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Chapter 26

Lucas had not yet put on his tie and vest when he heard a soft tap on his door. He opened it to find his mother standing there. He welcomed her inside where they warmly greeted each other.

"I hope you slept well, Mother."

"I did," she said, eyeing him closely. "Looks like you could use more sleep."

"I'm okay. Please. Have a seat."

After moving his empty plate and brandy snifter to the nightstand, he pulled out a chair for his mother at the small table and then sat directly across from her.

"I recognize your uncle's handiwork," she said, pointing to the snifter.

"He left me that one glass to enjoy after I had consumed my dinner."

"You ate in here."

It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes. I am sorry I missed seeing you; but I worked late, and then I decided to go to the library where several stacks of books had been returned by Elizabeth's students. I wanted to clear the table. I will check the library again this afternoon before you both arrive."

"We are not meeting today."

"Oh?" Lucas said, surprised. "May I ask why?"

Helen sighed. "Without meaning to, I fear I may have overwhelmed Elizabeth. I want her to have a reprieve and take a small break from thinking about her writing. I sense she has become rather anxious regarding this process, and I want to give her a bit of distance so she can review her work and my notes without my being there."

Lucas thought about what Elizabeth had written. He decided to keep what he knew from her perspective to himself.

"I'm sorry to hear this," he said, because he was. "I thought Elizabeth would do well with your guidance and your experience."

"Please don't misunderstand me," Helen said. "I have not given up on Elizabeth, and I am certain she has not given up on herself. But I believe she needs some time to realize as wonderful as her writing is, and it is excellent, there are a few things she needs to work on, especially regarding the first two chapters, which is all the publisher will read if those chapters are not up to their standards. I want to make sure the remainder of her novel is read and published because it is that good and deserves an audience."

"I am positive Elizabeth will come to that realization," Lucas said. "I remember vividly when she allowed me the honor of reading her short stories I mentioned to you in one of my letters. I knew she did not come by that decision easily, and I wanted to be as honest with her as I could, without hurting her feelings, of course, because that would have served no purpose. I complimented her and her writing because I did enjoy reading the stories, but then, as politely as I could while trying to incorporate what you had always impressed upon me about the art of writing, I told her she needed to go deeper. Immediately, I could tell I had upset her, and I could see a wall of defense going up around her. Seeing that disturbed me greatly for that was not my intention. As a consolation, I then tried to impart your wisdom about how the best writing comes right from the heart. From her less than enthusiastic reaction, I knew she was not ready to hear my advice, to the point I regretted having given her my thoughts and wanted to apologize, but a few days later, Elizabeth was fine and even thanked me for sharing that advice with her. That's when she told me she had decided to write this novel.

"Based on that encounter and the ultimate outcome, I know she will think about what you told her and will come to terms with what you said and be able to use your guidance to her advantage. She may need time, like you said, but I believe she will know what she needs to do and will do it."

"I'm curious about something. You sounded so passionate and so protective of Elizabeth just now, but you never went into much detail in your letters about what made you take an interest in Elizabeth's writing. Why did you, son?"

Lucas gave his mother a satisfied smile. "Well, Mother. I guess, in a way, I have you to thank for that."

"Me? Why?"

"One of your shipments of books came in, and I let Elizabeth know I was taking them to library. She met me there and started looking through the books. She found one she said she really liked. I recognized the title and knew you had done the editing, so I told her that. She seemed very impressed, and I told her I would let you know. She then asked me if you had wanted to write. I told her no and that you knew how difficult it was to get published. That's when she shared she had tried to get her short stories published and that the stories had been rejected by two publishers."

"And then you offered to read them and give her your opinion."

Lucas nodded.

"You do realize how differently this all could have turned out and still may, right, son?"

"I do, and I know. But I am betting on Elizabeth. I told her I would be honest about her writing, and I was. The fact her outlook changed about what I had said told me she takes the time to think things through and doesn't make hasty decisions which do not allow her the opportunity to see if there could be another solution. It took her a few days after our initial conversation, but I believe she made the right decision to pen this story. Elizabeth will not change course now, Mother. She knows she has written an excellent novel. She just needs to gain the confidence and trust you are leading her down the right path. I have faith she will come to that realization soon."

Helen nodded. "I believe you, son. I sense she is a bit confused and cautious, which I understand since she did receive those rejection notices for her short stories. I know those are never easy to accept. But I, too, have faith she will come to that realization. Maybe attending that town meeting tonight instead of working on her book will be a good diversion for her. At least that is my hope. Will you be at that meeting or do you have another late night at work planned?"

"I will be at the meeting. The residents are gathering to talk about the Christmas festival. They want to do one similar to the one I wrote you about last year that I brought to Hope Valley with a lot of help from everyone here."

"Ah, yes. You did a festival similar to the one we visited in Munich."

