Chapter 20

Rosemary had come upstairs to check on Fiona, glad that the sedative Mathew had given her had finally taken effect. Once they had managed to get her settled inside Lee had wisely left Rosemary to comfort her, knowing that she would understand the best way to help the young woman.

They had spoken briefly and decided on the story they would tell, one that everyone could live with and as the only person who could say otherwise was unlikely to come forward they were sure it would be accepted. What they couldn't do was pretend nothing had happened as that would be too great an untruth for Fiona to carry.

These were still hard times in Hope Valley, made even worse right now by the absence of their two boys. She understood the reason for Nathan not wanting them to telephone Brookfield but still struggled so much with not being able to hear their sweet voices. In the house their toys lay where they had left them, their clothes folded in the basket by the laundry and their drink cups sitting on the side in the kitchen waiting to be filled.

As she passed their bedroom she peeped around the door, just wanting to feel their presence and inhale any smell of them that remained. What she saw was heartbreaking. Her strong husband, Lee Coulter, a man who had faced the toughest businessmen and won, was kneeling on the floor with his head down on Patrick's bed sobbing.

Slowly she backed out of the room, knowing that he needed to let this emotion out so that he could regather his thoughts and deal with whatever was to come tomorrow. She had seen the determination on his face earlier that told her he was ready to do whatever it took to bring the children home. The women of Hope Valley were often lauded for both their gentleness and their strength, this situation was testing the men and most certainly finding them equal.

Despite the lateness of the hour Cecilia had persuaded Bill to allow her to go to the newspaper office to collect the notebook she had left there earlier. Knowing that she wouldn't sleep until Nathan was back to tell her that everything was ok, and wanting to make some use of the waiting hours, she decided that the best thing for her to do was write.

If she could keep notes of the events as they happened, with some exclusions to respect privacy, then it would be easy for her to show to Nathan once all matters had been resolved so that he could approve what they could publish in The Valley Voice. This was something she wanted….no, needed….to do for Rosemary and for all the honest people of this town.

There was a typewriter in the study at the house that would serve her purpose wonderfully and Molly was busy bustling around making food ready for a visit from the The Yosts. Florence had telephoned just as they arrived back to check that everyone was fine and of upon hearing of the situation with Elizabeth had insisted that they would come over to keep them company, much to Bill's annoyance.

Cecilia marvelled at the way that a certain level of normality could still exist even when so much surrounding them was in turmoil. I guess that is the difference, she thought, between people who can cope with troubled situations and those who sadly are sent over the edge into bitterness or madness. We do what we can to keep going so that when that difficulty is over the life we will have after follows as smoothly as possible.

There had been very few times when words failed her but tonight as she sat staring at the typewriter in front of her nothing came into her head. She was worried for her daughter, her husband and for this new life growing inside her. On occasions in the past she had suffered at the hands of evil people but then she only had herself to worry about, this time she had a family who meant the world to her.

She had faith in Nathan's skill as a Mountie. She gave a little laugh as the word "impeccable" came into her head. It was what Allie jokingly called her father when he was being an annoying dad, the origin of it's humour between them not lost on Cecilia who had been told the story of Elizabeth's visit to the Mountie Office and what she had said to him. She needed to hear that banter between her family again soon.

At Elizabeth's rowhouse Charles followed Nathan out onto the porch, the two men making the excuse of wanting to catch some air so that they could speak. Not that she noticed as she was focused on reading out loud some of her writing, so much in her own world for the moment that she wasn't actually aware of what was going on around her.

Having finally managed to get Elizabeth to show him the journals that she was so guardedly carrying in her bag, where he had observed Jack's small notebook, it became obvious that these were the rantings of a mad woman. Any hope he had of getting usable evidence to put Lucas Bouchard in jail was certainly not contained within these books.

He was embarrassed by how many times his name appeared in the text but a sympathetic look and shrug of shoulders from Charles reminded him that none of this was of his doing. Elizabeth's madness had started with the death of her first husband, if not before, and he was simply a part of the ongoing events that finally pushed her over into the void where her mind now resided.

"There is nothing more for me to do here, at least not tonight" he told Charles. "But we do need to make sure that she stays in this house for her own protection, as well as the protection of others. Depending on how she is I may send one of my men who is very skilled in this type of questioning to come and speak with her tomorrow. I feel that I can no longer be of benefit to her or the investigation by continuing."

Charles agreed. "I shall stay with her. My being here overnight is not going to make any difference to her reputation now and perhaps I can find for one last time, even if only a brief moment, the Elizabeth that was so special to us all for so long."

Nathan knew that the other man was suffering pain at the realisation of what they next had to do, even before he spoke. "If you could perhaps telephone Hamilton and speak to her father, William Thatcher, on my behalf. He will answer no matter the hour. Tell him that it is time and the plan we have had in place, hoping not to need to implement it, should now be acted upon. Tomorrow I will make arrangements at this end to take Elizabeth to where she needs to go."

