It had been a rough morning at the capital for King Gregori as various members of the Privy Council were now aligning themselves against him for not moving quickly enough on the realm's natural resources issue. They all knew that a replacement of Melrose's knowledge and expertise was not to be readily found – with all of the main contenders in Europe still suffering from the damages their businesses suffered during the war or unable to organize effectively due to financial pressures. There just didn't seem to be anyone available to quickly fill the void. But after a very long meeting, which began at seven in the morning and lasted until noon, Gregori had managed to pacify them for now. But he knew it wouldn't last long. He had to come up with a solution quickly.
Gregori rubbed his forehead, fending off the large headache that threatened to interrupt his day. He then leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. His rest was broken by the voice of his right-hand man and chief of staff, Winslow Armitage.
"The Belvederes are here to sign the agreement concerning the use of the Monte Verde Compound for the conference, and King Alfonso called again to discuss securing a deal to assist with his current conflict with the Berbers."
"Winslow, we have enough to worry about with our own conflict. Tell Alfonso I will try to help him in the new year when we've figured out what to do in the wake of Melrose Industries contracts being canceled."
"Yes, your liege. One more thing."
"What is it?' Gregori asked tersely.
"Duke Peter is waiting for you."
Gregori sighed and gestured to the man in his frustration. "Why didn't you say so? Bring him in!"
Moments later, the door to the king's office opened, and Peter Rasmussen, son of King Rasmus and brother to former King Alexei, entered.
"Uncle Peter, what have you? Please tell me he's been found."
"I'm afraid not, Your Highness."
"Not even a lead?"
Peter lowered his eyes. "I w-wouldn't say it's a lead…"
"I'm listening."
"Dispatch has informed us that four nights ago, at three o'clock in the morning, a wire was sent from the Foreign Secretary's office to the Melrose Estate, specifically to Michael Melrose's parents. It was intercepted by Sir Wallace Dunford, Mrs. Melrose's brother, who informed my office right away of its existence."
"The Foreign Secretary's office? What does Muscovski have to do with this?"
"Nothing that we know of," Peter answered with assurance. Muscovski, as you know, is visiting with the Italian Prime Minister, Giovanni Geolitti, to discuss shipping concerns and was nowhere near his office."
"Then who?" Gregori asked.
"We're still trying to determine that, sir," Peter replied.
"Well, who would have access, particularly at three o'clock in the morning?"
"Any number of people, sire."
"But not just anyone," Gregori stated. "The Security Staff for the capitol, the Head of Parliament, perhaps?"
The Duke nodded. "Yes, them and about a dozen other men – many sitting on the Privy Council – which makes our task somewhat difficult."
"How so?"
"If they felt they were being accused…"
"I don't give a lick if they feel like they're being accused – my life, my daughter's life, my sister's, the rest of the royal family, and this kingdom are being threatened. If someone is in league with Melrose, that means they are in league with the rebels and, therefore, guilty of high treason. Find them, and don't come back until you have a name!"
"Yes, sir," Peter replied, turning toward the door.
"And Uncle Peter…"
The man turned. "Yes, Gregori."
"Be careful. They could be after you, too."
The Duke nodded and exited the room.
Gregori tapped his hand on the desk then picked up the phone. "Yes, Armitage. I need you to wire Nathan Grant for me at the Bouchard Residence in San Francisco. I'll be needing to update him on security."
Tilly sat in her bedroom going through bags of clothing that Helen had sent over from I. Magnin one of San Francisco's most luxurious department stores. The garments were mostly of the neutral sort that any young infant would need, including diapers, sleepers, day gowns (worn by both boys and girls in the1920s), and rompers, but also cotton undershirts and even two combinations or Union Suits should the weather become cold. As she reached into the bag in which the packages arrived, she smiled as she picked up the daintiest of lace caps, admiring the skill and craftsmanship of the handmade item.
"It's one of a kind," Helen said. "It goes with the christening gown that both Lucas and Jenny were baptized in, as well as three generations of Bouchards. It has been kept pristine for this occasion. Or, if you prefer to have something from the royal family…"
"No," she replied. "I would be honored if he or she wore what their father wore."
Helen smiled. "Then it's settled."
Bouchard turned to go, then stopped and turned around. "Ottilia, my mother-in-law, and Lucas's grandmother was a woman of great strength and virtue, deeply devoted to the well-being of her family. Whenever a need arose, she ensured it was addressed. At the same time, she was a wise and considerate woman. Upon my marriage to Martin, she made it clear from the outset that I was to be the mistress of my own household. She advised me that, should I ever feel she was overstepping or assuming duties that were not hers to take, I should not hesitate to express my concerns.
I extend the same sentiment to you. While this is Martin's and my home, and we warmly welcome you into it, I recognize that your life with Lucas and your child is your own. As a woman who is both strong and occasionally headstrong, I ask that if ever you feel I am encroaching upon decisions that rightfully belong to you and Lucas, you let me know. I have every confidence in the future you and Lucas will build together, and I hope that we can be friends. Does that sound agreeable to you?"
Tilly nodded. "I would like that very much, Helen. Thank you."
Lucas's mother smiled sweetly and then left the room.
"Good morning, Lucas. You were up early this morning. Are you okay?" Rosemary asked as Lucas Bouchard stepped into the house from the outside.
Bouchard nodded. "Yes. I'm fine. I was just taking a walk around the neighborhood, praying, and thinking about what we can do to help Jack understand and accept the way things are. He was so upset when he went to bed last night I could hear him crying from my room. What can we do to make him happy? Or at least more settled?"
Rosemary reached for a teacup and set it down in front of the man who had taken a seat at her kitchen table.
"You're asking me questions that we've been trying to answer for the past year that Elizabeth has been gone," she replied, turning back toward the stove.
Lucas traced the rim of his cup with his finger contemplating her last statement and what was on weighing on his mind.
"What are you thinking?" She asked, returning to the table with her own beverage and taking a seat. "I can tell you're deep in thought."
Lucas nodded with a sad smile. "I've been thinking…trying to put myself into the mind of a five-year-old who lost his mother - what he must be going through. I know when I thought we had lost Jenny, it had a profound effect on me, and I was just a couple of years older. I know he has to miss her."
"Of course he does. She was his everything."
"Do you think, perhaps, he's so angry because he thinks we are not honoring Elizabeth's wishes and therefore are disrespecting her?"
Rosemary considered the thought. "You mean regarding the adoption?"
"Regarding everything," he said. "How much time was he allowed to get used to moving from Hope Valley?"
Rosie shook her head. "No time at all. Lee talked to him and explained things, but it was a matter of days."
"On the heels of losing his mother," Lucas replied. "If I were Jack, a part of me would be trying to preserve everything I possibly could of what I had lost, and I'd be very zealous in guarding it because I wouldn't want to lose what I have left. I think, perhaps, a part of him may feel we are disrespecting Elizabeth by moving so far away from home…."
"And by us being his parents and not you?"
Bouchard nodded. "Yes. Which, of course, is not the case, but he doesn't realize that."
"So, he's acting out."
"I wouldn't call it that. I would say that he is trying to deal with his grief in the best way a five-year-old mind can. If he feels that we aren't trying to preserve his mother's memory and do what would have pleased her, then he's going to fight us tooth and nail and react with anger in order to protect her – to protect what he remembers of her."
"How do we fix that perception?" she asked.
Lucas took another sip of tea and set the cup down. "I have an idea."
"Who was that man who visited you so early this morning?" Helen asked Nathan as she, Martin, and Tilly took their morning tea on the veranda at the Bouchard mansion.
"Courier," Grant replied, turning toward the servant who had already poured his cup of coffee and was handing it to him. "Thank you."
He turned around and took a seat along with the group on the porch, which had a beautiful view of the Bay. "King Gregori sent a telegram from Dashma letting me know that Melrose is very likely in country, and they are narrowing down who might be sheltering him."
"That's wonderful," Helen stated.
"Does he believe the threat is over?" Martin asked.
"Not until he's captured," Nathan said. "I'm heading into the office to see if we can connect with him personally."
Tilly nodded. "Let me know if there is anything I can do."
"I will," Grant responded.
[Author's note: We are using some artistic license in the story regarding available technology. In reality, the underwater cable system that made transcontinental communication possible did not exist at this time, and telegraphs would have been the normal mode of communication. However, by the early 1920s experimentation in radio telegraphy was happening, usually ship to shore, but it existed. In the last chapter Tilly had a conversation with her brother via telephone. We know that is historically incorrect – but they are royals, so who knows what technology the elite had that John Q public did not have. For convenience in this story, we'll say they had the technology.]
"Pardon me, your majesty. Do you have a moment?"
Despite the King's warning to not return until he had information on Melrose, Duke Peter had just entered the king's office to relay information that he felt was too important not to inform the sovereign about
"What is it? You have a name?"
"No, sir. It's not about Melrose. It's concerning the stores along the Vloska River."
"Which ones? The ore or the timber?"
"All of them."
"What about them?" Gregori asked.
"I just finished speaking with the interim manager in the area to get his monthly inventory numbers, and it appears that about a third of the material is missing."
Gregori squinted. "Missing? What do you mean? Stolen?"
"I'm afraid so."
