Chapter 10: The Dark of Night
There was an urgency in Nathan's step as he approached the shadowy mine. "Bill?" he called, his voice echoing into the deepest recesses of the black tunnel. "Bill!" Nathan scanned the area, realizing that Hero was standing patiently at the hitching post, a tuft of grass hanging from his mouth. He eyed Nathan and Newton nonchalantly before turning away again. "At least I know he's still here" Nathan sighed, dismounting. He tied Newton up beside Hero and lit the gray lantern he had brought with him with the piece of flint in his pocket. "Hang tight you two" he cautioned the horses. "I'll be right back." The lantern cast a dismal, ghostly glow over the passages that opened up in front of him as he slowly made his way along. With a shudder, Nathan remembered that a lot of miners had been trapped and died in this very cave. He hoped that Bill had not met the same fate. "Bill!" he called again, his voice booming through the empty labyrinth. Still nothing. Nathan felt his eyes stinging him, although he was unsure whether to attribute it to the draftiness of the passage, or his own exhaustion. With his free him hand, he rubbed his eyes and gave himself a quick slap. "Come on…" he muttered grimly. "Focus!" Between the fact that he was tired out and that he did not have his handgun with him, being out of uniform and all, he was feeling a little out of his element. To keep his mind off of it, he began chalking out little X's on the wall, in the hope that it would help to guide him back when he returned. Even if it was unnecessary, it gave him something to concentrate on. "Bill!" he called again fruitlessly. Once again, the only answer was his echo, along with the eerie whistling of the wind.
Jesse was smiling cheerily when he sauntered into the café that night, but his smile quickly faded when he saw the unhappy look on Clara's face as she cleared the last table, Nathan and Allie's table. "Clara…" he called softly. "What's wrong?" He held out his arms to hug her, but she didn't approach him. Instead, she stared mournfully at the two practically untouched pieces of pie sitting where Nathan's place had been. "It doesn't seem fair" she muttered feebly. "Every time I try to do something nice for someone, it always turns out wrong!" Jesse looked from her to the pie, greatly concerned. "What happened?" he cried anxiously. Clara smiled a little at how upset he was and shook her head reassuringly. "Don't worry…" she murmured. "Nothing terrible happened. I just decided to give Nathan a discount on his meal, and before he even had a chance to eat it, he was called away." She shrugged with a sigh. "So much for trying to be a good friend, I guess." Jesse's face relaxed, though he eyed the pie a little sadly. "I have to say" he admitted, seating himself where Allie had previously sat. "It really is a crime for man to be robbed of your apple pie." Clara blushed and laughed. "Well, it's going to waste anyway" she said, eyeing the untouched dessert. "You might as well finish it." Jesse did not decline, but rather, accepted the piece gratefully and savored a huge mouthful. "Hmm…" he sighed. "Still warm!" Clara smiled and took the seat across from him. She watched as he for a minute, leaning on her elbow, before she finally drew in a deep breath. "Jesse" she began softly. "I think we need to talk." "Hmm..?" Jesse looked up startled, his mouth full of pie. Clara shook her head and leaned in closer. "Do you remember when we were newly married, and you made us a dinner of grilled cheese and champagne?" Jesse thought for a minute, then his eyes lighted up. "Yes!" he beamed. "I remember." Suddenly his face fell, and he lowered his eyes in shame. "I guess we haven't really done anything like that together in a long time" he observed. "What changed? What went wrong?" Clara shrugged sadly. "I don't really know" she admitted. "That's why I wanted to talk to you. I see everyone else in Hope Valley getting on just fine: Florence and Ned, Fiona and Mike… Even Bill and Molly seem to be on the right track. What happened to us Jesse?" Jesse shook his head. "I don't know…" he faltered. "Life happened? Things out of our control happened. Ever since Lee and I got lost in the woods, last year, I noticed that you seemed like you were pulling away… from me. It was almost as if you were afraid to be close to me." Clara's eyes brimmed over with tears. "I was afraid of losing you" she admitted. "Like I lost Peter. When you were lost, it broke my heart Jesse!" Jesse shook his head slowly. "Clara, not matter how much you push me away" he explained. "You still wouldn't be able to push away the pain of losing me." Clara nodded tearfully and reached out her hand towards him. "I guess I never understood that until I almost lost you again" she breathed. "It felt safer to quarrel and bicker with you than it was for me to give you my heart. But when Nathan brought you home, I couldn't contain how relieved and happy I was that you were safe." There was a moment of silence between them, until Jesse finally lifted a hand and caressed her face gently. "Don't be afraid Clara" he soothed. "We're all only here for a little while. Do you really want to waste that time in fear? Life is about love, and love is about taking a chance. So, Clara Flynn, will you give me another chance? Will you give us another chance?" Clara nodded and smiled. "Of course, Jesse!" she cried. "I'll give you all the chances I have left." Jesse smiled boyishly and kissed her hand. "Then you'll let me make dinner for you tomorrow night, and take a chance on my culinary skills?" Clara laughed and shook her head. "Absolutely" she assured him.
