As they left the school house and stood at the top of the stairs in the entryway, Elizabeth's body sagged. She turned to Nathan and remarked, "I'm so sorry about that. He's normally not so cold."

Nathan shook his head, "Don't be. I understand."

She swallowed, looked down, her skin pinking again. Lucas reflected on her quite recent inability to flush so well, due to her extreme blood loss, and paused to express his gratitude to God for her returned color. She exhaled, "I, um. Well I rather wish neither of you had overheard any of that. I don't even know what to say. That was mortifying." She paused in thought.

Lucas smiled down at her tenderly, thinking of how it never ceased to amaze him how his affection for her just continued to increase. The exchange he'd just witnessed had utterly melted his heart. He was amazed by her self awareness, her appreciation for the impact her late husband still made on her life, her resiliency and determination in living out the life she knew she deserved, in spite of parental and societal pressure. Yet, he worried that she might be seriously reconsidering that. He remarked sincerely, "I didn't hear anything you should be embarrassed about."

She muttered, "Well that's quite far from the truth." She became tearful, "Honestly, what you both must think about me now. My family."

"Elizabeth," Nathan started, trying in his ever-bumbling way to comfort her. "It's alright."

She swallowed, trying to keep his gaze, her eyes glistening, "What he said about Jack and Rosemary. I, uh, I'd appreciate it if neither of you said anything to anyone about that."

"Of course not," Nathan affirmed.

She stammered quickly, "He made it sound worse than it was. They were engaged but they didn't. Well, I mean, oh Lord, it was a long time ago, before we met. They were young. They were very different people then. They both regretted it, knew it was a mistake and that they weren't really suited for each other. Though it took Rosemary a bit longer to figure that out. She called it off when he joined the force and she went on to pursue an acting career for a bit but then followed him out here to Hope Valley a few years later to try to win him back but he and I were, well we had just started courting then. It certainly caused a disruption to that but Jack made his choice and then she met Lee. He knows, of course, but I don't think anyone else does. At least not the full extent of it; people do know about their prior engagement but..."

"Elizabeth, you really don't owe us an explanation," Lucas replied calmly, cutting her off.

Nathan sighed, "Right. You don't need to worry about that. I don't intend to repeat anything he said about that. To anyone. Ever. And I'm sure Lucas won't either."

"Absolutely," Lucas nodded.

"I just don't want you thinking ill of him," she whispered. "Or her. She's changed so much since. She's been an extraordinarily good friend to me. And I can't bear the thought of him sullying her name like that. Or Jack's," she choked emotional. Lucas handed her a handkerchief. "Thank you," she replied, gazing appreciatively at him for a moment.

Nathan replied, "I have heard nothing but exceptional things about him, Elizabeth."

Lucas nodded, "Absolutely. Everyone here speaks very highly of him and Rosemary has quite grown on me as well. I know she's a dear friend of yours. Besides, I'm really not in the habit of listening to anything drunkards say, Elizabeth. Or should I start calling you Bess now?" Lucas smiled playfully, trying to lighten her mood.

Elizabeth snorted, her eyes now focused on the far off flower fields, "Please don't. He knows I hate it. He just calls me that to push my buttons."

"Yes, well it seems like he's quite good at doing that," Nathan grumbled. He looked at Lucas, who nodded in agreement.

Lucas marveled for a moment at how much his relationship with Nathan had changed over the last month. Typically on opposite ends, they'd found themselves more on the same side than not recently. It was an odd transition but one he found some small gratitude for, having another person around who he knew cared just as much for Elizabeth's well being as he did, though the two often seemed to display that in very different ways.

Elizabeth swallowed, "He can be. I've never seen him like this before though. This belligerent." She began speaking quietly, more to herself, "I wonder how long he's been like this. I was concerned he'd been so unresponsive for so long, but I never imagined he'd be this bad off. Perhaps I need to get a hold of Charlotte."

"Who?" Nathan inquired.

