Chapter 9: The Mountie Discount
Nathan woke up early on Saturday morning for one of his now weekly rides to "clear the cobwebs." Riding alone and in the quiet of the morning never failed to lift his spirits. The feelings that he had felt for Elizabeth had subsided quietly, especially with her constant absence as of late. The thought of her no longer stirred up the same emotional response that it previously had. Despite this shift in his feelings however, the pain and the hurt had still left its mark. While the thoughts of their time together no longer aroused any yearning for what might have been, Nathan had begun to mourn the lost time that he had spent pursuing her. If only he had known how it would all end… If only she had told him the truth sooner… That he was nothing more than Jack's surrogate to her. He could heal from the pain of being rejected; he was used to that kind of pain. It was the pain of living under the shadow of Jack's death that he just couldn't seem to shake. As Nathan rode through the sparkling, dewy fields, he noticed the outlines of a small iron fence several paces away. Why had he never seen it before? Curious, he urged Newton in that direction. "Come on boy" he coaxed, bended over in the saddle. A few chickadees darted out of the tall grass, their little yellow forms rising to the sky as Nathan and Newton passed. Nathan was surprised to find a little cemetery there, with the little iron gate at its perimeter. No one had passed in the years since he had become Hope Valley's Mountie, so there had been no real reason for him to have visited it before. Still, he was surprised he hadn't discovered it yet. Frowning faintly, he slowly dismounted Newton and walked slowly through the open gate. Some of the headstones were old, covered by a thick moss. As Nathan walked slowly down the rows of graves, some of the names stood out to him. Paul Blakely. That was Florence's first husband. Nathan knew he had died in the mining accident that Bill was still investigating. Sullivan, Tucker, Montgomery, Dunbar… He knew all of those names too. As he continued through the damp grass, he was drawn to one of the headstones that still looked fairly new. His eyes scanned the inscription written on it. "Constable Jack Thornton. N.W.M.P. Loving Husband, Hero, Friend." Nathan felt the breath go out of him, and he took a step back. "Jack…" he murmured faintly, feeling as if he were seeing a ghost. For a moment he stared at the words and the stone, the familiar feelings of guilt and hurt coming over him again. He sucked in a breath of the fresh morning air and slowly took off his hat.
As Nathan stared soberly at the grave, he noticed a little patch of daisies growing there. The sight of the flowers had a strangely calming effect on him. Cautiously, he took a step forward. Something about seeing Jack's name on the headstone, combined with the reassuring sight of the little daisies beneath suddenly made Nathan feel as though Jack were there with him, as if the dead Mountie were watching him and listening to him. The feeling gave Nathan a peculiar urge to speak. "Listen, Jack…" he began awkwardly, slowly dropping to one knee. "I don't know if you can hear me, but… I really wish you could." Nathan drew in a shaky breath and paused before going on. "I'm not you" he breathed slowly. "And I'll never be you. But no one seems to understand that… To them, I'm just a shadow of who you were." When the only answer was silence broken only by the chirping of the birds, Nathan sighed heavily and shook his head. "Please Jack…" he said, almost in a whisper. "Help me to understand why you died that day, and I didn't. Because right now, none of it makes sense. Right now, it feels like I should be the one lying here. They all miss you so much… They want you, not me." Nathan felt a lump form in his throat, and he swallowed hard to keep the tears from coming. "Why me Jack?" he murmured. "Why was it more important for me survive than it was for you? These people loved you. Why am I here instead?" Nathan knelt in silence for a long time as his questions slipped away on the wind, unanswered. They were questions that had plagued him for a while now, but that he hadn't felt like sharing with anyone in the community since they had all at one time or other compared him to Jack. Disclosing them with Jack himself however helped to lift some of the weight off of Nathan's heart, and he felt a little lighter after asking them. Jack had been an excellent man, and now he knew what was on Nathan's heart. Perhaps he would provide Nathan with some of the answers in good time. Nathan didn't exactly understand it, but after opening up to Jack about his doubts, he suddenly felt an unspoken bond between them, even from beyond the grave. Slowly he stood up and putting his hat back on, touched his hat in salute. It was reassuring to know that he had an ally, even in Heaven.
