"There you go. The princess is in her chariot," Gabriel commented as he placed Mary Louise on the wagon seat, having carried her out of the infirmary.
"Thank-you, Mountie Gabe," Mary Louise said as she settled a lap robe over her legs.
"You are welcome," Gabriel told her.
Turning from the wagon, he offered his arm to Lillian, who promptly slipped her arm through his.
"Are you going to be able to get her inside at the orphanage all right?" Gabriel asked, as he led Lillian around to the other side of the wagon.
"We will manage," Lillian assured him. "Thank you for asking. Will you let me know if there is anything else I can do for the boy?"
"I will," Gabriel assured. "Perhaps eventually he'll be able to be placed at the orphanage, but for now, I think the best way to keep him safe is to keep him at the jail. However, I think I'm going to have to skip dinner with you all tonight. I should probably spend as much time as I can with this kid if I'm going to be able to help him."
"I understand," Lillian said. "We'll miss you, though."
"That feeling goes both ways," Gabriel assured her as he helped her up onto the wagon seat beside Mary Louise.
As Lillian gave the command to Smokey to start off, Gabriel took a step back. He watched the wagon start off toward the single house south of town. The house that he hoped to one day be able to call home. Which reminded him of the reason he had originally gone to the general store this morning.
As he still needed to officially make sure that Joe did not want to press charges, Gabriel decided to take care of that, and his personal task, before sending wires to the headquarters in Clearwater and Judge Avery. With the bundle and blanket tucked under one arm, Gabriel headed toward the general store.
There was one other customer in the store when Gabriel walked in. The customer was at the counter paying, so Gabriel hung back while they finished the transaction. It didn't take long, and soon the customer was leaving, saying a quick 'good day' to Gabriel as she left. Gabriel nodded in acknowledgment even as he stepped toward the counter.
"How is the hand?" Joe asked as he shut the cash register drawer.
Gabriel looked down at his wrapped left hand, glad to see no blood seeping through this bandage. "I will live," Gabriel replied. "Though Maggie wants me to stop by daily for a bit. She wants to keep an eye out for infection."
"Probably a wise precaution," Joe commented, leaning a hip against the counter as he looked across it at Gabriel. "What is going to happen to that kid?"
"I'm not sure yet," Gabriel replied. "I think I know the answer but I need to ask. Do you want to press charges?"
"For a muffin and a few crackers?" Joe said, shaking his head. "It's not worth the trouble. I probably would have given them to the kid if he had asked. He definitely looked as if he needed them more than me."
Gabriel nodded. "I figured that would be your answer. So, I am going to have headquarters see if they have any reports of runaways or missing persons that match this kid's description and send a wire to Judge Avery for advice. In the meantime, he can hang out in the cell where he'll be safer than trying to fend for himself."
Joe nodded. "I suppose you came by this morning inquiring about a certain item I ordered for you?"
"I did," Gabriel replied.
Neither man said anything else. After a short pause, Gabriel smiled.
"Are you going to actually make me ask?"
Joe looked across the counter at Gabriel with a neutral expression.
"Did my package arrive, Joe?" Gabriel asked, deciding to just play along with the man.
"It did," the storekeeper told him. Pushing off the counter, Joe opened one of the drawers behind the counter and removed a small, brown paper-wrapped package. He placed it on the counter closer to Gabriel. "You are going to let me see it, right?" the store owner asked.
Gabriel glanced around, making sure they were still alone even though he hadn't heard the door open. "This stays between the two of us for now," he instructed, as he placed the blanket and bundle he was still carrying on the counter.
"My lips are sealed," Joe told him.
Taking a deep breath, Gabriel let it out slowly as he removed the brown paper from around the package to reveal a black velvet box. Opening it, Gabriel revealed the engagement ring he had picked out for Lillian. In his opinion, it looked better than it had in the catalog he had been looking through.
"I had my doubts when you picked it out of the catalog," Joe admitted, "but I think it will be perfect for Lillian. When are you going to ask her?"
"Wondering how long you'll have to stay quiet?" Gabriel asked, as he closed the box and placed it safely into a pocket.
"Yes," Joe admitted. "Also, I am just curious as to what you plans are," he admitted.
"Lillian's birthday is next Friday," Gabriel replied. "I was thinking on asking her then. She knows I want to ask her, but I don't think she'll expect it then. I just need to figure out the exact timing."
"I am sure you will figure it out," Joe replied. "You're not worried you are moving too fast are you? You've only been courting Lillian for what? Three months?"
"About that," Gabriel admitted. "To be honest, I would have already asked her to marry me but I knew Lillian needed some time to adjust to the changes. Besides, I have a feeling it might be a long engagement."
Joe nodded. "Lillian does like to make her plans and not rush into things," he admitted. "It is probably a good thing that you can be patient."
"It comes with the territory," Gabriel replied. "Investigations often have slow spots before things start falling into place."
"Do you have any plans with Lillian on Saturday evening?" Joe asked, trying to make the question sound casual as he rearranged items on the shelf behind him.
Watching Joe, Gabriel determined that the shelf did not really need to be arranged as the store keeper started putting the items he had moved right back where they originally were.
"I usually end up out at the orphanage on Saturday evenings," Gabriel replied. "We don't have specific plans though. Why did you want to know?"
Joe shrugged his shoulders as he continued his pointless activity. "I was just thinking that if you did not already have plans that you and Lillian might want to have dinner with me at the hotel. Maybe Maggie as well."
Gabriel smiled. He had thought he noticed an attraction on Joe's part toward the town nurse.
"You mean like a double date?" Gabriel asked.
"What? No," Joe said shaking his head. "Not a date. Just some friends getting together for dinner."
