"Congratulations, Elizabeth! That's wonderful news. I knew the two of you were meant for each other." Abigail hugged her tight, so pleased that her friends were happy. She knew they had challenging times ahead, especially Nathan, but with Elizabeth by his side and the support of the townspeople of Coal Valley, he and Allie would make it through. Coal Valley knew what it was like to lose loved ones and for children to lose a parent and would do anything to help the Constable and his niece.

"Thank you, Abigail. I am so happy."

"Ask Elizabeth to tell you the whole story, Abigail," Rosemary said, looking up from the lounge where she sat. Laughing, she said, "the poor Constable was lucky he got to propose."

Elizabeth laughed along with her friend as she told the story of Nathan rejecting her proposal and being oblivious as to how it would make her feel. Elizabeth smiled at Rosemary when she described how fiercely protective she had been of her friend after the rejection.

"Well, I am glad it worked out; I meant it; you two are perfect for each other." Grinning, Abigail said, "I hope your engagement to Lee goes much more smoothly when it happens. Rosemary."

"It will," Rosemary said confidently. She had no doubt Lee understood her expectations and that their relationship would result in marriage.


"I am glad you managed to make this right, Nathan. I can't believe you almost lost your perfect woman." Colleen shook her head at Nathan as she spoke.

"Me too; after everything that has already gone wrong so far, it can only go smoothly from here on."

"Famous last words, Nathan. Don't jinx yourself, little brother."

Nathan watched Colleen as she sat at the table and prepared dinner for them. The meat was already in the oven, and the smell of the beef as it cooked was making Nathan's stomach growl. Nathan had offered to help and tried to take over, but Colleen insisted she wanted to do it. Colleen allowed him to make them a cup of tea and keep her company while she got the vegetables ready.

"What time are you expecting, Elizabeth?"

"Any moment, she stopped at Abigail's on the way over. I have to admit I hope there is some dessert in her basket when she gets here."

"Are you saying you don't like my dessert?" Colleen said, pretending to be offended.

"No one bakes as well as Abigail, and you know it."

"Colleen, are you okay?" Nathan asked anxiously as Colleen swayed as she got to her feet to put the vegetables in the oven. He leapt out of his chair and grabbed hold of her arm, steadying her.

"Thank you, Nathan. I was dizzy for a moment." Colleen swallowed and placed her hand over his, resting on her arm. "I'm fine now; it never lasts when I feel this way. I think I stood too fast."

"Is it the pain? Do you need me to get your medication?"

"No, Nathan. It's fine, and it's passed now." She smiled at him to reassure him and lifted the vegetables, "let me get this in the oven, so it's ready with the meat when Elizabeth gets here."

Nathan reluctantly let Colleen's arm go and observed her, making sure she was telling the truth. Nathan had tried to explain he preferred the truth when she felt poorly, but his words had fallen on deaf ears. He frowned as he watched her; he knew Colleen was hiding the extent of her pain and the progression of her illness. She didn't want to worry him or Allie; she was trying to be strong for her family.

Nathan didn't know how she would feel about what he was about to tell her. He had found someone to spend the days with her, not a nurse, not yet, but a companion who could take on more of the household chores. Nathan wanted her to take more time to rest, spend time with Allie, and stop waiting on him. He was waiting for Elizabeth to get here, counting on her support and hoping Colleen would control her reaction to the news in front of Elizabeth.

Nathan heard a knock on the door and smiled broadly; he assumed it was Elizabeth, who hadn't spent as much time with Abigail and Rosemary as he had expected. As he walked to the door, he realised he couldn't wait until the time when he and Elizabeth were married and had their own home, where they didn't visit each other, and neither of them had to leave after dinner to go to different homes.

"Elizabeth, come in," Nathan said as he reached for her arm, drawing her inside.

"Hello, Nathan," she said, smiling up at him, her eyes shining as she looked at him. "How are you?"

"I'm good, better now you're here," he said as he leaned down to place a kiss on her lips. It was a short, chaste kiss, and Nathan was sorry when it ended. He stared into Elizabeth's eyes, seeing his desire mirrored in hers; once again, his thoughts drifted to what it would be like when they married.

"Aunt Elizabeth!" Allie exclaimed as she came downstairs. Since moving to Coal Valley, Allie had grown very close to Elizabeth and looked forward to her visits. Elizabeth and Rosemary had promised her a sleepover, and Allie had barely talked of anything else.

Elizabeth bent down to catch the little girl as she threw herself into her arms. Elizabeth squeezed her arms tight around Allie and lifted her off the ground. "Allie, hello. How was your day?"

"It was good. Is it Saturday yet?" Allie asked; she knew that was when she could have her sleepover.

"Three more days, Allie, it isn't long now, and you can spend the night with Rosemary and me."

Allie practically danced over to her Mother to tell her what Elizabeth had said. Colleen laughed at the look of delight on her daughter's face and wondered if Elizabeth and Rosemary knew what they were in for.

The four of them ate dinner, chatting about Elizabeth's students, Nathan's day, and what activities Colleen and Allie had done throughout the day, with the adults admiring her new drawings.

