Chapter Eight

"...nothing is too much trouble if

it turns out the way it should."

Julia Child

Saturday morning found the entire town busy preparing for the town social that evening. Main Street was alive with people. The Mercantile was filled with customers, even more so than usual, much to Ned Yost's happiness. Mrs. Ramsey was holding court with several women on the front porch of the Mercantile, all of them discussing their outfits for the evening.

Elizabeth was at the saloon with several students. They were hanging the decorations they'd made and setting up the tables and chairs for the social. The atmosphere of the saloon was changing as each decoration was hung.

Abigail was busy at the café, not only with the breakfast crowd, but with baking cookies for the social. Ann was in the kitchen preparing her contribution to the social's dessert table. As she was in and out of the kitchen serving her customers, Abigail had been stealing looks at Ann's preparation. "What are you making, Ann?" she asked on this return trip to the kitchen. "It looks delicious."

Ann looked up from the bowl she was stirring and smiled. "Thank you! I'm a little worried because it's been years since I've made these. They're sugar pies. My Meme taught me to make them when I was a girl. Jack and Thomas always liked my sugar pie."

"Your grandmother was French?" Abigail asked, recognizing Meme as the French name for grandmother.

Ann nodded. "Yes. She was from Sherbrooke in Quebec," Ann replied. "I'm named after her, actually, Annette," she added, proudly.

Abigail smiled and nodded before she headed to the stove to check the cookies she was baking. She called over her shoulder, "Do you have everything you need?"

Ann looked around the table at the ingredients she had assembled. "Yes," she told Abigail. "I just have to pour this filling into the crusts and they'll be ready to bake. Will there be room in the oven?"

Abigail peered into the oven to check on her cookies. "Yes, because these are ready." She pulled the trays of cookies out of the oven and set them on the cooling racks on the side table. "The oven is all yours," she told Ann. She looked into the dining room and saw her last breakfast guests leaving. "Thank you, Matilda and Irene!"

Matilda Grady and Irene Weaver stopped at the door before leaving the café. "It was delicious, as always, Abigail," Matilda complimented.

"We'll see you later at the social?" Irene asked.

"Of course," Abigail answered. "I've got all these cookies and someone has to eat them!"

The women laughed as they headed out of the café. Abigail collected their dishes and wiped their table. When she returned to kitchen, she saw Ann carefully placing the pies in the oven. Abigail crossed to the sink and started washing the dishes. Ann returned to the table and started returning the ingredients to the pantry and cupboard.

Abigail had so many questions for Ann, however she was hesitant to ask. Ann hadn't been very talkative since she'd arrived. However, this morning, she seemed to be more chatty and happier. Abigail thought that perhaps Ann had just needed some rest. She was anxious to learn all she could about Jack and his family. She'd known almost from the beginning that he and Elizabeth were meant to be together, even when the two of them were at odds. Eventually, they'd both sought her advice and she'd done what she could to help their growing relationship. She wanted to continue to help them along on what had proved to be quite a rocky road of courtship and romance. Knowing more about Jack would help her in that endeavor. She inhaled deeply before she began. "So, Jack told us he followed in his father's footsteps when he became a Mountie."

Ann set the flour canister back in the pantry and turned to Abigail. "Yes, he did," she replied succinctly and then returned to her task.

A look of frustration washed over Abigail's face as she wondered if she had misjudged Ann's mood. Not willing to surrender just yet, she decided she would have to proceed very carefully if she wanted to learn anything about Jack from his mother. Abigail smiled warmly as she set a plate on the drying towel. "I can tell he greatly admired his father. I'm sure he would be proud of the Mountie that Jack has become. This town owes him so much!"

Ann looked at Abigail. "Really?" she inquired. "How so?" When Abigail flashed her a questioning look, she explained, "Jack hasn't really told me much about his time here in Coal Valley."

"Oh, well," Abigail began. "Let me assure you he has served our town well. Let's see," she paused as she stopped washing dishes and dried her hands on her apron. "He helped us find a missing little girl. Our church had burned down and he discovered the truth about what happened. He arrested a robber who was stealing people's prized possessions. He arrested a con man who was trying to charm Elizabeth for her family's money. Then, he rescued Elizabeth and her sister when they were kidnapped by some notorious bank robbers. Then, there was the mine investigation..."

"Wait," Ann stopped her. "What about Elizabeth's family's money?"

Abigail hesitated. She realized now that Jack had not told his mother much of anything about his life in Coal Valley or Elizabeth. "Well, she comes from back East, in Toronto, and her family does have some money. However, she has chosen to live here and teach the children in Coal Valley."

"Her family is quite wealthy?" Ann sought more information.

Abigail again hesitated but then finally nodded. "Yes. But she is a very capable and devoted teacher who has chosen to teach here and not in private schools back East." Abigail tried to convey Elizabeth's devotion to her students and to Coal Valley. She studied Ann's face but still wasn't sure if she'd succeeded.

