SEPTEMBER 18,1918

Elizabeth didn't get a chance to talk to Lee about her ideas until a few days after talking to Cat. Lee had been out of town on some business with the mill. Elizabeth stopped by the mill when she had gone into town and dropped Jack off to Nathan.

Nathan and Allie were going fishing again, and she gratefully turned her son over, though not before some teasing happened. She had stopped focusing on her past mistakes and instead allowed herself to relax and enjoy the friendship that she and Nathan had. The attraction was always there, but with the developing deep friendship, their connection and feelings only increased. He quickly became her best friend, and they sought each other out more and more though never in a private setting. She really enjoyed the many dinners the four of them had, along with the times they had sat on her steps as the kids played in the field. Occasionally she would let herself dream of them married and sharing their day.

The talk with Lee had been productive, and by the end, they had a rough idea of the direction they wanted to go.

"Elizabeth, before you go, I think that you should retain ownership of the businesses and be upfront about it," Lee suggested.

"But I don't know how to run either of them," Elizabeth said.

"That's why you employ people you trust to run them. I can help you determine who that is. I think the first place to start would be those already doing the jobs. But you can also appoint a board to assist you with big decisions."

"So, your saying Gustav, Mike, and Fiona?" Elizabeth asked.

"I am. I know that Mike is quite capable of managing a business. But one thing I have to ask is, what about Henry?"

"From what I see, I don't think he is able to handle the stress anymore, so I was thinking of returning him with a pension. It would allow him to have income without hurting his pride because he started the company."

"I think that is a great idea, and I think if it comes from you, he will accept it." Lee mused.

"I was thinking of talking to him privately before I reveal the news," Elizabeth said. "I think it would be easier on him if he knows ahead of time."

"I think your instincts are sound, and you should follow them more often." Lee said, then added teasingly, "Most of the time, anyway." Elizabeth just looked at him in exasperation and made a face.

"I do need to talk to you about the school. Cat told me that Rachel Montgomery is returning and is a certified teacher. I think that there are enough students to accommodate three teachers. If not, I would pay her salary out of my own funds. I've already spoken to Mr. Landis, and he agrees. In fact, he is going to meet with the company that owns the foundry regarding their lack of financial support to the school. Thankfully, I was able to get my certifications to teach blind and deaf students while in Hamilton."

"I think that we can probably squeak out enough from the town to pay for a third teacher. I'm assuming that they will teach the younger ones?" Lee asked.

"Yes, because I want to focus on the older students and the advanced ones like Allie," Elizabeth said. "I'm going to pay Cat to watch Jack since she will have Gabby, too, while Rachel works."

"Wow, that's amazing, Elizabeth," Lee said with a smile. "It's like everyone is coming full circle, and everybody wins."

"I think so, too," Elizabeth said, smiling. "So, how do we get the ball rolling on letting the town know?"

Elizabeth and Lee looked at each other with a smile and said, "ROSEMARY!" They laughed and headed over to the newspaper office. After explaining everything that would be happening, Rosemary agreed to do an article, only saying that the businesses were sold and under new ownership. It also stated that the new owner would be arriving in 3 days. That evening she had Abigail prepare a special meal and invited the Coulters, Bill and Nathan. They had become her core group of people whom she trusted completely and always gave wise counsel. Robert and Cody were going to be watching Jack at her house in case the discussion grew late. Allie was having a sleepover with Opal and Anna, so Nathan didn't have to worry about her.

After she told them the news, they all agreed with Lee's suggestion. She and Abigail had talked privately about her thoughts on Henry, and her friend agreed that it would be best for Henry to be retired from the company. Abigail even offered to be there with Elizabeth for that discussion which Elizabeth was grateful for. Elizabeth had also arranged for the agent that handled the sale to send telegrams to Gustav, Henry, Mike, and Fiona. They were instructed to meet with the new owner at 2 PM the following day at the Queen of Hearts.

They were sitting around a table anxiously waiting for the new owner when Elizabeth and Abigail walked in.

"Can we help you, Elizabeth? I'm afraid we are not really open for business because we're just waiting for the new owner to arrive." Gustav explained apologetically.

"Yes, you can help me, Gustav.' Elizabeth said, taking a seat at the table and indicating that Abigail should also. "You are actually here to see me because I am the new owner!"

"You are?" Fiona said, a big smile on her face.

"That's great!" Mike said, relieved.

Gustav just let out a sigh of relief and smiled. Henry gave a tired smile and looked relieved too.

"I'm not well versed in the areas of business, but I am a Thatcher," Elizabeth said, getting down to business. "I would like a report on the financial standing of the saloon and Gowan Petroleum. I want a separate breakdown for the saloon portion and the hotel portions, Gustav. 'I definitely need to come up with a new name for the companies. I don't want the saloon to be known as the Queen of Hearts, she thought. 'It's time for Lucas to completely disappear.'