"Mrs. Coulter?" Allie called after Rosemary, who had just gotten her settled in the guest room. Rosemary stopped dead in her tracks and came back to Allie's bedside. "What's the matter dear?" she asked, coming to sit on the edge of the twin bed. Allie twisted the bed covers in her hands uncomfortably. "I'm worried about Uncle Nathan" she murmured. Rosemary nodded understandingly. "When I was your age, whenever my father was away" she murmured. "I used to stay up all night. He was a Mountie too, like your uncle. But Allie… I learned that the best way to chase away those fears is to believe that they'll be alright. You uncle is a fine Mountie, and he knows how to take care of himself. You have to trust him." Allie smiled sheepishly. "Thank you Mrs. Coulter" she whispered, "But that's not exactly what I meant." Rosemary looked surprised. "Oh?" she asked, curious. Allie took a deep breath and pulled the blanket closer. "What will happen to Uncle Nathan when I get married and move away?" she asked. "Will he be all alone?" Rosemary was a bit taken aback by the question, and her eyes filled with sympathy at the girl's worry. "Of course, not dear" she soothed. "Your uncle will never have to be alone. He has plenty of friends, like Mr. Coulter and me, and Judge Avery, and Miss Lemont. For someone with that many friends and more, I doubt that your uncle will ever have a chance to feel lonely." Allie nodded slowly, her eyes thoughtful. Rosemary's brow furrowed. "Is there any particular reason why you happen to be thinking about this?" she asked with just the faintest hint of curiosity. A little smile came over Allie's face. "Well…" she admitted slowly. "Ever since Mr. and Mrs. Yost's wedding, it's sort of been on my mind. Robert Wolfe asked me to dance at the reception… I think he might… like me…" She eyed Rosemary searchingly after her admission. Rosemary didn't quite know whether to be excited or protective. She adored the prospect of young love blossoming among the youngsters of Hope Valley but had learned plenty about parenting a young girl through such a romance through the antics of her own niece, Rachel. Not wanted to put Nathan in the same position that she had been in with Rachel, Rosemary smiled, a very motherly smile. "Did you know I used to write an advice column?" she asked. Allie shook her head, confused as to where this was going. Rosemary laughed a little to herself. "I used to give advice on a lot of different things" she explained. "But romance was my specialty. And I always told my readers that communication is key." Allie frowned. "So, you think I should communicate more?" she asked. "With Robert?" Rosemary rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps, in time" she deliberated slowly. "But I think for now, the most important person to communicate with is your Uncle Nathan." Allie gave Rosemary a doubtful, sideways glance. "But Mrs. Coulter" she sighed. "Uncle Nathan has never been on a date in his life. Nothing against him, but how would he know what to say?" Rosemary smiled cheerfully. "That's where I come in" she clarified eagerly. "Perhaps, with your Uncle Nathan's help, you could think of some questions you would like to ask, and I will gladly answer them for you. I consider myself an expert in the ways of romance, if I do say so myself" she added modestly. Allie's eyes lit up. "Really?" she asked disbelievingly. "You would be willing to answer my questions?" Rosemary nodded happily. "As long as your uncle approves" she offered, before shrugging. "And who knows? He may have questions of his own." Allie drew in a breath of excitement. "Thank you Mrs. Coulter!" she exclaimed.
