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Nathan & Elizabeth: An Epic Love

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Chapter Fourteen

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Confessions

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Riding back into town to The Mercantile so Allie could manage the Switchboard for Florence all morning, Nathan helped his daughter off Nellie and took over the reins.

"Have a good day, Allie! Do you have enough money to have lunch with the girls since I'll probably be working through lunch?"

"Yes, Sir! That actually works out great because Angela, Emily, and I wanted to surprise Opal with a special Birthday Lunch today!"

"Sounds like fun! If you gals need to buy Opal a little gift, just put it on our tab."

"Thanks, Dad! See you at dinner?"

"Absolutely, Kiddo! Though I might be a little late with all this extra paperwork. I'll do the best I can!"

"Love you, Dad!"

"Love you, too, Allie Girl!" and her Dad bent to kiss her cheek.

But as Allie took off, her Uncle Bill appeared seemingly out of nowhere, though she had made it halfway up the front stairs, before she had to turn back around.

"Hey, Allie, if you're mannin' the Switchboard, I'm expectin' a VIP call from Judge Haverson in Union City around 10 AM. If you'll patch him through to your Dad's office, I'd 'preciate it!"

"Yes, Sir! Have a good day, Uncle Bill!" she smiled, then gave her Dad a shrug and an 'I'm sorry' look when her Uncle turned around.

"What's up, Bill?"

"Have you finished your rounds, Son?"

"Haven't even started! Allie and I needed some alone time."

"Thought so! Is our girl okay?"

"She will be. I think all this is a lot for her. She's wanted this so much, especially Little Jack as a brother. But she really felt rejected by Elizabeth the first time around because Allie believed in her heart her teacher already was her mother. Now that, coupled with Dylan rejecting her all over again, she's reliving the hurt from both."

"I'll tell you a secret: this whole thing with Elizabeth hurt all of us just watchin' it!"

"Really," he asked, surprised, using Elizabeth's favorite new word.

"It wasn't somethin' to talk about or worry you two with, but yes, Nathan. Elizabeth just wasn't herself at all with Bouchard, and it was hard to see what she was doin' to Little Jack and especially her because none of it felt right. As for the two of you, well, that was the hardest part of all to take! It was like she decimated the two of you when all either of you had done was love her. And the two of you got the brunt of her grief, but that only comes from great love. Hey, enough of that! I just wanted to give you a heads-up. Don't be surprised if top brass appears over the next couple of days."

"About whatever this new project is?"

"At first, I thought so. But not so sure now. I'm hearing that Hargreaves has been snoopin' around from Union City to Benson Hills to Buxton. The only place he hasn't been is Rock Creek. Guess he thought that was too small for his rank. Hey, give me Nellie! You take Newton and go get your Serge on. I need to talk to you after rounds. Oh, and if you happen to see Elizabeth, will you see if 3 PM this afternoon works for Little Jack's riding lesson?"

"Can't you call her?"

"Eh! I don't really have the time."

"Bill, it's a phone call, which you could make in a minute, apparently from my office!"

"I don't know," he drawled. "If I'd just had my first date with a gal like Elizabeth, I'd at least want to check on her! Son, work with me here…"

Leading his steed back to his rowhouse, Nathan looped Newton's reins around his hitching post.

"I'll be right back, Newton, and we'll be off for rounds in a hot minute!"

Little did the Constable know, he was walking straight into a hot moment of his own in more ways than one!

Walking on further toward Elizabeth's rowhouse, Nathan mused to himself.

'Guess this is what being on cloud nine feels like! But everything's happened so fast, there hasn't been a moment alone to even think about all the memories of last night and my first official date with Elizabeth! But couldn't imagine a better or happier outcome. Yet, since all this is brand new and so surreal, it's like I'm still trying to take it all in!'

As he realized he was going to be seeing her again in a matter of moments, his spirits soared.

Though even Bill had noticed earlier that smile on his face seemed there to stay.

Bill was right, as was his advice to Nathan to touch base with Elizabeth. After last night, which was intimately private, and this morning, which had not been at all private, he and Elizabeth needed a few minutes alone together, even if it was just to say good morning and wish each other a good day.

As soon as he knocked, Elizabeth opened the door.

"Hi, Love!"

"Nathan!" Elizabeth cleared her throat and moved out of the doorway, silently motioning toward Rosemary, who was still there visiting with Jack, playing nearby.

"Mountie Nathan!" cried Little Jack as if he hadn't seen him for a month of Sundays as he ran to hug his legs.