"And what's this about Elizabeth being kidnapped?" Ann asked, clearly intrigued.

Abigail realized that she must have made Coal Valley sound like a hotbed of criminal activity. She, also, became aware that she was now on the receiving end of the questions. "Oh, well," she began, deciding how to make the kidnapping sound less sinister while still portraying Jack as the hero. "A bank robber was brought here after he was found injured in the woods. We didn't know he was a bank robber, mind you. He told us he was injured while hunting." She decided to omit the fact that Elizabeth's sister was the one who found him and brought him to the café. "After he was healed, he left but then the rest of his gang arrived in Coal Valley. They kidnapped Elizabeth and her sister. Then, Jack had a brilliant plan to rescue them using horses and my red tablecloths to make it look like there was a dozen Mounties, not just Jack and Patrick O'Reilly, in the woods surrounding the robbers' hideout. It was indeed an incredible plan and it worked! He received an award for it!" Abigail prayed Ann wouldn't press her to reveal any other details.

Ann nodded and smiled. "It does sound like Jack is doing quite well."

Abigail concurred, "Oh, yes. He is an excellent lawman."

Ann picked up a towel and began drying the dishes Abigail had washed. "His father would've liked that," she said as she set the glass she'd dried on the shelf.

Abigail returned to her dishwashing. "So, where did you and Jack's father meet?"

Ann picked up a dish to dry and answered, "Ottawa."

Abigail was surprised. "Ottawa? My goodness! How did you end up out here?"

Ann's eyes slid towards Abigail as she realized her new friend was fishing for information. She decided she'd indulge her, for now. "Well, Jack's father decided the Mounted Police was his best shot for getting away from Ottawa and buying a farm of his own one day."

"Were you married at that time?" Abigail queried.

"Oh, no," Ann quickly answered.

Abigail waited a moment to see if Ann would elaborate. When she didn't, Abigail decided that she would have to consider a new tactic. She elected to attempt some subtlety. "My husband and I dated for almost two years before we married. My family was beginning to wonder if Noah would ever ask for my hand. How soon did Jack's father ask for your hand?"

"Well," Ann began her answer, a bit hesitant. She placed the dishes she'd just finished drying on the shelf before continuing. "He was out west with the Mounted Police for five years before he got enough leave time to return home for us to be married."

"Five years?!" Abigail interjected, shocked.

Ann looked at her, surprised at Abigail's question. "Yes, five years. I'd told Thomas I would wait for him and I was true to him," she explained, proudly.

"Of course," Abigail agreed. She realized that Ann was growing weary of her questions, but she had to ask at least one more question. "So, where was Jack born?"

Ann smiled. "Jack was born at Fort Calgary."

"Yes, I was," Jack confirmed as he entered the kitchen, startling both Ann and Abigail. They'd been so consumed with their conversation, they hadn't heard Jack enter the café.

"Jack!" both women exclaimed.

"Why are you talking about where I was born?" he asked as he crossed over to the table where the cookies were cooling. He poised his hand above a cookie and turned to Abigail. "May I?"

Abigail nodded and quickly answered. "I was just talking with your mother about your family."

Jack smiled at his mother. "Calgary was really nice, what I remember of it. Of course, I remember more about Regina after Pa got posted at the depot." He took a bite of cookie.

"How long were you there?" Abigail asked, clearly pleased with the information Jack was sharing.

Jack finished the bite of cookie before answering."We stayed there. Pa was supposed to return to Calgary but he went to the Yukon to help patrol the gold fields and that's where he was injured." He looked at his mother, concerned he might have upset her with that painful memory. She didn't react, continuing to dry and store dishes in silence.

"I'm so sorry," Abigail consoled them sincerely. After a few more moments of awkward silence, as Jack ate the cookie and his mother dried dishes, Abigail turned to Jack and asked, "So, was there something you wanted?"

"Oh, yes," Jack replied, but then glanced sideways at his mother. He hesitated before finally asking Abigail in a low voice, "What color is the dress Elizabeth's wearing tonight? I want to bring her a corsage but, as you told me before, it needs to go with her dress."

Ann turned around and looked at her son, amusement and amazement on her face. Jack didn't look at her, clearly embarrassed to be asking this in front of her.

"It's blue, Jack," Abigail answered. "So, almost any color flower will do. Yellow or white would be very pretty, but red would be good, too."

Jack nodded and smiled. "Thank you. I'll see what flowers I can find. Would you be able to arrange them for me, like you did last time?"

Abigail chuckled. "Of course!"

He started to leave but then quickly turned around. Sniffing the air, he smiled and looked at his mother. "Is that sugar pie?" he asked.

Ann nodded, smiling back. "For the social tonight," she told him.

Jack smiled wider. "I haven't had sugar pie in years! Thank you, Ma!" Then, he headed out of the café. "I'll see you ladies later!" he threw over his shoulder just before he closed the door.