were you suprised?"
"I was, sweetie," Nathan said, giving her a kiss on top of her head and a squeeze as he walked over to his wife.
Elizabeth shyly looked at him before suddenly recalling she needed to get the biscuits out of the oven. Before he could move to kiss her, she turned and grabbed the potholder to pull them out. Nathan looked at the mouthwatering biscuits, just like his mother would have made. The look of relief on his wife's face revealed that she was the baker.
Faith entered the kitchen just then, "Elizabeth, I finished setting the table. Did you get the biscuits?"
"Elizabeth smiled and held up the tray in triumph. Just then, Moira called for Allie from the other room knowing the couples would like to say a private hello.
Gabe had already gone over to his wife as soon as Allie left the room, and Nathan was able to wait until Elizabeth had set down the tray but just barely. After kissing their wives thoroughly, they walked over to the sink, washed their hands, and prepared to eat.
Faith began filling a basket with biscuits as Moira taught her and proudly carried them to the table while Elizabeth followed behind with the pot of beef stew she had made.
After everyone was settled and prayer was done, they began eating. Elizabeth looked at Moira as she put a spoonful of beef stew in her mouth and chewed. Elizabeth bit her lip in nerves as she waited expectantly for the verdict. Then Moira took a bite of a biscuit that had been her contribution. She didn't make the girls wait long and smiled. "Elizabeth, this stew is as delicious as mine. Faith, these biscuits are perfectly done.
Gabe and Nathan had already determined for themselves that the food was good. It had been so good that they had already finished and were headed back for more.
"Elizabeth, you made the stew?" Nathan said. Elizabeth smiled and nodded.
"She and Faith made dinner completely on their own," Moira explained.
"Elizabeth made the pie for dessert, though," Faith said. "It took me two attempts to get the biscuits right. Thankfully Elizabeth helped me figure out what I was doing wrong."
"Faith, you give me too much credit." Elizabeth protested.
Moira was pleased to see that Elizabeth wasn't a woman to make herself look better at the expense of another woman. The bond between those two young women was as strong and beautiful as the one between Nathan and Gabe. She knew that Allie would grow up to be a woman like Elizabeth, which would have made Colleen proud. Suddenly she was hit with a strong wave of protectiveness and love as she thought of William Thatcher and her mother, Grace. Looking over at her dear friend Catherine, her friend smiled with love and pride. When she next ran into Alice and her parents, she would have to thank them for rejecting Nathan. If not for that, they would have missed out on the blessing that was Elizabeth.
"You did a wonderful job, sweetheart," Gabe told his wife, kissing her cheek and making her blush. "The biscuits were perfect, as was the beef stew, Elizabeth."
"Thank you, Gabe."
Elizabeth brought the pie to the table and asked Moira to cut it. At first glance, Moira could tell the pie was just as good as the stew. Elizabeth was turning out to be a quick learner and was always asking questions or looking at Moira's recipes and putting them in a journal that she had brought with her. The pie had turned out to be just as delicious, and the crust light and flaky. Moira was proud of her student's progress.
After dinner, Nathan and Gabe cleaned up the kitchen while Elizabeth bathed Allie. Faith headed over to the cabin, and as soon as the dishes were finished, Gabe left. Nathan hadn't missed the eagerness of his friend to finish the cleanup so he could join his wife. It made him recall his own eagerness to be alone with his wife. Given what had almost happened this morning, he knew they needed to discuss how to proceed. Elizabeth seemed to agree, and after tucking Allie into bed, they went to their room instead of going back into the sitting room. As he closed the door, an awkwardness filled the air. Their chuckles quickly dispersed that feeling, allowing them to relax. He reached for her hand, and they sat down on the edge of the bed.
He fiddled with her fingers keeping his eyes downcast as he spoke. "Elizabeth, Um…. I….." Nathan stuttered, trying to find the words.
Elizabeth saw that he was and smiled. "Nathan, I know we have progressed in our relationship, but I'm not ready to go beyond kissing."
"You're not?" Nathan said, but Elizabeth could see the relief in his eyes. It helped her continue since it appeared that he wasn't ready either.
"No," Elizabeth replied. "You're the only person I have kissed, and I'm enjoying that. But I don't think, based on our kisses, that it won't be long before we reach the same place as Faith and Gabe. However, that is a journey I don't want to rush because we only get one chance to experience it."
Nathan kissed her softly before pulling her onto his lap and holding her close. "Lizbeth, I feel the same way, and my only regret is that I can't give you the gift of my first kiss. I can promise that we will be on equal footing when we join as husband and wife for the first time." She pulled back to look at him. He took his finger and gently caressed her cheek, looking deeply into her eyes. After a few moments, she closed the distance between their mouths in a fiery kiss. They didn't let it last very long, knowing they needed to be cautious about their kisses, especially when they were alone in their bedroom. A few minutes later, they got up and began nighttime preparations. After they settled in bed, Nathan told her about the adoption proceedings and their appointment on Jan 4th before they started their three questions for each other.
