Hello! :-) I am back with another twofer since these chapters seem to be taking on lives of their own. :-) Thank you so very, very much for your wonderful support. I am truly inspired by and appreciate very much your kind reviews and all of the views this story has been receiving, along with the faves and the follows. My hope is I can continue to write chapters you will enjoy! :-) Thank you again! :-) Here is the first of the next two chapters.

Chapter 28

London, England

Nicholas looked up at the knock on his office door and motioned for Alexander to enter.

"Do you have news?" he asked, after the younger man had been seated.

"I do, but I'm not sure it's what you want to hear."

"More bad news?" Nicholas asked, his voice weary.

"What do you mean?"

He pointed to a piece of paper on his desk. "Looks like I need to make a trip to New York to check on a major investment transaction that is not going well."

"I'm sorry to hear that. What I have to say won't help."

"What is it?" Nicholas said, folding his hands on his desk.

"Barry Caldwell has the information you requested, but he doesn't feel comfortable sharing it by telegram."

"Typical attorney," he said, annoyed. "What does he want?"

"He wants to provide the information in person."

"Of course he does."

Nicholas shook his head at the absurdity.

"I take it we have no choice?"

"Not if you think this information is what you need to help your son."

"I do. I haven't responded to my son's telegram. I decided to wait until I could give him more information. The information that Barry is withholding."

"I could try again or is there someone else you want me to contact?"

"No. We are wasting time. I have to make arrangements to leave for New York today. I know I am asking a big favor, Alexander, but would you mind accompanying me?"

"Not if I can help."

"You would be helping me tremendously. I would like you to send another telegram to Barry and tell him you will be in New Jersey as soon as we can get there. Make sure he understands he is to give you any and all information he has regarding my request. If he is not going to comply, he needs to notify you today. If he is willing to release the information to you, I am asking if you would then travel to Hope Valley to deliver that information to my son. I am certain Barry will have you sign a stipulation to the effect you will not transfer the information any other way. We might as well make those arrangements now."

"You want me to do that? I don't mind, but wouldn't you rather travel to see your son?"

"I don't know how long I will be in New York. I suspect I will need to be there for a while. This is a huge business deal for us. I have to make certain it does not derail. I have decided I might as well stay there until Helen returns from Hope Valley. She is there with my brother Ernie, so you will not be alone. You will have company."

"I see. That is good to know. I remember you mentioning your wife and brother were traveling. I didn't realize they were going to Hope Valley."

"I don't like to say too much about our whereabouts, especially when my wife is traveling alone, but Helen is assisting a new author with her book edits. She was a friend of my son's when this project began and now they are courting. My brother is there as Helen's escort in my absence."

"Of course. That makes sense. How nice for your son and his lady."

"I trust all is going well. I will send Helen a telegram today to let her know there has been a change in my schedule. I think it will be good to already be in New York when she returns. It will save her from having to make a longer trip. My brother will probably stay in New York as well. You, of course, are free to return here once things with my son have been settled. I will keep in close contact. They have telephones in Hope Valley which will make communicating easier."

Alexander nodded.

"Are we set with our arrangements if Barry is agreeable?" Nicholas asked.

"With you leaving for an extended period, are you sure you don't need me to stay?"

"I will arrange for your backup. I think Simon will fill in nicely, don't you?"

"Yes, he would. We have been working closely these past few months."

"That's what I heard. I also heard he is a quick learner which pleases me."

Alexander nodded. "If this is what you want me to do, I would be happy to travel with you, confer with Barry and then head to Hope Valley to meet with your son."

"Excellent. I truly appreciate your willingness, especially on such short notice. Your cooperation and flexibility in this matter will be rewarded, I assure you."

"Well," Alexander said, with a somewhat doleful smile, "unlike your son, it's not as if I am courting a special lady who will miss me while I'm gone."

Entering the office, Mike said good morning to Lucas who returned his greeting.

"Is Elizabeth all right?" Mike asked, after sitting at his desk. "We heard she never made it to the saloon and that you left to go see her."

"Elizabeth is okay," Lucas said. "She needed to get some rest which, thankfully, she did."

"Good. I wouldn't want to hear any bad or sad news about her."

"Believe me, I know what you mean. I think she'll be fine."

Lucas hoped that was true. He felt better about Elizabeth's state of mind when he took his leave, but he knew she still needed more rest. If she had been able to work on the chapters the way she seemed to be envisioning them, he reasoned maybe she would have gotten a peaceful night's sleep.

