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Nathan & Elizabeth: An Epic Love
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Chapter Forty
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Family Day
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Upon their arrival in Buxton, after the trauma of last night, the family was even more excited and so ready to begin their fun day!
Nathan found a great spot to park close to Regal Grace, which was also close to all the restaurants.
"This is perfect, Papa, so Mama and I can put all our packages in the boot!" (*94)
"Good! Bill, what are you and Jack planning to do while I go shopping with Allie and Lizbeth?"
"Thought we'd visit the bookstore and the toy store down the street! Sound like fun, Jack?"
"Yes!"
"Then we'll meet Allie, who gets to pick our restaurant for lunch!"
"Can we do French, Uncle Bill?"
"French? Do we have to?"
"Uncle Bill, they do have steak and French fries!"
"Well, in that case, sure, French it is!"
"Bill, can we confer just a moment outside?"
"Sure, Son!"
With everyone else still in the car, Nathan needed to update Bill.
"Bill, keep him away from everything baseball, got it?"
"Well, that's no fun! Oh, you already have…"
"Exactly – no ball, no bat, no glove – got it?"
"Got it!"
"But everything else is fair game – banners, cards, books, posters – actually anything other than those three things! Oh, and if they have a cap of my player, and you can slip it in with your other stuff without Jack seeing it, grab that, and I'll pay you back!"
"You just brightened our day, Son, by a whole lot! We can handle that!"
"Good! Enjoy! Especially your steak," chuckled Nathan. "And Bill, wait just a minute. Will you help me divvy up Security!"
With that task accomplished, Bill, Jack, and their team of men headed off on their own adventure.
"Uncle Jack, there's a Carousel. Can we go? Pretty please?"
"I don't see why not. But I'm pickin' my horse first!"
Jack laughed, and so did the Security men!
Nathan glanced at his team, rolling his eyes at the Judge while making a face, causing his team to laugh as well!
This was sizing up to be a fun day for everyone involved!
Locking their car, Nathan was proudly led by Elizabeth and Allie into Regal Grace, along with their Security team, his and his men's first foray into the real shopping world of the ladies, which was about to be an education in and of itself for all of them…
Inside, Mademoiselle Vivienne Grace, the owner, met the rather large party at the door with not a little trepidation.
"Welcome to our Boutique, I am Vivienne Grace, the owner of the shoppe, may I be of some help?"
It was obvious she was most concerned to see so many men in uniforms at once.
"Mademoiselle Grace, I am Chief Inspector Nathan Grant, and I want to make it perfectly clear we are not here on business of any sort. I am solely here to shop with these two beautiful young ladies who happen to love your shoppe. I'm afraid the men go where we go for the time being. If you are uncomfortable having so many of us here, please let me know."
"Oh, no, not at all, Sir! Thanks for explaining it to me, as this is just a bit out of the ordinary. But welcome! We're so glad you are here, and we will do our best to make you all as comfortable as possible! We have a marvelous assortment of coffees to serve, if anyone is interested?"
"Thank you for understanding. Though you may need to direct me where I can be out of Elizabeth's and Allie's way, but still be close when they need to show me their finds. And Mademoiselle, if I don't already have an account, I would very much like to set one up for any future visits the love of my life and my daughter might undertake."
"This man is an absolute keeper, Ladies! He already understands his purpose, and remarkably well! Allow me to show you to our sitting area, Gentlemen, so we can make you and your team comfortable as we ladies begin our shopping, Sir! Colette, can you please assist me in getting the Gentlemen settled and also see that they get to experience our selection of coffees, chocolates, and patisseries? Marion, can you please check to see if Chief Inspector Nathan Grant has an account with us, and if not, will you please assist him in setting that up? Thank you both. Gentlemen, enjoy your stay with us! Now, that brings me to the beautiful ladies who I believe are more than ready to shop. We just got a new shipment of gently used items from Paris this morning, so I would recommend starting there before the onslaught of our afternoon rush when they get swooped up incredibly fast!" (*95)
"That sounds delightful!" agreed Elizabeth. "But Mademoiselle Grace, before I forget, my daughter is interested in finding a pair of serviceable and stylish sunglasses that would best flatter her face shape and eyes."