He sat up. "How could this be?! We have a shipment due to go out at the beginning of August to London."
"I'm aware, which is why I asked for the numbers. We believe that there are some rebels who have slipped across the border and are absconding with the material to sell on the black market. I would like to request your permission to send troops to secure the area."
Gregori sighed. "Yes. Do it! Now!"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Peter replied, turning toward the door.
"And Peter," he said, causing the Duke to turn around. "I would like a full report of all of our assets along the Eastern border on my desk by tomorrow."
The Duke frowned. "That is probably not going to be possible."
"Do it! Make it happen! And also get me the name of who is harboring the man who planned to overthrow this kingdom! Use any resource you need. We need to find him."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Peter said, turning again and leaving the office. Outside the room, he clenched his jaw. His nephew was in way over his head.
Lucas privately discussed his thoughts and suggestions with the Coulters as to how they could help Jack begin to work through the loss he had faced and they gave him the leeway to do what he thought was best. He waited for just the right moment.
The four days since the incident at Lucas's car, which delayed his trip to Tilly, had been a combination of difficult and hopeful for Lucas and the Coulters where Jack was concerned. His anger had only lasted a day, and with Lucas's constant attention, the boy had at least come back to where they were before his outburst. Lucas had been cautious with his conversation- not bringing up anything he thought might cause an emotional upset, but he knew that a serious talk was necessary.
Today was the day, in which the first part of his plan would commence. The Coulters left the house for the morning and left Bouchard to babysit their son. While they were gone Lucas took Jack outside to sail his boat in a small pond behind their house. They played for a short while and Lucas pushed through his nervousness to begin a discussion.
"Jack, do you remember how close your mama and Auntie Rosemary were?" Lucas asked as they watched the boat together.
"Mama used to say that Auntie Rosemary was her best friend."
"Yes. That's right. They were very close, almost like sisters. And your mama loved your dad, too." Lucas took every opportunity to remind Jack that Lee was now his father.
Jack did not look up, but instead stared toward the water thoughtfully. "I think Uncle Lee misses her. After Mama died, I saw him crying one day."
The words caused Lucas to clear his throat before speaking. It didn't surprise him that Lee was heartbroken by Elizabeth's loss. "I'm sure he misses her terribly, just like Auntie Rosemary does." Please give me wisdom, Lord, he silently prayed. "I bet you didn't know that Auntie Rosemary was there the day you were born."
Jack's head turned quickly to look at Lucas. "She was?"
"She was. Your mama told me the story once. You were born in a snowstorm out in a cabin. Auntie Rosemary and another good friend of your mama's, Abigail, were with her. As I said, they were very close."
"I didn't know that," Jack replied, turning his head back to the pond.
"They loved each other very much. So much so that your mama made the Coulters your guardians should anything happen to her. Do you know what that means?"
"No. What's a guardian?"
"A guardian is someone who takes care of a child when their parents die. Your mama wanted Lee and Rosemary to be your parents if anything should happen to her. That's why you live with them now, and they adopted you. Because they loved your mama and you so much, they wanted to be your parents if she happened to go to Heaven."
The silence was deafening as Jack pondered the words. "But Mama wanted you to be my papa," the boy finally stated. Lucas was thankful that his voice was composed.
"Your mother and I loved each other greatly. And if we had married, then yes, I would have been your papa. But she went to Heaven to be with your daddy before we had a chance to become a family. So now, you have a new mom and dad with the Coulters – just like she wanted before we were together. And they both love you very much and want you to be happy."
A quiet nod was Jack's response. Lucas couldn't help wondering what he was thinking, but at least he had remained calm. That was a huge plus.
"Why did Mama have to die?"
Lucas held his emotion in check as he pondered the question of the innocent that he himself had asked so much since regaining his memory. There were theological answers that brought him some understanding, but how could he break those down to a child?
"Her work on earth was done," he said quietly, cringing inwardly at how empty the pat response sounded and knowing it would not satisfy.
"But she was my mama. Did she not want to be my mama anymore?"
Lucas's heart sped up as that was one conclusion he hadn't considered that Jack might be pondering. "Oh, no…no, Jack. Your mama loved being your mama. You were her greatest love in life and her finest achievement. In fact, you were the last person she thought of when she went to heaven with your Daddy."
"Really?" he asked.
Lucas's throat tightened, and he nodded. "Yes. The last thing she said to me was to tell you that she loved you."
Seeing Lucas's emotion the little boy took his hand and leaned his head against Lucas's shoulder, the two having a very private moment. Finally, Jack spoke again, "I'm glad you were there with her when she went away. I didn't even get to say goodbye."
The child began to whimper, and Lucas wrapped his arms around him, letting him cry and reassuring him as he could. Of course, he was struggling with that too - that poor little boy.
Finally, Jack settled down and was very still to the degree that Lucas wondered if the boy had cried himself to sleep but then he raised his little hand and wiped the tears from his cheek and eyes, but he didn't look up.
"Is San Francisco far away?" he asked, the words almost silent. Lucas sensed a maturity beyond his years coming out in Jack's tone, one he recognized in himself as a child when faced with circumstances beyond his control.
"It is a little, perhaps a day drive. Why do you ask?"
"Because you are leaving."
Lucas's eyes welled up again as he crouched down in front of Jack and turned him so they were face to face. "I'm only going for a visit, Buddy. I'm not moving there. In fact, I've decided to buy a house nearby."
The bright smile on Jack's face lifted his heart. "Really? Really Buddy? You're coming back?"
Lucas laughed as he took the boy's shoulders in his hands. "Yes. I'm coming back. I won't abandon you again. I will still be in your life, kind of like an uncle instead of a papa. You're my best buddy."
Jack threw his small arms around Bouchard's neck, with Lucas returning the embrace and fighting to keep his tears in check. When the boy stepped back, his eyes were shining. "Can I call you Uncle Buddy?"
"Yes," Lucas laughed, his voice shuddering with emotion. "I would love to be your uncle, Buddy."
"Come on, Uncle Buddy!" Jack cried, taking Lucas's hand as he stood. "Let's go look for some rocks!"
Bouchard happily followed along after looking to the sky and whispering, "Thank you." This was the breakthrough that they had all hoped and prayed for.
"You think they'll like it?"
Lucas watched with a tearful smile as Jack finished up his work. "I think they will love it," he replied, his voice rough.
Their little chat had brought more conversation as they searched for the prettiest rocks that Jack could find in the back yard. The result of their quest was almost complete.
"There! I think it's perfect!" Jack said excitedly as he jumped to his feet and wiped the dirt off his knees. "Let's go get them!" he exclaimed, grabbing Lucas's hand and helping him up.
"Slow down, Buddy!" Lucas laughed as he tried to keep up with the boy. "I've got a few years on you!"
Hurrying into the house, Lee and Rosemary stood from their places on the sofa as the two buddies entered noisily.
"What's all this about? You're going to wake Betsy." Rosemary asked, glad to see that Jack looked happy.
"Come on! You have to come to see what me and Uncle Buddy built!" The boy's enthusiasm was contagious, and they both smiled, curious over his use of the word uncle. Coming over, he grabbed their hands. "I hope you like it," he said, his voice calmer but still cheerful.
"Well then, we better go and see it," Lee said, smiling over at his wife, thrilled with whatever had made their son so elated. They both squinted in the sunshine as their eyes quickly adjusted to the brightness. Jack giggled as they all exited. "Okay, Jack. Here we are. What did you want to show us?"
"It's over here," the boy replied as he led them a little further into the yard over to a patch of dirt. "This. I made it for you out of the best rocks we found."
The Coulters looked puzzled for a moment as they stared down at Jack's creation. "You did this for us?" Rosemary asked, gazing at the words on the ground.
Jack had taken some stones and spelled out 'Mom and Dad.' Lee could barely speak over the lump in his throat. Bending down, he took Jack's arm. "Can you explain what we are looking at?" he asked softly.
"Me and Uncle Buddy had a talk. He told me that Mama wanted you to be my parents from when I was a baby. So, you're my dad and she's now my mom," he said candidly as he pointed at Rosemary.
Everyone grew silent as eyes welled up. "Uncle Buddy helped find the rocks, but I spelled it all by myself. Do you like it, Dad?"
Hearing the name he had longed to hear for some time caused the tears to spill over. Taking the boy in his arms, he felt little hands wrap around his neck. Gazing up to Lucas, he smiled his thanks. "I absolutely love it, son. It's the best gift ever."
Later that evening, while the family was sitting at the dinner table eating dinner, Jack looked at his parents.
"Can we go see mama?"
Startled, the three adults looked at one another curiously before returning their gaze to Elizabeth's son.
"What do you mean, son?" Lee asked.
"I want to bring her flowers. Her and daddy. She went away a year ago…"
Lucas and Rosemary looked at one another with surprise. He knew.
"So, you want to take a trip?" Lucas asked. "To Hope Valley?"
Jack nodded. "To say goodbye."
Lucas shook his head and looked toward the Coulters, again struggling with emotions but holding them in check. "I think that might be helpful. I know it helped me. Do you think, perhaps, we could all take a trip up there to visit the graves?"
Lee sat back in his chair, "The Piedmont Lawyers aren't supposed to be here until next week sometime, and I think we have everything ready for them, so I don't see why not. What do you think, sweetheart?"