"Hi, Jack! What's it been? An hour since we had breakfast?"

"I'm so full of pancakes!"

Nathan made a funny face at Jack to the child's copious laughter, then greeted Rosemary.

"Hello, Rosemary!"

"Good morning, Nathan! It's so good to see you this bright and wonderful morning!"

"Likewise!"

"Rosemary, since you're taking Goldie to daycare, do you mind taking Jack, too?" asked Elizabeth. "He's got his toys ready to take."

"Of course, we don't mind! Goldie and I would love the company. Hurry, Jack, give your mother a sweet goodbye kiss, then we'll be on our way!"

Of course, when Rosemary said the words 'sweet goodbye kiss,' she looked straight at a blushing Nathan.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Here, Jack, let me straighten your hat. Mind your Auntie Rosie, and have a good day, Son! I'll bring treats by for you and your friends after lunch. How does that sound?"

"Can you bring chocolate, please?"

"Now, there's a guy after my own heart! If it's chocolate, I might have to come!"

"Please! Please! Pretty please!"

Nathan knelt down to Jack's level.

"Well, you know we Mounties always have to be prepared for emergencies, right?"

Jack nodded.

"Yep, like bad guys coming to town!"

"Exactly! But short of any bad guys coming to town, and we hope they don't, I'll be there, Jack! But just in case the bad guys do come, will you save me a piece for later?"

"I'll save you two pieces, but then can we eat them together after the bad guys leave?"

"Absolutely!"

"Yay! We're going to eat chocolate together!"

"One way or another, yes, we are, Jack, Mountie's honor!"

Nathan saluted Jack, who returned his salute with vigor.

"Can you say thank you, Jack?"

"Thank you, Mountie Nathan! I can't wait!"

"Me neither, Jack!" winked Nathan, meaning it with all his heart.

"Jack, you be a good boy today at daycare, too, okay?" reminded his mother.

"I will, Mama! Bye, Mountie Nathan!"

"We'll talk later, Elizabeth," warned Rosemary, with Elizabeth fully knowing what she meant.

"Yes, we will, Rosemary! You and Goldie have a good day, too!"

"Toodles, you two! Don't do anything I wouldn't do," and off Rosemary went cackling, with Little Jack not knowing why but joining in.

"Do you realize that's the first time Jack hasn't told me goodbye after his kiss?"

"Oh, Lizbeth, I'm so sorry!"

"No, his focus was on you, and I love it!"

Nathan and Elizabeth stood side-by-side on the porch waving at Jack, who kept turning back to wave at them every few steps, as did Rosemary, wanting to not miss anything between her two friends, who were happily holding hands, hidden from her view.

Once Rosemary and Jack were finally out of sight, Nathan, with a huge smile, put his arm around Elizabeth's waist and walked her back inside her house.

"I've missed you terribly," he winked.

"Not as much as I've missed you!" she answered breathlessly.

"Besides, I needed to touch you to make sure all this wasn't a dream!"

"Oh, it's as real as it gets, Nathan Grant; you are not backing out of this one!"

She closed the door as Nathan took her in his arms, and they began showing each other exactly how much they had missed each other.

"Good morning, Lizbeth!"

"It is now," she mused aloud. "This is your real good night kiss from last night!"

She kissed him with the same passion they had shared previously, reigniting that fire that had never stopped.

"Whoa! That's the best good night kiss I've ever had!"

"Mind your p's and q's, and you may get a lot more, Constable!"

"May, huh? That doesn't sound very promising!" he teased while still holding her in his arms.

Then he kissed her in a way that literally made her so weak in the knees that she was putty in his hands.

"Okay, okay! A kiss every…single…night!" barely escaped her lips.

"Just like this one?"

"Well, they do say spice is the variety of life. How do you know some might not be better? And are you sure you want to just settle for one," she flirted.

"Never just one!" he flirted back.

"I'm so glad we agree on that!"

"Definitely, as that critical decision impacts our entire future," he grinned.

She beamed in response.

"First, I need to warn you that you might want to ration that lopsided grin of yours as it completely does me in. Second, thanks so much for promising to visit and eat chocolate treats with Jack! That meant the world to him!"

"I'll do my level best to meet him at daycare, but if there does happen to be an emergency, I'll meet with him as soon as I can. But wait! Will this blow our cover of anonymity?"

"I don't even care if it does! What was I thinking? Can I meet you at your Office at one, and the two of us walk over together with the treats?"

