Chapter One: The Telegram
Elizabeth Thornton watched as her students ran out of the schoolroom at the end of the school day, eager to play outside for a few hours before it got dark. The last few days, even Elizabeth had found herself lingering by the windows of the school house, soaking up the rays of the sun now that spring had finally arrived in Hope Valley after a long, cold winter.
Elizabeth quickly packed up her belongings, including her students' tests and essays that she would spend the evening grading. Elizabeth did not mind working at night – it kept her busy during the weeks that her husband, Jack Thornton, was away from Hope Valley, visiting the other towns in the Canadian Northwest Territory that he was now responsible for as the new Regional Officer for the Royal Northwest Mounted Police.
Elizabeth was proud that Jack had gotten a promotion, but inwardly chafed at the amount of time his new job required him to be away from her and Hope Valley. "Don't they know he's a newlywed?" Elizabeth would grumble to herself, alone in her bed, on the many mornings Jack dutifully pulled himself away from her warm embrace to leave town on another set of rounds.
The winter months had been particularly hard on Elizabeth, especially in contrast to the warm and fun-filled honeymoon Elizabeth and Jack had enjoyed the summer before, traveling across Canada on their way to Hamilton, Ontario, to visit Elizabeth's family, the Thatcher's. On their previous visits to Hamilton, Jack had not been well received by Elizabeth's wealthy, status-conscious family. Last summer, finally, the Thatcher's treated Jack with the respect due to him as Elizabeth's husband, and father of the child that Elizabeth realized she was carrying just a few weeks after reaching Hamilton.
Elizabeth's own father, the shipping magnate, William Thatcher, had honored Jack and Elizabeth at the wedding of Elizabeth's older sister, Viola, to British aristocrat, Sir Lionel, by toasting Jack and Elizabeth as well as Viola and Lionel in front of all of Hamilton society, essentially putting his stamp of approval on both marriages. When Elizabeth unfortunately miscarried on the way back to Hope Valley a few weeks later, her father and mother were nothing but understanding and supportive of the young couple, offering to help in whatever way possible. Of course, the kind of help Elizabeth and Jack needed at that time, they could only find from each other, and from their faith in God and the support of their friends in Hope Valley.
Upon returning to Hope Valley, Elizabeth threw herself back into teaching, and Jack resumed his Mountie duties, which kept their minds off of their loss. Once Jack got his promotion, though, and was gone more, Elizabeth could not help but wonder what life would have been like if she had been able to carry her baby to term. Those long, lonely hours at night, missing Jack, and thinking about what might have been, took their toll on Elizabeth.
Elizabeth shook her head to clear her mind from those depressing thoughts. Elizabeth focused on the letter she had just received from Jack which contained the happy news that he expected to be back in Hope Valley within the next few days. Elizabeth began to think about all she needed to do to prepare for Jack's arrival and welcome him back home.
Elizabeth closed the school house door behind her and started walking briskly towards Abigail's Cafe. Elizabeth was grateful that Abigail had rebuilt her café – which had suffered fire damage last spring - to include a small apartment in the back, where Elizabeth and Jack now lived. Even though their apartment had a kitchen, Elizabeth often dined in the main room of the cafe when Jack was gone, to socialize with Abigail and the other townspeople (and to avoid having to cook, which was still a work in progress for her).
Elizabeth soon reached her apartment at the back of Abigail's café, and was about to let herself in the door, when she heard Ned Yost from the Mercantile running across the street and calling to her, "Elizabeth . . . Elizabeth . . . there's a telegram for you!" Elizabeth turned to face Ned, dreading the news. "Is it Jack? Is it from Jack? Is he okay?" Elizabeth asked anxiously.
Ned stopped in his tracks, not knowing how to respond. "I think you should go in and sit down first, before reading this," Ned cautioned. Elizabeth started to falter, and Ned grabbed her arm to help her through the door. As Ned led Elizabeth to the sofa in her living room, he called over his shoulder, "Abigail . . . Abigail . . . can you hear me? I think you need to come here."
Elizabeth looked up at Ned and demanded, "What is it? Please give me the telegram." Ned handed over the piece of paper. With shaking hands, Elizabeth quickly read the text. "No . . . no . . . this can't be," Elizabeth started to wail. Abigail came running into the room, through the door that connected the apartment to her back parlor.
"Ned, what is it?" Abigail called out, as she saw Elizabeth shaking her head and crying, "No . . . no . . . please God . . . ."
Ned turned to Abigail and explained, "It's from Elizabeth's mother. Apparently, Elizabeth's father was on that ship, the Titanic, when it sunk, coming back from England. He . . . he . . .didn't make it."
Abigail gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Abigail quickly knelt down on the sofa and put her arms around Elizabeth. "Oh, Elizabeth, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry," Abigail said consolingly.
It was two days after April 15, 1912, the day the Titanic sank, and as of that day, the lives of the Thatcher's and the Thornton's would never be the same.