"Their mother," she sighed, finally looking back at his face. "I don't know exactly where she is though; it's been about four months since I last heard from her and she hadn't said much about him, just that she thought he was well, which he clearly is not. So she'd probably not be much help with this anyway. She resigned her parental role a very long time ago."

"I see," Nathan noted. "Any idea where she could be?"

"Last I heard, she was planning to go out prospecting in the Yukon."

"Prospecting?" Lucas marveled, more curious about Jack's family now.

Elizabeth looked up at him, nodding wistfully, "She's quite something." Then she turned to Nathan, shaking her head. "I am truly sorry he was so disrespectful to you, Nathan."

Nathan replied, "I'm more concerned with how disrespectful he just was to you." As am I, Lucas thought.

Elizabeth looked away, "Well, he and I, I guess we haven't always seen eye to eye on things. Nor did he and Jack. But Jack was always so good at tempering him. I'm afraid I'm not very experienced with that; Jack and I actually used to argue about it from time to time. But he really isn't normally like he just was. When he hasn't been drinking, at least."

"Which does not seem to be often," Nathan marveled.

She sighed, looking back in the classroom anxiously, "I don't know."

Lucas took in her pale features and looked at her with concern, "Are you alright?"

She nodded, her skin paling further, "Yes. Absolutely. I guess. It was just unexpected. I haven't heard from him really since that phone call, when he said," she paused, leaving Lucas to wonder what other horrid things this man had said to her. "Well, it's been a long time." Her voice dropped off in thought, as she leaned back again, gripping onto the railing. "Honestly, I'm feeling a little bit lightheaded."

Lucas and Nathan's concerns escalated. Nathan grabbed her elbow as Lucas put his hand behind her back asking with alarm, "Do you want to sit?"

She sighed, "Yes. I think that would be a good idea." Both men helped her down onto the first step of the school and then walked down a few steps themselves, so they could face her still. She rested her head on her knees, trying to breathe steadily. Lucas looked at Nathan, both their faces showing their deep alarm.

Nathan asked gently, "Should I go get Carson?"

Elizabeth shook her head gingerly, keeping it down, "There's no need. I don't think it's medical."

Nathan and Lucas looked at each other in thought, their concern regarding their mutual pursuit of her momentarily forgotten. Neither knew what to say. Both fretted. Lucas asked in perhaps the gentlest tone he'd ever used with her, "Elizabeth, what's on your mind?"

She looked up slowly at Lucas, a tear rolling down her cheek, and whispered softly, "Jack."

The men exchanged another glance, both uncomfortable. Lucas had not talked to her much about her late husband, trying to respect her private thoughts and memories; he imagined it was the same for Nathan, though Nathan must know a lot more about Jack given he'd resumed his position and worked so closely with Bill. After an uncomfortably long silence, Lucas asked calmly, "You're missing him?"

Elizabeth shook her head slightly, "It's just."

Lucas deduced her concern and remarked worriedly, "What he said? About you being at fault…"

Elizabeth nodded, "I don't know." She stuttered, "I just wanted Jack to be happy, to feel fulfilled but maybe Tom was right. He was hesitant to marry because of his profession; what happened to his father. And I was hesitant too given how often he seemed to be in peril. That was the main reason why our courtship was so long, well that and a few other things."

"Your father?" Nathan wondered.

She nodded, "Yes. That's sort of a long story, really. Daddy's quite, well, formidable." He certainly sounded like it, Lucas thought. He was becoming increasingly more anxious about meeting the man one day. "But mainly, Jack was worried about how his career would impact me, and our children if we had any. And, well, I guess I was worried about that too." Lucas knew she must have hated saying that to Nathan, regardless of her depth of feeling for him, but he admired her honesty, and her attempts to deliver it kindly. "What happened was really the last thing he'd have ever wanted; what happened to him and Tom. It was his greatest fear. I know that. They had a very difficult childhood because of that. Because of losing their father so young. Because of the way Charlotte was, too. So I don't know, maybe that was my fault. Maybe if I'd told Jack to...I guess I never really thought about it like that."

"No!" both men asserted in unison, concerned for her mental state. Lucas was furious, furious with Tom for making her think for one second that she bore any responsibility for losing her husband like that.