"I know you were at the Mercantile a few times yesterday," Mike said. "I saw Ned opening up when I arrived. Just thought I'd let you know in case you needed to go there."

Mike gave Lucas a crooked grin; Lucas had to laugh.

"You're getting to know me too well, Mike. I'm reviewing this report from one of the men I hired, at the crew leader's suggestion, to review the production schedule to see where we can make improvements to our processes. I'll head over there in a little bit."

Mike nodded. "I hope you get good news. By the way, you sound like you really know what you are doing."

"Do I? Well, I wish I understood this report better. Maybe you can look at it when I'm done."

"Of course. With everything going on yesterday, I didn't get a chance to tell you that Fiona and I thank you very much for the great evening you arranged. We had a good time."

"I'm glad. I did get to see you two for a quick minute when I walked in through the back entrance. You two looked very cozy. Might there be another dinner sometime soon?"

"Maybe," Mike said. "We had a nice evening. Fiona is so smart and has a fun personality. I enjoy her company."

"I'm happy for you," Lucas said sincerely. "Let me know whenever you want to have dinner again."

"Thank you. We will."

"Just remind me to tell my uncle lest I forget."

Mike laughed. "I will."

Lucas tried to finish reading the report, but knowing the Mercantile was open distracted him.

"Maybe I will go see Ned. Here. Let me know what you think," Lucas said, handing Mike the report he could not fully decipher before frustration set in due to his lack of knowledge and understanding about a business he owned.

Mike nodded. "Sure. I'll look at it right now. Hope you get some good news."

Carson spotted Lucas walking towards the Mercantile and asked if they could talk in the Infirmary. Lucas agreed and followed him inside where both men greeted Fiona before talking privately.

"How is Elizabeth?" Carson asked, sounding like the professional he was.

"Elizabeth is okay. She had fallen asleep. I stayed until she woke up. She said she slept almost three hours."

"She definitely needed rest."

Lucas nodded. "Elizabeth said she felt better. She looked all right. I hope she was able to sleep through the night."

"I hope so, too. Tell her to see me if she needs anything."

"I will. I know she will appreciate your follow up."

"Of course. I also want to talk to you about Henry."

"That's right. Last night, you mentioned Elizabeth received a letter from Abigail. I didn't think to ask Elizabeth about it, and she didn't mention it."

"I spoke to his doctor who said Henry has improved and wants to return here."

"Is that possible?"

"Once his doctor releases him from his care, which he is not ready to do just yet but probably will in the next week or so, Henry can go wherever he wants. If he came back here, I would be in charge of his care and his follow ups."

"That would be the best thing for him, wouldn't it?"

"Under normal circumstances, yes. Except, and I hate to say this because I am so proud of what she is doing, Faith is not here to assist with his care. She would be ideal in this type of situation. Henry will need someone to look after him, at least for a little while. His doctor said he is still very weak and would need to have some assistance to help get him back to full strength."

"Can you find someone or can the doctor send someone?"

"We talked about that, and I think that's what's going to happen. A nurse will most likely accompany Henry back here if this is where he decided he wanted to be but, unfortunately, the nurse will need to return to Cape Fullerton. I'm looking into a few options, but I would like to have something in place before Henry returns."

"Sounds like a few of us are trying to sort things out and get things lined up."

Carson gave him a questioning look; Lucas shook his head.

"Just thinking out loud."

"Okay."

"Keep me posted on Henry?"

"I will."

"If you want, I can let Elizabeth know when I see her unless you want to tell her."

"It's fine if you want to tell her. I just wanted to let one of you know since Elizabeth received the letter."

"Did Henry's doctor say anything about Abigail?"

"Just that she has been so encouraging and helpful with Henry, and he knows Henry is going to miss her. Apparently, Abigail just told Henry she needs to leave. How Henry does after Abigail is gone is one of the areas his doctor wants to observe before he agrees to release him."

"That makes sense."

"Yes, it does."

"Thank you for this information, Carson, and please keep us informed."

"I will."

Lucas left the Infirmary and continued towards the Mercantile. As soon as he entered, Ned told him he had received a telegram. Lucas tensed. This is what he had been waiting for and yet now that he'd heard the news, he wasn't sure he was ready to read his father's words.

