Chapter 6
After helping Elizabeth and Susan from the wagon I follow behind them through the gate. My thoughts are racing but I try to keep myself together. I am not sure how Elizabeth and Susan will take being here. Elizabeth stops just little ways up, she reaches for Susan's hand. I see their tears and I know we are there. I stop just before making it to Elizabeth unsure if I wanted to see it. Elizabeth looks at me and her eyes tells me she needs me, so I go. I stand next to her putting my arm around her, I turned and there it is:
Constable
Jack Thornton
N.W. M. P.
Loving Husband
Hero, Friend
There is my tombstone, this is such an eerie feeling. Seeing my name written on that stone paralyzes me for a moment. Elizabeth is crying. Susan just stands there with tears falling. This is a hard moment for all of us. Susan turns to Elizabeth, "Will we be able to leave him buried her or do I need to arrange to have him moved?" Elizabeth in her caring manner, "No of course you can leave him here. I would never want to disturb him. We can arrange for a service if you would like. I had ordered the new head stone but it hasn't arrived but I was going to go to the mercantile today to call and request to have the named corrected. I know how difficult this all must be but I am here to help anyway I can. If I hadn't had Abigail and the other ladies' I am not sure I could have made it." Susan stood there a moment then she sat down on the ground, covered her face with her hands and sobbed. Elizabeth sat next to her and cried. I needed a moment, seeing my name there, seeing Elizabeth crying. I am overcome with a gut-wrenching pain. The pain she has been through. I start to walk away for a moment and Elizabeth notices, "Jack, Jack are you okay?" She stands. "Just stay with Susan, I am just going to step away for just a moment. I am fine but she needs you." She looks concerned and is about to speak when I smile and nod toward Susan, "Stay with her, I promise I am fine." I can tell she doesn't like it but she shakes her head and sits back next to Susan. I walk away and my mind is consumed with the thoughts of Elizabeth. I can see her dressed in black standing right where she sits with Abigail holding her up. The pain she must have felt. I can't risk doing that to her again. I can't be a Mountie. I can't take the chance of getting hurt or worse and never return to my family. She will not be happy but seeing her like this and imagining her overcome with grief confirms my decision. I notice Elizabeth and Susan stand so I turn around and go back to them. "I am ready to go, I have seen what I came to see. I am ready to go." Elizabeth's sadness covers her face. "Do you want me to plan a service for him? We can call the Mountie chaplain and have him come do the service. I don't mind at all helping you plan it." Susan shook her head, "No but Thank you for the offer. It would only be for me because it would be too far to ask our few close friends back home to travel. I will plan a memorial service when I get back home. But I would like to ask Jack if you would mind saying a few words since you knew him and saw him last. I would also like to say a prayer then we can go back to town." I didn't know what to say. I had only known him a few days. I don't think I could say enough to do him justice but I can't tell Susan no. "Of Course, Arnold Baker was a Mountie of great courage and dedications. The short while I knew him I could tell that being a Mountie was his life's calling. I could tell he understood the risk but he didn't allow that to hinder the way her served. In those last moments, I saw no fear in him, I saw him put himself between his fellow Mounties and avalanche that fell. I saw a hero that day and he will forever be known to me as one of the bravest Mounties I had the privilege to know." Elizabeth had pulled Susan into a hug, it was a hug of complete understanding of the pain Susan was feeling. I didn't know what to do or say now. Then I heard Elizabeth start singing Amazing Grace. She sang as she held this grieving girl. I joined in and we sang the hymn through when we were done I began to pray, "Lord we stand here heartbroken over the loss of your servant Arnold. Susan stands here with the future she envisioned gone. Her pain is so great it can't be explained but you know. I ask you to come into her presence giving her the peace and comfort only you can give. Arnold died a hero. He died doing what you called him to do. I pray that in time we see your purpose in the pain of this loss. In Christ Name, we pray, AMEN." Susan looked up, "Thank you both, I am ready to go."
