Part 1: Chapter 29: 1887: Red Deer, Alberta,

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

The Grants and the Normandeaus continued in this manner for a few weeks, receiving news from Ted and Wilma together, and from Regina and Harris. Wilma had said it was silly to write about everyone's days when they were all the same, but Harris said that the families would like to read about both perspectives, so she did it anyway. Edith and Ophelia both mentioned that Harris was right in the next letters they both sent.

Colleen still went to school everyday and not much changed in Ms. Fletcher's classroom. Colleen was, to her surprise, the one who had not lost months of learning, although she would never admit it. James would show up for the morning or afternoon releases when he had the time, but he also made sure a Mountie was watching the process as well. Friday afternoons were especially consistent for James to be sitting on General waiting for school to get out. When Nate was near, General would immediately go to him and start playing, even if James was still mounted and on duty. Sometimes, Nate and Ophelia would be running late. General would be a professional war horse until he saw Nate and Ophelia walking. Then all bets were off. Especially if Sirius the dog had escaped and spent the afternoon playing with Nate. Both animals were possessive and a bit jealous of the attention Nate would give both. Both seemed to think it was their sole duty to make Nate smile and giggle, so both would be ridiculous if they were competing, which would often leave Nate laughing hysterically, being unusually loud, and Ophelia and James shaking their heads at the three of them. The constables who had been involved in April would also smile in relief when they saw the pure joy on Nate's face when he was playing with the animals.

It was the beginning of October when things started the family on the path to their struggles. Regina in all of her letters hadn't said anything about her own health or issues, she only spoke of Harris and how well he was connecting with his grandparents. While James was worried about her lack of information about own cancer, he felt that it wasn't his place to say anything, since he seemed to be the only one who noticed.

It was a Friday when James received a telegram from Harris.

MOM IS VERY SICK. RICHARD IS AROUND. NEED HELP. COME ASAP! Harris.

The telegram had been sent to the fort instead of through the Mercantile. James feared what was happening with his sister and nephew. He sent a Mountie to get each of the Grants, and then messaged back and forth with Harris as he knew that it would take some time for the Mountie to collect Nate and Ophelia at their home.

The adults met at the Normandeaus' parlor like James asked them to do.

"What's wrong?" Ophelia said as she carried Nate inside, both dripping with wet hair.

Archie and Edith both shrugged and then gestured to James.

"Harris sent me a telegram through the Mountie office in Winnipeg," James explained.

"Through the Mountie office?" Edith asked with fear in her eyes.

James nodded.

"This makes it official business, then?" Ophelia asked.

James nodded.

"Sort of, anyway. Apparently, Regina has not been saying anything about her own health because she didn't want to worry anyone, but her cancer has been getting worse. She barely keeps anything down. Harris is, rightfully, worried about her," James said with an eye-roll.

The others gasped in surprise.

"While they are all dealing with all their combined health issues, Richard has shown up and is trying to claim that Regina's money is his and is threatening her and the family," James added.

"I thought Regina's dowry was contracted to only be hers?" Edith asked in confusion.

"It is. Richard has no claim to that money. I have no idea about combined income and what Richard did with his own fortune," James said with an eye-roll.

Ophelia and Archie looked at each other and shrugged.

"Dowries are still a thing?" Archie asked.

"Oh yes," Edith and James answered firmly.

"Well then, we're no help in that way," Archie said as he leaned back.

Ophelia nodded in agreement.

"Did Harris say anything else?" Ophelia asked.

James took in a breath and had to force himself to look them in the eye.

"Harris said that Wilma has been bedridden for a week. They don't think she is going to last much longer," James said.

Ophelia nodded as her tears glistened. Archie put his arm around her in comfort and kissed her head.

"What are we going to do about all of this?" Edith asked.

"I will need to go there and figure out the Richard issue for at least as long as that takes," James said with a heavy sigh as he rubbed his forehead.

"Do ya expect it will take awhile?" Archie asked.

"With Richard, yes it will take awhile," James answered knowing the man too well.

"What about Regina and Wilma? What are we doing about them?" Edith asked.

"I can't be gone from me job for an extended time," Archie said.

"How long does it take to travel that far?" Edith asked.

James glared at her.

"With our carriage, at least a week," James replied.

"Why are you speaking of the carriage?" Ophelia asked.

"Because Edith is thinking of going," James said as he looked at his wife. Edith nodded.

"What? No!" Ophelia exclaimed at her best friend.

"No one there has a contagious illness. I can have Rachel, Molly, and Sally travel ahead and set up some rooms that we will stick to," Edith said.

"Edith?" Ophelia pleaded.

"If they are as sick as Harris has said, Regina is going to need all the help she can get. I've known Regina the second longest. I know how to distract her, to entertain her," Edith said firmly. "It leaves you to help with your mother."

