"Wet boots on the porch please!"
Minnie Canfield called out from the kitchen as she heard two adult men and Cooper entering the front door after a morning spent outdoors. Lucas had gone with Joseph and Cooper to help them with some supplies for one of Canfield's side businesses of tending to a stable for a wealthy widow whose husband had kept several horses. Canfield's son often tagged along with his dad at this point in his life as Joseph felt it was an important part of his parenting to teach Cooper the responsibilities of manhood. Watching the two Canfields interact both warmed Lucas's heart as well as filled him with a touch of melancholy about what he never had as a boy. Martin Bouchard did make an effort to make sure his son knew the basics, and Lucas supposed he did a pretty good job at it. But he missed the one-on-one comradery that a father has with a child and wondered if Martin missed it too.
Stepping in their stocking feet into the house, Cooper headed straight for the stove, grabbing a spoon to sample a bite of Minnie's soup while the men took a seat at the kitchen table."
The boy complained, making a face. "Needs salt or something."
"I just put it on the stove," Minnie explained. "It hasn't time to work yet."
"That's like life, Coop," Joseph responded. "God throws us into this world and adds a little of this and that to our lives, and then he puts us in the fire for a bit to develop. If we get impatient and want to see things before it's time, often we end up disappointed. But give it time to develop and we'll find it was well worth the wait."
"Okay, Pop," Cooper replied. "Tell Mom about Misty."
Minnie looked toward Joseph. "Misty?"
"Yes. Mrs. Harper's new horse," Joseph responded.
Coop continued. "A Tennessee Walking Horse. A real beaut. She said I can ride her."
"Oh?" Minnie replied. "That's exciting news. Does Mrs. Harper have room for another horse?"
"Yes," Joseph responded. "But she's going to have to divide one of the larger stalls. Lucas and I are heading out in a few minutes to pick up some wood. Just wanted to drop Coop off before we left since we will need more room in the truck."
"Ah," Minnie replied. "Make sure you two are back before dinner."
"Yes, ma'am," Joseph said. "After turning dinner into a sermon illustration, I most certainly would not want to miss the main course," he replied to Minnie's chuckle.
Canfield looked over at Bouchard, who appeared somewhat amused by the conversation. "Your life must be filled with sermon illustrations," he replied with a dimpled smile.
"Every day."
"How come you don't go to church, Mr. Bouchard?" Cooper asked. "Is it because you want to be your own boss?"
"My own boss?" Lucas looked toward the pastor's son with a slightly quizzical/slightly guilty expression.
"Mr. Bouchard is working through some things," Joseph replied mercifully, sensing Lucas's discomfort. "Just between him and God."
"Oh, I didn't mean to poke my nose into anything. I just noticed that Mr. Bouchard didn't come to Sunday meeting last Sunday and remembered when I didn't want to go to church, it was because I wanted to be my own boss."
Lucas nodded with a slight smile. "I'm not really sure that's an option. God is God. He does what He wants."
"That's right. And much better than we can. That's what Pops told me, right?"
"Something like that," Joseph said,
"Well, whatever you're going through, Mr. Bouchard, you have my support," Cooper said. "And I'll even save you a seat at church this Sunday if you want to go."
Lucas smiled softly. "Thank you, Cooper. Perhaps I will go."
###
"I am a Canadian diplomat. That's who I am!" Martin Bouchard shouted into the phone from his hotel in Stockholm. The family had been stuck in Sweden for the past three days since Dashmanian customs had refused them entry upon their ship's arrival on its shores. The wedding was now just two days away, and with Armitage expecting them to be at the Linden Grove Hotel two days prior, they hadn't been able to touch base with him concerning Martin's earlier communication. Bouchard knew that the chief would be busy after today, so the likelihood of reaching him and being able to stop the wedding was beginning to look dim.
"I just know that this is Michael Melrose's doing!" Jenny said, crossing her arms.
"Surely there is someone else we can talk to," Helen said. "He doesn't have everyone under his thumb."
"Just about," Martin replied, waiting for a higher official to answer his call. "Melrose is well connected – far better than we are, I'm afraid."
"I guess money talks," Nathan said.
