AN: Okay, so the end of this chapter might be hard to read. More of Billy's past is revealed and we learn the story behind the scars on his back.
"Lunch dishes are done! Did we miss seeing the dress on her?" Sophia asked as she and Mary Louise hurried into Grace's bedroom. Lillian and Ellie were already sitting on Grace's bed.
"No," Lillian assured them. "She hasn't come out yet," she added, patting the bed beside her for the two girls to join them. Though she didn't say anything to the girls, Lillian was wondering what was taking her sister so long. Granted Tess' old wedding dress would need some alterations but it looked like Grace should have been able to get it on. Perhaps she should leave Ellie with the two older girls and go check on Grace.
Footsteps in the hallway brought four pairs of eyes to the doorway. Moments later, Grace stepped inside wearing the wedding dress. As Tess' wedding had been in the fall, the dress had long sleeves, the satin covered in lace. It had a high collared neck with a Basque waistline. The satin folds of the skirt fell to just above the floor.
"Can someone finish buttoning the buttons in the back?" Grace asked.
"I'll do it," Sophia replied, jumping to her feet.
"It's pretty, but it does not look like Miss Grace," Mary Louise stated.
Lillian smiled. Leave it to Mary Louise to state what they were all probably thinking. "Well, Miss Grace's wedding will be in May which means we need to make the sleeves shorter but I think it is a nice start," she commented. "What do you think, Grace?"
"I do not think I can deal with an all white dress," Grace said, looking down at the dress she wore as Sophia finished with the buttons. "I know a wedding dress is supposed to be white but I need some splash of color," she said, looking up to her sister. Grace reached up to the collar. "And this high collar has got to go," she added.
Lillian laughed. "I can fix the neck and make the sleeves shorter," she assured her sister. Getting to her feet, she made a slow circle of her sister, thinking of how she could address Grace's other complaint about the lack of color. "My dress was going to be lavender, correct?" Lillian asked.
Grace nodded.
"Then what if we dye some lace lavender and cover the skirt of your dress with it. It'll add a bit of color without being garish," Lillian said.
Both Sophia and Mary Louise oohed at the suggestion. Imitating them, Ellie's ooh echoed getting gentle laughter from everyone.
"I think I like that idea," Grace told her sister.
Lillian smiled. "That is what we'll do then," she told her sister. Walking over to the dresser, Lillian picked up the pin cushion she had placed there earlier. "While you have it on, let me pin it to make the alterations. I'll add the lace after we get the material for my dress so I have an idea of what color I'm aiming for when dying the lace."
"Have I told you I appreciate you helping me with my dress?"
"You have," Lillian said, "and it's my pleasure."
"Hopefully, I can help you plan your wedding soon as well," Grace commented.
"I hope so, too," Lillian replied easily as she set to work, for once not even blushing at the comment. She loved Gabriel and he loved her. She had come to acknowledge that love like that was natural and nothing for her to be embarrassed about. Not that she was ready for more than holding hands while in public.
"I'm kind of sad that I'll miss both weddings," Sophia said, her smile disappearing. "However, I'm excited that I will be with Helen again," the smile coming back.
Lillian and Grace had talked to Sophia about the offer and what it would mean for her. After sleeping on it, Sophia had told them that she wanted to go to England to be with Helen. Sophia had told them that though it wasn't a family like the one she lost, God was seeing fit to offer her a permanent home and if she passed it up, the opportunity might not come again. Lillian was planning on sending word of the acceptance of the offer to England tomorrow. While waiting to hear back again, there would be other things for her to begin to start the process of Sophia leaving them.
Grace smiled. "I'll make sure I get a photo of us to send you," she told the girl. " Helen would want to see a picture as well. I hope you will be happy with Helen and her grandfather."
"Helen and I will be like sisters," Sophia said.
"You will," Lillian replied, happy for the girl, though a little said about having to say good-bye to her in a few weeks. That was one of the hard parts about this job. Still, her hope was that every child under her care would one day find a new family.
After going on rounds, Gabriel stopped by the hotel for lunch trays for him and Billy. With two trays in hand, Gabriel headed across the road to the jail. Coming out of the telegraph office, Ruth Trudeau spotted him and changed direction.
"Let me get the door for you, Constable," the woman said, reaching for the door knob of the Mounted Police office.
"Thank-you, Ruth," Gabriel said, grateful for the assistance.
"It is not a problem," Ruth assured him. "I was just going to take a message that came in across the street to Judge Avery."
"I'm sure he'll appreciate it," Gabriel replied, knowing that if the message contained information regarding Billy that Bill would share it with him before too long. "Have a good day."
"You too, Constable," Ruth said, as Gabriel entered the office. Making sure Gabriel was all the way through the door before letting it go, Ruth continued on her task.
Inside the office, Gabriel found Billy where he had left him - back to the wall and knees still drawn up to his chest.
Walking over to his desk, Gabriel placed both the trays down. He placed Billy's tray on the far side of the desk where he usually sat. He was hoping Billy might feel more relaxed out of the cell, though he still wanted to be between the boy and the door.
