"Why on earth did you tell her you were expecting?!" Lucas asked as he and his wife walked briskly out of the restaurant to his car.
"Because I am expecting! Why did you tell her I wasn't?!" Elizabeth said, stopping at the passenger door.
"Because I didn't want her to know!" Lucas replied, opening the car door for her.
Elizabeth got in with a whirl of her skirt. "Well, hello. Don't you think it's kind of obvious?" she replied, motioning to her growing abdomen.
Lucas looked at her briefly. "Not necessarily." He moved to the driver's side.
"Really?" Elizabeth replied, twisting her mouth to the side.
"Well, there are other things it could be," he said, entering the car. "I mean, she's never seen you before. Maybe she'd just think you're…you're…."
Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Fat?!"
"I did not say that! Elizabeth! I did not say that!" Lucas replied, after which Elizabeth hit him with her clutch.
"Ouch!"
"You didn't say it. But you were thinking it!"
"Elizabeth, I promise, I wasn't! Elizabeth! Will you stop hitting me and listen?" he said, grasping her wrist mid-swing. "I wasn't thinking that at all!" he responded, lowering her wrist toward her lap then scooting back a little in his seat. "I was going more for…bloated."
"Oh!" Elizabeth exclaimed before resuming the beating.
"Sweetheart. Calm down! Calm. Down!" Lucas again gently lowered her wrists to her lap and, this time took her clutch from her hand and set it down on the floorboard beside him. Once he saw she wasn't going to reach for it, he leaned toward her and looked her in the eyes. "Listen, the only reason I told her you weren't expecting is the more information they know about us, the more they have to use against us. We've got to be smart about this."
"So now I'm stupid?"
"Oh, come on now. Now you're just trying to fight. Will you calm down and listen? Elizabeth, these are bad people. I don't want you – or Jack for that matter - to be in any danger. That's all.
Besides, I would never tell her you are fat because I don't believe you are. You're the most beautiful woman in the world to me. And you get more beautiful each and every day. It really is amazing."
Elizabeth stared at her husband for a long time, then sighed. "I hate when you do that," she said, shaking her head.
"What's that?"
"Say something cute and sweet that I can no longer be mad at you."
A shy grin appeared upon Lucas's face, and, as was so often the case, his wife's gaze drifted toward his lips.
Lucas tilted his chin downward, his large chocolatey eyes twinkling with mirth in the dark of their car. "So, you think I'm cute?"
Elizabeth smirked. "You're impossible. Get over here," she said, grasping him by the necktie and pulling him toward her.
Lucas moved across the seat and pressed his lips hard against hers, "Oh, Elizabeth…."
"Lucas…." Elizabeth moaned., wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him even closer.
"Are you two just going sit here in the car and neck, or is someone going to drive?" a voice said from the back seat.
Lucas and Elizabeth jerked apart, and Lucas spun around.
"Bloody Bandersnatch, Nathan! What are you trying to do, scare us to death?!" Lucas exclaimed.
"Bloody Bandersnatch?" another voice said, rising from the floorboard.
Elizabeth peeked over the seatback. "Bill?! You too?"
Avery poked his head up in between the couple looking specifically at Lucas. "Well, you said something big was going down. You didn't expect we'd just head on home and talk about it tomorrow?"
Lucas turned around and straightened his suitcoat. He was trying to maintain his composure, feeling frustrated that Nathan and Bill had the temerity to not only hide in his back seat but had maintained their silence while he and Elizabeth argued. Then they had the audacity to interrupt their kiss. "I didn't expect the two of you would be hiding out in my car," He grumbled as he adjusted his mirror before again looking into the back seat. "Wait! Are you eating in my car?!"
Nathan shrugged. "We didn't know how long you would be."
"Gustave's tapenade has never been tastier," Bill smirked as if to rub it in, reaching for a cracker that had been laid out on the paper bag that was doubling as a plate.
Lucas snatched the cracker from his hand and tossed it out the window.
"Hey!"
"Not in my car. Put it up. And we're not going to discuss this here. She may see us." Lucas said, starting the car.
"Who is she?" Nathan inquired
"We'll talk about it at home," Lucas replied.
"My house or yours?" the Mountie asked.
"Mine," Bouchard responded.
"Is he always this cranky?" Bill asked Elizabeth as he climbed up into the seat.
Elizabeth grinned and looked at Lucas, trying not to laugh at her normally unflappable husband, who was clearly miffed. She didn't' answer.
Lucas looked behind him to make sure they weren't being followed, then looked at Bill. "And get your feet off my seat!"
"Yes, sir!" Bill replied, putting his feet down and then reaching into the bag for another cracker. "Delicious, indeed!"
