"Yes, sir," the customs agent at the train depot in New Orleans said through the receiver as he provided the report he was paid to give. "Her passport information identified her as Elizabeth Thatcher-Thornton of Hope Valley, Alberta, Canada, and she was heading to New Orleans. Yes, I'm sure. I wouldn't be calling you if I wasn't….Sir? Yes. She was traveling with four companions – an older man named Andrew Graves, two men in their thirties, a Mr. Paul Stevens and Marcel Dubois, and a younger woman named Brigitte Dubois – the Dubois's are from Quebec and are sharing a cabin, though I don't believe they are married. Graves and Stevens are also sharing a cabin, even though Graves is from British Columbia and Stevens from Winnipeg. Unsure of the connection, but they all seem to know each other, and Marcel Dubois carried Mrs. Thatcher's luggage for her. They already had a car waiting for them. Government vehicle. So, it appears they've all come for the same reason...What was that, sir?... He is about six-two, six-three, with dark hair, and a beard. What was that? The Dubois woman? Oh, she's in her early thirties, black hair, fair and fine-featured – quite pretty. She had the most unusual shade of green eyes…. Yes, sir. I thought you would like to know."
Lighting a match as he hung up the telephone, Judge Manus Mayford looked across his desk as he lit his pipe toward the man sitting across from him. He leaned back in his chair. "It appears we have visitors."
"Bouchard?" the man stated, his neck twitching involuntarily just by saying the name.
"Matches his description, and he's traveling with a woman matching Jenny Bouchard's description as well as his fiancée."
"You called it. He just couldn't stay away."
"No. What are you going to do?"
The man didn't hesitate. "Finish what I started. Lucas has had his nose in my business before, and I've been the one to pay. He won't be so lucky this time – him, nor that pretty fiancée."
"Don't get so focused on Bouchard that you forget what we're after here. Jenny Bouchard can identify me from a visit with Drake up in Canada. She must never get that opportunity."
The man nodded. "Don't worry. I'll take care of her too. This is my city, and I have people all over it. They're all going to be sorry they came here – if it's the last thing I do."
After four days of travel, the train from Hope Valley finally pulled into New Orleans Union Station, bringing a sigh of relief and excitement to the traveling contingent. They wasted no time in collecting their luggage and, with the extra passenger, were barely able to squeeze into the 1918 government touring vehicle that served as their transport. In fact, Elizabeth had to sit on Lucas's lap until they reached the hotel, inspiring some mild ribbing from the men.
Arriving in the city, The Bouchard siblings were amused as they watched their cohorts take in the sights and atmosphere around them. It was a far cry from Hope Valley.
Exiting their car, the group stopped and gazed up at the building in front of them.
"Oh, it's stunning..." Elizabeth said, taking in the architectural elements.
"It's also haunted, or so the story goes," Lucas replied as he took her arm.
"Haunted?" Elizabeth's eyes widened as she uneasily looked up at her fiancé. Calmed by his dimpled smile and a pat on her hand, Elizabeth listened to his tale as they followed the hotel employees carrying their luggage into the lobby.
"The Hotel Monteleone is owned by the Monteleone family and was built in 1886. In the 1890's a couple named Jacques and Josephine Begere stayed here with their young son Maurice who was only a toddler at the time.
They enjoyed visiting the French Opera house when they would travel here, and Maurice was left with a nanny while they enjoyed some New Orleans culture. One evening, when they were out, Maurice developed a fever. He passed away later that same night."
"Oh, how sad!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"Yes, it is. The Begere's would visit the hotel every year in hopes of seeing his spirit."
"And did they?" Nathan asked, fully engrossed in the story.
Lucas raised his eyebrows. "As a matter of fact, Josephine said she did. On the 14th floor one night, she claimed to have seen him, and he spoke to her."
"What did he say?" Elizabeth asked.
"He said, 'Mommy, don't cry. I'm fine.'"
The culmination of the story brought their silence as they arrived at the front desk.
"May I help you, sir?" The clerk took in the group of five but spoke directly to Lucas.
"Yes, we have reservations. A room for Marcel Dubois, Andrew Graves, and Paul Stevens- we will need a cot brought in."
"Very good, sir. And the ladies?"
"Brigitte Dubois," Jenny said sweetly with a slight French accent.
"And I'm Elizabeth Th-."
"Graves, Elizabeth Theodora Graves," Lucas quickly said, glancing at Elizabeth and Bill. "Mr. Graves' daughter. We didn't know she was coming with us when we made reservations. She will be staying with my sister."
"Very good, sir," the man said again as he grabbed two sets of keys.
"The gentlemen will be residing in room 304, and the ladies in 404..."
"Two different floors?" Lucas asked, confused. "I'm afraid there's been a mistake. We asked for rooms together."
"I'm very sorry, Mr. Dubois, but you made the reservations so late we were not able to accommodate you with rooms on the same floor."
Nervously running a hand through his dark locks, Lucas looked around, noticing Nathan's slight shrug. "Alright. That will be fine."
"Very good, sir," the clerk replied once again. "I'll have your cot brought up right away." He handed the keys to two bellboys, one for the men and one for the women. "The gentlemen's luggage to 304 and the ladies to 404."
"Follow me," the young man said, blushing as he looked at Jenny before leading them to the elevator.
After their bags were moved to their rooms the group had just enough time to freshen up before getting ready to leave to meet Lucas's friend Jeanette Alcoin for an early dinner at a new local restaurant on Conti Street named Broussards. The Broussards were newlyweds and neighbors of Jeanette, but there was little socializing on the visit as Alcoin wanted to brief the team as to the treasury's role in investigating the case.
"The secret service was originally a part of the treasury, investigating financial crimes. But after what happened to President Lincoln, they branched off into the protective field. My department continues much of the work they had done."