"What about Betsy?" Rosemary asked, and then the dog barked. "And Bear?"
"Betsy comes with us," Lee said.
"Is there room in Lucas's car?" Rosemary asked.
"Plenty," Lucas replied. "And Christopher and Rachel can watch Bear. We will only be gone a couple of days, three at most."
Rosemary tilted her head back and forth then nodded. "Well, alright then. We can go!"
Immediately, Jack jumped down from his chair and ran to hug her and then to Lee. "Thank you, Dad and Mom. I love you."
The Coulters looked toward Lucas, who obscured his dimpled smile by taking another bite of food. His rightful place in Jack's life was becoming settled, just as it should. Things were working out.
"I expect we'll be gone three days," Lucas said, leaning against the chair as he spoke to his love.
"And you're all going, the Coulters too?"
"Yes. Jack is recognizing them as his parents now, and Elizabeth was important to them as well."
Tilly nodded. "Then I say be safe and contact me the moment you're home."
"I will," Lucas said. "I think things will be settled enough that I can leave Jack for a few days to come and see you. That is if you still want me to."
Tilly chuckled. "I don't know…." she teased, but then her smile faded. "But I do mean it when I say be safe. I've been in communication with Gregori and things are not well in Dashma. Michael escaped from custody."
"He did what?!" Lucas asked, sitting and then standing up from his seat. "When? How?"
"They were doing a prisoner transfer…but don't worry. Gregori says that they know he is still in Dashma, and they've taken his money and sealed the border."
Lucas shook his head. "But he still knows people. He could still do something."
"Not likely without money. Michael was powerful, but Gregori says that he is now viewed as a villain and a fiend by all of the major powers in Europe. They know what he tried to do, and with the chaos that his departure has caused in their countries…"
"Chaos? Do you mean more rebellion?"
"No. Nothing like that. It's just Melrose handled much of the management of natural resources throughout Europe and handled Dashma's exclusively. Gregori is having a hard time recovering, and deliveries of goods needed for rebuilding after the war have been compromised."
Lucas shook his head. "Is there anything I can do? My father knows people."
"No," Tilly smiled. "Martin and I have already talked, and at this point, it's my brother's task to figure out. We are in a spot where we are safe, so really, there's nothing to worry about."
"Nathan is ensuring you are well guarded?"
"No. It's not necessary."
"Tilly."
"Lucas, I know how things are. Gregori says he's still in Dashma, and therefore, I feel perfectly safe. Enjoy your trip."
Bouchard twisted his mouth to one side. "We shall discuss this more when I return."
Tilly chuckled and shook her head, knowing that there would be far more to discuss than he even knew. "Alright. If you say so."
He laughed. "You've been around Allie." Tilly laughed again.
"I have to go now," he said. "I'll call you when I return."
"Okay. I'll be waiting."
Lucas began to reach for the base of the telephone but stopped, having one more thing to say. "And Tilly, I have never stopped loving you."
Tilly swallowed, then smiled. "Nor I you. Hurry home, my darling."
"The grass needs to be cut," Rosemary said as Lucas's Buick pulled up in front of the cemetery.
The businessman stopped his car and looked out the window. "It does indeed," he said, surprised by how it looked. "It wasn't this way a few weeks ago when I stopped by. I guess Sam Jacobs stopped taking care of it?"
"Sam Jacobs, the milliner?" Lee asked.
"Yes," Lucas replied. "His wife is buried here."
"Yes. Well, Sam had a stroke," Lee replied. "He's expected to recover, but he's been down for a while."
Bouchard furrowed his brow. "I did not know," he responded. "Poor Sam. This is the least of his worries. I'll have to hire someone to take over for him and make sure it gets done."
"That would be nice," Rosemary said. "Wouldn't it, Jack."
The young boy had remained silent as he looked out across the graves but he shook his head yes. "Can we go see mama now?"
The adults each glanced at each other and nodded, Rosemary checking on Betsy, who was sleeping on a pillow and a pile of blankets on the floorboard. Lee opened the door.
"She'll be okay," he said. Rosemary concurred, and they all stepped out of the car. Lucas took a bouquet of flowers off the front seat that they'd purchased in Benson Hills with him.
As the group started walking toward the gate, Jack turned toward his parents and stood.
"What is it, Jack?" Lee asked.
He looked up at his dad. "Can Uncle Buddy and I go first?"
Lee looked up at Lucas who was looking at the businessman with a look of anxiousness. He did not want to overstep. But Coulter immediately connected with Jack's need.
"You and Uncle Buddy had a really special relationship with your mama that you two shared. Of course, you can go first," he said.
Lucas gave the man a small smile and then reached out his hand, extending it to Jack.
"Shall we?" he said, his heart immediately feeling pain as he remembered doing the same for the boy's mother. They were much simpler times. How their world had changed.
Walking through the high grass, Lucas knew immediately where to go even though the stones were half obscured. He handed the bouquet to Jack and then knelt, pulling up grass from around her stone while the boy just stood there, his expression solemn as he read the words on the stone. When Bouchard had finished, he turned to the child.
"Would you like to do the honors?"
Jack looked at his buddy and then quietly stepped forward, laying down the bouquet and then setting it down on the ground, standing up when he was done, and then removing his hat in silence. Lucas remained at eye level with the boy, reaching his hand over and touching Jack on the shoulder as a show of support, wondering if Elizabeth's son was going to talk. After several long seconds passed by, Lucas gently prodded him.
"Is there anything that you want to say to your Mama? Her body may be here right now, but I believe her spirit is around us."
Jack's eyes remained trained on the tombstone, identical to his father's next to hers. Waiting for several seconds more, he mumbled something that was unintelligible to Lucas, and Bouchard asked him to repeat it.
"I said I loved her," Jack replied.
Lucas was gentle. "Yes, you did, and you do, as do I. Do you miss her?"
Jack's sad eyes looked over at the stone, and his chin began to quiver, his eyes filling with tears; he slowly shook his head yes, then looked over to Lucas and reached out his arms.
Bouchard immediately scooped the boy up and held him, his cheek resting against the boy's head while Jack sobbed into his shoulder. He sat on the ground and cradled him as he continued to weep, then soon felt a hand on his back. Turning, he saw Lee and Rosemary standing over him – Lee looking sympathetically towards the child and Rosemary standing with a handkerchief in front of her face. Lee reached for Jack and Lucas peeled him away from him slightly. To his surprise, Jack reached over and held onto Lee's neck, and his adopted father comforted him. Bouchard stood and brushed himself off, then looked to Rosemary, who was also staring at the stone. Silently, he went toward her and put an arm of comfort around her shoulder. Coulter placed her hand on Lucas's chest and hugged him from the side.
It was a painful and yet strangely healing moment for them all, knowing the love they each shared for Elizabeth was still strong, as was the profound grief they felt over her loss. They each knew it was something they shared that would bind them forever.
Finally, after the space of about half an hour, a gentle rain began to fall.
"Buddy, I think we need to be going," Lucas said. "A storm is coming, and we don't want to be out here after dark."
Without protest, Jack looked toward his Uncle Buddy and nodded. He slid out of Lee's arms and again walked to the stone while the adults watched. Jack kissed his fingers and then touched the stone. "I will see you later, Mama," he said softly. "Don't worry about me. I'm okay. Uncle Lee and Auntie Rosemary are my new Dad and Mom, and Buddy is going to be my Uncle Buddy and live near us, so I will be alright."
The entire time, Lucas's heart felt as if it would rend in two. If only he could have stopped the tragedy from happening – for Jack's sake. He hated to see the child in pain. A sense of guilt returned to him and a deep sadness.
Jack turned back toward him and reached out for him to hold his hand as they walked away from the stone. Lucas blew the stone a kiss but said nothing, only looking toward the sky. He had said his goodbyes earlier.
Re-entering the car, Lee got into the front seat while Rosemary and Jack joined a still-sleeping Betsy in the back. As she was getting Jack settled, Rosemary noticed something strange on the seat where Jack sat.
"What's that you're sitting on?" she asked.
Jack looked up with wide eyes and then stood inside the car to see what was there. He picked it up as Lucas finished turning the car around.
"Well, how did that get in there?" Rosie asked.
Jack shrugged.
"What is it?" Lucas asked, turning to look behind him, and then Jack held the object up.
"It's a feather," he said, twirling the item in his hand.
A gentle peace flooded Lucas's heart and he smiled, even as his eyes misted up. He sat still with the car in park for a brief moment then Lee touched his shoulder.
"What is it?" Coulter asked. "You okay?"
Lucas looked at Lee and smiled softly. "Yes, I am okay." He shifted the car into gear and began driving down the road, looking behind him after just a short distance.
"You know something, Jack. Your mama used to tell me that 'Hope is a thing with feathers.' It's part of a writing by one of her favorite poets, Emily Dickinson."
"Huh? What's that mean?" Jack asked.
Lucas turned the car toward Benson Hills, where they would be staying that night. "Well, the stanza says:
"Hope is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -"
It goes on to speak of storms – not ones like the ones we're driving away from right now, but storms of life, hard times, that occur that threaten our well-being, and yet inexplicably, even during those times, within us all we can still have hope. It's like a little bird inside our hearts encouraging us forward, no matter what."
