Elizabeth's blood ran cold, as she blinked in disbelief. It seemed impossible for Mr. Spurlock to be standing before her right now. He'd been sentenced to jail nearly eight years ago for attempted murder, along with the arson charges.
Yet there was no mistaking the man in front of her. His hair was longer, nearly brushing his shoulders. It had been slicked back in its greasy state, and a straggly beard covered his face. Just looking at him made her skin crawl.
"What are you doing here?" She finally managed.
"Come on." He quipped, taking a step toward them. "Is that really how you greet an old friend?" He smiled an evil grin, sending shivers down her spine. Yet his words sent her blood to boiling.
She worked to keep her teeth from grating. "That is so far from the truth."
Lucas had moved to stand almost in front of her, clearly sensing the tension. His hand gripped her arm, as his eyes went from her to Spurlock. "How do you two know each other?"
Spurlock eyed him, shrugging his shoulders casually. "Our paths crossed a few years back."
His eyes then went back to her, a mischievous gleam lighting his eyes. "I was sad to hear about the passing of your husband. He was a good man."
Elizabeth's nails dug into the palms of her hands, as she clenched them tight. How dare that man speak of Jack! Her jaw locked, as she straightened her spine. "Jack was a hero." And so much more.
Spurlock nodded, a slight smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Of course, he was." He put his arms out, motioning toward himself with a laugh. "He caught me after all. Then again, I suppose he had you to thank for that."
Elizabeth swallowed hard, as she watched him. Slowly, he circled around them.
"Such a shame about Jack dying in that land slide. I would have loved to catch up for old times' sake."
Another shiver ran down her. Whether it was the chilly night air, or Spurlock's evil glare she didn't know. Instantly Lucas' arm came around her shoulders, pulling her closer.
Her throat had gone dry, her tongue sticking to the roof of her mouth. "What do you want?"
Spurlock ignored her comment, going on as if he hadn't heard her.
"You know it worried me to think of his poor wife all alone out here. But I can see you snagged yourself a replacement pretty quick so that solves that."
Her eyes popped open wide at his words. The audacity of that man! She felt Lucas stiffen beside her, pulling her closer still. Glancing at him she saw the vein in his neck pulse.
"I believe you've said enough." Lucas' words were stiff. Clearly filled with disgust for this man.
Spurlock only smirked, and continued pacing. He looked her in the eye, a wicked gleam lighting his own. "If only Jack could see you now." He motioned with his head back toward the pond. "Out in the middle of the night smooching some rich bartender."
Elizabeth gasped in absolute horror. "You were spying on us?" Heat filled her face, her stomach turning.
Spurlock simply shrugged. "Spying. Observing. Whatever you'd prefer to call it." He smiled, clearly enjoying the little game he was playing. But she knew he wasn't here just to talk about Jack and insult her dignity.
To be honest she had no idea how he'd even gotten back to Hope Valley. She believed his sentence had been set far longer than eight years. Either way, she knew that Lucas and her leave. As quickly as possible.
Lucas must have had the same idea. He cleared his throat, his back straightening.
"Well, if you'll excuse us, I'd better escort Mrs. Thornton home."
Spurlock's grin only deepened. "And that's where you're wrong."
Suddenly two men on horses appeared from the trees. Behind them two more riderless horses followed, being led by ropes. Finally, one more man on a horse brought up the rear.
Instantly they surrounded her and Lucas, all of them dirty, crooked looking men. One barely even possessed his own front teeth. They all smiled dirty, evil grins, as the two riderless horses were brought before her and Lucas.
Suddenly Spurlock drew his pistol, pointing it toward them. "You see, I have some business to settle with the both of you. So, I highly recommend you mount up quietly, and don't do anything you might regret."
Elizabeth's heart sped, but she worked to keep her emotions from showing. "What business could you possibly have with Lucas?"
"I'll get to that." Spurlock assured her. "After we go somewhere a little more…. private."
Quickly Lucas' other arm went around her. Grabbing both her arms, he pulled her back an inch. "She's not going anywhere with you."
Spurlock motioned to one of his men. "Johnny."
Suddenly a man came up from behind them, sending a fist into Lucas' side. Lucas gasped, hunching over in pain.
"Lucas!" Quickly Spurlock grabbed her arm, yanking her away.
She fought to free herself, watching in horror as Lucas turned to face the man who'd struck him. He laid a hard punch into his face, only to be met by a knee to the stomach from another man who'd ran to help.
Lucas collapsed to the ground with a groan. Wincing in pain, his eyes desperately searched until they found her. He clawed at the ground attempting to stand, when the first man laid a kick into his ribs. Lucas collapsed again with a sharp gasp, his eyes shutting tight.
"Stop!" She attempted to scream, when Spurlock's hand covered her mouth.
"I wouldn't." He warned, pointing his pistol at Lucas' motionless body.
Oh, God please no.
Tears filled her eyes, as she attempted to pull away from his disgusting grasp. "Why are you doing this?" Anger filled her words, her voice low.
Spurlock yanked her to face him. His eyes darkened, a fire burning deep inside them. "Maybe this will teach you to keep your pathetic little princess nose out of other people's business." He spat his words out between gritted teeth. Raising a finger, he pointed at one of the horses.
"Now get on if you want to keep your boyfriend alive."
And she knew she had no choice.
They rode in silence, the wind swirling against their backs. Elizabeth scooted forward as far as she could in the saddle, trying to put some distance between her and Spurlock. Despite her protests, he'd insisted that she ride with him. And she knew better than to argue with him. Her shoulder brushed his sleeve as his arms circled around her, his hands gripping the reins. Her stomach rolled in absolute disgust.