Walking into the Bouchard's home was a considerably different experience than the last time Bill and Nathan had done so. Gone was the dark Victorian wallpaper, having been replaced by walls of yellow and sage that gave the house a lighter feel. The library was decorated with flowers, and the entire cooking area was under construction, with space being added on so that Elizabeth could have the kitchen of her dreams. A little over four months of married life had certainly transformed Lucas's world, and the woman's touch was prevalent throughout their house – a fact that both Nathan and Bill couldn't help but feel happy for considering the shape Lucas was in the last time they had visited.
"So, you going to tell us what this is all about?" Bill said, moving toward a seat in the library.
Lucas walked over to the window and surveyed the outside, then double-checked the drapes to ensure privacy.
"You in some sort of trouble?" Nathan asked.
"Not me," Lucas said. "The town."
"Elizabeth's in danger?" Nathan asked.
Lucas stopped and looked at him. "Not the town as in my wife. The town, town. An ill-tempered wind blows this way."
"An ill-tempered wind?" Bill asked. "What's he talking about?"
Feeling assured that nobody had followed them, Lucas returned to his guests and took a seat on the sofa, with Elizabeth joining him. Nathan sat opposite Bill.
"It's Judson," Lucas said.
"Why does that not surprise me?" Bill replied."What's he done now?"
"He's bringing a whole heap of trouble to Hope Valley," Lucas responded. "I had a visit yesterday morning from Wyman Walden."
"Walden?" Nathan asked.
"Yes. It seems Mr. Walden wishes to reform himself and is sharing information. He told me of a suspicious delivery he'd seen in Judson's office."
"What kind of delivery?" Bill asked.
"He didn't know. However, it's the name on the return address that disturbed him – and me. It was addressed from a man named Shu Moy."
"The gambling king of Vancouver?" Nathan asked.
Bouchard tilted his head. "You know him?!"
"Well, yeah. When I was stationed at Fort Simpson, about the only thing we had to do was read, so I used to grab the newspaper from the Superintendent's waste paper basket before it got tossed out with the trash. Shu was a regular feature in the Vancouver News." Nathan replied. "Definitely bad news."
"Define…bad news," Bill said.
"As I recall, Illegal gambling, Prostitution, Illicit drugs," Nathan replied, "for a start. How am I doing?"
"Splendidly. Don't forget his tendency to cause his enemies to disappear, for good." Lucas added. "He is feared with good reason."
"And Judson's got a connection with him?" Bill asked.
"It would appear so," Lucas said. 'Walden believes that the factory isn't really Judson's main interest but that it's more or less a front for something bigger. He wasn't sure what, but knowing the kinds of things that Shu is involved in and his ambitions, I can venture a guess. Mabel Lee's presence at the Queen tonight only confirms it."
"Who is Mabel Lee?" Nathan asked.
"The Black Widow. Mabel is one of Shu's top informants, known both for her relationship to Shu in addition to the trail of husbands whose untimely deaths made her quite wealthy. She seldom leaves Shu's side unless for a purpose, which, if I were to venture a guess in this case, would be to scope out Hope Valley and make sure it's open for business. Be careful around her. She's coy, and she's dangerous."
Bill squinted his eyes. "How do you know so much about these people? Was she your girlfriend or something?"
Elizabeth frowned, watching Lucas from the side of her eyes.
"What on earth would give you the idea that Mabel was my girlfriend? I detest everything the woman stands for."
"Well, from the way she kissed you," Nathan teased. "She doesn't detest you."
Lucas shook his head. "I can't help what she feels. There was never anything between Mabel and me. Nothing at all. The only time she and I have been alone together was the night I escorted her to a play in Seattle."
"You went out on a date with her?" Elizabeth asked.
Lucas turned to his wife. "No, my love! It wasn't a date. Shu was supposed to take her to meet up with one of his business partners. He was ill, so he asked me to escort her in his place. He didn't trust the man, apparently."
"Yet, he trusted you," Bill said. "Why would a city crime boss trust you so much?"
Elizabeth stood, a hint of hurt in her eyes. "I'll get us some tea," she said. "This may take a while."
Once she was gone, Lucas leaned forward in his seat, resting his arms on his knees as he captured each man's attention. "Gentlemen, what I am about to tell you is confidential, and its disclosure could result in grave damage to national security. Therefore, I need your word, upon pain of imprisonment or worse, that you will not share the information you hear with anyone outside this room."
Bill and Nathan paused briefly, curious about what he had to say.
"Okay. You have my word," Nathan said.
"Mine too," Bill replied. "What is it?"