The conversation concerning Alcoin continued on their way back to the hotel.
"So that's the woman you saved from the fire."
Bill's words brought a look between Lucas and Nathan.
"We noticed the two of you hit it off at dinner," Nathan replied.
"Hit it off? She seems like a nice lady, and I was only being friendly."
"You certainly talked her ear off," Nathan responded.
"I was only interested in the investigative work that she does with the Treasury." Bill looked around and then added, "does this room look smaller than before?"
The men had returned to their room after leaving the ladies in the one just above, Nathan having to squeeze his lanky frame in between Lucas's cot and the large bed in the middle of the room. "It's the cot," he replied to Bill.
"It's only for a few nights, so let's try to make the best of things," Lucas replied as he began removing his tie and carefully moved around the furniture himself, soon hearing a loud thud behind him.
"Oww!"
Turning, Lucas saw a look of anguish on Avery's face as he violently rubbed his left foot and grumbled out a few choice words in the process.
"I'm glad the ladies aren't present. Do you plan to kiss Jeanette with that mouth?" Bouchard asked.
"Kiss Jeanette?! I only just met the woman. And if you had decided to spring for an extra room, we wouldn't be in this uncomfortable situation."
"Believe me, I thought of that when Elizabeth showed up on the train but decided it wasn't wise for us to be that spread out. We will make do for the short time we are here."
"Tell my foot that," Bill replied, still rubbing the appendage as he sat on the bed.
"Lucas is right," Nathan responded. "With them just above us, we should be able to hear if there is any trouble, and with the stairwell right next to us, make our way up to them to intervene."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Avery responded, loathe to admit it. "Since you're up, can you open a window? It's stuffy in here."
"We've just been moving around," Lucas said as he and Nathan both tried to go open a window at the same time and met in the middle.
Looking at one another face-to-face, Grant let out an exasperated sigh. "Bill's right, this isn't going to work. Maybe you should go stay with the women. Their room is larger, and you wanted to keep an eye on them anyway."
Lucas pondered this idea as he tried to pace but quickly decided when he slightly tripped over the corner of his cot.
"Alright," he responded as he began gathering up his things. "Since, as you mentioned, the back stairs are on the other side of this wall, I will go that way. Hopefully, no one sees me sneaking into the ladies' room, or there will be some raised eyebrows come morning."
"We're only a few blocks from the red-light district. I doubt anyone would care," Bill said as he lifted the covers of his bed and slid under.
"Oh, you noticed that?" Grant joked, sitting down on his bed and removing his shoes. He already had his jacket, shirt, and tie removed and sat there in his undershirt and trousers.
"Aren't one of you going to help me?" Lucas asked, his voice showing the exasperation that he felt.
"I think you can manage it. Imagine how impressed Elizabeth will be when you carry that cot and a small overnight bag into her room all by yourself. She might even give you a little smooch." Bill's words brought a snicker from Nathan and a scowl from Lucas as he folded the bed in half.
"See," Nathan said, stretching his arms out. "The room is bigger already."
Grumbling as he grabbed his small case in one hand and the cot in the other, Lucas quietly opened the door and peered out into the empty hallway before exiting.
"I'll remember this the next time one of you asks for my help," he said, laboriously dragging the cot out into the hallway along with his bag and closing the door behind him.
"You think he'll be okay?" Nathan asked, feeling a tinge of guilt that they had sent Bouchard upstairs alone.
"He'll be fine. Consider it training for when Elizabeth has him carrying her shopping bags."
Nathan considered the thought. "Elizabeth doesn't seem that materialistic."
"None of them do until you get married. Trust me. You'll see."
Grant chuckled but took note of the comment.
"I hope you don't snore," Bill said, pulling the covers up to his chin.
"No, but I do like to cuddle," Nathan replied. A snort from the bed answered him.
"Not if you want to keep your important parts intact, you don't. Goodnight."
What had seemed like an easy thing to do, quickly became difficult when Lucas got to the stairwell. It was very narrow and would require some expert maneuvering to be able to get the cot up to the next floor. Lucas released the folding bed to the floor and looked down the hall again, noticing a few people returning to their rooms. He had already scoped out the layout of the hotel and knew there was a larger stairwell at the other end of the floor, but that would require him walking all the way down both hallways to reach his destination.
Looking at the cot again, he sighed as he picked it up, never expecting it to pop open just as he reached the first step. Immediately, it lodged itself into the railings on one end, and his lower abdomen on the other, pinning him against the wall.
"Oomph," was the sound that expelled out of his lungs at the sudden discomfort he felt. Trying to move, it took no time at all for him to notice that the placement of the edge of the bed was not optimal for any future children he may want to have.
Taking a couple of deep breaths to try and ease his pain, Lucas tried to dislodge the other end, but it was completely wedged into the rail.
"Well, this is quite the predicament, Bouchard," he said aloud as he looked around and thought quickly. He was going to need some help but knew he couldn't call out or there would be a lot of explaining to do.
How on earth could he get Nathan and Bill's attention without waking the whole floor?
They had no sooner turned off the lights when, from the stairwell next door, they heard a dull thud followed a few minutes later by some taps.
"Do you hear that?" Nathan asked quietly, turning on the light and nudging Bill out of sleep.
"Hear...what?" his companion drowsily asked before opening his eyes and pushing up in bed, listening for a moment.
"That... tapping. On the wall."
Avery squinted as he listened. "Is that...? Is that...Morse code?"
Bill's question brought a dumbfounded look from Nathan. "Morse code?"
Both listening for a minute, Nathan nodded. "It's an SOS, most likely from Lucas," he said as he threw back the blanket and stood, surprised when Bill lay back down and covered up. "Aren't you coming to help me? He might be in trouble."