Jack looked at the feather and smiled. "Do you think Mama was helping us to see that even though we're sad, we can still have hope?"
Bouchard smiled at the intelligence Thornton's child possessed and the maturity in his question. "I believe that is a distinct possibility. What do you think, Dad and Mom?"
Lee and Rosemary looked at one another.
"I believe that's exactly what she was saying," Rosemary said, reaching over and stroking Jack's head. "Exactly that."
Arriving at the hotel, the parties went to their adjoining rooms and retired for the evening. They hadn't planned it that way, but the day had proven to be so emotionally and physically exhausting that instead of going on a pre-determined 'camping trip' with Lucas in his room (they had intended to drag the mattress into the floor and then hold up the sheet 'tent' over them with chairs to mimic a real camping trip), Jack fell sound asleep after a room service dinner, and so Lucas had the evening free. It had been a difficult day for all, and everything about it reminded Bouchard of what his heart truly yearned for. And despite the fact that there was a certain awkwardness to the situation, he decided to call his best friend to talk about it.
The telephone rang in San Francisco at a little after eight, and Tilly was surprised to be hearing from her love because she knew he would be busy with Jack. The fact that he was calling caused her some concern.
"Lucas? Is everything okay?"
Bouchard smiled, dusting a fleck of dirt off of his trousers from the cemetery as he sat in a chair by the window that the hotel had provided.
"Yes. It has been a good but emotional day for everyone. Jack is asleep, and, well, I hope you don't mind. I just wanted to hear your voice."
Tilly smiled softly. "I'm glad that you did. I was thinking of you and praying for you all day."
"Thank you," he replied. "I have been thinking of you a lot as well. There's something I want to discuss with you, though, and I hope it's okay with you. That…um, that little boy is holding a lot of pain inside right now and is just starting to release it. It's been good for me to be with him and help him work things through. He is now calling Lee and Rosemary his Mom and Dad…"
"Oh, Lucas, really?! That's so wonderful!"
"It is," he smiled. "And I'm his uncle Buddy."
Tilly smiled. "You were meant to stay there."
"Yes," he replied. "And I need to stay here still."
Tilly felt her heart drop as fear came over her. "S-stay….what do you mean?"
Picking up on the change in her tone Bouchard immediately sought to ease her fears while being honest about what his plans were. He owed it to them both.
"I am planning to move to Bellingham and purchase some property here. It's a beautiful community, but more than anything, I know I just can't abandon Jack."
"So, you're not coming to see me in San Francisco?" she said evenly.
Lucas sighed. "Oh, no. No, not that at all. I'm still coming. It's just I felt like with a decision this important, it wasn't something I could hold back from you. If we are going to make a go of our relationship, it's important that we're open and honest with one another about everything. I…I hope you agree."
Tilly looked down at her tummy and rubbed it, remaining quiet.
"Tilly? Have I lost you?" Lucas thought, considering the call may have dropped.
"No. I'm still here," she replied. "And I think it's wonderful that you want to live near Jack. I was afraid you were saying something else, and I just don't want to lose you."
Lucas smiled. "And you won't. I promise. Tilly, if you give me another chance…"
"Lucas, stop," she interjected. "You don't have to worry about me holding your leaving against you. I don't. But there are many things we need to discuss. Things I can't say on the telephone. It's not that I'm deliberately hiding things from you, but there are some things that need to be face-to-face."
Lucas furrowed his brow and shook his head yes. "Of course. Well, I expect we'll be back in Bellingham sometime late tomorrow night. Lee has a big meeting with the Piedmont Foundation concerning the restart of Coulter Enterprises. Except instead of being a large supplier in Northwest Canada, it'll be based here. Piedmont does a lot of the construction work in North America and abroad."
"Hmm…" Tilly said as a light went off in her head. "I've heard of them. They were one of Michael's chief competitors in Europe."
"Yes, they're over there too."
"And Lee is a good manager?" she asked.
"Excellent. Better than I am in terms of internal business. His men really looked up to him. So, the way we're planning on working things is he will manage the business at home and I'll work with external customers. Except, this time, Lee is going to be the one to meet with Mr. Sams from Piedmont. He's their regional director. I'm looking forward to working together."
"That…that sounds …good…" she replied with a certain tone in her voice that made him curious.
"You sound unsure," Bouchard said.
Tilly twisted her mouth to the side as her mind continued to churn. "Oh, no. I'm sure it will be a success. But, I was just wondering - would you ever consider expanding the business to be more than lumber?"
Lucas tilted his head back and forth. "I hadn't really considered it, but we could. I used to own most of the mineral rights in Hope Valley, and while we didn't really exploit those to their fullest degree, there was a small limestone quarry at the edge of my property, and a few small prospectors even panned for gold in our streams. That was less successful, but I'm certain that if we had stayed in Hope Valley between the oil and other natural resources, quite a fortune was possible. Still, I wouldn't have wanted to be the one to tear up the land to get to it. I'm more of a conservationist. "
Tilly took a deep breath. Yes. It was perfect.
"Why do you ask?" Lucas asked.
Looking at a photo of herself with her parents and brother over on the mantle she leaned forward. "Because I may have an opportunity for you that is even larger than Piedmont – and it just might help prevent another war."
Bouchard raised his eyebrows. "Go on."
"I have spoken to you about the problems Gregori has had in the wake of Melrose Industries collapsing. He has no one to manage the kingdom's resources, and as a result, orders are backing up, and it is starting to become a real problem in terms of our international relations."
Lucas tilted his head. "I think I hear what you're saying. But we're unknown. Would he go for that?"
"If I recommend you, I think he would – and don't let pride make you say no. I know you could show your worth, but time is of the essence right now. The equipment is already in place. If we could put in your bid for the project…"
"But the others – you mentioned before that the Privy Council is complaining. They aren't going to want to hand resource management over to an unknown."
"You are unknown to them now, but you are not without experience. If Lee managed a large part of the Canadian Northwest and you have experience with Minerals, I think they'd be open to listening. The situation is becoming desperate. Gaining the Piedmont account will also help to persuade them. If they know of Lee's past and that you have Piedmont willing to sign up with you, I think there is an excellent chance that you could be selected to manage Dashma's resources as well."
Lucas was taken aback. Managing Dashma's accounts would make Coulter Lumber an overnight powerhouse in European industry. Were they really ready for that?
"So, are you interested?"
Lucas nodded. "Let me speak with Lee and let you know in the morning. My initial response is yes. I'm very interested."
Tilly smiled. "I'll let Gregori know. And we can talk again tomorrow."
Lucas nodded, considering how blessed he was to have met Ottilia when he did. She was his perfect match.
After sunrise, Bouchard told the Coulters about his call with Tilly over breakfast.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance," Lee said.
"It is," Lucas replied. "But can we be ready?"
Lee considered all the logistics that would be involved in such an undertaking. It was quite a daunting task, especially since they hadn't even gotten started on their home business. "I'm not sure we can."
Rosemary leaned forward. "But didn't Tilly say that all of the equipment is already in place?"
"Yes," Bouchard responded.
"And I presume the manpower?" she replied.
Lucas shook his head. "Yes. They just need a firm to manage it. The chief source of trade is lumber, which the continent needs desperately right now as they are rebuilding from the war. But there is limestone and shale."
Rosemary shoved her husband in the arm. "Lee, you and Lucas are naturals for this! Can't you see it? Coulter Resources…"
"Coulter and Bouchard Resources," Lee interjected. "Lucas is an equal partner."
"Please. I do not require credit. Besides, it's too long."
Jack raised his hand.
"Do you have something to say, son?" Lee asked.
Jack nodded. "How about C & B ?"
Lee and Lucas looked at one another – "C & B Resources?"
Rosemary snarled her nose.
"C & B Commodities?" Lucas asked.
She crossed her arms across her stomach and furrowed her brow, raising her hand to her mouth as she considered it. Then, out of nowhere, she burst forward with a swing of her arms as if showcasing a marquis sign. "C & B Global Commodities! That's it! She said, pointing at Lucas and then looking toward Lee with widened eyes."
"I like it!" Coulter said.
"So do I," Lucas replied. "Excellent job, Buddy! You helped us with our name!"
Jack smiled with pleasure and then reached across the table for the plate of bacon.
"Just think, Lee," Rosemary said. "If this takes off, we won't have to worry about money or how to send Jack or Betsy to college or anything."
Coulter nodded his head. "You're right," he said, scratching his head and then smoothing his hair back. "Let's just hope they're interested. This could be big."
After Breakfast, Lucas immediately called Tilly to inform her of Lee's interest and the princess then called her brother with the news. Gregori listened closely and then nodded. He had done research into Bouchard since his involvement with his sister had become quite serious and had become impressed with the man.
"I'll speak with the Privy Council this afternoon," he responded.
After making a trip to town, the Coulters and Bouchard made their way into the house, and Lucas pulled Jack aside for a discussion.
"Now, you know how I said I was going to go on a trip to San Francisco to see Tilly, right?"
"Yes," Jack replied.
