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Nathan & Elizabeth: An Epic Love
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Chapter Forty-four
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A New Day
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Alex knocked on Nathan's closed door.
"Come in!"
"Sir, we've finished our tour, and I believe your visitors are anxious to see you!"
"Thank you, Alex! Oh, Allie, have you and Alex officially met?"
Allie and Alex looked at each other, Alex choosing to be the honorable man he was and quickly deciding to fully answer the question to keep from putting Allie in an awkward situation with her father.
"Yes, Sir! We have met, the morning we first came to town. I just didn't know at the time that Allie was your daughter. Peyton and I actually bumped into Angela, causing her to fall at the bottom of The Mercantile steps, to our deep chagrin. Your daughter gave us quite the dressing down, which we both thoroughly deserved, I'm embarrassed to say!"
"That's my Allie! Well, Sweetheart, Alex is Special Sergeant Alex O'Reilly, and he is serving quite admirably as my personal assistant, which is no easy feat! So, with that in mind, you might wish to go a little easier on him the next time you run into each other!"
Allie smiled, not believing her Papa was giving her permission to be nice to Alex, which she found herself not minding at all!
"Hello, officially, Special Sergeant O'Reilly," Allie offered her hand to shake his as a truce. "And I'm sorry for my awful welcome to Hope Valley. It's just that I'm very protective of my best friend, especially when it comes to her lack of vision."
"As well you should be! That's an admirable quality, if there ever was one. It was so nice to meet all of you, and I'll get back to work to give you some family time together."
Alex saluted, which Nathan quickly returned, as did Jack, who copied his Papa. Then, both Elizabeth and Allie watched intently as Alex left...
"He seems like a very nice young man!" mused Elizabeth.
"Oh, he is! He also happens to be Chief Superintendent Patrick O'Reilly's son, though the boy is insistent on making his own way," explained Nathan. "Very sharp, too! Catches on really quickly and is going to be a huge asset to me!"
"He's Patrick and Maureen's son? That's wonderful," exclaimed Elizabeth. "I dearly loved meeting his mother! And we are planning to get together the next time the Chief Superintendent comes to Union City!"
Elizabeth noticed their daughter was being awfully quiet, as well as a little flushed, and that was the moment she knew her initial instincts about a possible attraction between the two youths at the Town Meeting when Alex had been introduced had indeed been correct.
'What do you know,' she thought. 'There is clearly an attraction between Allie and Alex, and it is definitely on both their parts!'
And she, for one, thought it was adorable!
However, a huge part of her was rather pleased that her fiancé had missed that little piece of information altogether, as he already had more than enough on his mind.
Perhaps this little discussion could wait till things were more settled, allowing whatever this was to evolve more naturally while sparing any possible paternal anguish to the man she loved, who was quite lovingly known as being a most protective Mountie and father, a combination that could become potentially difficult at some future point for their daughter, not to mention said father!
"That's wonderful, Lizbeth! They don't come better than Maureen! Or Patrick, for that matter!"
"Papa, open mine first!" begged Jack.
"My goodness, I wonder what this could be!"
Jack giggled.
"It's a picture of me, Papa!"
"Jack, you're supposed to let your Papa open the package first and be surprised,' admonished his Mama, who couldn't hold back her giggle.
"I will be surprised, Darling! I wonder if it could be a picture of Scout instead!"
And that comment caused Jack to giggle all over again!
"Aw, Jack, it is of you, and it's the best picture ever! Do you want to know why? Because you are throwing your very first baseball! Your Ty Cobb baseball, too. This is definitely a keeper, Son. Just wait till Uncle Bill sees it. By the way, where is Uncle Bill?" (*104)
"He had a meeting downstairs, Papa," explained Allie.
"Where are you going to put my picture?" asked Jack.
"Jack, let your Papa open the rest of his presents and then the two of you together can decide where to place it, okay?"
"Okay, Mama," he answered, though disappointed.
"Here, Jack, want to come sit in my lap and help me open all these packages!"
"Yes!" and Jack climbed up into Nathan's lap, thrilled to be sitting at his big desk.