"Most certainly, the dark glasses are the very latest in fashion! Cassandra!" she called, motioning for a clerk.
"While we look at our latest goodies from Paris, can you collect an assortment of sunglasses that would be both serviceable and stylish for Mademoiselle Grant, based on her beautiful eyes and face shape?"
"I would be happy to! I think you will be very pleased, Mademoiselle! If not, we'll start over until you are!"
"Thank you, Mademoiselle…" asked Allie, not knowing her last name.
"Oh, please, the name is Cassandra!"
"Thank you, Cassandra. I appreciate your help very much, as I only know I want a pair to use in the car. But I have no idea what would look best on me."
"No worries, I know exactly what to pull! I think you will be more than pleased, although they are all so luscious, it may be difficult to decide on just one pair…"
As Nathan sat getting to know his team and vice versa, the men experimented with the various coffees they were offered, along with the trays containing luscious bites of chocolates and pastries.
"This shopping is not half bad!" noted the Chief.
"Not like this, Sir! I could actually get used to this if it were all like this, that is!"
"Not a half-bad morning at all, Sir!"
"I'm glad you men aren't too bored, as I wasn't at all sure just what to expect!"
But most of all, the Chief Inspector's heart was deeply touched as he could hear the warm laughter and many giggles coming from Elizabeth's and Allie's comfortable banter as they shopped in the room beyond him.
Thankfully, the shoppe had already opened an account under his name upon Elizabeth's and Allie's first visit, so that was no longer a concern.
Now that their clothing selections had been made amidst giggles and laughter galore between mother and daughter, who were now becoming very experienced shoppers together, it was time for them to try on their selections in the shoppe's elegant dressing rooms and come out to show the man who's opinion mattered most in this world.
To make it more fun, the shoppe owner coordinated their outfits as much as possible so that they could model in unison.
She even decided to narrate the event, making Elizabeth and Allie feel like they were putting on a real fashion show.
"First, we have a beautiful pair of day dresses in a paler teal fabric. Madame Thornton's skirt is made of a soft plaid and gathered full at the waist, dropping to mid-calf. Her bodice is tucked in a criss-cross pattern for added detail, topped with a broad white collar that matches the cuffs on her mid-length sleeves. Mademoiselle Grant's pale teal floral fabric is typically French with a stylish dropped waist and simple bodice, with everything trimmed in piping of the same fabric for added detail. What do you think, Monsieur Grant?"
"You both look lovely. Are the dresses comfortable?"
"So comfortable!" smiled Elizabeth. "Perfect to teach in, too!"
"Feels great, Papa! Like it was made to fit me!"
"Then, I say those two are keepers for sure!"
"Next, we have a beautiful combo in deep lavender, both with hand-embroidered patterns, though different. Mademoiselle Grant's consists of tiny violets with the tiniest of green leaves, while Madame Thornton's pattern is one of a scroll design in a creamy white color. Both dresses are suitable for daywear but are entirely appropriate to move into night functions, as well. The length is longer on both but still stylishly short enough to be trendy. Both are also quite serviceable for church wear as well."
"All I know is you both look beautiful, and I haven't seen either of you in this color very much. The color suits you both quite well and gives you a new option in your wardrobe while truly flattering you both! How do they feel?" asked Nathan.
"Wonderful?" hesitated Allie, who was feeling guilty about wanting both dresses.
"Perfect, actually!" agreed Elizabeth.
"I don't see how we can leave without these!" agreed Nathan, nodding to Mademoiselle Grace.
