Chapter 4

The schoolhouse had grown quiet as the children left for the day, almost as if they had taken the sunshine with them. What remained was an unsettling stillness that caused Elizabeth mood to spiral into a form of melancholy. She loved teaching and putting forth effort to enhance her student's education. Angela Canfield was in fact her latest success, she was moving along at a nice pace with her reading braille and she was even able to contribute to the class vocally during class discussions. As result she had many new friends, one of the girls she had become close with however, was Allie.

Elizabeth's mood turned to irritation, for some reason Allie was missing at school today. Elizabeth knew she wasn't sick for she had seen her walking across town only this morning. She wondered if her Uncle was aware of it or not. The other thing troubling Elizabeth's mind was Lucas. They had been courting for quite a while now, but as of yet he still hadn't told her that he loved her. They regularly had special dates in the most romantic settings you could imagine, and he of course liked kissing her. So she did feel some affection from him, but he remained elusive from any form of declaration of his feelings. But if she were to be honest with herself, she would admit that she longed for some more simple excursions, perhaps including little Jack. She tried to talk with Lucas about her son, but he has a tendency to change the subject to her latest story she was writing or some of the changes going on around town.

Elizabeth gathered a stack of papers she needed to grade that evening and placed them in her basket along with the wildflowers Opal brought her that morning. She made her way out the door and was heading towards home when she caught sight of Allie once again. Allie had her fishing pole and looked to be heading in the direction of the lake for some fishing. Elizabeth scowled slightly and pushed her shoulders back in determination. She changed direction and went straight for the Mountie station. Once she stepped on the porch she took a deep breath, she hadn't talked with Nathan since she told him that she wasn't in love him. She squared she shoulders once again and entered the station. It was empty... but Elizabeth was determined to find out why Allie had skipped school. So she headed over to their row house and knocked...there was no answer.

Lastly she headed over to see Rosemary, Nathan and Lee had become closer in the last few months so perhaps they knew what was going on. She knocked on Rosemary's door...

"Oh...Elizabeth. I wasn't expecting you today. Do you want to come in?" Rosemary said but she seemed a bit startled to she Elizabeth for some odd reason.

Elizabeth followed her friend inside and noticed a few things out of place. They had a small desk set up in the corner of the room, and that's when Elizabeth noticed some of Allie's things on the desk. "Why are Allie's things here? Is Nathan out of town on Mountie business?"

Rosemary closed her eyes in frustration, why did Elizabeth have to come today of all days. She knew the news she had to share would be distressing to her friend. For even though Elizabeth had chosen Lucas, Rosemary knew who was truly in her heart. She had also heard Elizabeth deny her feeling for Nathan countless times, even blaming any attraction she may have had for him to have only been her trying to hold on to Jack. But Jack and Nathan were very different men, and other than a shared color of uniform there was no way someone would confuse one for the other.

"Nathan asked Lee and I to take care of Allie for a week...um... he is still in town though."

Elizabeth raised her hands in a frustrated gesture asking, "Then why did he need you to watch her?"

"Elizabeth, why don't you sit down?" Rosemary suggested. Elizabeth refused and reiterated the question.

Rosemary took a deep breath and gently said, "Nathan got married today..."

"What do you mean he got married!!!!...Nathan Grant wasn't even courting anyone."

"Well, perhaps not, but he did get married today." Elizabeth almost crumbled into the chair that was earlier offered and her mouth opened in shock...her eyes slightly glistened. But she held in any other emotion, for she was determined to get all the facts. So she asked Rosemary how all this had come about. Rosemary explained that Nathan had ordered a mail order bride and that she had arrived from out east somewhere as (Rosemary was unsure of from which city Amelia was from). Then she told Elizabeth about the private ceremony in the judges office with only her, Lee, Bill, and of course Allie.

"So that is why Allie wasn't in school today, Elizabeth. She was attending her uncles wedding."

Elizabeth could barely believe it, after everything she told Nathan about how all his actions impact Allie he goes and marries a women her never meet before. "This is crazy, she is probably running from the law or is someone of loose morals. How can he allow someone like that to influence Allie."

"Elizabeth Thornton! There are many other reasons a woman could find herself in a desperate situation where she would need a mans support. Some women are orphans and when they grown up they are unable to find work. Perhaps widowed without any money...and trust me as an actress my creative mind could come up with many more possibilities. So don't say such things about a women you have never meet. I can tell you she is very sweet, and for how much she blushed earlier I am confident she is very innocent as well."

"Perhaps, but how can you and Lee support such a union?"

Rosemary sighed, this heated conversation was starting to give her a headache, but she stated firmly ,"Because Elizabeth, he deserves to be happy. And he knew no one in Hove Valley could do that."

Elizabeth looked angry and she excused herself with the excuse that she needed to get home to little Jack. Once she got into her own row house she had Robert leave for the day. That's when she broke down, deep down the whole time she knew she loved Nathan. Not as Jack's replacement, not as a brother and not as a friend. But as when a man loves a women, and now it was too late...she sobbed for a long while, kicking herself for pushing away the man she loved.