"Aw, this one's from you, Allie! I recognize your handwriting!"
"I hope you love it, Papa!"
"I am sure I will! I've always loved everything you've given me!"
Nathan carefully removed the ribbon and then allowed Jack to remove the paper.
Then Allie's Papa opened the box.
"Oh, Allie! This is beautiful, both you and your painting! I absolutely love this. Thank you, Princess," and he reached to kiss his daughter's cheek.
"Love you, Papa!"
"Love you, too, Sweetheart! This goes right here on my desk. I'll have to put some of these older ones of us together on my credenza so that everyone can see them when they walk in!"
"But where does mine go, Papa?"
"Right here on my desk, along with Allie's!"
"Yay!"
"I love you, too, Papa."
"I love you, Jack!"
"And look, Papa, Scout really is in this one, too!"
"Well, would you look at that!"
"Now we have the whole family," announced Jack. "Allie, me, and Scout! But we still don't have Newton and Sergeant, Nellie and Pal!"
"We need to fix that, Son! Maybe your Mama will bring her camera the next time we all go to the Livery and take another photo to frame! Look how perfect these are, though, right here," noted Nathan proudly as he arranged the simple silver frames on the corner of his desk.
"Well, Darling, here are a few more to open!"
Nathan winked at his Lizbeth.
"Do you three know how wonderful it feels to have you here with me? The answer is that is feels perfect. Like my office is now, finally complete!"
On opening the largest box, Nathan was deeply touched, looking up into his daughter's eyes.
"These are stunning, Allie! Did you take them?"
"I did, Papa! I had to get photos of when you proposed to Mama with all the beautiful roses around! There are several."
"Allie, these are just extraordinary! They are absolute treasures! Thank you so much, Sweetheart!"
Allie came back and stood behind him, giving him a hug from behind.
Next, he opened a professionally shot photo of Elizabeth that he had never seen before.
"You look gorgeous! Absolutely stunning, Lizbeth! Thank you! My first official portrait of you alone!"
"Here, open this one next, Love!"
"It's our family portrait from the Mountie's Midnight Dinner and Party! And it's a great one!"
"But Scout isn't in that one, Papa!"
"I think Scout was too busy enjoying the party!"
Jack laughed.
Elizabeth came and stood behind him with Allie, bending to kiss his cheek.
"You know I need a few photos of you, too, Nathan!"
"I think that can be arranged, Darling! Lizbeth, thanks so much for developing and framing these. I love all these special family moments. I just had no idea we were getting any photos at all, much less such beautiful photos of our proposal! This is all such a wonderful surprise!"
"Those proposal photos are such a priceless gift! All thanks to our daughter! Real treasures, just as you said!"
"I'm so glad you love them. Papa, I almost forgot to ask! Mama wants me to stay with Jack and her while you're gone to Capital City. Is that okay?"
"Absolutely, Allie! We're family!"
"Yay, Papa! We're going to have a slumber party!"
"Your poor Mama!" teased Nathan, causing the kids to laugh and Elizabeth to just serenely smile.
'How I am going to miss this man!' she thought, already feeling the coming emptiness, lost in her thoughts and their love.
"Now my office is finally complete! Full of my family's beautiful love, even when they can't be here in person…"
The family hadn't been gone long when Alex offered Nathan a message in person.
"Staff Sergeant Valen is here along with the transport team from Union City and their prisoner, Sir, whenever you are ready to conduct your interview."
"First, explain to all of them this is a classified interview, so they will need to remain in the Conference room at the ready if there is trouble, with Finn alone just outside my door, gun drawn, though I don't think the prisoner will give us any issue, you never know. Also, as an extra precaution, place two of the men at the bottom of the back staircase in Bill's Office. Once all that is done, please bring Finn and the prisoner on in, Alex!"
"Yes, Sir!"
Alex very adroitly completed his assigned tasks and then presented Finn with the prisoner in a timely fashion, along with the prisoner's complete record for the Chief Inspector to access if needed.
As it was customary not to use names in front of the prisoners, Nathan used his men's titles to address them.
"Thank you, Special Sergeant!"