How was this happening to her? Did he still hold a grudge over her discovering he was the one who'd framed Cat for the church fire? Eight years was a long time, but knowing what kind of a man he was, it came as no surprise.
But what on earth could he have to do with Lucas? She glanced over her shoulder, finding him slumped forward in his saddle. His lips pressed together, his face pulled tight with the obvious pain he felt. Her heart twisted inside seeing him like this.
And it was all her fault. Spurlock must be on a mission to completely destroy her life, including anyone he thought was close to her. That was the only thing that made sense.
Suddenly her heart stopped, her stomach churning as Little Jack's precious face flashed before her eyes. Would Spurlock go after him too? Had he already and was taking her to him?
Please protect my baby. She prayed, tears springing to her eyes. Surely, he wouldn't hurt her son.
After what felt like hours, a small cabin came into view. The place felt strangely familiar, although she couldn't figure why. There were several cabins that surrounded Hope Valley. Perhaps this reminded her of one of them?
She then spotted a small shed across from the cabin, and she felt like she was going to be sick. Surely this couldn't be it…
But it was. The realization hit her like a bolt of lightning. This was the very same cabin where Spurlock had lived eight years ago. And there was the very same place next to the shed where he'd tried to murder her.
Her heart started pounding in her chest, a cold chill running its icy hands down her back. Suddenly she knew why she was here. Blood drained from her face, making her feel lightheaded.
Mr. Spurlock wanted to finish the job he'd started eight years ago. Bile rose in her throat, and she worked to tamp down the fear that now threatened to consume her. She had to get away. But how?
Cautiously she glanced around. Spurlock had thought this through well. A man rode on both sides of them, with Lucas riding close behind, and another man brought up the rear. And she was sure every one of them was carrying a gun.
Lord, show me what to do. She fervently prayed.
Mr. Spurlock pulled the horse to a stop in front of the house.
"Remember this old place?" She shivered, as she heard the amusement in his voice. "It's a shame I didn't get to give you a tour last time we were here. Maybe we can rectify that now."
Her stomach sank. Lord, You're the only one who can help us now.
Jeanette took a breath, trying to stop the shaking of her hands, legs, and pretty much her entire body. This was it. She was finally going to tell everyone the truth.
She knew she had to. These wonderful people deserved more than a sneaky half-truth from her. But it didn't soothe the sickening feeling caused by her churning stomach.
What would happen when they learned the truth? Would everyone hate her after they discovered that she was a McElroy just like everyone back home had done? They hadn't cared that she'd had no part in Scottie's crimes and that she hadn't known where their income had been coming from.
She'd wanted to believe her husband. Believe the lies he'd told her about traveling from town to town to sell insurance.
She'd loved him, and had hoped with all her heart that he had loved her just as much.
But everything had been a lie.
She straightened her spine, raising her chin determinedly. But she didn't have to stoop to the same level of dishonesty he had. And she wouldn't. Not anymore.
With determined steps she made her way to the front of the saloon where the Victrola played a lively tune. Turning to face the dancing couples and mingling crowd, her breath hitched in her throat. Nearly the whole town had shown up tonight.
She wrung her sweaty palms together, trying to summon moister to her throat. You can do this.
Raising a trembling hand, she moved the needle off the record, silencing the music. Quickly everyone's eyes landed on the source of its sudden stop. She gulped, wringing her hands tighter.
"Hi." Her voice squeaked hard, and she cleared her throat. "Hi everyone." She tried again, relieved to find her voice had returned.
"Sorry to mess up your dance. I… uh…" Come on, chicken. She chided herself. "I had something I wanted to tell you all. Umm…"
Oh, Lord help me. She took a breath, flashing a wobbly smile. "You all have been so amazing since I came. Lucas told me that Hope Valley was different than most places, and he was right. Everyone has been nothing but welcoming and kind and….and that means the world to me."
Tears filled her eyes as she looked at all the wonderful people she'd met.
Bill, who'd given her a job even after her bold introduction. Sweet Allie who'd helped her rescue the puppies, and still wanted to go fishing with her. Despite the "well" incident.
Her eyes scanned the room for a certain man in red serge. Apparently, he'd not shown up tonight. Disappointment surged through her, but it was probably just because she'd have to explain herself twice. Raising her chin, she carried on.
"You've shown me that there are still good people in the world, when I had started to doubt there was. People who are full of grace, and kind…and honest." The last word seemed to stick in her throat, hitting her harder than the rest. "And you deserve nothing less from me."
She hesitated a moment, and an awkward silence fell. She could feel everyone's eyes directed at her, burning holes in her resolve. She coughed nervously. "And so…"
Suddenly a shuffling came from the back of the crowd. Everyone turned to look at the Coulters. Lee was looking at his wife, concern in his eyes.
"Are you alright, Sweetheart?"
Rosemary's face seemed a mixture of white and green. Her face twisted, as she quickly thrust Little Jack into Lee's arms, and ran toward the back of the saloon.
A terrible retching sound soon followed, and Jeanie winced. Lee handed Little Jack to Clara before darting after his wife, who leaned helplessly over a metal pail.
Everyone gasped at the sight, all eyes now toward poor Rosemary, as they whispered to each other in shock. Jeanette sighed.
Well, there went her moment. Quietly she stepped down from the platform, and headed toward the door. Her determination had gone right out the window.
She knew she still needed to finish her speech. Still needed to tell everyone the truth. Her heart pounded in her chest, panic taking hold on her.
Maybe a quick walk in the chilly night air would help her regain her confidence. Then she could come back and finish. Silently she slipped undetected out the door.