Rosemary simply stared back at Gabe.
"So you're saying that I need to make a choice between having Violet and doing what's right? That's no choice at all."
Lee put his hand on Rosemary's arm and looked at Gabe and Nathan. "Is there any middle ground here? Can we help them... a little?" He didn't really like how that sounded, but he had to know where the line was drawn.
Nathan said, "That's a subjective determination that the judge in the case would make. And, correct me if I'm wrong, Gabe, but I believe Bill would need to visit the residence and make his determination from there?"
Gabe nodded. "That's one option. The other is to have a licensed social worker give his or her recommendation to the judge as to the living conditions."
Elizabeth asked, "Aren't Lillian and Grace licensed?"
Gabe raised his eyebrows. "Yes... " He took a deep breath. "Look, whoever makes the determination, whether it's Lillian, Grace or Judge Avery... we can't ignore the fact that these are all involved parties. They would need to form objective opinions about a situation that could potentially hurt people they care about." He narrowed his eyes. "It's not ideal."
Lee sighed. "Well, that's an understatement if I've ever heard one."
Throughout this discussion, Elizabeth was watching Rosemary, whose face was becoming darker and more set with every comment. Finally, she could stay silent no longer.
"No," Rosemary said firmly, looking at Gabe. "If we love that little girl, and we do..." she said, looking at Lee with tears in her eyes, "...I cannot let her mother and her grandfather freeze to death or become ill on the chance that we might lose her. If Bill or Lillian or Grace think that she can be safely with Frances and Harold, then I will abide by their decision. But I will not let them live that way while we sit safe and warm. I can't do that and continue to look into Violet's eyes..." Elizabeth was at the ready, and she put her arms around Rosemary the moment before she lost control and began to cry.
Lee held Rosemary from the other side, rubbing her back and feeling his own loss. Nathan put a hand on Lee's shoulder. All four remained that way, connected, for a long moment.
As with the case of all Mounties, Gabe had sat with loss and grief multiple times. It was a part of his job. He and Nathan shared a glance, both understanding that most of the time there are no easy answers. The law is the law, but surrounding those parameters, there are nothing but gray areas – messy, emotional minefields.
This was a decision that only Lee and Rosemary could make, and it couldn't be rushed.
After a long moment, Lee took a deep breath and looked at Gabe. "I agree with Rosemary. We do what we can to help them through the winter and let the chips fall where they may."
Rosemary turned to Lee, her face tear-stained. She put her hand on his face and whispered brokenly, "Thank you. I love you."
He reached out and held her tightly. "Thank you for always doing the right thing. I might not have. You're right about this." He kissed her cheek softly. "I love you, too, Rosie."
Gabe paused and then nodded, speaking softly. "Alright. We'll proceed with the meeting, then. I'll talk to Bill about whether he would like to attend to this personally, or would prefer to go on Lillian and Grace's recommendation."
Leaning forward on his desk, Gabe said, "There are vacancies at the boarding house. If Harold and Frances agree, you can make any payment arrangements with Mrs. Mayfair. If you want to open an account for them at the General Store, you can work that out with Joe Moody." He looked from Lee to Rosemary. "This is assuming they will accept the help. The last time I talked to Harold I could see he's a proud man, but that was before this last round of cold weather. All you can do is ask."
They all sat in silence for a moment. Rosemary was drying her tears, and now her face showed nothing but resolve.
Lee put out his hand. "Thank you, Gabe. For being so clear about all this. We appreciate it."
Standing and shaking his hand over the desk, Gabe said, "You're welcome, Lee. And I'd like to commend you both for what you're wanting to do. It would make a real difference in the quality of their lives." He turned to get his hat down from the peg. "If you're ready, we should get on our way. It's likely they're waiting for us."
Gabe rode alongside Lee's car, and this time, Lee drove, with Rosemary in front. Nathan and Elizabeth sat in the back. They all rode in silence, lost in their own thoughts and wondering how this day would end. But each couple had their hands linked tightly together.
Eleanor and Lillian were on the porch when they came in view of the orphanage.
"Hello," Lillian said, waving as Lee pulled the car in next to the house. She walked around and hugged Rosemary and then looked at Elizabeth after Nathan helped her out of the back seat.
"Oh, my," Lillian said, smiling.
