Hamilton 1907

"You will regret this, Elizabeth!" he whispered in her ear. He enunciated every word. His voice made Elizabeth's blood run cold, she shrugged her arm to get him to remove his hand from her forearm. His vice-like grip was hurting her and she knew tomorrow there would be bruises.

"Get your hands off my daughter!" Elizabeth was so relieved to see her father standing at the door with two Mounties either side of him. He let go of Elizabeth's arm and turned to face her father. Elizabeth wanted to move but her body just stood there frozen to the floor, staring at this violent man.

"You will leave and never contact my family again!" Her father's voice boomed through the lounge and corridors. It was loud enough that Elizabeth could see Julia, Viola and her mother watching in the corridor. With that he turned and the Mountie's forcibly grabbed him and escorted him out of the house. He gave her a look and if looks could kill, she believed she would be dead and buried.

There was a loud bang and the door shut and opened again. Elizabeth's father came to her side almost immediately, "Elizabeth, are you well? Do I need to send for the doctor?" she shook her head and hugged her father. She cannot remember for how long but they stood there just hugging until a Mountie came to the door.

"He shan't be bothering you anymore, we've escorted him off the premises and warned him not to come back." Elizabeth's father reluctantly let go of her, looked into her face and then guided the Mountie into his office, for what Elizabeth assumed was a private conversation.

Later after the ordeal was long over, Elizabeth decided to go to bed. She was tired of pitiful looks all the servants and even her family were giving her. As she was getting undressed she looked at her arm and was correct in her assumptions that there would be bruising. There was already a pinkness appearing on her skin. She got into bed and lay awake thinking about all that had happened that day.

As the weeks went by her nightmares became less and after she started at Teacher College, they had disappeared completely. Augustus Talbot was officially gone from her life and she would never hear from him again.

Hope Valley 1912

"Penny for your thoughts?" Elizabeth said to Jack. They were walking to the school and their arms were linked. Sometimes Elizabeth thought this was the nicest feeling, just walking and talking with Jack. He genuinely seemed to care and to listen. Although the nicest feeling was definitely when they kissed for the first time and he gave her the picture he drew. How scandalous Elizabeth thought! It was eight o'clock in the morning and I'm thinking these pleasurable thoughts! He did look handsome in his uniform, not that he needs to be aware that I think that.

"You can have them for free," Jack looked at her and gave her his best smile. Elizabeth loved that smile, she could swear it was meant just for her. "I have some paperwork to do, Rip needs a bath, I need to make my rounds soon and you look beautiful today." They reached the schoolhouse and the children were making their way to their seats. Elizabeth laughed and asked "Is that really true?"

Jack looked into her face and with the most serious facial expression replied "Yes, Rip really needs a bath!" and then laughed. Elizabeth laughed and walked up the steps and then she felt Jack just behind her as she reached the top, he stood in front of Elizabeth and whispered in her ear, "It is a fact that you are truly beautiful today," he then kissed her cheek and made his way down the steps. All the while Elizabeth stood there smiling and blushing like a school girl until a student named Gabe, said good morning to her. Whilst Constable Jack Thornton was walking away from the school, someone was watching him from behind the trees with increasing interest.

As Elizabeth sat at the school late and marked all the children's arithmetic tests that were completed that afternoon, Ned Yost came into the school, "Hey Elizabeth, this came for you this morning! Since I was on my way over here, thought I'd bring it with me." He handed her a small envelope with neat handwriting on the front, "Thank you Ned. That's really nice of you," she smiled warmly at him. With that Ned was walking back out and down the steps of the school.

As Elizabeth looked at the envelope, the writing didn't seem familiar. Certainly, not her sisters or her parents handwriting, perhaps it's from Jack. Even at the thought of him, her face turned into a big smile. But that cannot be right, Jack would hand her a letter not send one. She decided to open the letter and stop the suspense.

Dear Elizabeth,

I hope this letter finds you well, although I deem Hope Valley is rather different than Hamilton. I was shocked to learn that you had taken a stagecoach to a coal mining town in the middle of nowhere. However, you are still as beautiful as the day we met. My proposal still awaits your kind words of acceptance.

Yours

Augustus Talbot

Elizabeth couldn't breathe after she read the name at the bottom of the letter. His handwriting so neat and polite. She had not heard from Augustus Talbot since that horrible day five years ago. How did he find her? Was he in Hope Valley? Why did he feel the need to contact her?

Suddenly there was a tap of floorboards and for the first-time Elizabeth was terrified to look up and see who it was. She kept looking down to her hands and the letter in her lap. "Elizabeth!" such a sign of relief when she heard Jack call her name. she looked up and smiled at him as he approached her. He couldn't find out about Augustus Talbot, not now. There is no way he is in Hope Valley, she would've seen him. There was no way she could've not seen him, it's a small town. Her mind was trying to rationalise that Augustus Talbot was trying to scare her and it wouldn't work.