"I did, but as a last-minute addition, I included the paper lanterns we saw floating in the sky at the Shanghai festival."

Helen's features softened as she recalled the wonder she witnessed in her young son's eyes as he watched the lanterns light up the night sky.

"I remember how much you loved those. You were young, but even then, you knew what made you happy."

"Seeing those lanterns is one of my fondest memories. I thought Elizabeth and everyone else, especially the children, would enjoy seeing them, too."

"Lucas, please know I am very grateful you have some happy family memories."

"Happy family Christmas memories from when we traveled," Lucas gently corrected, because he felt he needed to.

Helen's emerald eyes dimmed just a bit. "Yes, of course."

"Mother, you know I don't understand everything that happened in our family, and if I am never to know, I will respect yours and Father's decision, but please know, and I mean no disrespect by saying this, if Elizabeth and I do end up spending our lives together, I want a very different life than the one I had for Little Jack and any other children we may be blessed to have. I am sorry if I disappointed you and Father with some of the decisions I have made, but I am trying the best I know how to make a good and meaningful life for myself. If I am fortunate enough to have Elizabeth and her son be a part of my future, I want to do everything I can to make our life together the best it can be. I want Elizabeth to be able to pursue her dreams, whatever they may be. Right now, her dreams are to teach and to write, and I want to be supportive of that. If something else comes along, I want to be supportive of that, too.

"Elizabeth has suffered a tragic loss in her life as I am fully aware you and Father have, too, and I also recognize and acknowledge we do not know what the future holds for any of us, but so long as it is within my control and if being allowed to be together is our ultimate destiny, which I pray every night it is, I want to make the best life I possibly can for the woman and little boy I love and treasure."

Helen's smile was filled with understanding and love as she reached across the small space to squeeze her son's hand.

"My dear son, I do understand what you are saying, and believe it or not, I agree. I know you love Elizabeth. Your eyes light up like those lanterns in the sky every time you mention her name. I believe she shows you she loves you, too. You two are so sweet and so tender with each other, not to mention fiercely protective. You also have a lot in common and started out as friends, which is wonderful. I do not know all of what is between the two of you and what Elizabeth may still be wrestling with in terms of her late husband and the life they had, but I feel I can say one thing with absolute certainty: I do not believe Elizabeth would make you wait five years before she accepted your proposal of marriage should that event occur. And, my darling son, I hope it does."

While eating breakfast, Nathan told Allie about the telephone call he had received from Francine.

"Miss Richardson is coming here on Thursday?" Allie said, excited.

"Yes, that's the plan. I told her we would meet her at the stagecoach depot."

"This is great, Uncle Nathan. I am so excited."

He smiled. "I had a feeling you would be."

Allie looked at him. "Aren't you excited?"

"Let's just say I'm curious about her visit."

Allie shook her head. "Uncle Nathan, she wants to see you. Us. This is a good thing."

"You could be right, but let's wait until she gets here, and we have a chance to talk to her."

"Okay. Is it all right if I tell Opal? I sorta already mentioned Miss Richardson to her."

"Sure. You can tell Opal."

"And maybe," Allie said, her face brightening with the thought she just had, "you and me and Miss Richardson can go to movie night on Friday!"

Nathan held up his hands. "Wait a minute. You know I don't go to movie night. You always go with Opal."

"I know, but we have a guest for this one. I'm sure she would love to go. You should come, Uncle Nathan. It's a lot of fun."

"I don't know, Allie. There are a lot of people there. I'm not sure how comfortable Miss Richardson would feel. That may be asking a lot."

His niece frowned. "You mean how comfortable you would be."

"Allie," Nathan said, his tone stern.

"Sorry, Uncle Nathan. Fine. We'll see how it goes, but I'm still excited."

She hurriedly ate her breakfast, finished getting ready and then told her uncle she was heading to school.

"Have a good day," he said, as she bounded out the door, carrying what she needed for school.

Nathan remained seated at the table, drinking the last of his coffee, wondering what exactly this visit by Francine might mean for Allie and him.

Elizabeth had arrived at the schoolhouse earlier than usual, needing some time to sit at her desk and organize her thoughts. Her morning writing session had not gone well. When a sleepy Julie ambled downstairs to check on her because she could not believe how early she had risen, Elizabeth asked her if she would mind staying up to listen for Little Jack until Laura arrived. Julie assured her she would not go back to sleep. Elizabeth, already dressed and ready to head out, gathered her things, thanked Julie and began a somewhat dreaded walk towards the school, her mind racing.

Now, as she sat at her desk with solitude surrounding her, she tried to think how to change and improve her chapters. She had jotted down the ideas that had come to her while she had been embroidering, but in the light of day, she rejected them. She knew what Helen was telling her, but she didn't know how to convey what she needed to on paper and that was causing her anguish.