"I'd love that! Oh, a message from Bill. Is 3 PM okay for Jack's riding lesson?"

"Yes, but he could have called," she noted skeptically. "Is Bill playing matchmaker?"

"You nailed it. Is he ever! He's in my office as we…kiss!"

Elizabeth laughed.

"Great save, Constable! You, poor thing. Will you be able to get any work done at all today with Bill underfoot?"

"You better believe I will, as it seems I have a most important date at 1 PM with two of my three favorite people. And just so you know, if the Governor rings, he's waiting till we're finished at Daycare!"

Elizabeth couldn't help but stifle her laughter.

"See, I knew I was courting a brilliant man!"

"A frustrated one at all the gubernatorial interruptions as of late, since last night might have happened a lot earlier without them, though aside from those interruptions, the happiest man alive, Mrs. Thornton, thanks to you, my Love…"

"Finally, the first time in a long time, we've had routine morning rounds without a dozen and one emergencies, Newton. Maybe we'll actually get some work done today!"

As Nathan passed by the Queen of Hearts, Lucas walked out on the Boardwalk with the oddest look, and it dawned on Nathan he needed to talk to him, man to man. With everything the Constable had going on, now seemed as good a time as any. Especially since this wasn't just personal but business, too.

So, he slowed Newton down and brought him to the perfect stop right in front of the hitching post where Lucas was standing.

"Lucas, I'll buy you a cup of cof…, I mean tea, if you've got the time!"

"Coffee, no! But tea, I might be able to manage that," he answered though rather blandly, but then again, men often use that sort of tone with each other.

The two men walked in together, gravitating to the corner table for privacy.

"Anything wrong, Lucas? And I mean personally. I'm sure you have a million and one problems being thrown at you as Governor."

"You've got that right, Nathan! Sometimes, I wonder what I've gotten myself into! Though in some weird way, I love the chaos."

"I wanted you to know that Jeanette was assigned to Abbingdon, the only all-female prison near Capital City, which is really good news given that Thunder Bay, the one combined prison there, is an absolute nightmare. Quite frankly, I put in a special request that she be sent to Abbingdon, knowing she wouldn't last otherwise. I don't know what all she is guilty of at this point, but I do know no woman deserves Thunder Bay!"

Lucas seemed shocked.

"I don't know what to say. For some strange reason, I can't get her out of my mind, and I'm not sure why. Anyway, thank you for doing that! It's much appreciated. I'll make sure she knows."

"No need! Just glad to help," although Nathan couldn't help but wonder if the Governor might be experiencing a significant degree of guilt.

"Governor, your Earl Gray Tea, two sugars and a splash of cream," noted Mike, serving the men's drink from a fancy silver tray. "Constable, your coffee, black and steaming hot!"

"Thank you, Mike," nodded Lucas.

"Thanks, Mike," smiled Nathan. "Just the way I like it. Hey, is your big Wedding still on for this week!"

Mike beamed.

"It was supposed to be on Tuesday, but we had to change it to Wednesday so Mei's brother could attend!"

"Getting nervous?" asked Lucas.

"Not at all!" retorted Mike as though the very thought was incomprehensible.

"No need, Mike! We men will all be there supporting you to the hilt," assured Nathan.

The Constable watched as Mike left but noticed from the corner of his eye that Lucas seemed distracted.

"Lucas, back to what we were talking about. I want you to also know that I got her a private cell, which was no easy task, but until we know who all is involved in this, for her own safety, she needs to be alone and maximally secured."

"You seem to care about what happens to her," marveled Lucas.

"I do; first of all, I like her despite her 'Boy Scout' sass directed at me," grinned Nathan deprecatingly.

Lucas couldn't help but laugh.

"Plus, Jeanette's a friend of yours. But more importantly, I'm just not sure things are exactly the way they look right now."

"What do you mean?"

"Lucas, I've looked back through Jeanette's records extensively…"

"All of them?" he asked alarmed.

"Yes, all of them, including her records from the States. It's part of my job to be thorough, Lucas. And there is nothing whatsoever in her background to indicate she has the contacts to run a huge syndicate."

"Do you know about our…"

Nathan lowered his voice.

"Yes, Governor, I know about your joint past criminal activity. And you and I both know you were the one with the contacts."

"But why haven't you said anything? Why haven't you arrested me?" he asked with a panicked look on his face.

