Chapter 12
"Faith does not make things easy;
it makes them possible."
Luke 1:37
Jack and Gowen were seated at a table in the saloon, scowls and cold stares on their faces. Rosemary was seated two tables away from them, her typewriter in front of her, but she wasn't working on her column. Instead, she was watching the two men glaring at each other, engaged in a battle of wills.
Finally, after several moments, Gowen spoke. "Is that a threat, Constable?"
Jack shook his head once. "Not a threat. A statement of fact."
Gowen narrowed his eyes and frowned deeper. "You have witnesses?"
Jack nodded.
"And you're sure they'll stick by their story? Even before a judge?" Gowen sneered.
Jack's eyes flared with anger. "They will," he replied. "Of course, if I find anyone attempting to tamper with the witnesses, then further charges would be made."
Gowen was clearly furious. His gaze slid over to Rosemary. Her eyes widened slightly but she didn't flinch as she stared down the mayor.
"So what will it be, Mr. Mayor?" Jack asked. "Will you continue to press charges against Lee Coulter? Miss Leveaux is prepared to press charges of slander against you. So, when the judge comes for Mr. Coulter, then we'll also have the hearing for you." Jack watched Gowen closely as he turned his attention away from Rosemary and back to him. He studied Gowen's expression, trying to deduce what the man's decision might be.
"Everyone will know!" Rosemary stated. Both men were startled to find her standing next to their table. Jack immediately stood. This was not part of their plan. Rosemary was ad-libbing, which he should have expected from the actress. "I will make sure that the story about the mayor slandering a newspaper reporter is sent to every newspaper in this country! Everyone will know that Henry Gowen committed slander against a member of the press!"
Jack reached for Rosemary's arm, hoping to quiet her and get back to their plan, but she was on a roll and had no intention of stopping. "Drop the charges against Lee or you will be in court yourself. And I will make sure everyone knows what you did!"
Gowen gave Rosemary a look that should have made her wither, but she stood firm. She met his gaze cooly and did not back down. Gowen slowly stood and drew a deep breath. "Fine. Charges dropped," he told Jack in a low voice as he headed to the bar.
Rosemary looked to Jack, surprise and relief appearing in her eyes. Jack watched Gowen as he walked away. "I'll be back with the papers for you to sign," he told Gowen before he turned back to Rosemary. He motioned with his head to the door. She quickly walked toward the exit with Jack right behind her. As soon as they were outside and the door was shut behind them, Jack opened his mouth to admonish her but stopped when she grabbed his arm with both her hands. "Oh my goodness, Jack!" she exclaimed. "I was so scared he wasn't going to drop those charges! I'm sorry that I didn't follow our plan, but he just seemed like he was going to be his usual stubborn self. I thought he might be more inclined to back down if a woman stood up to him."
Jack shook his head and chuckled, realizing that Rosemary was correct. Her last minute change of plan had worked.
"So, Lee is free now?" she asked hopefully.
Jack nodded and smiled. "Yes, he's free. Let me get Gowen to sign the papers that he's dropping all charges. We don't want him changing his mind."
Rosemary clapped her hands and giggled. "I have to tell Lee!" she called brightly as she rushed toward the jail.
Jack watched her, smiling. He was relieved to have one friend out of jail. However, he still had Bill sitting in one of the cells. His smile faded as he thought of the counterfeit ring, Bill's assertion that one of their superiors with the Royal Northwest Mounted Police was involved, and the story from the man who had arrived this morning. It was all weighing heavily on his mind. He was not happy with the deal he'd had to offer the man for his information, but the puzzle pieces were starting to fall into place. Yet, there were still some missing parts and those were really bothering Jack. Also, he wasn't entirely sure that the man's story about who was in charge of the counterfeit ring could be trusted as the gospel truth. As he crossed Main Street heading to the jail, he was consumed in his thoughts with a frown on his face.
"Jack!"
When he heard his name, he turned toward the person calling him and saw Elizabeth walking toward him from the cafe. "Elizabeth!" he called back, his frown quickly becoming a smile.
"Where were you?" she asked.
He gave her a questioning look.
"I called to you a couple of times but you seemed a million miles away," she told him.