"Well, I'm going to be doing that in the morning. It doesn't mean I won't be back, because I will only be gone a few days. In fact, to show you I'm serious about coming back, there's something I would like for you to do for me."
Jack looked up at him earnestly. Lucas was grateful that he was not fighting him about the trip, but he still sensed a slight nervousness over his buddy going away, so he gave him the best of guarantees he could give him.
"I would like for you to take care of Bear while I'm gone."
Both of them looked down toward the floor where the German Shepherd was looking up at them both, his head tilted.
"Do you think you can do that?"
Jack shook his head. "I'll take really good care of him, Uncle Buddy. I promise." Lucas reached out to the child, hugged him, and kissed the top of his head. "I love you, Buddy."
"I love you too," Jack said quietly.
Bear barked, and the two friends laughed.
"Alright, we love you too, Bear. Now, off to bed to both of you."
"Will you read to me tonight, Uncle Buddy?"
Lucas smiled. "Sure, Buddy, I'll be right up."
Before heading upstairs, Bouchard called San Francisco and reached his girl. Tilly informed him of Gregori's response and how he was going to the Privy Council that afternoon. Lucas nodded. God's will would be done.
"Then I shall see you the day after tomorrow?" he said softly before hanging up.
"Yes," Tilly smiled. "At last. I can't wait."
"Nor can I," he replied. "I love you."
"I love you too, Lucas."
The morning arrived, and Lucas Bouchard was quickly up and about getting ready for the long drive. Checking his reflection in the mirror, he was happy to see that the haunted look in his eyes had all but disappeared. He knew it was because he was finally free – free from the past, free from pain, and free to love and be loved. God was good.
Stepping out into the hallway he could hear the Coulters voices as they discussed setting Jack up in school soon, and spoke with him about the teacher who would be teaching him. Jack couldn't have asked for better parents to step in when he and his mother were not able to.
"Good morning," Lucas said, making his presence known to the group.
Lee was the first to speak. "You ready for the big trip?"
"I am," Lucas said, stepping towards Rosemary, who was already up pouring his tea. "Thank you."
"Well, after the two of you talk," she said, "I fully expect that you're going to bring Tilly to meet us."
"I plan to," Lucas said.
"I get to meet a real princess!" Jack responded.
Just then, the telephone rang, and Rosemary went to answer. Meanwhile Lucas looked at the bounty that his hostess had made for his going away trip.
"This is too much," he said, taking a seat. "I'm going to need a nap before I can hit the road."
Lee laughed.
"Lucas, it's for you," Rosemary said. "It's Tilly."
"Oh!" Bouchard responded with a smile, standing up from his seat and moving toward the telephone.
"Good morning, beautiful lady," he said, smiling in anticipation of her voice.
"Good morning, my handsome knight," she said.
"Oh, I'm a knight, am I?" he teased.
"You're my knight, and my prince, and my king of hearts," she said, bringing a wide smile to his face.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked. "I was just about to have breakfast and then start my journey."
Tilly leaned forward. "Well, I thought you'd want to know that I've heard from Gregori." She paused for a moment as Lucas waited for her to continue.
"What did he say?" Bouchard finally said.
"Well, he said that the Privy Council was completely against it…at first. But when he explained who was bidding, one of the men on the council recognized Lee's name, and that, combined with his own research into your business dealings and the fact that Piedmont is about to sign up with you….Well, they said yes!"
"What?! Just like that?" Lucas asked.
"Just like that!" Tilly smiled. "Oh, darling. We're going to get to be together AND save Dashma, isn't it wonderful!"
"Yes!" he said, his heart buoyant with joy. "It's very wonderful, indeed. Just a moment. Let me tell the Coulters."
"Alright."
"Lee, Rosemary, would you come here for a moment?"
The husband and wife stood from the table and walked to the office door.
"Is something wrong?" Rosemary asked.
Lucas smiled. "Not at all. Everything is fine – more than fine. Tilly spoke with King Gregori and he has spoken with the Privy Council. C & B Global is a go."
Lee and Rosemary took a brief moment to register what Bouchard had just said but then turned to each other.
"It's a go!" Lee shouted. "It's a go!"
With great joy, the Coulters jumped up and down and hugged one another tightly, then in all of the excitement, Jack ran in to join them.
"What is it, Dad?"
Lee looked down at his son. "The king said yes!" he responded.
"Yay!" Jack said, causing Lucas and Tilly to laugh at their excitement.
But then, it happened. In a split second, Lee Coulter bent to pick Jack up and swing him around, and his world came crashing down. Coulter screamed in pain.
"Lee! What is it?!" Rosemary exclaimed.
"Oh…my back…my back…my back."
"Oh, dear," Lucas said, looking at the phone in his hand and then back at his friend, who was barely able to walk. He raised the receiver to his ear. "Tilly, I'll have to call you back. Lee has injured himself."
"Uh…alright," she said, listening as he hung up the line.
An hour passed, and then another, and she nervously waited by the phone, hoping to hear some word from Lucas. Finally, it came. He sounded exhausted and downcast.
"I'm afraid the answer isn't what we'd hoped for. The doctor just left, and Lee has thrown his back out again."
"Oh, no," she replied. "Is it serious?"
"He should recover. It's not the first time it's happened. But he's down. I'm afraid we have another delay in my coming to San Francisco."
"What?"
"I am so sorry, but he was supposed to meet with Piedmont this afternoon, and we're expecting to be in negotiations throughout this week. I have to step in and see that off before I can be free to come to San Francisco. I wish there were some other way. Please forgive me."
Tilly's heart was broken. Here she was now entering her eighth month of pregnancy, and the baby's father still didn't know. She needed him. She loved him. But what choice did they have? None.
"I forgive you," she finally said. "This is not your fault. Just please hurry to me as soon as possible. It's really important that we talk."
"Of course," he responded. "As soon as they are gone, I will come down. I miss you."
"And, I you," she replied.
"Soon," he said, and then he hung up.
Later that afternoon and throughout the day the next day, Lucas met with the regional manager of Piedmont's Western United States division, Marcus Sams. The two men hit it off quite well and even shared some commonality in that Sams was a gambler of sorts, engaging in some of the same tournaments that Bouchard himself had played in when he lived in San Francisco. By the third day, there had been a breakthrough.
"He is interested in us being a supplier to the entire United States!"
"Really, Lucas?!" Tilly said, truly pleased that her beau was having such success.
"Yes. He's arranging a meeting with me and Samuel Piedmont next week."
"Next week?"
The shift in her tone was immediately apparent to Bouchard, who was a little surprised. "Yes. This is a huge opportunity and will make us a name to be reckoned with overnight here in North America. Are you not pleased?"
Tilly paused, then put on her best expression. "Of course I am," she said. "Please, tend to your business. I'll be fine."
"Tilly…"
"No, Lucas. I'll be fine. I must go."
Before Bouchard could say another word, he heard a click on the other end of the receiver. Something was definitely wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
Helen Bouchard walked through the hallway of her expansive mansion, just having spent the morning entertaining guests she hadn't seen in a year. The ladies were a part of the San Francisco Women's Auxiliary, which wanted her to speak at their monthly meeting as a successful lady editor. She had spoken at their meeting the previous November, so she was surprised that they were asking her to speak again – until one of them let it slip that there was a rumor going around town that she had a very important person staying in her house.
Helen, in a demure manner, simply smiled at them. "Why, every member of my household is important, and yes, I'll speak at your meeting."
The woman left, and she immediately went upstairs toward her office to work on her latest project, but as she was passing through the hallway, she stopped, hearing crying coming from Tilly's room. She immediately abandoned her editing plans to see what was wrong.
"Tilly?" she said, gently knocking on the door and letting herself in.
The princess was in bed, clutching a pillow to her chest.
"Tilly, dear. What is wrong?"
Tilly shifted, looking briefly at her hostess and then lowering her face to the pillow to sob some more.
"Oh, my," Helen said, walking to the bed and sitting on it.
At that moment, Jenny stepped into the room, hearing the same sound. Helen looked over at her and shrugged, and Grant entered the room.
"Tilly, are you alright?" Jenny asked.
"Dnwna tl btt"
Helen and Jenny looked again at each other with confusion over her muffled response.
"What was that dear?" Helen asked.
Tilly removed the pillow from her face. "I don't want to talk about it."
Helen nodded. "Well….alright. Can I get you some tea?"
At the word tea, Tilly began to sob, crying so loudly that Jo heard her from the children's playroom and came to investigate.
"What's wrong with Aunt Tilly," she said, entering the room.
Jenny shook her head. "We don't know, sweetie. Now go back and play."
Instead of turning around, Jo just watched.
"Tilly, you need to talk about whatever is wrong. It's not good for the baby for you to be so upset," Jenny said.
"Nt Pst," she said into the pillow.
Grant, who was used to her own children's tears, was a little better at interpreting the sound. "You ARE upset, and we're not leaving your room until you tell us why." She pulled up a chair.
The ladies waited for over a minute until finally, Rasmussen's swollen red eyes looked at them. "He doesn't love me."
Bouchard furrowed her brow. "Who doesn't love you, dear? Your father?" She had supposed this because, with the morning mail, Rasmussen had received a card from Dashma. Knowing that she had not heard from her father since she ran away from her wedding, Helen considered perhaps he had written something terse.