"Lucas, I also know you are no longer involved in any illicit activity and haven't been since New Orleans. Believe me, if you were, I'd arrest you in a heartbeat. But given that you have tried to make restitution and are now living an honorable life besides being our Governor, what would that accomplish at this point? Though I will say, there will come a time when you will have to come clean to your constituents."

"Is that a threat?"

"Come on, Lucas, you know me better than that. I don't play games. You're the one who does that!"

"So, you're telling me your words aren't a threat?"

"They're nothing of the sort. This is just life. Things have a way of catching up with all of us, Lucas, one way or another. I'm simply keeping you briefed and giving you a heads-up so you'll be prepared when and if the time comes. I wouldn't be much of a colleague or friend if I didn't offer."

"But why would you do that?"

"Again, because you are my Governor and my colleague. Though I do realize some would call us adversaries, I prefer to think colleague or even friend."

"I guess you heard about the betting last night?"

"Heard that the bet was whether Elizabeth and I completed our date or quit halfway through," chuckled Nathan. "Who won?"

Lucas actually looked embarrassed.

"Pretty much the entire town knew you'd finish and be together from here to eternity. Seems I was the only one who had doubts. Truth be known, those I manufactured just to save a little face. I suppose the whole thing was rather crass of me."

"Hmm, childish, maybe. Though honestly, it doesn't matter. But I did want to talk to you…"

"To gloat?"

"Why don't we leave the barbs off the table, Governor? You seem to be the one who does that. Not me."

"More than fair."

"On a personal level, I wanted to update you, not hurt you, but keep you from awkwardly hearing our news on the street. We do ask that you keep this confidential for a couple of days so we can discuss all this with the kids. But yes, the date went very well."

"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure. I'll answer within reason," answered Nathan cordially.

"Do you both feel you are meant to be each other's love now that you've had this date? I believe Elizabeth called it 'great love!'

"Lucas, again, I'm not here to hurt you, but I am going to answer you truthfully, once and for all, because even though we now trust each other at least where it counts, I'd like us to get rid of the tension between us that keeps cropping up, for all our sakes."

"And the answer is?" repeated Lucas.

"I can speak for myself, but you'll have to ask Elizabeth for her answer. I knew she was my great, one and only love the moment I saw her. That's remained the same from then till now and will always hold true."

"How can you be so certain?"

"You just know. I'm more certain of that than I have ever been of anything in my life. Always have been."

"I thought I was sure once long ago, but I ruined it all."

Nathan instantly knew Lucas was talking not about Elizabeth, but Jeanette, though he was kind enough not to say anything.

Lucas sighed heavily, sitting his teacup down with a thud out of frustration with himself, also recognizing Nathan knew.

"You know, Nathan, that's actually a relief for you to know I'm talking about Jeanette because I owe you an apology. No that's not accurate, I owe you more apologies than I could ever make in this lifetime. Do you want to know why, for starters?"

"I know why, Lucas."

"Yes, you do. I've thoroughly underestimated you all along. But as you said earlier, this one has caught up with me, and it's time I own up to it, at least to you, the person I've hurt the most, though I'm fully aware and deeply regret that Allie is a close second."

Lucas breathed in deeply as if to fortify himself while Nathan sat ready to listen.

"I did grow to love Elizabeth, but the truth is I needed her on my arm for credibility. I needed her social standing for acceptance, and she knows none of this. At one point, I'll admit to you, I desperately needed her money, but thankfully, I caught myself before any of her finances became involved. I owe you the deepest of apologies. I knew the two of you loved each other in a way I didn't even realize existed before. I knew that. I saw that. I felt that. Yet my needs were more important. Or so I thought. So, even knowing that you both loved each other with what Elizabeth calls 'great love,' I still went after her with a vengeance. I even put you down to her every chance I got. And after we became engaged, I was thrilled that I had won, especially against you. I had gotten everything I had set out to get. I was finally the better man. And yet the truth was I had her in name only because even after we became engaged, you still had her heart. And deep inside, I knew that was never going to change. What I'm trying to say is this: I now realize what I did to both of you and to Allie (as I suppose Little Jack is too small to know the difference) was abominable, and I am asking your forgiveness."

Nathan sat dumbstruck, though Lucas hadn't told him anything he had not already figured out for himself, especially knowing both sides of the coin. On top of all the pain Nathan had endured the last couple of years, professionally, he had been deeply concerned about Lucas's motives. And that had been the hardest part, not knowing if Elizabeth was going to be torn apart all over again by a man who was not being forthright to her about his intentions nor his past.

