Chapter 23

Mr. Louis Franklin sat dumbfounded on his chair in the middle of his jail cell. He never would have thought in a million years he would have met Elizabeth Thatcher. He had heard a lot about her from Mr. Kensington and a little from the older gentleman he met once, but never thought he would meet Elizabeth. He perfectly understood why Mr. Kensington talked about her so much. Elizabeth was one of the most beautiful women he has ever seen. He couldn't take his eyes off her.

Elizabeth stared at Louis trying to see if she knew him. She hadn't seen him around town. She didn't remember him from Hamilton. To her, he was a stranger. His staring was beginning to make her a little uncomfortable. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"No ma'am. We have not officially met. I have heard a lot about you though."

"Mr. Franklin." Jack cut in. "You are to talk to me and only me…understand?" Jack stated with authority.

"But Constable…" Louis began but was cut off by Jack again.

"They are only here to listen. You speak to me and only me or I will have them leave. This is not negotiable. And if they leave, you will not receive any plea deal. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Louis nodded his head, but he never took his eyes off Elizabeth.

Jack stared at Louis until he had his attention. "Please start from the beginning." As Louis spoke, Jack compared what he was saying now to the notes he took when he spoke with Louis earlier. He wanted to see if there were any discrepancies.

"My name is Louis Franklin. I'm originally from Toronto. After school, I began working for an excavation company in Hamilton. I apprenticed there for two years."

Louis told the story the same as he told Jack earlier. Everyone sat in stunned silence as they listened. Abagail would glance over at Elizabath to make sure she was ok. Elizabeth listened intently to every word. Louis told of meeting Mr. Kensington and an older man for the first time in a fancy restaurant in Hamilton named Bergenia's. That was the same restaurant Elizabeth took Jack to when they were in Hamilton. They had white glove service.

"Mr. Franklin, do you know the older man's name?" Asked Elizabeth. She asked before she even thought about it. She knew it had to be her father, but she was hoping he wasn't involved.

"I only know his first name is William. I do not know his last name. However, his name is on the contract I have in my bag the constable has on his desk."

Jack stood and walked over to the desk. On his way, he looked at Elizabeth. He could see the conflict in her eyes. She looked up at Jack and read his expression perfectly. She could see the love he had for her. She also saw a plea to allow him to question Louis. She trusted him fully. Even though she wanted to know everything, she had to trust Jack to do his job. She understood his desire to be the one to question Louis. She thought back on the ordeal with Kat. She didn't understand why Jack was handling it the way he did, but he was right in what he did. Jack had to work through the evidence. Evidence that she herself didn't know about. She knew she didn't know the whole story like Jack did. When he worked through everything, he came to the right conclusion. It was the ending she wanted, but Jack had to look at the whole picture and not just through the lens of friendship like she did. So, she had to trust Jack.

Jack walked back to his chair with the bag. Louis stood from his chair and walked toward Jack reaching for the bag. Jack pulled the bag away. There was no way Jack was going to hand over the bag. Louis huffed at Jack's response. He was quickly learning he wasn't in control of things and that was bothering him.

"The contract is in a folder in the front pocket. It's handwritten on a piece of paper. I only met William that one time. He wrote the contract out during lunch."

Jack reached into the bag as he was instructed. He found a folder and pulled it out. Inside the folder, were several pieces of paper. He read over the top piece of paper and looked up at Louis. Louis nodded.

Jack read the contract out loud.

I, William Thatcher, agree to pay a sum of $ 2000.00 to Louis Franklin. $ 250.00 up front and $ 1,750.00 when the job is completed. The job consists of closing down the sawmill in Hope Valley in a way that it looks like an accident.

Signed,

William Thatcher

Louis Franklin

"That's more than two years of my salary." Elizabeth whispered.

The room sat in silence for a few long moments. Abagail kept close watch on Elizabeth. She reached for Elizabeth's hand, but Elizabeth didn't respond. For Elizabeth, she sat stunned. She heard the words Jack read out loud. She did not remember saying the words she just spoke. She couldn't grasp that her father and friend was responsible for the accidents. Her father was always a kind man. For her, this was completely out of her father's character.

Jack lowered his head. He was shocked, but mostly hurt for Elizabeth. He simply couldn't understand how a father could act in such a callous way. While his father died when he was young, he knew his father would always be there to support and encourage him in what ever he wanted to do. Jack showed the piece of paper to Elizabeth. Elizabeth took a few moments to read the letter. When her eyes raised and met Jack's eyes, she nodded that the writing was her father's handwriting.

"What was expected of you for this job?" Jack turned his attention toward Louis.

"I was to cause accidents at the sawmill in the town of Hope Valley. The main purpose was to destroy the mill enough for it to shut down for good."

"Why?" Jack asked. "Why this sawmill in this town?"