"The next set of outfits are both dress suits, which are very suitable for all kinds of activities. They also can be mixed and matched with various blouses and sweaters, as well as other jackets that can blend. The cuts of these are very couture, and the price is an absolute steal. Let's see how they look."
"These are perfect! There's no question whatsoever. These you must bring home with us!"
"Thank you, Darling! This just feels so rich and so wonderful!"
"Thank you, Papa! This is the nicest thing, and I think probably the most expensive thing I've ever had to wear! I love it!"
"You both look beautiful in them! Though I'm not sure there is anything in this place either of you wouldn't look beautiful in!"
"The price you pay, Monsieur Grant, for being surrounded by beautiful women!"
There were three more outfits that Elizabeth and Allie looked ravishing in, and only one on each that Nathan was okay with but wasn't at all overly impressed.
Ironically, his girls agreed with him, and they had tried those outfits on only at the suggestion of the owner, though neither had really cared for the dresses. Both Elizabeth and Allie were amazed that Nathan instantly knew the dresses weren't them, and so the three were in perfect agreement.
"Darling, we've gotten a lot. Are you sure this isn't too much to get at once?"
"Nonsense! Not at all! I want both my girls to look their best, and I also want you both to feel your best. The truth is, Allie knows this is the first time I've been brave enough to enter a fancy Ladies Shoppe, and because of that, I feel like I need to make up for lost time in a way. Besides, pampering my girls is my absolute pleasure. Seeing those smiles on your faces makes it all worth it, even if we do buy a few extra pieces. It just gives you a better selection from which to choose. And let's face it, even I can tell these clothes are a cut above what we have in Hope Valley! I want both my girls to have the absolute best, and I believe that's exactly what you've both chosen."
"Papa, this has been so much fun! Thank you for doing it with Mama and me!"
"I wouldn't have missed it for the world, Allie…"
While Elizabeth and Allie were deciding on which sunglasses to purchase for Allie, Nathan quietly settled the bill for the clothing.
"I prefer to pay for these in cash when I'm here, leaving the account for Elizabeth and Allie to use when I'm not available."
"That is most kind, Sir! We have thoroughly enjoyed having the three of you with us, as well as your team of men!"
"Well, don't be too thrilled, as I'm afraid we've eaten you completely out of pastries, not to mention coffees and chocolates," chuckled Nathan.
"Totally worth it, Sir! That's what they are there for, and they can easily be replaced!"
Elizabeth and Allie came with her sunglasses, but also a couple of pairs of shoes for each of them, and a couple of evening handbags that had just come in straight from Paris!
"Papa, Cassandra thought I needed two pairs of sunglasses, one to leave in the car and one for every day. Is that alright?"
"Of course, that makes sense, Allie."
"And we found two pairs of shoes each, one dress and one casual, plus an evening handbag each since Rosemary is having so many night functions at The Queen of Hearts, now that she's in charge of that too," and Elizabeth made a face causing Nathan to chuckle yet again.
"Isn't that the truth!"
"Let me pay cash for these as well! The reason being, Love, I want to pay cash when I'm with you so that you and Allie will feel free to put what you want on our tab as you need without feeling any guilt. Understood?"
"That is so thoughtful of you, Nathan! And it's much appreciated! I think almost everything we've bought on our two shopping trips to Buxton has come from Vivienne's second-hand room in the back, which unbelievably means not only the latest styles but also the best prices by far! So, I hope we haven't broken the bank!"
"Not at all! It makes perfect sense to be budget-conscious, especially when bargains like this look so great on you both! Besides, I am more than happy to be the lucky guy who gets to both pay the bill and enjoy the results…"
As Nathan and some of the men who were serving as classified security carried fancily wrapped bags and boxes to the boot of the new car, Bill and his team mosied along to meet up with Allie for lunch.
"Jack, have you and Uncle Bill had fun?" asked Nathan.
"We've had so much fun, Papa. Look what I got!"
"Now, that's one impressive baseball banner!"