Elizabeth nodded, laughing. "I know."
Lillian put her arm through Elizabeth's. "You forget that you looked a little like this when we first met you, but then, you were due any day. How many more months do you have to go?"
It dawned on Elizabeth. "That's right. You and Grace and the children came to Hope Valley just before Christmas, and Jack was born on Christmas Eve." She put her hands on her stomach. "Three more months, believe it or not." She leaned in to Lillian. "We think it's twins. They run in both of our families."
Lillian smiled over at Nathan, who was on Elizabeth's other side. "How wonderful! Well, you've had a long drive, so let's have you meet Frances and Harold and then get you some lunch." Rosemary and Lee were a step ahead of her, and they turned and stopped to listen.
Lillian paused for a moment and said to all four of them, "They're very nice. Very quiet. I don't think they really talk to people often." Lillian smiled. "Grace has had to tone it down a little so she doesn't frighten them."
Rosemary turned and soundlessly nodded to Lee. She wanted to let him know that she had heard Lillian and that she would do her best to stifle her natural enthusiasm.
They walked in the front door and a man in his sixties and a young girl popped up from the couch as if they were attached to each other by a string.
Frances was tiny, standing just at five feet, if that. She was stick-thin, with long, lank blonde hair that fell straight to her shoulders, and she looked much younger than her nineteen years. She wore a light blue cotton dress that had seen far too many washings and mendings, and a thin wool coat that hung off of her shoulders. Her eyes were bright and sharp, and Elizabeth got the feeling that Frances didn't miss much as they darted back and forth between the five strangers standing just inside the door.
Of course, Elizabeth thought, Frances doesn't know which of us is the foster mother. She stepped back slightly, to give Rosemary the chance to move forward and introduce herself.
Rosemary put her gloved hand out slowly, as if she were trying to touch a fearful wild animal. "I'm Rosemary Coulter. You must be Frances?"
Elizabeth breathed softly. She had never, in all the time she'd known Rosemary, heard this tone to her voice. The tenderness of it, and the sweetness of wanting to make Frances feel comfortable, brought quick tears to Elizabeth's eyes, and made her love Rosemary even more than she already did.
Frances actually attempted a small curtsey, and suddenly Rosemary wished she had worn something different, less ostentatious. She immediately pulled her hand back and removed her glove so that she could touch Frances' fingers, and she felt how cold they were, each bone in her hand separate and feeling like it might break through the skin at any moment.
Harold was Frances' physical opposite in almost every way. Tall, leanly muscular and dark, with short-cropped gray hair and beard, he had deep circles under his eyes and a face that had seen far too many hardships. He wore a plaid shirt that was so thin in places, the separate threads were visible, and over that, faded denim overalls. His corduroy jacket had patches on the elbows and was far too short for him in length and in the sleeves.
Elizabeth's heart clenched, knowing that the two people standing before her were wearing the best and warmest clothes they owned. And it was the middle of winter.
Even if Rosemary had changed her mind in Gabe's office, Elizabeth knew there was nothing that would have swayed her from reaching out to Harold and Frances once she'd met them.
Everyone was introduced, and Lillian said brightly, "Let's have some lunch. Eleanor has put together something wonderful for us, I'm sure."
As they walked toward the dining room, Grace took hold of Elizabeth's arm and walked with her.
"How's the cowboy?" Elizabeth asked quietly.
Grace smiled happily. "Still doing cowboy things," she said. "We see each other a lot, and we both seem to be pretty happy about that."
"I hear you had a bit of an adventure on the way home," Elizabeth said, raising her eyebrows.
"We did," Grace laughed. "I rode bareback on a cold, wet horse for twelve miles in a snowstorm, and that's not something I'll forget for a long time." She leaned closer to Elizabeth, "But I got a couple of kisses and lots of respect for it. So I'd say it was worth it." She winked at Elizabeth.
Grace finally looked down at the growing bump under Elizabeth's coat. She raised her eyebrows, and in the way that people often do with pregnant women, she simply reached out and put her hand there.
It had been a slight shock to Elizabeth when she was carrying Jack, how personal space seemed to disappear when you're expecting a baby. Some people would ask, but many would simply lay their hand on her stomach as if, because of the fact that it was jutting into what would normally be empty space, it somehow belonged to them as much as it did to her.