Nathan had given up calling Bill's name, fearing his voice would go hoarse. Silently, he trudged through the dark, his footsteps making softly little echoes through the passages. His chalk had run out a couple yards back, so he now had to rely on familiar landmarks to find his way back. The lantern felt heavy and dull in his tired hand, as his did his best to carefully scan the place for some sort of sign as to Bill's whereabouts. Nathan's eyes burned with lack of sleep as they moved along the rocky floor. He figured that it must be about two in the morning now. With a sigh, he crouched down on one knee to get a closer look at the ground for prints, trying not to think about his warm bed at the same time. He needed to find something… Anything, that might show him where Bill was, if he was here at all. As his tired but keen eyes searched the dusty ground beneath his feet, the flickering light of the lantern suddenly seemed to cast strange shadows over the ground, revealing several fresh divots that Nathan hadn't noticed before. Straining his eyes, he looked closer. Was he seeing things? There were footprints. He could see them clearly. But his trained eye could tell that the footprints belonged to two people, not one. One print was small and narrow. The other, much bigger, and wider. Laying a cautious finger over the bigger print, Nathan suddenly realized that he and Bill weren't the only one's in the mine. Even before the realization had fully formed in his mind, Nathan suddenly became aware of distant voices. He listened carefully and drew in a tense breath when he couldn't pick Bill's out. Whoever these men were, they sounded hostile… and they were coming his way! Nathan thought quickly and flattened himself behind one of the supporting beams, knowing full well that he couldn't escape down the passage in either direction without being seen. As a final precaution, he doused the light in the lantern, and everything around him plunged into darkness. The blackness was almost palpable as Nathan tried to penetrate it with his burning gaze. But in spite of his efforts, he could see nothing. He could only feel the rock wall against his back and hear the ever loudening voices as they moved in closer. Robbed of eyesight, Nathan decided to listen with all his might, hoping that some clue about Bill might be dropped in the ongoing conversation. "…seems like a lot of trouble for one deal" he heard distantly. He didn't recognize the voice but kept listening. "The pay out is always worth it" the other man replied. The man's voice was deep and burly, though in the dark, Nathan was having trouble putting a face to it. "So, we're just going to leave?" the other one asked. "What if he dies?" The deep voice laughed. Immediately, Nathan recognized that laugh; that antagonizing laugh. Julius Spurlock!
"Like I said before" Spurlock muttered. "He's part of the problem." They were getting closer now. Nathan's eyes caught the beam of an electric torch playing on the floor as the two men slowly made their way towards him. "They're going to try and find him you know" the other man pointed out. Spurlock gave a faint growl. "That's what he thinks" he muttered. "He's bluffing." "And what if the Mountie shows up?" Spurlock stopped dead in his tracks and the other man did too. They were so close that Nathan could have touched them from his place in the shadows. He felt the beads of sweat forming on his face, and he clapped a hand over his mouth to keep from breathing too loudly. His heart was pounding furiously as he eyed the beam of the flashlight on the floor, hoping beyond hope that they wouldn't shine it on him. Spurlock's voice boomed through the passage. "I have ways to deal with the Mountie" he muttered angrily. "But if we do happen to cross paths with him, or anyone in here tonight, you know what to do. Accidents happen in a place like this all the time." Nathan felt a chill go down his spine. He desperately wanted to get away, but knew that any sudden movement, any sound might prevent him from ever seeing the light of day again. Holding his breath, he waited as the two men moved on. Their conversation and their footsteps soon faded as they moved down the passage, until any traces of them disappeared entirely. As soon as he knew he was in the clear, Nathan fell weakly to his knees, breathing heavily. It had been a close call; very close. Wearily, he fished a handkerchief out of his pocket that Allie had put there and mopped his sweaty face with a sigh of relief. His heart was still hammering in his chest, and he knew that his hands, though he couldn't see them, were shaking furiously. After taking a moment to collect himself, Nathan remembered his mission; to find Bill, and fast. From the sound of the conversation, he seemed to be in some sort of trouble. Clumsily, Nathan felt in his pocket for the piece of flint to light the lantern again. "Hang in there, Bill" he murmured, to himself. "I know you're in here somewhere."
