Chapter 38 – Spending Time Together (longer)
Jack helped Elizabeth up and grabbed the blanket that she had brought. He then then went and got Sergeant's reins. They walked back to town together. Instead of going to the cafe, Jack headed to the livery and Elizabeth went with him. Jack wanted to get Sergeant settled since he had been saddled most of the day. Jack was glad that Elizabeth walked with him. He enjoyed spending time with her, even if it was just a few minutes alone. They didn't have to talk when they were together, it was just enough to be in each other's company.
"Did you have a nice ride?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes." Jack said. "I rode out and checked out some of the farms that are on the further edges of the area. Glad everyone was doing good."
"That is good." Elizabeth said. "I had a nice day sitting out by the pond. I read most of the book. Watched some of the children play. I think that would be a great spot for a schoolhouse. There is room for the children to play. Also if it sat right, it would have a lot of natural light with big windows on both sides."
"So not like you have thought about that at all." Jack teased.
"Sometimes." Elizabeth said. "I would be remiss if I didn't say I wanted my own classroom, but at some point, I know that the town can't afford it, so I will make do. It doesn't hurt to dream though does it. I know that the children can learn anywhere. I am just glad that we have somewhere to meet. But, like I said dreams."
"No, it doesn't." Jack said.
Elizabeth feed Sergeant a treat while Jack unsaddled him and brushed him out. He had wanted to talk to Elizabeth more about the schoolhouse, but he chose not to at that point. He thought maybe he could draw something up and then show here. He wasn't quiet ready to share his hidden talent yet. No one in Coal Valley knew that he drew. Honestly, not many people knew that about Jack. They didn't talk while he finished brushing Sergeant.
"Done." Jack said. "Ready?"
"Let's go." Elizabeth said. "Maybe we can have a snack. I realized I haven't eaten since breakfast."
"I haven't either, really." Jack said. "I had an apple and some cheese this morning and then some jerky when I was riding. So I guess, I haven't really eaten a meal today."
"Does that happen a lot?" Elizabeth asked.
"Sometimes." Jack said. "Whenever I ride out of town, I always have something in my saddlebags. I usually carry jerky and some tins that I can heat up. I also carry line and hooks, so if I am by a stream or lake, I can try and snag a fish or two. What I am saying, is I always have something with me, it is whether I remember to eat or not. I think I got use to eating less when I was at the academy, so it is okay."
"Well." Elizabeth said. "I will just have to make sure you eat well when you are in town."
Jack just smiled. They walked into the back of the cafe and washed up.
"I thought you might be hungry." Abigail said. "I made some sandwiches."
"Thank you." Jack said. "We were just talking about that."
"Well enjoy." Abigail said. "I was thinking you guys could have the rest of the chicken vegetable soup later."
"Okay." Elizabeth said. "Do you have everything ready for Monday?"
"Everything that I can do." Abigail said. "I want to do some laundry tomorrow and then probably set some dough to rise overnight."
"Sounds good." Elizabeth said. "I think if the weather holds we might go on a picnic tomorrow."
"Want to take the rowboat out again?" Jack asked.
"Sure." Elizabeth said. "That was fun."
"I will even check for spiders before we leave." Jack said.
"I am guessing that there is a story there." Abigail said.
"Yes." Both Jack and Elizabeth said with a laugh.
"Last time." Jack said. "A spider crawled up on Elizabeth's shoulder and it startled her. I removed it."
"I will make some sandwiches and stuff for you then." Abigail said. "Maybe even be able to do that before services so you can leave right afterwards."
"Thank you, Abigail." Jack said.
Jack and Elizabeth enjoyed the sandwiches. Jack told them both about checking on the farms that day. He asked about their day and it was just a nice fun relaxing afternoon. After about an hour, Jack excused himself. He said he was going to head to the jail and change out of his uniform. Then he was going to see if he could split some of the bigger pieces that he head brought it with the wood. Jack left and was back fifteen mintues later dressing in casual work pants and soft blue button up. He had rolled up the sleeves and was carrying both his axes. Jack went around to the back side of the cafe where he had set up a large stump so he could spit wood. Elizabeth headed upstairs. She went over to the window at the top of the stairs in the hallway. She stood there and watched Jack split wood. Ever since she had caught a glimpse when she had first arrived of him splitting wood, she liked to watch him when she could. She also didn't want him to know that she was watching him. There was just something about watching a good-looking, muscular man split wood. Elizabeth knew that was something that she would never see in Hamilton, but it was something that she liked about Coal Valley. It was also something that she knew she would miss if she ever left. Elizabeth must have stood there twenty minutes or more watching him. She thought he could use a drink, so she headed downstairs and got Jack some fresh lemonade. She poured a large glass and headed outside. Abigail just had to laugh.
"Hey, there." Elizabeth said as she came around the corner.