Lucas sat back in his seat, folding his hands in front of him. "It is a number of facts of which I'm about to apprise you of, beginning with the fact that since 1909, informally, and early 1910 formally, I have been an employee of His Majesty's Secret Intelligence Service."
A moment passed as both men considered Lucas's words. Lucas sat perfectly still as the two men began to laugh.
"Good one, Bouchard!" Bill said. "You almost had us going on that."
"Hilarious," Nathan concurred.
Lucas again sat and stared, long enough to where the two men began to become uncomfortable.
"You are…joking, aren't you?" Avery responded.
Lucas grinned slightly. "No. I'm not. Are you finished laughing?"
The two men sat back in their chairs in shock.
"Are you're saying….you're a spy?!" Nathan asked.
"An intelligence agent, to be precise," Elizabeth chirped, returning with a tray filled with teacups and sweetener. She set the tray on the coffee table and smiled sweetly at Lucas, who patted the seat next to him and kissed her gently on the cheek as she sat down.
"Thank you, my love," he said.
"You're welcome," she replied, the two staring at one another amorously for several seconds.
"Let me get this straight. Are you saying the whole time you've been in Hope Valley, you've been a spy?" Avery asked.
Lucas turned away from Elizabeth, taking her hand as he did. "Technically, no. I only work when I'm on assignment, and my last assignment until now ended in 1913 when I couried some papers to a British Diplomat in Monterey, California. He was leaving for the International Opium Conference at the Hague, and the Canadian government wanted him to have my notes. After that, I went to New Orleans and attempted to blend in."
"You did a good job. None of my contacts knew of you," Bill replied.
Lucas paused. "Men have convenient memories when it's required. They may have known of me since Amos's trial was kind of a big deal, but they too would be sworn not to say – either that or the records were cleansed. It really doesn't matter at this point. What matters is Moy's agents are in town, and they are working something with Judson that could destroy Hope Valley forever, so we're going to need to stop it."
"Fine," Bill said. "We can call some people from Mountie Headquarters and have them send some men…."
"No," Lucas replied. "SIS has jurisdiction, not the Mounties. Besides, given Shu's modus operandi, you never know who's been bought. We have to keep this in-house."
"Are you saying I can't do my job?" Nathan replied.
"No. Not at all. What I'm saying is that you work for me now," Lucas responded.
"Excuse me?!" Nathan said.
"Come again?" Bill added, simultaneously.
"I know these people like the back of my hand. I know how they think and what their likely next move is going to be, how they operate, and where their vulnerabilities are. To date, they have no idea that I am a secret agent, and we will keep it that way. Not just for me, but for the sake of my family, Hope Valley, and a much larger operation I am not able to discuss. But let's just say this has international implications, and we need to exercise extreme caution. If my identity is compromised, there are much larger repercussions, and that's the last thing we need. So we need to work together for the good of Hope Valley and for the greater good."
"Alright," Bill said. "What do you have in mind?"
Lucas looked toward Avery. "Bill, your background is in investigations, as I recall."
"That's correct."
"My suspicion is that Shu is setting up a high-stakes gambling den somewhere near Hope Valley. It will likely not be somewhere out in the open where it is easily discovered, rather hidden. I need you to find it and scope the place out – determine who comes and goes when they come and go, and take note of anything else you might see. I'd probably start with Judson's home and go from there."
Bill nodded, understanding the assignment. "And, I should do this alone?"
"Until I can arrange for backup, which may take a few weeks, it's going to be us," Lucas replied.
"Wait, I've got a wedding coming up next month," Nathan said. "I can't leave all of that to Emily."
"I understand," Lucas said. "And, I really wouldn't bother you if I didn't need you to do something that's essential to the operation."
"Like what?" he asked.
"Well, it's going to take some real acting skills on your part since it will involve you doing something that you never would do in a million years. You're going to take a bribe," Lucas said, raising his chin.
"Excuse me?" Nathan said. "I'm not going to go to jail for this."
"From me," Lucas added. "And you're going to be seen doing it. You see, to be successful, Mabel Lee has to be convinced that I am secretly running my own operations here in Hope Valley. Judson, of course, will claim no knowledge of this and try to call foul, which means Ms. Lee will need to somehow see it for herself. Knowing Mabel, my office is going to be a point of great interest to her. Leave the door cracked just a bit and wha-la. Shu gets word that he has competition in Hope Valley. He'll want to get in on it in the hope that he can edge me out in due time. He may even show up personally to make a deal since he knows me."
"And then what?"
"By then, hopefully, our backups will have arrived. SIS can decide then how it wants to handle it all. My bottom line is I don't want them anywhere near our home. This town needs to be preserved against all corruption so that we can leave our children a place worth living in. Not what I saw in Chinatown."
