Bill's Reaction – Chapter 17
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Special Thanks to MamaBethany for her wonderfully descriptive words which improve the overall quality of the story. Your efforts are so much appreciated.
After awkwardly waving goodbye to Elizabeth, Nathan continued on with his day, as usual. He headed out to do his morning rounds, before returning to the jail.
Thankful there was nothing pressing at the jail. Nathan was alone with his thoughts. He was thankful Elizabeth had approached him and apologized, but he was even more thankful he had been honest with her. If they were ever to be on the same page in a relationship, they had to be honest with each other - especially when it was not easy to do.
He was also thinking how special it would be to finally have Allie back home with him for dinner, tonight. He contemplated using the gift certificate for dinner at the Café from Elizabeth's father to thank him for the use of his house, but decided that could wait for another time. Tonight, he just wanted to enjoy spending time with his daughter. They had a lot to talk about.
Before he knew it, it was almost lunch time. Nathan decided to do a quick walk-through town and then stepped into the Café for lunch.
When he arrived, Nathan saw the Café was full so he spoke to Clara and ordered his chicken salad sandwich, apple pie and coffee to go. Bill saw him from the back and offered to personally deliver his lunch at the jail. Nathan looked a little skeptical, but agreed. He paid for the order and returned to the jail to finish off some paperwork.
Before too long, Bill entered with a tray full of food and set it down on Nathan's desk.
Bill smirked and said, "I hope you don't mind, but I decided to join you for lunch."
Nathan pointed to the visitor's side of the desk and replied, "You're welcome to join me, but you sit on that side of the desk."
The exchange was reminiscent of when Nathan first arrived in town and had become a running joke between the two men.
Both men were silent for several minutes as they both unwrapped and took large bites of their sandwiches. Nathan had a hunch he knew why the older man was joining him, but asked anyway, "So, Bill, what made you want to dine in the jail today?"
Bill, knowing he could never slip anything past Nathan, replied, "I saw you wave goodbye to Elizabeth this morning and I was concerned you may have been surprised to find out she was leaving town. So, how are you doing?"
After swallowing another bite of sandwich, Nathan gave his friend a small smile and said, "Thanks for your concern, Bill. I am doing just fine. Elizabeth and I had a discussion yesterday and she told me she was leaving for Hamilton for a few weeks."
The older man seemed surprised, "Oh, well that is good to hear. I hope you worked everything out before she left." Bill gave Nathan a knowing look and said, "She no doubt gave you her parents' address, so you could exchange letters?"
Nathan looked at Bill sideways and replied, "Nope." Nathan paused and glanced out the window. He decided to play with his friend a little. "I told her I wasn't much for writing letters."
Bill's face fell as he digested the implications of that. Perhaps they didn't work things through, after all.
He turned to Nathan and queried, "You mean she has gone to Hamilton for a month and there will be no communication with her?" He sounded exasperated.
Nathan smiled his little crooked half smile and smartly answered, "I never said that, Bill."
Bill just looked at Nathan, trying to make some sense of what he just said. Just as Bill was about to ask for clarification, Nathan's phone rang.
It turned out Florence had accidentally rung the jail in error, but it was enough to fill in the blanks for Bill. Elizabeth didn't leave Nathan her address – she left Nathan her parents' phone number!
Train ride – Day 2
Elizabeth sat down to write in her new journal. She was quite behind, so there was a lot to say. She brought her journal up-to-date, including her apologies to several friends and her two days on the train. As she reviewed what she had written, she was not surprised to look back and discover two pages had been devoted to Nathan! He had definitely been on her mind and in her heart. She even included her discussion with her father, since coming on the train.
She also wrote out the post cards she bought for her friends back in Hope Valley.
She could hardly believe two-thirds of the trip was now behind them – one more day and they would be in Hamilton.
She decided to pack her things away and take Little Jack for a walk around the train. This would give her a chance to mail her postcards and her father some peace and quiet from Little Jack's adorable, but noisy and constant "jabbering," so typical of a three-year-old.
After kissing her father on the cheek, she and Little Jack made their way to the common areas of the train. After a half hour of exploring the train, stopping frequently to satisfy Jack's curiosity over every interesting detail he discovered, they started back to their state room.
