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Chapter One Hundred Eighty-three

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Dances, Confessions and Fond Farewells

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Both the Bride's and Groom's parents stood to greet their children as they arrived at the family table. Not wanting the family to miss any conversations, they formed a semi-circle around the couple asking their thoughts about the adoptions, the wedding, and the day.

"This is one of, if not the most memorable day of my life. I am truly happier than I have ever dreamed! I have my entire family officially mine and all of you to witness that!"

Nathan held the gaze of his aunt, then cousin, "Thank you for coming to celebrate with us. I am just sorry there hasn't been any time to sit down with you both, but I know Mom and Dad will enjoy your presence for a few days."

"Aunt Agatha?" Elizabeth questioned, "I hope you have enjoyed all the celebrations?"

"Oh yes, dearie, I have. I've been blessed to see you so happy, to see your handsome Mountie and how he loves you, to meet Allie who is pretty, bubbly, and sweet. You know, she reminds me of you when you were young! Of course, I can't forget Jack. We were so worried about him this afternoon, but he was a model of good behavior at the wedding and now. Also, he is adorable and absolutely lovable. So, all in all, I am very happy I came!"

Aunt Agatha reached up and patted Elizabeth's cheek, commenting in a deliberate stage whisper, "Very different from the olden days, but you look beautiful, Bessie." The older lady then motioned for Nathan to bend down so she could do the same to him. "Now, how about we see some dancing?"

"Let me walk you back to your seats," Abigail stood, excusing herself from the table. She linked arms with Nathan and Elizabeth.

"I hope you were okay seated at the table with Aunt Agatha?" Elizabeth questioned. "She can be a handful at times, but I confess I thought that with your experience with your mother, you might be able to direct her conversations at times!"

"Oh, Sweet girl! We were fine and had great fun. It was lovely to meet your aunt and cousin too, Nathan, and I think Agatha enjoyed them and their tales of your young cousins' antics! I think she is lonely and filled with regrets at her life choices, meaning no marriage and no children." Abigail patted Elizabeth's hand, "I really felt honored to be seated with your parents and so enjoyed getting to know them all. You both are well loved, you know!"

Abigail acknowledged their nods of agreement, "I just want to tell you how delighted I am to see the joy you both share, knowing the walk through pain that you've experienced. God has been good to you and to your sweet children." Abigail laughed softly, "Wait until we tell the rest of the Hope Valley folks about all we have witnessed!"

With hugs and kisses, Abigail left them, just as the cowbell rang.

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"Ladies and gentlemen, the time for dancing and rejoicing has come. Please allow the Bride and Groom, their parents, and children to enjoy their special dances, and when the wedding party joins, you are welcome to join as you wish." Bill explained, "I will not make further announcements, but on behalf of the Grants, elder Grants, and Thatchers, thank you for all the love you have bestowed on them and God bless you all!"

As the quartet began to play a melodic waltz, Nathan extended his hand to Elizabeth and twirled her into his embrace. For a brief time, they danced the formal and expected steps beautifully, but soon Nathan brought her hand to his chest and drew her closer, allowing them to gaze deeply at each other and whisper words of adoration.

"You are my beloved and my delight, Lisbeth. I thank God for you every day."

"I think I feel that, Honey. I thank God for you too. Sometimes, I still can't believe God has given me another chance and such a great love, but today proves He has." She turned her hand to feel his ring with her fingers, "This ring confirms that too!"

Nathan lifted her hand to kiss her fingers. You know I so want to kiss you right now…"

"It's allowed, Honey! It is our wedding after all!"

"Oh no, not that kind of kiss…" His voice husky and low, he explained, "I mean a married-man-to-his-wife-behind-closed-doors-kind-of-kiss!"

Elizabeth shivered with anticipation, then whispered a gentle kiss at the corner of his smiling lips. "I guess this is a promissory kiss then…"

When their dance finished, Allie and Jack walked onto the dance floor hand-in-hand with Allie directing her brother to her mother as she turned to hug her Dad. Falling into step they began to glide around the section of the Ballroom reserved for dancing, while Elizabeth held both of Jack's hands and swayed the giggling boy to the music. After a few turns, Nathan nodded to Elizabeth and Jack and they all joined hands, moving in a circle. Few could avoid tears witnessing this new family together. As the music quieted, Nathan guided Jack to bow to the ladies which brought a pattering of delighted applause!

Archie stepped to his granddaughter and invited her to dance while Grace took Jack's hands and swayed back and forth.