"You're assuming I can go," Ophelia remarked.

"Why wouldn't you?" Edith asked.

Ophelia and Archie looked at each other. Then Ophelia looked down.

"We can't afford to go across the country. We have to plan and save for a trip like this, and with all of our medical expenses this year…" Archie admitted finally.

"Oh," Edith said as she looked at James.

They gave each other a long look in return.

"Money has never been an issue for us. I didn't ever think of it as a problem before," Edith admitted with a little shame.

Archie and Ophelia both nodded, knowing that the Normandeaus were not capable of understanding living paycheck to paycheck. James would have a better understanding of the problems of the Grants' class with his job, but he would never know how it felt on a personal level. Edith had been a bit spoiled growing up. She has always had the best of everything. Her house was always warm and clean and didn't have to share an outhouse.

"We would pay for everything," Edith offered.

"That doesn't stop the fact that Archie has missed months of work already. His boss won't let him have that kind of leave. We need his job to survive," Ophelia said simply.

"I can ask, but I doubt he'll go for it," Archie responded.

"I don't think we can plan much more without knowing if Archie can get away. I have some things to take care of at the fort office before I can leave anyway. Why don't we wait for Archie to come back before we decide anything else," James said.

Ophelia and Edith nodded.

Archie and James were soon back through the gate.


This was how Archie found himself standing in his boss' office after being called away from his lunch earlier from the Mountie.

"Archie, everything alright?" his boss asked when he noticed Archie standing in the doorway.

"'Fraid not, sir," Archie said as he walked inside and shut the door.

"What's happened now?" his boss asked, gesturing to the chair across from him.

"Ophelia's mother is quite ill. They think she will pass soon," Archie explained.

"Where do they live?" his boss asked.

"Winnipeg," Archie replied.

"That is quite far!" his boss remarked.

"I know," Archie replied.

"Why are you here, Archie?" his boss asked.

"I need time off to go with Ophelia and the children," Archie replied.

His boss gave him a look. This look was absolutely not one of concern or empathy.

"You do realize that you are not paid a salary, right?" his boss added.

Archie nodded.

"You don't get paid if you aren't here," his boss added unnecessarily.

"I know," Archie folded his arms over his chest.

The men stared at each other for a bit.

"I will let you have three weeks," his boss said as he leaned forward.

"Thank you, sir!" Archie said in reply and relief.

"Hang on a moment. You can get three weeks off, but I expect the time to be paid back. You attend our poker games until your time is paid off," his boss said.

Archie glared at the man in front of him.

"Sir, with all due respect, I agree with owing time, but does it have to be the poker games? I am trying to stay out o' trouble. That won't let me," Archie asked.

"Archie, you are the most talented player I have ever seen. The brothers think so, too. You'll be winning us both a lot of money. I would think this is a win-win for you," his boss said as he leaned back in his chair.

"If that is the case, then perhaps once I've won the amount you would give me?" Archie tried again.

"No, it will be the TIME owed not the amount, or no deal, and you will be looking for another job should you go with them," his boss said firmly.

Archie sat there thinking about the deal. He was about to walk out without making the deal, thinking that being jobless would be better than making this deal, when his boss casually flipped up his newspaper. The headline on the front page read: "Blinky Morgan Strikes Again!: New Enforcer Seamus Grant Leaves Piles of Bodies."

Archie sucked in a breath. He had never told anyone outside of Ophelia and the Normandeaus about his brother, and he had no idea that Seamus had come across the ocean and was apparently working for a crime boss in Cleveland, Ohio.

Archie glared at him again.

"The brothers have a vast newspaper subscription. They were the ones to bring this to my attention. How do you think other Red Deer proprietors will feel about one of their own being related to a mob enforcer?" his boss asked. "You look very similar. The relation cannot be denied."

His boss flipped to a wanted poster of Seamus recreated in the paper. And if Archie had kept a long beard, and had the wild, cruel eyes Seamus had always had, it could have been a picture of Archie.

Archie closed his own eyes and pressed the bridge of his nose.

"This is the price for your leave and my silence," his boss added as he put down the paper.


I had not intended to write such a short chapter for this one! But I felt this was the perfect place to stop. Blinky Morgan was a real Cleveland crime boss and in early 1887 his gang robbed some stores of valuable furs and there was a several week chase which led to an arrest and a shoot out where members of both the police and the gang members were caught, killed, captured, or managed to get away. The leader was caught and hanged eventually that summer. But for the purposes of this story, he survived and is reestablishing his power, using Seamus Grant as his hired muscle (the perfect role for such an evil man, as Archie had been correct in his knowing that Seamus takes pleasure in hurting and killing others).

Thanks for the positive feedback!