Chapter Eight
"Be joyful in hope,
patient in affliction,
faithful in prayer."
~Romans 12:12
"I still can't believe your students bring spiders and bugs to school!" Julie exclaimed as she, Elizabeth, Jack, and Abigail were sitting around a table at Abigail's Cafe later that evening. They were enjoying coffee and dessert after sharing dinner. "How can you tolerate such creatures?" she asked Elizabeth, shuddering.
Elizabeth smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "They're children, Julie," she answered. "They're naturally curious and bring things to share with me and their classmates. I'm not overly fond of the creatures, but I certainly won't discourage their curiosity. So, I have to learn how to handle the insects and spiders that make their way to my classroom. But," she looked at Jack, who was sitting next to her, "I'm afraid I shall never be able to tolerate or handle snakes! So, be ready to come running to save my class from any of those, Jack!" Her face broke into a big smile and she laughed.
"I don't know," Jack replied with a teasing tone. "I've already saved you once from a snake. The next time will cost you!"
Elizabeth met his gaze and stifled her laugh. "Oh, really? Hmmm... well, I'm pretty sure I can afford your price!" she retorted.
Jack's smile widened in reply. "I'm sure you can!" he happily agreed.
Abigail and Julie watched the young couple's playful banter. Abigail smiled, pleased to see them so happy. Julie was smiling as well but her eyes revealed some sadness. "Jack?" she called, prompting him to turn toward her. "Have you heard from Tom lately?" she asked.
Jack took a deep breath, not exactly pleased but certainly not surprised that Julie asked about his younger brother. He glanced toward Elizabeth before answering. "Yes," he began. "He's working at the quarry and doing very well."
Julie nodded, her smile fading a bit. "Has he mentioned me at all?" she asked.
"Julie!" Elizabeth rebuked. "You need to give Tom some time. He needs to get settled into his job."
"I know," Julie replied, defensively. "But, I can't help it! I think about him all the time and wonder how he's doing. I wish I had his address so I could write to him. Or even talk with him on the telephone!"
"He doesn't know you're here in Hope Valley?" Elizabeth asked.
Julie shook her head. "Well, only if Faith told him," she answered.
Elizabeth's mouth fell open at the mention of Nurse Faith Carter. She'd never met the woman but she really didn't like her as she had been a point of contention between her and Jack. Faith was Tom's nurse after he'd been injured in a car accident back in Hamilton. He and Julie had taken one of Mr. Thatcher's cars without permission. Jack had become friends with Faith while visiting Tom at the hospital and she helped him as he worked to make sure Mr. Thatcher didn't press charges against Tom. Elizabeth was embarrassed that Faith had made her so jealous. Now, as she felt a pang of jealousy growing inside her, she reminded herself that Jack loved her and that Faith was in the past.
"Faith? How does Faith know you're in Hope Valley?" Jack asked.
"Well, I called the hospital and asked to speak with her, hoping she'd tell me how I could contact Tom," Julie explained. "She said she wasn't at liberty tell me where he is or give me his address. So, instead, I convinced her to forward a letter to him. Then, when I told her that I couldn't stand it in Hamilton any longer and needed to get away from my family, she suggested that I come here to be with Elizabeth."
"Faith said you should come here?" Elizabeth asked, surprised.
Julie nodded. "Mmm, hmm," she acknowledged. "She's very nice. She even helped me buy my train ticket to Hope Valley. I had no idea how to do that since Father always handled those things. Now, that's one more thing I can do for myself!" she stated with pride.
Elizabeth looked down at the table, pondering Julie's remarks about Faith. Then, she suddenly recalled a promise Julie had made to her when they were home in Hamilton. "Julie, did you ever speak with father about the accident?"
Julie's eyes widened before she looked down and began fussing with a loose thread at the edge of the tablecloth.
"You didn't? Julie!" Elizabeth admonished. "You promised me you'd tell father that you were driving, not Tom!"