"What are you doing there, Lee?" Fiona asked cheerily as she strolled down the boardwalk, a stack of papers in her hand. Lee finished nailing a flyer to one the posts in front of the saloon and stepped back to admire it. "I'm campaigning" he grinned. "The election is coming up, and I'm hoping to run for mayor!" Fiona nodded, impressed, "That's great" she congratulated him. "You're a worthy candidate." Lee frowned quizzically. "I thought I heard that you were running as well" he said. "It that true?" Fiona smiled and shook her head. "No, I've decided to drop out and help Mike run. I'm his campaign manager." Saying this, she began nailing a flyer for Mike's candidacy directly under Lee's. Lee opened his mouth to protest, but only managed to make a few disgruntled sounds in his throat before Fiona finished. "May the best man win!" she said, smiling brightly, before heading over to the mercantile. Lee looked from her to the flyer that she had just posted. "What just happened?" he asked thin air. Bill came up behind him and patted him on the shoulder. "Looks like you just got played" he smirked. Lee's mouth dropped open again and his eyes went back to Fiona, who was standing at the foot of the Mercantile stairs, giving out flyers by hand. "Unbelievable!" he muttered in disbelief. "This whole campaign thing is more competitive than I thought!" Bill laughed. "Welcome to politics" he chuckled, before growing suddenly serious. "Would you tell Clara that I prepared a few items for the dinner menu, but I won't be back until this afternoon? I'm going to visit the old mine to see what I can find." Lee nodded absently, still watching Fiona. "Sure" he said. "Yeah, I'll tell her…"
It had been a hot morning in the sun for Dani as she hoed out a portion of her backyard for the pumpkin seeds she had bought from Mr. Lawson. She wiped her dirty, sweaty face on the front of her white apron, and drew in a deep breath as she walked over the water pump. As she began pumping the water into a bucket to clean her face and hands, she began listing in her head all of the chores that still needs to be done. The chickens needed to be fed, the dishes from last night still needed to be washed and put away. The tear in her dress needed to be sewn up. And then there was the barbwire fence… Dani sighed resignedly at the thought of it. Having none of the right tools, it would be a challenge to fix. Wearily, she let the cool water wash over her hot face and neck. It felt lovely after being under the beating glare of the sun for so long. With another sigh, she looked around at her little plot of land and house and smiled contentedly. She loved her little homestead. Everything seemed to be coming together, slowly be surely. As Dani scanned the landscape, she suddenly spied a patch of violets close by. It spread out like a purple carpet over the bending grass. Dani smiled and quickly set about picking a hand full of them for her kitchen table. She always liked to have wildflowers around the house. After feeding the chickens and changing her dirty clothes, Dani set about putting her little house in order, knowing that she was secreting putting off the barbwire fence as long as she possibly could. It was about noon, and she had just dried the last dish from the wash basin, when Dani heard a knock at her door She was surprised that Nathan had come so early. He had told her he would be coming in the afternoon to build the shelf. When she opened it however, she was even more surprised to see Rosemary Coulter standing there, several wads of patterned fabric in her arms. "Hello!" she exclaimed. "You must be Danielle Lemont! I am Rosemary Coulter! I run the newspaper in town." Dani smiled. "Oh yes! You're Rosemary!" she said, connecting the dots in her mind. "I remember Nathan talking about you once or twice." Rosemary smiled excitedly. "And no one can stop talking about you" she said excitedly. "Florence Yost said she came by to drop off a welcome basket." Rosemary held her hand to her mouth mysteriously and let her voice drop. "She may have also mentioned that you didn't have any curtains. So, I decided to stop by and offer to make some for you." Dani was a bit taken aback by Florence's observation, but also touched by Rosemary's generosity. "That's so kind of you" she breathed, opening the door. "Won't you come in for some tea?" Rosemary smiled and walked in excitedly. "I would like that very much!" she excitedly. Dani smiled as she shut that door and gave a little sigh of relief that she had finished the housework in time for Rosemary's visit.