Jack turned after he drove the axe down through a piece of wood.
"Hey." Jack said. "That for me?"
"Of course." Elizabeth said. "Can't have you working out here in the heat."
Jack walked over and took the glass from Elizabeth. When he grabbed it, their fingers touched and Elizabeth blushed. Jack decided he wasn't going to call her on it.
"How much longer?" Elizabeth asked.
"I think I will split everything I brought up." Jack said. "So many an hour."
"Okay." Elizabeth said. "Then I will bring you another glass of lemonade in about twenty minutes."
"You don't need to do that." Jack said.
"I don't mind." Elizabeth said.
"Okay." Jack said. "See you soon."
Jack set the glass down on the stacked wood and went back to splitting the wood. Elizabeth decided to take the glass in. She thought about leaving it for a moment, but she didn't want ants to crawl in or it fall and break. After coming back inside, Elizabeth went back to watching Jack from the upstairs window. Abigail just laughed at Elizabeth, she was acting like a teenager in love. She didn't mind, it was fun to see. Abigail knew that those two belonged together, but they needed to get over themselves. Both had fears and reservations, if they would just talk about them, Abigail knew that it would be a great partnership. She had never seen two people more perfect for each other. She was going to do whatever she could to help them see that they would be great together, even if she had to sit them down and force them to talk it out. She was going to give it some time and see if they could work it out on their own.
Like clockwork, Elizabeth was back out with another glass of lemonade twenty mintues later for Jack. This went on for over another hour. Elizabeth would watch Jack from the upstairs window and then every twenty minutes she would take him a glass of lemonade. Finally, Jack was done and came into sit down.
"Thank you." Abigail said. "I never realized how much wood this larger stove was going to take. I am also not use to having to gather and spilt my own wood."
"It is fine." Jack said. "I actually like splitting wood. It helps me think. My brother and cousins hating splitting wood, so since I didn't mind, I always did back on the farm. One particularly bad spring and summer, my uncle teased me that I actually split enough wood for three winters. He didn't mind, he was able to sell what we wouldn't use. He also knew that I would keep splitting."
"What made it so bad?" Elizabeth asked. "Because that sounds like a lot of wood."
Elizabeth saw Jack's eye cloud over and his smile faded.
"You don't have to tell me." Elizabeth said.
"It is fine." Jack said. "I was the spring and summer when I was twelve. I had recovered from the measles, but two of my cousins didn't. One was getting better and then one day his fever spiked and three days later, he was gone. It was hard for me because we were the same age. I didn't understand how we both got the same thing and I survived and he didn't. The other one died while I was still sick. He was younger and always little for his age."
"I am sorry." Elizabeth said.
"You know it wasn't your fault." Abigail said.
"Thank you." Jack said. "I know it wasn't my fault, but that was not understanding that I had at twelve – maybe a few years later, but not then. Once I had recovered enough and also to work back getting my strength, I hit the wood pile. I found that splitting wood made me feel better after I lost my father. Not only was I doing something, but …(sigh) … it is hard to explain. You know when you are so mad that you want to hit something. Well splitting wood is good for that. You are able to break stuff, but it doesn't do any damage, it is actually productive."
"I can see that." Abigail said. "Maybe that is why Peter liked to split wood once his was big enough to do it with out Noah right there helping."
"Pretty sure it was." Jack said. "Over the years, I have found splitting wood was good workout and it also helps when I need to think. I can do something physical and work out things in my head."
"Well." Abigail said. "You are free to split wood for the cafe anytime."
"I will keep that in mind." Jack said. "You should see behind the jail. I have already split enough wood to last until next winter."
Elizabeth and Abigail just looked at each other.
"So did you work out whatever was going on?" Abigail asked.
"Yes and no." Jack said.
"What to talk about it?" Abigail asked.
"I can't." Jack said. "Mountie business."
"Well." Abigail said. "If you need to talk, I am a great listener. I might not always understand, but I can listen."
"So what else do you like to do?" Elizabeth asked. "I know that you like to ride and split wood."
"Depends on where I am." Jack said. "Sometimes, I will read or something like that, but I prefer to physical things. I am not good at just sitting around most of the time."
"Most men aren't." Abigail said. "I mean, Noah could sit and paint, but there were times I thought he would climb the walls from being inside to long."
"That I understand." Jack said with a laugh.
"Not me." Elizabeth said. "When I was little, my sisters would complain that I never wanted to do anything with them. It was so funny because if anyone was looking for me, they knew that the first place to look was our library or my father's office. If it was nice, I might be out in the gardens. I learned to read when I was four and from that point on, any chance I had to read a book I would. By the time that I was eight or nine, I was reading book most didn't read until they were teenagers or better somethings."
"So what were you reading at eight and nine?" Jack asked.