"I want to know the current employees and work schedules as well. I also want to know the concerns you have and the ideas you have for improvement. I will arrange for a meeting in a week to go over all the requested information. Until then, all of you are to proceed as you have been, with Gustav running the saloon. For now, Mike and Fiona will oversee Gowan Petroleum. Consider your collection of information and presentation of it as an interview for the manager of the saloon or managers of the oil company." Elizabeth said. Then turning to Henry, Elizabeth said, "Could you remain here for a moment," The others got the hint and left, leaving Henry there with Abigail and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth's eyes softened, and she reached out for Henry's hand. "Henry, I know that the company started out as yours. You have put a lot of time and effort into it even after it was no longer yours. Because of what you did, the company and the town are saved. "That's why I'm going to retire you with a pension from the company that will allow you to live comfortably for the rest of your life. I'm also including a bonus for all the time you went beyond what was expected of you." Elizabeth gave the amounts of the bonus and the monthly stipend, and Henry's eyes widened in pleasant surprise. It looked like he would protest, but she stopped him and said with a smile, "It's not up for negotiation Henry."

Henry's eyes glistened. "Elizabeth, that is more than generous, and I thank you for it. I think a pension will suit me fine. I know that the company will be in good hands, and you can trust those two. They have some really great ideas, and I think they will be quite successful. I've been wanting to move closer to Christopher and Rachel so I can be part of their life. Thanks to you, now I can with a clean conscience. I'm assuming that the retirement is effective immediately?"

"I think that it would be the best idea," Elizabeth said. "It lets them work independently of you and show what they are capable of."

"Are you all right, Henry?" Abigail inquired, reaching for his other hand.

"More than all right, Abigail. If you don't mind, I would like to leave town without anyone knowing. I really don't want any fuss made over me?" He asked. The women quickly agreed, and arrangements were made for him to leave on the train that very day. They assured him that his car and other household items would be safe until he was ready for them to be shipped. Elizabeth arranged for Lee to drive three of them to the station. After an emotional goodbye, Henry gave one last wave and a smile before disappearing into the train.

On the way back to town, Elizabeth caught sight of the Queen of Hearts sign. "Lee, can you find someone to remove the saloon sign for now until we decided on a name?"

"Sure, I'll get Jesse and Kurt to take it down as soon as I get back to the mill. Have you decided on a new name yet?"

"No, not yet. I have a few ideas, but for now, it will be just the saloon." Elizabeth replied.

"You could ask for some suggestions from the town," Abigail offered. "Like we did when we changed the town name."

That evening after putting Jack to bed, Elizabeth began thinking about Lee's suggestion of a board. She called her father and asked his opinion of the board and to see if he had suggestions for who should be there.

William was touched that she was seeking his counsel and suggested the same people for the board as she was thinking.

As she was about to say goodbye, she said, "Father, would you be willing to be a part of the board too?"

William was choked up at her request but quickly agreed. After exchanging I love you's, she disconnected the call. She heard a knock on the door and went to open it. She was delighted to see Abigail, Bill, Rosemary, and Lee standing on her porch.

After getting everyone situated with beverages, they gathered around her table and discussed recent events. It was decided to hold a town meeting and explain the purchase. The announcement of the new school and its location. When Elizabeth mentioned erasing Lucas from the town, Rosemary jumped in, "We need to hold a party the night of the meeting. I have an even better idea. Let's throw a celebration and just make the announcements." Rosemary then added, "I'll even be in charge of planning since I'm so good at it. Just leave everything to me, Elizabeth."

The others just rolled their eyes at Rosemary's exuberance. Elizabeth then said, "I've been thinking about what you said about a board, Lee, to help me. I spoke with my father, and he thought it was a great idea too. His suggestions for board members happen to match the names on my list.

"That's great, Elizabeth," Lee said. "Who do you have in mind?"

"I'd like for all of you in this room to be a part of it. My father has agreed to be a member as well. The only other person I want to add is Nathan." Everyone quickly agreed to help, and the discussion turned to ideas about the saloon.

The next day, Robert came by to watch Jack so Elizabeth could talk to Cat. Later she would go to the school to prepare for the new year. The first stop Elizabeth made was to Nathan.

Walking into the jail, he was sitting at his desk, engrossed in writing a report. "Hello," Elizabeth said, trying to catch his attention.

"Oh, Elizabeth," Nathan said. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long. Only a few minutes," Elizabeth said, smiling as she approached the chair in front of his desk. "I had something I needed to talk to you about. Is now a good time?"

"Sure, I have some time. Is something wrong?" Nathan asked, feeling a bit anxious since it was her first time at the jail since that awful day she chose Lucas.

"Oh no, everything is fine," Elizabeth instantly identified that Nathan was anxious. Then she quickly realized the reason for it and wanted to reassure him. Once again, she was filled with regret and the knowledge of how much her actions affected him. Elizabeth went on to explain about the companies and that she was establishing a board. "I would like for you to be a member of that board as well, Nathan."

"I would be happy to do that, Elizabeth, and I feel honored to be asked," Nathan said with a grin.

Elizabeth smiled in return and said, "Well, I'd better get over to the school and finish setting it up. Oh, and Lee has authorized me to hire Rachel to be a teacher."

"That's great, Elizabeth. When do Rachel and Gabby arrive?"

"Day after tomorrow," Elizabeth said. "Which is good since the first day of school is next week."

The celebratory meeting was held three days later. To the delight of everyone, Rosemary exceeded all previous events she had ever planned. Everyone was having such a great time that people were reluctant to leave. It would be a party that would be talked about for years to come.