"Let me see, Little Bear!" smiled his Mama.
"Here it is, Mama! Wait till you see my poster, Papa!"
"I can't wait!"
"Allie, do you want to see it too?" asked Jack.
"That's really nice, Jack! Looks like you all got some books, too."
"We got you some, too, Allie!"
"That's really nice! I can't wait to see what you picked out."
"Well, as long as you look at 'em before we leave, we're good. The clerk said if you have 'em already, we can bring 'em back, and you can pick out any others you want," explained Uncle Bill.
"That's nice! Actually, I can't wait to see what you got! Do we get to go to our French restaurant now, for lunch? Shopping's made me really hungry!"
"Me too, Allie!" agreed Jack.
"You had a million chocolate chunk pancakes for breakfast, Jackaroo!"
"Uncle Bill, not a million! A half-million!"
Everyone couldn't help but laugh!
"Hey, guys, I've got the kiddos! You two go and have a good lunch…"
"Babe, do you have a favorite where you'd like to have lunch?"
"You choose. I love them all! Actually, I haven't run across a bad restaurant here yet!"
"Wait a minute," and he swung her around and kissed her right there on the street, so lovingly so that Security, and everyone else walking by, for that matter, couldn't help but smile.
"Nathan…"
"Lizbeth…"
He tore himself away, with the biggest grin on his face, now ready with his surprise.
"Well, since Allie and Jack are going to the French Café, why don't we try the 'Matin en Rose' for my Elizabeth Rose?"
"But Nathan, it's so terribly expensive!"
"I know, but you'll like it. And you, Elizabeth Thatcher Thornton, are so worth it! That and more. Besides, after the week we've had, a private celebration is in order. And I just happen to have reservations for the private dining room there!" he grinned, checking his timepiece, thoroughly prepared as always.
"In exactly ten minutes," he added.
"You do? But how did you know which one?"
"Hmm?"
"That's my favorite restaurant in all of Buxton. I love everything on the menu!"
"Then that settles it, Madame! The 'Matin en Rose,' it is!"
He offered his arm, and as she happily linked her own arm to his, he took his right hand, placing it over her own entwined arm, making her feel so adored and so loved!
And as hard as she tried, she couldn't remember quite feeling like this before.
She had no idea why everything with this man felt so different from all she had previously known, but it did.
And in the most miraculous of ways!
"I don't know how you knew, but I know for certain that you did. You, Nathan Grant, never cease to amaze me…"
Inside the fancy French restaurant's private dining room, Elizabeth was in heaven.
"Have you been here before?"
"I have," he smiled.
She suddenly had an insurmountable need to know when and with whom.
But she caught herself.
She had no right.
It ran across her mind that the last time she had been here had been with Lucas, and it hadn't gone well at all.
In fact, they had argued and caused quite a ruckus. Mostly because Lucas had been upset that the Maitre D had given the private dining room to another couple. As it had turned out, Lucas had made the reservations for the wrong night but never apologized to Management for his outburst. She had been embarrassed as she had been so many times, yet she had never said a word.
Nor had either one of them said a word on the long ride home. He hadn't even walked her to the door when they arrived at her rowhouse. Yet she went right back to him the next day as though the night before had been perfectly normal.
Perhaps it had been their normal. Their façade normal. Their hidden normal. Their ugly normal, if she was being honest.
How had she stayed, and more importantly, why had she wasted so much time on such nonsense? Or had it gone beyond nonsense? Suddenly, the answer was crystal clear, and she felt physically ill inside.
As if he knew the question she needed answered but hadn't asked, Nathan sweetly answered it.
"Lizbeth? I brought Allie here for her last birthday. As you can tell, she has quite the preference for French cuisine!"
"Oh, Nathan, I'm so sorry. My mind wandered. You mentioned Allie?"
"It's alright, Elizabeth. Are you alright?"
"Yes, what did you say?"
