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Nathan & Elizabeth: An Epic Love
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Chapter Twenty-Three
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Unexpected Twist
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That night, on his way home from visiting Nathan and Elizabeth at her rowhouse, Bill walked back into town slowly at first while pondering his phone call with Hal.
It went without saying, the Judge was astute enough to have read between the lines of what his old friend was saying, which was actually quite a lot.
Already, the Judge had just completed what was perhaps the most important part of what his colleague and friend had requested, and he was pleased as punch with the result!
"No need to wake up my old Buddy, which is good, since he sounded like he could use the sleep!" mused Bill aloud, before he realized he was talking to himself.
He thought back over his all-important, later conversation with the man who was like a son to him and the woman who was like a daughter, this time trying not to look like an old fool walking along talking with no one there beside him!
'Elizabeth couldn't have been more adamant nor more supportive of Nathan's career! Even took my boy back a step or two, not to mention me! And that's a pretty significant thing to witness, given her previous fear of that same career, which has kept the couple apart for two years. No, that's not right! It's been more accurately closer to three long, painful years! For all of us, too! I, for one, am happy to finally be seein' smiles instead of all that fake fluff on the one hand and pain on the other!'
'Now, Nathan's smart as a tack, but even so, he might not have a clue just how important their responses were tonight, especially Elizabeth's, but, I for one, sure do have an inkling!'
Bill chuckled to himself.
'And I do believe good times are comin' to Hope Valley!'
'I only hope and pray that whatever this is doesn't ultimately, at some crazy point down the road, take away my adopted family from me. Not sure I could take that! I want to see my grandkids grow up, and I want to see more Grant babies down the road! Is that too much for a grandpa whose too young to be called that, to ask? I think not!'
'The truth is, Hal was as secretive as ever, leavin' me without the slightest clue as to any specific times related to the cleanin' and paintin' of the two offices! Good grief, I bet they come tonight since I think I recall he vaguely mentioned that as a possibility!'
Bill glanced at his timepiece.
"Great day! Maybe I'd better speed it up and see if they might already be here to start! I won't have these people makin' changes we Hope Valley citizens don't want! And as my Mama always said: 'Don't let anybody put THEIR cart before YOUR horse, or you'll live to regret it, Son!'" (*54)
"No, Siree! This town is my horse, not theirs, and I'm drivin' it full throttle ahead! I don't care who they think they are…"
With thoughts of a quasi-town takeover, which he was having no part of, the good Judge quickened his steps.
And there they were!
Clearly from the distance there were lights on in the Mountie Office, with all sorts of action going on inside.
"I'll be! They could have at least waited for me!"
As it turned out, Hal had been right to warn him the cleaning and painting crews might arrive as early as Monday night, though Bill's mind had skimmed right over that possibility and had settled on Tuesday night as being definitive!
By the time Bill reached the Mounty Office, he burst open the door and bellowed.
"Judge Avery, here! How in the world did you people get in here? This is an official RCMP Office, and I'm the one with the keys!" (*55)
"We know! That's why we're here," responded the man who looked like he was in charge of the painting crew.
"What are you doin? Breakin' and enterin'
"Judge Avery, we have explicit instructions as well as our own set of keys, given to us by the Deputy Commissioner!" interjected the person who was obviously leading the cleaning crew. "He thought it might take us two nights and a full day's work since there is obviously so much to do."
"Well, look around you! Things aren't that bad! Okay, then, care to share your game plan? 'Cause I'm here to tell you, this is my town, and you don't do a single thing without runnin' it by me first. Got it?"
The two crew leaders looked at each other while exchanging eye rolls, realizing their autonomy had just been completely destroyed in one fell swoop!
Apparently, it was going to be a very, very long and brutal 32 hours for both crews!
Which to be fair, they had experienced before, though nothing like what they were about to experience!
"Got it, Judge," they frustratingly acquiesced.
"Also, you aren't doin' a single thing without my permission, first, understood?" he barked, putting the fear into both crews immediately.
Almost fearful, the cleaners started hesitantly washing down the wood wall on the left-hand side of the Mountie Office, from ceiling to floor.
"Where are all the painters?"
They all looked at each other and reluctantly raised their paintbrushes.
"Now, let's get this straight! It's perfectly fine for the cleaners to wash this wall down, but I double-dog-dare you painters to paint over this beautiful wood that's still in fairly good condition!"