Having escorted Ruth to the dance floor, William handed her to her son while he turned to his daughter. Each parent whispered words of love, support, and promises to pray for their children, along with gratitude for the day and all its surprises.

"Honey, you are beaming and that warms my mother's heart." Ruth searched Nathan's handsome face, "Today, well last night and today, have been beautiful and the memories will not be soon forgotten. I am so proud of who you are, Son, and of the commitments you have made, to our Allie and now to Elizabeth and Jack. Your adopting Jack was precious and there is no doubt you love each other. I am sorry you didn't have Dad's good example to follow, but I guess the Lord has guided you and given you fatherly wisdom because you are doing great. Everyone can see how you love those children and how they adore you. As much as you are blessed to have them and Elizabeth, she is blessed to have you." Ruth let go of his hand to brush a fallen lock from Nathan's forehead, reminiscent of what she had to do when he was younger. "You'll always be my boy, Nathan, my incredible son, and I love you."

"I love you too, Mom. God gave you to me because He knew your strength, wisdom, and steadfast faith. I am thankful for you."

"Bessie, you have made me a proud and, can I use the word, elated father? I so admire the life you chose in Hope Valley, all the work you've done to heal, and how you have loved the best man in the world for you. He adores you, Sweetheart." William gulped, "Maybe this isn't the best time to tell you this, but I want you to know how God meant for you to be together."

Elizabeth, sensing her father's seriousness, whispered, "What is it?"

"Nathan was originally hand-picked to come to Coal Valley, not Jack."

Elizabeth stopped mid-step and as she gasped, William continued, "When the Commissioner notified me that Nathan's sister passed and he would be unable to go, he said he was sending Jack Thornton, also an excellent Mountie and son of a Mountie, to take Nathan's place. I don't know if Nathan even knows this with all that was going on in his life at that time as he has never mentioned it to Peter or to Bill. Nathan's officer training had been put on hold for a few years to allow him to take the Hope Valley position as it was never meant to be permanent. You see I expected you would return to Hamilton after a year or so out on the frontier."

Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears as she absorbed this information. She spoke softly, unable to meet her father's eyes, "So how did Nathan come to Hope Valley after Jack's death? He has always said he requested the posting."

"He did. He had been placed in the position of training new Cadets and when reassigned, Jack was invited to replace him. According to Peter, Nathan became aware of that after the landslide and, since by then he had Allie, he requested the assignment to care for a fallen Mountie's widow and son and to give Allie some stability living in a small town for a while. Everything Nathan tells you is true, Bessie, please remember that." William moved to wipe a tear from her face and urged Elizabeth to continue to dance, "God loves you so much that he brought Nathan to grow to love you, and, wow, does that man love you!"

William chuckled and lifted his daughter's face to his. "Bessie, God meant for you to be a family, meant for each other, and for Allie and Jack. Nathan is God's gift to you, my precious daughter."

Elizabeth nodded and leaned her head against her father's strong shoulder. When the music ended, she whispered, "Thank you for telling me."

William kissed his daughter's temple and released her to Archie who was waiting.

Seeing the tears, Archie asked, "Elizabeth, are you alright?"

"I am, Dad, just surprised by something, although I shouldn't be. I am very aware of God's love for me and his provision of Nathan."

"See, I knew you were meant to be Nathan's wife when I first came to Hope Valley! I just knew!"

Laughing quietly, Elizabeth agreed, "Yes, you were right all along..."

Gliding across the dance floor, Grace confessed how much she loved Nathan and was grateful for his love for Elizabeth, Jack, and all the family. "I love our Sweet Allie and your dear parents too, Nathan. We are all overjoyed! Now enjoy your special time with your wife and we'll be fine with the children. I think Jack will be okay after you are gone as we'll start a countdown on the calendar until you return! Don't worry, as we have Hudson, the Coulters, Ruth, and Archie even after everyone else departs. You, just concentrate on your beautiful Bride!"

"I have one request tonight though," Grace looked into Nathan's blue eyes and understood how her daughter could get lost in them! "Would you please dance with Aunt Agatha? Or at least ask her? She is a lonely woman and weddings can't be easy to attend alone."

"I would be glad to. I just have to dance with Carol first, then will make my way over to Aunt Agatha." Nathan kissed his mother-in-law on her cheek as the dance ended.

Catching his wife's eye, he nodded to the Mountie table and Elizabeth joined him.

"Carol, may I have the honor of a dance?" Nathan held out his hand.

"The honor is mine to dance with the Groom!" Carol took his hand and he twirled her into the groups of couples. "This brings back many memories of Mountie Balls! Thank you for those. You made me feel young and graceful."