The mine was dim, and a musty smell filled the air as Bill dismounted Hero and tied him the hitching post just outside. "Hang in there, old boy" he muttered. "I'll be right back." Bill's footsteps sounded loud and hollow as he picked his way through the mine to the shaft where he knew that the explosion had occurred. Most of the evidence had been stripped away, especially since Bill had put the case on hold for almost seven years now. 'Whatever it takes" he mumbled to himself "I've got to find something in here." As Bill began pulling rocks and broken boards aside, the sound of voices suddenly reached his ears. Deep, angry voices, that didn't sound very far off. "What in the world…" Bill muttered as he laid down the rock in his hand and went toward the noise. From on the passages ahead, Bill could see the faint glow of a lantern shining out. He flattened himself against the rocky wall and strained his ears to hear what was being said. "Some of those new guys need to pay up still" a deep, growly voice said. "I'll head out tomorrow and dig some sense into them." "You know how I feel about your methods Julius" said a higher, seemingly frightened voice. "No one has to get hurt you know." There was a discontented grunt from the other man. "I use whatever methods I choose" he shot back, raising his voice slightly to assert dominance. "You don't get to tell me how to do my job." Bill edged in closer, as the men's voice dropped into a less heated argument about the timing and place for whatever heist they planned to attempt. Bill soundlessly drew the shiny pistol from his belt and slowly made his way toward the mouth of the passage. "It's no use!" the higher voice was saying "I can't do this forever. The Mountie's going to find out. He's not afraid of you. He'll put you away if he can." "Leave him to me" the deeper voice responded. At the mentioned of "the Mountie" Bill tensed up. They were talking about Nathan. They were feeling threatened by Nathan.
Bill defensively quickened his pace until he emerged suddenly at the entrance to the passage and saw Julius Spurlock, accompanied by a man he had never seen before, who wore a white suit. "Alright, hands up!" he shouted, pointing the gun. "What's all this about the Mountie? I could be wrong, but it all sounds and awful lot like a threat… And that doesn't sit right with me!" Julius Spurlock, raised his hands and gave Bill a sarcastic, sideways nod. "Not a threat" he explained. "Just a precaution. I know firsthand that Mounties can be… troublesome, at times." "And I've had the same experience with Pinkertons" Bill muttered, his eyes narrowing. "You are a bunch of goons that go around causing trouble. I know the type." Spurlock's eyes darkened, but his smug smile didn't waver. "From what I can tell, you are part of the problem as well" he murmured. "Franklin! Scott!" The two other Pinkerton's came out of the shadows and approached Bill, their rifles pointed. "I don't want any trouble" Spurlock said lethargically. "Put down the gun." Bill looked around heatedly, but knew he was outnumbered and threw down the gun in frustration. "Now" Julius motioned. "I want you to come with me."
"What do you think of this one?" Rosemary asked excitedly, as she held up a wad of floral fabric for Dani to see. Dani smiled and was about to compliment it when there was a knock at the door. "Come in?" she called expectantly. When no one came in and the knocking continued, Dani got up from her place at the table. "Excuse me Rosemary" she apologized and went to the door. When she opened it, she almost lost her breath. Nathan was standing there, a tool bag slung around his shoulders. There was nothing surprising in that. But Dani had never seen Nathan out of uniform before, and this certainly wasn't the Constable Nathan Grant that she had come to know. She was shocked by how rugged and strong he looked in a simple plaid shirt and suspenders. Nathan had transformed before her very eyes into a frontier man. He smiled simply as she caught herself gaping. "I brought my tools" he said. "Is the lumber out back?" Dani pulled herself together and smiled warmly. "Yes" she said. "It's next to the chicken coop. There are also some nails and dowels in a little box on the back step. If you need anything else, let me know." Nathan nodded and smiled. "Great" he said, his eyes shining. "I'll get right to work then. It's good to see you Dani" he added, flashing a bright smile in her direction before turning to leave. Dani looked after him gratefully. "Thank you for coming Nathan" she