"No. L-Lucas."
Jenny looked at Helen and then down, shaking her head. "And why do you think my brother doesn't love you? What has happened?"
"He's not here. He's never going to come."
"Did Lucas say that?" Grant asked.
"No. I just know it. He keeps making excuses, and he's too nice to tell me that he doesn't love me anymore and doesn't want to be with me and….and…now I'm going to raise our baby all by myself, and…"
"Tilly! Lucas loves you!" Jenny said, interrupting. "This is just your emotions from being in a family way that are talking."
"It's true," Helen said. "I was convinced when I was expecting Jenny that Martin wasn't in love with me and thought I was ugly."
Tilly began to cry. "I am ugly."
Jenny rolled her eyes. "You are NOT ugly, Tilly. You're beautiful."
"I'm ugly and fat and homeless, and my mother and father don't want me, and Lucas doesn't want me, and…and…I'm going to be all alone."
While they were speaking, Jo ran out of the room to her own room, where she retrieved something she had been working on. She returned to Tilly's bedside in short order and began tugging on her mother's arm.
"What is it?" Jenny whispered.
"Give this to her."
Jenny took from her daughter a piece of paper and then looked at it, smiling and then patting her daughter on the shoulder. She turned back toward Rasmussen.
"Tilly. Sit up a moment. Jo is here, and she wanted me to give you something."
Tilly looked down toward the girl and then leaned up on her elbow, rolling back and forth until she finally got enough leverage to sit up. Helen grabbed the pillow and placed it behind her back.
Trying to look composed, Rasmussen took the paper from Jenny and unfolded it and then started crying again. Jo looked at her mother, afraid she'd done something wrong.
"Doesn't she like it?"
Tilly answered. "I love it. It's beautiful."
Jo smiled and climbed up on the bed to tell her about the drawing. "That's you, and Uncle Lucas, and your baby, and Grandmother Bouchard and Grandfather, and Mama, and Daddy Nathan, and Luke, and Nan and our cousin Jack, and Bear."
The picture read, in her six-year-old hand, "My family," and was brightly colored and quite well done for a child her age. "I put you in the center and in a Princess dress because you and mama are the prettiest."
Tilly was touched and finally smiled. "Thank you, sweet Jo."
Jo climbed up and hugged her, then whispered. "He'll be back. Don't worry."
Still, she worried.
Council In Negotiations on Resourcing Deal With North American Company. The headline was small and on page four of the Dashmanian Newspaper, but it immediately caught Melrose's attention. Reading further, he discovered that the deal involved working with an upstart company led by Canadians Lee Coulter and the name that would always haunt his thoughts, Lucas Bouchard, now living in Bellingham, Washington. King Gregori himself was expected to be involved in the talks, which promised to solve many of Dashma's supply chain issues since Melrose Industries accounts had been canceled. Talks were expected to begin soon.
Setting down the paper, Michael felt the anger rise within him.
"That deranged pion thinks he's going to steal my business contracts as well?" he said out loud as he sat alone in the manor. "Well, we'll just see about that." Slamming the paper down on the table, he stood and trounced over to the telephone to call his benefactor.
Sams left Bellingham and by the end of the week, arrangements were set with Samuel Piedmont's office for their President to stay in the coastal city. Lucas had been diligent in keeping Lee informed and had spoken to Tilly several times. He knew she was not being forthright with him, but there was little he could do about it, given the workload he was handling by himself. By Friday, he had everything ready for the man's appearance when he received another phone call.
"The President is not able to come to Bellingham but requests your presence in Chicago."
This was not at all what Lucas wanted to hear, but what could he do? With Lee now barely able to walk around his house, all the pressure was on him to ensure that their company had a good start. He picked up the telephone to call Tilly.
"I regret I will be gone another week," he explained, calculating in his mind the distance from Bellingham to Chicago and how long that would take by train.
"Do you?"
Her question left him confused.
"Do I?"
"Do you - regret it?"
Lucas furrowed his brow, not understanding how she could ask such a thing. This was all for them so that he could make a good showing before the Council in Dashma and help her brother to succeed.
"Tilly, of course I do, I…"
"I don't think you do."
"What?"
"I don't think you do at all. I think you're avoiding me because you can't tell me that your feelings have changed. You don't want to be with me and…."
"Tilly…."
"No, Lucas. I've been in San Francisco for an entire month, and you haven't found time to come down and see me once. You keep promising, but there is always some reason you can't come…some excuse," she said, tears beginning to flow.
"Tilly, these aren't excuses. There have been real situations…."
"I'm real, too. And if you really loved me…."
"Really loved you? Tilly, where is this coming from…"
She leaned forward, suddenly feeling some discomfort and pressure in her abdomen. She went to stand. "If you really loved me, you'd…you'd….OH!" Tilly's knees nearly buckled as a sharp pain coursed through her body, and Lucas became concerned.
"Tilly? Are you alright?"
Catching her breath, Rasmussen attempted to move back to her chair when another sharp pain hit her. "I…I'm…Oh, OH! OH!" Tilly dropped the phone as a flood of water came flowing down her legs. She doubled over in pain and cried out, alerting Martin, who was in the next room.
"Tilly! Tilly! Tilly, pick up the phone!" an alarmed Lucas said into the receiver. "Answer me!"
On the other end, he could hear his father's voice as he rushed to Ottilia's aid and then called out to Jenny.
"Call the ambulance. We need to get her to the hospital." Lucas heard.
Bouchard's eyes widened. "TILLY!" he yelled, bringing Rosemary and a barely mobile Lee into the room. Jack followed with them.
"Lucas, what's wrong?" Rosemary said as Bouchard helplessly looked into the receiver, which had been hung up from the other side, in order for Jenny to call the ambulance.
Lucas looked up at Rosie with fear in his eyes. "Tilly. She's in trouble."
"Trouble? What do you mean."
"W…We were talking… and I heard her scream in pain and drop the phone. I could hear my father call out to my sister. They're taking her to the hospital. They hung up on me a few seconds later, presumably to call the ambulance."
"Can you call back?" Lee asked. "Find out what's going on?"
Lucas's heart was pounding hard. "I…I can try on the road. I need to leave. I need to leave now - to get down there. She's in trouble. I sense it. She needs me."
"Then go!" Rosemary said. "Get going!"
Lucas rushed to his room, retrieving his already packed suitcase and returning within less than two minutes. He turned to Lee. "Piedmont."
"I'll handle it – tell him an emergency has come up and we need to reschedule or he will need to come here. It'll be fine."
Lucas shook his head. "Thank you."
Moving toward the front door, Bouchard was reaching for his jacket when he felt a tug on his trouser leg. He looked down.
"Jack, did you need something?" he said, not wanting to be dismissive of the child but needing to leave as quickly as he could.
"I just wanted to tell you to be careful and to take care of Miss Tilly. Don't worry about Bear. I will take good care of him for you."
Lucas knelt down, grabbing the boy for a quick hug. "Thank you, Jack. That means the world I love you."
"Love you too, Uncle Buddy," Jack replied. Lucas rubbed the child's head and stood.
"Drive safe," Rosemary said. "And call us when you know something."
"I will," Lucas replied.
The ambulance workers rushed Tilly into the hospital where, due to her identity, she was whisked to the new $600,000 maternity ward that was not yet open to the public. Rasmussen herself had not been made aware of the arrangement until the previous week when her doctor informed her. It had been ordered by the governor after Arthur and Sophia Falkenberg had requested it. She protested but eventually relented when Nathan told her that the arrangement would be the most secure.
Entering through a private door, Jenny, Martin, and Helen were escorted to a private waiting room while they got Rasmussen situated. Nathan and Allie stayed behind with Luke and Jo, the Pinkerton tasked with making all the necessary phone calls, including to Lucas. It was time that he knew.
Meanwhile, Bouchard hit the road. He stopped once in Seattle to refill his gas tank and, while there, called the estate. A storm kept the connection from going through, and so he continued on – moving as quickly as he could, his mind tormenting him with worst-case scenarios.
Inside her room, Rasmussen was given everything she could to be comfortable, but she was still in some pain.
"I need Lucas. Get me, Lucas."
Jenny reached out and held her friend's hand, unable to tell her that they had tried to reach him at the Coulters but couldn't reach them due to storms. Nathan had tried to call later, but there was no answer. But still, she wouldn't give up.
"Nathan is reaching out to him. You just rest."
Seven hours passed, and Bouchard pushed his way south, driving through blinding rain and stopping only for fuel along the way. Meanwhile, Nathan finally reached Bellingham and found out from the Coulters that Lucas had gone. He did not inform them about the specifics of Tilly's condition but did tell them that they would appreciate their prayers for her well-being and that Lucas could get there quickly.
From there, Rosemary called Union City, and the entire Hope Valley contingent gathered together for a time of corporate prayer. It was well timed, because nine hours into his trip, when he had reached fifty miles south of Eugene, Oregon, Bouchard's car just quit.
The local mechanic examined the vehicle and then shook his head.
"What? What is it?" an exasperated Bouchard asked.
"Afraid you've got a cracked engine block," the man replied.
Lucas frowned, knowing that wasn't good. "How…?"
"Overheating. You need to rest these beauties every so often. Keep their radiators full of water."
