Bringing Hope Back – Chapter 11
Nathan was surprised when Allie rebelled against the idea of going somewhere safe, something that she had done a few times previously when he was involved in a particularly dangerous investigation. He knew that he could just order her to go but preferred that she had the opportunity to discuss it with her parents. As she grew older they both believed it was important that she was included in the decisions that affected her.
"I understand why you want to be here with us Allie and that you feel that staying together can be the safer option, but that is only the case some of the time. You wanting to look after mum is wonderful but I can honestly say that the best way you can help right now is for us to know that you are safe. Hopefully it will only be for a few days, a week maybe, and we will speak on the telephone. Henry did say that you could stay out on the ranch with Mrs Stewart if you want, which would mean riding every day, but only if Constable Buchanan is with you."
Allie felt a huge range of emotions and thoughts go through her mind all at once before finally admitting that her dad was right. "If that is what you feel is best for you and Mum then that is what I will do, but you need to understand that as much as you worry about my safety I worry about yours. Promise me that we will stay in touch by telephone though."
Nathan nodded and held out his arms for her to step into. "Every day, I promise. And we will get you back here with us as soon as it is safe."
He placed a kiss on the top of her head, "You're going to be heading off to college way too soon for your old dad so I don't want to miss any more of my time with you before then than I have to."
That brought a smile to his daughter's face and then looking around at her mother she asked "Would you come and help me decide what to take please mum? I know I can only pack a small bag, so all that experience you have from travelling would be useful."
Cecilia nodded, "You get started, I'll be along in a minute", she replied before turning to her husband.
"She will be ok Nathan" she said understandingly, knowing from the expression on his face that this was as difficult for him as it was for their daughter. "You have brought her up to be strong and resilient, and because of that she feels she needs to look at the choices in front of her and ask questions so that she can make up her own mind. She is going to be an amazing and formidable woman in a few years and the world will be so much better for it!"
He knew she was right but it still didn't make letting his girl go any easier. "I know and it both scares me and fills me with enormous pride. The lives of women are changing, the fight for the right to vote and to be treated equally is ongoing and I have no doubt she will be at the forefront of such things. She will make a difference, just like her mother has. You know I am still in awe of you my love, going to the other side of the world to write about the war and then carrying on after your experiences there. That takes courage."
A heavy sigh then showed the depth of his emotion as for a moment his mind seemed far away, "But even when she is out there conquering the world she will still be my Allie Girl and I will always want to be there to protect her."
In the woodland above the storage compound, the four Mounties were making their way along the trails, marking points to indicate a route for use later if they needed to move quickly from their chosen positions or between the two. They knew that Superintendent Grant was giving them a lot of latitude on this as it was not exactly in the Mountie Handbook to enter into a private facility uninvited at night, but there was a shared feeling amongst them all that something was going to happen soon and their original plan of observing and waiting was not going to work.
Ed had paid a visit to the infirmary and obtained a small vial of chloroform to use on the dogs, while Harold had arranged with Ned to collect some pieces of meat later in the day.
The two men had used this method once before to lure a guard dog away from where an abducted child was being kept, enabling them to bring the young boy to safety, so they were confident it would work this time. Wire cutters and rope had also now been added to their saddle bags, with the promise from Florence that she would have food packed ready for them when they came by later.
But for now they all had other positions to take up, as they were to station themselves along the route that Abigail and Henry would be taking once they had collected the children, making sure that no-one had discovered the plan and was following them.
Patrick had ridden Jim Buchanan's horse and would now head out to an agreed point where the other Mountie was already making his way having snuck out from the back of Cat Montgomery's. Once they were in the car and the all clear was given Patrick would ride his own horse back, having taken it out there before for Allie to use. Nathan was not leaving anything to chance.
Lucas Bouchard sat in his usual chair on the balcony of The Little Gem Saloon, watching the comings and goings of the people of Hope Valley. He had placed a call to his contact in Mountie Headquarters this morning but the man was not available. That worried him. Knowing he was on permanent desk duty because of his past conduct was what made him such a valuable asset. Not only did he hear what was happening but he was willing to pass that information on.
Outwardly things seemed normal, the contingent of Mounties in town going about the business they were supposedly here to do. But there was a nagging doubt in the back of his mind that somehow Nathan Grant was up to something and it would inevitably involve him. Whatever he had planned he needed to keep everything calm until after the game. The rest of the players should arrive soon, although there was one from whom he had heard nothing and he hoped that was not going to cause a problem.