Dani had just snapped the lid of her wicker suitcase shut when a cheerful honk from outside alerted her that her ride into town had arrived. She took one last look around the tidy little house, before hurrying out the door and into the rosy morning air. Seeing the car pull up, she waved cheerfully. "Hello Mr. Coulter!" she called, seeing Lee at the wheel. Lee got out with a friendly smile and took her luggage from here. "Please" he insisted. "Call me Lee. So you're Danielle Lemont?" he asked curiously, placing the suitcase in the back seat of the car. Dani nodded. "In the flesh" she confirmed with a laugh. Lee smiled. "According to Rosemary, you've been causing quite a sensation in Hope Valley" he explained. "How does it feel to be such person of interest?" Dani shook her head, with a little smile as she took the passenger's seat. "I think it's hilarious" she remarked. "Especially since I've only been in town once before." Lee nodded knowingly. "Well, news and gossip fly fast in Hope Valley" he shrugged, before adding. "With all the best intentions of course. However Danielle, I should warn you… My wife will try to introduce you to everyone, and by everyone, she definitely means EVERYONE." Dani shrugged, still laughing. "Well, the more the merrier" she said cheerfully. "I am at her disposal. Where is Rosemary this morning?" Lee laid both hands on the wheel as they cruised down the empty dirt road. "She's looking after Allie Grant" he explained. "Bill Avery, our town judge went missing last night. Nathan, being the town Mountie, had to go looking for him." "Oh no…" Dani breathed, staring out the window worriedly. "I hope he's alright." Lee glanced at her quizzically, wondering if she was referring to Bill or to Nathan. "Yeah" he nodded. "Me too."
Nathan could feel his head throbbing with exhaustion as he guided Hero and Newton into town, Bill strapped limply to Hero's back. He had been able to find Bill shortly after relighting his lantern in a small crevice in the wall, where the two thugs had left Bill bound, gagged, and unconscious. Whether they had any intention of returning, Nathan didn't know. But he had been certain that Bill couldn't have lasted long without food, water, or light to sustain himself. Luckily, Bill had not been badly injured. A blow to the head had been enough to knock the older man out, but from training and his own experience, Nathan could tell that the injury was not serious. The chalk X's on the wall had proved helpful on his difficult trek back through the mine, the lantern in one hand, Bill's limp form slung over his shoulder in the other. Even now, as he walked slowly through the empty streets of Hope Valley, Nathan could feel his body growing increasingly more tired and sore. The pale morning light cast a pink glow over the infirmary as he approached. Despite the earliness of the hour, Nathan desperately hoped that Faith was in. Tying the horses up lethargically at the hitching post, he knocked lightly at the door. "Faith?" he called, realizing that his tired voice was giving him away, if his face wasn't already. To his relief, Faith opened the door and eyed him worriedly. "Nathan!" she cried. "What happened? You look terrible! Please come in!" Nathan shook his head. "No, I'm fine Faith" he resisted. "I found Bill… in the mine. He's unconscious." Faith eyed the horses behind him and nodded professionally. "I'll get things ready" she said, with a quick smile. "Please… bring him inside."