Well, that little directive set off an argument of arguments among all the painters, their leader included, with of course, the Judge joining in with gusto.
"It's absolutely hideous," noted one.
"Not to mention outdated," noted another.
"And whether you like it or not, it's our job to make this dump of a place appear to be presentable!" touted the leader of the painting team.
"And, Sir, just how do we do that if we can't paint over all the marks," asked another member of the painting crew.
Naturally, there was a lot of griping in response to their new directive, but, as could have been predicted, the Judge's preferences still won out.
"It's simple, gentlemen! You stain it! But not too dark and not too light. Show me all the color choices first!"
"Sir, that would be the exact same shade of stain that it already is!" ventured the paint crew's leader.
"When did HE go to design school, before or after law school," grumbled one brave soul, which the Judge selectively decided not to hear.
And that was that.
"Now, listen up, cleaning crew, not one paper clip is to be lost! And most definitely, not one scrap of paper. Understood?" and then the Judge turned to leave and go check his own office, refusing to act like he had even heard their 'ambivalent' (and that's to be charitable) responses.
"Oh, and my office, where the other work is being done upstairs, is just down the street if you need me through the night! And if I'm asleep, it's your job to wake me up!'
"Hmph! As if we don't do this every day at Mountie Offices across the country!" mumbled one under his breath…
Across town and upstairs above the Judge's office, the cleaning crew there had already decided the previous cleaning done by a Hope Valley crew wasn't at all adequate, and they were hard at work with their re-do of what they considered a much more thorough cleaning.
"What are you doin'," bellowed the Judge. "This was just cleaned!"
"Not according to our high standards," had been the rather succinct and pompous reply.
"And this paint job is atrocious. Look at all that spillage on the baseboards and crown molding. The entire suite needs to be repainted and quickly, too, so it will dry in time!"
"Well, you can't paint till we clean, so your team needs to get out of our way and give us room to do our job!" insisted the leader of the cleaning crew assigned to this office.
But since the Judge was worn out from 'overseein,' he decided he was too tired to fight them.
"Just fight it out amongst yourselves!" he threw up his hands.
"And don't you dare do anything without wakin' me up before you even think about paint touchups or redo's or pretty much anything! Understood?"
"Perfectly," was the snide comment many made.
"Maybe he'll wake up in a better mood," remarked one, hopefully optimistic.
Little did the poor man know, this was about as cheery as the good Judge ever got!
Then, leaving no doubt as to who was really in charge, Judge Avery walked downstairs to his own office to catch a few winks on the cot he kept there.
Though not before he growled one last sentiment!
"Good grief, Hal! What have you done to me? It's obviously gonna be a long couple of nights…"
Nathan, having gotten up extra early for his trip to Buxton, tiptoed downstairs from his bedroom, thinking Allie would still be asleep, but when he reached the staircase, the unmistakable scent of his favorite apple cinnamon pancakes with warm cider syrup greeted him.
He was thankful both for the pancakes and the fact that Allie was up, so he could tell how she was doing after all the admissions of last night.
To say he was proud of his daughter was a vast understatement. She had handled a very difficult betrayal from her birth father, who had sadly never before shown a sliver of caring to her for a single second.
Nathan was also learning to relax while proving his theory of letting things happen naturally between the four of them, especially where his girls were involved.
"Good morning, Sweetheart," greeted Nathan, giving his daughter a kiss on the top of her head. "This is quite the treat! Aren't you up awfully early?"
"Yes, but I wanted you to have a good breakfast before your long day."
"I appreciate that, and my stomach definitely appreciates that! Especially since all this is my favorite!"
"Also, I've been thinking about something I want to run by you."
"What's that?"
"I think Mama wants to see our house."
'You do?"
"Papa, you know we're going to be together as a family soon, and that means we'll need a place to live. And I, for one, hope this is where our home will be because I don't want to give up my room. I love Jack lots and all, but there are going to be times I'll need some alone time, for sure. And just think of all those toys he has, I won't even have room for clothes much less my books and art supplies!"
"All true! So, what's your game plan?"
"Opal and Emily said they'd come over and help me clean the house."
"What about Mrs. Havens? Doesn't she come today to clean?"
"Yes, Papa, she's still going to clean-clean, but Emily, Opal, and I thought we'd try out our decorating skills and rearrange things so everything will look extra pretty. That way Mama will be really impressed and want to move to our place instead of staying in hers!"
"Aha! So, this is a day of master manipulation."