"It was always a privilege, Carol, and, without you, I would have been an uncomfortable wallflower tugging at this collar and constantly checking the clock!"

"Poor Elizabeth though," Carol laughed quietly, "Peter has been practicing with me because he wanted to dance with both of your girls, but... well, we'll see!"

Elizabeth tapped Peter on the shoulder and whispered, "I think this is my chance to dance with you!"

Hurriedly standing, Peter held out his hand, "I cannot promise to be anywhere near as graceful as Nathan, but we can shuffle a little!"

As they moved about the floor, Elizabeth caught Nathan's glance and nodded towards his daughter. There was Zach gracefully gliding a blushing Allie amongst the dancers. Impressed, Nathan grinned at his wife. They really were a big, happy family!

As Nathan returned Carol to her seat, he then headed to the family table and held out his hand to Aunt Agatha, asking, "Would you like to dance tonight?"

A rare occurrence, Agatha Thatcher blushed like a schoolgirl. Taking Nathan's hand she whispered, "Oh, thank you, Nathan. It has been a very long time though, so I may be rusty. Don't make the steps too difficult!"

"I'm guessing you were the belle of the ball in your younger years and probably can out-dance us all!"

Laughing, Agatha admitted, "Well, I've spun around my share of ballrooms. You know those were the days when going dancing was one of the only ways to get to know a boy!"

"And were you keeping all the boys waiting in line?"

"Well, many were…" Agatha went quiet.

Nathan whispered, "What is it?"

"There was one, Jacques Dumas. I always had room on my dance card for him…until he and his family went to New Caledonia, a South Pacific Island, and he never returned. You see he was of French heritage, and loved to travel. Somehow he was killed in a Kanak revolt. The details were always unclear because his mother lost her mind in her grief and his father wouldn't talk about it. I think he blamed himself for taking his family there…"

"I am so sorry, Aunt Agatha."

"Oh, don't be. No one else ever measured up to Jacques, but I always felt that at least I had been loved once." Agatha paused, "You see no one knows this, but he gave me a ring before he left. Nothing fancy because we were young, but I've always treasured that gift." Agatha stopped their dance and tugged at a chain hidden under her bodice. Lifting it out, she showed Nathan a small golden ring containing a tiny emerald chip. "I still keep it close to my heart."

Nathan whispered a question, "May I give you a hug?"

"Here?"

"Yes, lots of witnesses and maybe you'll share your story with some of them now."

"Ahh… Okay…"

Nathan gave Aunt Agatha a hug and she reciprocated with a kiss on his cheek. "You are a prize!" she whispered before retreating to her seat at the table unaware that her family had been watching.

Not wanting to embarrass her, everyone returned to a conversation about the beautiful music, although a few days later Elizabeth questioned her husband, grateful he seemed to have made a genuine connection with her aunt.

Tonight though, Elizabeth completed her dance with Bill Avery and sent him to dance with his niece while she accepted the hand of Zachary.

Seeing Allie confiding in Angela as they circled the ballroom, Nathan had an idea. Making his way to them, Nathan asked quietly, "Angela? Would you like to dance for a few minutes? I will gladly guide you slowly and you can just follow my lead. Would you enjoy that?"

Angela's shock was manifest in quiet giggles as Allie released her friend's arm and whispered, "Dance with Dad. He's an expert and will give you a treat. Go ahead!"

Nathan lifted Angela's hand in his, questioning, "Shall we?"

"Thank you, Sergeant Grant." As she allowed Nathan to guide her onto the dance floor, she explained, "I've only danced with Dad and Cooper, so I am not very good…"

"This is a night for you to let go of the past and just enjoy the music for a moment, dear girl. I don't see any young men watching, but if they were they'd be jealous of me!" Nathan chuckled. "See? You are dancing just fine. Now, let me thank you again for playing the Bach piece last evening. It added just the right touch and allowed everyone to enjoy your musical gift."

"Thank you, Sergeant. I really enjoyed that." Angela allowed Nathan to move her hand into the crook of his arm as he accompanied her back to her table.

"It was my pleasure, Angela. Thank you for the privilege." He patted her hand as he released her into her father's care with a nod.

"We are indebted, Nathan. Thank you." Minnie stood to whisper in Nathan's ear as Joseph tried to clear his throat and nodded.

Zach escorted his sister-in-law towards her Groom and handed her to him, saying, "Thank you, Elizabeth, for the treat of dancing with the Bride! I don't know if I will ever get to do that again unless it is when Allie gets married!" He glanced at Nathan and received the expected scowl.