"I thought we would have lunch together," Gabriel said, grabbing the keys to the cell and walking toward the cell.
To Gabriel's relief, the boy moved from his position. Though he got to his feet, Billy waited by the cot as Gabriel unlocked the cell door. He didn't move from the near the cot until Gabriel motioned for him.
Silently, Billy walked with Gabriel over to the desk. The boy took the chair Gabriel indicated for him to sit in. Unlike other days, Billy didn't start eating right away. Instead, the boy placed his hands under his legs as he sat stiffly in the chair.
"Don't tell me you're still not hungry," Gabriel commented as he sat down across from Billy.
The boy shrugged.
"Well, I'm hungry after this morning," Gabriel said, picking up his sandwich and taking a bite.
Billy sat quietly for a bit. Gabriel tried to make small talk, but received only shrugs and head shakes in response to questions. Gabriel felt like he had lost ground with the boy overnight.
"Do I have to talk to Judge Avery?" Billy finally asked, looking up and across the desk at Gabriel.
Gabriel put what was left of his sandwich down on his plate and met Billy's gaze. "No one is going to make you talk to anyone," he told the boy. "However, if you don't talk to us, then we have to make a decision about what to do without all the information. Decisions like that tend not to be the best decisions possible most of the time."
"That won't be nothin new," Billy muttered.
Gabriel paused trying to figure out how to best go about convincing Billy to cooperate with them. "The way I see it, if Judge Avery didn't care about what happened to you then he could simply send you back to Saskatoon and let a judge there handle your case. Instead, he is taking the responsibility of trying to figure out all the facts. He wants to do the right thing Billy. It would be in your best interest to help him."
"If I did talk to him, could you be there? I feel safe with you."
Gabriel felt his breath catch at the admission. It was the first acknowledgment from the kid that he was making progress with connecting to Billy. "I can be there," Gabriel assured him. "In fact, I'll let Judge Avery know to only talk to you when I'm around for now. Would that make you feel better?"
Billy nodded his head.
"Then that is what we'll do," Gabriel told him. He nodded toward the tray with the untouched food. "Now, why don't you try to eat something," he suggested.
Slowly, Billy reached out and picked up his own sandwich, his stomach grumbling as he did so.
"I think your stomach is telling me something differently from what your mouth was telling me," Gabriel teased gently. To his relief, the comment got a small smile from Billy even as he took a bite of his sandwich.
Some of the tension had left the air, and the two finished their lunch. This time, Billy's plate was empty when he finished his meal.
"Want to come with me to return the dishes?" Gabriel asked.
Billy looked toward the cell and then back toward the door. Gabriel could see the conflict in the boy's expression. The desire to be out and about was there, but the cell offered a safety that Billy had longed for.
It was heartbreaking that this child had known so much pain and insecurity that a jail cell had turned into a safe haven.
"Yes."
The one word answer actually surprised Gabriel, who was expecting Billy to tell him no. Getting over his surprise though, Gabriel went about stacking the dishes on one tray and sliding one tray under the other. With that done, he turned to the hooks.
"This coat should fit you better than mine did," Gabriel said, taking the coat Bill had brought off one of the hooks.
With the coat in hand, Gabriel crossed over to where Billy was now standing next to his chair. Gabriel held the coat as Billy slid his arms into it. The coat was still a little big, but it at least didn't swallow the boy up.
"There is a hat in the pocket," Gabriel told Billy as he went for his own coat.
Billy reached in his pocket and pulled out the hat. "Where did this come from?" Billy asked.
"A family from Hope Valley sent it with Judge Avery. Their son is a few years older than you and had grown out of it."
"How did they know about me?"
Gabriel smiled. "Judge Avery isn't the only one I know in Hope Valley. I have a few friends there as well and people of Hope Valley are always willing to help anyone in need whether they know them or have just heard about them."
Billy looked down at the jacket. Gabriel could see the perplexing look on the lad's face as he tried to comprehend a kindness that he hadn't known in years.
"Is there a way I can send them a thank-you note?" Billy asked looking up at Gabriel.
Gabriel nodded. "You write it and I'll send it," he assured him.
Billy nodded. He put the hat on his head and picked up the trays before walking toward Gabriel.
Silently, Gabriel led the boy across the street. At the hotel, the dishes were returned to the kitchen. As Gabriel was about to lead Billy back out of the hotel, Bill spotted them. The judge approached slowly.
"Hello, Gabriel," Bill said. Looking from Gabriel to the boy at the Mountie's side he added, "hello, Billy."
Billy's response was to reach out for Gabriel's hand and take a step closer to the Mountie. Gabriel gave Billy's hand a gentle, and hopefully reassuring, squeeze as he addressed Bill.
"Hello, Bill," Gabriel greeted the man. "Billy and I were just bringing back the lunch dishes."
"Just finished lunch myself," Bill replied. "I was actually going to come over and see if Billy had made a decision about him and I having a chat or not."
Gabriel looked down at Billy. The boy met his gaze and gave him a slight nod.
"Billy's willing to talk to you," Gabriel said, looking back at Bill. "However, he wants me there whenever you two talk."