Nathan sighed, "Elizabeth, he is absolutely wrong about that."

"Absolutely," Lucas affirmed. "What he said was preposterous. All of it!"

Elizabeth exhaled, clearing her head, "Right. Well. I really should be going I need to finish a few things before we go home." She tried to stand up, but swayed a little and sat back down.

Nathan huffed, "Honestly, Elizabeth, the baseball today. That was not a good idea. You're still recovering."

She nodded, "I know but the children were just so excited to have me back. I didn't want to disappoint them. Besides, I didn't do that much running."

Nathan put his hand on his hip, frustrated. Lucas rolled his eyes towards Nathan, both men commiserating over her foolishness, but neither wanting to reprimand her too severely for it again.

Lucas cleared his throat, "What you told him earlier, about the children healing you, is that why you came back to work?"

She looked up at him, pale and nodded, "It was one of the prevailing factors. Yes."

He replied, his voice wavering, "But you're considering leaving them? Leaving Hope Valley?"

She sighed, "I really never thought I would, even after he died. But now, well I'm not sure. I just want Jack to be safe and I'm no longer confident in my ability to keep him so here. I, he nearly died because of me…"

Nathan retorted, "He did not nearly die because of you, Elizabeth!"

She puffed, "Well, he could have, actually. You weren't there, Nathan. You don't understand what that was like. I was too weak to keep him safe then. And it's not just that. I'm humiliated near every time I leave the house now; with people talking, pointing. Even the children, though they don't mean anything ill by it, they've had so many questions about it all and I just, I'm not sure I can bear all this much longer. I don't want people asking about it. I hate everybody knowing what happened, and yet not knowing what happened, and assuming..." Her voice broke and she breathed heavily. Lucas' body, his heart physically ached for her. He should have realized how much she was hurting right now instead of being so hung up on why she'd been pushing him away these last weeks. "I don't know how to live in this town right now without feeling shame and fear every day."

Lucas inserted, "You do not have anything to feel ashamed over, Elizabeth. You did not do anything wrong and nobody here in their right mind believes you did!"

She sniffled, "Well, that's just untrue, Lucas. I've heard some of the other women talking, about the way I dressed that day." What? Lucas was utterly confused; she looked lovely in that peach dress she'd worn to the festival. "Even Mrs. Rothschild said in the mercantile the other day that I'd probably led that man on somehow." Lucas swore silently. He'd never cared for the crotchety older woman who lived with her son's family on a farm a few miles out. She was, in fact, likely his least favorite resident after her public tirade in the town square over his reopening of the saloon when he first moved here. "I've heard the kids repeating what their parents have said. Apparently the Coopers don't think I'm fit to teach anymore; think I'm immoral and a bad influence. Poor little Georgie had to beg them to let him come back to school. And Francine and Samuel's mother doesn't know if they're safe here now. She told me on Monday that I should consider hiring a substitute until that man is found because my presence here is putting them all at risk."

Livid, Lucas looked at Nathan, wanting him, to again, attest to her safety, but Nathan stood still, his face pale. Lucas pressed, "Who cares what some silly small-town gossipers have to say about it? It will all blow over in a few weeks, like everything else, no doubt. The people who know you best, who know that situation best, absolutely know you aren't at fault."

She looked pointedly from him to Nathan and then back out to the flower fields as she exhaled, "That's also untrue." Lucas bit his tongue, angry again about how Bill and Nathan handled that initial conversation with her. "I know I'm at fault for what happened to my son and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to forgive myself for allowing it."

"Elizabeth," he chastised.

"Besides, it doesn't matter, Lucas, the bottom line is if I am not capable of fulfilling my most basic duty as a parent, to protect my child, here, then I know I shouldn't stay. I should figure out where I might be best equipped to do that, even if that isn't what I wanted. I have to put his needs above my own desires. That's what every decent parent does." Once again, the air left Lucas' lungs. He had no idea she was struggling with these kinds of thoughts. Though he had to admit they had some small merit, he did not think she was unsafe here anymore and he certainly did not want her to move; he needed to convince her otherwise.