Last night he had watched while the man from Hamilton had spent time with both of the strangers frequenting the saloon, the talk flowing along with the drink. This morning he had reported to Gustav that he could find nothing to cause suspicion with either man, both freely sharing information of their past, including places and dates of games that he knew were legitimate, along with names of players involved. Their skill at cards and drinking certainly bore testament to them being accustomed to inhabiting this environment.
His thoughts then turned to the other games going on today and tomorrow. His telephone conversation with Mei Sou this morning had been encouraging but until this was all over he still needed to be careful. The amount of money being moved through these games was more than he had ever thought possible, a necessity for the people he was working with to legitimise some of their other ventures. If he could pull this off then he would be in a position to do what needed to be done and then get himself out of Hope Valley once and for all.
In Benson Hills, Mei Sou had hung up the telephone from her conversation with Lucas. She was glad that this was all nearly over, the past few years having been difficult for her. If they could just get through the next few days then she would be able to move on to be with the man she loved. Anywhere but this hellhole of a backward town she thought, although she should be grateful that at least Lucas hadn't wanted her to be in Hope Valley with him.
Looking in the mirror before she headed out she smiled at the thought of being able to move on from this persona she had to present, excited about the prospect of once again returning to the life she knew and loved in Vancouver. Maybe they could make a visit to New Orleans soon, somewhere he had told her so much about.
Her life had changed the day Lucas Bouchard had walked into her family's establishment, this man who carried an aura of charm and worldliness about him being exactly who she needed. His penchant for high risk gambling added to his attraction and she wasted no time in making herself known to him.
Now they were reaching the end of the hard time, the reward for all the loneliness she had endured over the past few years thankfully here. With a final glance in the mirror she made her way out to the street, her fixed smile hiding the contempt she felt for the people she encountered along the way, happy in the knowledge that she would soon be gone from there.
Back in Hope Valley, Henry Gowen made his way up the steps of the Mountie Office, stopping to look up to where the saloon owner sat on his balcony, teacup in hand as usual. What kind of man drank that much tea he wondered to himself.
Opening the door Henry found Nathan at his desk, pen poised over the paper in front as he was clearly struggling to find the words he wanted to write. "Am I interrupting, Nathan? I can come back in a minute."
Nathan signalled for him to sit. "Not at all, Henry. I am just trying to write a letter for Allie, that I was going to ask Abigail or you to take with you."
Suddenly he understood by the look on Henry's face that he was thinking of the envelope they all knew many Mounties left for their loved ones should something happen to them. He quickly put the older man's mind at ease "No, nothing like that Henry. Those letters of mine are already written and left with my friend Gabe, as are his for his family with me. We both pray the day never comes that one of us has to carry out the duty of handing them over."
Henry looked relieved, understanding how important it was both for a Mountie to know that his thoughts would be there for the people he held dearest and for those left behind to gain some comfort in having these words from their loved one.
"Of course we will take it Nathan. Is there a reason you don't want to give it to her yourself?"
"As Allie has gotten older she has become more aware of just what is involved with these investigations and, as a consequence, worries about me more. I know she may have a moment when it will seem too much for her and so I wanted to write a note to help her through that, a reminder of what she means to me and how much strength I get from knowing I always have her support. I know I can trust you and Abigail to judge if and when she needs to receive it."
"We will look after her Nathan and make sure she knows she can talk to us about her concerns. Bring the letter out when you are finished, Abigail is just picking up some things from The Mercantile and then we will say our goodbyes to everyone."
"Thank you, Henry." Picking up his pen again Nathan paused, "Wait. You obviously came in here for something."
With his hand on the door Henry suddenly remembered that as well. "I came to say that although I will not be physically here to help you, I will be talking with Gabe each day. You can telephone me at the hotel at any time if you need me or if you do feel that I can be of greater assistance here then once the children are safe in Brookfield I am happy to return."
Nathan stood and moved across to shake the other man's hand "I promise we will be in touch if there is anything we need. Most importantly I am grateful to you for looking after the children. You have no idea how much easier that makes everything for all of us."
The mood at The Coulter house was surprisingly calm, Allie managing to keep the two boys out of mischief while Rosemary put the final items in their bags. Patrick's tatty cloth rabbit, one of the few things he had from before his birth parents had been killed, and Little Jack's wooden Mountie and horse, were safely tucked in the bottom with a note to Lilian about how important they were to each boy.
Tomorrow morning she would send word to Katie Yost that she suspected the pair may be coming down with something contagious so thought it better to keep them home from school for the rest of the week.
Jim Buchanan had explained the situation to Cat when he returned to the boarding house and she suggested that Emily also stay home, which would give reason for Allie not being seen around the town as well. After that they knew Faith would wonder why she hadn't been called out to one of the children so some explaining would need to be done. We'll just have to deal with that situation when it arises, she thought.