Though he could have stopped the entire relationship, he had never said a word. He couldn't hurt her like that. All he could do was protect her from afar, which is exactly what he did.

The Constable remained silent, the awfulness of it all fleeting through his mind as Lucas increasingly became more nervous.

Finally, Nathan spoke in an even-toned voice without a bit of malice, just facts, but in more continued words than Lucas had ever heard him speak:

"Two years you kept us apart, and those two years, we'll never get back. You took advantage of the woman I love with my very life, and you caused both me and my daughter, who deserved none of this, immeasurable pain. Those two years of torture, I want you to remember. I want you to think about them the next time you come to a point of decision in your life involving others. I want you to realize you kept me from the woman who would have been my wife, and you kept my daughter from the woman who would have been her mother at a time when she needed one most. I will take it a step further: you kept Jack from the man who would have been his father. And you kept Elizabeth from a great love, all the while knowing it was in her grasp."

"Lucas, I don't say this maliciously, but I want you to think about all that the next time you need my help, even if it's to save your life, because you need to know one thing. I will be there, Governor, doing my job to the best of my ability, yet again trying to be a friend to someone who doesn't seem to want one."

"Forgive you, Governor? Yes, I forgive you. But forget it all, no. The loss is too great. Will I dwell on it or on you? Absolutely not. Not for a second. None of this will ever be a thought in my mind again. Except to be kept in the very back of it, a despicable lesson learned as the two of us move forward so that I don't ever allow you to manipulate me or my family again."

"You see, the happiness the four of us should have had two years ago, we finally have now, and for that, I am grateful to God. I only hope and pray no one ever treats you in the same way you have knowingly treated us. Having said all that, there's a fifth and sixth person you chose to hurt."

"I don't understand," noted Lucas, swallowing hard.

"Don't you see, Lucas, you hurt Jeanette horribly, and most of all, you hurt yourself. Five people offering you love in different ways, yet you refused it all through your knowing choices and wish to control matters instead of just enjoying life and allowing it to happen while being one of us."

"As for moving forward, if you want friendship with us, you'll have it, but you have to earn it; if you want full trust from us, then prove yourself completely trustworthy. The irony is that we've only ever wanted to be your friend. But you kept pushing us away. Now it's your decision moving forward."

"However, I do have one other thing to say. Thank you. Thank you for having this honest conversation with me that we've just had. In some odd way, it helps as a resolution, I believe, for both of us."

"I suppose you are going to tell Elizabeth all this?"

"No. That's your job! One other thing: both Elizabeth and I hope you find your great love someday. That is if you haven't already found her. All of us are ready to be your friends, Lucas. We just need you to be a real friend back…"

Emotionally drained, but also glad his personal and professional job was done as far as the Governor was concerned, having left the ball, on both fronts, firmly in the Governor's court.

"You alright, Son?" asked Bill, sitting in Nathan's chair behind his desk.

Nathan sat down across from the Judge.

"You talked to Lucas, didn't you? How did it go?"

"Well, we're right about Jeanette not having the contacts, and we're right about our Governor's former exploits. Sadly, everything we thought about him and Elizabeth is also true, but Bill, as I told him when he asked if I was going to tell her, no, that is his job."

"Good. Do you think he'll be man enough?"

"I don't want Elizabeth hurt, so selfishly, I would prefer she not know."

"But, Nathan, what if he doesn't tell her, won't you have to then?"

"Well, I'm not going to keep anything from her. I've learned that lesson the hard way a long time ago. But I would much prefer that Lucas talk with her, as this is his story to tell and not mine. Any news?"

"Just one peculiar comment from Judge Haverson."

"And what was that?"

"Interestingly enough, he asked me what I knew about one Superintendant Hargreaves. Turns out the Superintendent scheduled an appointment with him for this coming Thursday."

"Which means he'll be here Wednesday or Friday!"

"Exactly. But don't you think it's odd for a Superintendent of the RCMP to make an appointment with a judge when they have a whole battery of their own attorneys to do so?"

"Not if he's fishing for information."

"Bingo!"

"James, that's Haverson, is going to call me if he learns any more about what the meeting is supposed to involve and if not, he'll call me after with an update."

"Good! What a month this has been workwise!"

"You've got that right, but hey, personal couldn't be better, and that thrills this old man!"

"Bill, you aren't old. But hey, can we switch…oh… never mind! I'll work from this side. But could I at least use my typewriter?"

"Almost through…"