Nathan cleared his throat, his voice steady, "It is extremely unlikely anything like that would ever happen again. This town is, by and large, very safe. There's been very little crime historically."

"Nonetheless," she exhaled. "I don't feel safe here anymore, Nathan, and I don't think I can keep my son safe here. And Mrs. Smith may be right; maybe I am a risk to the children. If he knew this was my occupation, what if he showed up at school? What if he hurt one of them?"

Nathan swallowed, "Elizabeth, she is not right about that."

She sighed, "I thought returning to teaching, to my normal routine would lessen some of those concerns, but they've only magnified the last few days. I worry about Jack being alone with Laura now constantly. If that man came back.."

"He will not," Nathan affirmed. "There is no reason to assume Jack, Laura, you, your students are not safe here."

She shook her head, "I'd like to believe that but I really don't know if I can anymore." Looking back into the schoolhouse at Tom's now sleeping figure, she sighed, more thinking to herself, "And now, this. I don't know what to do about him."

Nathan looked at Lucas quickly then back down at Elizabeth and asked with concern, "Do you really think it's appropriate to have him staying with you?"

Lucas rose his eyebrows at the phrasing, shocked Nathan would insinuate anything untoward about her reputation, particularly given everything she'd recently been through and the concerns she'd just expressed about the town's judgement.

Elizabeth scowled, "He's my brother-in-law, Nathan! Why would you even insinuate something so repugnant?"

Nathan stuttered, "I, um."

"In spite of what he just implied, and your apparent opinion of my reputation, I have never! Jack and I did not...well I wouldn't have been comfortable before we were married," she choked, blushing crimson again.

He cleared his throat, "I'm aware of that. I mean after what you said to Bill about the condoms and everything." Lucas rolled his eyes, dismayed Nathan would bring that up right now.

She looked up at him mortified, whispering, "He told you about that?"

Nathan swallowed, "Well he didn't have to."

"You heard that?" she gasped. He opened his mouth, unsure what to say. "All of that?" she pressed. Nathan continued looking uncomfortable. She looked at Lucas and asked pointedly, "You too?" Lucas shrugged slightly, acknowledging that he had. Elizabeth buried her head in her knees again, mumbling, "Oh my word. I thought you couldn't..."

Nathan mumbled, "Well you were probably speaking louder than you'd thought you were, with the eardrum and all."

Elizabeth kept her head down, her shoulders now starting to shake as she cried. Lucas gave Nathan a bothered expression, marveling at how the Mountie could be so obtuse sometimes. She exhaled shakily, "Could you two please just leave me alone now?"

Lucas sighed, "Elizabeth…"

"Please, Lucas," she sobbed into her knees.

He coughed, "I can't just leave you alone when you're upset like this."

"I'm not just upset, Lucas, I'm entirely humiliated. I'm tired and in pain and stressed and I do not have the mental capacity to deal with the two of you right now! So please, can you both just leave?"

Lucas motioned to Nathan go try to fix this hole he'd buried both of them in. "It wasn't what I meant, Elizabeth. It was a poor choice of words," Nathan uttered softly.

"Well what exactly did you mean then?" she countered, huffily, looking back up at him, her cheeks stained with tears.

"Um. Well. I uh," Nathan exhaled. "He does not appear to be in the best state."

Though Lucas normally internally rejoiced whenever Nathan lost his way with words around Elizabeth, she was already struggling enough with her emotions, he didn't want Nathan's accusatory suggestions to further upset her, so he interjected in agreement, "Yes. Elizabeth, it's clear Tom has a drinking problem. Perhaps it would be unwise under those circumstances."

"Which is precisely why I can't have him staying at the saloon, Lucas," she explained with slight exasperation, starting to wipe away her tears. "And I cannot have him going about town right now running his tongue lest I somehow wind up more mortified than I am already!"

Lucas tried to joke, "What else could he possibly say to make this worse?" Elizabeth looked at him and started crying again, returning her head to her lap. He stammered, "I'm sorry. It was just a joke."