On their way Elizabeth paused to close one of the compartment doors, and when she turned around, she saw Little Jack running on ahead to the next compartment at full speed. She followed as quickly as she safely could and saw what had caught Little Jack's attention. He was standing at the feet of a Mountie.
Once Elizabeth caught up to her son and had hold of his hand she addressed the Mountie, "Hello, Constable. I'm Elizabeth Thornton and my son, Jack, is fascinated by Mounties. Is there something to be concerned about, since there is a Mountie on board the train?"
The young Mountie assured her his presence was normal protocol. He bent down and spoke with Little Jack, "Hello there, young man. My name is Constable Stephen Michaels." All of the sudden, he twigged to the name and addressed Elizabeth, "Ma'am, did you say your last name was Thornton?"
Elizabeth nodded in assent.
"Ma'am, I once knew of an officer by the name of Constable Jack Thornton. Would you be a relative?"
Elizabeth, with sad eyes, said, "Yes, I most certainly am, or rather, I was. This is our son, Jack, Jr. Did you know my late husband?"
Constable Michaels replied, "Not very well, Ma'am. Three years ago, I was one of the recruits at Fort Clay."
Elizabeth's eyes went wide and her face went pale as she stammered, "Y-y-you were there?"
The Constable was silent as he pressed his lips together and gave a solemn nod. Elizabeth was also silent for a moment as she considered this unexpected meeting with this man. She had never spoken to anyone who had been present that day...the day Jack died.
There had been Mounties present at Jack's funeral but she had been too grief-stricken to speak to any of them. As the years had passed, she had wondered if it might be beneficial to contact the Mounties and ask for more details regarding Jack's death. The idea had always brought a surge of pain and she had pushed the idea away every time. Now she searched her heart and found it to be calm and resolved.
She remembered her recent days of prayer and felt an assurance that God had prepared her for this meeting at this time and place. It was a divine appointment and she must take the opportunity.
"Excuse me, Constable, if you have a moment, would you please tell me what you know of the events of that day? The day of the landslide? I've never felt able to ask anyone, but if you're not busy now, would you please share with me? It would help me so much." Elizabeth placed a hand on the Constable's forearm to convey her sincerity and earnestness.
Constable Michaels looked a little uncomfortable but responded with compassion to the sincerity in Elizabeth's eyes. "Ma'am, I don't know everything that happened. I was just a recruit. All I really know for sure is the original Training Officer was supposed to have been someone else – an officer by the name of Nathan Grant. We were told he was not available and Constable Thornton was called in to replace him."
He paused to take a breath and continued, "The day in question, it had poured rain the night before, so the training area was sloppy. As recruits, we were jumping for joy as we were certain the training session would be cancelled."
"We sure were surprised when Superintendent Hargraves ordered the session to continue. When Constable Thornton heard about the orders, he argued his case, but Hargraves pulled rank, so the training session went ahead."
"Constable Thornton brought along some extra equipment to help offset the risks and told us ahead of time what we all should do in case of a landslide. Without the additional gear and his instruction, more men would have died that day. He really was a hero!"
After seeing Elizabeth's eyes well up, Constable Michaels apologized, "I'm so sorry, Ma'am. Maybe this isn't such a good idea?"
Elizabeth reached out and touched the young constable's shoulder and softly replied, "Whether it is a good idea or not, it is something I need to know. Will you please continue?"
Constable Michaels reluctantly nodded and continued his story. "Well, after your husband left for the training field, Constable Grant came to the office and spoke to Hargraves. He told him the training area would be treacherous and all training should be halted for the day before someone was hurt, or worse. Hargraves told him to stand down or face further disciplinary action."
"We never really knew what happened, but scuttlebutt was, Constable Grant went against Hargraves' orders in an unrelated matter and faced disciplinary action, which is why he was taken off the training assignment. Hargraves had been newly promoted and liked to flaunt his authority."
Elizabeth looked at the young officer and asked, "Do you know of your own knowledge, what happened next? Also, I'm curious, it has been three years – how can you remember the name of the original training officer, if you had no real interaction with him?"