Cecilia sat on the porch swing, watching for her husband coming up the hill towards the house. She was envious of this beautiful setting where The Coulters had chosen to make their home, after Lee had finally announced that he was going to build Rosemary the theatre he had promised her and she surprised him by asking for a house instead. She said that her belief that they would one day be parents made it the right choice.
The sight of Nathan riding Newton brought a gladness to her for she knew he would need his partner today. As much as they had made a vow to have no secrets, Cecilia was aware from living with both her father and stepfather that there were things that a Mountie couldn't discuss with their loved ones. To know that he had Newton to unburden himself to was a blessing, even if she didn't quite agree with him when he said that his horse understood everything.
As he dismounted Bill came around from the back of the house, leading Hero and Jim's horse, Brady. Bill and Allie would each have one of the boys with them and Nathan was glad that he had continued with her riding lessons after they left Hope Valley, which meant she was quite a proficient horsewoman now.
He could feel the lump in his throat as Rosemary and the children came outside. The boys wore excited expressions while he could see that Allie was trying hard not to show her apprehension, the forced smile on her face one that he knew well from difficult times in the past.
As he made his way across to his two girls, he could see Rosemary was struggling to hold that same smile on her face, fighting hard to keep the tears from falling. He gave her arm a gentle touch as he passed before Allie engulfed him in a big hug, Cecilia wrapping herself around them both from the other side.
"You're going to be ok, Allie girl."
"I know, Dad," she smiled at him. "I have promised Mrs Coulter that I will look after the boys and make sure they behave themselves for Gabe. I am going to treat this as an experience to write about and Mrs Coulter says that as soon as it is all over she will publish my article in The Valley Voice, with your permission of course!"
He squeezed her a little tighter then, words not coming easily as he felt his whole world here in his arms. Over Cecilia's shoulder he could see Bill indicating that they had to leave.
"It's time for you to go. Just remember how much we love you and that everything I do now will be as much to get you back here to us. Thank you for being so very brave."
Allie smiled, the wisdom in her face far greater than her years. "Whatever I do is because you and mum have taught me how to be that way. You both embody the saying that Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the ability to act in the presence of fear. How can I not be brave when you have shown me through your own actions that is the right way to be."
Now Cecilia felt a real tug to her heart as she looked at the two people beside her, the anguish on their faces showing just how painful this experience was for them. They had all stood waving, trying to appear cheerful for the young boys, as the two horses disappeared down the track until with one final wave from Allie they disappeared into the trees.
Rosemary was the first to break, the tears pouring from her eyes as Nathan pulled her into his arms, his own face showing the struggle he was fighting within himself to not follow suit.
She knew that later, when it was just the two of them, he would let his emotions out. But for now he had a job to do and his eyes caught hers asking her to take over so that he could go and do what was necessary to allow their children to come home quickly.
Taking Rosemary's arm as Nathan slowly released her, she gently said "Why don't we go in and have a glass of lemonade. Then we need to think about what we are going to do about The Valley Voice."
Rosemary's hand flew to her face, "Oh my goodness, I didn't even think of that! How can I go in to the office when I am meant to be here looking after my sick children? But I can't not publish, now more than ever we need to get our message out to the people of the town that we have new hope. I have been thinking about writing an article 'Bringing Hope Back' once this has been concluded, what do you think of the title Nathan?"
Nathan smiled, amazed at how quickly she could refocus on something that had meaning for her. "I think that is an absolutely brilliant title!"
Cecilia busied herself setting glasses and cookies out on the table, before getting the pitcher of lemonade from the ice box, all the time talking calmly to Rosemary.
"Nathan and I have already talked about it. You know I was a journalist before I became an author, so what if I was to take over the public reins at The Valley Voice while this is going on. It would serve multiple purposes having me there. Firstly it would give more credit to our ruse about the children being ill, second it would put me in the centre of town where Nathan feels more comfortable about seeing that I am safe and lastly it would be a great experience for us to work together. You could run everything from here through me."
Rosemary was silenced, not believing that such a simple solution was in front of them and she hadn't considered it. To have CC Weston, the renowned author and war correspondent, as guest editor of her little newspaper would be amazing.
"Why did I not think of that!" was all she could say.
In the saloon Bruce Wilson and Antoine Dupont were watching the new arrivals as Gustav led them upstairs to their rooms. Lucas had greeted them briefly at the door before a slightly heated discussion started about someone who hadn't made it onto the train and the saloon owner headed back towards his office looking very perturbed. Bruce hoped this meant that his message to Nathan, passed via the arranged drop they had set up in The Mercantile, had been acted upon and this was the result.