"No, Sir! I prefer to think of this day as a day of gentle nudging!"
Nathan burst out, chuckling, shaking his head.
"So, I assume at some point you plan to bring your Mama here to tour our vast home in my absence!"
"Exactly! And about our 'vast home,' it is at least a lot bigger than Mama's and Jack's. I mean, there are three bedrooms. And we have indoor plumbing, too. Another bonus! Are you hungry?"
"Are you kidding? I thought I was going to be riding starved! Load me, up, Allie Girl. How can I help?"
"Just help me carry all this. Oh, no! I always forget the milk and juice!"
"I'll get all this, Allie! You get the milk and juice. I'll come back and get my coffee!"
"Thanks…"
With everything now on the table at the Grant Residence, both father and daughter sat down for their early Breakfast.
"Since you were kind enough to cook, how about I say Grace?"
Allie nodded and took her Papa's hand.
"Dear Father, we thank you for this new day you have given us, and we especially thank you that Allie and I get to start it together. Thank you for the delicious food she has painstakingly prepared, and bless it for the nourishment of our bodies. Be with my girl in all her endeavors today, and be with me as Newton and I travel to and from Buxton. Also be with Elizabeth and Jack as they go about their day. And Bill, too, as he steps in to help me back here at home. In your Holy Name, we ask these things with gratitude in our hearts for our new family. Amen!"
"Amen!"
"Papa, you were right about Mama. I finally realized she was hurting really bad back the first time around, just like I've been hurting for a long time over Dylan, but mostly over the last few weeks. I'm so sorry I put you through all that!"
"You listen to me, Allie! I would choose any and every single day of the week to go through anything you need me to go through with you, rather than not have you. Sweetheart, do you realize how dark my life would be without you in it?"
"Even now? Now that you have Mama and Jack?"
"Especially now! I can't even imagine it, Allie! You are this beautiful shining force that lifts me the moment I see you or even the many moments I think of you! And you know what, you do the exact same thing for Jack and your Mama!"
"Papa, can I ask you a personal question?"
"Anything! I'll try my best to answer. By the way, these pancakes are to die for. Complete perfection, Allie!"
"Thanks," beamed Allie. "Miss Minnie gave me some tips, and they really work! But here's my question: how did you know Mama was the right person to fall in love with?"
"You go for the big ones, don't you, Girl," chuckled Nathan.
Allie giggled but was still watching him intently.
"The first moment I met your Mama, I knew that she was going to be very, very important to the both of us from that day on. I never did understand how I knew it, but I did," mused Nathan, thinking back to that day. "And there was this, too, Allie. She flat out took my breath away!"
Allie laughed.
"So that's how I'll know!"
"Pretty much, Allie Girl! I also remember thinking as time progressed that it was like there were invisible strings everywhere, constantly drawing us and tying us together in the best sorts of ways, even when it didn't seem like it!"
"Hmm. But that's sort of sweet, though! And I'll admit that I even felt those strings with you two! A lot!"
Allie sighed.
"I hope it will be like that for me. You know, that I will know just like you did!"
"Hey, Young Lady, when you're the age I was when I met your Mama, I'll be hard-pressed to say no. But just so you know this anyway, I'll probably still be saying no!"
"Yep, I knew it! I'm going to be the oldest old maid in the entire history of Canada!"
"Um! Close, maybe! But chin up," he teased. "Surely not the very oldest! Hey, I'm getting more pancakes!"
Allie rolled her eyes as her Papa jumped up to get seconds.
When he sat back down, he was as contented as could be, and she reached to touch his arm.
"You know, you're the Papa I've always needed and wanted, corny jokes, imprisonment till I'm forty, and all!"
"And you're the daughter I've always needed and wanted, eye rolls, joke-killer, precociousness, and forty million questions!"
Allie beamed, proud that her Papa had raised her to be independent and her own person.
"Yep, we make a pretty great team, as Uncle Bill would say!"
"Hey Kiddo, your Prince is coming somewhere along, when did you say - about forty?"
"You wish!" she got in one last parting shot as she rose to clear her portion of the table, making her Papa chuckle…
Coming back from the kitchen, Allie's hands were full.
"Papa, I packed you some of the desserts from last night to eat on your way in case you get hungry."
"Thanks, Allie, but your pancakes fit the bill for this morning! I'll try to save them for the trip back."
"Sure, you will!" teased Allie. "But, if you do that, don't eat too many right before dinner!"