"Anything I could get my hands on." Elizabeth said. "I read Sherlock Holmes and Shakespeare. I read the Jungle Book and Dickenson. What where you reading at that age?"
"I don't know." Jack said. "Probably things like Peter Pan. I didn't start reading a lot of books until I was more in my teens. For the longest time, the only books that we had were school books. I think I was almost fourteen before Aberdeen got a library."
"Sorry." Elizabeth said. "I forget not everyone had a huge library in their house. I was always allowed to read whatever I wanted as long as I wasn't asking an adult what a word meant every other sentence. Once our governess taught me to read, I read anything I got my hands on. She showed me how to look up a word in the dictionary if I didn't know what it was. I guess maybe that is why I want all children to learn how to read. Didn't either of you notice that I have two entire trunks of just books. Most of them are my personal books that I loan out to the children. I brought books of all levels, plus my favorites that I like to read over and over. I have also received at least two shipments of books from home. I know Jack helped move that one the week you went into the mine, Abigail. That had books for the school, but some of them came from my personal collection. I don't mind sharing them with the children. I have told them that they need to respect the books and return them in the same condition they received them in. So far, I haven't had any problems."
"Yeah." Jack said. "I remember that. Almost all the crates were books."
"Guess, I didn't pay attention." Abigail said. "I figured that you must have had some books. I remember the boys saying the trunks that were shipped were heavy."
"Yeah." Elizabeth said. "They were half full of books and school supplies."
"Well." Abigail said. "It is nice of you to share your books with the children of Coal Valley, I know that the mothers appreciate it. I know that some complain about children having a nose in a book, and not doing something else. I would prefer a child reading instead of causing trouble."
"Maybe you can open a library sometime." Jack said. "That would be great."
"Maybe." Elizabeth said. "First a schoolhouse and then I will think about a library. Abigail, don't get me wrong, I am grateful that we have the saloon, but at some point it would be nice to have a proper schoolhouse and church. I think that if done right, we could start a library out of the school and then work toward a proper library for everyone."
"No, I know what you mean." Abigail said. "Maybe sometime. As you can tell, Pacific Northwest Mining doesn't like to spend money to make things easier for people. We don't even have enough housing. I think a church and schoolhouse are way down on the list."
"What else doesn't the company like to spend money on?" Jack asked.
"Anything." Abigail said. "I remember many times Noah upset about not having the proper equipment or enough of things. When things broke, which they do after a time no matter how careful people are, the company didn't want to spend money to replace things. I remember at time when there weren't enough head lamps and men on different shifts were sharing them."
"Good to know." Jack said.
"Why are you asking?" Abigail said.
"You can't say anything." Jack said. "It is an open investigation, but I am still officially looking into the explosion at the mine. Gowen hasn't been exactly helpful."
"Why I am not surprised?" Abigail said.
"You don't think it was an accident, do you?" Elizabeth asked.
"It doesn't matter what I think." Jack said. "It is what we can prove in a court of law. I know something doesn't add up, but I just don't have enough information."
Abigail didn't say anything, but was thinking about what Jack had said. At one point Abigail got up and started getting supper ready. Jack thought he had upset Abigail, so he got up and walked over to her.
"I am sorry if I upset you talking about things." Jack said.
"You didn't." Abigail said. "I was just thinking about what you were saying. I am replaying conversations I heard Peter and Noah having."
"Well." Jack said. "If you think of anything, just write it down and I will see if it means something. It might not mean anything to you, but any small thing could pull the investigation together. So if you remember anything at all, please write it down."
"Okay, I will." Abigail said.
Jack didn't say anything else, but he put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze before walking back over to Elizabeth and sitting down. Jack felt bad about upsetting Abigail. She said she was fine, but Jack knew that grief could be tricky. He had to keep telling himself that it was still early and it would take time for the widows to talk about things without feeling that grief all over again. Jack didn't want to make things harder, but he also wanted to get to the bottom of the explosion. He felt that he owed the widows that much.
"Everything okay?" Elizabeth asked.
"Fine." Jack said.
Abigail finished getting supper ready while Jack and Elizabeth continued talking about growing up. It didn't take long and everything was ready. She brought things to the table and Elizabeth got up and grabbed the bowls. Jack grabbed the silverware and soon they were sitting down to a nice, but simple meal of leftover chicken vegetable soup and fresh bread. They had a nice conversation about things that they would like to see in Coal Valley one day. When they were done with supper, Jack volunteered to do the dishes. Abigail went to object, but he wouldn't hear of it. So Elizabeth helped him with the dishes. It didn't take long and they had the kitchen clean. Jack said good night and left. Elizabeth headed up to her room. Abigail had already gone up when Jack and Elizabeth said they would do the dishes. It wasn't often that Abigail could relax a little. Overall, it had been a wonderful evening and they had all enjoyed themselves.