Nathan shook his head. "Okay, I'm in."
"Me too," Bill replied.
"What about me?" Elizabeth said, looking expectantly toward her husband.
Lucas tilted his head. "What about you?"
"What role will I play?"
Lucas looked at the two men and then at his wife. "Darling, I need for you to stay here and take care of yourself and little Jack. We have a baby coming in five months, and this work is too dangerous for you to play any active role."
"But I want to help!" she responded. "Hope Valley is my home too!"
"I know," Lucas replied. "But sweetheart, if something were to happen to you…."
"If something were to happen to you! Lucas, I don't like you being in danger any more than you like me being in danger. What would I do if something happened to you?"
"You'd be well-heeled," he said.
Elizabeth gasped, and Lucas instantly cringed, realizing how what he said had sounded. "Elizabeth, I…"
Immediately, Elizabeth jumped up from the couch in tears and ran upstairs toward the bedroom. They heard a door slam.
"Well, that went well," Bill said.
"Yeah, thanks for the lesson on what not to say to a wife," Nathan added.
"Gentlemen, it would appear our meeting is over," Lucas said, standing up. "I have some damage to repair. Would you let yourselves out?"
Bill and Nathan stood and watched until Lucas reached the staircase then Bill cleared his throat.
"Hey, Bouchard. Aren't you forgetting something?"
"What's that?" Lucas said.
"You drove us out here," Nathan responded. "Are we supposed to walk home?"
Lucas looked toward the door and then toward the stairs. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved his car keys and threw them to Bill.
"Be careful with her," he said.
"You do the same," Bill replied, looking up the stairs. Lucas nodded once, then began his ascent, and the two men let themselves out.
Moments later, Lucas entered his and Elizabeth's bedroom only to discover the room empty. Confused, he stepped back into the hallway, looked toward the master bathroom, and noted a light coming from underneath the door. He stepped quickly down the hall and tapped on the door twice.
"Elizabeth, are you in there?"
He could hear her quiet sobbing coming from inside the room and mentally kicked himself for having caused her to cry.
"Darling, I'm so sorry. Can we please talk about this?"
"I don't feel like talking," was the muffled reply.
"Okay," he reasoned. "That's alright. We don't have to talk. We can just sit together, and I can… hold you until you feel better? Would that be okay?"
"No! I don't want you to hold me. Just leave me alone."
"Elizabeth, please!"
"No! I'm not coming out! Just go away!"
Lucas sighed. "I'm not going away. We need to talk."
"I told you, I don't feel like talking now. Will you please just leave?!"
Lucas leaned his forehead against the wall in exasperation. "They said you might be emotional, but…." Lucas mumbled to himself.
"What was that?!" Elizabeth yelled. "I heard you!"
Lucas closed his eyes."Elizabeth, sweetheart, I'm sorry. I don't know what else I can say. I know what I said was hurtful, but that wasn't how I meant it. It came out the wrong way, that's all. I wasn't trying to make light of something happening to me. What I really meant to say was that if something happened to me, Heaven forbid, I've made provisions for you and little Jack and whatever children we may have together. I want you to be taken care of because you're important to me, and I love you. That's all I was trying to say."
There was silence for about the space of a minute until the hope-filled sound of the lock to the bathroom door clicked, and he watched as the handle turned. Soon, Elizabeth's tear-stained face appeared through the door, and Lucas looked at her with penitent eyes.
"Please forgive me?" he said.
Elizabeth stared at him for several seconds, then shook her head. "You just don't get it," she said, pushing past him and entering the bedroom.
Lucas stood in the hallway for a moment, scratching his head. "I don't get it? Do you mean you're not upset over my careless wording?" he asked, walking toward where she'd gone.
"Of course, I am," Elizabeth said. "You compared me to her!"
Lucas stopped in the hallway once more. "To her? Who's her?"
"That woman. The Black Widow. That woman you kissed."
Lucas immediately made his way to the bedroom door, but before he could enter, a pillow and blanket were shoved into his chest. "What is this? What are you doing?" he asked, following her inside.
She immediately walked toward her dresser to pull out her nightgown."You said that I would be well-heeled just like that woman was when her husbands all died as if money were my main concern."
"I what?"
"Lucas Bouchard, if you think for one minute that money is going to at all be on my mind if I lost you…well, you just don't know me."
"Oh, for Pete's sake! Elizabeth!"
"I don't want your money, and you don't need to make provision for me because if something were to happen to you, Lucas, I would just die. I would die, Lucas! So, you can make provision for our children because they'd be orphans living a lonely life– never knowing…." She started to cry. "What a wonderful father you were because you'd be gone – and I wouldn't be here to tell them."