"Nothing important. Just that I brought Allie here for her last birthday. As you can tell from her restaurant selection today, she has quite the palate for French cuisine!"
"That was a lovely thing for you to do, Nathan," and then it dawned on her when Allie's birthday was, and she felt sicker than ever. "Nathan, were you here that awful night…"
He reached across their booth's table, wrapping his hands around hers.
"Yes, Elizabeth, I was here that night," he answered softly. "I felt so badly for you, and Allie was hurt all over again, but that's all in the past. We've gotten through all that."
"I'm so deeply sorry! And I'm so ashamed that you and Allie saw that."
"Elizabeth, it's all forgiven. We've both forgiven you. And we've both had to forgive him as well. Let's move forward. Remember our promise?"
"I do, and I do love you with all my heart, Nathan. Like I've never loved before!"
He kissed her, ever so sweetly, ever so tenderly. Suddenly, all of her frantic pain was gone, and she was miraculously calm again.
"Ah, there's our lunch!" he smiled.
"A lovely lunch for a lovely couple," exclaimed the Maitre D as he oversaw his team of waiters.
"Does everything look satisfactory, Sir?"
"Everything looks wonderful, Louis! Merci beaucoup!" (*96)
"Nathan, will you please say grace for us?"
"Of course," he smiled.
"Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for keeping me safe last night in a most difficult situation. I am forever grateful that You allowed me to return to Elizabeth, to Allie, and to Jack! Thank you for the day today we are having as a family. And we both thank you for the wonderful French food we are about to partake of. Bless it to the nourishment of our bodies and give us wisdom in the matters we discuss between us. In your Holy Name, Amen!"
"Amen!"
"I, for one, am so thankful also for this private dining room that is giving us the opportunity to be alone and Security free for a few moments!" noted Nathan.
"Me too, Love!"
"Elizabeth, thank you so much for being there this week, supporting me, and understanding when I couldn't be there with you. Even at the big party, you were so gracious. I want you to know I noticed and am so appreciative and proud!"
She reached to touch his face and thought her heart might burst with the love she held inside for him.
"Lizbeth, I know you graciously understand that there are certain things in my line of work I can't share, but I have always given you my word that I will share as much as possible. But in our private life, that's different. And I have given you my word that in our personal life, we will have no secrets between us as far as I'm concerned."
"And I have given you my word to do the exact same!"
"The difficult part is when you know that the thing we need to share is going to hurt us both. So much so that I talked to Jack about it?"
"Little Jack?"
"No, my Darling. I learned of this earlier yesterday. Actually, it was Superintendent Hargreaves's parting shot, but that doesn't matter. What does matter is that we deal with it and put it behind us as much as possible. Just after Hal left, I went not long after to the cemetery and talked to Jack Senior about it."
"You did?"
"Yes, I've often done that. And it was necessary yesterday, as it involves the three of us, Elizabeth. The entire day was so difficult, and to be honest, I was so distraught that Bill actually went with me."
"What is it, Nathan?"
"It's a shock, something I didn't know. You see when Colleen died, I didn't know where my superiors, specifically with Hargreaves leading the charge at the time, were sending me. It didn't matter where it was, even had it been the most perfect place, because I couldn't go as Allie had to come first."
"Where was it, Nathan? Is that what Hargreaves told you."
"In the most ugly manner, Elizabeth. But that's not important. You see, the place they had planned to send me was the most perfect place. It turns out that I was told yesterday it was Coal Valley, the exact same place where you were all those years ago."
Elizabeth gasped and turned ashen.
He took her to him, holding her shaking body next to him.
"But…but…we should have…should have met…all those years ago?"
She was having difficulty breathing, and he had to do something.
"Lizbeth, the answer is yes. And I am sure you are as sick as I've been. But look at me, Darling."
She did so, and finally, her breathing evened.