"I just couldn't find the right time to tell him!" Julie defended herself. "He's always so busy with work. And when he wasn't at work, he and mother were badgering me to go to the club with them to meet proper young men! They're always telling me what to do and they won't listen to me! So, I just didn't have a chance to tell him."
"Well, you will now," Elizabeth told her baby sister. "After you telegram tomorrow that you are here, you'll write a letter telling them everything."
Julie was aghast at the suggestion and shook her head adamantly. "I can't!" she protested.
"You will!" Elizabeth asserted. "You have to own up to your mistakes, Julie! If you are going to be an adult, you have to accept the consequences for your actions. So, you will tell Father!"
Julie exhaled dramatically. "Very well," she replied. "But he'll probably send someone out here immediately to drag me back home, kicking and screaming!"
Elizabeth shook her head and started to reply when Abigail interjected, "Elizabeth, perhaps you could write to your parents asking for Julie to stay with you for awhile. It might be good for her to be away from Hamilton. Perhaps Hope Valley is the best place for her to decide what she wants to do with her life."
Julie smiled at Abigail and then looked hopefully at Elizabeth. Elizabeth considered Abigail's suggestion for a moment and then said, "I could do that. But, Julie, are you serious about finding your purpose? Finding what you really want to do with your life? There will be no more running off into the woods and finding dangerous men!" Elizabeth warned, reminding Julie of her last visit to town when she'd caused trouble by bringing an injured, dangerous criminal to Abigail's.
"I didn't do that! I just happened to run into Nathaniel..." Julie began to protest but stopped when she saw the sharp looks from Elizabeth, Abigail, and Jack. "Alright," she agreed. "I'll try my best to stay away from trouble and focus on finding my purpose."
"Good," Elizabeth pronounced. "We'll see Mr. Yost about sending the telegram first thing tomorrow, before school."
Julie nodded and a yawn escaped her mouth. "Oh my goodness! I'm so tired! I think it's time for me to go to bed. The trip is catching up with me," she said.
They all stood and carried their dishes to the kitchen. "Goodnight, everyone," Julie called as she headed up the stairs.
"I'll be up in a minute," Elizabeth called as she walked over to Jack and slipped her hand in his. They walked into the dining room, leaving Abigail alone in the kitchen. Abigail busied herself washing the dessert dishes and putting away the clean dishes they'd washed earlier, trying to give Jack and Elizabeth some privacy to say goodnight. After a few minutes, Elizabeth returned to the kitchen and Abigail heard the front door shut.
"Can I help you?" Elizabeth offered.
"No, thanks," Abigail replied. "You head on up with Julie. I'll be up in a bit."
Elizabeth smiled. "Alright," she acknowledged as she headed to the stairs. "Dinner was delicious, as always! Thank you, Abigail!"
"You're welcome," Abigail responded as she watched Elizabeth slip from view up the stairs. She turned and rushed to the cafe door. She opened the door and headed outside, hurrying down the stairs and into the street. Spotting Jack as he was starting to climb the stairs to the jail, she called, "Jack?"
Jack turned around and was surprised to see Abigail rushing toward him. "Abigail? Is something wrong?" he asked, concerned.
Abigail didn't respond until she had stopped next to him. "I've been hoping for a chance to speak with you alone all evening. I just wanted to let you know..." she hesitated, unsure of what she wanted to say.
"About what?" he prodded.
She hesitated, considering her words before telling him, "Jack, I thought you should know what people are talking about around town."
Jack's eyes narrowed. "What are people talking about?"
She sighed before she replied, "Apparently, some ladies in town were at the mercantile when you received a package the other day."
Jack frowned, remembering the day he'd picked up the package containing the engagement ring he'd ordered for Elizabeth. Two ladies were there, but he'd asked Ned Yost to keep the contents of the package a secret. "I should've known," Jack said, shaking his head with disappointment.
"What?" Abigail asked.