Lucas wrinkled his brow. "I guess I'm confused. Are you upset that I made light of my dying or upset that Mabel kissed me?"
Elizabeth clenched her jaw and pushed him aside.
"Who did that woman think she was? Have you two kissed before? Tell me the truth!"
Lucas knew better than to laugh at her melodrama and reached out his hand in hopes that he could comfort her. "Elizabeth. Sweetheart."
"Don't you sweetheart me, Lucas Bouchard – I…."
Lucas dropped the pillow and blanket on the floor and wrapped his arms around Elizabeth's waist, pulling her to him. Pressing his lips to hers in a consuming kiss, he felt her melt immediately in his arms as her fingers plunged through his glorious hair.
When at last he released her so they could breathe, he looked at her with adoring eyes.
"Elizabeth Bouchard, do you not know by now that you are the only woman I ever want to kiss from now until the rest of my life. No woman I've ever met before you compares to you with your spirit and beauty, both inside and out, and no other woman I will ever meet will even stand a snowball's chance of capturing my heart as you have. I am yours forever, and I don't ever want you to think for one minute that I find you unattractive."
"Really?" she said, still holding him closely.
"Really. Why it's all I can do sometimes to control myself in your presence," he said before pulling her back to himself and nuzzling his face into her neck.
"Lucas!" she laughed, playfully pushing at him. "Stop!"
Lucas raised his head immediately and looked into her eyes. Running her fingers through his hair once more, she smiled softly. She leaned forward and kissed him softly. "Let's go to bed."
Lucas lowered his eyes, trying to hide his disappointment. His hands gently caressed her arms. "Yes, well, it has been a long day. Sleep will be good."
Elizabeth placed her hand under his chin and raised his head, looking at him through hooded eyes. "Who said anything about sleep?" she said. And then, she bit her lip.
Lucas swallowed, and a dimpled smile slowly spread across his face. Without another word, he picked her up and carried her to their bed, where they spent the next several hours in marital bliss.
The morning alarm sounded way too early and blared uninterrupted on Lucas's nightstand, waiting for him to turn it off. After what seemed like a considerable time had passed, Elizabeth finally stirred awake and rolled over to see to it herself, only she couldn't reach it because her husband's foot was in the way. Elizabeth let out an exasperated sigh and lifted his leg, climbing underneath it and finally reaching the alarm clock. Meanwhile, Lucas raised up from the foot of the bed, looking at her with bleary eyes.
"What are you doing on the wrong side of the bed?" he asked groggily.
"I'm not. You are," she responded dryly.
He raised up further on his elbows and looked around the bedroom. "Well, so I am. How did I get down here?"
Elizabeth laughed. "I have no idea. But it's time to get up. I've got school, and I'm sure you and the boys have plenty to do in town. She climbed out of bed, taking the sheet with her, and looked for her robe. "I'll get breakfast started while you get ready."
"You really expect me to concentrate on work now?" he said, sitting up in bed and watching her walk around the room.
She stopped and looked at him quizzically. "Why would that be a problem?"
"Because you look so beautiful this morning and were so beautiful last night. I just don't think I can get anything done."
"Very sweet," she replied, finding her robe and dropping the sheet for a short second while she put it on. "Now stop chatting and get ready. Unfortunately, we don't have all morning."
Lucas sighed. "You're right. But don't blame me if I make Gustave angry again because I forgot to order ze Mushrooms," he said in his best French accent. "Or if distracted when I'm driving my car….oh! My car."
"What's wrong with your car?"
"Nothing. Bill and Nathan took it."
"You let them drive your car? Your prized possession? Your baby?" She asked with surprise.
"They needed a ride home, and you were upset."
"So you gave them your keys?"
"Of course," he replied. "You were upset."
Elizabeth walked back to Lucas and wrapped her arms around him. "You dear, precious man," she said before kissing him deeply. After a few long moments, she stood. "Now go ahead and get ready. We have an hour and a half before we have to leave."
Lucas watched her walk out the door. "Alright…but please take note that that last exchange did not help with my distraction!"
An hour and a half later, the Bouchards exited their home and were on their way. Lucas had arranged for Henry to come to his house to pick them up, knowing his car was likely parked outside of the Queen. He kissed Elizabeth goodbye when they dropped her off at the schoolhouse, promising to meet her for lunch at the Queen when she got her break.
Arriving outside the business, he thanked Henry for the ride but was surprised when he turned to go inside and saw Nathan standing just outside.
"Good morning, Constable," Lucas said. "I'm surprised to see you here this morning. Is everything okay?"