Bouchard closed his eyes. He knew this but had forgotten to even check. Stupid! Stupid!
"How quickly can you get it fixed?"
The man stepped back and looked at the car and then at his calendar. "Assuming I can fix it, it will take a couple of days to get the supplies – and then our labor…"
"A couple of days! I don't have a couple of days!" Lucas exclaimed. "Where can I purchase an automobile around here?"
The man leaned back, reaching into his pocket for a cigarette he had clearly hand-rolled. "Got to go North to Eugene for that."
"Eugene!" an exasperated Lucas responded. He took a deep breath, willing himself to stay calm. "I would need someone to drive me."
The man nodded. "My son might be able to do it. Let me give him a call."
Lucas began to pace, trying to calm his shaky nerves. As he did, he said a silent prayer. Please, Lord. Help me to get to her quickly. She needs me. In Jesus's name…."
Just then, a loud sound was heard nearby and then overhead. Bouchard looked up toward the sky. His eyes widened. It was an answer to prayer.
"Who is that?" he called out to the mechanic, pointing toward the Curtiss JN-4 airplane, ironically nicknamed "Jenny," that was landing in the field next to him.
"Oh, that's Fred Moss," the mechanic stated as he reached for his phone. "Works for the post office delivering air mail."
Lucas smiled as he held out his hand. "Hold off on that telephone call."
Nathan stopped by the hospital to talk to his wife, leaving Allie with the children at home.
"I got ahold of the Coulters. They said he's on his way down here."
Jenny took a deep breath and shook her head. "Good."
"How is she?" he asked, knowing that it had been over twelve hours thus far.
Jenny looked at her husband. "Having a rough time, I'm afraid. But she's strong. She'll pull through. They both will."
He reached out his hand and rubbed her shoulder.
6,500 feet above the Oregon coastline, Lucas rode in the rear of the Jenny while Moss navigated the plane. Bouchard had offered to purchase the plane outright; the pilot wasn't interested. He was, however, interested in earning some extra money, and within the hour, Lucas was again on his way South. Not having to mind the road allowed him to relax somewhat, but only physically. His thoughts were continually with Tilly, and his heart plagued with fear. I trust You, Lord, he prayed. Nevertheless, a tormenting spirit plagued him. You don't deserve her. You're going to lose her. You'll never have the life you've wanted. Give up. But this time, Bouchard clung to faith. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…. He recited as his expert pilot navigated the plane over the Pacific to avoid the Mountain terrain.
Martin Bouchard reached for his pocket watch noting it was almost seven o'clock in the evening. The family had been sequestered to a private waiting for a total of nineteen hours and were very exhausted. Still, none of them slept. It had been three hours since they had been updated by the nurse concerning Tilly's progression and all seemed well until they began to hear Rasmussen's screams.
"Martin, they need to do something for her! Give her morphine. Something!" Helen said, pressing her husband to go talk to medical staff to check on her progress.
A few minutes later, he returned, dejected.
"What did they say?" she asked.
"They can't," he replied to his wife's chagrin. "Not at this stage," Tilly screamed again.
Twenty-five minutes more passed, and finally, the delivery room door opened, and the nurse emerged. They all stood.
"Is the baby here?" Helen asked.
"Is Tilly okay?" Jenny asked.
"No," the nurse said. "The baby is not here yet, and Miss Rasmussen is not doing well. Her blood pressure is quite high, and she is showing signs of weakening."
"No," Helen responded, burying her face in Martin's shoulder and being enveloped in his arms. "Please let her be okay."
"Is it too late to perform a Cesarean?" Nathan asked.
"The doctor believes it's too risky. The baby is low in the birth canal, but it's like Ottilia is holding back. She can't push hard enough to get the baby out, and due to the positioning of the child and…well…Miss Rasmussen's anatomy, the doctor can't get a hold of the baby to get it out. Delirium is beginning to take over. She keeps saying 'he'll be here…he'll be here."
Jenny closed her eyes and looked toward Nathan with concern, but he could say nothing. It was out of their hands.
The airplane landed at a small landing strip outside of San Francisco, and Lucas paid a driver to take him to the Bouchard mansion. He told the man to wait in case nobody was home. Allie answered the door.
"They're at St. Francis!" she said.
Lucas didn't wait to chat.
Entering the hospital, Bouchard rushed to the front desk, who had been told to expect him. An orderly then took him back through the hospital, through a barricade, and to the new wing. He was so intent on reaching Tilly that he didn't even notice that he was entering the maternity ward.
"I have to go back into the room right now. The doctor needs me," the nurse said as she opened the door. Tilly's whimpering could be heard inside. The nurse looked at the Princess with sadness. "If you are praying people, please pray. If this doesn't turn around quickly, we could lose her."
Just prior to those words being spoken, Lucas had reached the area, and the nurse's words could be heard in the hallway. He rushed into the waiting room.
"Where is she?!" he said, practically shouting.
"Lucas!" Jenny exclaimed, the whole family standing in relief that he was there and coming to greet him.
"Where is she?!" Where is Tilly?" he repeated, his eyes filled with desperation.
"She's in that room," Nathan said. "But, there's something…"
Lucas didn't wait for him to finish and instead went bounding toward the door.
"…need to know." Grant finished as Lucas entered the delivery room.
All at once, Lucas Bouchard's world came to a standstill. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. It was as if his feet were glued in place.
"Who is he? What is he doing here?" a different nurse stated upon seeing Bouchard.
The doctor turned toward the door. "Get that man out of here!" and a hospital security guard was at his arm before Lucas could even react.
Tilly raised up and yelled his name. "Lucas! Lucas!" reaching toward him with her hands. Bouchard pulled himself out of the man's arms, rushing to her side.
"I'm here, darling," he said, embracing her.
"Who are you?" the first nurse said. "Sir. I'm afraid you can't be in here."
"No! No! He's my baby's father. Please let him stay!"
Suddenly, Lucas froze again. "Buh…buh…buh…bay…buh…bay." Once again, Lucas's world slowed down as his mind and heart caught up with what she'd just said. Tilly was having a baby. He was going to be a father. His complexion turned white.
"Quick, grab him a chair!" the friendly nurse who had been informing the Bouchards said as Lucas started to tilt.
"Oh, no! Oh, no!" Tilly said, temporarily forgetting about her own pain and watching as the medical staff pushed Lucas into the seat and holding him steady until he regained equilibrium.
Slowly, brown eyes filled with a mix of fear and wonder raised to meet Tilly's vibrant blues which exuded a purety and warmth, flooded with tears.
"Th…this is what you wanted to talk to me about?" he said, his voice breaking with emotion.
Tilly shut her mouth and nodded vigorously. "Lucas, You're going to be a daddy," she replied.
"Oh, my," Bouchard replied, eyes brimming with tears beginning to overflow. He took her dainty hand and raised her fingers to his mouth, then looked at her again, stroking her cheek.
"Why on earth didn't you tell me? You know I would have been here" he said softly, his shaking hands again holding hers.
"I know you would have. But at first, I needed to make sure that you still wanted me."
"Still wanted you?! Tilly, I adore you."
She smiled, shaking her head. "I know that now. But I didn't want to force you into something that you didn't want to do. And then, well…there was just never a good time. I didn't want to tell you over the telephone, and things kept happening and…"
"Oh, Tilly."
"Are you…are you upset?"
He looked at her again with so much love in his eyes and expression that it overwhelmed her. He shook his head. "No, my love," he said, raising up and kissing her on the forehead and then the lips. "I have never been so utterly and resplendently happy as I am at this moment," he said, laughing through his tears. "We're having a baby. You and I, we're having a child."
"I know," Tilly smiled and leaned forward, placing her hands on the side of his face in order to kiss him again, but she stopped when her movement triggered another strong contraction. Suddenly, she screamed and grabbed Bouchard by his ears, pulling him with all of her strength toward her.
Outside in the waiting area the Bouchards and Grants heard a scream followed by a louder one, the second one deeper.
"Oh, my goodness! They have to help her!" Helen exclaimed, standing to walk toward the door.
"Helen, sit down," Martin said.
"But can't you hear her? The pain must be unbearable. She didn't sound like that before."
Jenny chuckled, "Um, I think that's because that isn't her."
"What?" Helen asked with confusion, then she heard the yell again and her eyes grew wide. The four adults looked at one another, each with eyes as wide as saucers.
"That's…that's our son?" Martin asked.
Jenny nodded.
"What the heck are they doing to him?" Nathan asked, looking at his wife.
Jenny grinned slightly, "I would imagine that they are not doing anything to him, rather she…"
Nathan and Martin looked at one another, a genuine look of fear in their eyes. And then Jenny and Helen began to snicker.
"Serves him right," Helen said, causing Jenny to laugh.
"Helen Bouchard!" Martin replied. "That's our son!"
"Have you tried squeezing a cantaloupe through your…your…nether region?" she asked.
Bouchard sat back. "Um, of course not."
"Well, until you have, do not stand in judgment of me, Martin Bouchard," she responded.
"That goes for you too, Nathan Grant," Jenny echoed.
"Yes, ma'am," the detective replied.
Back in the delivery room Bouchard had managed to put his arms around his lady love, supporting her while the wave slowed down.
