Nathan and Elizabeth had just stepped out of Judge Williams's office when they saw Gabe and Faith approaching them with grins. "Hey, you two," Gabe called out.
"Did you get everything sorted with Allie?" Faith said.
Elizabeth smiled. "We did. We signed everything, and it will be sent off, and in about a week, we should receive the adoption certificate making Allie officially our daughter," Elizabeth said.
"Congratulations Nathan," Gabe said, shaking his friend's hand. The couples began walking towards the Mountie Office since Gabe and Nathan had to return to work.
"How are you doing, Elizabeth, after meeting Alice?" Gabe asked.
Elizabeth chuckled, "I'm fine, so please don't worry. It was very amusing, and I've met others like her in Hamilton and know how to handle her."
"Well, judging by how we left fuming, I'd say you did a good job," Gabe said, then told them about what happened after they left.
"Hope that's the last we see of her," Faith said.
"I can promise you it won't be," Elizabeth said. "Trust me, I know her type, and she will be back very soon, and I'm looking forward to it."
"You think so, Lizbeth?" Nathan said, drawing her closer to him.
"Trust me, Nathan; she won't go down quietly. She expected you to be still pining for her. Did you notice how she grabbed your arm and drew closer as she talked to me?
"Yeah," Nathan replied.
"She was declaring you were hers. In her mind, I was encroaching." Elizabeth said.
"What!" Nathan said.
Both Elizabeth and Faith nodded. "Oh yeah, that was a deliberate attempt to claim ownership in the female world," Faith said with a chuckle.
"But she broke it off with him," Gabe said, confused.
"Just because she didn't want him doesn't mean she wants others to," Elizabeth said. "You need to be prepared that her attention toward you will increase now that another woman is interested."
"For women like Alice, It's simple. Alice was there before Elizabeth, and you loved her enough to propose. Though she said no, in her mind, you are still in love with her, and she is still in control and has a claim." Faith explained.
"But Elizabeth isn't just any woman; she is my wife," Nathan said, trying to wrap his around what they were saying. "Any possibilities for us died when I took Elizabeth as my wife, and that won't change."
"It's not going to matter to her, Nathan," Elizabeth said. "She thinks you can do better than me and that I'm your consolation prize."
"Well, in my mind, she did me a favor," Nathan said. "Because I realize now that I didn't love her and almost made the biggest mistake of my life."
Elizabeth smiled as Nathan leaned down to kiss her before they entered his office. The other two Mounties posted there were sitting at their desks, and it was the first time Elizabeth had come when they were there. After introducing them to Elizabeth, the ladies excused themselves so their husbands could return to work.
"Gabe, while you were gone, Superintendent Cranston called and wants you to call him back," James said. "Now that the two of you are back, I guess Ray and I will head to lunch ourselves."
"Be careful because Alice has returned, and she wasn't happy to find out about Elizabeth," Gabe said.
"Duly noted,' Ray said. "I'll make sure to avoid her."
The other three Mounties commiserated with him since he was now the only single Mountie left in Aberdeen. That now made him a target of all the matchmaking mothers in town but with a dance coming up next month, especially Alice.
"Well, if it gets too much, Mrs. Hendricks is still in town," Gabe called out as they walked out the door.
They could hear Ray chuckle and say, "I'll keep that in mind."
Gabe went over to the desk and returned the call to the Superintendent. Nathan returned to the dilemma of taking the final step toward cementing their marriage. With her father coming tomorrow along with her aunt, the window of opportunity was closing. What if they were interrupted by Allie like before, only as they were further along in the process?
Hearing Gabe disconnect the call broke Nathan out of his thoughts. He went to ask for Gabe's guidance when he saw his friend was concerned about something.
"What's wrong?" Nathan asked.
"I'm being sent to Pine Ridge for two weeks while their constable recovers from an accident," Gabe said. "I'm not crazy about being away from Faith that long though it could be worse, I suppose. It was bound to happen sometime, and it won't be the last time." Gabe said.
"Isn't Pine Ridge similar to Aberdeen?"
"Yeah," Gabe said. "It isn't as big as here, but it is similar. Why, what does it matter?"
"Why don't you call Superintendent Cranston and ask if it would be all right since it is not dangerous if you could bring Faith? Nathan suggested.
"You know it could be like a honeymoon for us," Gabe said, then added slyly. "If he says yes, you and Elizabeth could use the cabin while we are gone and have some privacy away from her family and Allie. Maybe you might find yourselves ready for more."