"The reality is that all three of our lives might have been changed. Yours, Jack Senior's, and mine. But we were and are the adults here. The two important people to think about now are our children, whom we both dearly love. There is nothing that either one of us would do to change their existence or their beautiful and priceless places in our lives and this world. We have to think about them, Lizbeth, not ourselves."
She nodded but still couldn't speak.
"My Darling, I don't know why this has had to come to light. I don't even know why it has happened. You asked me what I thought about fate? This is one of those examples that you and I have to make what we want of it, and what we want is our children and each other. Moving forward, we can have all that and make up for all that lost time. But had we changed things back then, we wouldn't have Allie and Jack, and that's just incomprehensible and intolerable. I love you so much, Elizabeth, and I am not going to tell you that this hasn't devastated me. I'm not going to tell you that we are not going to experience waves of grief over this for a long time to come. Because I am sure we will. But I am going to tell you the only way we can fix this is to move forward in our lives together, as a couple, and with our children's lives together as a family unit, with more love and strength than any couple, any family has ever known! We have the power within us to do that, Lizbeth. And God will help us through. Of that, I am certain."
She cried softly into the shoulder of this man she loved more and more every single minute he was near.
When she finally pulled back, he kissed her tears away.
"I am so very, very sorry, my beautiful Lizbeth. If you'll trust me, this weekend is still our most wonderful weekend. We just have to make it so! And I give you my word, I will do enough for both of us to make it so!"
With her eyes glistening, she looked down, where her hands were now twisting as though they, too, were troubled.
But then suddenly they stilled, and she looked up into his cerulean-blue eyes, and there was strength in her countenance, in her very being, her very essence, as he had never seen before.
And she spoke with the conviction that was seared on her very soul:
"You see, I said I wanted a great love again, yet I was afraid to have it. Afraid that it might belittle my great love with Jack. But that's not the case at all. Jack was my first grand love. You are my forever love, my epic love. No matter what we do or don't do, our love remains. No matter what we did or didn't do all those years ago, our love still remains, a living, breathing thing of such strength, such power, such beauty!"
She paused for just a moment, then continued.
"You, Nathan Grant, are my home, my grown-up home. Knowing what you've just told me, I can only love you more! Because now, I find proof that what I somehow instinctively knew inside my heart, inside my very being, all along, from the very moment I met you, was and is perfectly true."
He took both her hands in his much larger ones, then, strengthened, she continued, determined to finish what she had to say.
"But for so many reasons, I tried to fight it. I tried to fight our love. I won't fight it anymore. I won't fight us anymore. I won't compare anymore. Now, I know even Jack understands, without any disrespect or any less love whatsoever, perhaps even more so. You, Nathan Grant, are my soulmate. You, are my other half, and you, have always been, and will always belong to me. This proves it beyond any doubt whatsoever."
She paused again, this time only for seconds.
"Don't you see, my Love? I knew this all along without knowing what you've just told me. Without even knowing you, Nathan, I knew it. Because you, were even my home back then. You, have always been my home, and you, will always be my home, forever and ever and ever, throughout all of time, and throughout all of eternity. And I fall on my knees every single night thanking God that He has miraculously cleared a way, despite my fear and stubbornness for us to have found each other, over and over again…"
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94. "Boot," or "car boot," here meaning "trunk" or rear storage compartment of an automobile; comes from the practice of storing items in the boots of horse-drawn carriages; can be traced back to the early twentieth century and derived re placing luggage or goods in the rear storage compartment of early automobiles. On the other hand, "trunk" comes from the word for a large traveling chest, which was often attached to the back of vehicles before there were integrated storage compartments. Public Domain Information.
95. "Patisseries," a French term that can apply to describe both French pastries and the pastry shops they are sold in; although the word is used quite liberally in the English-speaking countries, in France and Belgium, the law restricts its use to those bakeries who only employ licensed maître pâtissier (master pastry chefs). Public Domain Information.
96. "Merci Beaucoup," French translated to English means "Thank you very much!" Public Domain Information.