"First of all, he is lightly tapping, so it can't be too serious. Second, I'm older than you and need my sleep. Bang on the wall if you need me." And with that, Bill closed his eyes once again.
Shaking his head, Nathan threw his pants on, with his undershirt, and slipped out the door.
As he opened the door and entered the stairwell, he stopped on a dime and laughed.
"I'm glad I can amuse you; now, can you assist me here?"
Grant considered stalling just to rile Lucas up but given the circumstances and the fact that he'd already failed him by not helping, he decided against it. "Gladly," Nathan said, another snicker following. "What on earth happened?"
"I would think that is pretty obvious, but the longer we stand here, the less chance I have of having a happy honeymoon, if you get my drift."
Oh, we wouldn't want to interrupt that, Grant thought.
Noticing how Lucas was pinned by the now open cot against the wall, Nathan grimaced. "Ouch. Alright, let me try and figure this out."
"Think fast."
As Nathan examined things, he jiggled the end of the jammed cot and brought a loud gasp from Lucas.
"Oops, sorry. Yeah, I'd say you are stuck pretty good."
"How did you come up with that deduction so soon, Sherlock?"
"Sherlock?" Nathan cocked his head.
"You need to read more."
"Boy, you're grumpy when you are... incapacitated."
"I think you already knew that, but can we cut the small talk? This is decidedly uncomfortable."
"Okay. I think if I go underneath and push up on the cot, then I can get you free."
"Whatever you have to do, do it fast."
Bill tossed and turned as he tried to fall back asleep, but the murmuring on the other side of the wall prevented him. "What is going on out there?" he asked aloud to only himself as he sat up and began putting on his pants. "This better be important," he said with a huff as he left the room and turned the corner. The sight when he opened the door to the stairwell raised his eyebrows.
"Be careful."
"I am. It will be over soon. I'm being as gentle as I can."
Observing the scene, Bill saw Lucas standing against the wall, the open cot lodged just above Lucas's groin, and Nathan on his knees underneath the bed with his head very near it. Grant's hands gripping Lucas's outer thighs.
"Just lift it up," Lucas said quietly as Bill stood there unobserved.
"It's not that easy, it's heavy. You should try it from this angle."
"You call yourself a man. Come on, just do it."
"Don't be such a crab. I don't want to hurt you."
"It's never bothered you before."
The sound of a throat clearing stopped all movement as both men turned and looked at Bill.
"Again?"
"It's not what it looks like," Nathan said.
"Isn't it?"
"No." Lucas glared at Bill.
"Maybe I should go get Elizabeth and Jenny and see what they think," Bill responded as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.
"No!" The two voices spoke in unison.
Lucas flinched. "Nathan..."
"Lucas is stuck, and I'm just trying to get him...unstuck."
"Is that what you are trying to do?"
"Nathan," Bouchard continued, his words being ignored by Grant.
"Of course it is. What else would I be doing down here?"
"Do you really need me to answer that?"
"Nathan..."
"Lucas...what?"
"I...uh...need to pee."
"Oh, great. That's the last thing I want to hear when I'm this close to your...to your..."
"Yes, well. I suggest you and Bill stop arguing and get me out of this predicament before you wish you had thought of another plan."
"Yeah, right." Grant pushed up underneath, which unfortunately made Lucas's issue worse.
"I'm starting to dribble."
"Not in my direction, you're not!" Nathan said, jumping backwards and snagging his T-shirt on the bottom of the bed.
"Oh, no," Grant said, twisting left and right.
"What?" Lucas asked, his face beginning to turn red.
"You're not going to like it."
"What? Just tell me."
"I'm stuck."
"WHAT!"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to."
Lucas took a deep breath, trying to will himself to stay calm. "How did you get stuck? You squeezed in there. You should be able to back out."
"I think it's my T-shirt. It's stuck on the undercarriage of the bed."
"Well then, remove it!"
"Oh, that'll look good…." Bill replied with a smirk.
Nathan glowered up at Bill. "Well? Are you going to help or not?"
"No. I don't think I will. I'm going back to bed. But give me a full report in the morning."
Before Nathan could argue, the older man was gone.
"Never trust a judge," Nathan muttered under his breath as he wriggled out of his shirt.
"Nathan..."
"Yes, I've got it. Hold it another moment, and you should be free."
"I'm trying."
With a hard shove upward, suddenly, the cot went flying.
"Thank you," Lucas breathed, putting his hand on Nathan's shoulder as the shirtless Mountie put an arm around Lucas's waist to help him up. The two were now face-to-face.
Suddenly, a door on the floor above sprang open, and Elizabeth and Jenny's faces appeared on the scene.
"Lucas!" "Nathan!" the two women said simultaneously.
A shocked Bouchard and Grant looked up the stairs and then back to each other, quickly releasing their hold. Nathan started to smooth down the front of Lucas's shirt, but the businessman promptly removed his hands, pivoted on his heels, and then rushed up the stairs, passing the ladies.
"Is your door unlocked?" he said.
"Yes…but…" Elizabeth said, motioning with her hand toward Nathan.
"I'll explain in a minute," he responded, leaving a perplexed Elizabeth and Jenny staring at Nathan on the landing below. The Mountie just smiled, shrugged, and went back to his room.
The next morning, Jenny, Bill, and Nathan left the hotel early to meet Captain Cantrell at a prearranged location a few blocks away. They arrived a several minutes early but chose to go inside rather than stand outside waiting where they could be spotted.
Nathan looked up in awed silence, staring at the vaulted ceilings and stone architecture of St. Patrick's church as he, Jenny, and Bill walked through the vestibule and into the main sanctuary. So far, everything he had seen in New Orleans was impressive to the rurally raised Mountie, but the artistry of this building took the cake.
"Oh, Nathan! Look at the stained glass above the altar."