"Right. Friends," Gabriel said, not convinced as he watched Joe pull at the collar of his shirt. "Then why is this making you so nervous."
"I'm not nervous," Joe said, turning to face Gabriel. As if he just realized he was pulling at his collar, the man let his hand drop.
"Remember who you are talking to, Joe," Gabriel reminded him.
Joe let out a sigh. "Okay, so maybe I do have feelings for Maggie," he admitted, casting a glance toward the front door. "Which scares me, because I haven't felt anything like this since Lissett died. I don't even think I remember how to court a woman."
Gabriel laughed. He couldn't help it.
"Glad you find this amusing."
"I'm sorry," Gabriel told his friend. "However, given some of the ribbing I have taken from you over Lillian, I don't think you have much room to criticize."
"Maybe so," Joe admitted. "However, do you think you and Lillian could come to dinner on Saturday. I figured it would seem less like a date. If Maggie won't go to dinner with you and Lillian then I don't have a chance of asking her on a proper date."
"And having us along might take some of the pressure off you," Gabriel added.
"Yes," Joe admitted. "Especially as I have doubts I should even be pursuing this."
Gabriel grew more serious. Joe didn't talk much about his wife or the accident that claimed her. "Having feelings for someone else doesn't change the love you shared with your wife," he told his friend.
"I can't help but wonder if Lissett would understand."
"She would," Gabriel replied confidently. "She would want you to find happiness again, Joe. If Maggie makes you happy, then you owe it to yourself to see where it goes."
Joe looked down at the counter and remained silent.
"I am going out to the orphanage shortly. I will ask Lillian then and let you know."
"Thank-you," Joe replied.
"Besides, if I don't all of Brookfield might know about my recent purchase before I get around to asking Lillian a certain question," Gabriel added as he picked the boy's belongings up off the counter. He was hoping the comment might help lighten the mood once again.
"Your secret is safe no matter what happens," Joe assured him. "The last thing I would want to do is ruin the surprise for Lillian."
"Of course," Gabriel replied, as he headed for the door. "Have a good day, Joe."
"You too," Joe replied, as Gabriel left the store.
After stopping by the telegraph office to send his messages, Gabriel made his way back to his office. Billy was sitting on the bed, back to the wall and knees drawn up again. The tray sat beside him on the cot, every bite of food now gone.
Walking over to his desk, Gabriel put the blanket and the bundle down. He was aware of Billy watching him. Picking up the blanket, Gabriel walked over to the cell, holding the blanket out through the bars.
"I have a feeling this is yours," Gabriel commented.
Billy looked at the blanket silently at first. Gabriel had a feeling the boy was debating whether to admit to ownership and thus sleeping in the feed store storage shed or not.
"I did not break anything or take anything," Billy finally said, getting slowly up from the cot.
"That's what Mr. Mendelson said," Gabriel confirmed, remaining still as the boy came from the worn and dirty blanket. The blanket needed a cleaning as much as the boy did, but all that would happen in good time. "He also said he was not sure how you got in," Gabriel continued as Billy took the blanket from him. "Mind shedding some light on that."
"There are some loose boards in the back of the shed. I was able to move them enough to slip in and out," Billy replied, looking down at the ground. "I just wanted a dry place to sleep last night. It was also a little warmer than being outside."
Gabriel nodded. "I will inform Mr. Mendelson so that he can fix the loose boards," he stated as he moved back to his desk.
"What about my other things? Can I have them too?"
Gabriel looked at the bundle and then back at the kid. "Well, that depends," the Mountie told him as he leaned against the desk. "I could easily make sure there wasn't anything dangerous hidden in that blanket. I can't do that with this bundle unless I open it, but I do respect your privacy."
"There is no knife or anything," Billy said. "If it means I can have my things though, go ahead and open it."
Gabriel nodded, straightening up. Turning, he began untying the knot that held the bundle closed. Somehow he knew he wasn't going to find anything dangerous in the bundle. He wasn't sure why, but he knew the kid was telling the truth about that even if he was not offering a lot of information about himself.
Unwrapping the bundle, he found a worn Bible, a tattered copy of Treasure Island, a compass and a canteen. Shaking the canteen, Gabriel felt a little water slosh around. It was an indication that even though he clearly hadn't been getting enough food, the boy had been able to stay hydrated. Both the canteen and the compass were the same type the force issued to new recruits.
"That stuff is rightfully mine," Billy stated. "Only thing I ever took was food."
Gabriel nodded as he wrapped the items back up in the cloth, tying it loosely. "I have no reason to believe otherwise, so here you go," he said, holding the bundle through the bars toward the boy.
Billy reached out for the bundle. Once he had a hold of it, he hugged it closely to his chest as he retreated to the cot.
Leaning against the side of the desk so he could face the cell, Gabriel watched the boy. His belongings clearly meant everything to him. As he had told Lillian, those few items and the clothes he wore, were probably everything the boy owned.
"Billy, I'd like to help you," Gabriel stated casually. "However, with no information I cannot do that."
"You are a Mountie. You would be duty bound to send me back."
"Not if you ran from a bad situation," Gabriel said.
Though Gabriel waited for a reply, none came. Instead the boy sat on the cot, hugging the bundle to his chest, staring at a spot on the floor in front of him.
"Okay, then," Gabriel said, deciding that he wasn't going to get another response from the kid right then. "I have some things to do. When I come back, I'd like the town nurse to look you over and help you get cleaned up."
"I am fine," Billy stated.
"That may be so, but I'd feel better if Nurse Parsons told me that," Gabriel told the boy.
Gabriel checked the fuel for the fire in the stove. With an occupant in the cell, he needed to make sure the office stayed warm throughout the day. Afterwards, Gabriel grabbed his gloves from his desk and headed for the door.