Constable Michaels replied without hesitation, "Well, Ma'am, I do know Constable Grant felt strongly about the condition of the training area; after the less than positive interaction with Hargraves, Constable Grant placed a call to Superintendent Hargraves' immediate superior. You must realize, Ma'am, the decision to call a higher-ranking officer is not one that is made lightly – nor does it come without the possibility of further ramifications."
"Constable Thornton had amended the orders, so we were to come out in stages, so not as many men were in the training area at the same time. I was still waiting for my turn, so I heard the beginning of Constable Grant's conversation. I have no idea how the conversation ended, as by then I was in the training area."
Elizabeth was pretty sure she knew the answer, but asked anyway, "Do you know who Superintendent Hargraves' superior officer is?"
"Yes, Ma'am. Chief Superintendent Collins would be his superior officer."
The answer was what she expected. This was the man who presented Jack with the medal for capturing the Toliver Gang. He also sent Jack to the Northern Territories and, ultimately, to his death at Fort Clay. Despite the circumstances, she knew Jack had great respect for the Chief Superintendent and always found him to be an honourable man. She also knew he was stationed at Mountie HQ in Hamilton. She was headed in the right direction.
Now, the tough part. "I'm sorry if I am bringing up bad memories for you, but do you recall what happened when the mudslide occurred?"
Constable Michaels looked somber and Elizabeth could tell he was struggling, but he did answer her.
"Yes, Ma'am. I will never forget it." He looked distantly off to the side as he remembered. "This was an exercise to learn tracking on horseback on sloped terrain, so we were picking our way slowly across the slanted hillside in a long line, and I was toward the back. Everything was all wet and the ground was soggy. I heard the loud rumbling noise ahead and uphill I could see the whole mountain just moving, and coming downward. The grass turned brown, and the trees broke apart and uprooted themselves. It was so …loud…and..." Constable Michaels stopped suddenly and took a shuddering breath.
He swallowed once and his throat continued to work while he gained his voice back. When he continued his voice was more hushed and strained. "A couple of the recruits were in the wrong place, because they panicked. They were riding downhill right in front of the slide. I saw your husband rush down after them, right in the path-" He stopped again and shook his head. "I don't know how, but somehow Constable Thornton got those guys out of harm's way but he-" He let out a sigh and said, "well, I'm sure you know the rest, Ma'am."
A tearful Elizabeth nodded, "I know the outcome, but do you know if he suffered at all?" Although Elizabeth felt sad, she was not overcome. God's peace was enabling her to continue.
Constable Michaels shook his head before answering, "No, Ma'am. Your husband would have been killed, instantly."
Elizabeth, with tears in her eyes, thanked the constable for providing such detail of her husband's final day. She knew it must have been difficult for him to speak of that horrible incident.
As she picked up a now fussy Little Jack and hugged him tightly, Elizabeth recalled her one unanswered question, "Oh yes, how is it that you remember the name of the constable after three years?"
Constable Michaels brightened and quickly replied, "Oh yeah, that's a silly thing really. I remembered his name was made up of two first names. As it happens, I have two brothers – one named Nathan, the other named Grant. I always thought that was unusual."
Elizabeth agreed it was unusual and wished him a good day. As Little Jack had grown weary, she picked him up and carried him back to the state room. She had a lot to think over. She did not know why God had arranged for her to meet Constable Michaels, today of all days, but she prayed for wisdom for whatever lay ahead in Hamilton.
Back in the State Room
She put Little Jack down for his afternoon nap and stretched out on her own bed to consider the new information she had been given. If what Constable Michaels told her was the truth – and she had no reason to doubt him – the training exercise that took Jack's life was completely preventable and Nathan had done his best to prevent it – including reaching out to more than one superior officer. Could that be why Hargraves started the inquiry against Nathan earlier this year, because he held resentment toward Nathan? Was his ego really that inflated because of his promotion that he would put lives in jeopardy? As soon as she was in reach of a private phone line, she had a few questions for a certain judge in Hope Valley.