"Hey, you gals, try not to make the house so fancy, I won't recognize it, okay?"
"The only things I bought new were a few cushions. So sadly, you'll recognize it all!"
"Hey, I think it's already homey! But you're right, a little sprucing up is probably in order. You girls, just be careful and don't hurt yourself moving the furniture. Oh, and feel free to rummage through the good stuff we've saved back in those trunks upstairs!"
"Oh good! I forgot about those trunks. This will be like Christmas! And we'll be careful. I was thinking about this, too, this morning. It sort of felt like the four of us Thorntons and Grants became an official family last night. Is that okay?"
"That's more than okay, because I felt it too. It's funny I don't think any of us could have predicted that we would leave our family celebratory dinner with a real, bonfide family intact. However, that's exactly what happened," marveled Nathan. "And it feels pretty wonderful, doesn't it, Allie?
Nathan was putting on his Serge at the front door.
"The best, Papa!"
"And you know what, Sweetheart? I think I love this Papa thing, too!"
Allie reached up to kiss his cheek, then walked him out to their front porch.
"Well, you'd better! It does mean you have my whole heart now! Stay safe, Papa!"
"Will do! You have a great day with your friends and our house! Get enough money out of our hiding place to take the girls for a treat if you need a break. Or if you want to have lunch together at the Café, just put it on my tab! I should be home before dinner!"
"Will do, too! Love you, Papa!"
"Love you, Princess!"
Both deliriously happy about moving forward as a family of four, they waved, exchanging broad smiles of extraordinary wattage, shining through the morning's cloud of fog surrounding them…
It could accurately be said that Constable Nathan Grant had always been a man who pretty much lived in the moment, and that was true of this beautiful morning! He was excited to spend time with Newton, as Horse and Master always enjoyed their travel time from Hope Valley to Buxton and back again. In an odd way, Nathan was even looking forward to seeing his Mountie colleagues upon arrival in Buxton, their meetings never failing to be enjoyable, though today was meant to include quite a bit of work.
The difficult part of spending the day in Buxton was leaving all his work in Hope Valley that would not only be waiting for him but would be multiplying throughout the day by leaps and bounds, which, in and of itself, was the most frustrating and overwhelming part!
It was true: Hope Valley really had reached that point where both their Judge and Constable could use some additional Mountie help on a continuous basis.
This particular morning was crisp and perfect for a long early ride as a light misty fog still enshrouded Hope Valley and its surrounding area. Nathan felt invigorated just mounting Newton as he led his Mountie Horse to the start of one of their favorite less-traveled shortcuts to Buxton. Both rider and horse knew the way by heart, and since there was a long stretch of pasture with easy terrain, Nathan let Newton set his own pace.
In other words, crouched low over Newton's long main, Nathan allowed his beloved horse to fly across the meadow, straight into the lessening and, in even some places, lifting mist.
However, it was hard to say who enjoyed the ride more, Nathan or Newton! But after about a 2-mile gallop, both Master and steed gradually slowed, both with an odd feeling something wasn't quite right.
"Whoa, Newt!"
On alert, Nathan scanned the vista, at first seeing nothing out of place, but as he brought Newton up on a slightly elevated knoll, he saw the smoke, or was it mist?
"What do you think, Newton? No! Look at that slight curl. That's definitely smoke!"
Newton sniffed as if to say he could even feel the acrid scent nastily stinging his inner nostrils.
"Sorry, Buddy!"
Since the Constable knew this land like the back of his hand, he knew exactly where the smoke was coming from: a hidden valley, very small in size, which meant there probably was only one or two persons there, three max.
"Newt, looks like we've got company, and you and I both know there's no cabin close by. Odd that particular site was chosen, though, as there are many more beautiful and suitable camp sites than that. Unless, of course, you want to try to stay hidden to meet up with someone," he mused aloud.
"What do you say, we go straight ahead and circle back from the far side? They won't suspect a thing that way! Ready to go check it out?"
Newton neighed softly in response, so well-trained even he knew to keep his voice low…
Nathan had Newton pull a broad circle to the right, away from the small valley. But when they got far enough out, Nathan led his horse very carefully back, directing him toward the backside of said valley.
Admittedly, it was hard to see through all the thickets surrounding the flat parcel of land, which, by the way, Nathan knew belonged to none other than one Judge Bill Avery.