He thanked Ned when he handed him the folded piece of paper and made a quick exit. He stood in the street, unable to make himself read the telegram. What if his father had refused to help? Deep down, Lucas did not believe that was likely, but then, as an adult, he had never outright asked his father for this type of assistance. He knew he'd most likely caught his father off guard with the magnitude of his request and, therefore, wasn't sure what that would mean in terms of his father's response. Maybe it wouldn't be so much a refusal but more of a statement he didn't have the resources to help. Lucas could understand and tolerate that explanation. Any other reason, and he knew he would have a hard time accepting his father's answer.

He saw the Queen of Hearts sign and knew he needed to ask his uncle to read the telegram. He walked in and saw his mother and uncle conversing. This was probably the best scenario. The three of them would learn the answer together.

"Hello," Lucas said, as he approached the table where they sat.

"Hello, darling," Helen said. "How are you?"

"I'm okay. I trust both of you are, too?"

They each nodded.

Lucas continued. "I received a telegram from Father."

"So did I," Helen said, holding the paper.

"You did?" Lucas asked, surprised. "What did Father say?"

"He needs to travel immediately to New York. Something has gone wrong with a transaction he and many others have been working on for quite some time. He feels it's best if he tends to this situation in person."

"I see. I'm sorry Father is having trouble."

Lucas tried to hide his disappointment. If his father's attention was elsewhere, that probably did not bode well for him. He tried to steel himself that his telegram might indicate his father was too busy to help.

"I think it will be fine. You know what an excellent negotiator your father is; and when he has this much riding on an investment, he will not let anything or anyone stand in his way. I'm certain the deal will be finalized. It will take longer than he expected. That's all. I'm rather relieved he will be in New York."

Ernie watched the play of emotions on his nephew's face and couldn't help but wonder if he had received bad news. He prayed that was not the case.

"What did your telegram say?" Ernie asked, trying to sound hopeful.

Lucas looked at his uncle and saw his compassion. He wanted to thank him for his support but instead, he held out the paper.

"I haven't read it yet, but now I am wondering since Father will be traveling. Would you please look at it, Uncle Ernie?"

"All right."

Ernie studied Lucas's face for a moment, not liking the anxiety he saw, and then read the words.

"This is interesting."

"What does it say?" Helen asked.

Lucas prepared himself for the worst.

"Apparently, there is a lawyer in New Jersey who helped your father with an oil company investment, but he will release the information only in person. Your father is sending one of his most trusted associates to get that information and bring it to you."

"He is?" Lucas said.

Relief and a bit of surprise could be heard in his voice.

"Read it for yourself," Ernie said, handing him the telegram.

Lucas read the words and couldn't help but to smile. His father had willingly offered his assistance.

"Do you know this Alexander Lexington?"

He directed the question to both his mother and his uncle. They both nodded.

"You will like him, son," Helen said. "I had a feeling your father was talking about him. He has become almost indispensable to your father since he has been spending so much time in London."

"He's a good man," Ernie confirmed. "Young, like you, but very ambitious and very trustworthy. Born and raised in London. I, too, am not surprised. He will bring you the information you need."

Lucas nodded. "I guess I wait to hear from him."

As Lucas had told Elizabeth when they had driven to Cape Fullerton, he didn't mind the winding road as long as he could see the end. Maybe this Alexander Lexington would help him reach that goal. He certainly hoped so. He silently thanked his father for providing assistance without recrimination. At least not by telegram. Lucas, however, could not shake the feeling he had not heard the last from his father regarding this situation. But at the moment, his relief outweighed whatever concern he had regarding that very real possibility.

Elizabeth stepped outside the schoolhouse with her students exiting for the day and was surprised to see Nathan.

"Hello," she said cordially. "How are you?"

"Hello," he returned. "I'm fine. And you?"

"I'm doing all right. Are you here to pick up Allie?"

"I am."

"She should be coming. I think she was saying goodbye to Opal."

"They won't see each other after school. We are heading to the stagecoach depot."

"You're meeting someone?"

"Yes. A friend of Colleen's wants to visit Allie and me."

"Nathan, how nice," Elizabeth said sincerely. "I hope it's a good visit for all of you."

"Thank you. I don't want to, you know, get Allie's hopes up, but she is very excited about meeting someone who knew her mother so well."

"Of course she is," Elizabeth said. "It will be nice for her to learn more about her mother from someone who was her friend."