"What do you think?" Jenny said with a frown.
"I think you don't give up," Nathan responded.
"Nor does her mother," Helen said with a wink.
###
"Tilly, did you hear me?"
"What? Huh?" Tilly looked up at her brother as she sat by the fire, thinking about the future she was about to embark upon, a future that would forever close the door to happiness with the one she loved.
"You're a million miles away," Gregori said. "Do you want to talk?"
Tilly shook her head. "No. There's nothing to say. Let's change subjects. Is Annie excited about being a flower girl?"
Gregori paused, staring at his sister whom he knew so well. Then, he nodded. "Very. Although she doesn't understand why you are marrying Melrose when you and Lucas Bouchard seemed so much in love."
Tilly frowned. "Seemed is the word. I had hoped….well, that's in the past now."
"Is it?" Gregori asked.
"What do you mean?"
He looked both ways and then looked toward his sister. "Does the child you are carrying belong to Melrose or Bouchard?"
Tilly's eyes widened, but there was no sense denying it. Gregori often knew her better than she knew herself. She opened her mouth to say something, but her brother continued.
"Because if it is the latter – you don't have to do this. You can run away from here, and I can see to it that you and the baby are well cared for…."
"Run away to where? I'm a Princess, Gregori – for a country that has been destabilized for so long that…."
"So, it is Bouchard's child."
Tilly stopped and looked at her brother. "Michael will provide the life this child needs…."
"Nonsense, Tilly. He will send him or her off to boarding school at the earliest instance, and you'll never see the child. You know this. Think!"
"Thinking is what I should have done in November. I went with feelings instead," she replied.
"You went with your heart."
"Yes, well, the heart is deceptive. It's too late, Gregori. I've made my choice. Please respect my decision."
"As you wish, but if you change your mind…"
###
The Gowens joined the Canfields for dinner that night, and afterward, Minnie and the children moved to the kitchen to wash dishes while their guests and Joseph moved into the family's living room to discuss changes to the small church building that Canfield was now pastoring at Union City. The congregation was small but growing, and its needs would soon eclipse its abilities to meet.
"See back here, behind the baptistry; I was thinking we could turn that into a Sunday School room for the children," Joseph stated, pointing out a small utility closet with a window in it to his friends.
"You'd have to knock out that wall, wouldn't you?" Henry asked.
"Yes, I was thinking we'd expand the building outward…."
"Won't work," Gowen interrupted. "City ordinance states all new construction must allow at least ten feet between the owner's property line and the next lot. Hampton McManus has his law offices right there on that corner. You'd be too close."
Joseph groaned.
"Perhaps we could convince him to sell," Abigail stated. "He's stopped by the café a time or two, and he's always complaining to someone about the noise level in the area."
"That's true," Joseph stated. "When I took this pastorate, one of the first things he said to me was that he didn't want me pestering him about coming to church and that he didn't want to hear my sermons or the choir singing on Sunday mornings when he likes to sleep in."
"Maybe he could move into the old depot," Abigail suggested, looking around the room for a newspaper. "I saw where it's up for sale this morning in the Gazette." Seeing the paper, she stood to retrieve it. "Here we go. The Society for Historical Preservation is hosting an auction for the property. They'd rather see it put to use than tear it down," she said, handing the paper to Joseph.
"Next to a train track?" Henry asked. "That's worse than a church. No offense," he grinned.
"McManus sounds like a pleasant chap," Lucas replied.
"He's a hard man," Canfield stated, glancing briefly at the newspaper and then setting it on the coffee table.
"Yeah, well, there was a time that was me, too," Henry replied. "So, I can kind of identify."
"Then perhaps you can talk to him?" Lucas suggested.
"Not me," Henry shook his head. "McManus was an associate prosecutor on my fraud case. He's not too happy I'm out walking free."
"You've more than made amends for what you did," Lucas responded.
"That's not how he sees it."
"Then perhaps he should talk to someone who speaks his language," Bouchard responded.
"What are you thinking?" Henry asked.
"Judge Avery. If anyone has come to see your value in the community, it's Bill."
Henry and Joseph looked at each other.
