"I'm not sure I should leave you alone with her today, Colleen. Not after what Faith found out." Nathan was pacing the lounge room at his home, trying not to let his frustration with Colleen get out of hand. He couldn't understand why she was being so stubborn.
"Firstly, I am not afraid to be alone with her, I know what she is doing now, and I will be watching. Secondly, I won't be alone." Colleen smirked; she knew she should have told him this earlier, but she liked teasing him sometimes. "Abigail is coming to spend the whole day with me; she wanted to give Clara a chance to run the café without her to boost her confidence."
"So, Abigail is going to be doing the cooking today?"
"Of course," laughing, she said, "I imagine you are suddenly going to be home for lunch."
Nathan laughed good-naturedly, "only because I want to check in on my darling sister and niece to make sure they are okay." Grabbing his hat from the hook near the door, he turned to her and said, "Fine, I am going to leave you here knowing Abigail is coming, and I will be home for lunch. It suits me for other reasons too." He smiled at his sister and walked out the door, knowing if he lingered any longer, he might not leave.
Colleen didn't ask about the other reasons; they talked about everything last night. Nathan had confirmed what she thought and was adamant she couldn't trust Lisa; and that he and Bill were doing everything they could to uncover what she was doing and get her out of their lives. She had been pleased when she found out Abigail was aware of their suspicions and had found a reason to be with her and Allie. Colleen understood why Elizabeth couldn't be there as often as she wanted; it was all part of Nathan's ruse. Elizabeth must be worried sick about them all, especially when she couldn't see for herself if they were okay. She knew she should be worried about herself, but her one genuine concern was Allie and what would happen to her. Colleen's worst nightmare was that a woman like Lisa would raise Allie.
"Are you sure you will be okay here without me?" Rosemary asked Elizabeth.
"Rosemary, you have asked me that one hundred times at least," Elizabeth said, laughing at her friend's dramatic tone and anxious face. "This is Coal Valley; the row house walls are so thin next door would know I was in trouble before I did. Not that there will be any trouble." Elizabeth winked at her. "I am engaged to the local Mountie, you know, and I am sure he will be happy to spend time with me to make sure I am okay."
"What about when he has to leave for the night? You will be all alone then!"
"And I will be fine," Elizabeth said. She was trying to remain calm; she knew Rosemary's heart was in the right place, but she was an adult. Besides, it was a long time since she burned down the teacherage, and she was more than capable of looking after herself. Now.
"What will you eat?"
"Rosemary, that's enough. I might not be a ...very good cook, but I can walk to Abigails and order some food." Elizabeth stood with her hands on her hips, pretending to be offended by Rosemary's comments. Elizabeth knew better than anyone how bad her cooking was; she was the one who tasted her attempts, after all. Luckily Abigail was happy to feed her every meal if that's what it took. Nathan was always willing to cook for her if she let him. He was glad to spend the evening with her, preparing a meal for the two of them and Rosemary and Lee if they were home. Until Lisa had started working for Nathan, looking after Colleen, she was welcome at their home too, but now, that wasn't the case.
"Fine, I will go to the wedding then," Rosemary huffed. She had always wanted to go to the wedding, but she needed to know Elizabeth would be fine without her. Elizabeth was far too trusting as far as she was concerned, and this whole business with Lisa was going to end badly; she could feel it. The last thing she wanted was to be away if something did happen to her friends. At least Lee would be with her, and they travelled by car, so getting back from Benson Hills wouldn't be too difficult.
"Good, I am glad," Elizabeth said. She knew the situation with her cooking was not why Rosemary was hesitant to go to the wedding. The last time she had seen the Bride to be, she had been about to embark on a stellar career, courtesy of Lucas Bouchard. Rosemary hadn't told many people outside of Coal Valley that she had been fooled. Attending the wedding meant people would learn about her naivety, and she was embarrassed.
"Lee and I will be a telegram away; if you need us at any time before we are due back, send word, and we will be here before you know it," Rosemary stated emphatically.
"Thank you, Rosemary. You're a good friend, and I appreciate your concern for me."
"Rosie, I thought we only planned on being away a week?" Lee said when he arrived. He was bewildered by the number of bags.
"That's right, Lee, but I have told Elizabeth I am happy to come back if she needs me."
"If it's only a week, why do you have enough clothes for a year?"
"Oh, Lee," Rosemary giggled. "If I were going for a year, I would have bought a whole new wardrobe. I like to have choices; you never know what will come up."
As Nathan rode toward Elizabeth and Rosemary's row house, he was pleased to see Lee's car out the front, pleased that they hadn't left yet. He and Bill had spoken again that morning about Lisa, and Nathan wanted to send a message to the Montie office in Benson Hills with Lee. Nathan and Bill were keen to learn more about her accomplices and Lisa's background. So far, their investigation had focused on her victims; now, they wanted to understand who she was working with.