They knew from their arrival that they would be under suspicion as unknown players, so were not surprised to be the subjects of some not so subtle interrogation last night when one of the other patrons took time to chat with each of them. That they had seen the man exiting Bouchard's office earlier that day confirmed where his loyalties lay but they were not concerned as they had been nothing if not thorough in their preparation for this task.
Bruce waited until Lucas came back out, moving over to the bar to be near enough to hear his conversation with Gustav. "It was confirmed that he got on the train in Vancouver but was not in his cabin when the guard went to tell him they were approaching Hope Valley."
There was a panicked tone to his voice as he continued. "We need another player or the game is off. I may have a solution but I think we will have to postpone for 24 hours."
Bruce kept his back to them, making sure his voice carried as he ordered a round of drinks so that they realised he was there. A hand on his shoulder saw him jump as though he was unaware of anyone behind him. Looking around he acted suitably surprised as he said, "G'day Mr Bouchard, what can I do for you?"
Lucas gave a slight smile, his lips turning up at the corners as his eyes stayed dark. "I think it is what I can do for you Mr Wilson. Come, let me buy you a drink and we can have a little talk."
Turning to Gustav he indicated to the tray of glasses on the bar "See that these are taken over to Monsieur Wilson's friends there while he and I have our little chat. Now, Bruce…I hope I may call you that. What are you drinking?
Elizabeth had waited until she heard Henry's car leave from Molly's row house before she stepped outside to make sure it was definitely gone. A part of her had wanted to see her old friends but she knew that the risk of letting her charade slip was too great.
It was only a matter of time until Nathan would send her a message, she was confident about that, and then she would have time alone with him. It would be a good way to gauge just what feelings he still had for her and how she could use that to her benefit, before deciding what to share about Lucas.
Everything was happening so fast that she began to worry. What if things went wrong and she was not believed? What else did she need to do to protect herself? At least she knew that with Nathan back she had someone who would always look out for her.
Now that he was married it may be more difficult but she believed she could convince him that she was speaking the truth. After all, the bond they had went back further than what he shared with that woman he had married and if necessary she would do whatever it took to make sure she was always at the forefront of his mind.
On the road to Brookfield the four Mounties regrouped, having safely seen the car carrying the Gowans and the children out of the environs of Hope Valley. None of them fathers themselves, they still felt the deepest responsibility for the protection of these young people, especially Allie who they all thought of as one of their own. In the same way they would risk their lives for the Superintendent they would do the same for any member of his family.
Before riding back towards town they finalised their arrangements for later. For the next few hours it was decided that Ed and Harold would be the visible presence on the main street, before they headed out for what would appear to be their evening rounds but was in fact them getting into place at the two selected positions. Walter and Patrick would then take up occupancy of the wicker chairs outside the Mountie Office for the early part of the evening, before calling it a night and seeming to be heading back to Cat Montgomery's. In reality they would take the path from the back of the livery into the woods to meet the other two, bringing with them the meat collected from Ned at The Mercantile.
It would then be a matter of waiting as they hoped the evening activity at the warehouse compound would mimic the previous night and everything would settle down at around 10pm. They were confident in what they had to do, hoping that the information they obtained tonight would give them answers to what was really happening in Hope Valley.
Behind the rowhouses Greg Aldritt sat astride his horse as he observed the back garden of the last of the rowhouses, where he could see Elizabeth Bouchard crouching down to lift something out of the ground. Hidden in the shelter of the trees he watched as she checked around her.
He hadn't questioned the Superintendent's order, knowing that he must have had reason to be cautious of her actions, wanting to know exactly what her movements were before he made arrangements for a meeting. Whatever she was doing, there was an air of agitation in her activity, her head rising as her eyes darted around nervously before returning to her task.
Elizabeth looked around, unable to shake the feeling of watching eyes. She scolded herself for being overly worried. After returning from her walk, she had quickly locked the door before proceeding through to the back, descending the steps into the garden where with a little effort she moved some stones away from the wall.
Lifting up the lid of the old trunk buried beneath she retrieved the journals hidden there, wrapped in oilcloth to keep them from being damaged. Inside she had also placed Jack's notebook, not because she wanted to protect it but to make sure that no-one else would read it. From now on this was for her eyes only. She checked that the money was all there, carefully wrapped, ready for her to use should she need to escape quickly.
Finally, picking up the small pistol sitting at the bottom of the trunk she quickly slipped it into her jacket pocket before closing the lid and replacing the stones.
Was this going to be the end of it she wondered?