She felt a headache coming on and willed it to go away as she rubbed her temples. She needed to have a productive and focused day in the classroom, or she knew she would begin to hear things from the parents of her students about what was taking place in her classroom. The one she truly did not want to have to talk to about this was Nathan. Allie had made what Elizabeth considered to be an off-hand comment before lunch yesterday about her mind being on someone else. Elizabeth had shrugged it off, but then outside, she heard Allie and Opal talking about Lucas. Elizabeth realized the two young girls had seen Lucas when he had come to walk her to the saloon. While Opal seemed to think it was cute their teacher had been distracted, Allie had appeared concerned. Elizabeth did not want Allie reporting that to Nathan. She certainly did not want to discuss her lack of concentration in the classroom and the reason why with Nathan. Her current struggle with her writing was not a topic she wanted to discuss with him. She wanted that conversation to be with only one person: Lucas.

As her headache intensified, she heard the children's voices in front of the school and knew a new day of teaching was about to begin. Reaching for her bell, she prayed to make it through this day without losing her concentration or her place in any of the workbooks she planned to use.

London, England

From behind his rather large office desk, Nicholas Bouchard stared at the telegram in front of him, not quite sure what to make of his son's words. He sounded almost apologetic while describing a situation that seemed grim. His son had not gone into much detail about this oil company and how he had come to be the owner, but Lucas did give his father enough information to let him know he needed his assistance.

Sitting in a guest chair after having been summoned, Alexander Lexington looked at his boss who was also his friend. "Are you going to let me see that telegram or are you going to stare at it until you've memorized every word?"

Nicholas looked up at the sound of the jovial British accent as if he hadn't realized his trusted associate and friend was present. Shaking his head at his thoughtlessness, he handed him the piece of paper.

"It's from my son Lucas. He's in some kind of trouble with an oil business he now owns in Hope Valley and is asking for my guidance."

Alexander looked puzzled as he glanced at the words without really reading them. "How did your son end up getting involved with an oil company? I thought he owned a saloon."

"He does. He didn't go into much detail as you will see. I need to help him. I need your help."

Alexander, a fine-looking and well-dressed man in his mid-thirties with neatly trimmed hair the color of coal and expressive blue-gray eyes, looked at the man who had taken him under his wing since he had employed him several years ago. Nicholas had been mentoring him and then finally hired Alexander to help run his London operation and had been with him as much as he could these past few years, helping him to succeed and to advance within his company.

The younger man sometimes felt Nicholas thought of him as a substitute for his son in his business, but he did not mind. Their families had gotten to know one another as the Bouchards spent more time in London, and although he'd never had what he was sure would be a pleasure of meeting Lucas, he had heard plenty of stories about him as the successful businessman and risk taker who now made his home in a small town called Hope Valley. He'd heard enough about him to know if Lucas had sent a telegram to his father regarding a business matter, he must need help. Desperately.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked the older gentleman who had a full head of salt and pepper hair and the keenest and darkest brown eyes Alexander sometimes believed could see right into the very depths of his soul.

"I would like you to send a telegram to our lawyer Barry Caldwell in New Jersey. Tell him I need the names and any other information he can give me of the people he worked with to finalize that contract with the oil company we invested in last year."

"I'm on it."

Alexander rose to his full height of six feet and returned the telegram to Nicholas who locked eyes with his associate.

"Do not mention my son's name or why you need this information. Be as brief as possible."

The younger man nodded. "Understood. I will send the telegram today and will let you know as soon as I hear."

"Thank you. I appreciate your help and your discretion. I know I can trust you."

"Of course. Will you send a telegram to your son in the meantime or wait until you hear?"

"I will contact my son. There are a few things I need to let him know."

Alexander nodded. He knew Nicholas's relationship with Lucas had endured its share of challenges these past few years, but he also knew he would do everything he could to help his only son.

During her lunch break from the dress shop, Rosemary entered the Queen of Hearts with a basket of baked goods she wanted to ask Gustave to keep for her in the kitchen and saw Ernie.

"Hello, Rosemary. What brings you here?"

"Hello, Ernie. I have some pastries for tonight's meeting I would like to keep in the kitchen. I'm planning to bring more. Is that possible?"

"I think so, but what meeting are you talking about?"

"Our town meeting to discuss the Christmas festival."

"I see. And that meeting is taking place here?"

Rosemary let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes. Tonight. Didn't Lucas tell you?"

Ernie looked apologetic. "It appears he did not, but do not fret. I am sure we can accommodate whatever you need. Please give me all the details."

"Yesterday, I asked Lucas if we could have the saloon from seven to nine tonight, and he said he would take care of everything. I told him he needed to provide only coffee and tea since we were bringing desserts."

"All right. That doesn't sound too difficult. We will make sure you have plenty of beverages for your meeting. I can take the desserts to the kitchen and let Gustave know not to touch these. Do you need any special arrangement of the tables and chairs?"