But once Elizabeth realized that they only wanted to get closer to the miracle of new life, to touch this great mystery somehow, she learned not to flinch.
"Sit next to me," Grace said.
Elizabeth turned and Nathan was already holding out the chair for her next to Grace. Then he sat down on the other side of her, with Harold on his other side. Not surprisingly, Rosemary and Frances ended up next to each other. Nathan smiled when he saw Gabe maneuver into the spot next to Lillian.
There was no formality to the meal, no agenda. The meeting was planned for after lunch. Elizabeth tried to only look occasionally at Frances, but she found herself very drawn to her. She knew it was because Frances seemed young and fragile, the way some of her students did. Especially those who had grown up on farms with lots of brothers, those girls who could be forgotten by their overworked parents and rendered almost irrelevant by their lack of physical strength.
Those were the girls that Elizabeth worked to draw out, to find out where they could shine, and then encourage those abilities. Many had talents in music, in writing, in organization, in art. Elizabeth could see that, though Frances was almost paralyzingly shy, she had a lovely and quick smile, and a grace in her movements. Maybe in another life, perhaps one like Elizabeth's own in Hamilton, Frances could have been a dancer.
But fate hadn't handed Frances that life. And when Elizabeth felt herself overwhelmed by the unfairness she saw around her, she talked to God. She knew how to do it quickly and silently, and before her napkin was even in her lap she had asked for peace for this poor girl and her father.
Rosemary found herself leaning down very close to Frances, if only so she could hear her. Once Lillian had introduced Lee and Rosemary to Frances, all the girl wanted to know was how Mary was. They hadn't yet used the name Violet with her.
"She's growing very fast," Rosemary said, "She crawls everywhere, and if we put a toy just out of her reach, she'll go after it until she gets it."
Frances smiled. She was so hungry for every tiny piece of information. "And her tooth?" she asked, almost in a whisper. "It was hurtin' her bad, she couldn't sleep."
Lee said, "She has three of them now. Two on the bottom and one on the top, but there's another one just starting to poke through," he said. "It does make her cry some nights, but Vio... Mary is a good girl, she doesn't fuss much."
Frances looked at him with those piercing eyes, and spoke so quietly he almost couldn't hear her. "She didn't have a name when you got her. It's not your fault you didn't know it. What do you call her?"
Lee looked at Rosemary, who nodded. He said softly, "Violet. It was my mother's name."
"Violet," Frances said. "That's pretty. It's a flower. That's a good name."
When Frances asked, they talked to her about Violet's friendship with Jack, about how she giggles watching the chickens, and about the frilly dresses that Rosemary sewed for her. Frances asked all about their house and the pond and the meadow as they described it to her. And about Hope Valley.
They both worried that it would make Frances sad to hear about her daughter, but it did the opposite. As they talked, Frances came out of her shell and even laughed a little.
Rosemary couldn't help herself. She reached out and put her arm around Frances, and before she knew it, the young girl was leaning against her shoulder. Rosemary wondered when the last time was that Frances had been held like this, by a woman, someone maternal, with tenderness.
"Frances," Rosemary said softly, brushing the hair from in front of the girl's eyes, "How would you feel about staying in the boarding house in Brookfield instead of up in the hills? In a room that's warm, with a soft bed. And your father, too? Would you let us do that for you?"
Frances looked over at her father, and for the first time, she and Rosemary realized that the conversation at the table had stopped. In fact, it seemed that everyone was holding their breath watching the two of them.
Frances sat up straight, and she was suddenly aware that she had been in an embrace with a virtual stranger. It had happened so naturally, and it felt so good to be held, that she'd done it without thinking. Her cheeks went red and she looked at Rosemary, wondering if she'd done something wrong.
"It's okay," Rosemary said, nodding. She looked over at Harold, who was seeing his daughter in a new light.
He'd heard it all. If he could have spoken, he would have expressed that the love he felt for Mary, the care that forced him to put her on the doorstep outside, was the same as the love he felt for Frances. And maybe these people were just another kind of doorstep.
"Frannie, you want to stay here in town?" He didn't know if he could spend another night watching her shiver in her bed on the floor. At this point, his pride was a distant memory. He'd exhausted every possibility. If these nice, rich people wanted to care for his daughter, he'd let them, and be grateful that God had answered his prayers.