Elizabeth stood to clean up the dessert plates from the table, waving Nathan and Colleen back into their seats. "I can take this to the kitchen."

"Alright, Elizabeth," Nathan conceded, "While you are doing that, I will fill you in on some arrangements I have made."

"This should be good," Colleen said, winking at Elizabeth.

"I have arranged for Lisa to come and spend the day with you, helping around here with chores and keeping you and Allie company."

Nathan's announcement was met with silence from Colleen; while in the kitchen, Elizabeth dropped the handful of cutlery she was holding; it clattered to the floor, loud in the sudden silence.

"What?" Nathan asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"What?" Colleen exclaimed. "You asked the girl from the Saloon to spend the day with my daughter and me. The girl who thinks nothing of doing … extra services for the guests for additional money."

"The girl who propositioned you, offering similar favours to those she offers the saloon patrons," Elizabeth asked incredulously. "You want her here, in your house?"

Nathan was shocked; he thought his Sister and Elizabeth would like his idea and appreciate he had found an alternative occupation for Lisa. Nathan had discussed the situation with Abigail, who thought it was an excellent opportunity for the girl and would give her a chance to redeem herself and strive for a better life.

"I thought you would be pleased to give a young woman a chance."

"I would be if I thought she wanted to change, but I don't believe she does; she likes her life, and I see how she watches you, Nathan." Colleen shook her head; for an intelligent, observant man, Nathan could have blinkers on sometimes. Because he had told Lisa no, he thought it was over, he believed she had accepted it, but Colleen didn't believe it for one minute.

"Colleen is right, Nathan; you just don't see it."

"I only see you, Elizabeth. Lisa knows that, and if she doesn't, I will clear it up for her. Please, ladies, give her a chance to show you she can change."

Colleen and Elizabeth shared a look of concern, knowing it was a bad idea but not wanting to be unkind.

"Alright, Nathan. She can come for a trial, but I will be watching her." Colleen might have agreed and would give her a chance, but she was on guard.

After Nathan walked Elizabeth home, he thought about Lisa and their issues. He thought back over his conversation with her, looking for anything that could be a concern.

"Nathan, Hi. You haven't been into the Saloon in a long time; we missed you around here." Lisa said, leaning one hip against the table and standing close by where he sat.

"Oh. Thanks. I have been busy. My Sister and Niece moved to Town and getting them settled took some time."

"I've seen your Niece around town; she is adorable," Lisa said with a smile. Inside, Lisa was grimacing, she had seen Allie walking with Nathan and Elizabeth, sometimes just Elizabeth, and it was clear Allie adored her. Lisa despised Elizabeth; she had everything Lisa didn't. Money, status, respect, friends, and Nathan.

"She is. I worry about what will happen to her. I have to go back to work, and Colleen is ill and can't look after an energetic four-year-old."

"Elizabeth doesn't want to look after her?" she asked sweetly, trying to imply Elizabeth was letting them down.

"Of course, she does, but she needs to teach her students. It will be different when School is out for Summer, and after Elizabeth and I marry, it will be easier too."

"Marry? I hadn't realised there had been an engagement." Lisa said, her stomach churning sickly as she gripped her hands together behind her back.

"Yes," Nathan said smiling, his face lighting up, "Elizabeth has done me the honour of agreeing to be my wife."

"How lovely," Lisa said. "I am sure you will be very happy together."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Bill and Lee. Bill eyed Lisa warily, "has she been hanging around again, Nathan?" he asked as Lisa sauntered off.

"It's fine, Bill; we were only talking about Colleen arriving and my engagement." Nathan looked at Lisa as she interacted with the customers in the Saloon. It was apparent there was more than waitressing happening. She was overly affectionate with some men, and some were too familiar with her. Nathan didn't believe that Lisa could be happy with her life; surely, she wanted more. Maybe he could help with that.

Nathan had waited, approaching her at the end of her shift, asking if she would be interested in looking after Colleen and Allie. When she had thrown her arms around him, he had thought it was just gratitude. Maybe he had been wrong. In hindsight, Lisa had pressed a little too close and held on a little too long. He hoped asking Lisa to help wouldn't prove to be a mistake.


Bill was the first customer at Abigail's the following morning; he wanted to talk to her about the arrangements Nathan had finally told him about. Despite his occupation, Nathan was still young enough to see the good in everyone and believe people could change. Bill had been around long enough to know that it wasn't the case, some people couldn't change, and some didn't want to. He believed Lisa was one of the latter and that she had accepted the job with an ulterior motive.

"Bill, good morning. It's lovely to see you." Abigail meant every word, the two of them had hardly had any time to spend together since everyone moved from Benson Hills.

"Morning, Abigail," he said, smiling at her. 'It's lovely to see you too; I had been hoping to spend more time with you than we have." Bill blushed slightly before adding, "I hope you feel the same way."

"I would like that, Bill," Abigail said, biting her lip to contain her smile. "Come in, Bill, please. I will make you some breakfast."

