HOPE VALLEY
The following day Nathan was talking to Bill in his office when Julie walked in, clearly upset. They had been wondering how the date went with Lucas.
"Julie, are you all right?" Nathan asked, going over and putting an arm around her. He guided her over to the couch that Bill had set up in his office and sat beside her. It was amazing how much she had come to mean to him. In the short time he had known her Julie had become like a little sister to him. How that would work after Elizabeth returned home, he wasn't sure.
"I take it that your day didn't go well?" Bill asked. "Don't worry; we'll figure it all out. Lucas Bouchard is very cagey, even for an experienced Mountie, when it comes to getting answers from him."
"Oh no, it went well, and I got all the answers we hoped for. Hearing them was bad enough, but having to turn around and let Beth know that this man never cared for her was even more challenging. At this point, we don't need further proof of anything because he gave it to me last night. There were even some things that we hadn't anticipated.
"What did he say?" Nathan asked, knowing it probably wasn't good though there was a part of him that wasn't sure he wanted to know. She told them everything, including his comment about Nathan trying to retaliate against him because Elizabeth preferred Lucas over him.
"I knew it," Nathan growled. "I knew it had been just a game to him, and he never truly cared for her."
"Unfortunately, you are correct. I'm pretty sure that Beth is beating herself up over her recent choices now more than she was already. He also said that Gustav, not him, got Elizabeth's book published." Then she explained what Lucas said about not taking no for an answer.
"Do you think he will give Beth or me a problem once he finds out?" Julie asked.
"If he does, just let one of us know. I don't think it'll be a problem, but you never know." Bill replied. "I can promise you, though, nothing will come of it. If he gets any bright ideas to try something with either of you, he will regret it."
"Julie, how did Elizabeth seem to be after you told her?" Nathan asked.
Julie smiled. She could see how concerned Nathan was. It was evident that he still cared for her sister just like she still cared for him.
As I said, I'm pretty sure she is beating herself up. It was obvious to me that she was hurt and angry because of her voice. She will be leaving Hamilton tomorrow and says not to let Lucas know. Although, according to her, he hadn't even attempted to call her the whole time she was gone. I'm just glad I don't have to try to be nice to him anymore." Julie said.
"I can't believe that you got all that out of Lucas," Bill said.
"You sound jealous, Bill," Nathan teased.
Julie giggled. "It wasn't hard. It's a trick of the trade of debutantes. We are taught in finishing school." Julie said. "But I have always been able to get people to talk to me. It helps me stay on top of all the goings on in and out of the drawing rooms of Hamilton. If you ever need help interrogating prisoners, I'm your girl."
"Yeah, that's not going to happen," Bill said, causing Julie to pout.
Nathan took pity on her and explained. "The Mounties would frown on that, Julie, I'm sorry to say," Nathan replied.
"Oh well," Julie said. "I'm going to miss working undercover with you, Nathan," Julie sighed deeply. "However, I think a certain pharmacist will be happy that we aren't spending so much time together now. Maybe even a certain doctor as well," Julie grinned.
Nathan just blushed and saw Bill smirk.
"Oh, come now, Nathan, you have to know they are both interested in you. I wouldn't be surprised if every walking, talking, breathing female in Hope Valley loves to look at you and dreams of being rescued or whisked away somewhere on your noble steed. I know Beth has had some."
Bill and Nathan rolled their eyes at her comment. "I don't just have to know anything," Nathan said with a chuckle. "But I don't know if I'm ready for that anyway, and I'm not good when it comes to romance."
"You are better than you think you are," Julie said, "Any of them would be lucky to have you, although I would be lying if I said I wasn't hoping that you and Beth could work things out."
"I don't think that's possible, Julie." Nathan said, "But I hope you and I will always be friends. You're so much like my sister Colleen. It was nice going on dates with you, especially since I've missed Allie so much. You've helped fill that void."
"Speaking of Allie, I did get the report back you requested, and it's clean," Bill said.
Nathan explained to Julie about Dylan's parents and what had been discovered. "I may have to go over to Rock Creek for a few days, Bill, would you be able to cover for me?"
"If you give me three days, I can clear up the schedule. Will that be enough time?" Bill responded.
"It will."
Meanwhile in Hamilton
Elizabeth, shopping for last-minute travel items before leaving Hamilton, heard a man calling her name. Turning, she was surprised to see Carson Shepherd coming towards her!
"Carson!" Elizabeth smiled. "What brings you here? I thought you were still at Johns Hopkins finishing your surgical fellowship."
"I finished early. They transferred me here for the final month. I'm returning to Hope Valley tomorrow."
"Really? Does Faith know you're returning?"
"No, and I would appreciate it if you wouldn't tell her," Carson said. There was something in his tone, but Elizabeth wouldn't pry. "So, I assume you're visiting your family?"
"Yes, and I just finished the final part of the book tour, at least for now. But like you, Jack and I are also returning home tomorrow."
"Well, what a nice surprise. We can catch up more on the ride home. It will definitely make the train ride go faster," Carson said with a smile.