Harold nodded to his daughter. "I'd like a nice warm bed, wouldn't you, Frannie?"
She nodded back and smiled up at Rosemary.
Harold looked at Rosemary. "Much obliged, ma'am," he said with tears in his eyes. "Much obliged."
Gabe smiled and looked at Lillian. It seemed there wouldn't be a need for a meeting after all.
The rest of the afternoon was spent arranging for two rooms at Mrs. Mayfair's while Gabe rode out with Harold to gather up the few things they needed. Nathan hired a horse from the livery and rode out with them so he could help with Harold's and Frances' things.
Nathan would never tell Elizabeth, Rosemary or Lee the stark reality of what he saw. He would hold that memory silently in his heart for the rest of his days. Every time he looked at Violet, he would thank God for whatever it was that compelled Harold to drop her on the orphanage's porch that night.
Harold had done the best he could with what he had. But what he had was so meager, so spare, that it was hard to believe two people could live in this space, much less three.
It turned out that their belongings could fit easily into Harold's homemade one-man buckboard. His old mare needed attention and Nathan vowed that when they got back to town he would personally see to a stall in the livery and ask that Chuck stop by and make sure she wasn't ill.
They had to get back on the road if they were going to get home before dark. Everyone said their goodbyes, until finally it was only Lee and Rosemary standing with Frances and Harold at the door to Mrs. Mayfair's.
Rosemary held Frances' hand. "You let Constable Kinslow know if you need anything, okay? It's not that far for us to come visit you, and maybe once you're settled and a little stronger, you can come see us?"
"I'd like that," Frances said.
Lee and Rosemary were holding their breath, waiting for the moment Frances asked about Violet. It wasn't what they expected.
Frances looked down at her feet, now wearing the slightly-too-large shoes that Rosemary had brought with her. She also had on a heavy wool coat and a scarf that was a cast-off to Rosemary, and to Frances was the nicest thing she'd ever owned.
She looked up at Rosemary and Lee, her eyes glistening. "I'm sorry I talked to the Mountie about taking Mary... Violet, from you. I... I... didn't know what to do with her when I had her. She'd cry and I never knew what to do. I love her so much, and I think loving her means leaving her with you. For now, at least. Is that okay?"
Rosemary was exercising every ounce of control she had in her. Lee was silent, and his pursed lips were evidence he was doing the same.
"Is that what you want, Frances?" Rosemary said softly.
Frances reached out and touched the soft fur on the cuff of Rosemary's coat. "She's got a good life with you. You're good people. I can feel it." She looked up into Rosemary's eyes, and one tear slipped down her cheek. "And I know that anytime I ask, I can see her?"
Rosemary squeezed her hands. "Anytime. Anytime at all."
Frances looked at Lee. "You take care of her teeth, okay? Make sure they all grow in nice and straight. And they don't hurt her too much."
Lee smiled and put his hand on her shoulder. "We will, Frances."
"Maybe I'd like to see her at Christmas?" she said to Lee. "Just to give her a little present? I can sew. Make her a toy?"
Lee laughed softly. "She likes horses."
Frances nodded, brightening. "I can make her a horse."
Looking back at Rosemary, she said, "I like that she's with you."
Rosemary put her arms around Frances and hugged her tightly. "Stay in touch. Send a message anytime. And we'll bring Mary..."
Frances interrupted her. "Violet."
Rosemary smiled. "We'll bring Violet out to see you before Christmas."
Lee shook hands with Harold. "Don't forget about the account at the General Store. Whatever you need."
Harold nodded and looked at him sternly. "And once I get work, I'll pay you back every penny. My word on it."
"No hurry, Harold. You get on your feet and we'll talk then," Lee said.
While Rosemary and Lee walked to the car, Harold stood with Frances on the porch of Mrs. Mayfair's. Then, just as Rosemary was about to get into the car, Frances ran to her and gave her another hug.
Frances smiled and said, "Give Violet a kiss from me?"
"I will, Frances. I'll give her a kiss from you every morning and every night," Rosemary said.
Frances backed away slowly and waved as Nathan started up the car.
As they drove off, Lee inhaled deeply and let out a shuddering breath. Once they were out of sight, Elizabeth held Rosemary tightly in the back seat as she finally let go of everything and sobbed in her arms.