"How about I come to the kitchen, and we cook it together?"

"That would be wonderful," she said, surprised. Her husband had always left the cooking to her, not comfortable in that domain; this made a nice change.

As the two bustled around in the kitchen, preparing various items for their breakfast, Abigail put the finishing touches on food for the Cafe. "I feel like there is something on your mind, Bill."

"There is, Abigail. It's Lisa and the arrangement Nathan made with her. I have a bad feeling about it. My gut is telling me it is going to end badly, and I have learned to trust my gut."

"Oh, Bill. I don't think so. I think she is a young girl who has made some poor choices. We should always try and help people make amends and redeem themselves."

"I agree, Abigail if the person wants that. I don't think she does." Bill didn't know how much of his concerns and actual information he should share with Abigail. Bill had watched Lisa since she arrived in Town, curious about the young woman working at the Saloon. He knew about the additional activities she did besides waitressing, and when he hinted at it, he understood it was her choice, not something forced upon her.

"Well, I am glad Nathan is willing to give her a chance. I think more people should." Abigail said shortly. "I am prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt."

"I will too, but Abigail, I have to admit, I will be taking it slow." Bill hadn't told anyone what he had discussed with Lisa. After talking to her, he knew she was shrewd and cunning, playing on the good nature of others to advance her plans. There had been several accusations of theft from Saloon patrons, although they were quickly withdrawn when they had to admit why Lisa was in their room. There were suggestions of her cheating at cards, obtaining information, and sometimes property by deception. Once again, charges were withdrawn, so the circumstances of their relationship with Lisa did not become public. Lisa wasn't a young girl being taken advantage of; he knew she was the one taking advantage of others. He was secretly investigating her background, trying to find out who she was, where she had been before Coal Valley, and what havoc she had left behind.

Bill resolved not to tell Abigail his suspicions until he had evidence to support his accusations. He would tell Nathan, though. Nathan needed to know what she was like if he was going to expose Colleen and Allie to her.


Nathan sat at his desk, working through paperwork, glad it was Friday. It had been quiet in Coal Valley, which might have made him nervous in a bigger town. In Coal Valley, he was pleased when it was quiet; it meant he got to go home to his family every night.

Sitting back in his chair, he blew out a breath. Lisa had been working for him, looking after Colleen for several weeks. There hadn't been any issues so far, despite Bill's dire warning. Lisa arrived as he was leaving for work and was ready to go home when he returned. Colleen hadn't said a word about her, and Nathan knew Lisa had only been allowed to help in a limited way. Allie was the one he was worried about; she had been quiet lately. He smiled, remembering how excited she had been after the weekend spent with Elizabeth and Rosemary. She had talked of nothing else for days until suddenly, she stopped. Elizabeth called in most nights, and usually, Allie couldn't wait to see her, but lately, she had chosen to go to bed early and play in her room when Elizabeth came over. Nathan and Colleen had tried to talk to her about it, but she refused to say what was wrong.

Nathan looked up as the door to the office opened, and Bill entered in a rush.

"What is it?" Nathan asked, standing up, his hackles rising at Bill's expression.

"It's Lisa." Bill growled, "I have been investigating her and finally got some information back." Bill threw a folder on the desk between himself and Nathan, "read it for yourself."

Nathan looked at the file on his desk, reluctant to touch it, as if afraid it might bite. Sitting back down slowly, he picked it up and opened it. The first page was a wanted poster of Lisa Burke; however, a list of aliases, including Brown, Brock, and Bouchard, followed it. Bouchard leapt out of him. He didn't believe it was a coincidence that Bouchard was listed; his gut told him that's who she truly was.

Nathan continued to flip through the documents in the file, realising Lisa was much older than she appeared; she had to be to have amassed so many allegations. Frowning, Nathan realised that despite the volumes of indictments against her, none had stuck, the accusers dropping all complaints without explanation.

"Tell me what you're thinking, Nathan," Bill asked.

"I am wondering what I have done; how could I have let her into my home? How could I let her near Allie and Colleen?" Nathan stood so abruptly his chair shot out from behind him and slammed back into the wall. "Why didn't I listen to everyone who raised concern." Rubbing his hand over his eyes, Nathan said, "what else do you know?"

"My contacts were able to reach out to some of the people who made accusations. They dropped the charges to avoid their relationship with Lisa being exposed, or if lucky, they were paid off. No one knows where the money came from."

"Bouchard." Nathan spat. "Lucas Bouchard was the one who ripped off Rosemary."

"So, what are we going to do, Nathan? Do we expose her? We don't have anything to charge her with."

"I need to get Allie away from her; then, I can work with Colleen and Elizabeth. We give her some time and let her do something we can charge her with." Nathan's jaw was tight when he spoke, his anger barely controlled.

"Abigail will take her. She loves Allie, and the feeling is mutual." Bill was glad Nathan was ready to act; it may take longer to convince others, especially since he couldn't share the official file with them.

"Alright, this is what I think we do, Bill" Nathan said as he sat opposite him and began outlining his plan.