Louis looked toward Elizabeth and nodded his head toward her. "Her."

"Me?" Asked a shocked Elizabeth.

Louis just nodded.

…

"Hickam…"

"Yes sir."

"Please get the wagon. I would like to head to town and speak with Jack."

"Lee…you know you can't do that. The Constable will come to see you when he knows more."

"I can't just wait around and do nothing."

"You're not doing nothing." Hickam stated. "You are keeping this mill open in all of this mess."

"Get the wagon, Hickam." Lee commanded.

"Sir, if you go to town…Nurse Carter will see you and she will be very unhappy with you. It's long past noon."

"I don't care!"

"Rosemary will see you."

That last statement certainly got Lee's attention. Rosemary already warned him about staying too long today.

"Fine. Would you please go and ask Jack to come and see me when he is finished?"

"Yes. Sir."

…

Jack looked at a visibly shaken Elizabeth. After a sharp breath, her eyes connected with Jack, and she nodded that she was ok. Jack wanted to take the focus off Elizabeth for the moment. So, he changed the line of questioning.

"The first incident was a wagon that gave way?" Jack asked.

"Yes, the one where that guy was injured."

"Yes."

"He wasn't supposed to be there. I watched that mill for days. No one was ever there during that hour. The wagon was supposed to run into the blade causing damage. I damaged the braking system so it would look like an accident."

"Why? What happened when it wasn't destroyed the first time?"

"The mill was never intended to be destroyed at one time. That would be too big of an event. I wasn't to hurt anyone or destroy property unnecessarily. I was planning one accident with the wagon and four smaller explosions. That way not too much property was destroyed except for the mill. Everything was supposed to seem like an accident. William wanted it done in such a way that no one would think it was intentional. Everything was supposed to look like accidents. That way no one would ever look for anyone responsible. If the accidents didn't completely destroy the mill, the reputation of a bad business who couldn't keep up with their orders would be the final straw."

"All of this to close the mill?"

"Yes. William wanted it closed."

"Why not destroy it all at once? If William wanted the mill gone, why not destroy everything in its path just to make sure it was done?"

"I have already told you. He wanted it destroyed but not traced back to him. One big event would have been investigated. If there were small accidents, it could be argued that it was poorly managed, or the machinery was not kept up properly. Brake systems fail all the time on wagons when they are used for heavy loads. Especially if they aren't kept in good working conditions. Small explosions, while not extremely common, can be accidents where machinery is involved if they aren't kept in good working order. With the machinery and wagon problems, people would assume the mill wasn't looked after very well."

"I guess that leads me to the blasting caps. Is that why you modified them?"

"That was the hard part. And to be honest, that was the pearl of the whole operation."

"How so?"

"While I was blasting some trees a couple of years back for the track for the railroad, we were having trouble with the blasts destroying trees we didn't want to be destroyed. When the explosion happened, everything in every direction was destroyed. The company I worked with wanted to be able to direct the explosion in certain directions. I figured out how to modify the blasting caps and that affected how the dynamite exploded. That gave us the ability to control the direction of the explosions a little better. That was perfect for this job. I have the patent on that." He stated proudly.

"How often did you meet with Mr. Kensington?" Jack asked.

"Four times before I came here. Once I was here, I telegrammed a gentleman named Mr. Johnson. He has been the middleman between us. Mr. Kensington has telegrammed me once since I have been here. Just after, Mr. Coulter was injured. He wasn't supposed to be there. The wagon was supposed to damage the blade. It was intended to soften the mill. The explosions were to cripple the mill over time. They almost backed out after Mr. Coulter was hurt."

"Why?"

"William was pretty upset someone was injured. They almost backed out of completing the job, but they decided to continue if I could promise no one else was injured. The job was almost completed. I just needed time to wait. That was a problem with my employers because they wanted it done soon. But with the extra precautions on not hurting anyone, I had to take things slow and be certain nothing bad would happen again. That's the reason for the second contract."

"A second contract? Asked Jack.

"Yes." Louis stated.

"The second contract moved the completion date?"

"Yes. I thought it was unnecessary, but William wanted it. He had Mr. Kensington sign in his spot. It's in the folder too."

"That sounds like my father." Whispered Elizabeth. "He always wanted things in writing."

"So, you were hired by Mr. William Thatcher and Mr. Charles Kensington to destroy the mill?"

"Yes, Constable. I was paid by William Thatcher with instructions from Charles Kensington. In that bag, there are telegrams, contracts, and a check I haven't cashed yet from Thatcher Shipping. William sent me an additional $250 a few days ago."

Everyone in the room took a couple of minutes to allow their minds to catch up. They each took a drink of water and took a deep breath. This story was just too crazy to be true. Jack took that time to open the bag and pull out the remaining items.