"Don't think Bill wants his land being used without his permission, Newt. But if I were a betting man, I'd bet money this is a lot more than as Bill would say 'just plain ole trespassin'! Let's get closer."
Nathan quietly removed his pistol and then shouted out.
"Drop your weapons and raise your hands! Slowly, very slowly, turn to face me."
The man did as Nathan asked, with only a sliver of his Vardo, or Romani gypsy wagon between them, meaning Nathan had a clear shot. (*56) (*57)
Nathan quickly dismounted, never taking his eyes off the young gypsy, while never allowing his gun to waver in the slightest.
"You're under arrest for trespassing and for disobeying a direct order of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense." (*58)
As per procedure, he handcuffed the now prisoner.
"What is your name?" Nathan asked gently.
There was no answer.
Nathan didn't need to ask what caravan the man was with because the Constable was blessed with what was pretty much a photographic memory, and he knew without any doubt the man was from the Romani Caravan he had ordered out of town this last Saturday.
He could even tell you the exact spot where this same gypsy had stood.
It had struck Nathan odd at the time because the man had not been introduced to him or Bill, as though he hadn't existed, yet the man had never for one second left 'King' Llewellyn's side.
That, in itself, told Nathan this gypsy was second in command.
Glancing inside his wagon, there was an unbelievable stash of stolen goods, from gold to silver to jewels!
So, he tried a different tack.
He lifted the open notebook, lying by the fire, which apparently the young man had been studying.
There was drawing after drawing of stolen goods, that not at all surprisingly matching the items Nathan had seen which had been visible in the Vargo. (*59)
But something told Nathan to keep flipping pages, and there, on the last page, he was astounded to find a perfectly drawn sketch of none other than Superintendent Andrew Hargreaves!
The resemblance was unmistakable.
Instantly, Nathan knew that he wasn't the only person Hargreaves was planning to visit on Friday!
"So, this is the guy you are waiting for to pass off the stolen merchandise to this Friday."
"No, Wednesday!" the gypsy corrected.
"I see! I'm pretty sure you're being stood up, though. Apparently, the date's been changed to Friday without telling you."
The look on the gypsy's face changed to fear.
"Who is this man?" asked Nathan.
Dead silence.
"Yet another mark of our prisoner being uncooperative, so noted. You see, I already know who this man is. In fact, I know him very well, indeed! And yes, there will be additional charges added when we arrive in Buxton at the Mountie Offices there. You're coming with me."
"No, can't. Can't leave Vargo." (*60)
"Why can't you leave, Marius?"
It was a guess on Nathan's part as he had noticed the name in the sketchbook, but he knew he was accurate because the man instantly and most sharply turned his head toward the Constable's voice.
Yet the gypsy remained silent, his lips pursed as though one would have to pry them open for any words to come forth.
"Marius, you are in a lot of trouble, and I'm afraid your 'King' Llewellyn has no jurisdiction over any of this. You will go to prison for a very long time. And the only way to lessen that is to cooperate with us and tell us everything you know. Come, we're going to Buxton, straight to the jail…"
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54. "Putting the Cart Before the Horse," an idiom that means to do things in the wrong order or with the wrong emphasis or focus. The phrase is based on common knowledge that a horse usually pulls a cart. The proverb's earliest recorded use was sometime in the 16th century; William Shakespeare used a variant in King Lear, the Play, December 26, 1606. Public Domain Information.
55. "RCMP," abbreviation for The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Force. Public Domain Information.
56. "Vardo," a four-wheeled horse-drawn wagon traditionally used by traveling Romanichal as their 'traveling home.' Romani gypsy wagon. The Romani term is thought to have originated from the Ossetic waerdon meaning cart or carriage. Public Domain Information.
57. "Romani," a member of a people originally from South Asia; they traditionally live an itinerant way of life and live widely dispersed across Europe, North America, and South America; the language that they speak is closely related to Hindi. Public Domain Information.
58. "Miranda Warning," a type of notification customarily given by police to criminal suspects in police custody (or in a custodial interrogation; and though verbiage may vary from country to country, the words are often similar to what is used in the story: "You're under arrest for trespassing and for disobeying a direct order of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense." Public Domain Information.
59-60. "Vardo," a four-wheeled horse-drawn wagon traditionally used by traveling Romanichal as their 'traveling home.' Romani gypsy wagon. The Romani term is thought to have originated from the 'Ossetic waerdon' meaning cart or carriage. Public Domain Information.