"Twenty years is a long time to wait for that, so you best keep your eye open between now and then." Nathan winked at his look-alike brother then turned to his wife.

Holding out his hand, he questioned, "Are you mine now? For the rest of the evening?"

Smiling demurely, Elizabeth answered, "I am always yours but, yes, I think the expected dances are over and we can be selective!"

As they moved gracefully for a few musical selections, Nathan suddenly gasped. Nodding to Elizabeth he barely whispered, "Look! Allie and Jared are dancing!"

"So they are. But look, so are Zach and Rachel Samuels! My, my, they seem to only have eyes for each other!"

"Yeah, both of them and Allie with Jared!"

"It's okay, Honey. Please try to not be such a protective Mountie… at least for a few minutes anyway?"

A few more dances and Hudson tapped Elizabeth on the shoulder. Leaning in, he addressed both of them, "I think it is time for you to say your farewells to the family. We are to depart from the front entrance and the vehicle is parked there. Mr. Durand said the guests will probably want to see you off, so maybe you can use the restrooms so they can gather in the Lobby, then you will walk through the group to the main doors where I will be waiting. I have your coat in the auto, Elizabeth, shall I bring it in?"

"No thank you, Huds. Nathan can help me put it on in the car."

"Really? Wow!" Nathan exclaimed excitedly, "It really is happening! We are about to begin our honeymoon, Honey!" He winked at his wife, then thanked Hudson for keeping his eye on the time.

"You are welcome. I do have some blankets in the car, by the way. We don't need to rush, but I think you should begin now." Hudson patted Nathan's shoulder and turned away.

From the couple, Hudson headed to Bill, who was enjoying some punch after numerous dances with Adeli. "They are saying good byes to the family, so you can begin to migrate into the Lobby now if you want to see them off."

"Oh, right. Please spread the word, Hudson?"

While Hudson notified a few tables, Nathan and Elizabeth said their goodbyes to their parents, then to their attendants, the Collinses, and finally to Zachary, Allie, and Jack.

Upon seeing the immediate family enter the lobby, Mr. Durand directed them to stand closest to the doors for those last minute second hugs.

Elizabeth and Nathan each freshened up in the restrooms and met again in the hallway.

"This is it, my Love, are you ready?"

As they entered the Lobby, applause resounded, along with many calls of "Congratulations!" "We love you!" "Have a wonderful trip!" and "Thank you for everything!"

As expected, there were final hugs to those who were leaving Regina while the couple was on their honeymoon, then together they knelt before Allie and Jack.

Elizabeth kissed Allie's cheek and held her chin in her hands, "Sweetheart, please enjoy the remaining time with Uncle Zach, and Gramma and Grampa Peter, okay? We will see them all again, but take advantage of their presence now. I know you will take care of Jack, but remember you are not alone. Everyone will help take care of you both!" Elizabeth engulfed her daughter in a hug as she reminded her, "I love you, Sweet Daughter."

Returning the hug will equal intensity, Allie spoke through her tears, hardly able to voice her words, "I love you, Mom."

"Jack, you have been a very good boy tonight and I am proud of you. Please be good for your uncles, Zach and Bill, your grandparents, and Allie, okay? I love you, my boy!" Nathan engulfed a very tired Jack in a tight squeeze before depositing him into Zach's awaiting arms.

Zach opened one arm to encircle his brother for a final hug and spoke low and hoarse, "I am so grateful for you, Nathan. Keep in touch?"

"You can be sure of that. Call or write with any needs or questions, okay? I love you, Brother," Nathan completed the hug and then tweaked Jack's nose. "Have fun with Uncle Zach, Son!"

While Zach held his nephew, Elizabeth reached up to hug her son, "Jack, my Sweet Boy, be good, just like Daddy said, okay? I think Grandmom said she had a way for you to count the days until we return, so ask her about that, okay? I'll miss you and Allie both, but when we return we will be a family in the main house. All together!" She tickled her son's tummy then kissed his cheek, willing herself not to cry in front of him.

Reaching out to Allie, Nathan held her in his arms, bending to speak into her ear, "Remember Honey, our dreams are coming true. I'll miss you and I love you bunches!"

"Bunches, huh?" She smiled through her tears, "I love you more, Dad!" She hugged her father as tightly as she could and when she had to let go, she was engulfed in her Grandpa Archie's open arms.

With a final wave to the assembled and applauding guests, the Bride and Groom took each other's hands and stepped into the night and into their future.

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