Chapter 15
Lee Coulter checked that all the doors and windows of the house were locked one more time, "just to be certain" he kept telling himself as Rosie insisted that it would not be necessary. As always, she amazed him with her strength and determination, her belief that good will always triumph over evil as strong as ever.
Would Elizabeth turn up tonight, he had no idea, but he hoped that as much as she had changed over time somewhere inside there was still the kind woman they had grown to love all those years ago.
Downstairs he could hear Fiona's voice, her arrival a few hours ago unexpected but, with what she called a sixth sense, she said she just knew that she needed to be with them tonight. So much of the spark and vivacity that had once defined her was gone now, lost in that instant a bullet struck down Mike Hickham. Of course she put on a brave face, telling everyone that she was moving on, but they all knew that she would never be the same again. Something died in her that day that they all thought was never coming back.
There was no way of hiding what was happening regarding the children. Anyone coming to the house would be able to tell within a matter of seconds that they weren't there as the silence echoed through the rooms. It was only knowing that they were doing the right thing that gave them the courage to get through this separation.
A small smile crossed Lee's face. Those two boys may not be either his or Rosie's flesh and blood but they were in their hearts and that was all that mattered.
Fiona had not been surprised to learn that the boys and Allie had been sent off to Brookfield, she had a suspicion that something was going on when she saw Cecilia working in The Valley Voice office without Rosemary. How glad she was that Nathan was back with his team of Mounties, who she could see from the activity of the past few days were already dealing with a lot of the trouble going on here. Her feelings towards Lucas and Elizabeth Bouchard bordered on hatred, she was ashamed to admit, as she blamed both of them for everything that had transpired. She was not going to let their actions hurt anybody else she loved and was willing to do whatever was needed to help protect her friends.
Just as he was about to leave the top floor bedroom Lee glanced out again, the flickering of a light in the distance catching his eye. Someone was at the gate. Peering out from the darkness of the room he could just make out two figures stopped at the side of the road, their faces turned back towards the town as though waiting for someone else to arrive. Maybe he wasn't being overly cautious after all.
At the saloon, the fracas had spilled out onto the street, where a small crowd had begun to gather to enjoy the spectacle. As Bill approached he momentarily wondered at Nathan's wisdom in leaving him to handle this alone, before taking out his gun and firing one shot into the air, then watching as the brawlers all dived for the ground. "That always works!" he laughed to Gustav.
Bill spoke loudly, making it clear that he was not here to be messed with. "First I want one name, that of the person who started this. Then whoever retaliated. Once I have those the rest of you can go home!"
Through the doorway came the slow drawl of an Australian voice. "That would be my mate here, Antoine Dupont. At least he was the one who knocked over the bottle that started all of this. As for the rest of the free-for-all, I think you may have to arrest all the empty bottles at the back of the saloon for that!"
The crowd laughed and Bill was happy to see that the mood had suddenly changed from tension to one of conviviality, as recent combatants helped each other up off the ground. Keeping up the front that was being presented to those around them he continued, "Well, I think it may be time for you and your mate Antoine to accompany me to the Mountie Office to answer a few questions."
Relief could be seen on the faces of all the rest of the saloon customers as they quickly scuttled off in different directions, none of them wanting to get on the wrong side of Judge Avery. Bill stepped through the doors of the saloon, his eyes darting around in search of Lucas. Turning to Gustav he said, "…and where exactly is your Monsieur Bouchard while all of this is going on? Or has he run off again as he has a habit of doing when things don't go his way?"
Gustav gave a laugh before muttering quietly, "I'm afraid running will not help my cousin at this point in time. After tonight I fear his days are numbered." And with yet another small shrug he walked calmly back towards the kitchen.
Nathan had sent Ed ahead of him to The Coulters, not wanting to leave Minnie and Joseph waiting for too long. He just felt a need to spend a few moments with his wife. They had managed so little time together since Cecilia and Allie arrived in Hope Valley and even the brief periods they had were wrapped up in the events unfolding before them. To have Allie and Cecilia by his side gave him the strength to face the difficult parts of being a Mountie and now there was to be an addition to the family. Some days he had to pinch himself at the excitement of becoming a father again. But for now he just needed to see her face and hear her voice, then carry that with him through whatever the night was about to bring.