Nathan looked down, not sure what he could say but feeling a sense of overwhelming sadness descend upon him. "Of course and I will make sure that a Mountie stays on duty outside in case you need assistance." He paused, wanting to say more but knowing that no words would make this situation easier for anyone who cared about Elizabeth as Charles did. "I truly am sorry."

With that Charles held out his hand, the formal gesture seeming to seal their agreement on the inevitability of what was going to happen. "Now go and find your wife and let her know everything is under control. That she is safe."

Jesse was relieved when word came through to the Brookfield hotel that Gabe had understood Allie's note and he would send more word when he could confirm where the children were. A message had been sent back with more information about the two men who had tried to break into the hotel through the cellar doors. They had been apprehended and were now locked up in the town jail, watched over by Joe Moody and Chuck Stewart. The search was continuing for others.

Abigail, Clara and their children had moved across to stay with Joe's wife, Maggie, who as the town nurse was waiting up anyway in case her services were needed. The ring of men that Gabe had ordered placed around the town would make sure that Helen Bouchard did not leave the area without them knowing.

For now, he and Henry sat in the main dining room, with a clear sight of the front door for one of them and to the hallway at the back for the other, while men were positioned front and back at windows on the floors above and in the buildings across the street. Although they had captured two of her men, there was no guarantee that others weren't waiting to follow them in.

In their house beside the hospital, Faith sat anxiously by the phone, her swollen feet up on a stool in front. Mathew had been gone quite a long time now and she was concerned. I'm probably being foolish, she thought, but in the past few years it had become more dangerous going out to calls during the night, not knowing what trouble was happening in some parts of Hope Valley.

He had telephoned to say he was leaving The Coulter's house, having spent a few minutes examining and talking with Fiona to ascertain her state of mind before, with her permission, giving her a sedative to help her reach a place of oblivion that her mind so desperately needed tonight.

In the morning Faith had said she would spend some time with her dear friend, making sure that she was able to put tonight's scenario into the right context and move on from it.

Whatever had actually happened, she didn't know. She doubted anyone did. But it had been agreed between Lee, Rosemary, Mathew and Constable Harter that the story they would support would be that it was Rosemary pushing Fiona's arm aside that had made the gun go off. Simply an accident and nothing more.

At the sound of the front door opening she stood and waddled her way through to the hallway, not wanting to let her husband see how worried she had been. His smile was strained, a sadness showing in his eyes. "Has something happened? Was someone hurt?"she quickly asked.

Shaking his head, "No, nothing like that, yet there are a lot of people in pain out there tonight."

Removing his coat he moved across to hang it before saying any more. "Fiona is settled and I'm sure with all of us supporting her over the next few days she will come through this. Maybe not as the same person but perhaps we will find that she needed this as a catharsis after Mike's death. Only time will tell."

Faith waited, knowing there was more he had to say. "As I was driving back into town Nathan stopped me. Apparently there has been an issue with Elizabeth tonight. In his words, she has reached the point of no return."

Faith gasped, knowing how fine a line her old friend had been walking for some years now but not wanting to accept that all hope for her had been lost.

"He asked me to go to her house. Charles Kensington was there, Elizabeth's friend from Hamilton. Poor man was trying so hard to keep talking to her about the good things in her life, her childhood, her son, her friends, but I'm afraid he was fighting a losing battle. There were other louder voices speaking to her and she was getting herself into quite a state."

By this time Mathew had made his way across to the sideboard where they kept a bottle of whisky for guests. Never before had she seen him partake of any liquor unless in a social situation so the sight of him pouring a glass told her how hard he had found dealing with Elizabeth.

"In the end we had no choice but to sedate her too, which was difficult as I know she has been getting opium from the people at The Tipperary. This time it was without willingness on her part. She fought against it and eventually Minnie and Joseph came, having heard the commotion. They have agreed to stay with her as poor Charles was far too drained to deal with it any longer. I have told him to go and get some rest and tomorrow we will sort everything out."

She had never seen her husband so dejected. As part of the Canadian Army Medical Corps he had been stationed on the Mediterranean Front to support troops fighting in Gallipolli and Salonika. The wounds and injuries he had to deal with there were beyond her comprehension. She wondered if tonight had brought back some of those memories of men for whom shell shock had done so much damage to their mental state. How much more were they all going to have to take, she thought, but she had confidence in the resilience of all the men and women around her.

Up in the roof space Allie finally let out her breath. While the sound of people downstairs had stopped she was sure that no-one had left, that they were still there. What were they waiting for? Surely they could quickly see that the little cottage was empty. More footsteps could be heard coming through the door and then a familiar voice, one that almost made her call out.

Uncle Gabe was here.

His voice carried clearly up through the roof boards and she very quickly realised that he knew that they were there. "I want you two men to guard this cottage. No-one but myself or my wife Lilian is to come in….and by that I mean no-one. There is a wolfpack close by and we need to make sure that the important things stored in here are kept safe. So be extra vigilant. It should only be for a few hours more so please just stay on guard and wait for my instructions."

Allie could feel herself nodding. The relief that Uncle Gabe had understood her note and managed to send his own message back reassured her that she had done the right thing. Soon it would all be over and the important job of keeping the boys safe would have been accomplished.

