"Good morning" Rosemary called walking into the Mercantile.

"Morning Rosemary" Kate looked up from where she was admiring some fabric as Elizabeth paid for somethings they needed.

"Oh darling that is not your color" Rosemary shook her head at Kate looking down at the fabric.

"What is my color?" Kate asked.

"Well you are more of a dark purple or deep red, the pastels just wash out your pale skin." Rosemary said. Kate glanced up at Elizabeth who was shaking her head at her.

"Is my skin pale?" Kate asked Elizabeth going to stand by her.

"No, and you look lovely in whatever you wear, your much to young for dark colors" Elizabeth told her firmly.

"Maybe, but you certainly aren't." Rosemary said looking pointedly as Elizabeth.

"Lovely seeing you Rosemary" Elizabeth said politely trying to get Rosemary to move on with her day. She was a dear friend but sometimes she was much to blunt for Elizabeth's liking.

"No mail Miss Thatcher" Mr Yost said coming back to the counter.

"Oh, thank you I'll check back later" Elizabeth sighed gathering up her basket.

"Stil waiting to hear from those nasty old publishers?" Rosemary asked her voice turning sympathetic.

"I sent out my manuscript ages ago" Elizabeth sighed.

"Well don't lose hope, your a wonderful writer" Rosemary said giving Elizabeth a smile before continuing her shopping.

"Ever wonder how Rosemary can be so harsh then so sweet in the same minute" Kate asked as the sisters left the store.

"Every day, but I suppose thats what makes her our Rosemary, there's no one quite like her." Elizabeth chuckled.

"I bet someone will want your book, she's right your a wonderful writer." Kate said.

"Thank you" Elizabeth gave her a smile as they made their way to the school house.


"Hi Mr Yost? Elizabeth sent me to check for mail again" Kate said as she and Laura went into the mercantile after school.

"Ahh well something did arrive on the stage this afternoon for your sister." Mr Yost said reaching into the mailbox on the wall and pulling out a small envelope. Kate quickly read the return address.

"It's one of the publishers" She smiled at Laura as they went back out onto the street.

"Why does Miss Thatcher want to write about this place so bad?" Laura asked as they started walking towards the row houses.

"It's special. It might not feel like it if you have lived here all your life, but coming from Hamilton to here was a big change, it's different here."

"Yeah we have no indoor plumbing or lights" Laura rolled her eyes.

"No, it's the feel and the people, it's just… it's special here. Trust me" Kate said.

"I do, but I still wouldn't mind a big house in the city"

"You would miss it here." Kate assured her.


"Your quiet today" Elizabeth noted to Jack as they ate dinner.

"I could say the same for you" Jack told her. Elizabeth gave him a little smile. They both clearly had things on their mind and had no problem letting Kate fill the dinner table with her stories and chatter for the night.

"Is there something you want to talk about?" Elizabeth asked.

"Not yet" Jack said.

"Is there something you want to talk about Elizabeth?" Kate said raising her eyebrows at her.

"Alright fine" Elizabeth put down her fork reaching into her pocked pulling out the unopened letter.

"You didn't read it!" Kate cried.

"Who's it from?" Jack asked putting down his own fork and sitting back.

"It's from one of the publishers" Elizabeth said softly.

"About your stories?" Jack asked as she nodded.

"I can't read it, I'm to nervous, I need you to open it for me." Elizabeth said handing it to Jack.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked gently taking it.

"Just read it!" Kate cried. Elizabeth clasped her hands in front of her nervously as Jack read it his face falling as he skimmed the first few lines.

"What?" Elizabeth asked as Kate felt her own face falling. Jack didn't seem like he could answer and Elizabeth snatched the letter from him.

"Dear Miss Thatcher we thank you for your submission we regret to inform you…" Elizabeth read out loud trailing off not needing to go any further.

"Elizabeth I'm sorry" Kate said softly.

"It's fine, really" Elizabeth said folding the letter back up and putting it away.

"You know what you should do, you should send them a letter in the morning." Jack said.

"Yeah" Kate agreed.

"It's a rejection letter it usually means one thing." Elizabeth said pointedly.

"Ask them to reconsider" Jack pushed a little harder.

"I know your trying to help, but they didn't like my stories, that's the end of that." Elizabeth shook her head.

"I don't think that you should give up so easily" Jack told her. Kate stayed quiet now biting her lip.

"Jack, I think I'd rather not talk about it, can we just finish our dinner?" Elizabeth asked.

"Of course" Jack nodded picking up his fork again letting it go.

"You want to hear the joke Gabe said today?" Kate asked trying to lighten the mood again.

"Is it appropriate for the dinner table?" Elizabeth asked.

"Umm, no" Kate shook her head as Jack chuckled.

"Do not egg her on" Elizabeth turned to Jack

"I wouldn't dare" Jack smiled shooting her a look that made Elizabeth smile back as they returned to normal again.