called, before shutting the door. As she looked up, she spied Rosemary watching her thoughtfully and quickly returned to the table. "I'm so sorry Rosemary" she apologized, sliding into her seat. "Please continue." Rosemary eyed her curiously. "Was that Nathan I heard at the door?" she asked, with a hint of excitement. Dani nodded. "Yes" she said, smiling. "He's here to build me a shelf. He offered to do it for me a few days ago." Rosemary's smiled widened. "You two seem to have gotten to know each other pretty well" she observed. Dani lifted the tin cup to her lips and nodded. "We have" she admitted serenely, after taking a sip of her tea. "He's been a good friend to me." Dani's ease about the subject of Nathan slightly annoyed Rosemary. She wanted to find out more about Nathan and Dani's "friendship" but could see that her pointed questions were yielding no fruit with Dani. So, she promptly gave up. "How have you liked Hope Valley so far?" she asked, changing the subject. Dani smiled with a sigh. "It's beautiful" she breathed, her eyes wandering to the window. "Everything is always so peaceful and quiet. Although, I am planning to visit the town again very soon. I need some supplies, plus I want to meet more of the people here." Rosemary brightened excitedly. "What a splendid idea!" she exclaimed. "Tomorrow is Sunday. Perhaps Lee and I could pick you up in our car before church? It would save you the trip walking there and back, plus you would be free to stay the night with Lee and I!" Dani opened her mouth in surprise. "Well, I don't know…" she stumbled. "I'd need someone to look after things here. Kurt Lawson usually does when I'm not here, but he's away." Rosemary waved her hand carelessly. "Lee will find someone!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I simply must introduce you to everyone in town, after church! They are all anxious to meet you!" Dani hesitated momentarily before a smiled took over her face. "Thank you Rosemary" she murmured. "I would love to be your guest, if you'll have me." Rosemary let out an exclamation of excitement and clapped her hands.
Faith walked briskly down the boardwalk towards the Mercantile, her head down. Lately, she had noticed many of the new factory workers in town taking notice of her and attempting to talk to her. At another time in her life, she might have felt flattered by there attention. But lately, she had begun to feel as though none of them would ever quite measure up to the kind of man she had begun to hope for. Someone strong, and gently, who listened and cared. For a moment she thought of Carson, but the thoughts of him quickly waned. Even Carson had not been the sort of man that she felt she could share a life with. Muddled by her thoughts, she wandered aimlessly around the Mercantile shelves, looking for something without being quite sure what it was she was looking for. To her surprise, she suddenly saw Ned watching her through one of the shelves. "Anything I can help you find Faith?" he asked eagerly. Faith shook her head awkwardly and aroused herself out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry Ned" she said absently. "I didn't see you there." Ned grinned understandingly. "Is there anything you're looking for in particular?" he asked. Faith frowned faintly, then shrugged. "A little perspective I guess" she murmured. "You don't happen to have any of that is stock?" Ned smiled and motioned her to the front counter. "Look, Faith" he said kindly. "I know things have been hard for you since Carson left. When my first wife died and left me alone, I didn't know how I could ever go on. My life just felt.. rudderless. You know?" Faith nodded. "Yes" she agreed. "I know. I will admit, it has been hard. But the hardest part is finding the strength to move on, to start a new chapter in my life. I'm not the same person I was before I left for Chicago. I see the world differently now." Ned nodded. "I understand that" he reassured her. There was a short silence before Ned looked up again excitedly. "Say, have you heard anything else about the social group Fiona and Mike were planning on starting?" Faith giggled softly. "Yes" she said. "Fiona told me last night that she will be putting sigh-up sheets on the community board tomorrow. She's been so focused on Mike's campaign, she hasn't had a chance to do it yet." Ned nodded. "You know, Florence and I can't stop talking about it" he grinned. "It'll be nice to have something fun to do in the evenings." Faith nodded in agreement. She knew exactly how he felt.
