All I Want For Christmas – Chapter 13
Boxing Day dawned bright and clear after light snow had fallen overnight, the weather that had graced them during their stay in Hamilton continuing to add to the magic of the Christmas period.
There was a difference in the energy of the staff this morning, almost an urgency to get their jobs completed so that they could enjoy the lunch that their employers would be serving to them later. This was a tradition that they all loved, even Mrs Bailey who was already busy at the stove preparing the meal. The smell of the pot au feu was wafting along the corridor towards the servants' stairs, causing stomachs to rumble in anticipation of what was to come.
Nathan had risen early and was already making his way down to the kitchen to get a morning cup of coffee for himself and then some tea to take back for Elizabeth who was starting to experience the first signs of morning sickness. She had told him how badly she reacted to the smell of coffee when expecting Little Jack and so he had made the decision not to drink it in her presence where he could help it. But as much as he loved his wife he couldn't give it completely, it would just mean he had to be creative in sneaking a cup whenever the opportunity presented itself.
He was thinking about the activities of the day as he reached the staircase, intrigued to see which of the Thatchers would participate and who, if any, would find an excuse. Elizabeth would certainly be justified in saying no if she wasn't feeling any better but he knew it wasn't in her nature to back away from anything unless she really needed to. Still, he was going to keep an eye on her to be sure she was okay.
As he reached the bottom step he heard a noise behind him and turned to see Lionel come through the door at the top.
"Another early riser, I see", he called up to him.
Lionel gave him a look that said it wasn't voluntarily as he hurried down to join him. "Not by choice I should point out. I thought I would be accustomed to the time difference by now, acclimatised to what it is here, but sadly that is not the case. I only toss and turn if I stay in bed and that makes Viola grumpy, so it is better for me to get out of her way."
Nathan could hear that all of this was said in a light tone and he realised that despite their more formal manner towards each other at times Viola and Lionel really did care for one another very much.
Lionel then lowered his voice in an almost conspiratorial way, as though he was afraid of being overheard. "The advantage of that is I arrive down here just in time to get the fresh bread as it comes out of the oven. I've only ever had something as good in Paris, so it is high praise for Mrs Bailey when I say it is quite wonderful."
They walked quickly past the storage rooms to the door of the kitchen, noses twitching as they drew near from the delicious aromas that somehow seemed to be heightened because of the early hour. "You'll never sleep in again when staying here, I promise you", Lionel told Nathan with a wink as he glided through the door to be greeted like an old friend by everyone there.
"Well, well", Nathan thought to himself. "You never really know people."
They chatted amicably for a while, Lionel explaining his plans for the move to Hamilton in more detail than he had told everyone last night.
"There has been a lot of rebuilding going on in England, across all of Europe actually, since the end of the war and this needs financing. My bank is keen to acquire investment from this side of the pond, people who weren't directly impacted by the years of fighting."
He looked a bit uncertain but after a sip of his coffee continued with what he was saying.
"I am not a particularly clever man, Nathan. One gets into the likes of Eton and Cambridge because of who they are, not what they can do. Nor am I an entrepreneur like Tom or especially brave like you. But what I do have is the type of background that opens doors for me. And the confidence to present an offer convincingly. For that I am an asset at times like this. It seemed sensible, given that and the fact that I have a Canadian wife, for me to be the person sent here to liaise with businesses and banks to gain funding for the vast amount of work that is required."
Nathan was sure that Lionel was underselling himself. He was not a stupid man by any measure, simply someone who had not been exposed to perhaps the vagaries of life in the same way he had. He was glad that they were making the change and moving to Hamilton. If for no other reason than that it would probably be the making of young Arthur.
Thinking of the boy he decided to broach the subject of his conversation with him last night but chose his words carefully so as not to imply that Arthur had done anything wrong. Lionel listened, nodding as Nathan described how earnest he seemed to be about his feelings for Allie, then suddenly he began to laugh.