"Don't let one letter discourage you, your a wonderful writer" Abigail said the next morning as they helped her open the cafe.

"That's what Jack told her too" Kate spoke up from where she was making the oatmeal.

"You should listen to him" Abigail told Elizabeth.

"I know" Elizabeth sighed.

"Then what?" Abigail asked.

"Well last night he was doing that thing he does whenever I'm upset where he tries to fix everything instead of just listening."

"Men will be men" Abigail told her.

"I just wish they liked what I wrote" Elizabeth took another sip of tea.

"Elizabeth it's like art, not everyone is going to have the same opinion." Abigail told her going over to Kate and spooning some oatmeal into bowls.

"But anyone who doesn't like your stories is crazy." Kate said.

"That's right" Abigail nodded.

"Thank you" Elizabeth gave them both a smile.

"Oh dear, I seem to be out of cinnamon, Kate can you run to the mercantile and pick some up?" Abigail asked looking at her shelf.

"Sure" Kate nodded.

"There and back quickly, school starts in 15 minutes" Elizabeth said as Kate put on her coat.

"You would think having a sister as your teacher would have perks, but its actually just worse" Kate teased as she hurried out making Elizabeth and Abigail laugh. Kate made her way down the road into the mercantile spotting Jack by the first shelf.

"Morning Jack" She smiled at him.

"Morning" Jack said returning the smile.

"paint brushes and paints, what are you making?" Kate asked glancing at the things in his hand.

"Just some painting, I haven't had the chance to lately, thought I would try something new." Jack said with a little shrug.

"I have to pick up cinnamon for Abigail." Kate nodded reaching onto the shelf to grab some.

"She doesn't happen to be making those cinnamon sticks she made last week is she?" Jack asked.

"I believe I saw the dough rising this morning." Kate nodded making Jack grin licking his lips.

"How about I grab you one before they are all gone. I'll bring it to you at lunch." Jack said.

"Sounds wonderful." Kate nodded.

"How's Elizabeth?" Jack asked as they both left the store.

"She's still disappointed, she will get over it I'm sure. It's to bad, her stories are really good." Kate sighed.

"Someone will like them." Jack nodded.

"I should go, I have to bring this back to Abigail and get back to school. See you later?"

"Yes, see you at lunch, have a good day, study hard!" Jack called after her as Kate headed back into the Cafe.


"Elizabeth!" Kate yelled running down the stairs to the row house that evening. The kitchen was filled with smoke as whatever was boiling over in the pot on the stove hit the fire under it causing it to hiss and bubble.

"Elizabeth!" Kate yelled again taking the pot from the stove and moving it to a cold burner as she fanned the air. She threw open the windows in the kitchen opening the back door were Elizabeth and Jack were sitting drinking tea and talking.

"Hello, your burning the house down! Didn't you hear me yelling!" Kate yelled as Elizabeth jumped up seeing all the smoke coming from the house.

"I didn't know that's why you were yelling, yelling is a fairly regular thing for you!" Elizabeth snapped as Jack went into the house opening the rest of the windows.

"Maybe you should know if your an awful cook to not leave things on the stove while you go outside romancing with a man." Kate hissed in annoyance following Elizabeth into the kitchen as the air started to clear.

"Ok ladies no harm done." Jack said gently taking the lid off the pot.

"Umm lot's of harm done, that was our dinner" Kate moaned looking in on the black stew.

"Oh like you have ever even tried to help cook before" Elizabeth sighed taking the pot and dumping into into the cold water bucket.

"Hey I have an idea let's just go to Abigail's…"Jack started.

"I would help with the cooking of you would let me light the stove! I'm not a little child! I can light a match." Kate said as both sisters ignored Jack.

"Come on.." Jack tried again.

"Kate, I have told you it's not about being a child it's about the stove being old. I can hardly light it without it sparking at me" Elizabeth said firmly.

"Abigail let's me light her stove and I do it just fine"

"Abigail has a brand new stove and more patients for you then I could ever understand." Elizabeth shot back as Kate let out a gasp.

"Ok girls let's.." Jack tried again.

"Elizabeth Thatcher!…" Kate practically growled but Jack had had enough as he jumped between them facing Kate his back to Elizabeth, half afraid they would start swinging at each other like school boys.

"Hey! It's ok, we can just go to Abigail's for dinner, no harm done" Jack said.

"What?" Kate frowned at him, just noticing he was in the room with them.

"Of course we will go to Abigail's for dinner, why are you making such a show of it?" Elizabeth asked.

"Well because you two were… and the yelling…" Jack stammered confused why everything was calm all of a sudden.

"I could of told you we would end up at Abigail's for dinner as soon as Elizabeth pulled out the pots and pans" Kate shrugged. Elizabeth made a face at her making Kate laugh.

"But you two were fighting" Jack said looking between them confused.

"Well yeah" Kate nodded.

"We're sisters Jack, it's what sisters do, even us" Elizabeth smirked.

"I.. I don't… there was yelling" Jack frowned.