He nodded. "I was just thinking about Bill."
Concern filled her expression. "Have you been able to find out anything that might help him?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I'm not sure. But we have gotten the situation with Gowen and Lee sorted out," he shared.
Elizabeth smiled. "So Mr. Coulter will be out of jail?" she queried.
He nodded.
Elizabeth laughed. "Well, I'm sure Rosemary is quite happy right now!"
Jack nodded. "She's already at the jail telling him!"
The both laughed. Jack reached out and took her hand in his. He tugged her hand slightly and they started walking toward the jail. He glanced sideways at her before asking, "Elizabeth, would you like to try again for our picnic? Perhaps later today?"
Elizabeth let out her breath all at once and her pulse quickened. She reminded herself to be calm. After all, Jack did not know that she knew that he had plans to propose to her. She needed to keep her emotions under control. So, she took a slow, calming breath before answering, "I'd love to!"
Jack smiled. "Good!"
Their date made, they found themselves standing in front of the jail. Jack knew he needed to get inside and get the papers for Gowen to sign. Elizabeth knew he had work to do. So, she reluctantly said, "Alright, I'll see you later."
He nodded. "It'll probably be mid-afternoon. Will that be okay?"
She smiled. "Of course!"
They stood there, holding hands and looking into each other's eyes for several moments. Finally, Jack squeezed her hand. "Let me get inside. I'll see you soon!"
"See you soon!" she agreed.
He released her hand and turned to head into the jail. She turned and headed back to the cafe. Elizabeth had taken just a few steps when she heard a male voice call, "Constable Thornton!" Startled, she turned around and saw a man in a Mountie uniform on a horse approaching them. He stopped the horse and dismounted, slowly. She noticed he was an older man and that he was walking with a limp, as though his legs or back hurt.
Surprise filled Jack's face as he recognized the Mountie. "Superintendent Houston? What brings you to Hope Valley?"
Superintendent James Houston stopped in front of Jack. "The counterfeit case. I understand you have Inspector Avery in your jail?"
Jack stiffened and nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Let's head inside, Jack," Houston directed. "I'd like some coffee and then we'll discuss Avery's transfer."
Jack was clearly confounded by the superintendent's arrival. He put his hand out, motioning for Houston to head inside. Before he followed, he noticed Elizabeth was still standing nearby, watching them. He nodded to her and gave her a wan smile. Reading her eyes and understanding her unspoken question about their picnic, he looked toward the jailhouse door and saw Houston entering. He turned back and assured her, "I'll see you later... one way or another."
She nodded and smiled. "Good luck!" she offered before she continued her walk to the cafe.
Jack watched her for a moment before he turned and hurried into the jail.
Chapter Twelve Author's Notes: Yes, I'm tackling the counterfeit ring! So, this is how my overactive imagination sees the counterfeit ring unfolding. It's probably far from what the series' writers are imagining, but it sure is fun to play with their story and characters ! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Be patient with me, please. Jack's got a plan (or many plans - plan A, plan B, plan C... plan Z?!) and everyone- the town and Elizabeth- knows it! Well, everyone except Julie, that is. Will she find out? Will Elizabeth spill the beans to Jack that she knows? Will Jack get the opportunity to pop the question soon? Will Jack find out that Elizabeth knows he has a plan to propose? I can't wait to find out! Just teasing... I, too, have a plan! I hope you'll keep reading and reviewing! Thanks so much, Hearties!
Disclaimer: Elizabeth Thatcher, Jack Thornton, Abigail Stanton, Bill Avery, Rosemary Leveaux, Leland Coulter, Henry Gowen, the Thatcher family and the other good citizens of Hope Valley and Hamilton do not belong to me. The Hallmark Channel/Crown Media, Believe Pictures, and Motion Picture Corporation of America own these characters. I'm just playing with them for a little while and I promise to return them relatively unscathed! There will be a couple of new characters that are creations of my vivid imagination. Many thanks to Janette Oke, Michael Landon, Jr., Brian Bird, Brad Krevoy, and the entire cast and crew of When Calls the Heart, and, of course, all of the Hearties! Y'all rock!