Nathan motioned for Lucas to walk over to him then leaned to whisper in his ear.
"Mounties in Mountain Ridge sent out a directive that they picked up an Andrew Yang just outside their city limits last night. He had a truck full of booze that he said he was taking to Hope Valley. Apparently even said he was doing it for Shu."
"They're moving fast," Lucas said. "Which means we need to do the same. Bill needs to find out where they're setting up. If Yang is already bringing in alcohol, then that means there is probably a bar already set up to store it, and they're probably further along than we imagined. No time for SIS to get here. We're going to need to handle this ourselves."
"Okay. What's the plan?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Lucas spotted Mabel exiting Abigail's café. He reached for his wallet.
"There she is," Lucas whispered.
"Who?" Nathan asked.
"Mabel. Play along," Lucas replied.
Taking Nathan by the sleeve, he walked several feet away from the entrance, behind a pillar but within view of Mabel. Waiting until she was within earshot, Lucas looked to one side then reached out his hand toward Nathan, passing him a stack of bills.
"As per our usual agreement, here's your money. I trust our little Operation is still just between the two of us. I would hate for Mountie Headquarters to come snooping around."
Nathan nodded and took the money, seeing a maroon satin overcoat out of the corner of his eye. "Of course," he replied. "A dea'ls a deal. Besides, these weekly contributions are goin' a long way toward paying for my honeymoon."
Lucas smiled. "And there's more where that came from. Perhaps a new house? Get you out of the row houses to that property just North of here I know you were looking at?"
"The one with the stream?"
"Exactly," Lucas said.
"That sounds nice," Nathan said. "What's the catch?"
"No catch," Lucas said. "Stakes are getting higher. I'm expecting a convoy of some of the wealthiest businessmen and dignitaries in the world to join us in the next couple of weeks. They will need protection not only of their persons, but their presence here will need to be kept strictly under wraps."
"I'll see that it's done," Nathan said. "But my fee goes up."
Lucas raised his eyebrows. "Your fee goes up?"
"Yeah," Nathan said. "If there are going to be dignitaries. I need at least twice this."
"Twice?"
"Yeah, or it's no deal."
Lucas paused for a moment, mouthing, what are you doing?
Nathan ignored him. "So, are you in?"
Lucas frowned, then took a deep breath. "Fine, I'm in. Take what you have now, and I'll give you the rest later."
"Why not now?"
"I have to open the safe. There are too many people around."
"Fine. Later then," Nathan responded, reaching out for a handshake.
Lucas watched in a car window Mabel's reflection disappear into the building then let go of Nathan's hand. Checking quickly to make sure she was gone, he turned back to the Mountie.
"What were you doing?" he asked sharply.
Nathan smiled uncomfortably. "Playing along."
"By increasing the bribe?"
"It's not real money anyway," Nathan said.
"It's real money to me!" Lucas replied. "Fine, forget about it. We need to find Bill."
"Try Abigail's," Nathan said. "He should be working there today."
Elizabeth's morning was bright and cheerful, especially after she considered the love that she and Lucas shared together. Why on earth would she ever doubt that? He had proven his love to her over and over again so many times and yet was so patient with her when she felt insecure as she did after Bill mentioned the possibility that this Mabel person was an old girlfriend. How completely silly, she thought. Mabel Lee wasn't even Lucas's type – if he had a type, which he did, her. She sat down in her chair to relax while the children finished taking an exam. She had really behaved badly last night. Perhaps this pregnancy was making her overly emotional at times. She needed to apologize to him over lunch. That was the right thing to do.
The bell rang, and the school children dispersed, running outside to play for a while before Ned Yost was to take them on a special field trip. They were going with him to his secret workshop where he was to show them his latest invention, the electric nightlight. Elizabeth cleaned up her workspace and stood by the door, waiting for her husband's car to pull up. When the lunch hour expired, however, and there was no Lucas, she disappointedly ate one of the apples the students had brought in, figuring that he'd gotten tied up in some meeting. It wasn't until Ned arrived that she discovered that wasn't the case.
"Good morning, Elizabeth!" the Mercantile owner said, walking into the classroom just before the students were to return.
"Hello, Ned. Are you ready for this afternoon?"
"Ready and excited," he replied.
"That's nice. I'm sure it will be fun," she responded, her eyes drifting towards her desk.
"Elizabeth?" Ned said. "Is everything okay? You seem – distracted."
Elizabeth's mind immediately went to Lucas's earlier words, and she couldn't help but smile. "Just a little disappointed, nothing major."
"Oh? What about?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Really, it's nothing. Lucas and I were supposed to have lunch together, and I guess he got caught up at the Queen."