"I asked Ned to keep it a secret but I should've known that was impossible," he told her, his voice filling with anger.
"It seems the ladies badgered him into confirming their suspicion. So, don't be too angry with Mr. Yost," she explained.
Jack shook his head and cleared his throat, clearly unhappy with the turn of events.
"One of them told me about it earlier. She wanted to know if I knew if you'd asked Elizabeth, yet. I told her that I had no knowledge of a proposal and I strongly suggested that she should keep it to herself. But, I'm afraid it will just be a matter of time before the news travels around town. I thought you should know..." she trailed off.
"That I better hurry up and propose," he completed the thought.
Abigail nodded then placed her hand on Jack's arm. "I know that's not what you wanted to hear right now, but, Jack, I'm so excited for you two!"
Jack smiled. "Thank you, Abigail!"
"Do you have a plan?" she asked.
"Well, I've had TWO plans, but both of those didn't work!" he answered, his voice revealing his frustration.
Abigail gave him a questioning look.
"My first plan was after school yesterday but..." he couldn't even finish the thought.
"Yes, Elizabeth told me what happened," Abigail quickly offered. "I'm so sorry, Jack! You were planning to propose at the school?"
He nodded, a pained expression on his face. "And then I was going to ask her this afternoon on our ride, but Julie showed up and asked to go with us," he told her, his voice becoming strained, again.
Abigail frowned, sad to see Jack so frustrated. "Okay, so those plans didn't work out. What's the next plan?" she asked, hoping to encourage him to persevere.
Jack looked at her and shook his head. "Well, I've invited her for a picnic after school tomorrow." He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Could you possibly keep Julie busy?"
Abigail laughed. "Of course! Clara is due back on tomorrow's stagecoach. I'll get them both to help me at the cafe. I'll, also, be happy to prepare a picnic for you."
"Thank you, Abigail!" Jack said, his voice revealing his relief that perhaps, with Abigail's assistance, he would actually have time alone with Elizabeth tomorrow. He said a silent prayer that he would finally have the opportunity to propose.
Julie opened her eyes and glanced over at Elizabeth. They were both lying in their beds in Elizabeth's room above the cafe. Julie had been exhausted when she came upstairs, but now her mind kept returning to her conversation with Charles that morning. His reaction when she'd mentioned Elizabeth bothered her. She saw her sister was writing in her journal and was hesitant to disturb her. However, curiosity got the best of her. "Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth stopped writing and looked up from her journal.
Julie hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Ummmm... I saw Charles when I got off the stagecoach this morning." Julie noticed Elizabeth's face tighten as her eyes fell to the floor. "He didn't seem very happy. Did something happen?" she asked earnestly.
Elizabeth exhaled forcefully as she closed her eyes.
"Something DID happen!" Julie exclaimed as she sat up straight in her bed. "What was it?" she urged.
"Julie," Elizabeth admonished. "I really don't want to discuss it."
Julie nodded, noting Elizabeth's uneasiness. She knew she really shouldn't push her sister though her eyes revealed her eagerness to know more, and Elizabeth returned to her journal writing. Julie studied Elizabeth for a few minutes and suddenly her mouth fell open and her eyes grew wide. "Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed. "Tell me he didn't!"
Elizabeth looked up. "What?" she asked, confused.
Julie pulled back her covers and moved to sit at the foot of Elizabeth's bed, leaning eagerly toward Elizabeth as she tucked her feet under her nightgown. "Did Charles propose?" she asked in a low, dramatic voice.
Elizabeth's eyes flashed and she pursed her mouth. She inhaled sharply.
"Did he?" Julie asked again.
Elizabeth glared at her sister and nodded once.
"Oh good grief! I could just kill Viola!" Julie exclaimed.
"Viola?" Elizabeth asked, surprised.
Julie nodded. "Yes! Charles was over at the house about a week or so ago. I was in the hallway and heard he and Viola talking. She told him that he should come out here to tell you how he feels and bring you home."