Gabe quickly made the call, and the Superintendent, upon hearing that he had been recently married, quickly agreed and said he would arrange for them to have a place to stay. Gabe's smile when he got off the phone said it all.
The ladies decided to go to the Mercantile first before they went to the dress shop. After getting everything, they headed over to the dress shop. As they slowly walked, Faith and Elizabeth talked about Alice.
"Do you think you'll see her again, Elizabeth?" Faith asked.
I'm counting on it. It was easy to see that she was not expecting him to have moved on. Then considering she has a low opinion of the two of us as mail-order brides, it adds insult to injury." Elizabeth said.
"Well, I can't wait for her to find out you're a Hamilton Thatcher," Faith said. Elizabeth just laughed and gave Faith a brief side hug.
Upon entering the dress shop, they were greeted with smiles by Mrs. Helena White, the owner, and her assistant, Georgiana Blake. When they first walked in, they hadn't realized Alice was standing with a couple of friends. But it didn't take long for Alice to spot them as they began to look around.
"Well, Well, what have we here?" Alice said as she approached them in the busy dress shop. "Our two little pathetic mail-order brides."
"Just ignore her, Faith," Elizabeth whispered. "No matter what, follow my lead," Faith subtly squeezed Elizabeth's hand in acknowledgment.
"Look, Faith, isn't this dress pretty? It will look so beautiful on you." Elizabeth said as she reached for it.
"Too bad that I have already decided to purchase it," Alice sneered, reaching for the dress and practically ripping it out of Elizabeth's hand.
"No matter; there are plenty more," Elizabeth said with a serene smile. "Faith is so pretty she could wear anything and be beautiful."
Then she urged Faith to the next rack of dresses. Faith had begun looking as well, and before long, Alice's two friends had joined them. It didn't take long for Faith and Elizabeth to pick up on their game.
The other ladies in the shop began watching and admired how the two brides kept their composure while the other three became increasingly rude and displayed a complete lack of decorum. Whenever Elizabeth and Faith would show interest in a dress, the other women would take them too. The end result was that the other ladies ended up with arms full of dresses they were struggling to carry and certainly couldn't afford.
It didn't take long for word to spread, and it soon reached Alice's mother.
"Alice Marie Patterson, what in the world is happening here?" Mrs. Patterson. "Why are you carrying all those dresses?"
"Mother, Amy, Brenda, and I were just looking for dresses," Alice said, pretending to be an innocent victim. "Why even Amy tried asking nicely for these mail-order brides to let us shop in peace, but they persist in harassing us."
Elizabeth smiled politely and said, "I apologize, ma'am. Mrs. Kinslow and I did not realize that we were bothering them. I'm Mrs. Elizabeth Grant, by the way," Elizabeth held out her hand to the older woman, who just looked at it.
In a voice dripping with derision, she said, "Mrs. Grant, I know, given the reason you are here, that you probably haven't been around polite society and therefore aren't sure of the proper behavior expected when in the company of polite society. So let me give you a friendly piece of advice that your mother should have. You need to remember your station in life and avoid places like this where you obviously would never be able to afford a single thing, especially as the wife of a Mountie. Why don't you see the Pastor's wife because they usually keep a bin of our castoffs for the needy?"
"Mrs. Patterson, while I appreciate your well-intentioned advice," Elizabeth said, already planning revenge when her father and Aunt arrived. "My friend and I have no intention of leaving here without purchasing the dresses we came for. Seeing as it appears that your daughter and her two friends have an adequate number of them to try on, maybe they should.?" She raised a brow in emphasis. Elizabeth never raised her voice or tone; anyone who had just come upon the conversation would have considered her manner friendly.
Alice and her friends gasped while Mrs. Patterson just looked at Elizabeth in disbelief. After a few minutes of the silent standoff, the owner came over, wanting to end the confrontation before it escalated further. The Pattersons were known for outrageous behavior and retaliation when crossed.
"Alice, why don't you three go on back to the dressing rooms? No one is back there. I will send Georgiana back with some tea, and she can assist you." Helena tried to direct her trying customers.
"You know what? I don't want any of these," Alice said, letting the dresses fall into a heap. Her two friends followed suit, then marched toward the door, stepping all over the dresses as they did. Mrs. Patterson only paused a moment before she, too, walked over to them, smirking as she did.