She realised that they had both settled back down to sleep and so snuggling in close to keep them warm she closed her eyes and drifted off as well.

On the road of Hope Valley Lucas Bouchard had struggled to drive in the dark, the back roads from Lee and Rosemary's house in much worse a condition than he had thought. His headlights picked up some but not all of the ruts in the track and he found himself slowing down more than he wanted.

Fiona's attack had shocked him, although in one way he wasn't surprised. What he couldn't understand was why she had waited so long to do something. And how had she known he would be coming out there? Was he so predictable?

For now he was just desperate to reach Mei Sou and work out what their next move should be. Hopefully the game will have gone ahead without trouble in Benson Hills and there would be a large sum they could use to get them started somewhere. New Orleans would be good, a new life together. He let out a little whistle at the thought and was thankful that he had one person who had his back, who loved him and would never desert him.

A shiver made him realise that the night was getting colder and he regretted his sudden departure, remembering the heavier coat and scarf that was hanging in his hallway back at the saloon. Warm gloves would be good too, he thought, as he blew on each hand in turn trying to keep the circulation going.

Finally he reached an area with which he was familiar, a small track bringing him out behind the warehouses and onto the main road to Benson Hills. Relief washed over him as the woods opened out a bit and the moonlight helped him see the road ahead. As he approached a break in the trees he stopped to look down on Hope Valley for the last time. Nothing there to be missed, he told himself.

A sudden noise in the woods behind made him turn. Was it the wind or was someone there? Who would want to be out here creeping around at this time of night other than Mounties and as far as he knew they were all occupied trying to deal with the different situations that were happening in town and further afield tonight. Probably just some rabbits he thought.

With nothing to worry him he reached into the back for the blanket he always kept there, wrapping it around his shoulders before moving the car forward.

In the woods the two dogs stirred, hearing a familiar noise to them in the humming sound that was coming through the trees. They tried to free themselves, awake now and wanting to get away, each tug loosening the ropes a little bit more. First one, then the other began to bark and howl, the sound bouncing off the trees and along the road as the car disappeared and the night went quiet once more.

In the middle of town a lone figure kept to the dark shadows at the side of a building, watching the comings and goings of the different people, an unusually large number at this time of night when the saloons were quiet. He knew that Bouchard had left town, the man was certainly a creature of habit.

Whatever happened tonight had a big bearing on his future. His red serge, discarded before he came here, had been worn for the last time. Now he had to work out which cards to play and against whom to ensure he at least made the best of the situation that had evolved around him. Rocco Perri or Nathan Grant, which of them could he trust the most….more importantly, which man was most likely to believe him. The consequences of being found out were not good either way.

There had been little sleep for Nathan when with his hands wrapped around a coffee cup he stepped out onto the back porch, the heat from it bringing some warmth in the chill morning air. It was early, the sun just rising as it cast a bright orange glow in the distance. Last night had been one he never wanted to repeat. Time seemed to hang still with so many things happening all at once that he wondered if he would make sense of any of it.

In his hand was the report that Harold Bishop had handed over when he went back with him to get an update on the situation at the Mountie Office. The prisoners were calm, sleeping as only men who never feel guilt for their actions are able. Harold would now be accompanied by Patrick in his night vigil, with the two men taking it in turns to get some rest on the cot in the back room, while Walter was happy to stay on guard at the livery.

Assured by Harold that he had made the necessary call and that nothing else in the report would be changed overnight by Nathan not reading it immediately, he listened to his own body telling him that some sleep would put everything into much better perspective and was about to head home when a call from Brookfield had him fully focused again.

Gabe was calm with his words as he explained clearly what had happened there, from Bouchard's mother's visit to the orphanage to the apprehension of the two men at the hotel. A search of the area had failed to find anyone else and even Helen Bouchard seemed to have disappeared into thin air. Gabe had surmised that someone in Brookfield must be helping her and was now set about working out exactly who that could be.

Nathan waited, not wanting to sound too worried but anxious to know about Allie and the boys. Finally he could hold back no longer, "and the children? Please tell me they are all safe."

Gabe paused, a small sigh escaping him which Nathan immediately took to mean that something had happened. "Just tell me, Gabe."

"They are safe, Nathan. Thanks more to your daughter than anything else. Let me just say that she followed her instincts and as soon as she sensed a danger to them she acted. She took the boys to the secret place we know about, leaving a note that was brilliantly cryptic yet something you and I would understand immediately. I have them under guard but still in hiding, with only Lillian and I knowing exactly that they are there."

Nathan gulped in some air, not realising that he had held his breath all the time Gabe was speaking. "I don't have to question you about it Gabe. If you say they are safe then that is all I need to know. Did you get a message back to Allie? Does she know that they are being protected there?"

"I have sent her a message so she knows that I understood her note. Do you want me to tell her something from you?"

Feeling a mix of emotions Nathan knew he would find it hard to put into words everything he wanted to say to his amazing daughter. "Just tell her that I love her and am proud of her. The rest I will tell her in person very soon."