"Might work," Henry said. "I'll give him a call."
Lucas smiled as his friends began discussing what message Bill should send to the lawyer. While they were talking, his eyes drifted toward the table where the ad for the depot was still visible. His heart sank within, however, when he saw below the ad in the business section a reminder of the event that he wanted desperately to forget. Melrose Weds Monday, the headline read in smaller print nestled among other articles. He rose and then excused himself from his friend's company and returned to his room.
###
Once company had left and the Canfields had gone to bed, Lucas ventured out of his room and then decided to step outside for a few minutes to enjoy the stillness of the night on the Canfield's porch as it looked out on the quiet Union City street. Leaning against the post, Bouchard looked at the clear sky pondering deeper things of life and was so deep in thought was he that he didn't hear Joseph's shoes as they stepped out onto the porch, and so he jumped when Canfield tapped him on the shoulder with a warm mug of cocoa.
"Joseph!" Lucas said with a gasp.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," Joseph said, sitting on the stoop next to Bouchard and then looking out at the same sky above. "Beautiful evening."
"It is," Lucas said, taking a sip of Canfield's liquid offering.
"Everything okay?"
Bouchard stared at the sky for a moment, then nodded. "Just thought I'd get a little fresh air, although I must admit it's a little chillier than I thought. The cocoa is just what the doctor ordered."
"Thank you. My mama's recipe."
"Ah."
The two sat in solitude for a few minutes longer, drinking their beverages and listening to silence. Joseph had sensed Lucas's mood shift toward the end of their evening with friends and seeing him outside confirmed to him that something was on his friend's mind. He prayed for an opportunity to minister, and after a few minutes, the opportunity came.
"How do you do it?" Lucas's quiet voice split through the evening calm causing Joseph to slightly startle. He was going to ask, 'Do what?' but Bouchard continued his thought so he didn't have to.
"How do you maintain such a positive outlook on life? No matter how many troubled situations or troubled…people…come across your path, you seem to know that things will be okay."
Joseph shook his head. "That's not entirely true. Just ask Minnie. There've been many times where she's had to talk some sense into me."
"Maybe so, but you have a peace like I've never seen – and a strength. What's your secret?"
Joseph thought only briefly. "The Lord. If it wasn't for God in my life, I don't know where I'd be."
Bouchard made no comment but merely nodded, then looked back up at the sky. "I'd like to thank you and your family for taking me in these past couple of weeks."
"It's our pleasure."
Lucas grinned. "Oh, I doubt that, but it's nice of you to say. I'll be leaving in the morning."
"Leaving?" Joseph asked, furrowing his brow. "Did something happen?"
"No. It's just time," Lucas replied. "But I do thank you for your hospitality and your friendship. You have a wonderful family. Cherish them."
"I do," Canfield replied. "Where will you go?"
Lucas paused, then looked down. "Hope Valley."
Joseph frowned. "There's nothing there anymore, Lucas."
"Not in terms of life. But I think I need to see it for myself in order to be able to close a chapter. Beyond that, who knows?"
"Why don't you wait until Spring? The winter can be awful harsh up there."
Lucas looked over at Joseph. "I appreciate your concern. It's just something I need to do."
"Well, at least let us send you off- stay and eat some of my wife's blueberry pancakes?"
"Of course," Lucas smiled as Joseph patted him on the shoulder.
###
Sunday morning, Tilly and her family, along with Michael, attended services in their family chapel and afterward went to a back room with the minister in order to discuss what would transpire during the wedding the following day. Reverend Brodi had just begun laying out the order of service when a disturbance was heard outside.
"Let me in there! I have to see the Princess!"
"Ma'am, you are not permitted…guards!"
Tilly immediately recognized the voice of the woman as Lucas's sister and jumped up from her chair but Michael grabbed her by the arm.
"Let the guards handle it, dear. No sense putting yourself in danger."
"But, that sounds like…."
"Sit."
Tilly looked at her father, who was staring at her with a disapproving look, and she took a seat. The king nodded for the minister to continue, but before he could, the door burst open, and Helen Bouchard and Jenny Grant entered the room.