Finn quickly positioned the Gypsy prisoner in the chair across from Nathan's own chair, securing him with two extra sets of cuffs attached to each side of the chair itself.
"Prisoner is secure, Sir!"
"Thank you, Staff Sergeant!"
The door closed, and the Chief Inspector was alone with his prisoner.
"Marius, we meet again, and I am going to be very blunt. This is the final time I will be given the privilege of talking with you. It is also the final time you will find me offering you a way out of this awful mess. Know that I am the only one who is authorized to do so. There will be no more offers, no matter where they take you. If you choose not to accept my generous offer, you will be in prison most of your adult life and most likely will not see those handsome boys of yours till they themselves are old and gray. Do you understand what I am telling you?"
Nathan saw the nerve he had just touched when mentioning Marius's boys.
He got up and turned sideways, standing at his window, peripherally able to see the prisoner's slightest movement, though to the prisoner, he simply appeared to be looking at the stunning view outside the window.
"There is nothing I personally like better than the freedom of getting on my horse and riding through those meadows out there with the wind whipping through me. I suppose in that way, I, too, am a gypsy at heart, just like you. The difference is, it's in your blood, just like breathing, and because of that, confinement this week has not gone well for you. Those wonderful boys of yours coming to see their Papa several times a day, but seeing you helpless, behind bars, is not the image you want them to have in their minds and hearts as you rot away in Stanford prison. It's dark and dank there, and there are rats everywhere. I hate visiting the place and can't imagine spending the night there. Even if they allow your sons an occasional visit, you won't want them to see where you are because it's nothing like the cell where you've been, which was light and airy. No, Stanford is nothing like that!"
He paused, remaining silent, still presumed to be looking out his window.
"I don't know what messages your boys brought you from King Llewellyn, Marius. I don't want to know. I only know they don't matter. Because, as I told you before, your King has no say, no power in any of this. I know you are second in line to become King when Llewellyn is gone, and I know his interests are not in your best interests, nor your people's best interests, and most certainly not in your sons' best interests. And you know it, too. I saw you standing beside him, silent. I saw you mistakenly placing your trust in him without ever once speaking a word. Not even when you disagreed with him. And you disagreed with him often while standing there. You know you are smarter, and you know you are the better man. You also know you want to lead your people in a different direction, a better direction, so that they can have a better quality of life. You want your boys to live a different life just the same as I do, a much better life than what you and I lived growing up."
"You see, I only have a single son and a single daughter. And I know our cultures are different. But I also know you would do anything for those sons of yours, just like I would do anything for my own son and my own daughter."
"This is your one, single, last opportunity to give them a better life, along with giving your people a better life. You have that power, Marius. And you alone have that power. Just like I alone have the power to give you your freedom."
"You can either take King Llewellyn's place, as we both know he is an evil king, and become King Marius, a great king of the Romani people, or go to prison for most of the rest of your life. And if you do that, I give you my word, you and I will work hand in hand over time to make things better for your people and those sons of yours. And that's not just idle talk, as I already have a team of people across this great country of ours who are attempting to get rid of evil Canadian fencers who are robbing you blind. I also have another meeting next Monday to discuss this very matter of making life better for you and all those you love."
"How?"
"I need three things from you: 1st, I need a comprehensive list of your fencers; 2nd, I need you to be willing to go home to your sons and your people as King Marius; 3rd, I need you to commit to working with me in our common goal of making your son's lives and your people's lives better.
"And Llewellyn?"
"He and his family will be arrested and gone before you arrive home."
"When will this happen if I agree?"
"Today, Marius. Right now, if you say yes."
He nodded to the Chief Inspector.
"You are a man of honor. And I am a man of honor. Llewellyn is not. And because of those three things, along with my sons and my people and their many needs, I agree to meet your demands."
Nathan picked up one of his office phones.
"Special Sergeant, please send the Staff Sergeant in to uncuff my prisoner."
Then Nathan made one quick call directly to headquarters via his secure phone.
"The Chief Inspector here, Christian! Marius is in agreement. Arrest Llewellyn and his family now. Marius is now King Marius. Long live the new King of the Romani Clan, and may his reign be one of goodness and prosperity for his people!" (*105)
"Come in," responded Nathan to the knock on his door.
