DECEMBER 21, 1909

Elizabeth was up early the next day and headed towards her Aunt Agatha's. She had packed a small bag intending to stay for a few days. Since it was a common practice, her parents didn't think anything about it.

When Elizabeth entered, her Aunt Agatha was sitting at her table with a guest. The well-trained servants were already putting a place setting down for her at the table.

Looking at the woman sitting with her aunt, she smiled, intending to offer a polite greeting. But when she saw who it was, she ran over to hug the woman. "Aunt Catherine!"

"My dear sweet girl, how are you?" Catherine asked, standing to embrace her.

"Look at you, sweetheart," Catherine said, stepping back to admire the young girl in front of her. "It's been far too long since I've seen you. You look so grown up and beautiful, I might add."

Elizabeth blushed at the compliment and said a quiet thank you. In truth, Elizabeth was never comfortable with compliments. "Come have some breakfast with your poor aunties," her Aunt Agatha said.

Elizabeth sat down opposite Catherine. "How long are you home for? When did you get back?"

Catherine laughed. "I arrived yesterday, and this visit will be a short one, I'm afraid. I have a few ladies to take west the day after Christmas."

"The more important question I have, sweetheart, is why are you here this early with your bag in hand?" her Aunt Agatha asked, knowing the signs that all was not well. She had seen her niece bring it in with her.

Elizabeth's face fell, and she explained, "Father demands that I marry Phillip Carrington. I refused, of course, but you know Father."

"I imagine he wasn't pleased to hear it," Catherine said with a chuckle taking a sip of her tea. William had pursued her when she was a young debutante. He had even asked permission from her father for her hand. When she told him in no uncertain terms that she would not marry him, he began courting Grace instead. She and Agatha had often wondered if it was an attempt to get back at her. She met her Mountie 2 days later and quickly fell in love. James Hendricks had been a handsome man, but there was something underneath the uniform that called to her. They had only been courting a few weeks when her father found out and demanded that she marry William. Though at the time, she had been unaware of it, her father had arranged for James to be transferred out west. He was to leave the next day for a remote frontier town. It didn't take her a second to decide, and when he departed the next day, she went with him as his wife.

"Hmph," Elizabeth said, breaking Catherine out of her thoughts. "He wouldn't listen and acted as if what I felt was of no consequence." At this point, tears formed in Elizabeth's eyes, letting the two ladies know just how bad it had been.

"To make it worse, Mother is already planning the wedding. Viola couldn't be happier!" Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes and making the other ladies chuckle.

"Julie is with me, though not overtly, of course. She is still waiting for Charles to propose and is afraid Father might say no to their engagement if she openly defies him." Elizabeth went on to explain.

"What?" Catherine said, "But that is ridiculous. Your father is as excited about a match with the Kensingtons as she is. Although I have heard the Kensingtons aren't as enamored of Julie."

"Sandra apparently feels like Julia is too flighty for her taste," Agatha said. "I have secretly thought they were hoping that you would be the one to attract Charles, Elizabeth." Because of her disenchantment and avoidance of societal affairs, Elizabeth didn't realize she was the most beautiful and sought out of the Thatcher sisters. Indeed, she was a rare jewel in a sea of debutantes. Part of her charm was that she was humble, kind, and compassionate to everyone, regardless of social situation. But her parents failed to see her backbone and strong will, which was so much like her fathers and aunts. If cornered, she would not go quietly. Agatha had a feeling that William and Grace were about to discover that for themselves.

"Well, that would never happen, Aunt Agatha," Elizabeth exclaimed, horrified because Charles was like a brother. "That's even more of a nightmare than being married to Phillip," Elizabeth said emphatically. "Not to mention that Julie is in love with him, and I would never hurt her."

"So, what was your father's response for saying no?" Agatha queried, knowing William the way she did. "What leverage is he using to make you obey?"

Elizabeth's smile disappeared as tears began to fall. "He gave me an ultimatum. The Carringtons will stay with us from the 26th through New Year's. I either agree to the match and attend the ball on his arm as his fiancé, or Father will disinherit me, and I will have to fend for myself."

At this point, even the servants stopped and looked in horror at what Elizabeth said. Her Aunt Agatha's servants were like family to her. They loved Elizabeth just as much as they did their mistress. Until Elizabeth had reached her debutante years, she practically lived with Agatha. In fact, Elizabeth was unaware, but Agatha's extensive wealth would someday be hers. It was something her own dear Robert had insisted on as well. In her mind, Elizabeth was more her daughter than Grace's. When Robert passed, Elizabeth grieved as if she had lost her father. Elizabeth, and in some part Julie, had been the only ones to really welcome him after they were married. It was because of her husband that Elizabeth became a master chess player. When he was too ill to get out of bed, it was Elizabeth who spent hours playing Chess or simply reading aloud to him. It was Elizabeth who had been by his side with Agatha when he took his last breath. It was Elizabeth who lay next to Agatha at night for the first few months after his passing.

"Excuse me!" Agatha said, brow raised and anger rising. "Are you telling me that your father is threatening to disinherit you and kick you out of the house if you don't agree to marry the man he has chosen?"

"Yes, I am Aunt Agatha," Elizabeth said softly, tears falling down her cheeks. "I think what hurts the most is his very narrow-minded view that I'm only good at being a wife. That I will fall flat on my face, and I can't take care of myself. I know he does not want me to call his bluff, but I don't have a choice."

"Dear, what did your mother say?" Catherine asked.