"What! What is the meaning of this!" the king shouted. "Who are you? Guards!"
As the guards entered the room, one grabbed Jenny by the arms while the other reached for Helen.
"I am Jenny Grant, and this is my mother, Helen Bouchard. We are friends of Tilly's. Lucas Bouchard is my brother."
"Lucas Bouchard?" the queen asked. "Who is…?"
Michael opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Helen interjected, "The father of your grandchild," she stated. "And the man your daughter truly loves."
Charlotte looked confused as she and King Alexei turned Tilly's way.
"Is this true?" her mother asked.
Tilly's expression was one of partial guilt and partial defiance as she responded. "It's true. Lucas is the baby's father."
The king's face turned red as he turned to the minister and summarily dismissed him. Narrowing his eyes, he turned toward Michael. "You lied to us about this child's parentage?"
"Only to save Ottilia's reputation, your liege, and to keep the kingdom from scandal."
"That's not true," Jenny replied. "He did it for his own advancement."
"I love her! How dare you!" Michael responded.
"So much that you've been filtering her mail and blocking our phone calls to her?" Helen replied. "We've been trying to reach her for weeks. Have you gotten any of our messages?"
"Don't answer them," Michael said. "They have no say so in your life after that no count mental case of theirs left you without so much as a word."
"That's a lie!" Jenny said. "Lucas wrote to her. He left her a letter at the same time that he left one for me. He mentioned it in recent correspondence."
"Then where is it?" Michael asked. "If he wrote, where is the letter?"
"I suspect you absconded with it," Helen replied. She then turned toward Alexei. "Your majesty, my son and your daughter are very much in love. Lucas is a fine young man who has gone through so much in his life that I'm sure he's just gone away to work his way through. But he will be back. He has no idea that she is having his child, and…."
"And it should remain that way," Michael said. "Your Highness, the woman's son has had multiple mental collapses. He's not stable. Is that the kind of man you would want to marry your daughter, to be third in line to the throne along with Tilly? I would say not. I'm saving her from disaster that she herself doesn't even know. I can give her stability. I can make sure the child is raised in a manner befitting the grandchild of the king. Bouchard can't even be depended upon to be present in their lives."
"Tilly, what do you want?" Gregori stated, finally speaking up once the shock of all of the pieces finally coming together began to wear off.
King Alexei began to speak, but Charlotte grabbed his arm and shook her head.
Meanwhile, Tilly's mind was spinning. Lucas had written? Michael had taken the letter?
"Ottilia, we need your answer," Michael said. "Remember the kingdom. Think of who can best provide for the child."
Her heart was pounding within as fear and uncertainty pummeled her. "I….I don't…I don't know…I can't decide."
Helen and Jenny felt crestfallen, having hoped for a stronger response.
"Then the decision should go to the king," Michael stated. "Given that important guests from throughout Europe are anticipating a wedding tomorrow morning."
The king pursed his lips, looking between Michael and Tilly. "The wedding shall continue."
"Father," Gregori interrupted.
"No, son. It's far too late to turn back now. If Michael is willing to overlook Ottilia's indiscretion and raise another man's child, that says something good about him. Tilly, you will grow to know that this was the best choice."
"Alexei!" Charlotte said.
"My decision is final," he replied. "Guards, please escort these women out."
The guards roughly grabbed Jenny by the arms once more and began dragging her and Helen toward the door.
"Tilly! Don't do this! You know it's not the right thing!" Jenny stated. "You love him! How can you marry Michael when your heart longs to be with Lucas? This is Lucas's child. Tilly!'
Ottilia looked up toward the door with eyes swimming with tears as she watched Lucas's sister and mother disappear into the hallway. As the door shut, the tears fell down her cheek and she leaned into her mother's shoulder, who had come to comfort her.
"There, there…dear. It'll be okay," Queen Charlotte said.
"Of course it will," the king replied. "Michael is a fine man. He'll be good for Dashma."
"And for Tilly?" Gregori asked.
"Of course," the king replied. "That goes without saying. Now go get Brodi. I'm meeting with our cousin Queen Ava of Finland and her husband this afternoon, so we mustn't doddle."