Grant looked at the turquoise and gold glass half-dome, which hovered at the apex of the building, rays of sunlight shining like a heavenly messenger upon the stage below. "Yeah, it's beautiful," he said, too enthralled to say much else.
"I always wanted to be married in a church like this," she said, taking a few steps ahead.
Grant's attention splintered, and he looked her way as she continued, with an ethereal smile, to look at the opulent structure. He then glanced at Bill, who was trying not to laugh.
"Um….that would be something. To be, uh, married in a place like this," Nathan replied, feeling her out for more information. "You'd have to know a lot of people to fill it."
"Oh, I do," she smiled. "At least my parents do. We have connections all over the world. Why, do you know that father used to have tea with the king?"
"Of England?" Bill asked.
"No, of Transylvania," she replied sarcastically. Bill gaped and then looked at Nathan, who shrugged. "Of course, the King of England. Well, he was the Prince of Wales then. I wouldn't say they were close, but when I was a little girl, maybe three or four, I remember visiting London one time, and we went to the prince's private residence. There were some other children there that Lucas and I played with. It was so rare for us to have other children to play with that I remember it well.
I'd like to have a lot of children."
Nathan again looked at Bill, shaking his head with a slight grin. "Good to know."
"Gentlemen, Ms…um, Dubois!" Captain Cantrell's voice echoed through the marble and stone structure that was otherwise empty save for a lone priest who was removing some candles. "I hope your trip was safe and uneventful."
Bill walked forward and shook the man's hand. "Yes. Things went as planned."
"Except we had an extra passenger," Nathan added.
"Oh?" Cantrell said, tilting his head.
"My brother's fiancée made a surprise appearance," Jenny replied. "She couldn't let him go without her and just showed up on the train."
"Traveling under her own name?" Cantrell asked.
Nathan nodded. "Yeah. We already thought of that. Lucas told the hotel clerk her name is Elizabeth Graves."
"Elizabeth Theodora Graves," Jenny corrected. "She wasn't too happy with that moniker."
Cantrell's expression was unreadable, but he nodded. "It's good he thought to do that. We need to exercise the utmost care and caution while you are here to not tip anyone off to your presence. That's why we're meeting at the church and outside of the district.
"I figured as much," Nathan said. "What do you have for us?" he asked, looking down at a briefcase the officer had carried in that Grant had just then noticed.
Cantrell looked toward the side of the building. "Papers and a few photos. I've asked Father Leo if we can meet in a side room. He's been a friend of the family for years. I trust him implicitly."
While the others were gone, Elizabeth convinced Lucas to take her on a tour of what, at a couple of points in his life, was his hometown.
"Be sure to stay by my side," Lucas said. "New Orleans can sometimes be a dangerous city even without peddlers of prostitution and murder breathing down our necks."
"I will," she replied, looping her arm through his. Elizabeth's eyes took in the town which at this time of day was already bustling with people. After the space of about half a block, her focus landed on a particular sidewalk stand selling hand painted oils and watercolors of the French Quarter. Her eyes lit up. "Lucas, darling. Look over there!"
Lucas turned his attention to where his fiancée was gazing and smiled. "Ah. I see you're becoming acquainted with some of our local artisans."
"May we go and look?"
"Absolutely," he responded.
The pair stood at the stand, flipping through the paintings, which were stacked on end in an upright holder, stopping at one particular impressionistic design that caught both of their eyes.
"This one?" Lucas asked, tentatively, never one to presume upon Elizabeth's tastes.
"I think so," she nodded. He smiled.
While he took out his wallet to pay the vendor for the painting, from around twenty feet away, Lucas's old nemesis stood in the shadows, watching their every move. He puffed on a cigar, peering from underneath a derby hat, taking in every bit of conversation that the pair made.
"What time did we have to be at the hotel?" Elizabeth asked as Lucas refused his change from the vendor.
"Would you send this to the Monteleone hotel? Tell them it's for Ms. Dubois in room 404."
"Certainly, sir."
Lucas stopped. "Scratch that. Send it to the room 304, Mr. Graves and Mr. Stevens." He turned toward Elizabeth. "Since Bill and Nathan so unceremoniously suggested I leave their room last night, the least thing they can do is store the painting in their space."
Elizabeth giggled. "Good idea," she replied. She sniffed the air. "Do you smell that?"
"What?" Lucas asked.
"A sweet, yeasty smell. I've been smelling it all over the city."
Lucas's face began to glow. "That, my lady, is the smell of this great city. Beignets. You can find them all over, but my favorite place for this delicacy is the Café du Monde, near the French Market. It's been around since the 1860s."
"Beignets. Didn't Gustave make those?"
"Yes. But his is of the French variety. New Orleans beignets are entirely different. They are little square yeast rolls, sometimes filled, sometimes not, dusted with confectioner's sugar. Please. You must have some. The market is on Decatur Street, a short walk from here. If we are fortunate, we can get a table outside in the sunlight and just talk, sip coffee, and relax.
"But you don't drink coffee."
"No. But their coffee is mixed with chicory which contains no caffeine. I can have a little."
The couple held hands and began the walk from their location on Canal Street accompanied by their watcher. Lucas slowed a bit as they reached Iberville.
"That's where it happened, where they took Jenny, a block or two in that direction."
Elizabeth looked solemnly down the street, feeling the pain just being in the area brought to her fiancé's heart. She caressed his arm.
"Thank Heaven she was saved."
"Indeed."
Finally reaching the French Market, Lucas led them through the crowd, stopping to acclimate himself for just a moment as to where the Café stood. While he did so, Elizabeth took in the hustle and bustle of shoppers and the huge variety of merchandise that could be purchased there. There were imports from around the world and silver jewelry as well as fine silks and novelty items. And, of course, there was the food.