Rosemary looked around. "No, this set up is fine. People can sit wherever they want. Are you sure this is all right? I thought Lucas would have taken care of this. I am certainly thankful I stopped by."

"I assure you everything will be to your liking," he said, taking the treats from Rosemary.

Rosemary gave Ernie a thoughtful look. "Is everything okay with your nephew?"

"Yes, of course. Why do you ask?"

"He never seems to be here anymore; and when I do see him, he looks very tired. I hope he is not having trouble at Gowen Petroleum. Has he told you anything about how things are progressing with that company?"

"Just that he is working very hard to get the company back on track. These things take time, as I am sure you well know, but Lucas is very capable of handling this."

Rosemary nodded. "I do know. But I also know this entire situation could have been avoided. I do feel bad for Lucas. He is not in an easy position, I am sure."

"I will let him know you asked about him, and I will see you and the others tonight. Come by with anything else you want to drop off. I will get these into the kitchen."

"Thank you. I will see you and Lucas tonight."

"Oh? My nephew will be attending your meeting?"

Rosemary laughed. "I certainly hope so. We need his expertise to make this work. I will be back later. Thank you, Ernie. I really appreciate your help."

"You are most welcome."

As Ernie carried the basket into the kitchen and realized Lucas had failed to mention this event to him, he, too, was beginning to wonder how long his nephew would be able to continue at this harried pace.

Thankfully, Elizabeth's headache had eased, but once again, she felt relief at the thought of being able to dismiss her class. She quickly gathered her things. She needed to head to the Mercantile to buy some food for Little Jack, and she wanted to try to rest a bit before she needed to be at the saloon. She realized not being able to sleep at night was starting to take its toll.

Walking towards the Mercantile she saw the library and thought about the note she had left for Lucas. She wondered if he had seen it. When she saw a couple of her students leaving, she decided to go inside to check it out.

Upon entering, she saw several books on the table and knew she should check them in, but she didn't have time. No one else was there, so she made her way to the desk drawer and opened it, expecting to see her note to Lucas sitting there. Instead, she found one with her name written on it in flawless black lettering and smiled. She put the note in her basket, anxious to read it as soon she arrived home and then continued walking towards the store.

"Good afternoon, Elizabeth," Ned said, when she entered. "I'm glad you stopped by. I have a letter for you."

He handed her the envelope. She glanced at it and smiled as she recognized the handwriting. She bought what she needed, waved and said hello to Molly, thanked Ned and left. She decided to walk to the library to read the letter before going home in case she needed to talk to Carson.

She took a seat and retrieved the letter. She had recognized Abigail's handwriting when Ned gave her the envelope. She hurriedly opened it and removed the stationery. Abigail's letter did include information Elizabeth thought she might provide about Henry as well as wishing her well and hoping things were good with her, Little Jack, Lucas and all of the other residents. She let Elizabeth know she needed to return home soon but that Henry was doing well. She felt he would be fine if she were to leave, but Elizabeth read between the lines and saw there was some hesitancy and regret on her part that she needed to leave. Abigail ended the letter by saying she would write to Elizabeth again as soon as she was home and that she sends her best to everyone.

Elizabeth returned the letter to its envelope and her basket where her eyes fell to the note from Lucas. She was tempted to read that, too, but decided to see Carson instead. She would enjoy reading Lucas's note during her own quiet time at home.

Elizabeth walked in to the Infirmary and saw Carson talking to Fiona. She waited until Fiona spotted her and said hello.

"Hi. I didn't want to interrupt."

"You are not interrupting," Carson said. "What brings you by? Are you okay? Is Little Jack?"

"We're both doing fine, thank you."

"Are you sure?" Carson asked, looking at her as a doctor would his patient. "You look a bit flushed."

"I've been out and about. I'm doing okay. Maybe just a bit tired. I wanted to let you know I received a letter from Abigail. Did you know Henry is recuperating well and will soon be discharged from where he has been convalescing?"

"No, I didn't realize that. I haven't received an update from his doctor. I was going to follow up with him."

"From Abigail's letter, it sounds like it could happen within the next two weeks. Unfortunately, she needs to return home soon."

"Before Henry is released?"

Elizabeth nodded. "That's what it sounds like."

"Thank you, Elizabeth, for letting me know. I will contact Henry's doctor and let you know what I find out."

"You're welcome. If Henry is released soon, do you think he will come back here?"

"I would think so, but that's one of the things I would like to find out."

"It would be nice to have him back in Hope Valley. I just hope he will be all right."

"I agree."

Elizabeth said goodbye to Carson and Fiona and headed home, realizing she did not have as much time to rest as she thought she would and yet knowing she had to attend the town meeting. It would be her chance to see Lucas, even if it would not be in the most private setting. And as exhausted as she was, she did not dare miss that opportunity.