Nathan, who had decided to wait outside, was fast asleep, his head resting against the one of the posts, when a hand touched his shoulder. "Nathan…" a voice said gently. Nathan stirred and opened his eyes. Looking up, he was startled to see Dani standing over him, smiling. "Dani!" he cried, moving to stand up. She put her hands on his shoulders and shook her head. "No, don't get up" she said. "Lee and I drove into town to pick up some election pamphlets for after church and I just saw you sitting here. I thought I'd come over. Are you alright?" Nathan nodded. "Yeah…" he reassured her. "I'm fine." When he saw that the concerned look on her face did not disappear and realized that he was sitting in front of the infirmary, he quickly caught himself. "Oh…" he breathed. "Sorry, I, uh… I'm waiting to hear from Faith. I'm fine, but Bill had a rough night last night." Dani looked up at the infirmary and put a hand to her heart" "Poor Bill" she murmured. "Lee told me what happened." Nathan nodded and laughed dryly. "Yeah, news travels fast around here" he admitted. Dani smiled. "Well, I can tell that you've been burning the candle at both ends" she noticed. "Have you been to bed?" "Sure" Nathan laughed. "If you want to call this boardwalk here a bed." Dani laughed and shook her head. "I guess you make do with what you've got" she shrugged with a grin, before asking, "Can I bring you some coffee from the café?" Nathan felt obliged to refuse, but was so heartened by her casual tone, that he changed his mind. "Better yet" he suggested. "Why don't I come with you? A stretch of the legs might help to wake me up a bit." Dani nodded eagerly. "If you feel up to it" she agreed. The two of them walked side by side down the empty street, Dani's light blue dress flowing lazily in the morning breeze. Nathan felt himself smiling as he looked into her cheerful face. He thought she looked absolutely radiant, as her light brown tresses framed her striking face. "Should I be nervous about meeting all of the people here?" she was asking him. "I love people, but I hate being the center of attention. You don't think they'll fuss over me too much, do you?" Nathan smiled. "Why wouldn't they?" he asked. Dani eyed him with a sweet smile. "That's very kind of you to say" she murmured playfully "But not at all helpful." Nathan grinned. "Right… Well, I'm probably the wrong person to ask" he admitted. "I'm kind of… shy. At least in big crowds." Dani laughed in surprise. "I never would have guessed" she gasped as they mounted the stairs to the café. "You don't seem shy at all to me." It was a new thought for Nathan, to not be described as shy. He scratched his head thoughtfully. "Maybe shy isn't the right word" he corrected himself. "Just quiet." Dani nodded. "There is a difference" she reminded him. Nathan nodded and smiled. Shy, quiet, or whichever one it may be, he knew for a fact that he could always be himself with Dani. He looked down at her fondly, as she leaned up against the front counter and rang the service bell. A cheerfully Clara quickly came out to meet them. "Hello!" she exclaimed. "You must be Danielle Lemont! I'm Clara Flynn!" Dani smiled pleasantly and nodded. "Good morning Clara" she breathed. "It's so good to meet you. This café is absolutely lovely" she sighed, glancing around the place adoringly. Clara's face lit up. "Why, thank you" she said, not knowing exactly how to credit for the café's charms and deciding to just take the compliment to save trouble. "We love it too." She eyed Nathan with a bit of concern and gave him a nod. "Good morning Nathan" she said softly. "You look exhausted. Were you out all night?" Nathan nodded. "Yes…" he said. "It was a long night, for Bill and me. But I'll be fine." "Not without some good, strong coffee and a hearty breakfast" Dani corrected him. "That's why we're here" she explained to Clara, who smiled up at Nathan. "After last night, I still owe you a free meal" she said. "I'll make you some flapjacks and a cup of extra strong coffee." Nathan leaned forward over the counter, looking a little distressed. "Clara…" he murmured. "You really don't have to…" "Mountie discount!" she cut him off cheerfully, before disappearing into the back. Dani looked up at him playfully. "It seems I'm not the only 'celebrity' in town" she quipped. "You never told me you were a VIP around here." Nathan laughed and pointed at the back kitchen. "Trust me! This" he defended himself, "Is not normal!" Clara could here them both laughing from the kitchen and realized that she had never actually heard Nathan laugh before. She stared off thoughtfully as she filled a mug for the Constable. "Good morning Clara" Jesse breathed, as he came up behind her and kissed her on the head. Suddenly he stopped and listened to the laughter flowing from the dining room. "What's going on?" he asked. "Who is that?" Clara looked up at him, smiling. "It's Constable Grant and Danielle Lemont." Jesse frowned. "That new girl who built the homestead near Elmore Lake?" he asked. Clara nodded, moving towards the griddle to flip the flap jacks. "Yes" she informed him. "She's visiting town for a day or two." Jesse followed her over to the griddle and glanced out into the dining room, where Nathan and Dani were chatting comfortably at the front counter, lost to the world. "Well, I'll be…" Jesse murmured disbelievingly.
