Chapter 10: Chili at the Saloon

During the weeks that Jack was gone, Elizabeth kept her spirits up by writing letters to him. She didn't send the letters to Jack – she took to heart the doctors' advice not to force memories on Jack of their relationship. But Elizabeth hoped to show Jack, once he was better, that she never stopped believing in his recovery and their future together.

Elizabeth kept the letters on the nightstand by her bed, where she also kept the framed drawing Jack had made of the two of them together, the drawing Jack had given Elizabeth when he announced that she was "the one" for him, and asked her to stay in Hope Valley rather than return to Hamilton. Elizabeth looked at or touched that drawing every evening before she went to bed, looking forward to the day the man in the picture would come back to her in the flesh.

During those months, Elizabeth also spent time with Lee Coulter, who was dealing with the fact that Rosemary seemed to have chosen to stay in Hamilton to pursue her theatrical career rather than return to Hope Valley to be with him. Lee hadn't known Rosemary as long as Elizabeth and Jack had known each other, but he still felt the pain of Rosemary's absence and apparent rejection of him. Elizabeth was someone Lee could talk to about his loss, a sympathetic and understanding ear.

One evening about two months after Jack and Rosemary had left for Hamilton, Elizabeth and Lee were at the saloon having an early dinner together. Lee was telling Elizabeth that he expected Charles to be coming to town soon to put the finishing touches on another contract Hamilton Shipping had made with Lee's saw mill.

During their discussion, a fight started to brew between two drunken men at the bar. These men were part of a contingent of Irish immigrants who had been recruited to build the railway spur at Hope Valley. Unfortunately, one man was Catholic and the other Protestant; the two men nursed a feud with each other that went back centuries.

Before Lee and Elizabeth had a chance to move away, the two men came to blows and fell on top of their table, sending food flying into Lee and Elizabeth's faces and all over Elizabeth's dress. Elizabeth screamed as she took cover under the table. Elizabeth covered her head with her arms as the fighting escalated and chairs and dishes went flying.

Just then the saloon door opened and Elizabeth heard a man say in a low, authoritative voice, "That's enough, now. What's going on here?" Elizabeth's heart jumped – she knew that voice. Elizabeth peeked out from under the table and saw Jack in his familiar red serge Mountie jacket and Stetson hat! Unfortunately, Elizabeth also saw the two Irish men circling each other with knives right by the table she was hiding under, preventing her from making an escape.

Jack glanced at Elizabeth under the table and then back at the two fighting men. Jack approached the men with his hand on his gun and said, "Boys, put those knives down right now and get down on the floor with your arms behind your backs. There's not going to be any more fighting here – don't make me use my sidearm."

The men, eyeing each other, both put their knives on the table and slowly dropped to the floor. Lee tossed Jack some rope and the two of them quickly tied up the men's arms. One of the men looked over at Elizabeth and yelled out, "Lookee here – there's a pretty little lady under the table all covered in chili. Wonder how that happened!" The other man guffawed until Jack pulled the two men up off the floor roughly and growled, "Quiet now – don't speak to a lady that way."

Jack turned to Lee and said, "Can you show me where the jail is?" Lee answered, "Of course," and started towards the door. Jack pushed the two men ahead of him towards the door, stopping for a moment to look back at Elizabeth and say, "You can come out now, Miss . . . Miss Thatcher, isn't it? It's safe now." Jack then continued out the door with the men.

Elizabeth sat under the table, stunned and unable to move for a few minutes. This was not the reunion she had imaged between herself and Jack! Besides the fact that Elizabeth was huddled inelegantly under a table, she was covered with chili, including in her hair and on her face!

Elizabeth crawled out from under the table and ran over to look out the window. Elizabeth saw Jack enter the jail with the two men, Lee following behind them. Elizabeth used the opportunity to rush out of the saloon and back over to Abigail's.

Elizabeth ran into Abigail's cafe and past Abigail, who was serving customers. "Elizabeth, what in the world happened to you?" Abigail asked, as she eyed Elizabeth's soiled dress and hair. "Can't talk now, Abigail. He's back, and I have to change," Elizabeth yelled behind her as she bounded up the stairs.

Abigail followed Elizabeth over to the stairs and called up, "Who's back?" Elizabeth peeked her head around the corner and said with a big smile, "Jack!" Elizabeth pulled a glob of chili out of her hair with her finger, popped it in her mouth, and gave Abigail a big wink, before she turned and ran into her room to clean up.

Elizabeth quickly unbuttoned her soiled dress and pulled it off. She paced the room in her camisole and corset, trying to decide what to wear. As Elizabeth passed her bedside, she smiled at the framed drawing of her and Jack on the nightstand and said under her breath, "I knew you'd come back."

Elizabeth strode over to the window and pushed the curtain aside, just in time to see Jack and Lee walk out to the jail porch. Jack looked as handsome as ever, and Elizabeth reacted the same way as always, her heart pounding faster when she saw him.

Elizabeth closed the curtain and sat down at her vanity to fix her hair and clean her face. As Elizabeth looked in the mirror, she thought to herself, "Now stay calm, Elizabeth. You don't know if Jack remembers anything. You don't even know why he's back in Hope Valley or for how long. He called you 'Miss Thatcher," which probably means he's still having memory problems."

Elizabeth frowned at her reflection in the mirror, and then sat up straighter. "On the other hand, he's back . . . he's back," Elizabeth thought to herself joyously. Elizabeth smiled broadly into the mirror and started brushing her hair vigorously.

Elizabeth was determined to put her faith in the 'hope' part of Hope Valley, and looked forward to a more dignified reunion with Jack, one that would align with her sweetest dreams.