"But you're right," she cried harder. "This can't get much worse. I don't know what I'm supposed to do! Jack never told me...He never told me what to do if something like this ever happened. I just always figured he'd be around if Tom ever needed him. I have no idea what he'd even say to him to get him out of this state before. Though I swear I do love him dearly, Tom and I are like oil and water; we have not exactly always gotten along well and I really have no idea how to help him overcome this."

Lucas swallowed, uncertain what to say. His humor usually softened her, but he seemed to be sorely missing the mark at the moment and he felt out of his depth.

Nathan clearly didn't know what to say either as he replied, entirely changing the subject, "What were these charges he referred to?"

Elizabeth looked up at him and rolled her eyes, "It's a long story but it was a complete misunderstanding. He really didn't do anything wrong. Well, I mean nothing criminal at least." Lucas looked at her questioningly. Elizabeth scoffed, "Okay, look, he and Julie stole my father's car."

"They stole his car?" Lucas marveled, trying not to laugh.

"That sounds criminal," Nathan grumbled.

Elizabeth sighed, "It was Julie's idea. She didn't really know how to drive. She wrecked it. Tom was seriously injured and Daddy was livid about the car. Tom tried to take the blame and Daddy was going to press charges, but I managed to get Julie to confess to him that she was the one who'd been driving. So he dropped them."

"I see," Nathan replied.

Elizabeth scoffed, looking at Nathan, "I'm sure you're about to run his record."

"Well, yes, I am," he nodded.

"He's been arrested a few times for public disturbances. Fighting in pubs."

"Well that makes me even less comfortable with this arrangement, Elizabeth," Lucas commented.

She rolled her eyes, "Lucas, Tom would never hurt me. Do either of you seriously think I'd even entertain the idea if I thought that were a possibility? Particularly after…" Both men looked at her worryingly as she struggled to catch her breath. She looked back at Tom, slouching in the pew. "He'd be safer with me. He needs to be away from alcohol for a bit; he's had similar, well, occurrences of this, but I don't know if it's ever been quite this severe. I wasn't aware he'd been drinking again. He'd been doing so well the last time I saw him." Elizabeth bit her lip, fretting over his puzzling state.

"When was that exactly?" Nathan questioned.

"At my wedding," she sighed. "He'd finally found stable work; seemed to be making something of his life. I need to figure out what's going on with him now. Maybe I should call Julie. She might know more about what's been going on in his life."

"So he and Julie?" Lucas wondered.

Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders, "Well, yes. They tried to elope at one point. Jack and I convinced them not to. But that was years ago now. Julie knows I've been worried about him. I think she would have told me if he'd been in touch with her."

"Right," Nathan replied.

"Anyway, he needs to be away from alcohol. And he clearly needs help. And he's not going to get it at a saloon."

"I would be more than happy to keep an eye on him, ensure he doesn't drink," Lucas commented sincerely.

Elizabeth smiled at him, "I appreciate that offer but, still, I cannot ask him to stay there."

Nathan grumbled, "Why not? Lucas said he can watch over him."

Elizabeth's cheeks flushed angrily as she replied, "I will not, Nathan."

Lucas replied, "If it's the cost you're concerned about, Elizabeth, that doesn't need to be a consideration."

Elizabeth sighed, "I don't think he'd feel comfortable accepting your charity. Besides, he's Jack's brother. He's my son's uncle. And he clearly needs help so I wouldn't even think of turning him away. He doesn't really have other family. I'd never forgive myself if I didn't help him, Lucas."

"Elizabeth," Lucas replied calmly. "You can still help him if he's staying at the hotel. But he seemed quite agitated here. Quite agitated with you, and very unreasonably so. Many men can become violent with too much drink in them and given his history, if you two quarrel further..."

Elizabeth cut him off with a placating gaze, "Tom is not a violent man. Not at all. He's normally quite affable. Not like he just was. Hopefully he will stay a while and I can figure out how to help him, so you can see him as he normally is. I'm not exactly sure what this outburst was all about but drinking just makes him a bit more heated and irresponsible perhaps but he'd never hurt me. Never."