Gregori looked toward his sister and toward Michael, who was barely hiding a smirk behind his malevolent eyes. He turned and left the room.
Walking toward the pastor's office, he heard the sound of the Bouchard women protesting toward the end of the hallway. He thought of the sadness in Tilly's eyes as she let go of the man he knew she loved to agree to a life he knew she didn't want, and then he considered the words that Melrose had said – which at that moment did not ring true. For one, Tilly had always been an excellent judge of character and would not have given herself to a man unworthy of her. But second, he had seen Bouchard's selfless spirit when he risked his very life to save his Annie. Melrose was a liar and this wedding was a huge mistake, but what could he do? He watched as the two women were pushed out of the chapel's exit, then turned to find the minister.
###
Arriving back at the hotel, the two women were beside themselves, trying to determine what else, if anything, they could do to stop the wedding. Martin had reached out to a few minor royals that he knew and trusted, but nobody wanted to get involved, and now, knowing that they knew that Tilly's secret was out, he wasn't sure what else they could do short of suing the crown for access to his grandchild – something he knew Lucas would be opposed to.
Jenny had been reduced to tears over never knowing Lucas's child, but Helen was simply angry. That villainous Melrose needed to be taken down – somehow, someway.
Then, magically, the way seemed to materialize before their eyes.
"Hey, Martin. Come here, look at this."
Bouchard looked at his son-in-law, who had been studying papers all day until the women came home.
"Nathan, can you not see that we are busy trying to solve an urgent problem?" Helen asked.
Martin frowned. "Helen. Nathan's work is important, too."
She stared for a moment, then sighed. "Oh, alright. I apologize, Nathan. Your work is important, too."
"It is. Especially if I'm seeing what I think I'm seeing. I need an auditor's eyes," he said meeting Martin in the middle of the room with a stack of papers bound together with a clip. "Is this who I think it is?"
Martin put on his glasses and began to read, then squinted his eyes. "Stephanos Bostraevski?"
"Who's that?" Jenny asked.
"One of the leaders of the Transcaucasian Soviet States and likely funding source for the Dashmanian rebels," Bouchard responded.
Jenny raised her eyebrows. "The Dashmanian Rebels are involved in the counterfeiting ring?"
"Their funders are," Nathan said, taking the ledger from Martin's hands and pointing. "Look at the account number."
Bouchard studied it, then nodded. Grant then turned the page. "Look at who it belongs to."
It took only one second for Bouchard to make the connection. Immediately, he walked to the closet and grabbed his and Nathan's coats. "Come on, let's go."
"Where are we going?" he asked.
"Busy or not, it's time to pay Prince Gregori's Chief of Staff, Winslow Armitage, a visit."
###
Daylight came early on the morning of February 14th as the sleepy Canfield household slowly came alive. While Lucas was showering, Joseph made a few phone calls, and by the time they'd all finished breakfast and Bouchard was walking toward the door to leave, several of their friends from Hope Valley had gathered at the Canfield home to wish Bouchard godspeed.
As he looked at the friendly faces before him, Lucas began remembering little bits from his life in Hope Valley but still felt a tremendous wall within his heart connecting with them emotionally. Still, he put on his best manners and received hugs and parting gifts from them all. Molly gave him a quilt she'd been working on and Florence and Ned some canned meats and other victuals in case he got hungry along the way. Abigail brought him a scarf and a box filled with Elizabeth's letters to her in hopes that seeing their relationship through Elizabeth's pen might release something more within Lucas that would finally bring him peace. But the most personal gift of all came from Henry. It was a Bible.
"Here. Take this with you. Joseph gave it to me when I was at my lowest after blowing up the mine, and it did me a lot of good. Maybe it'll be a comfort for you, too." Bouchard knew he couldn't refuse the gift, though everything within him wanted to stay as far from religion as possible.
At last, when it was time to go, the group gathered around him to pray him a safe journey. Lucas kept his eyes open as the pastor prayed, studying the faces of all of these people who had also been through so much in their lives. There were the widows, Florence, Molly, Abigail – and even Ned had lost a spouse. Joseph and Minnie had a strong family but had lived through prejudicial rejection to the extreme that it had cost their daughter her sight. And Henry had been through trials of his own making. Life hadn't been easy for any of them, and yet here they all were – still living, still hoping. How he wished he had that hope.