"This direction," Lucas said, having gained his bearings and leading her by the hand through the crowd. Finally reaching the restaurant, he bounced on his heels like an anxious child when he saw a line.
"It appears we're not the only ones with this idea," he said.
Elizabeth looked up toward the sun. "It's getting rather warm out. Would you mind standing here while I purchase a hat at that stand we just passed?"
Lucas turned and looked in the direction she pointed and then surveyed the area, seeing no threats. "I suppose that would be fine."
"Thank you."
He reached for his wallet.
"That's okay. I brought some money."
Lucas reached out and touched her hand. "I insist."
Elizabeth smiled bashfully and took the cash from his hand, then leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.
"Hurry back," he said.
No sooner had she walked away than a man approached Lucas with a look of surprise.
"Lucas Bouchard? Is that really you?" he asked.
Lucas turned. "Gabriel Montreux?"
"How the heck have you been?" Montreux replied.
"I'm wonderful. I'm just visiting New Orleans with my fiancée, my sister, and a couple of friends," he said, looking over his shoulder to check on Elizabeth.
At the stand, Elizabeth walked around the kiosk, picking up hats and trying them on to find one that looked fashionable but would also keep the sun from hitting her face. With the third hat she tried on, she looked in the mirror and noticed in its reflection a cut-glass shop across the street. In the window of the shop, there was an object, a beautiful vase just like one she had seen years ago.
Her mouth dropped open as she closed her eyes and remembered the day she received it.
XXXXX
"My worldly possessions," Elizabeth Thatcher said as she and Jack walked through the door of her rowhouse, which she'd just moved into, having lived with Abigail. The two laughed as Thornton set down a pair of chairs in the sparsely furnished room.
"Those who would travel happily must travel light," he replied.
"At least I have a desk to write on," she said, crossing the room and brushing some dust off of her wooden writing desk, shipped to Hope Valley by her father.
"Hmm," he responded. "Something's missing." He bent down and picked up an object from the floor, draped in fabric.
"What is this?" she asked, surprised.
"It's a housewarming gift," he replied.
"Is it an icebox? I could really use an icebox," she joked.
"Just open it," he responded.
Elizabeth removed the cloth from the object, revealing a beautiful cut glass vase, something which would have cost him at least a few days' wages.
"Oh, Jack," she said. "It's gorgeous."
He smiled with pleasure. "Now I just need to get you some flowers."
'it's perfect, just as it is," she replied.
"Just like you," he said, love shining in his eyes.
XXXXX
Opening her eyes, Elizabeth looked over toward Lucas, who was still engaged with his friend, and she paid the hat vendor, then quietly crossed the street to the glass shop.
Back at the church, Nathan, Bill, and Jenny left the building disappointed that their afternoon with Cantrell had produced no leads as Jenny neither recognized the men's names nor any of their photos. Captain Cantrell was disappointed as well, but given the effort his group had undertaken was not ready to give up. The team would reconvene at the station the next day, and Cantrell would look into additional security.
Arriving back at the hotel, Nathan escorted Jenny to her room while Bill went to the guy's room to get cleaned up before that evening's dinner. They talked quietly about the case, and Nathan tried to reassure her that the trip was not in vain. They would find the guy, and this would end.
Sticking her key in the door, Jenny knocked twice before opening it just so Lucas and Elizabeth could compose themselves in case they were in the room kissing or something, not that she'd ever seen them behaving in that manner since they had been on the trip. Her brother was a gentleman and very serious about personal propriety, a trait she admired about him. And, for all of their differences, it seemed that Mr. Grant was cut out of the same cloth.
Opening the door, the pair was surprised to see Lucas sitting alone on the balcony windowsill reading a book and Elizabeth sitting on the bed doing the same. Jenny turned toward Nathan and raised an eyebrow.
"We're back," she stated. "Is everything alright?"
Elizabeth frowned and looked toward the window where Lucas had not moved. She rolled her eyes.
"Lucas?" Jenny asked, stepping into the room.
Lucas didn't look up. "How was the meeting with Cantrell? I trust you made progress?"
"No," Jenny said, walking beside him and leaning against the wall. "I didn't recognize any of the names nor their pictures."
Bouchard furrowed his brow and looked toward his sister. "What happens now?"
Nathan walked further into the room. "We are going to the precinct tomorrow. Cantrell will afford her special protection."
Lucas nodded. "Well, perhaps he can assign someone to watch after my fiancée as well."
Elizabeth slammed her book down. "Lucas Bouchard, I am not a child!"
"Could have fooled me," Lucas replied.
"Excuse me?!"
"STOP!" Jenny yelled loud enough that it startled them all. She bent down and looked into Lucas's eyes. "Nathan and I are going to go down to the hotel's front desk so I can get some additional towels. Someone used more than his fair share when he took his bath this morning."
"It was our room to start with, so my fair share is…."
"…One towel and one washcloth – until I can get us more," Jenny said, unflinching. "While we're gone, I suggest that you and Elizabeth talk about whatever it is that is up your craw…."
"Uh…."
"Shhh! Talk about it and make up because our trip is not going to be ruined by a misunderstanding – or not – about something that happened earlier in the day. We are here as a family. We should behave as one and work things out. That's part of what will make a successful marriage."
Lucas looked over toward Elizabeth, whose eyes looked sad, and he nodded.
The room grew quiet after Nathan closed the door behind them; Elizabeth had risen from the bed and was now standing with her arms crossed, refusing to make eye contact with Lucas.
"Jenny is right. We need to talk."
"You want to talk?" Elizabeth replied sharply. "Or do you plan on berating me some more?"
"I know you are a teacher, Elizabeth, but don't you find that word just a bit strong? I was worried about you."