After a while, Elizabeth got up and joined her father in the living area of their state room. William had noticed Elizabeth had seemed troubled when she returned but chose not to pry. They had been communicating very well lately; he was certain she would come to him when and if she needed his help.
Elizabeth shared the whole story with her father. "I am shocked, Father. I don't know who to trust, which is why I need to speak with Bill Avery. I know he investigated Jack's death. Knowing Bill, he may have opted not to tell me everything, given the emotional state I was in at the time. I do know Bill was unaware of Nathan's involvement at Fort Clay, until just recently."
William was startled and reached over to give his daughter a supportive hug. "My Dear, we will get to the bottom of this. I personally know and trust Chief Superintendent Collins. If Nathan spoke with Sam, he would have a record of it. If you would like, I will call Sam when we get home and demand some answers."
Elizabeth sadly looked at her father, "Yes, Jack trusted him too. Thank you for your offer, Father, however, I would like to approach Collins myself. I am a Mountie's widow who needs answers. If it happens to come up in conversation that you are my father, so be it. This time, I will use every resource at my disposal to find the truth."
William could only nod his head. He was becoming convinced she was finding the strength she had when she first moved West, and it was good to see. It meant she was finally starting to heal.
Elizabeth lightened the mood with, "So, you do have contacts in the Mounties. By any chance, did you request Collins take an eager, young Mountie bound for Cape Fullerton and reassign him to Coal Valley, when I moved West?"
William looked at Elizabeth with a dumbfounded expression. All he could say was, "What makes you ask such a thing?"
"Father, I'm a teacher. You never answer a question with a question!" She gave him a genuine smile.
William finally answered her question and sheepishly admitted, "Well, it was for your own protection. I never once thought you'd fall in love and marry him!"
Elizabeth laughed, "Well, that reassignment was a contentious issue between us, for some time."
William gently commented, "You seem to be able to speak about Jack more freely, now. How are you really doing?"
Elizabeth took a deep sigh and answered her father, "Day by day, I am getting better. Jack's death was so senseless and happened so soon after we married - it utterly devastated me. Right on top of his death, I found out Little Jack was on the way and I was faced with raising him on my own. I am trying my level best to put the past behind me and move on with whatever life holds for me. Resolving these unanswered questions about Jack's death will go a long way to helping me move forward."
She looked at her father and smiled sadly, before continuing on, "Please don't misunderstand, Father, I'm not trying to forget Jack. He will always be my first true love and Little Jack's father. What I am trying to do is tuck the past into a compartment, so that I have room in my heart to accept love from another man, which is what Jack wanted me to do."
William looked pointedly at her and asked, "Would that man be Nathan?"
"Since we're being honest here, I really made a mess of things with Nathan. I found out quite by accident that he was stationed at Fort Clay, even though he never knew Jack. I did not handle things well, at all. I will be a very fortunate woman, IF Nathan has room in his heart to still desire a relationship with me."
She continued the story, "Father, here's something you don't know about Nathan. After finding out Jack left behind a wife and child, Nathan requested to be stationed in Hope Valley to protect us. He didn't expect or want to, but he wound up falling in love with both of us. As I already told you, I deeply hurt him."
William looked at her and thoughtfully remarked, "That's why you were as nervous as a cat the day you apologized to Nathan - you had no idea how he would react!"
Elizabeth looked at him with downcast eyes and sadly said, "Yes Father, you are correct. I was scared I was about to lose him forever, before I had even given him a chance. It didn't help matters when I entered into that delusional courtship with Lucas, which turned into a nightmare." Elizabeth shook her head and closed her eyes as she remembered it.
William commented, "You know, you never did tell me what you found out about Lucas that made you end your courtship."
Elizabeth looked at her father and remarked, "I hadn't planned on sharing all my secrets, but you will find this one out eventually, so I may as well tell you."
She started her story off with, "Do you remember the Lockwood Family?" and ended the story with how Charles Kensington alerted her to Lucas' scheming ways.
"Charles told me Victoria does not socialize very much anymore. I cannot right the wrong, but perhaps I can show her she is not alone – were it not for Charles' intervention, I was on the same path as Victoria."
William was speechless.