"Yes, Sir?"
"Staff Sergeant, please uncuff King Marius."
Finn was shocked but did as he was requested to do.
"What do I tell the Transport Team, Sir?"
"Tell them to wait; they will be transporting the King to his Romani Caravan as soon as I get clearance."
"Yes, Sir!"
Over the next twenty minutes, King Marius offered his Chief Inspector a list of 35 names, all Mountie Constables throughout Canada whom he knew to be on the take.
"I am sorry I have no officers; only Superintendent Hargreaves has been our contact. Though there is one other officer who has visited with him, though I have never heard his name."
"Would you be able to identify him by photo?"
"Absolutely."
The Chief pulled three photos.
"It is this man whom I did not like at all. Both he and Hargreaves were starving our people by robbing us blind. At each visit, they taunted us as Official Representatives of the Mounties, which I knew to be false. I also knew Llewellyn was on the take."
"King Marius…"
"Please, for you, it is Marius."
"And for you, it is Nathan."
The two men shook hands.
On a strong hunch, Nathan got an idea.
"Marius, do you mind telling me if you know this man?"
"I will, Sir."
Nathan showed him a fourth photo.
"I know him well, Sir! He goes by Casimir Shaw, but he also goes by Maxx Dundee. I always get the feeling he has other aliases, so I am not sure which is his real name. He was born in Australia and spent his pre-school years in Scotland, where his father worked for Scotland Yard. They moved to Boston before he began his schooling, and that's where he lives whenever he is in the US; he lives in Cape Fullerton when he is in Canada. He is much fairer to deal with than Hargreaves and has a much bigger operation in two countries, both Canada and the US, though he prefers to deal in Rum rather than stolen goods. I can give you more, but I would have to review my meticulous notes with you, for there are many, and it's been a while since I have seen him to deal with him directly. Though I will share it all with you if we are to be true partners, and I am trusting that we are."
"I am trusting that same thing, Marius. We've given each other our word, and a good man doesn't go back on that, as his word is his only bond. I believe we both are good men."
"That I know we are. I feel it. I know it inside here," and Marius gripped his heart. "Nathan, for your information, my notes are not only comprehensive and meticulous, they also include dates and times, as well as whatever is exchanged, along with values."
"You are not only a good man, Marius, you are a brilliant one, and I'm honored to be called your friend!"
"Likewise, Sir! I wish us together to stop these people who abuse us."
"And that's exactly what we are going to do, Marius, with each other's help."
Nathan's phone rang.
"Sir, Headquarters is on your secure line; the Sergeant Major needs to speak to you urgently."
"Sergeant Major, the Chief Inspector here."
Nathan listened intently.
"Thank you, Sergeant Major, for taking care of this urgent matter so quickly. It is much appreciated."
Nathan hung up.
"The deed is done! Are you ready for your escort to greet your people, King Marius?"
"Thank you for giving me my life back and for giving my sons and my people an opportunity for a new, better life as well. With my deepest gratitude for your wisdom and your grace, we are now connected our lives through, never to be severed. I am ready, Dear Friend, for us to do battle together."
"And that is exactly what we are going to do, Dear Friend. Let me know when you get settled into your new position, then together, we will begin our new mission…"
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104. "Ty Cobb," Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886-July 17, 1961); nicknames "the Georgia Peach," an American professional baseball center fielder; played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball; spent 22 years with the Detroit Tigers and served as the team's player-manager for the last six years; finished his career with the Philadelphia Athletics; in 1936 received the most votes of any player on the inaugural ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, receiving 222 out of a possible 226 votes (98.2%); no other player received a higher percentage of votes until Tom Seaver in 1992; in 1999 the 'Sporting News' ranked Cobb third on its list of 'Baseball's 100 Greatest Players.' Public Domain.
105. "Romani Clan," the Romani people, or 'Roma,' a distinct ethnic and cultural group of people living across the globe; they share a family of languages and often a traditional nomadic mode of life; exact origins are unclear, but thought to have originated in Kashmir, Northeast India. Public Domain.