Nathan and Bill had been watching her and noticed a change in her behaviour. Lisa had stopped 'entertaining' patrons from the Saloon but had continued to play cards with them, still managing to win a great deal of money and other payment in kind. The theft from rooms had slowed, but now and again, an expensive item would be reported missing. They needed her to show her hand; cheating at cards couldn't be all she was up to; the lucrative returns weren't worth being caught. There must be a bigger game she was playing; he and Bill just needed to work out whom she was working with and why and catch them at it.
Nathans's eyes widened as he reigned Newton in next to Lee's car. Rosemary couldn't have packed this much luggage, could she? Nathan remembered Rosemary's arrival in Coal Valley; she had a lot of suitcases then too, but she had been moving, so she had to take all her things with her.
Lee shook his head; glancing at Nathan, he saw him smiling and couldn't help but grin.
"You know I will do my back in carrying these cases up to Rosemary's room."
"You should send word ahead and ask for a ground-floor room," Elizabeth teased. She had to admit, even she was surprised at the number of suitcases Rosemary had packed. She really was going to be ready for anything.
"Are you sure …?" Rosemary asked Elizabeth, ignoring Lee's comments.
"Rosemary! Go. Enjoy the wedding, and when you get back, you will see everything was fine."
"We do need to get going, Rosie," Lee said as he gently took her arm and walked her to the car."
"Drive safe, Lee." Nathan offered as he handed him an envelope with the note for the Mounties inside. Lee recognised the address and nodded; no words were needed. Nathan went to the car and opened Rosemary's door for her.
"You make sure nothing happens to her, Nathan," Rosemary whispered furiously to Nathan. "I am holding you responsible if she is hurt in any way."
Nathan felt his throat tighten and couldn't speak; instead, he nodded to Rosemary, acknowledging her words. He stood unmoving as Lee and Rosemary drove off, lost in his thoughts. The feel of Elizabeth taking his arm brought him out of his musing. The idea of Colleen, Allie or Elizabeth being hurt was something he couldn't think about right now, but it kept him up at night and spurred him on to catch Lisa.
"Are you okay, Nathan? Has something happened?"
"That depends on your definition of something," Nathan said, shaking his head. "Do you have time for breakfast? I could tell you about it."
"Of course, let me get my things." Elizabeth turned to walk inside, but Nathan's hand on her arm halted her.
"I'm sorry, Elizabeth, we shouldn't be seen together right now. Could we eat here?"
Elizabeth sighed, she was sick and tired of the drama that Lisa was causing, but she knew he was right. Now was not the time to provoke her, not while Colleen and Allie were vulnerable to her.
"Before you come inside, you need to know two things," Elizabeth said, staring at him intently. "Number one, I plan to grill you on your plans to end this situation," she said, pausing before she smiled at him, "and number two, you're cooking."
Nathan grinned as he followed her up the stairs and inside, glad of her teasing. This was what he wanted. The two of them together was how it should be, and he couldn't wait until their lives were back to normal, even if that meant finding another way to deal with Colleen's failing health and Allie's care. Having Elizabeth on his side, by his side meant the world to him, and he knew with her support, he could do anything.
Elizabeth managed to hold her questions until they had eaten. She had enjoyed their casual conversation, the teasing and joking while they prepared breakfast, and she didn't want to spoil that.
"So, tell me, what's new with you and Lisa?"
"Please don't say it like that, Elizabeth. It isn't like that." Nathan frowned at her, it might have been a poor choice of words, but it was also clear that's how she felt, and it sickened him.
"Sorry; please give me an update on the investigation," Elizabeth said tartly, trying to keep the sarcasm and hurt out of her voice. It wasn't easy, though; she had spent far too many nights sitting at home alone or with Rosemary wondering what Lisa and her fiancé were doing. She couldn't count the number of tears that had fallen as she imagined Nathan walking Lisa home, wondering how she behaved when they were alone.
"Before I do, you need to know how much I hate this. I hate knowing what I am doing is hurting you, and I am working as hard as possible to finish this. I want nothing more than her out of our lives." Nathan's eyes were earnest with the truth of his words, and as he spoke, they filled with tears, his emotions close to the surface.
Elizabeth jumped up from her seat and went to him, sorry her words had hurt him. She had let her jealousy get the better of her despite knowing there was nothing to worry about. Nathan would never do anything like that to her.
"I'm sorry, Nathan. I know you hate this too. I don't mean to make this harder on you; I was selfish, and I promise to stop. To trust you." Elizabeth held his face in her hands, staring into his beautiful blue eyes, needing him to know she meant every word.