"And Lord, just watch over him. We know he'll be just a few hours away, but the roads are rough from what I hear, and with the inclement weather, it can be quite treacherous. Comfort him, dear Lord, and bring our friend Lucas peace. If he gets lonely or distressed, help him to remember what is said in Your Word in the 23rd Psalm – The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. And show yourself to him. Show him your love, dear Lord, in ways so marvelous that He himself can't even imagine – and most of all, give him the peace that passes understanding through Your Son. It's in the name of Jesus that I ask all of these blessings for our dear brother, Amen.
Be safe, my friend."
"Thank you, Joseph. Everyone."
"Be sure to call us when you reach Benson Hills to let us know you are safe," Abigail said.
"And if you're out there a while, check in with us every so often to let us know you're okay," Henry added.
"I will," Bouchard replied, hugging his friends and then climbing into the car to start the journey to his past that he hoped would bring the healing he'd need for his future.
###
An icy rain fell upon the streets of Dashma as Helen Bouchard, Jenny Grant, and their driver pulled up around two blocks length away from the country chapel where Otillia Rasmussen was to marry Michael Melrose later that morning. They had been instructed to wait there, just in case, by Tilly's brother, who had spent the early morning hours discussing Nathan's find with Armitage and Bouchard. After that, Gregori was going to take it to the king. Given that all of the details were not yet available, he could make no promises but said he'd talk with his father and with Tilly before the wedding and try to get them to change their minds about what he knew was going to be a terrible mistake.
Inside the building it was as if Tilly was a guest at her own wedding as she sat and watched her mother ordering servants around and waited for her own set of orders as she readied herself to walk down the aisle. Overnight, she had stiffened her resolve to do the 'right' thing, even if it was breaking her in two, and by the morning time she had been given what she thought was the gift of numbness. She would simply block Lucas out of her mind. Michael was her future, and she had a duty to marry him. She had gone outside of what was proper and now she must pay the cost.
But she couldn't forget. As the hours clicked closer to what fate had thrust upon her, the only thing that was on her mind was his gentle smile, the feeling of his touch, and the painful knowledge that he would never know his child. Her heart ached as she continued to look toward the door in the vain hope that he would come swooping in and rescue her – rescue them. But he was nowhere in sight, and so she began to get ready, hoping that makeup would cover the circles and puffiness under her eyes from lack of sleep and from tears.
###
The drive North was everything that Lucas's friends had warned him about. Blustery winds, sleet, and now a blanket of snow covered the roadway to the degree that Bouchard had a difficult time telling what was road and what was land. At least his car was new and had built-in heat, so he could be comfortable – physically, that was.
Internally, he was a mess. Filled with apprehension concerning what he was about to confront, he found it hard to concentrate on what he was doing – which he needed to do, given many of the landmarks that he knew from earlier trips had been destroyed in the fires.
And then there was Tilly. He knew in the back of his mind that he was to lose her forever that morning, and the thought left him physically sick. He blamed himself, but he also blamed her. Why couldn't she have waited for him? She knew he loved her. There could only be one conclusion, he thought, and that was he wasn't enough. He was never enough. He wasn't enough to help his parents in their mourning. He wasn't enough to keep Elizabeth alive. He wasn't enough to hold Tilly's heart. He wasn't enough for anyone. He wondered why he had even been born.
Reaching a fork in the road, Lucas looked around to get his bearings even as he felt hot tears begin to fill his eyes and blur his vision.
You have to just keep going, he told himself. It's just how things are. Get used to it. Someday, this will all be over. He shuddered to think what came next.
Shaking his head, Lucas decided to try to forget it all and turned right, knowing at that spot, all roads lead to Hope Valley. It was a fateful decision.
###
"The guests are all arriving, and you'll be pleased to know that even Prince Edward and the Queen Mother have chosen to attend."
"Alexandra? Oh, my," Tilly responded to Katie, who had just escorted Annie into the room the help her get dressed for her role as ring bearer.