Ned furrowed his brow. "Oh."
Elizabeth noted a shift in his expression. "Is something wrong?"
Ned chuckled lightly. "Oh, no. It's just…well, Lucas isn't at the Queen."
"He's not?"
"No," Ned replied. "I shouldn't really say anything, and I don't want you to worry. I'm sure everything is fine."
"What is it?" Elizabeth asked.
"Well, Lucas, Nathan, and Bill stopped by the Mercantile around ten-thirty today to get a new pair of binoculars. Apparently, they couldn't' find Nathan's and Lucas's broke."
"That would be our son," Elizabeth said with an embarrassed smile. "Did they say where they were going?"
"They said they were headed out to Darius Judson's house."
"Judson's house?! Why?"
"They didn't say," Ned responded. "Really, I shouldn't have said anything. But, you were wondering where he was."
Elizabeth thought for a moment. "No, you were right to, Ned. Say…would it be possible for you to entertain the children for a while longer this afternoon. I want to go into town to talk to some people, and I'm not sure when I'll be back."
"Sure. Can do!" Ned said with a self-satisfied smile.
Lucas, Nathan, and Bill crouched down on a hillside about 300 feet outside the gate of Darius Judson's home, two miles outside of Hope Valley. A late 19th-century farmhouse, the house included a large barn that used to be the property of a cattle farmer – only now, it included some improvements made to its exterior.
"Over there," Lucas said. "I'll bet that's where they're setting up."
"An old cattle barn?" Bill asked.
"Yes. Look how the ground is leveled out on the side that doesn't face the road. That's for parking. And those bushes on that truck to the side, no doubt he is going to plant them there to obscure people's view of what's going on."
"Definitely looks shady," Nathan concurred. "So, what do we do now?"
"We wait. Watch what traffic comes in and out. If they are close to having this done, we should see quite a bit of activity before long. All we need is a little evidence that this is what they're doing, and we'll go back to town and report to SIS. Hopefully, Mr. Moy and Mr. Judson will be behind bars before long."
Elizabeth ventured into town with a sense of purpose, walking straight past the Mercantile and straight to the infirmary, where she was pleased to see Emily was not busy.
"Good afternoon, Emily!" Elizabeth said, letting herself in.
"Elizabeth! What a pleasant surprise – or at least I hope it is. Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm feeling fine. I was wondering if we might talk for a moment."
"Certainly, what over?" Emily asked.
"My husband and your fiancé," Elizabeth replied. "I'm worried about them."
"Oh?"
"Yes, Ned Yost is teaching my class for me this afternoon, and he mentioned that Lucas, Nathan, and Bill were going out to Darius Judson's house. I don't know how much Nathan has told you. I doubt if he's told you much. But Judson's is into some rather unsavory business, and the three of them are hoping to catch him."
"What kind of unsavory business?"
"I can't say," Elizabeth replied. "But there is some danger involved."
"Oh, no!" Emily said.
"I was wondering since you are the town doctor, might you know where Judson lives?"
"Where Judson lives? Why, no. Elizabeth, what are you thinking about doing? If this is dangerous, you shouldn't be anywhere near it."
"I'm not going in. I just want to go observe from afar. Make sure they come out safely and if I see any sign of trouble, come back and get some of the other men to help them out."
Emily nodded. "Well, I'm sorry, but the only dealings I've had with Judson have been over the factory. I have no idea where he lives. Perhaps ask Rosemary?"
Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Of course! Rosemary! May I borrow your phone?"
The Coulter's home phone rang, but Rosemary didn't answer, so Elizabeth decided to call Lee. Again, there was no answer. She hung up the receiver.
"No luck?" Emily asked.
"None," Elizabeth replied. "Emily, I just don't have a good feeling about this. I don't know what to do."
Emily thought for a moment. "Perhaps ask Florence."
"Florence?" Elizabeth said. "That's the last thing I want to do is tip off Florence something is going on."
"No, it doesn't have to be like that. The Mercantile delivers the mail, and perhaps you could tell her that Ned mentioned that Lucas was going to out at Judson's today and you needed to see him for something, which you do – you need to see he's okay, and ask if she has the address."
"You're right," Elizabeth said. "I could do that. But what if it's far? I don't have transportation."
"I would suggest we ride, but in your condition…."
Just then, the door to the infirmary opened, and in walked Rosemary Coulter.
"Rosemary!" Elizabeth smiled. "I was just trying to call you. Is everything okay?"
Rosemary smiled as she slowly walked in and took a seat. "I decided I was tired of being cooped up and wanted to stop by the office to pick up a couple of books that Lee couldn't find the other day. Plus, I needed to stop by to see Emily."