Nathan pulled his fiancé onto his lap, not caring about propriety. He needed to hold her and feel her arms around him. He buried his head in her shoulder as she held him and allowed himself to be surrounded by her love. Nathan took strength from Elizabeth as he tried to pass his strength to her. He closed his eyes and breathed in, the familiar floral smell of Elizabeth's bringing him comfort.
"Can you tell me about it now?" Elizabeth asked gently.
"I'm not sure I can think of anything with you in my arms," Nathan said, smiling his crooked smile.
"Oh, you," Elizabeth said as she swiped his arm, preparing to get up.
"No, I can tell you about it, but please stay close."
Nathan updated Elizabeth on his and Bill's plan, about the search for Lisa's accomplices and their concerns about her behaviour change. He told her what he had found out from Faith, that Lisa was tampering with Colleen's food and drugging her. The amount of medication Colleen reported taking wasn't consistent with the amounts remaining. Faith didn't believe Colleen was disoriented enough not to remember taking the medication. Colleen was also adamant about how much more alert she felt in the mornings before breakfast and in the evenings when Lisa didn't prepare her meals. Faith had no proof except Colleen's word and her gut feeling, but she would bet everything she had that Lisa was responsible for this.
"I need to stop her," Nathan said through clenched teeth. "I need to stop her breaking the law and cheating people, but that comes second to hurting the people I love. I know that's wrong, but I don't care."
Elizabeth stared at Nathan, hearing the anguish in his voice, and she felt anger rise within her at Lisa and her unknown accomplice. Leaning forward, she captured Nathan's lips with her own. Elizabeth's anger quickly faded as her passion for Nathan took over. Elizabeth felt Nathan's arms tighten around her, crushing her against him, and she relished the feeling of his lips, hard against her own. Nathan wound one hand into her hair as he deepened the kiss. She wasn't sure how long the kiss lasted, but when they broke apart, they were both breathing heavily. Elizabeth knew her cheeks were flushed with desire, and her lips felt swollen from their kisses. She looked at Nathan; his eyes were no longer angry but dark with passion. She felt his lips sliding across her cheek and tilted her head to allow him access to her neck, his breath warm on her skin. Elizabeth shivered. It was dangerous for the two of them to be alone like this.
"Nathan, we have to stop," Elizabeth said breathlessly, although she did not attempt to stop him; instead, she dug her fingers into the muscles of his back before sliding one hand up to cradle his face.
Nathan groaned, wishing that he could stop thinking and let himself feel. He took a deep breath and quickly kissed her hot cheek before resting his cheek against it. "We need to leave the house," he said.
Elizabeth stood, straightening her already tidy dress, running her hands over her messy hair. "You're right. Breakfast alone probably wasn't a great idea."
"It was the best idea I have had in a long time. I needed that; I needed you," he said and kissed her again, laughing as she kept him at arm's length this time. "But, yes, we should get on with our days. I will help you wash the dishes."
"No, you cooked, and that is something I can actually do," Elizabeth said, "I think I need something to occupy my hands… besides you!"
Nathan's eyebrows shot up before he waggled them at her, "you know I am always happy to accommodate you!"
"I know, and that's what keeps me going through all of this," Elizabeth said, growing serious. "I think we needed to spend time alone so that I don't forget it's me that you really love."
"Never, ever forget that. Nothing will change that."
Lisa stood at the window in her room at the Saloon, smiling as she watched Lee Coulter and his girlfriend Rosemary driving out of Town. The Princess was alone now. She hoped nothing happened to her while there was no one to look out for her; that would be just awful. Her hands curled into fists as she thought about Elizabeth Thatcher. She knew Nathan was still involved with the Hamilton Princess, that she was clinging on to him, but if something were to happen and she wasn't around, he would get over her. He would move on with someone else who wasn't afraid to take on his sister and his niece.
The way she saw it, there were two things in the way of her being with Nathan, the Princess, and her brother. She had been worried about Lucas coming to Coal Valley, but it might be helpful. All she had to do was think of a way for the two of them to disappear, and her life with Nathan could finally begin.
"Look out, Lee!" Rosemary exclaimed. She grasped the side of the car as Lee swerved to avoid the vehicle speeding toward them.
"Are you okay, Rosie?" Lee asked as he steered the car to the side of the road and stopped.
"I am now. Did you see the driver? They were driving much too fast; he could have killed us!" Rosemary was turned in her seat, looking back at the road to Coal Valley. "I hope he slows down before he gets to town."