"I wouldn't worry about it Nathan and Allie certainly shouldn't. This has happened a few times now. First it was Felicity's piano teacher just before we left and then an older sister of the one friend he made on the boat. A boy destined for Harrow and Oxford, but we overlooked that as he was a nice quiet lad, a bit like Arthur. But the sister had the same confidence and zest for life I see in Allie. Anyway, it seems he got hold of Viola's copy of Pride and Prejudice and I guess it has instilled a bit of a romantic streak in him, fancying himself to be a Mr Darcy type. One thing I will say, the boy does have good taste!"
Nathan wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or saddened by this revelation. He only hoped that this move to Hamilton and the broadening of young Arthur's life and social experiences would make this a shortlived fascination. At least now he didn't have to mention it to Allie as by the time they next saw each other there would no doubt be someone or something else who was the focus of his attention.
Lionel reached for another slice of the bread from the basket that Mrs Bailey had placed in front of them, slathering it with freshly churned butter that had been delivered along with the milk, cream and eggs in the early hours of the morning.
"Tell me about your plans, Nathan. I heard you mention to William about a change in direction last night, a move away from Hope Valley, but I didn't catch you saying exactly what you would be doing. Where you are going to be."
Nathan realised that perhaps this may be a good opportunity to put his thoughts into some semblance of order as he explained everything to someone unconnected to it all.
"I have been offered a position at the Mountie Academy in Regina to set up a new programme to teach tracking to the cadets. Apparently I am held in quite high regard by many for my capabilities in that field, to the point that some of my past cases are used as examples of how it should be done. They now want me to do it in the classroom."
Lionel could see a mix of pride and embarrassment on Nathan's face as he attempted to underplay exactly how good he clearly was for them to offer him such an opportunity.
"So you are all moving to Regina?"
There was a sharpness to Nathan's words when he replied. "I hope not."
Confused by what that meant Lionel asked again.
"So you aren't moving to Regina?"
Nathan realised that he had totally muddled what he was trying to say and began to laugh. "See I can't even explain it properly to you. I'm definitely going to need some of your persuasive skills when we stop there on our way back to Hope Valley."
Watching the full gamut of expressions cross Nathan's face as he was clearly trying to sort his thoughts Lionel poured them each another cup of coffee from the pot in front of them and then sat back in his chair and waited until finally Nathan was ready to go on.
"Actually, it wasn't a very hard decision to make at all. I have and always will put my family before the Mounties, even if that means my career suffers. Add in the fact that I love our life in Hope Valley, the people and the place, and it was easy for me to not jump at the offer. Which is why I told them that I needed some time to think. To speak to my family. That time is up now, hence me having to be in Regina on the 28th to meet with my superiors."
Lionel was listening intently, seeing in Nathan a man of his own ilk. History had dictated that the gentry, at least the men, put their interests before anything else and yet here was a man who thought the same as he did. His family was everything to him, which was why leaving England didn't worry him because he knew it was the right thing for all of them. He would willingly give up his title if that was required but how he could convince Viola he didn't know.
In the back of his mind he had an idea of what to do with the family home, for he doubted even a rich American would want to buy it considering how bleak was its location. But a hotel catering to those with some money but not the connections to stay somewhere so large and grand might just work. Each time he thought about it the potential of such a plan grew stronger and now he was more determined than ever to look into it. To make it work.
He brought his attention back to what Nathan was saying. "Can you not just telephone them with your answer?"
Nathan shook his head. "That would certainly be the simple way as I know they will put pressure on me to accept and it is always easier to say no when you are not face to face." Then he smiled gently to himself before broadening it into a wide satisfied grin. "But I have a proposal for them and I need to do that in person."
Lionel could see enthusiasm light up Nathan's face as his voice became more animated.
"If the mountain won't go to Mohammed then Mohammed must come to the mountain."
Still not understanding what he meant Lionel asked, "Care to elaborate?"