Dani smiled pleasantly as she got up from the table, cups, and dishes in hand. As she laid them in the wash basin, her eyes lifted the window, where she saw Nathan putting the finishing touches to the brand new shelf. He looked up in time to see Dani at the window, and smiling, gave her a friendly wave with his hammer. Dani laughed, causing Rosemary to look up in surprise. "What's so funny?" she asked coming to Dani's side. Dani laid the dishes down in the soapy water and grabbed a tin cup from the cupboard. "Nathan looks hot" she said, grabbing a small chisel and proceeding to shave off some ice from a block in her icebox. "I'm going to go bring him some water. You're welcome to come with me?" Rosemary shook her head. "You go right ahead" she said, with the tiniest hint of mischief. "I'll get started on these dishes." Dani shook her head to herself as she headed out the back door, cup in hand. Nathan had just set down the hammer and was finishing the top of the shelf with a sheet of sandpaper when she tapped him on the shoulder. "I thought you could use something cold to drink" she said, handing him the tin cup. Nathan accepted the drink gratefully and gulped down several sips before sighing with contentment. "Thank you" he said, smiling. "It's blistering out here so, this hits the spot." He eyed Dani a little anxiously for a moment before continuing. "Listen, I hope I didn't come too early today. I noticed you were a little surprised to see me when you opened the door." Dani shook her head vigorously. "No" she reassured him. "You came at the perfect time actually. I've just never seen you out of uniform before." Nathan looked down at his shir and suspenders. "I guess you're right" he said, smiling. "I didn't think of that. What do you think of the shelf, by the way? It's finished, so I can move it inside, if you like." Dani looked at the tall cedar shelf and ran her fingers over its smooth edges. "Nathan" she breathed. "It's beautiful! It'll be so nice to finally have a place to store my books. Nathan smiled modestly. "I'm glad you like it" he murmured, before taking a firm hold of it and lifting it out of the grass. "Why don't you lead the way?" Rosemary heard laughter as Nathan and Dani came in through the mosquito net door. "Just set it right there" Dani instructed, pointing to an empty space near her rocking chair. She stood back to admire it and clapped her hands in excitement. "It's perfect!" she cried excitedly. "Thank you Nathan! You have no idea how happy I am!" Rosemary's eyebrows lifted as she saw the two of them standing there together, looking at the shelf. She couldn't deny it; they did make a hansom couple side by side. Plus, she had never seen Nathan smile so much. He hadn't stopped smiling since he had arrived. "Hmm…" she pondered thoughtfully. "I'm curious to see how this will play out…"
Nathan left shortly after and Rosemary wasn't far behind. The sun was just beginning to set when Dani finally found herself alone again. The house was so still and quiet. She immediately set about building a fire in the hearth. The leaping of the flames and the crackling of the burning logs always gave her a sense of comfort when she was alone at night. As she threw on a few more twigs, the sight of a little piece of metal wire wrapped around one of them made her groan. She had forgotten to fix the barbwire fence. With an exasperated sigh, she threw on her white, embroidered shawl and made her way through the back door. She couldn't have coyotes sneaking through the hole in the fence and devouring her chickens. Lantern in hand, she trudged through the grass to the spot where she had seen the gap. Her eyes widened with surprise however, when she couldn't find it. Was she looking in the wrong place? Had she been mistaken? She leaned in closer and saw signs that repairs had indeed been made. But by whom? She knew she certainly hadn't been the one to do it. As she straightened up again, a little smiled came over her face as it suddenly dawned on her. Nathan. He had been the one to fix it for her. She shook her head with a disbelieving smile and ran her slender fingers over the mended fence. "How thoughtful of him" she murmured softly. "He's so good to me."
Nathan was tired after the long day of hard work in the sun. He shook his head helplessly as Allie came down from finishing her homework in her room. "I'm sorry Allie" he sighed. "I just don't feel up to making anything tonight. What do you say we have dinner at the café tonight, just you and me?" Allie beamed. "I say, that sounds fantastic!" she cried. Her uncle had been busy for the last twenty four hours, so she was excited finally to spend some time with him. The café was dim and empty when they arrived. The dinner rush hour was long over and only Clara was still working. She smiled upon seeing Nathan and Allie walk through the door. "Hello you two!" she called from the kitchen. "I'll be right with you." Nathan and Allie seated themselves at one of the empty tables and played a game of tic-tac-to on the back of an old telegram Nathan had in his pocket while waiting for Clara. Allie won of course. She smiled brightly as her uncle shook his head disbelief. "I