"Oh, she was horrified at first, but you know she will never go against anything that Father has said. I think she's hoping that I won't call his bluff, either." Elizabeth replied.

She threw her napkin down and stood up to embrace her niece. Catherine did the same, and Elizabeth was engulfed in love emanating from the two women she loved most.

"Well, you'll simply stay with me," Agatha said. "I will not stand by and let you be ramrodded into a marriage that you neither want nor to a man that will not appreciate you for who you are,"

"So don't worry about that, sweetheart," Catherine said, placing a kiss on top of Elizabeth's head.

After breakfast, Agatha sent her niece upstairs to unpack and rest for a bit while she and Catherine settled in her drawing room.

"I cannot believe that this is happening," Catherine said.

"Unfortunately, I can," Agatha said. "If they want to kick her out, then I'll arrange for her things to be moved today. That girl will not go into the Christmas holiday with it hanging over her head Catherine. It would suit William right if Elizabeth went out west with you."

Before Catherine could respond, the maid came in and said, "There's a phone call for you, Ms. Catherine. It's Mrs. Moira Grant, and she said it was important."

"Thank you, Betsy. I will be right there." Catherine said. "Would you excuse me, Agatha? Moira is my dear friend that works with me on matches. I've told you about her?"

"Oh yes, please give her my best," Agatha said. "I'm going to go check on Elizabeth."

Catherine sat in the chair next to the phone. "Hello? Moira?"

"Catherine, I'm sorry to bother you, but I need your help." Moira Grant said. "I know it's short notice, but Nathan has decided that he would like to have a mail-order bride. I was wondering if there were any candidates you knew of who would be a good match for him and Allie. Since everything turned out so badly with Alice, I think he has given up on love."

"Oh, Moira, I'm sorry, but right now I can't think of …." Catherine said but paused as an idea formed in her head and Agatha's last words came to her.

"Moira, I may have someone who would be perfect, but I don't know that she would agree yet, so I'm not making promises. Do you remember me talking about my sweet Elizabeth?" Catherine asked.

"Elizabeth Thatcher? She is Agatha's niece and is from a wealthy family, right?" Moira asked.

"Yes, she is," Catherine said. "Her father has demanded that she marry a man of his choosing or be disinherited. She has never cared for society and, in fact, just recently acquired her teaching certification. She doesn't know about cooking or frontier life, but I think she and Nathan would be perfect."

"The cooking and cleaning and that other stuff can be taught. Nathan himself would pitch in wherever he needed to. They would be living here for the next three months, and I could have her ready in that time." Moira said.

"Let me talk to Agatha and Elizabeth, and I will call you back," Catherine said, smiling big. She wasn't sure why, but she had the feeling that these two would be a love match if she could get them together. It would undoubtedly end William's harassment of Elizabeth to make a good match. Nathan was a wonderful man and would treat her sweet girl well. Elizabeth would be the perfect person to help heal the wounds left by Colleen's passing and Alice's betrayal.

When she went back to the drawing room, Agatha was there waiting. "Agatha, I have some wonderful news, at least I hope it will be," Catherine said.

"Well, by all means, please share?" Agatha said, chuckling.

"Do you remember you saying something about Elizabeth coming with me?" Catherine inquired.

"Yes!" Agatha responded cautiously. "I know that look, and you have something up your sleeve. What is it?"

'What if I told you I have someone I think would be perfect for Elizabeth? Someone that would treat her the way she deserves and wouldn't have a problem with her teaching,"

Agatha smiled now, and Catherine's enthusiasm was beginning to affect her too. "Do you really think you have a potential match for Elizabeth?"

"I do. His name is Nathan Grant, and he is a 25-year-old Mountie that recently got custody of his three-year-old niece Allie. Her mother, Colleen, recently passed, and Nathan was given charge of her. With his being a Mountie and her being a certified teacher, it would be a good fit. Teachers in frontier towns are hard to come by. I know Nathan would not have an issue with her wanting to teach. Elizabeth is just the sort of woman that he needs. I think they would be a great potential for a love match even. I can guarantee that she would be treated well both by him and Moira. As I recall, he is very well-read and reminds me a lot of my dear James and your Robert. Catherine was excited the more she thought about it.

"The only thing, Catherine, she can't cook," Agatha said.

"I already addressed that with Moira, and she promised she would help Elizabeth learn everything she needed to before they transferred in three months. Do you think that Elizabeth would possibly consider it?" Catherine asked excitedly.

"Elizabeth would definitely consider it," Elizabeth said, walking into the room.

Looking at two of the people she trusted most, she said, "You think he would be happy with me?" Elizabeth said.

"Sweetheart, I know that he would, and he enjoys a lot of the same things that you do," Catherine said, reaching over to grasp Elizabeth's hand.

"Catherine says that Nathan reminds her of Uncle Robert and Uncle James," Agatha said to reassure her niece.

Hearing that he was similar to her aunts' husbands sealed the deal for her. "When do I need to be ready?"

"Can you be ready to leave on the morning of the 26th?" Catherine said. "I leave for the west with another bride and want to get the couple settled before the new year."

"I will be ready to go," Elizabeth said. "What should I bring?"

"Just sensible things, mostly everyday wear like you have on now," Catherine said.

"Why don't we go to your home to gather your belongings and bring them here? You can go ahead and put your family out of their misery. We can sort through everything and bring it back here. Whatever you need but don't have, we can get beforehand." Agatha said. "Anything you want to keep but can't take with you can be stored here until you can."