Nathan didn't hesitate this time, his voice clear as he began to explain. "They want me to set up a programme to teach tracking to cadets, as it is only touched on in a small way now with very little practical experience. This is not something you learn in a one hour lesson a few times a week. You need to be out in the field, test yourself in real situations. So my proposal is that the cadets are shipped across to me for two weeks at a time".
He paused and muttered the next words seemingly to himself. "I would ideally ask for a month but that is unlikely to happen."
Then as if suddenly remembering that Lionel was there he spoke with increasing confidence to him. "Not only will they be able to have practical exercises across a variety of terrains plus some urban areas, from Hope Valley to Brookfield to Benson Hills, they will also be learning some of the everyday skills required for small town policing. There is a lot more to it than just knowing what is in the rule book."
Lionel thought he had followed Nathan's words correctly, "So you believe you can still manage to deliver what they want whilst staying in Hope Valley. That's a clever way to avoid moving to Regina."
Nathan was quick to answer. "No, I'm not suggesting it so that we don't have to move there. I truly believe this is the best way for me to train these cadets. I could offer to go through to the academy for a week of introductory lessons before the start of their field training, if that makes my superiors happy, but in truth I can cover anything I would do there in the first day in Hope Valley."
"You really have thought this through", Lionel answered, impressed with how perspicuously Nathan was looking at the situation. "But what does Elizabeth think is best? What about Allie? Little Jack?"
The look that came onto Nathan's face at the mention of his wife and children did not surprise Lionel. It was obvious they were creating a family bonded by love and, just as importantly, one where everyone matters. He thought he could do worse that try to emulate that approach with his own family.
"Well, I stayed once before because of Allie and she is very quick to point out to me that we wouldn't have our family if I had taken that promotion and we'd moved away. But she is approaching the age where she will be forging her own path in life, not that I am looking forward to her doing that any time soon. But it does mean that she is willing to leave this decision to Elizabeth and me".
Nathan had been impressed by the maturity Allie had shown when they had discussed this possible move with her. He knew that ideally she would like to finish school in Hope Valley with all her friends and Elizabeth teaching her but there were changes afoot there too so it wouldn't be like that if they were to stay.
"And Elizabeth? She has built such a special life for herself in Hope Valley."
There had been many sleepless nights for Nathan as he went over in his mind the impact this change would have on his family. Allie would be fine, he knew, for she was bright and full of excitement for her future. Little Jack was too young to really understand but as long as he had his family he would be happy. He would start school wherever they were and that would add a busyness to his days and tiredness to his nights.
As for Elizabeth. She had so much to leave behind, so many people to miss. But the new baby was the final piece to the jigsaw of this blended family, the thing that would make them whole, and so she was willing to do whatever was necessary to all be together. If they stayed in Hope Valley she would only be teaching until the baby was due or they found a replacement for her, whichever came first. And she had made it clear that she didn't intend to go back.
Nathan remembered how nervous she had been as she handed him the book of her work that Jack had published and immediately he opened the first page he could see the love that had gone into every word and illustration. Then Elizabeth had made her declaration to him.
I want to write, Nathan. I have so many stories here in my head, in my heart. So much I want to put down on paper. Do you think we could manage without me working? Just for a few years at least. Then she had shrugged and added, maybe less if all the publishing houses reject my work.
He realised that Lionel was waiting for his answer. "Elizabeth is going to write. That will happen wherever we may be and continue for as long as it makes her happy."
Suddenly Mrs Bailey was bustling around behind them and they took that as their cue to leave. As they exited the kitchen they couldn't help but laugh at the comments being bandied about behind them.
"I think we are going to be put through our paces when the tables are turned at lunchtime." Nathan commented. "I'm sure you will be fine Lionel as you were brought up knowing what is required, even if from the other side. I'm not sure I will do very well as I'm still struggling sometimes to remember which knife I am supposed to use!"
Placing his arm around Nathan's shoulder as they walked down the hallway Lionel laughed, "Just follow my lead, my friend. I promise I will have your back".