"I'm going to go change for Abigail's" Kate said climbing the stairs.

"Bring your shawl it's going to get chilly" Elizabeth called after her.

"That's it? I thought I was going to have to untangle you two." Jack said watching Kate in disbelief.

"Jack" Elizabeth giggled gathering her shawl and purse. "It doesn't happen often but we occasionally do bicker, just like all sisters. It gets ugly then we forgive each other and it's over." She shrugged.

"When my brother and I got into it like that we would end up with a black eye" Jack said.

"Of course we are not like that! We get short with each other and then we get over it. We would never hurt each other!" Elizabeth shook her head as Kate came down the stairs.

"Really?" Jack asked

"Well Kate did used to pinch when she was little" Elizabeth shrugged.

"Yeah right in the back of the arm. Oh did it make her mad" Kate laughed.

"I'm sorry for what I said about Abigail, you don't take a lot of patients. I will clean out the stove on Saturday and we can work on lighting it together. There's a trick, I'll show you" Elizabeth told Kate.

"I'm sorry I said you were a bad cook. You are getting a lot better." Kate nodded.

"Alright shall we go?" Elizabeth asked opening the front door.

"I will never understand you two." Jack shook his head shrugging on his coat and following the girls out the door.


"Hello" Elizabeth smiled letting herself into Jack's office Saturday morning.

"Good morning" Jack smiled standing up happy to see her.

"Kate is helping Abigail and Clara in the cafe today. I thought I would see if you wanted some company on your rounds this morning, and then maybe we could have a picnic by the lake?" Elizabeth asked.

"Sounds wonderful" Jack smiled.

"Should I go get a horse from the Livery or can I ride with you?" Elizabeth asked.

"You are always welcome to ride with me, but first I have something for you, close your eyes" Jack said softly. Elizabeth smiled but closed her eyes as Jack quickly went to the drawer of hiss desk pulling something out and going back to her. He took her small hands in one of his placing his gift in her hands.

"Open" He whispered. Elizabeth opened her eyes, in her hands sat a book with leather binding. 'A Collection of Frontier Stories, written by Elizabeth Thatcher" was carved into the front.

"Oh, Jack" Elizabeth breathed softly as she opened it up. 'To Elizabeth, with all my heart, love Jack' Was written on the first page.

"These are my stories?" Elizabeth whispered looking up at him with tears in her eyes. Jack was watching her seriously as if he was afraid what she would think as he just nodded to her.

"You painted all the illustrations" Elizabeth cried as she flipped through the book seeing Jack's amazing art work on some of the pages.

"It's really beautiful… You did all this for me?" Elizabeth asked wiping a tear that did fall onto her cheek.

"Of course. Your writing inspires me. So I wanted to be your first publisher" Jack told her. softly. Elizabeth leaned in kissing him gently.

"It's perfect, and so are you." She told him softly earning a big smile from Jack.


"Kate should be along soon, she was going to met us for lunch before going with Laura and Anna to Rachel's birthday party. Sometimes I think she has more of a social life here then she did in Hamilton." Elizabeth chuckled laying out the picnic blanket as Jack tied Sergeant to a near by tree making sure he had plenty of slack to graze.

"She certainly is busy." Jack agreed.

"I can't wait to show her this book though" Elizabeth smiled clutching Jack's book to her chest smiling at him.

"I got some news myself this week." Jack said softly. Elizabeth just watched him waiting for him to go on.

"I should have told you earlier." Jack said softly.

"What kind of news?" Elizabeth asked.

"Collins, the mountie who was here for my award, he offered me a job. A special Unit in the Northern Territory. They have been having a lot of trouble with gangs and it's turning messy up there." Jack said softly.

"What are you going to do?" Elizabeth asked after they had been silent for a few seconds.

"I wrote yesterday and turned him down." Jack said. Elizabeth felt herself let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

"That must have been a very hard decision" She heard herself tell him reaching out to take his hand.

"It was an honor to be asked, but my life is here, your here Elizabeth." Jack told her. Elizabeth couldn't hide the smile that spread across her face as Jack returned it squeezing the hand she held.

"There you are!" Kate cried making them both turn to her as she walked down the foot path.

"How was your morning?"Jack asked as Kate sat down with them and Elizabeth started to unpack the picnic basket.

"Abigail is busy, it's a wonder she has time for us anymore." Kate sighed.

"She will always make time for you two, your her girls" Jack chuckled.

"Look what Jack made me." Elizabeth said holding out the book.

"This is what you needed the paints for, Jack this is beautiful." Kate smiled looking over the book.

"I will cherish it forever" Elizabeth nodded.

"Or until you write another book of course, one day we may need a house with a library to fill with all your stories" Kate smiled.

"More stories of Mountie Theadore?" Jack asked.

"Well, he does keep doing some pretty amazing things." Elizabeth smiled at him making Jack grin back.

"Oh you two make me sick" Kate teased rolling her eyes making them all laugh.