"Tilly, you look beautiful," Katie said. "Are you excited?"
Tilly smiled stiltedly. "Of course," she replied, without making eye contact. "Who wouldn't be excited on her wedding day? The real question is, is Annie excited to be at the wedding?"
The little girl looked at her and shrugged. "I'll do anything for you, Aunt Tilly."
"Oh, aren't you a sweet girl," she said, bending down and kissing her niece on the forehead. Tilly took off her engagement ring and handed it to Annie. "I need you to hold onto this then and Michael will give you the wedding ring to go with it for the ceremony. Remember what you're to do?"
"Yes. I am to give him the rings so he can give them to you."
"That's right."
"Will I have to call him Uncle Michael now?"
Tilly looked at her quizzically. "No. I don't suppose so. Do you not like him?"
She shrugged again. "He's okay. I miss Mr. Lucas."
Tilly could feel Katie's eyes boring into her and decided to ignore it. "Well, Michael and you will get along just fine. In fact, when we move out to the country, he said that he's going to build a special area where all of the children can play. Won't that be fun?"
Annie looked at her aunt, then nodded.
Before anything else could be said, the door opened again, and Michael entered. Tilly immediately ducked behind a screen.
"Michael! You're not supposed to be in here! It's bad luck!"
Melrose laughed. "Nonsense. Surely, you don't believe in that sort of superstition. I just wanted to tell you that the Queen Mother is here."
"Alexandra? Yes, I know."
"Well, she hardly ever makes an appearance these days. She doesn't look good, but just imagine, the future king of England is at our wedding. Isn't it grand?"
Tilly smiled slightly. "Yes. Grand."
"Well, I just thought you should know so you can be sure not to have a hair out of place. These are the kind of people we need to impress. So, remember to acknowledge them. I'll see you in the chapel," he said, heading toward the door.
"Not so fast, Melrose."
Prince Gregori entered the room, followed by his father, who was oblivious to the reason that his son was so adamant that they meet before the wedding.
"What's going on? I need to be in my place. Can't this wait?" Melrose asked.
Tilly's mother entered the room and was going to speak but noted the tone in her son's voice so she just joined the ladies on the far end of the room.
"No, it cannot. There will be no wedding until you explain why you are doing business with Stephanos Bostraevski."
The king raised his eyebrows. "He's what?"
Gregori pulled the page of ledger activity out of his pocket and handed it to the sovereign. "Martin Bouchard and his son-in-law visited me this morning to share what they had found in certain papers that the son-in-law, Nathan Grant, a Pinkerton, was working on for a counterfeiting case. Melrose's business is all over it."
"Michael! Is it true?" Tilly asked. Melrose didn't answer.
"I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation," Alexei said. "So, what is it?"
Melrose laughed, then laughed again. "Surely, you don't believe them, your liege. You know me! We've worked together for years. They're just trying anything to stop this wedding."
"Martin Bouchard is a respected auditor," Gregori countered. "I sincerely doubt he's going to risk his reputation…."
"Of course, he would! Whoever controls Dashma controls resources for all of Europe. The money…."
"You would stand to have the same benefits," Gregori replied.
"Are you accusing me?" Melrose responded.
"Are you guilty?"
"Aunt Tilly…."
"Just a moment, Anastasia."
"Your Highness, surely you can see through this ruse. These people should be arrested, not listened to. My loyalty has been unquestionable up to this point. Are you really going to take the word of lunatics…."
"Bouchard is no lunatic; he's a well-respected diplomat, and as for the son – he saved your granddaughter's life," Gregori stated. "Surely that counts for something."
The king looked at Gregori, then at Tilly, then at Michael, then at the door. "We will discuss this later. Otillia, it's too late to make changes. The instability that would signal…."
"But, father…" Gregori replied.
"She has a duty, and so do we. I'm sorry. Michael, return to your room. Otillia, I'll be here to get you in five minutes."
"What if I don't want to go," she said, causing a panicked look to appear on Melrose's face.
"It's too late," Alexei replied.
"Too late? What if I refuse to go?" she asked.