"I would enjoy that too, and honestly, I could use some advice from an old friend," Elizabeth confessed.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow. I assume you have a private compartment since you are with your little guy?"
"Yes," Elizabeth laughed. "But we can visit during the day; it has a sitting area, and you can even take your meals with us if you wish."
"I would enjoy spending time with two of my favorite Hope Vallians. Take care until tomorrow," Carson said before taking his leave.
"Until tomorrow," Elizabeth said, smiling in return before they went their separate ways.
When Elizabeth returned to her parents' house, her father asked to speak with her about a delicate matter. Entering his office, she was expecting to see her son.
"Where's Jack? I figured he would be with you since we are leaving tomorrow." Jack was never far from his grandfather since they had been in Hamilton.
She could see that whatever was wrong was very troubling for her father.
"What's wrong? Is he hurt? Where is he?"
"Please, calm down, sweetheart; I assure you he is okay. Jack is in the sunroom with your mother having a snack. I didn't mean to scare you. However, you need to be made aware of some things regarding Lucas's influence on him."
"What do you mean, Father?"
"First, I need to know if Jack spent time alone with Lucas?"
"It's been a moment here or there. Twice he relieved Laura early for me. Why are you asking?"
"Because Lucas has made quite an impression on him, and unfortunately, it isn't a good one. It's a bit convoluted, but from what I can understand from talking to Jack earlier, Lucas taught him that lying is OK as long as no one gets hurt. He also gave Jack the impression that keeping secrets from his Mommy is okay. It's okay not to tell the whole truth, and I believe he thinks that being able to be a good liar helps with your poker face and doing a good job."
Elizabeth cringed, realizing how wrong her decision to court Lucas had been. She could practically hear Jack Sr. shouting at her for allowing someone to teach their son such things. If she weren't already planning to break things off with him, this would have pushed her over the edge. She thanked her father and went to find her son with a heavy heart, knowing that she had failed him. It reminded her that he had taught Allie a card trick, and later when Elizabeth confronted him, he had the nerve to say he was doing her job. How did she go from her original assessment of finding him "a charmer" who would soon "wither on the vine" when he first arrived to finding him a potential life partner and father for Jack?
The following day, Elizabeth and Jack met up with Carson on the train and were happy to see his sleeping car was only a few doors from their large private compartment.
Jack had been excited to see Doctor Carson, and the three of them played with his Lincoln logs and small train set until lunch. After lunch, Jack fell asleep, allowing Elizabeth and Carson time to talk.
"So, what did you want to talk about, Elizabeth?" Carson asked, although he had kept up with people at home and felt he already knew.
Elizabeth began telling him everything that happened since he left, including her conversation with Nathan at the jail.
"Elizabeth, I saw you before and after the prisoner transport. Let me ask you what your first thought was when it happened. Was it about Jack or Nathan?"
"It was all about Nathan."
Carson nodded. "I also saw you when there was that explosion. Do you remember when the oil derrick exploded, and Lucas was there?" At Elizabeth's nod, he continued, "It wasn't quite the same reaction as with Nathan, which was very telling for me. Did you and Nathan ever talk about the prison transport?"
"No, we never did," Elizabeth replied, realizing it for the first time. "He was gone for most of the three months after it happened, and I wasn't ready to discuss it. Then Lucas returned and….," She let the sentence drop off.
"Then, when I had finally felt like I could, he was so secretive when he went away on some mission and then returned disheveled, and anyone could see that he was involved in some sort of altercation, which being a Mountie wasn't hard to figure out."
Carson sat thinking for a moment and then asked. "Wait, was that the evening Helen Bouchard arrived in town?"
"Yes," Elizabeth replied.
"Ah, that must have been right after he tangled with Allie's father."
"Allie's father?"
"Yes, though I'm not sure of the details, I do know that he had just returned from handling it. Apparently, Nathan was riding to a meeting spot, but Dylan was hiding along the route, and when Nathan passed by, Dylan lassoed him and pulled him from his horse. If that wasn't bad enough, he kicked him a few times in the ribs, took his rifle, and chased Newton away, leaving him stranded overnight."
She had been so worried, so when he brushed it off, it reminded her of how often Jack had hidden things from her, even after he was free to tell her. Then Helen showed up unexpectedly and completely overwhelmed Elizabeth with her comments. It was the last straw and ultimately pushed her over the edge. After that, Elizabeth wanted to retreat to her home, where she was safe.
"I canceled dinner that night just before we entered the cafe. I know Allie and Nathan were hurt, but he hid it a little better than she did. Even Jack was upset because he loves them so much and was looking forward to eating with them. How could I have been so insensitive?"
"Elizabeth, if Nathan had a different job, like maybe a doctor or pastor, would you hesitate to pursue your love for him?
"No, I would embrace it. But that day, he told me he loved me. I told him that I couldn't bear to lose him the way I lost Jack. That it would hurt too much."