"I haven't seen him or the car before, obviously a stranger to Town. Let's hope he doesn't plan to stay long." Lee steered the car back onto the road, heading to Benson Hills. He frowned as he thought about the driver of the other vehicle. Noone drove like that on country roads; it was too dangerous. The man driving the car was clearly a stranger and not from anywhere near Coal Valley. He thought of Nathan's current trouble with the mysterious Lisa and hoped there was no connection between the two.
"Excuse me, Miss. Is it you I speak to about a room at this establishment?"
"Yes, but I believe we are full up." Lisa strode toward the counter where the man stood, looking for a room. She lowered her voice as she stood opposite him and hissed, "what are you doing here?"
"That's no way to speak to your big brother, and you know exactly why I am here. You are not fulfilling your obligations, and the deal is in jeopardy." Lucas narrowed his eyes as he looked at Lisa, he wasn't sure what game she was playing, but she wasn't going to ruin all his hard work and planning. He needed to lure prospective property buyers to Coal Valley, where Lisa 'entertained' them. When they discovered they had invested in a sham, an empty shell company, and their money was gone, none wanted to report it. Their social standing, reputation and not looking foolish were always more important to them than money. Lucas enjoyed exploiting others, finding where they were most vulnerable and taking advantage of it. He needed Lisa working with him; without her, he didn't have the leverage he needed over the men he duped. He would punish her for making him come all this way to get her back on track.
"Are you sure you can't find me something? It's only for a few nights. I don't intend my business here will take too long to fix."
Before Lisa could respond again, Tom, the Saloon owner, came in and overheard Lucas's request. He looked over the well-dressed man, recognising his clothing as expensive, and assumed the brand-new automobile out front belonged to him too. "Of course, we have room for you, Sir!" he said expansively as he nudged Lisa aside. "Let me book you in; you are staying several nights; is that correct?"
Lucas sneered at Lisa before smiling widely at Tom, "Yes, three nights should be sufficient to ensure my business interests are back on track."
"What business brings you to Coal Valley, if you don't mind me asking," Tom enquired.
"I run T.E.N.C., a development company; we facilitate deals for interested, wealthy parties."
"Oh, well, it's a pity you missed Mr Coulter; he has just gone out of town; he owns the timber mill and would be just the man to talk to about deals in Coal Valley.'
"What a pity," he murmured solicitously, "If I remain in town longer than expected, I will be sure to look him up."
"Lisa," Tom said, "Help Mr …sorry I didn't catch your name?"
"Anderson, John C Anderson," Lucas said, smiling. Inside he was laughing wildly. He loved using that alias; no one had ever been clever enough to work out its meaning; only he and Lisa knew what it meant. The Hans Christian Anderson version of The Emperor's New Clothes had been their favourite story as children. When he started the shell company, he took great delight in using the initial T.E.N.C.; it was a constant reminder that people would prefer to remain silent than be thought a fool.
"Show Mr Anderson to his room, Lisa. Make sure he has everything he needs."
Lisa stomped up the stairs ahead of her brother, seething at his presence in Coal Valley. While on the one hand, she had expected him, seeing him there, knowing he could jeopardise her plans for Nathan, had her enraged.
As the door to his room closed behind them, she spun towards him, "I don't want you here; I don't care about your stupid plan and stupid company. I want out."
"Well, well, what's caused this change of heart? Surely you haven't grown a conscience." Lucas looked at her reddening cheeks and snorted, "or is it a case of who?" Lucas laughed cruelly, "you seem to think you have a choice, dear sister. You don't get to choose if you stay or go. You will go when I say you can and not a minute sooner."
Lisa stared at Lucas, hate for him coursing through her. If that was the way he wanted to play it, that was fine by her.
Lucas stepped out into the main street of Coal Valley; he could feel Lisa watching him from the balcony upstairs at the Saloon. She had stormed out of his room earlier, and he knew he would have difficulty bringing her back in line. Something or someone had pulled her away from him, which was unacceptable. He needed to eliminate the threat to his hold on her. Immediately.
As he stood, determining where to start on his town inspection, he saw a man, sorry, a Mountie in his red serge riding toward him. As he got closer, Lucas could see the curiosity in his eyes but stood firm, a benevolent smile on his face. He saw the Mountie's eyes flick up, and he nodded, acknowledging Lisa where she stood.
Lucas saw the look on his sister's face and shook his head. Surely, she wasn't stupid enough to fall in love with a Mountie. As he watched her, her eyes followed the Mountie as he continued his journey, riding away from her without a backward glance. Lucas was astonished; she couldn't take her eyes off him. He needed to learn more about this Mountie so he understood his weaknesses and how to use them against him. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea for Lisa to be involved with a Mountie; it might even turn out to be worthwhile having a Mountie on his side. It would all depend on whether the Mountie could be corrupted or not.