He knocked quietly on the door before entering, having seen the light still glowing through the living room curtains he didn't want to startle them. He then called out, "It's just me, checking in quickly before I head out again". Molly replied, a slight hesitation in her voice making Nathan pause. "We're here in the living room Nathan, sipping hot chocolate and chatting. Is my husband with you?"
Taking a deep breath he fixed a smile on his face as he rounded the doorway, "No, I've sent him off to sort out the trouble that we set up at The Little Gem Saloon tonight. We Mounties have seen enough of it to know how to start some when we want. I just hope that some good information is garnered from all the effort!"
Molly laughed "Perhaps you should have been the one there tonight Nathan, after all you have form with getting into trouble at the saloon!" With that she rose and lifting up the tray moved into the hallway, "I'll just clear this lot away and tidy up in the kitchen. Give you two a little time to yourselves."
Cecilia sat still in her chair, too quiet for Nathan not to wonder if something had happened. He crossed the room in a few strides before crouching down beside her, the redness of her eyes telling him that he was right to come. "I'm fine, Nathan. I promise!" She said quickly. "I got a bit startled when Molly came to the newspaper office and then I knew I needed to explain things to her, so we came back here and have had a good long chat. I really do feel much better now for talking about it, just as you have told me I would."
Nathan stood, reaching out his hand to draw her up with him before he wrapped her in his arms. "You are the bravest woman I know, my love. Not just because of what you have been through in the past but in how you have moved forward, step by step slowly conquering the fears you have had to carry. The strongest people know when to reach out for help and that is what you do. Then somehow you always find a way to be there for others."
Bending down he tenderly pressed his lips to hers, his need for her almost overwhelming him. How easy it would be to just get swallowed up in the passion they felt for each other.
"You have to go," she whispered, as though reading his mind. "Thank you for coming to me but I know you have an important job to do. The more I have seen of this town and its people the more I realise just how much they need you to make things right for them again."
For a moment time stood still, their eyes locked together as each drank in the depth of the feeling that flowed between them. This is love, he thought, unwavering and undemanding. Anything he felt before was just a shallow imitation of what he shared with this wonderful woman.
At the front of their rowhouse Joseph had hitched the horses to their wagon and was waiting for Minnie to give her final instructions to the children before they left for The Coulter's. Nathan's request was one they could not refuse. Having walked the path alongside Elizabeth for this long, they were not going to abandon her now when it seemed that her struggle may finally be coming to an end. Whichever direction the coming hours or days took her, they would be there to administer what comfort they could.
Joseph's strength lay in his wisdom and guidance, in how he could lead a person to find the way that was meant for them rather than telling them what he thought they should do. In Minnie he had the perfect partner, her compassion and understanding brought soothing and healing to those in need, often with very few words.
As the entrance to The Coulter property came into sight Joseph slowed the wagon, looking around for somewhere to pull into the side as Nathan had suggested, his thought being that it would be better for them to approach on foot. If Elizabeth was there then hopefully she would feel less intimidated or threatened by their arrival that way.
The sound of an approaching horse made them turn, just in time to see a flash of red serge through the trees, illuminated briefly by the moonlight, before a single Mountie appeared around the corner and slowed. Surprised that it was not Nathan himself, Joseph climbed down from the wagon as Ed Harter also dismounted.
"Nathan is on his way, he just had a quick errand to do before coming out here. He asked me to meet you rather than leave you waiting in the dark not knowing what was happening. Shall we pull your wagon into that clearing out of sight and by then I am sure he will arrive." Helping Minnie down first, Joseph moved his team forward so that they were concealed from the road, making sure to tie them well to a nearby tree. Ed was making small talk with Minnie, waiting until Joseph was finished before bringing them up to date on what was happening.
Upon hearing that the children had left Hope Valley, both of the Canfields let out sighs of relief, neither having wanted to admit how worried they had been. Elizabeth's mental state was such a fragile and turbulent mix and the last thing any of them wanted was for Little Jack to see her if she was in a bad way.
After explaining what had happened at The Tipperary, Elizabeth's conversation with Cecilia yesterday and Greg Aldritt's observation of her removing items from a concealed trunk in her garden, Ed was keen to get their thoughts on what she might do. The possibility of her wanting to hurt her son was not something either of them would entertain, but without knowing just what she meant in her conversation with Cecilia about having wrongs to right they had little to offer the constable.