She hid the letter amongst her papers and put them all in a book to carry them back with her. "Everything ok?" Jack asked, with a worried expression on his face. "Everything is fine. This marking is just so tiring!" Elizabeth smiled and put even feigned a yawn. Jack however was aware that things were not fine and she seemed worried. It was etched on her face behind the smile lies concerns. "I was thinking we could go to Abigail's Café and have supper?"

"is it that late already? I feel like I haven't eaten all day!" Elizabeth smiled, she really was so hungry and Abigail's cooking sounded perfect right now. She gathered all her things and Jack offered to carry them. They wandered over in talking about their day and Rip's bath, which made both Jack and Elizabeth laugh.

The whole night Elizabeth felt dishonest and guilty for not being honest about the letter and her past to Jack. She wanted to be honest and have no secrets from Jack. After they'd had dinner and Jack was walking her home she decided she would be honest about her embarrassing history. She was going to tell him tonight. As they reached her porch and climbed the steps, "Jack would you come inside, I'd like to talk," Elizabeth could feel her heart jumping in her chest and could feel her body getting warmer and warmer. "You know you can talk to me about anything," She smiled and opened the door, walked in and took off her shawl depositing it on the nearest chair. Jack hung up his hat and jacket on his usual peg, which always gave him some warm reassurance to be so comfortable in Elizabeth's home. She seemed nervous, which worried him. He hoped she wasn't going to leave or go home again.

"Do you want something to drink?" she asked

"No, I'm fine but thank you" he replied

She sat down on the sofa and Jack followed suit. They sat facing an angle their knees almost touching but not quite. Elizabeth yearned to reach over and kiss him, to run her hand through his hair and place her hand on his face. But she cannot do those things because what would he think of her, ladies are not impulsive, she had always been told this at school.

Jack sat wondering what it would be like to kiss that smile of her face. He yearned to be her constant source of companionship but it was early days and even though marriage had crossed his mind a number of times, a rare gem like Elizabeth Thatcher was not something to be rushed. She seemed nervous so he decided to ask her "Elizabeth, what did you want to talk about? Is your mother well?" How kind! Elizabeth thought he was a wonderful man! To remember her mother's ill health.

"All my family are well. Thank you for asking Jack, that really means a great deal that you remembered. You know it's not often we get time alone." The house was quiet and Elizabeth really wanted to be comforted, maybe now wasn't the right time for being honest. Jack smiled, that was so true, what with his rounds taking up so much time and her teaching the children, they rarely got time alone together.

"Sadly, that is true. I thought about you a great deal today, more than I probably should." He watched as Elizabeth blushed and put her hand to her mouth in a shocked expression. "thank you, Jack."

Elizabeth moved slightly closer to Jack but then felt it was wrong and she got up to retrieve the letter she received today. Jack deserved total honesty. She sat down and took a lungful of air and turned to face him. "I need to tell you about something that happened five years ago and I hope you will not think less of me because of it,"

"I could never think less of you," he smiled because it was true.

"five years ago, my father employed a man named Augustus Talbot. He is older than me and I never thought much of him. My father brought him home for dinner occasionally when they were working long hours. I used to drop by the office and surprise my father often running into Augustus. I never thought of him as anything more than an acquaintance of my fathers. He asked my father for my hand in marriage. Naturally my father told him that he had his blessing but it was ultimately my decision. I was young and silly." Elizabeth's voice was shaky and Jack wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the rest of this but he listened patiently and gave Elizabeth the devotion she deserved. "go on, I'm listening,"

With renewed confidence and a smile from Jack, she continued. "As I said I was young and not used to a suitor or a marriage proposal at that. But he asked me and I told him I would give him my answer after I had thought about it. Obviously, Viola thought it was a good idea because of his status in society. But Julie convinced me that I should marry for love because it's what I deserve. I told him no and he responded very badly to being refused. He shouted and told me I was making a mistake. He even held me and shook me, called me so many names." Jack's eyes narrowed at that point and Elizabeth could tell he wasn't liking the story. "I was so happy that night when my father came and the Mounties removed Augustus from the room. He was promptly fired from the company. I hadn't thought of him for five years and I haven't seen him either. But this came in the post today and honestly it scared me a bit." She handed Jack the letter and she stared at his face as he read the letter. She could see that his hands were in fists and he was not happy. When he looked back up at her, she couldn't fathom his facial expression.

"This is by far the most embarrassing and humiliating circumstance of my life," she looked down to her hands "I've never been more vulnerable," with this confession, Elizabeth felt Jack move closer on the sofa and he put his fingers underneath her chin so her face met his.

"Nothing is your fault. There is no reason that any man should lay his hands on a woman. You refused to marry him, that isn't a crime. But I will be extra vigil and I will be more protective of you." The way jack was looking into her eyes made her heart melt. Elizabeth felt impulsive and she reached out and pressed her lips to his. It was sweet and soft. Just like their first kiss when he gave her the picture.

Jack returned her kiss with fervour, he moved his hands to cup one side of her face and the other at the small of her back. Before they knew it, there was a few more kisses and each one more pleasurable than the next.

Unbeknownst to the kissing couple, the curtains were open on the other side of the room and someone was watching the couple with increased annoyance.