"Francine, that…that's her name, stayed with Allie a couple of times. Allie, of course, doesn't remember her, but I…I want to give her this opportunity to find out more about her mother from someone other than me. I just want to make sure she is…well, you know, protected."

"I understand. I hope all goes well. Here she comes."

"Hi, Uncle Nathan. Are we going?"

"Yes, we are."

"Did you hear the news, Mrs. Thornton?"

"I did," she said and smiled. "I am very happy you are going to meet a close friend of your mother's. Enjoy your visit."

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow, Opal. Bye, Mrs. Thornton."

Elizabeth waved to Nathan and Allie as they left, hoping their visitor would help both of them.

A short time later, Elizabeth and Helen sat in the library after having exchanged pleasantries.

"Are you feeling better?" Helen asked.

Elizabeth nodded. "I am. Thank you."

She quickly removed her typewritten pages and presented them to Helen with a pleased look.

"For you to read," she said, looking hopeful.

"You reworked your chapters?"

"I rewrote and removed a few scenes and replaced them with new ones," Elizabeth clarified. "Your son's helpful advice allowed me to be able to make the changes I hope you will enjoy reading."

Uncertain she should have added that last part but wanting Helen to know, Elizabeth waited for her reaction, hoping she had not said the wrong thing by mentioning Lucas's role. He had been so pivotal, though, she knew she could not leave him out of the equation. When she saw the look on Helen's face, she relaxed.

The older woman looked intrigued. "My son helped you with these?"

"Yes, he did," Elizabeth gladly admitted.

"I must say you look content, which is nice to see."

"I feel good about the changes I made," Elizabeth explained. "I hope you enjoy reading the chapters."

"I am eager to see what you have created," Helen said, sounding sincere.

She gave Elizabeth an encouraging smile as she began to read the two revised chapters she knew Elizabeth, and apparently her son, had worked diligently to improve.

Nathan recognized Francine as soon as the stagecoach pulled up to the depot.

"Is that Miss Richardson?" Allie asked excitedly.

"Yes, Allie, it is."

She had not changed much. Her honey-colored hair hung loose down her back, and her brown eyes, always so curious and vibrant, looked around expectantly. She gave a small wave as the driver assisted her out of the coach and set her suitcase on the ground.

"Nathan," she said, needing to look up at him slightly as she was not nearly as tall as he. "It's so good to see you. You are looking very dapper wearing that red uniform."

"Hello, Francine. Thank you. It's nice to see you, too. Allie, this is Miss Richardson."

"Hello, Allie," she said and smiled. "I know you don't remember me, but I sure remember you. My goodness, how you have grown."

"Hi," Allie said, waving and returning her smile.

Allie thought Francine was very pretty and seemed very friendly.

"Welcome to Hope Valley," Nathan said, picking up her suitcase.

She glanced around. "Looks like a very nice town."

"It is," Allie responded enthusiastically.

"I take it you like it here?"

"I like it a lot."

"Why don't we get you checked in?" Nathan said. "There are rooms above the Queen of Hearts saloon not too far from here."

"Sounds good."

"There's a café nearby, too, if you're hungry. We could have something to eat before I have to make my evening rounds."

"You sound so official," she teased, sounding lighthearted. "But I know you take your work very seriously."

Allie couldn't help but to notice her uncle react to Francine's remark with a slight grin. She hoped he would begin to relax.

"Uncle Nathan's a great Mountie," Allie added, hoping Miss Richardson liked Mounties.

Francine gave him a sweet smile. "I do remember that about him."

Nathan, uncomfortable being the center of attention by both Francine and his niece, looked away and quickly led them into the saloon.

Elizabeth, not wanting to stare at Helen or make her feel uncomfortable while she read her chapters, busied herself checking the card file which she knew would be immaculate because obviously Lucas had been in the library earlier. The books she had seen on the table the day before had been returned to the shelves. Knowing that, she did covertly open the drawer and saw his handwriting on a piece of paper. She carefully slid it out and read it quickly. He'd asked her to meet him there that night if she had time. Elizabeth tried to hide her smile of anticipation as she returned the note and quietly closed the drawer.

She then went about sorting papers on her desk and straightening books on the shelves. She stole a glance every once in a while and had a flashback to the time she had watched Lucas reading her short stories at Abigail's. If she was nervous then, and she was, she was terrified now. There was so much more at stake if Helen did not like the changes she had decided to incorporate. She also did not have cookies to calm her nerves.