"Of course," Bill replied. "Are you ready to talk now, Billy? We could go up to my room instead of back over to the Mountie office. I think we would all be more comfortable," Bill suggested.
"Is that okay with you, Billy?" Gabriel asked when the lad didn't respond to Bill's suggestion.
"You'll stay?" Billy asked, looking up at Gabriel.
Gabriel gently squeezed that hand that was still in his. "I'll be right by your side the whole time," he assured the boy.
"Okay," Billy finally replied.
"Good," Bill replied. "I wasn't looking forward to going back outside quite yet anyway," he added as he turned and started leading the way to his room.
Still holding onto Billy's hand, Gabriel followed Bill toward the stairs. Surprisingly, this was the first time Gabriel had ventured to the second floor of the hotel. He had to admit that Ronnie had done a good job at making the place inviting.
Reaching the room he was staying in, Bill paused to unlock the door. He then pushed the door open and stepped aside to let Gabriel and Billy go in first. The inviting feeling continued into the rooms. The furniture was stained in a cherry with the furniture and curtains done in a warm brown. The room had a bed, desk and chair, and a small round table with two comfortable looking armchairs.
"Do you mind if we sit on the bed, Bill?" Gabriel asked. He wanted to be able to keep Billy close to him, and he could accomplish that with the bed.
"Be my guess," Bill said easily, coming into the room and closing the door behind him. He waked over to one of the chairs at the table, removing his coat as he went.
Gabriel helped Billy out of his coat and motioned for the boy to sit on the end of the bed. After taking off his own coat and laying it on the bed, Gabriel sat down next to Billy.
"I don't want to go back," Billy said, his voice shaky as he looked across the room at Bill. There was no mistaking the plea in the voice. "Please, don't send me back. I'd rather be in jail for real."
Gabriel put an arm around Billy's shoulders. The boy stiffened a bit at the touch but leaned against Gabriel.
"I need to know why you ran away and why you don't want to go back, Billy," Bill replied. "If you don't share that with me, then I have no reason not to honor the arrangements already made for you."
The two men waited for Billy to speak. When he didn't, Gabriel tried to encourage an answer.
"Why don't you start with telling Judge Avery what you already told me?" Gabriel replied, hoping that repeating information might be a way to get the boy talking.
Billy nodded, and then started repeating the story about his wrist and why he had left the last orphanage. When the boy started crying, Bill simply pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and past it to Gabriel, who then gave it to Billy. Bill didn't rush the boy, letting the kid go at his own pace.
"They fed and clothed us but they really didn't care about us," Billy said. "They probably didn't even care that I ran away," he said, reaching up and wiping his eyes with the handkerchief again.
"I certainly plan on checking into how they handled your disappearance," Bill said. "To do that, I need the name of the place."
"You won't send me back will you?"
"No," Bill replied. "The one thing I can promise you is that I will not let you go back there after you went through that. There are however paperwork and legal issues that need to be handled so I need the name."
"Home of Mercy," Billy replied. "It was in Rosetown."
"When did you leave?"
"Sometime last spring," Billy replied. "I don't remember the exact date."
Gabriel heard Bill mutter something under his breath.
"Were you placed at Home of Mercy when the Saskatoon Children's Home closed?" Bill asked.
Billy nodded. With his arm still around the child, Gabriel felt a shiver go through the boy.
"I know why that home was closed, Billy," Bill stated. "Did those allegations directly affect you?"
"Does it matter?" Billy asked. "I didn't run from there. I did what was expected of me though that didn't help anything."
"I'd like to have the whole picture," Bill told him. "It will help me make the right choices as we go forward."
"Maggie told me about the scars on your back, Billy," Gabriel said softly to the boy, even as he held the boy close to him. "Did those scars happen at the first orphanage?"
"I tried to do what they asked of me," Billy said, a fresh bout of tears starting. "I couldn't seem to please anyone though. I'd forget to do something or I wouldn't do something fast enough. I tried to do the school work but it was hard. I asked for help but was told I should have understood it the first time like the other children. The director there hit us with his belt for any infractions. He said his discipline was the only way disobedient kids like me would learn anything."
"No wonder the place was shut down," Bill muttered even as Gabriel wrapped his other arm around the sobbing boy.
"That wasn't right, Billy," Gabriel told the boy. "Nobody is perfect and kids learn at different paces. If you were trying your best you should not have been punished and no punishment should leave scars," he assured the boy. It was no wonder Billy didn't want to be placed at another orphanage. The kid had not been treated right and from what he had seen, Billy was a good kid. He couldn't understand how anyone could treat a child that way.
"I just want to feel safe. I can deal with not being loved but is it too much to ask to feel safe?" Billy asked through his tears.
Gabriel rubbed circles on the boy's back as Billy cried. "No, Billy. That isn't too much to ask at all," he told the child.
"I think that is enough for today," Bill said sympathetically. "I'm going to go get him a glass of water for when he calms down," het told Gabriel, as he headed for the door.
Gabriel nodded as he continued to try and comfort Billy.