"Lucas Bouchard, I'm a grown woman, and I was taking care of myself long before you came along."
"I am well aware of that, but it's only that this trip is dangerous. If you recall, I witnessed a kidnapping just a few blocks from where we were."
"That was a completely different situation. You were children."
"Yes, but you were out of my sight, and I thought someone had taken you."
"Well, obviously they didn't. I simply wanted to look at a vase. I was in no danger."
"But you might have been."
"But I wasn't."
The longer they spoke, the more Lucas realized that this conversation was going nowhere. As he looked over and saw the fire in Elizabeth's eyes, his heart softened. She is beautiful when she is angry, he thought - something he had recognized shortly after coming to Hope Valley when she confronted him about teaching Allie a card trick. Lucas had been smitten by her in the street the day they met, but the moment she walked in and interrupted his poker game, her eyes flashing, was the moment he knew he wanted her for his wife.
"Don't you know by now how I feel about you?" he said softly. "Don't you know how much you mean to me?"
Hearing the emotion in his voice diminished Elizabeth's anger. Her shoulders relaxed, and her frown turned to a slight smile. It was all Lucas needed to close the gap between them and place his hands on her arms.
"I waited a long time to find the woman of my dreams. And now that I've found her, I don't want to imagine my life without her. I love you, Elizabeth Thornton, and I can't live without you. That is why I got so emotional earlier at the thought of losing you."
Pulling her to him, Lucas lowered his head and captured her lips with his.
Elizabeth ended the kiss long before he was ready. "I love you too. Deeply. But you are wrong."
Taking her hands in his, Lucas's puzzled expression fell on her now calm demeanor.
"Wrong?"
"Lucas, I know what you believe, but people can have more than one soulmate.
Look at me. When I lost Jack, I thought my life had ended. Little Jack is the only reason I could move forward- at first. I believed that I would always be a single mother, and I never expected to fall for a handsome, suave businessman a few years later.
But here you are. The man of my dreams. And despite what you think now, if, God forbid, something was to happen to me, you would continue on and hopefully find another woman to love as much as you love me."
Her words were poignant and left him speechless momentarily. He wanted to argue with her and say that it was impossible, the things she was saying, but maybe it was best to end their conversation on a positive note after their earlier quarrel.
"Impossible. You are my life," he whispered in her ear before taking her into his arms and holding her close.
"It's not impossible, darling. And I would want you to.
Rosemary once told me that some come into our lives for a season, some for a reason, and some for a lifetime. Nathan had a reason for being in my life that I think we're still seeing that in his relationship with your sister Jenny. Jack was my season, and I love him as much now as when we were together. But I've learned the heart's capacity for love is even greater than that. I learned that when I met you, whom I plan on loving the rest of my life. And if by some chance I were to die tomorrow, I have no regrets or lingering doubts about choosing you. You are the second love of my life, and I want you to be happy. You've spent too many years on your own living a lonely existence, and you deserve to have a great love who will love you forever. So, again, if God forbid, something happened to me, I would want you to move on. I would want you to find your second soulmate."
Lucas's eyes moistened as he looked at her with sadness over the thought that he might someday lose her, that they could somehow be separated, but he held back any painful response as much as he could – leaning on years of life training to school his expression to one of only love. He simply nodded. "Well, I confess it's something I don't even want to think about. Let's lay that thought to the side and start getting ready for our dinner tonight. I can't wait for you to meet Jules. He's going to be so pleased when he sees you."
Restaurant Antoine's was one of the oldest restaurants in New Orleans and, in fact, the United States, having been in operation since well before the Civil War when its namesake owner, Antoine Alciatore, arrived and started his restaurant at the tender age of 18. He was born in Europe, and he and his family would periodically visit France, where his wife was from, and where he died in 1877. The restaurant continued past his death and was passed on to his son, Jules Louis Alciatore, after several years of studying and serving as a chef in Paris, Strassburg, and Marseilles, France. It had been thirty years since that time, and throughout Jules' tenure serving in his father's restaurant, he had met many people, including a young man named Lucas Bouchard, who used to frequent the place during his second sojourn in the Crescent City.
Arriving at the restaurant a little before seven, which was six o'clock Hope Valley time, Lucas and his friends did not have to wait long before being ushered straight through the main dining area to a small private room upstairs. Bouchard had alerted his friend that his presence in town was to be kept confidential and given the warm nature of their relationship, the older man rearranged other patron's reservations to be able to accommodate Lucas and his guests.
They had no sooner sat down when the owner himself entered the room to greet them.
"Lucas! I can't believe it! It's been so long, I thought I'd never see you again!"
Lucas stood and shook Jules's hand. "Alberta is quite the distance from New Orleans, though I stopped by here around three years ago on my way to Grand Isle."
"You did?" he asked.
"Yes. I was told that you and your family were on vacation. I regret that we missed each other then and am so happy to see you again."
Jules smiled. "Likewise, my friend." Never one to ignore his guests, Alciatore turned toward the others in the room. "I see you have brought some company along?"
"Yes," Lucas said. "The gentleman to the right is Judge Bill Avery, and next to him is my friend Jeanette Alcoin."
"Pleased to meet you," Jules replied, sticking out his hand to Bill to greet him. "Lovely couple."
Bill and Jeanette looked at one another with embarrassment. "Oh…we're not…" they both said in unison.
Jules smiled. "My mistake. Or perhaps not," he said, noting neither wore wedding rings.
Lucas cleared his throat to avoid chuckling at Avery's expense, given the lawman had turned beet red.
"Across from them are my friend Nathan Grant and my sister, Jenny Bouchard. They are, I suppose, a couple….of sorts," he said. Jenny rolled her eyes, and Nathan shook his head, reaching out a hand to shake Jules' with.
"Nice to meet you," Grant said.