As we entered town we met Nathan on the road, "There you are, I have been looking for you Jack." "You were looking for me?" I asked. "Yes, you were supposed to go on morning rounds with me. I am just finishing up." Susan spoke up, "I am so sorry I kept you from your duties. I didn't consider the fact that you were back at your post. You should have said something this could have waited." "Oh, I am not at my post, I still haven't been released to work but I was cleared to do small things to help continue building up my muscle. Over 2 years in a bed took a toll on my body. So, I didn't have to go but Nathan had offered to let me ride along. I am sorry Nathan I completely forgot. This is Ms. Susan Cartwright. She was Arnold Bakers fiancé you probably recall him as Arnold Grant. She came to Hope Valley to meet me and inquire about his last days and final resting place." Nathan looked perplexed, "Arnold Baker, from Coldwater Ridge? Tall kid dark hair and slender? His parent are Dorothy and Joseph Baker?" Susan's face lit up! "Yes!" she exclaimed. "Yes, that is right! You knew Arnold?" Nathan shook his head, "Yes, he is my cousin. My father is Aunt Dorothy's brother." Susan was stunned. "He was your cousin? I never knew he had living family. I was always told that Mrs. Dorothy had no siblings." Nathan lifted his eyebrows, "That doesn't surprise me. When Arnold and I were very small my family lived in Coldwater Ridge as well. We lived next do to each other and were very close. When our grandmother passed away she left everything to my father. There was nothing left for Aunt Dorothy. She had gone against my grandparents wishes and married Uncle Joseph. We just assumed that was why she was left out of the will. She and my father argues about it for a while. Aunt Dorothy got a lawyer and sued my father for half. The court ruled against her. After that my father decided it was time for us to move. That's when we moved to Holly Springs and I never heard from or saw them again." We all sat there stunned. What do you say to that? Elizabeth with her grace and gifts with word spoke up. "Oh, what a blessing you found each other. A tie that binds both of you to Arnold. This is wonderful. Susan I failed to introduce you. This is Constable Nathan Grant." "It is nice to meet you Constable Grant." He tipped his hat, "Nice to meet you as well." "Maybe you two could have lunch and share stories about Arnold. You each knew him at different points in his life. I am sure there is a lot to share." Elizabeth suggested. "No, I really don't have time. I am going to catch the next stagecoach back home." She seemed short but I wasn't sure why. Nathan spoke up, "Oh I understand, time like this it is important to be with family. Please send my condolences to Aunt Dorothy." "She and Mr. Joseph passed away a little over 3 years ago, from pneumonia. Shortly after they passed Arnold joined to Mounties." Susan explained. With sadness in his voice Nathan said, "I hadn't heard. I had hoped my father and Aunt Dorothy would make peace someday. I don't want to keep you and you miss the stagecoach. Jack, are you still planning on working on the house later today?" I wasn't sure why Susan was in such a hurry but I guess he got what she came for. I am so tired and I really need to rest. These last couple of days have been busy and a bit overwhelming but I can't show weakness in from of Nathan. "I am. We can meet at the house around 2 if that is good for you." I told him. Elizabeth spoke up, she knows me well and sometimes that isn't a good thing. "Jack, you need to rest. You need to spend some time with little Jack. These last couple days have been a lot. Why not rest and you can go with Nathan for rounds in the morning then to work on the house for a while. Carson said not to overdo it." Nathan nodded, "Jack that sounds like a good idea. If I had a beautiful wife like Elizabeth and sweet boy like you have I would never want to leave them." Is he saying I don't want to be with my family. "I didn't say I didn't want to spend time with MY family. I just want to be a part of building our home but I will take a break today. I will meet you in the morning around 8 in from of the jail." I didn't want to do anything with him but I wasn't going to let Elizabeth know I was still unsure of this man's intentions. I thought after my talk with Carson I was starting to trust him but I just can't shake the feeling something isn't right about him. "Well Jack I usually get started around 7:30 but we can do 8. I will have the horses ready." Nathan said. "No if you start at 7:30 I wall meet you at the stable at 7 so I can get Serge saddled and ready myself." I said will an insincere smile. He nodded, "See you then, it was good to meet you Ms. Cartwright. Have a good afternoon." He tipped his hat and rode away.
Shortly after getting into town the stagecoach arrived. I helped load Susan's things. Elizabeth hugged Susan, "Please come back and visit. We would love to have you. I understand your pain, I am sure you feel like I did when I thought I had lost Jack." Susan nodded, "I appreciate the sentiment but you don't. You have Jack and your son and I will never have Arnold again. I am sorry. I don't mean to be cross. I am really grateful for your hospitality. Please tell the other ladies how much I appreciate their support." She bowed her head embarrassed by her comment. Elizabeth took her hand, "Don't apologize. You are right my pain ended up being temporary and yours isn't but I will always do what I can to help." They hugged and I helped Susan into to stagecoach. She was holding Arnold's bible, she dropped it. I bent down and picked it up. As I did it opened to the back to writing that appeared to be her and Arnolds vows. Now I know why the Bible was so important to her. When she saw it open sadness spread across her face. "Those are our vows" she said. "We said them and he wrote them in this bible I gave him and in my Bible, I had had since I was a child. We knew it wasn't official in law but it was in our hearts. We said them when he proposed while I was sick thinking we would get to say them officially one day." I shut the door of the stagecoach. She waved goodbye as the stagecoach pulled away. My heart breaks for her, my guilt and my thankfulness collide bring tears to my eyes. I get my dream fulfilled and she must live with the loss of hers. Elizabeth notices my tears. She leans in and kisses me when I hear, "My mama!" I turn and Abigail is walking up with Jack. I reached for him and he reached for Elizabeth. He looked at me, "My mama, Daddy!" He grabs Elizabeth tightly around the neck. She smiles and I just shake my head. "Yes son, she is your mama." Abigail invites us to the café, we decline and head home.
Elizabeth comes down the stairs from laying Jack down for a nap and I am sitting at the table. I had made some tea. She smiles and comes to sit next to me. She reaches for my hand and notices I have her book. Her eyes widen and she smiles. "So, you found it?" I smile, "I did. Is this your first published book?" Her face lights up, "Oh no it isn't." "You had another book published. I didn't see it on the shelf." I told her. She gets up walks over to the shelf and came back with the book I had illustrated and "published". I give her a smile, "No I mean really published." She said with an affectionate express, "Jack this to me is more special than any book I could have published by a publishing company." I nodded smiled, grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Well can you tell me about this book?" I asked. She smiled, "Well one night I had Abigail, Nathan, Lee and Rosemary over for dinner. Jack was getting sleepy, so I decided to rock him while we visited. Rosemary, Lee and Abigail decided to leave so the house was quiet. Nathan stayed and cleaned the dishes while I rocked Jack. He heard me telling Jack about one of your many heroic stories and he suggested I write them down. When he left and Jack was a sleep I sat down and began to write. I stayed up most of the night writing. I had 30 pages before morning within a week I had the whole book written. I told you when you bought me my typewriter you were my inspiration and that night I remembered that. And because of that I have my first book published to be sold." I heard her but I was stuck on Nathan being alone in my house with my wife and son. I knew there was more than him just being her friend.