When she observed a hint of a brief smile, she found she could breathe again. Maybe Helen liked the changes she had made.

Helen finished reading the chapters and looked at Elizabeth who had edged closer to the table.

"What do you think?" she asked, hope, mixed with a bit of uncertainty, present in her voice.

Helen patted the chair next to her. "Come sit. Let's talk."

Elizabeth's heart sank. She knew from experience those were not positive words. Not when she had been a child and certainly not in her role as a teacher. How many times had she said those very words before delivering bad news? What was she going to do? She did not believe she had it in her to attempt a third revision. What could she even write at this point? A completely different novel? She knew she did not have the stamina or the desire to scrap what she had written and start over.

Taking a tentative seat next to Helen while feeling a bit lightheaded, Elizabeth looked at the older wiser woman, trying her best to put on a brave face. Meanwhile, her insides shook, and she wished Lucas were with her to hold her hands which were starting to perspire from sheer nervousness. She tried to smile as she waited for Helen to speak.

"I can tell you have put a lot of thought and hard work into these chapters," Helen began.

Here it comes.

"I have," Elizabeth acknowledged, wanting her to know she did not take her assignment lightly. "I worked very hard to make those scenes the best I thought they could be."

Helen nodded and then after a beat, which to Elizabeth felt like a lifetime, she smiled in approval.

"Congratulations, Elizabeth. Your hard work has paid off. These chapters are wonderful. I love what you did to make Elsa a more well-rounded character and her son, too. You strengthened their bond which works so well in this setting. The chapters flow, my dear. Your writing is crisp and enticing. I believe you now have an excellent basis for what to do with your next chapters. Not only could I clearly hear your voice, but also I saw how you are now letting your characters lead the story. I am very impressed."

Out of pure joy and relief, Elizabeth wanted to hug Helen, but she wasn't sure that was appropriate so she thanked her instead.

"I am so grateful you like these chapters. You're right. I gained a better sense of who my characters are by rewriting the later scenes when I was trying to explain too much instead of just letting them lead me."

Helen nodded. "That is going to serve you well as you look through the next few chapters. You will be happy to know my notes are not nearly as extensive for the next five chapters. I had already seen some excellent writing but, of course, whichever direction you now want your story to take, feel free to use or discard whatever you think works or doesn't work."

"I had already looked at the next two chapters," Elizabeth confessed. "I know what I want to do. I don't think I will have to make too many changes but, of course, I will read your suggestions and edits."

"I am very pleased, Elizabeth. I sense you had a major breakthrough that will continue to carry you through the remainder of this process."

"That's my hope as well," Elizabeth said. "I was so afraid I was never going to be able to write again."

"Just let the words flow. You know what to do with them, and if you treat them with respect, they will lead you towards the result you want. I know it's a strange concept, but for you as the writer and me as the editor, the words we use to communicate become a world unto themselves. Once you enter that realm, you won't want to leave."

"I believe I truly experienced that for the first time last night. I loved what I was writing, and you're right. The words seemed to flow. It was almost as if it were happening in spite of me. I don't think I ever quite reached that pinnacle before, even though I have enjoyed most of my novel writing."

"When it's work, you most certainly know it," Helen said. "And when it becomes almost surreal, well, you will know that, too. Embrace both because neither one lasts, but after you experience the world of work, you are able to appreciate the joyous one all the more."

"Yes," Elizabeth said. "I quite agree."

"I shall not keep you any longer. Here are my notes for the next five chapters. Again, this is at your pace. I certainly do not expect to see five chapters the next time we meet, but if you have one for me to review, I will be quite pleased. Do you have time during the weekend to meet or would you rather work on your chapters and meet next week?"

"Can I let you know? I'd like to work on the chapters, but if I have something ready to show you, I would like us to meet."

"That's fine," Helen said, patting her hand. "You know where to find me."

They shared a laugh.

"Yes, I do."

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow night," Helen said earnestly. "I know Lucas cannot wait to make your courtship official to your friends."

Elizabeth's cheeks warmed slightly with excitement as she thought about their upcoming announcement.

"Now that we have decided to do this, and with my writing seemingly back on track, I am excited, too. Tomorrow night can't get here soon enough for me. I love your son so much, and I want everyone to know exactly how much Lucas means to me and my son. I believe it's going to be a glorious night. I can't wait."