"Likewise. And you as well, Mademoiselle Bouchard," Jules replied, bending to kiss Jenny's hand and then casting an eye toward Lucas. "You had a sister, and you did not tell me?"
Lucas smiled softly. "It's a long story. We were separated for many years, but we have recently been reunited. It truly is a blessing."
Jenny made a small kissing motion toward her brother for his sweet comment.
"And who is this lovely lady?" Jules asked, looking over toward Elizabeth, who had her hand resting in the crook of Lucas's elbow. Bouchard smiled.
"This is my beautiful fiancée, Elizabeth Thornton. We are to be married in three weeks."
Jules' eyes opened wide. "You are getting married?! Why did you not say so?!"
Lucas laughed. "We haven't talked in so long, I…."
"Marie! Just one moment, and I will go tell Marie," Jules said. "She will be surprised."
"Surprised?" Elizabeth asked, and Lucas tilted his head.
"Yes. When young Lucas would stop and visit, she would love to spoil him."
"She would," Lucas agreed.
"But when you left, she would go on and on about how she couldn't believe a young man as nice-looking and kind as you had not yet married. She was beside herself over it at times. But then, one night, she stopped. She told me she had a dream that you would marry a beautiful woman with eyes like crystals and platinum hair – like someone out of a fairy tale."
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes in contemplation, but Lucas just chuckled. "Tell her I've found someone even better, and she is going to love her."
"Nice recovery," Nathan said. Jenny elbowed him.
Elizabeth pursed her lips. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe one day I'll dye my hair platinum blonde. Fiona says it's a new trend."
"Don't you dare," Lucas replied. "I love you just the way you are."
Since he had been there so many times, Lucas started the group's order.
"We will begin with the Huitres en Coquille à La Rockefeller – which is Jules's own creation and something the restaurant is famous for," Bouchard said.
Elizabeth squinted. "Oysters Rockefeller?"
"Précisément, mon amour," he smiled, taking her hand and kissing it.
"What else do you recommend?" Bill asked, pointing to the menu, which was all in French. "For those of us not fluent in the language."
Lucas nodded. "It depends on what your taste calls for. I've never had a dish here that I haven't liked."
"Well, there's poison on the menu," Nathan quipped. "Maybe you could try that."
Bill scowled, and Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Poison!" she said. "I sure hope nobody is going to be dying after eating here!"
Lucas raised his eyebrows. "That's Poisson, Nathan, or fish."
"I know. I was just trying to make a joke," Grant responded.
"Well, try a little harder," Bill replied. Jeanette smiled, enjoying the show.
"If it's fish you want, I'd recommend the filet de truit amandine or the Bouillabaisse a la Marseillaise, which is a fish stew with this decadent broth that's just, ahhh…."
Elizabeth laughed.
"What?"
"I've never seen you so enthusiastic over food before."
He raised and lowered his eyebrows. "We've never eaten together at Antoine's before."
The company finally settled on a variety of dishes, with Lucas and Nathan both getting the Tournedos of Beef Marchand de Vin, or Beef tournedos in a succulent red wine sauce, Jenny and Jeanette eating the Poulet aux Champignons Frais, or chicken with fresh mushrooms and Bill and Elizabeth both taking Lucas's recommendation and trying the Bouillabaisse. It was all delicious, as Lucas said it would be, causing Jules to be ecstatic, but his wife Marie was more reserved. While pleasant, she kept studying Elizabeth through the night.
"I don't think Marie likes me," Elizabeth said.
"Nonsense," Lucas replied, having noticed the woman's strange demeanor. "She's probably just tired."
By the end of dinner, not only were they feeling satiated, but most of the party felt a need to walk off some of the excess food.
Stepping out onto the sidewalk the group looked at the evening lights and breathed in the smells of the city.
"What are we going to do next?" Jenny asked.
"Next?" Nathan replied. "I don't know. This is your town, Bouchard. What do you want to do?"
"You could take the cemetery tour," a nearby carriage driver suggested. "I have a friend who runs an evening tour."
"Oh, that sounds fun!" Jenny said.
"Fun?" Nathan asked.
"Uh, no thanks," Bill replied.
"Are you afraid," Jenny responded coyly.
Jeanette watched with interest.
"Not at all," Avery replied. "I'm feeling more up for a good night's sleep….or maybe a nightcap by the pool on the rooftop back at the hotel?" he said, looking toward his new friend.
"It is a beautiful night," Jeanette replied.
"It is."
"I think I'll pass, too," she announced. "You kids have fun."
"Kids?" Elizabeth laughed. "Are we sure we want to spend the night haunting cemeteries?"
Jenny looked anxiously toward Lucas, who shrugged. "The cemeteries in the city are rather interesting, though I confess, I've never been in one at night."
"Then tonight's the night!" Jenny said. "Is that okay?" she said, turning to Nathan.
Nathan paused for a moment, looking between Lucas and his sister then shrugged. "Sure."
And in that moment, Lucas realized having Nathan Grant as a brother-in-law might not be half bad. In fact, it could be rather entertaining watching Jenny torture him so.
"Very well," Bouchard said, turning to the carriage driver. "Would you mind telephoning your friend? We would like to have a tour."
Around the corner, another man stood and watched, listening to every syllable they said. Within a few seconds, Lucas's original stalker appeared at his side.
"What are they doing?"
"About to take a tour of St. Louis Cemetery."
The man chuckled. "That's appropriate. You know what to do?"
"Yeah. I'm on it."
"It's good to see Lucas so happy," Jeanette said as she walked down the street with Bill Avery by her side.
"It's good to see both of them that way."
"She was a widow, as am I, wasn't she?"
"Yes. Her husband, Jack Thorton, was an honorable man. Brave. One of the finest Mounties I ever knew. Their time together was too short."