"Are you feeling okay?" Emily asked.
"I'm fine," Rosemary said. "It's Jonathan. He got into some poison Ivy, and I was wondering if you might have something to help with the itching."
"I have some calamine," Emily replied, standing to walk to her cabinet.
"I'm surprised Jack didn't get it too. They were playing in the same brush, but he seems fine." Rosemary said to Elizabeth.
Emily returned with the bottle. "Here you are."
Rosemary reached for her pocketbook, but Emily shook her head. "It's on me. Is everything else okay? No more headaches. Everything okay with the baby?"
"It's wonderful," Rosemary said. "I feel like everything's starting to get back on track. With the paper doing well and that Judson's paper is not doing as well…."
Elizabeth and Emily exchanged a glance, one that Rosemary caught.
"What?" Rosemary asked. "What was that for?"
"What?" Elizabeth asked.
"Nothing," Emily said.
"Oh, no. I said something," Rosemary replied. "Was it about Judson?"
Elizabeth's eyes shifted ever so slightly.
"It was about Judson! What's he up to?"
Elizabeth explained to Rosemary at a high level, in the same way she'd explained to Emily what they had gotten into and how they were looking for his address so she could observe what was happening.
"I have his address," Rosemary said. "In my office!"
"Really?" Elizabeth said. "That's wonderful. Now all I need is transportation."
"I can drive," Rosemary replied.
"Oh, no," Emily replied.
"What, no?" Rosemary responded. "I feel perfectly fine."
"Rosemary, if you were to get out on the road and get dizzy…."
"Look, I'll be fine," Rosemary said. "Besides, I am so tired of being stuck inside."
"But your restraining order," Elizabeth reminded her.
"I'll stay in the car," Rosemary and. "That way, I'm just a woman taking a drive with a friend who happened to get out of the car for a walk."
"Driving friends," Emily said, removing her lab jacket.
"Friends?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes," Emily replied. "I don't like the idea of either one of you out there by yourselves. I'm going with you. Besides, I want to make sure Nathan gets out of there safely as well, and with Rosemary's car, we should be able to get back to town and get help quickly if it is required."
It had been almost two hours since the three men set up their stakeout outside of the Judson property, and since that time, they'd seen numerous vehicles enter and exit. A truck full of heavy crates with the name of a famous roulette table manufacturer pulled up to the barn.
"There! That's exactly what we were looking for! Shu is doing exactly what I thought," Lucas said.
"So, what now?" Nathan said.
"I think that's enough to arrest them on, wouldn't you say?" Bill replied.
"Sure. If for no other reason than they have no special license to be doing this. You guys want to head back to town?" Nathan asked.
Lucas nodded. "Yes. I'll wire SIS and tell them what we saw. You can call the Mounties and….wait..."
"I can call the Mounties and wait?" Nathan said.
Lucas leaned forward, looking toward the end of the drive. "Isn't that the car Lee Coulter sometimes drives?"
"The two-seater Model-T?" Bill asked.
"Yes," Lucas replied.
"I don't know," Bill said. "Model-T's are pretty common cars."
"True, but this one's back window is broken out," he replied. "My son and his friend accidentally threw a baseball through it."
"Hmmm. Well, I see the window," Nathan said, grabbing for his binoculars. "But I don't think that's Lee driving. Actually, that's….oh, no! What are they doing here?"
"What?" Lucas asked.
Nathan handed Lucas the binoculars.
"Elizabeth!"
"With Emily and Rosemary," Nathan said.
"Oh, no!" Lucas replied.
"This is the last place they need to be," Bill said gruffly.
"We have to go get them," Lucas said.
"It'll spoil your cover," Nathan replied. "Let me go."
"It's too dangerous," Lucas said. "Send Bill."
"Gee, thanks," Avery replied.
Lucas gasped. "Wait! What's happening now? They're being approached."
"Get the heck out of there, you women!" Nathan responded.
"Oh, no!" Lucas said.
"What's she doing?" Bill asked. "Is Rosemary talking to those guys?"
"It would appear so," Nathan said, looking again through his binoculars. A few seconds passed.
"What's going on?" Lucas asked.
Nathan just shook his head. "Oh, good grief."
"What?!" Lucas asked.
"We've got trouble," Nathan replied.
"What sort of trouble?" Bill asked.
"The guy just asked them to get out of the car!" Nathan said.
Lucas looked up at Nathan with widened eyes and then back down toward the drive, watching in horror as Elizabeth, Rosemary, and Emily each stepped out of the car and were then escorted to the barn by Judson's guards.