Nathan and Dani were not long in returning to the infirmary. Faith was waiting for them, and quickly informed them that Bill had come to and could have visitors. Dani's face lit up. "Oh" she cried. "Can I see him too?" Faith graciously agreed. Nathan smiled to himself, remembering how Dani and Bill had seemed to hit it off when she had come to town with him to file a complaint about the claim jumpers. Silently, he followed Dani through the door and behind the screen, to the cot where Bill was laying, propped up by a mountain of pillows. Bill's face beamed when he saw Dani. "Miss Lemont!" he cried. "Long to no see! What are you doing in town?" Dani smiled and took a seat next to the bed. "I'm just here for a short visit. It's wonderful to see you again Judge Avery! How are you feeling? I heard you had a bit of a rough night." Bill laughed and waved his arm carelessly. "All in a day's work" he muttered, with a proud smile. "I'll survive." Laughing, he looked up at Nathan and smirked. "Hello Nathan" he said, looking over the younger man cheerily. "You look like hell." Nathan frowned and crossed his arms, though he couldn't help but smiling. "Well, that's no thanks to you" he muttered. He glanced down at Dani, who was laughing at both of them. "He's enjoying this way too much." Dani glanced at Bill mirthfully. "Oh, I don't know" she contradicted. "I think everyone should be fussed over, every now and then." Bill gave Nathan a triumphant glance and gestured towards Dani. "You're a smart woman Miss Lemont" he chuckled. "Maybe you can teach Nathan a thing of two."
Nathan didn't stay long, but excused himself soon after to let Bill and Dani catch up. Lee saw him come out of the infirmary and chuckled. "Those two are as thick as thieves" he laughed, referring to Dani and Bill. Nathan laughed faintly, rubbing his eyes as he did. "Who would have thought?" he murmured. Lee eyed Nathan for a minute before opening the passenger seat door. "Danielle might be awhile" he said. "I can drive you home, if you like." Nathan hesitated tentatively. "Is there any chance I could see Allie first?" he asked. Lee nodded vigorously. "Of course!" he exclaimed. "She's at my house anyway." It wasn't long before Lee and Nathan made their way into the Coulter house. Rosemary greeted them cheerfully, though she eyed Nathan with a bit of concern. "Oh dear!" she murmured in a low voice. "Someone looks as though they haven't slept." Lee patted Nathan on the shoulder. "That would be correct" he affirmed. "Nathan's exhausted, but he wants to see Allie before he rests." Rosemary smiled and pointed to the stairs. "She's in the guest room" she said. "She was able to get some sleep, but she'll be glad to know you're safe." Nathan nodded gratefully. "Thank you" he said softly, before making his way up the stairs quietly.
Entering the room, Nathan leaned over Allie and kissed her on the forehead. "Hey kiddo" he whispered, smoothing her hair with his hand. Allie stirred and opened her eyes slightly. "Uncle Nathan" she squinted. "You're home." Nathan nodded. "I just wanted to let you know" he said. "Now, you go ahead and go back to sleep. It's still really early, so…" Allie nodded sleepily and shifted under the covers. "Did you find Judge Avery?" she slurred sleepily. Nathan nodded, running a hand through her hair again. "Yes" he reassured her. "He's safe and sound." He leaned down and kissed her head again, before heading downstairs again.
Once he was alone in his own house once more, he kicked off his boots and wearily headed up the seemingly endless flight of stairs. As he stumbling foggily towards his room, he passed the mirror on the landing and caught a glimpse of his reflection. He smiled to himself, amused. "I guess I do look like hell" he chuckled dryly, seeing the redness of his eyes and the sootiness of his face and shirt. It had been a long, difficult night, followed by a very pleasant morning. But now, all he could think about was sleep. Without even bothering to wash up or change his clothes, Nathan collapsed onto his bed exhaustedly, and instantly fell into a deep, much-needed sleep.