Elizabeth and Faith immediately bent down and began to pick them up and rehang them. Then Elizabeth turned to the owner, "I am so sorry that happened, and I played a part. If I had known they would have retaliated that way, I would have left."
"My dear girls, you have nothing to apologize for. The entire time they baited, you remained composed. Your mothers would be very proud, and you do them credit." Helena said. The other ladies who had witnessed the interaction nodded and joined them.
"We know your background Elizabeth, and we are looking forward to the day when the Patterson realize just how wrong they were about you," Georgiana added with a smile.
Elizabeth giggled. "Well, I must say so am I. However, I have never bought into the whole social standings to my mother's chagrin. But rather, I feel it is the person's character and actions that determine a person's with not the money they have or familial ties."
"It's easy to see why Nathan, Moira, and Allie fell in love with you, Elizabeth," Helena said. "Why don't we look at some dresses? I have a few that I haven't put out, yet that would be perfect for you. Plus, it will give all of us a chance to have a nice visit."
Elizabeth smiled warmly and nodded. "I also wanted to see about getting Allie a couple of new ones too. She seems to be hitting a growth spurt, and her clothes are getting too small." Elizabeth said. "But I would like to start with Faith first?"
Helena beamed, and the other women nodded approvingly. Elizabeth was surprised when the older woman locked the door of the shop and put a sign on the door while the other ladies ushered Elizabeth and Faith to the back. Before long, a pot of tea and a tray of sandwiches and pastries were added to a side table in the dressing room's sitting room.
For the next two hours, dresses were tried on, and three were found for Faith and matching shoes and accessories for them. A little while later, the other ladies departed, leaving Elizabeth, Faith, Georgiana, and Helena in the shop. Faith and Georgiana were in a fitting room making adjustments to her new dresses.
"Helena, though it isn't common knowledge yet, Nathan and I will be adopting Allie. I wondered if you might have dresses for her and me that match." Elizabeth asked.
Helena thought for a moment and then said, "Why don't you let me and Georgiana design one for you?
"Really?" Elizabeth said. "How long would it take you?"
"Let me do this for you. Why don't you come back tomorrow? That will give me time to have the design ready for you to see. We can pick out the material and the basics before you leave today, so once you approve, we can start. Then we should have them done in a week. Oh, and bring Allie in so we can measure her." Helena said. "I'm so glad that you and Nathan are going to adopt her. She is such a sweet girl and deserves a mother and father."
"I sure will; in fact, my father and my Aunt Agatha are arriving tomorrow, so we will be in town to meet their train though their presence won't be made known yet," Elizabeth said with a twinkle.
"Well, if you need any help, just let me know," Helena said, giving her a hug. "After today, the town is really looking forward to Alice and her parents getting taken down a notch."
As Elizabeth went to leave, her attention was caught by some garments hanging toward the back of the shop. Helena noticed where she was looking and led her to where the nightgowns and lingerie were. Seeing Elizabeth's blush, Helena asked, "Is there something you see here you would like?"
Seeing the younger woman's discomfort, she gently put an arm around her. "Moira is one of my dearest and closest friends, so I know the circumstances of your marriage and that you and Nathan are becoming closer. There's nothing wrong in wanting to please your husband, whether by wearing a special dress or a beautiful nightgown that has nothing to do with warmth."
"Based on your blush, I would venture that you and he haven't become fully intimate but are close. So as a mature married lady, I would say Nathan would enjoy this one." Helena said, pulling out the most beautiful ivory and lace silk peignoir set. "This is my special wedding gift to you and Nathan, Elizabeth."
Then she pulled out two more, one in light blue and another in lavender. They were all beautiful yet different in their ways. "Let's wrap all these up, shall we?"
Elizabeth was too overwhelmed to do anything but nod. "I want you to know I am here if you need to talk. This time in a new bride's life can also be exciting yet unsettling and confusing. Nathan is a good man; you can trust him to treat you well. Regardless of what others think, the only thing that matters is what the two of you feel about what happens between you. All right?" Helena said as she drew Elizabeth into a comforting embrace.
Thirty minutes later, Faith and Elizabeth left the shop, each with a package wrapped in brown paper and tied tightly with string. Both hoped that others wouldn't guess what was in them. Thankfully one of the Mounties let them know that Gabe and Nathan were away and that they would see them at home, so they were spared the ordeal of avoiding awkward questions.