"You know, I remember a conversation I had with Nathan during that time. He was dealing with having to watch you with Lucas." Carson related the memory of that day on the stage platform when he had been struggling watching Faith go about her day, who in turn was unable to decide about going with him or even if she wanted them to get married.
"What'd you wind up buying?" he had asked Nathan as he stepped out of the café with a pie box.
"Um, strawberry rhubarb."
"Allie likes strawberry rhubarb pie?" He asked, shocked that a child would like that combination.
"Well, I'll find out. She'll try anything once." Nathan had said with a chuckle.
"Hmm. Why do we stop trying new things?" He had asked though not expecting an answer as he watched Faith interacting with Fiona.
But Nathan replied, "I don't know. Why do we give up when things don't go our way the first time?"
"Staying where we're comfortable," Carson said.
"Staying with someone you're comfortable with,"Nathan replied as he watched where Elizabeth and Lucas had stood talking in the middle of the street.
"There's plenty of new experiences to be enjoyed," Carson had replied, wishing he could figure out how to get Faith to say yes to coming with him.
"Or meaningful relationships,"Nathan had remained leaning against the post, watching Elizabeth with a longing in his eyes.
"She needs to trust me," he had stated.
"If she just got to know me."Nathan said, frustration and despair evident in his tone. "Be willing to try."
-It's as simple as that. Carson stated firmly.
"Easy as pie." Nathan said.
"I'm not giving up." He had boldly stated, determined to get Faith to say yes.
"I'm not giving up."Nathan had replied, but Carson had seen the hopelessness and lack of confidence reflected in his eyes as he said it.(1)
As he finished talking about that day, Elizabeth had tears in her eyes.
"He's right. I never really gave him a chance to really know him as a potential romantic partner, even after chasing him for his first two years in Hope Valley. Though early on, I wasn't even aware of it. Who knows where we would be right now if I had?"
"It's not too late, you know," Carson said gently as he handed her his handkerchief.
"I'm pretty sure it is. After everything I did, he would never give me another chance.
"Carson, can I ask what happened between you and Faith? I feel so bad that I even have to ask since we were all close once. Just more proof that I was selfish and so caught up in myself I didn't notice that others were struggling too."
Carson laid his hand over hers. "We have determined that you weren't yourself, Elizabeth. Self-reflection and inventory are good tools to see the changes you need to make, but they can also lead down rabbit holes that don't necessarily lead to healthy places. When Amber died on my operating table, I spent a few years wallowing in misery in those rabbit holes, if you remember. As for what happened to Faith and me, I'm afraid, it was similar to your story with Lucas.
"How so?"
"When Faith returned from Chicago, she was so different. She challenged me a lot if I corrected things about her diagnosis, but there was just an awkwardness between us, too, and a bit of distance that hadn't been there.
"We went back and forth about her going with me versus her not wanting to leave Hope Valley, whether to marry or not. I offered to stay back, but she insisted that I go. I even purchased an engagement ring that had gotten lost momentarily at the café when I went to surprise Faith with a proposal during a meal." Carson chuckled. "Lee found it and gave it to me just as I boarded the stagecoach. Shortly after I arrived at Johns Hopkins, I decided I wouldn't return to Hope Valley. A few moments later, I donated the ring to a patient who wanted to propose but didn't."
"What changed your mind about returning to Hope Valley?"
Carson began by first explaining the terms of her accreditation. "I had arranged for her to be supervised by Dr. Frank Anders from Benson Hills. Apparently, though, she had not been following the guidelines he set, and after four warnings, stepped down and informed the board. Of course, my friend on the board knew I had completed my fellowship and reached out to me."
"Shouldn't they have spoken to Faith?"
"Since they initially only offered her the opportunity based on my recommendation and assurance that I would supervise her, they notified me of the options. I either returned to Hope Valley and work with her and them to finish the supervisory period as originally agreed, or they will pull her accreditation. For the next 18 months Faith will, of course, be under probation, and unless I give my recommendation, she will lose her ability to practice as a doctor. If she doesn't comply, they could strip her of everything. Requirements for becoming a doctor are becoming more rigid. If I don't recommend her, she'll have to start over with two years of medical school followed by two more years of clinical work in a teaching hospital."
"Oh, Carson! Does Faith even know?"
"Not a clue from what I have been told. I have the responsibility of informing her of it when we arrive."
"Well, that's a horrible place to be in. Elizabeth said, "Is there no way to solve this problem without involving you?"
"None," Carson said. "At least nothing they were even willing to consider."
"How will it be working with Faith again? Do you think it will make it harder now?"
"It will be tough given the conditions it will be under, but not due to romantic involvement or leftover feelings. That is definitely over. When I met Megan, I realized that Faith and I truly weren't right for each other. Honestly, I wonder if the draw for us was that she was a nurse like my first wife, and it became comfortable."
"Or it just could have been that you grew apart and wanted different things by the time she returned," Elizabeth suggested softly.
"I don't know about that, Elizabeth. It is possible, I suppose."
1 - S8 EP6