"That's it," he said, holding her until she finally released him. He slowly laid her down and immediately raised a hand toward his right ear.
Looking up, she saw that he was in some pain. "Oh, Lucas. I…I'm so sorry….I haven't hurt you, have I?" she said, panting as the doctor continued to work toward her feet.
"No…I'm fine," he lied. Turning toward the doctor, he asked how she was doing.
"Starting to crown," he said.
"Finally," the first nurse responded.
"That's good, isn't it?" Lucas asked.
"Very," the nurse replied.
Lucas reached forward and caressed Tilly's arm but immediately found her reaching toward him again as another wave came through. Managing to redirect her hands toward his neck, he struggled to breathe. She hugged him and pushed harder than she had before. A moment later, she was again released.
Lucas looked at the nurse with desperation.
"You're doing good, Tilly," the nurse said. "Just a few more pushes."
Bouchard nodded.
"I don't think I can," Rasmussen replied. "I'm so tired."
"You can," Lucas said, sitting up in his chair. If she beat him to death, he was determined to help her. "I'm here. Do whatever you have to do. I've got you, my love, and I'm never going to let you go."
She raised her hand to touch his face but immediately grabbed him by the hair.
"Ouch!" he yelped. "Okay, okay…that's not so bad…go ahead and pull. It'll grow back, I think."
"Oh, Lucas!" she yelled, slapping his shoulder and head with open hand and then reaching out for him to hold her again. Bouchard fell into place.
Tilly pushed and pushed, and he supported her back and body as the doctor and nurse shouted encouragement.
"One more time, almost here. Just one more push…" the doctor said, and then their world changed forever.
Sitting in the waiting room, the Bouchard family was all standing and pacing. Things had grown very quiet. At first they thought they heard a baby cry but then there was nothing. They were exceedingly worried.
Martin and Helen stood by the window and Jenny and Nathan were making a path across the newly laid marble tile floors. Meeting in the middle, the Grants looked at one another and Nathan was about to ask a question when the door to the delivery room opened and then Lucas stepped into the room.
His complexion was ashen, and his expression stunned. Stumbling into the room, he said nothing. He just stared.
"Lucas?" Helen said, worry in her voice.
Lucas looked toward his mother and then to his father, then Jenny, and finally Nathan, and he began to cry.
"We have a little girl, and she's so beautiful," he said, his shoulders shaking.
Automatically, Jenny went to comfort him but stopped when Helen beat her to it, wrapping her arms around her son in a beautiful show of affection and pouring out her love for him. "Now, now. It's okay."
Lucas both embraced his mother and enjoyed the feeling of her embrace. It was what he'd always wanted from her, and finally, it had come.
"And Tilly is okay?" she whispered as she led him to a seat. He looked up at her and shook his head, smiling as she pulled out her own handkerchief and dabbed the tears from his face. He lowered her hand with his and then finished wiping the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand.
"Fine. She's fine. She's wonderful," he smiled. "Mother, I…I've never seen anything like that. She's a far stronger woman than I could ever be." He stopped and squinted his eyes, considering his own comment, and then he looked up at Nathan. "What I meant to say…"
Grant laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "We know what you meant. Congratulations Lucas. I'm really happy for you," he said.
The family embraced and briefly caught up with the baby's father who told them of her head full of dark hair and how tiny and sweet she was. A few minutes later, the nurse returned to the waiting area and told them that Tilly was being taken to a private room. Rasmussen had requested that they all be allowed to come back and see her and the baby – but asked that Lucas should go first.
Around twenty minutes later, Martin, Helen, Nathan, and Jenny were led to a quiet room that was close to the main hospital but separated from it. Everything was brand new, fresh, clean, state-of-the-art. But nobody noticed that at all. What they noticed was the little angel being held by her mommy, with her smiling Daddy sitting next to her, holding her tiny hand between his fingers.
Lucas looked up toward his family and they all gained a collective lump in their throats by the expression that they saw. Gone was the world-weariness that he had carried with him since he was a child. Gone was the woundedness. Gone was the sense of being alone. It was all gone and replaced by an expression that was glowing, grateful, and fully and completely in love with the two ladies at his side.
"Come in and see her," he said, smiling as Helen and Martin stepped forward first with Jenny and Nathan behind.
"Oh, my…" Helen's expression turned to joy as both she and her husband beheld the child.
"She's so tiny," Martin finally said. "Just look at her, mother."
The grandmother looked up at her son, her eyes sparkling. "She's exquisite, you two.. Simply beautiful."
"Any idea what you're going to name her?" Nathan asked.
Lucas looked at Tilly and nodded. "That's what we were just discussing." He nodded toward the Princess.
"I've always been partial to the name Grace," she replied. "But we also wanted her name to be one of honor." She turned to Lucas's parents. "If she had been a boy, I wanted to name him Martin Lucas, after you and his father, because you've been like a father to me when my own father had rejected me."
"That's because I think of you like a daughter."
Lucas smiled gently, reaching out and touching her back and rubbing soft circles there as Tilly turned to Helen.
"And you, Helen, have taken such wonderful care of me as well, in the way my own mother would have had she been with us. And so, we've decided to name her…" she turned to Lucas.
"Helena Grace," he said with a grin.
Helen was taken aback. "After me?" she asked. "Lucas, Tilly, I don't deserve such an honor."
"Yes, you do," Lucas replied. "You and Father and Jenny and Nathan have all taken such good care of her in my absence. You've seen to her safety. And you've loved her and our little Gracie even though the circumstances of her being were not ideal. You didn't just reject us at all. And we both want to honor that." He then looked at Jenny. "And please know, if she had been twins…."
Tilly turned toward him and made a face. "Lucas!"
Bouchard laughed. 'I said if, darling. No disrespect."
Tilly rolled her eyes.
"If she had been twin girls, I would have insisted on Jenevieve as well, after her aunt."
"Oh," Jenny said. "I'm just happy being Aunt Jenny."
The baby opened her eyes and tried to focus on the voices around her, and even then it was clear that she possessed a keen curiosity and smart mind which would manifest at an early age.
The news of the royal birth reached Dashma the very next morning, with King Gregori informing the Privy Council of the event and giving them a high-level understanding of what had happened. He waited in anticipation, expecting the men would be scandalized, but given their own histories and those of their families, they were more interested in what connections Bouchard might have through his diplomat father that they could take advantage of in order to advance their aims.
The Queen mother and former King were a different story. When Gregori broke the news, Queen Charlotte was relieved that Ottilia and the baby were doing well, her mother's heart longing to see them. But the king hardly reacted at all.
"So, Bouchard has returned?" he said, with somewhat flat emotion.
"Yes. In fact, he has asked me for her hand."
"Asked you?!" Alexei said. "I suppose I don't exist at all!"
"You did reject her, father. They can't be expected to be the first ones to reach out."
Charlotte turned to Alexei. "Reach out to them, Alex. She's our daughter. It's time."
The former king pursed his lips and folded his arms in front of him, his expression completely unreadable. "You may send your sister our congratulations and tell her that we hope to see them in Dashma, too. And Bouchard, too."
It was a start, Gregori thought.
But all would not stay well in the Kingdom of Dashma, for in its Northern Quarter at a noble's hunting lodge sat a man who, upon reading the next morning's paper with its announcement of the royal birth, became livid.
"How dare she interject herself into my kingdom again! This world is mine, Tilly! Mine! You had your chance to be a part of it, but you chose that misfit. How dare you humiliate me before the world!"
But what could he do about it? Rasmussen was a world away with a brand new family, and here he was trapped, dependent upon his benefactor for his protection and existence.
"Well, I can't do nothing," he said – again speaking out loud to himself. He began to think. "Yes! Yes. That's what I'll do," he said, a malevolent smile arising on his face. Walking to the telephone he picked up the receiver, dialing the only line that he could call for fear of being discovered. It was the man's personal office and the only place he was likely to catch him alone. It was a direct line, and the operators knew to hang up the moment a connection was made.
"Hello?" the voice said on the other end of the line.
"Good morning," Michael said. "I've just read the news about Ottilia and the child. Seems she's back with Bouchard."
"That's correct," the man stated without emotion.
"We need to do something about that. She's making a terrible decision."
"Nonsense," was the reply. "If Bouchard is whom Ottilia wants, we should not stand in their way."
"But you must!"
"I will not," he responded. "In fact, given this new development, I'm backing away from our deal."
"Oh, no, you're not," Michael responded. "You're in too deep to back out – unless you want to hang with me because trust me. If I'm captured, I'm not going down alone."
"Be very careful, Melrose," the man responded. "I don't take well to threats, and if I hear so much as one more attempt, I'll hang you myself. Goodbye."
The receiver made a clicking sound on the other end, and Melrose called out the man's name. Hearing nothing, he threw the phone across the room.
"This can't be happening!" he exclaimed. "This can't be happening! They can't do this to me."
Taking a couple of steps toward the bar, the man poured himself a drink and straightened his spine. "It will not happen," he said, taking a swig. "If he won't help me, I'll handle it myself - and then they'll all be sorry." He looked at the paper, which featured a photo of Tilly.
"Be careful, Valentine, and watch your back. I'm coming for you."