It was then that they heard the sound of a motor vehicle nearing. Ushering them back into the cover of the trees, Ed drew his pistol and waited. A few minutes later Lucas Bouchard drove past on his way to The Coulter house, unaware of the watching eyes at the side of the road.
Lucas could feel the tension in his arms as he drove quickly down the road from town towards Rosemary and Lee's house. Tonight had been his last chance and with everything going wrong he knew he had to take some extreme steps to save himself. His valise, which he kept permanently packed, was on the back seat alongside a bag with supplies and equipment he thought he would need. He could feel the pistol pressing into the small of his back under his jacket, jarring against his spine each time he hit a bump in the road.
How had it come to this, he wondered. What was that stupid Australian thinking tonight, deciding to do things his own way and then his friend causing the debacle that followed. Everything had fallen apart so quickly and now he had no choice but to use any means possible to find a way out of this mess.
William Thatcher would have to take notice of him now and once he agreed to what Rocco Perri and his mob in Hamilton wanted of him then surely they would leave him alone. He knew that Perri, who many people regarded as the King of the Bootleggers, and his business partner Bessie Starkman were ruthless. The mobster had risen from being a petty criminal on the streets of Toronto to now running the most prominent smuggling operation, taking over Hamilton and leading one of the country's most influential crime syndicates.
It was when Shue Moy sold off one of Lucas's gambling debts to the East Coast gangster that his troubles really began. Until then he had managed to avoid becoming involved with any of the criminal gangs on that side of the country but once Perri's people learnt of his connection to the Thatcher shipping dynasty he quickly became a target.
At first Elizabeth was not willing to play along despite the threats to her family, but then a quiet talk from his mother when she visited had changed things. Their wedding was quick and, if Lucas was honest, he wasn't displeased. He had felt affection for Elizabeth, some may even have called it love.
If only things had stayed that way they could perhaps have found some form of happiness together but then Nathan Grant ruined everything once again. Lucas had made plans to deal with him before they returned to Hope Valley. What he wasn't prepared for was the Mountie's departure and how it would affect Elizabeth.
Lucas had done his homework. He had found out everything he could about Elizabeth before he came to Hope Valley, especially her vulnerability after the death of her husband. She may have left Hamilton to brave the frontier but deep down she was still a society girl and if he knew anything it was how to seduce one of them. It should have been so easy. But the man in the red serge got in the way.
Seeing that hug when Elizabeth realised Nathan was not dead had derailed it. Suddenly he didn't know what to do, so he reacted like he always does in those situations and left town. That was when he got into deeper trouble than he could deal with.
Losing at the tables in Shue Moy's establishments was not good. The man was as bad as Perri, in some ways worse. As bad as his gambling syndicate was, his people smuggling cartel was even more dangerous. He mayhave turned a blind eye to what was happening at The Tipperary but it was impossible not to think about it when he heard the sound of the wagons coming in late at night. Even the loudness of the music from the two saloons couldn't suppress the images in your head once you knew.
When Mei Sou told him she had been subjected to such inhumane treatment it was too awful to think about so he had pushed it to the furthest corners of his mind. The only blessing that had come out of the trouble he found himself in from his trip to Vancouver was that he had been able to help her.
Why Elizabeth made a habit of visiting the establishment she refused to say, no matter how often he insisted on knowing. He could only deduce that it was where she sourced her medication, something he was willing to let happen. Perhaps it would work in his favour one day.
He brought his mind back to the present, watching carefully for the turning that would bring him to the Coulter property. Should he drive straight up as planned, he wondered, or perhaps park before he reached the final bend and walk from there? Were they aware of the happenings in Hope Valley tonight? A few deep breaths, he thought. If ever he needed to be calm and in control it was now. He had a plan, he just needed to stay focused and implement it.
Approaching the gates he forced himself to sit upright, keeping his eyes on the road as he headed for the driveway at the front of the house. He reminded himself that his ability to fool people was what had gotten him this far in life, he just needed to do it a few more times.
There was a figure sitting on the porch bench, someone he had not expected to see out here. That unnerved him a little but he refocused his mind and slowly drew the car up to the front of the house. She stood as he opened the door, stopping at the edge of the top step. He wasn't looking his usual debonair self, she thought, which was heartening to someone who hated him so much. That meant he was rattled, not sure of himself, and knowing him as she did that was both a good and dangerous thing.
