The Rosemary Chronicles

by MJT.35

Finally, Rosemary's part of the story is here- filled with glamour and romance- all captured in her enthusiastic & outlandish perspective. Rosemary finds herself with a suspicious ailment, a new adventure, dealing with the unraveling of the secrets of her past, and could that be a change of heart? Meant to take place between WCTH season 4 and 5 but has become a story in its own.

51. Chapter 51- A Mystery Beckons

January 20

9 a.m.

Rosemary sat at the table, an untouched cup of coffee and a stack of articles spread out on the table before her. She picked up the nearest page, the rough edging of the newspaper rubbing against the softness of her fingers.

It had been a busy week in Hope Valley, especially in the Coulter home, as Lee had to put in extra hours down at the jail sorting out the fiasco from Sunday involving the Clergymen of the Board of Western Canada and their own Pastor Frank. Many of the men had been dismissed with a warning against their violent actions, but those who had thrown and received punches were issued a written notice and then dismissed with stipulations. It made for a very full office, with Lee working to sift through all the details with those involved and also administering to the record keeping of the witnesses. Some of those present included: Gowen, who according to Lee, had sported quite a black eye; Carson, who had fared not much better— his eye swollen shut for the good cause; and Jesse, who had a scuff on his chin and bloodied knuckles to prove his part of the action. The two clergymen, both covered with an assortment of blue and purple bruises and at least one black eye each, were also issued a warning, chased out of town, and warned not to come back until they had found their civility and their official paperwork. As much as they raved about Pastor Frank's license being revoked, no official documentation was ever shown. So until it appeared, or if it appeared, Lee— acting as Sheriff— had declared Pastor Frank fit to preach in his own church.

Lee had come home yesterday worn and weary; yet relieved to have it all handled correctly according to the law. He also returned with quite more than a handful of good stories, which they had chuckled at during suppertime. Although they found humor in the situation, the matter of Pastor Frank's future in Hope Valley plagued their minds. Was it true his license had been revoked and on what grounds? And why was this all coming to the light now? It was a mystery, that was for sure, and one they would be getting to the bottom of.

She sighed and took a sip of coffee. Today a new mystery was nipping at the edges of her mind. Forgotten in the busyness of this last week was the "Great Mystery of Hope Valley"- that of the mysterious column writer who dubbed herself "Dr. Love". Why Rosemary felt the need to reveal the person behind the name, she couldn't say. Perhaps it was a matter of wanting to solve a mystery, to contribute to the integrity of the town. Or perhaps it was a way of keeping her mind off of the storm looming in the future: the arrival of Harriet. Either way, she was willing to put in the work it took to reveal who the face was behind the article.

She glanced down at the advice column she'd just read by Dr. Love. After reading several articles, she had to admit the woman had tact, courage, and decorum. But, who could have been the Dr. Love of Hope Valley? So many years had passed and it still was a secret. How could this column writer have remained so anonymous? She had tried that with her pseudonym "Mary Rose" but according to Lee, half the town knew her identity despite her efforts to keep it hidden. So, obviously the woman, Dr. Love, did not want to be found out. What had inspired her to start the article in the first place? Was she like Rosemary- a lovely lady from a family of influence, bored listless in a small town and looking for a way to make a difference—a way to add some flair to her life and the town? Or was she just a simple prairie bumpkin with nothing to do but write and meddle in the lives of others? And what of pay—Was Dr. Love compensated for her articles? Rosemary surely was not! It was a volunteer position, something she didn't earn one little red cent for. But she enjoyed it nonetheless. After all, Hope Valley could use more of her expertise, even if she did have to donate it out of the goodness of her own heart.

She slapped the newspaper across her palm. If there was one thing Rosemary Coulter was good at it was solving a good old-fashioned mystery. She'd start today by nosing around at the Newspaper office, finding out all that Mr. Gibson could tell her about the author of the column, this Dr Love.