Elizabeth was aghast. "She told him what?!"
Julie saw her sister's anger. "Oh, I never thought Charles would listen to her. I mean, we never do! I thought he was far too smart to pay attention to silly Viola!" she explained.
Elizabeth shook her head with disgust. "I cannot believe Viola encouraged Charles. And I can't believe he would actually think that..." her anger stopped her from completing the thought.
"Obviously you turned him down," Julie observed. Elizabeth looked at her sharply. "Well, of course you did! I mean anyone with half a brain can see that you and Jack are in love!"
"Why would Viola do that?" Elizabeth asked. "Why would she say Charles needs to bring me home? It's none of her business! It's my choice where I want to live! And it's my decision with whom I want to share my life!" Her anger was growing by the second.
"She was treating me the same way," Julie shared. "You know, my theory is that she is really miserable because she is not in love with Sir Lionel. So, she wants us to be miserable, too!" Julie nodded firmly to punctuate her theory announcement.
Elizabeth looked at Julie. "You don't think she's in love with her fiancé?" she asked.
Julie shook her head. "I know she isn't. Do you think she is?"
Elizabeth remembered her conversation with Viola during her visit back home shortly after Viola had gotten engaged. Viola talked about finding a proper consort to marry and then taking her place in society. She made no mention of loving Sir Lionel. Suddenly, Elizabeth's anger eased and she felt pity for her older sister. Elizabeth knew the wonderful feeling of loving someone and having that love returned. If Viola was marrying for position rather than love, Elizabeth felt sorry for her.
"Well, do you?" Julie repeated.
Elizabeth shook her head. "No, I really don't think so," she answered, sadness filling her voice.
The sisters sat in silence for a few moments, thinking of their sister's situation. Finally, Julie broke the silence, asking, "So, how did you and Charles part? Is your friendship still intact?"
Elizabeth frowned and shook her head. "No, Charles became quite ugly when I turned him down. He said some horrible things before leaving. So, no, we are no longer friends."
Julie suddenly reached for Elizabeth and hugged her. "I'm so sorry, Elizabeth! It sounds like he really put you in a terrible position!"
Julie's hug surprised Elizabeth. "Thank you, Julie! But, it's okay." She gave her baby sister a smile as they parted.
Julie sat back at the end of Elizabeth's bed. "Why do I get the feeling that you and Jack are quite happy now? I mean you seem happier than when you were last in Hamilton. Has something happened? Do you two have an understanding?" She clapped her hands together with excitement.
"Julie, of course we're happy," she replied, looking down at her journal.
Julie looked at her expectantly, wanting more information, but she was disappointed as Elizabeth returned to writing in her journal.
Julie moved back to her own bed and crawled under the covers. "Fine," she said, frustrated, and closed her eyes.
"Julie?" Elizabeth called after several seconds.
"What?" Julie asked, not opening her eyes.
"I'm glad you're here," Elizabeth told her.
Julie slowly opened her eyes and saw Elizabeth smiling at her. Elizabeth's broad smile told her all she needed to know. "Me too," she agreed and closed her eyes again.
Author's Notes: Yes, I did it! I brought up Faith Carter in this chapter. Shocking, yes?! I know Faith gave many Hearties heart palpitations, but in my vivid imagination she seemed like the best person to help Julie escape her family. Yes, in my story, she's the one Julie was speaking with on the phone near the end of the season 2 finale. Let me know what you think of Faith assisting Julie. Also, I've noticed some people following this story who don't look like they're Hearties (fans of When Calls the Heart), yet. If you're interested in knowing more about this fantastic TV show, check out the first season on Netflix. Both seasons 1 & 2 are on Amazon Prime, iTunes, and Google Play. If you are interested in joining the Hearties, you can find us on Facebook (Fans of Hallmark Channel's When Calls the Heart). Thanks for reading! And thanks, especially, for your reviews!