Lucas nodded, somewhat pacified, though his mind was still troubled.

Nathan swallowed uncomfortably, "Elizabeth, we just want to ensure you're safe."

Elizabeth sighed, her voice cracking, "Well good. It's settled then because I know him, Nathan. He may not be the most level headed, responsible person around but I do trust him and he's family. You don't know him, not like I do. I am absolutely not turning him away when he clearly has things he needs to work through right now and frankly I don't care if that somehow makes you think worse of me than you apparently already do."

"Elizabeth, I don't," Nathan protested, sounding somewhat exasperated.

She continued, ignoring Nathan's comment, "And if I'm being fully truthful, I'd feel far safer with him at the house than I do now being there alone with that awful man still on the loose."

Lucas replied gently, "Is that the real reason you haven't been sleeping well?"

Elizabeth nodded, her eyes glistening. Lucas cursed the fact that she wasn't his wife already; he'd have ensured she felt safe and that she knew none of this was her fault. Her inner turmoil over this was tormenting him as well.

Nathan emphasized, "Elizabeth, he won't return here. I am certain of that but I will find him."

She nodded quietly. Lucas glared at him, his anger rising that the Mountie still hadn't located the man who'd hurt and threatened the woman they both loved. She whispered, "I hope you do." She sighed loudly, "Look, I appreciate the concern but you really don't need to worry about Tom. He's not a violent person. Nor is he angry often, at least not from what I remember. He's always been a bit unreliable and ungrounded but he's a very decent man: very kind, very warm, quite funny. He's not a threat to me, Nathan. Not at all. And he obviously needs me; he wouldn't be here otherwise." She paused in thought, looking back at him, "Maybe I need him too."

"What makes you think that?" Nathan wondered, failing at keeping the wounded, accusatory tone from his voice.

"Because the timing of this... I can't help but wonder if this is a bit serendipitous."

"What do you mean?" Lucas puzzled.

She bit her lip, holding his gaze, "Well, he reminded me of some things I probably needed the reminder of right now."

"Such as?" Lucas wondered.

"For one: that it's okay to accept help sometimes, even if we feel like we shouldn't need it anymore," she stated simply. Lucas gave her a sad, knowing smile, his heart warming again, as he relaxed with her realization.

Nathan nodded, "Alright, then."

Lucas asked, "So does this mean you're willing to accept my help, our help? Or were you just referring to his?"

She inhaled, looking deeply in his eyes, "Perhaps with some things. Yes." Thank goodness, he thought. She turned to Nathan, steeling herself slightly to make a request of him, "Do you think you could ask Bill if he'd mind coming over to my place tonight? Perhaps for dinner? I need his advice on how to deal with this and see if he can help me find Charlotte. Rosemary may have some ideas as well but I dare not let Tom around her or Lee in his present state."

"Of course," Nathan replied. "I will ask him. And I'd be happy to help you track her down."

"Thank you," she smiled. She looked at Lucas and asked him, "And would you mind collecting his things from the saloon and maybe bringing them back here and giving us a ride home? I'm not sure how steady he'll be on his feet and well, it might not be the best idea for me to help him with that right now."

"Yes absolutely," he smiled.

"Thank you," she sighed. "I appreciate the help."

"Of course," he nodded. "You want to sit here for a few minutes? I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Okay. Oh wait," she replied. "I hate to ask but do you think you could go by the mercantile and get me some beef, milk and flour? I was planning to go after school but I don't really want to leave him here alone and I think I may need a couple minutes before my head feels a bit better."

Lucas smiled, "Elizabeth, it's no problem. I'll just grab some from Gustav."

"Thank you, Lucas," she sighed.

Walking away from her down the stairs of the school, his heart warmed and lightened a bit, appreciative of the fact that she seemed to be letting him back into her life. Yet his mind continued to fret over the state of hers, and now this added burden she had of dealing with Tom. Lucas sighed, wondering how he could help and what she'd be willing to let him help her with.