"Same for me and my husband, Jean Pierre."
"Really? I was under the impression that you were married for a number of years."
"We were married for seven years," she replied. "But it was still too soon."
"How did he die?"
"Fishing accident," she said. "Have you ever been married?"
Bill nodded. "Once."
"What happened?"
"Our son, Nora's son, whom I loved as my own, died unexpectedly, and after that, we just drifted apart. She abandoned our marriage, and we eventually divorced."
"I see," Jeanette said. "Divorce is like a death, too."
"In some ways," Bill acknowledged. "But it's different. Nora and I have remained friends. We talk occasionally. She lives in Union City. It took a while, but after we separated, the time apart just underscored that we are two very different people. And, while there is still a love there, it's more of a friendship. We started out as friends and are ending as friends."
"That is good that you can do that," Jeanette responded. "A very mature outlook."
"I have my moments," Bill replied with a slight smirk.
"And this right here is the grave most people come here to see," Louis Gaston, the group's guide, stated as they stood outside a particular grave decorated with flowers, candles, and even candies. "Marie Laveau – the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans."
"Voodoo?" Elizabeth stated, stepping closer to Lucas, who took her by the hand.
"Yes. Ms. Laveau lived in the…." The man stopped when the flashlight he was using to read a notecard went black. "In the….." He stepped to the side and began tapping the lantern against the side of Laveau's mausoleum.
"Um, I wouldn't do that if I were you," Jenny stated.
"Huh?"
"I wouldn't tap your flashlight against her grave. You might damage it. Besides, if there are evil spirits about…."
The man looked at the grave and then his flashlight then scratched his head. "Yeah. I guess you're right. You folks stay right here. I'll just replace this lamp, and we can continue with the tour."
Elizabeth looked at Lucas with concern, and he put his arm around her.
"I get the feeling this guy isn't a professional tour guide," Nathan said, walking next to Laveau's tomb and then turning back toward his friends.
"I would agree," Lucas replied.
"You don't think that's part of his tour, do you?" Elizabeth asked. "I mean, take us into the cemetery. Stand us by the 'voodoo queen' and then leave us alone?"
"Stranger things have happened," Jenny said.
"Shhh… did you hear that?" Lucas asked, turning his head to an area behind them.
"Very funny," Elizabeth said, playfully slapping his arm.
"I'm serious. I heard something over there in that direction."
The group stopped. "Probably something out on the street," Nathan replied.
"Or maybe our guide?" Jenny suggested.
"He went the other direction. This sounded like it was inside," Lucas responded.
Nathan took a step closer to the direction Lucas was looking in but stopped when, all of a sudden, a shot rang out. The women gasped and Jenny ran beside Lucas. "That was a gunshot," Grant replied, withdrawing a pistol from underneath his jacket. "You stay here with the ladies."
Lucas nodded, placing one arm around each of them. "Let's stand over here away where he can't see us," Lucas said.
The trio moved to the opposite side of Laveau's tomb and were backing up, watching both directions to make sure the assailant wasn't coming. When they had almost reached the wall, a man stepped from in between the tombs and came up behind them, putting his arm in front of Lucas's neck and a gun to his back.
"Freeze."
Instinctively, Bouchard let go of the women, pushed them out of the way, and spun around, capturing the assailant's arm with his left upper arm while ramming his palm into the man's chin. The women screamed, and at the same time, the man, who was in pain, dropped the gun. Before the attacker knew it, Lucas had kicked the gun out of reach and began to try to subdue him.
"Run!" Bouchard yelled.
Jenny and Elizabeth began to run in the direction Nathan had gone, intersecting with the Mountie, who was rushing to their place, having heard the screams. Grant told them to keep running as he ran toward the tombs, arriving just in time to see Lucas step forward, leaning in toward the man and then flipping him over his back onto the ground. The next thing the man felt was Bouchard's fist at his Adam's apple. It all happened in such a short time that there was no time to think, and then it was over.
Nathan picked up the man's gun and pocketed it, then held his own weapon on the man. The dumbfounded guide had returned in the middle of the chaos, so Grant instructed him to call the New Orleans Police and to ask for Captain Cantrell and tell him what happened. Gaston nodded and ran away, and Lucas moved away from the attacker, wiping sweat from across his brow.
Nathan looked toward his friend. "Nice job. Where did you learn that?"
"I had some defense training when father was working in the Far East."
Nathan smiled. "Full of surprises. Do you know this guy?"
"I've never seen him."
"Must be a hired gun, literally. You want to tell us who you are working for?" Grant asked.
"I'd rather die," the man said.
"That can be arranged," Lucas replied, looking to his left as Elizabeth and Jenny returned.
"Are you alright?" Elizabeth asked, touching a small scratch on Lucas's cheek.
"I'm fine," he replied. "Are you?"
"We're fine," she replied.
Around twenty minutes later, Cantrell and his men were leading the attacker, a man named Dave McGuire, across the cemetery and toward a waiting police car.
"So, this guy just showed up?" the Captain asked Nathan, walking with his notepad in hand.
"Yeah. We've never seen him before today."
"Then you're likely being followed. I need to get that additional security for Jenny and get her in and out of here. Stop by in the morning. I have a few more records I would like for her to review. There may be something we've missed."
"We'll be there," Nathan replied, looking at Jenny, who nodded.
As the group walked out of the cemetery, Elizabeth glanced to her right just before crossing out onto the street. For a split second, she thought she saw a man dressed in a red jacket who waved. Cantrell crossed between her and the apparition, and when her way was clear again, the man was gone.
"Are you alright, Mon Amour?" Lucas asked, noticing her staring into the distance. She blinked a few times and then put on a half-smile and turned to him.
"I'm fine. Let's go," she said, taking one last look behind her before they left the area.