guess I always fall into the same trap, don't I?" he asked with a rueful smile. Allie laughed and raised her eyebrows. "I'm not gonna lie" she admitted. "I don't think you quite have the hang of this game." Nathan smiled, then, putting the paper away, leaned forward seriously. "Speaking of having the hang of things…" he began slowly. "I'm sorry I haven't really been around for the last few days. I'm still trying to get the hang of taking care of the town, especially with all the new folks moving here. Does that make sense?" Allie nodded casually. "Yeah, it does" she reassured him. "We have a lot of new kids in class now. I heard a few people saying that we might have to build a new school. We're running out of room in the schoolhouse right now." Nathan frowned faintly. He hadn't thought of this problem. "How do all your friends feel about that?" he asked. Allie shrugged. "Some of the new kids are pretty rough" she admitted. "There's a lot of fighting during free period. The other day Robert had to come by and step in. Opal and I usually just take a walk to the pond now instead of playing in the schoolyard." Nathan frowned, concerned. "Does Mrs. Miles know about this" he asked, referring to the current substitute teacher. Allie's eyes fell down to her plate, and she shook her head. "She's afraid" she murmured. "She can't control some of the bigger boys. She's worried they'll run her out of the school." Nathan's lips pursed angrily. "I'll have a talk with her tomorrow" he muttered. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner Allie?" Allie looked up timidly and shrugged. "I didn't want you to worry" she said. "You already have a lot to worry about." Nathan smiled gratefully and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Hey" he murmured softly. "Don't ever be afraid to tell me anything. It's my job to worry, both as a Mountie and as your dad." Just then Clara came from back to their table. "What can I get you both tonight?" she asked. "Bill made pretty good batch of chicken pot pie this morning, and I would highly recommend it." Nathan looked at Allie with a playful smile. "What do you think Allie?" he asked. Allie's eyes sparkled. "That sounds great" she breathed, unconsciously fidgeting in her seat. "We'll take two slices" Nathan grinned, unfolding the napkin, and placing it on his lap.
Clara sighed a little to herself as she headed back to the kitchen. She was still embarrassed about what she had said to Nathan at the Yost's dinner party. Imagine spreading gossip about Nathan like that in front of everyone, knowing full well what he had been through in the past year? Clara felt herself blushing as she opened the oven door. She was sure that Nathan hadn't forgotten her comment and was still thinking about it even now. With a sudden rush of shame and self-consciousness, she went back out to the table and turned to face him. "Listen, Nathan" she faltered awkwardly. "I'm sorry about what I said to you, the last time we spoke." Nathan frowned, completely confused. "Hmm?" Clara felt her cheeks grow redder. "At the dinner party?" she elaborated. "I told you to invite someone to the weekly social group?" Finally, Nathan looked like he remembered and waved his hand absently. "It's already forgotten" he said with a faint smile. "Don't worry Clara." Clara nodded gratefully and disappeared into the kitchen again. When she came back, she came bearing their dinner plates, as well as two slices of Dutch apple pie. Nathan looked up in surprise. "We didn't order dessert" he pointed out awkwardly. Clara smiled jokingly and crossed her arms. "It's the Mountie discount" she said. "Plus, I know apple's your favorite. I think you may have let that slip when you rescued a certain person from the woods. Jesse would want you to have it." Nathan and Allie smiled gratefully. "Thanks Clara" Nathan murmured softly, awed by her kindness. Clara nodded and smiled again. "Enjoy."
Nathan and Allie were only a few bites in when Molly and Lee suddenly burst into breathlessly. "Nathan!" Molly called tensely. "We need your help! Bill's missing! He hasn't come home from the mine!" Nathan shot up from his seat. "What?!" he exclaimed. "What happened? Why did he go to the mine?" Lee shrugged helplessly. "He was looking for evidence" he said, a little guiltily. "And he told me about it. It's all my fault. I should have told you sooner." Nathan glanced at Allie apologetically. "I have to go to the mine Allie" he said. Allie nodded, a little sadly. "I know" she answered. Molly took a few steps closer and folded her hands beseechingly. "Please Nathan!" she begged. "I lost my little girl in that mine once. I can't go through that again." Nathan nodded. "I'll find him" he reassured her, before turning to Lee. "I may be out all night" he said. "Can you and Rosemary look after Allie?" Lee nodded vigorously. "Of course," he agreed. "But don't you want help Nathan?" Nathan shook his head with a rueful smile. "Get a good night's sleep for the two of us" he said, patting Lee's shoulder as he headed out the door. "Be good for Mr. and Mrs. Coulter Allie." "Be careful Uncle Nathan" Allie called after him as the little bell on the café door rang.