Alexei became angry. "Family is important, but the kingdom is more important, and the responsibilities we bear do not just affect us. We've known Michael for years. These Bouchards…I don't know them, and I'm not taking their word over his."
"But I know them. And I trust them."
"Then you have a choice. But hear this: if you refuse to marry Michael, you will be disowned. You will be stripped of your title and your allowance. I cannot allow my daughter's indiscretions to overturn the kingdom. I will see you in five minutes."
King Alexei turned to go and caught the eye of his wife, who was glaring at him. "Not a word, wife. Not a word. Melrose, to your room."
The king and Michael exited the room, leaving a stunned family behind, and Tilly looked up at her brother. "What do I do now?"
"Don't marry him," Gregori replied.
"Aunt Tilly?"
"In a moment, Anastasia. Mother?"
"I'm afraid I can't choose for you, dear. Your father is serious."
"He would leave his own daughter destitute?"
"I would never allow that to happen, Tilly," Gregori said.
"Aunt Tilly?"
Finally, Tilly turned to her niece. "What is it, sweetie?"
The little girl held the ruby engagement ring to her aunt. "Why does your ring have Mr. Lucas's name inside of it?"
Tilly froze and then blinked. "What?"
Reaching out, she took the engagement ring in her hand and noticed for the first time.
For My Queen– Love Always, Lucas
Tears began pooling in Tilly's eyes as the realization flooded her soul that Lucas had not abandoned her and had, indeed, planned on proposing.
She looked up in hope at her brother, and he smiled. "This way, Tilly. They're waiting for you outside."
###
"What is it, Alawa?"
"I think it's a man."
"A man? What would a man be…." Ten-year-old Abel Chogan walked with his eight-year-old sister Alawa and their three-year-old pregnant German shepherd along Bear Creek about ten miles outside of Benson Hills and seventeen miles from Hope Valley. The two had been out gathering scraps of wood with their father to bring back to camp for the evening dinner and had stumbled upon the tracks of what they discovered was a 1920 Buick automobile that had hit a patch of ice and landed in the creek. The car was partially submerged.
"Is he alive?"
Alawa walked a little closer. "I don't know. Why don't you poke him with a stick?"
Abel raised his eyebrows. "I'm not poking him with a stick! You poke him with a stick!"
"I'm not going to poke him! What if he gets mad?"
"Children?"
Thomas Chowan, whose Cree name was Pimâtâmaskwa, exited the woods and walked into the clearing after spending several minutes gathering larger logs. He placed them in the wagon that his children rode in on the way to the creek and then turned to look for them. Calling out their name, he immediately heard Abel's voice.
"Father! Come!"
Stepping away from the wagon, he followed their tracks until he saw the car, and then he saw them.
"What is it, Abel?"
Abel didn't answer; he simply pointed to Lucas.
Thomas moved quickly to the stranger's side. Bending down, the warrior-turned-farmer put a hand in front of Lucas's mouth to check for respiration and upon feeling breath against his skin, quickly checked Bouchard for injuries.
"Abel, run back to the wagon and clear out a spot. Alawa, bring a blanket. We need to get him back to camp."
###
Jenny's green eyes stayed trained on the front doors to the chapel as an anxious anticipation pervaded her mind. What would she say when she saw Lucas again if this did not go the way they had hoped? Could she keep that kind of a secret from her brother forever?
Grant didn't have to think long because an immediate movement at the chapel door followed by a woman with platinum blonde hair in a white dress captured her attention.
"She's here!" Jenny shouted.
Not waiting for Helen to respond, Bouchard-Grant jumped out of the car and stood outside laughing as her friend and brother's lover came running across the field. Tears of joy and relief flowed from both women's eyes as back at the chapel, Gregori, Annie, and Charlotte stood smiling as Ottilia escaped.
A moment later, they heard the voice of Michael Melrose echoing loudly in the hallway.
"She can't do this to me!" he shouted, running towards the door just in time to be tripped by Prince Gregori's extended leg.
"She just did," he replied, laughing as he watched his sister get into the car and turn around and wave. For good measure, she threw her veil and wedding bouquet out the back window, then blew kisses to them all as she disappeared into the horizon.