This man was an enigma to many but to her now so very easy to read. A selfish evil flowed through his veins, a total lack of empathy towards others his strongest characteristic.
Yes, he could charm. He had beguiled her very well at one time. But when you spend enough time with another you learn to see beyond the superficial persona and into the depths of their soul. With Lucas there was no soul, only a narcissistic need to look after himself, not caring about the cost to others.
That she had been fooled by him at one time still shamed her. She thought she was above that, a determined young woman who could take on the world. Yet there she had been, falling under the spell of a con man until his true character emerged. Now it was her turn, time to right the wrongs and make sure that Mr Lucas Bouchard got exactly what he deserved. That she would be the one to deliver that sent a strange shiver through her, a mixture of excitement and sadness. With so much of the life she had dreamt of in Hope Valley destroyed by this man she would have no regrets about this.
She forced a smile to her face, trying to look relaxed and untroubled. "Lucas, what brings you out here at this time of night?"
He mustered his most charming smile as he turned towards her, "One could ask the same of you."
Allie sat up in bed, her knees tucked under her chin as she pondered the situation and what she knew of it. Sleep was not going to be coming to her tonight so she thought it better to utilise the time to come up with a plan. Even with all the people there to protect her and the boys, she needed to be prepared to take matters into her own hands should it prove necessary.
It had been later than she expected when the telephone rang downstairs at the hotel, where the three of them were staying tonight before moving on elsewhere tomorrow. The quick conversation with her dad had reassured her that everything was being done to enable them to go back to Hope Valley as soon as possible. There had then been the lecture about being careful and not doing anything silly, which of course she agreed to, but at the back of her mind she felt there was something she was not being told, or maybe something that they were all missing.
Mr and Mrs Gowan had left a little while ago for the drive back to Hope Valley, wrapped up warm for the cold spring night they would face on the journey but not wanting to waste any time in getting back there.
She went over everything that she knew, starting with her Dad's first conversation about returning to Hope Valley and why he didn't want them to come with him. The look that passed between her and Mum had pretty much told him what they both thought, although to give him his due he did put up some argument. But maybe he was right, after all, she thought. Then again, if the people involved in all of this are as far reaching as Gabe said tonight then nowhere would be totally safe for them.
On the train she had been surprised and then concerned to hear Mr Bouchard's voice outside of their compartment. Instinctively she had kept her face turned away so that he wouldn't see her but she still recalled the chill that realising he was close had brought to her.
Her mother had passed off what he said as being insignificant but she understood enough to know now that it had been about the bad people who were on the train. She was concerned then but didn't want to let it show so she just pretended to sleep. It was only when they arrived in Hope Valley and there was pandemonium at the station that she understood the severity of the situation.
From then on she knew that whatever her parents requested of her she would endeavour to comply, but that didn't mean she wouldn't ask questions as she had when they wanted her to come here. It was the look on her dad's face that finally convinced her. If this was the best way to ease his mind then that was what she would do.
Outside she could hear the sound of a vehicle pulling up at the front of the hotel and just as it stopped there was a little splutter from the engine that she recognised as Mr Gowan's car. Why were they back? Something must have happened and she needed to find out.
She knew that Constable Buchanan was keeping watch at the end of the corridor but listening at the door she heard his footstep as he went down the stairs. Creeping slowly out of the room she moved along in the shadow of the wall, not wanting to alert anyone to her presence. Downstairs the sound of muffled greetings could be heard as the door closed behind The Gowans.
Inching further down the stairs she listened intently. "We passed another car not far out of town, not something one expects at this time of night," Henry explained to Jim. "It was hard to see the faces of the people as they went by so fast in the dark, obviously in a hurry to get somewhere. There was just something about their manner that told me they were not on their way here for anything good."
Jim nodded, then reaching for the telephone he dialled the Mountie Office, manned tonight by two of the town's men so that he could be on duty here and Gabe at the orphanage. Quickly he ascertained that no vehicles other than that of The Gowan's had travelled past this evening.
Calling the orphanage next he explained it all to Gabe, who agreed that if anything was going to happen tonight it would be there. "Alert everyone Jim, tell them we are ready here for anyone who wants to come calling."