True to his word, the bag contained the check, the other contract, telegrams, and three handwritten notes – one from William Thatcher and two from Charles Kensington.

Elizabeth nodded her head in agreement that they were written by her father and Charles when Jack showed her the letters.

Jack sat down with the contents of the bag and read over each piece of paper slowly. There were numerous telegrams along with the letters and contracts.

Abagail and Frank changed their focus between Jack, Elizabeth, and Louis. They were trying to take in the entirety of the situation but were failing, like everyone else, at the moment. Louis focused on Elizabeth. Charles spoke about her often during their meetings and telegrams. He thought this rich young man was exaggerating but Louis quickly realized that Charles was warranted to feel the way he was feeling. Elizabeth is a beautiful lady and she just has this way about her that he couldn't explain.

Elizabeth never took her eyes off Jack. He slowly read the paper that was in his hands. She could see he was concentrating on that piece of paper until he laid it down and slowly picked up another one. After a few minutes, she became lost in his concentration. She thought he was so handsome as he intently concentrated on the pages and telegrams in his hands. For the first time, Elizabeth noticed that Jack would stick his tongue out just a little. The deeper he concentrated, the further his tongue would stick out. She found it adorable.

After several minutes of silence, Jack looked up from the small stacks of paper. He stared out the window to gather his thoughts. He took the second deep breath before turning his attention back to Louis. He knew the answer to the next question, but he also knew he had to ask it.

"Mr. Franklin, when I asked you why Mr. Thatcher and Mr. Kensington hired you to destroy the sawmill, you mentioned Ms. Thatcher. Please tell me why." Jack sat ready with a pad and pencil ready to take notes like before. He needed to have a written account of their discussion.

Louis adjusted himself in his chair and turned his attention toward Elizbeth. "William and Mr. Kensington wanted to shut down the town for you to go back to Hamilton."

"Why Hamilton?" Elizabeth asked. She lowered her head when Jack glanced her way.

"The sawmill is the main source for jobs here. William said that everything is dependent on the mill. His desire was for the mill to shut down completely. He wanted you to come home." Louis stated looking at Elizabeth.

"Go on…" Jack stated.

"You moved out here some time ago. Your family and Mr. Kensington never thought you would make it out here this long. They thought you would come back after a short period of time. They're shocked you stayed this long. They finally realized you planned on staying here. They needed to do something to bring you back home." Louis never took his eyes off Elizabeth. "If the only company here that made it possible for families to make a living wasn't here, then no one would be able to stay. People would have to leave. They couldn't stay if there was no work to support their families."

"They wanted to shut down the whole town. That would have destroyed families." Abagail mentioned under her breath.

"Yes. That is exactly what they wanted to do. Read the telegrams and letters and you can see that. Mr. Kensington was planning on offering jobs to the families that were willing to relocate."

"So, this is because of me?"

Louis nodded. "It is."

"I…I don't…I don't know what to say." Elizabeth was shocked. She was hurt and greatly disappointed in her father and friend. "How could they do this?" She asked no one in particular in a whisper.

"Elizabeth…" Frank stated. "This is not your fault."

"He's right, Elizabeth. This isn't your fault. You did nothing wrong." Jack added.

"It feels like it…" Elizabeth's voice sounded broken. "Innocent people could have and would have lost everything. Lee was hurt. All because those two men wanted me to go back to Hamilton."

Jack could sense the emotion of anger building in Elizabeth. Especially when she called her father and friend, 'two men'. Jack stood and walked over to Elizabeth. He reached for her hand, and she grabbed onto it as if she was falling off a cliff. "Take a walk with me?" He asked. She nodded and stood. Jack looked at Frank, and he smiled letting Jack know he would watch over the prisoner.

Frank looked at Abagail. They had a whole conversation without saying a word. They couldn't believe William and Charles would do such a thing. This Louis character had all the proof to back up his story. If it wasn't for that, there would be no way they would have believed him. "What's next?" Abagail finally asked.

…

Jack and Elizabeth walked silently to the pond. This was one of their places. They found comfort in this place. They sat on a fallen tree and just held hands. The weight of the last couple of hours weighed squarely on their shoulders. However, they found strength with each other.

Jack was shocked at her father's and best friend's hatred of him that they were willing to destroy people's lives they didn't know just to get Elizabeth away from him. Elizabeth couldn't believe her loved ones would do something so cold hearted. She was hurt that they had such a low opinion of her that she wouldn't last a month on her own. Neither Jack nor Elizabeth knew how long they were sitting there, but they took peace from each other's presence.

"Elizabeth," Jack began slowly, "how are you feeling?"

"I…I don't know how to answer that…I can't believe they would do this."

"Yeah."

"Do you think the prisoner is lying?" She knew the answer to that question, but was hoping she was wrong.

"If it wasn't for all the evidence he has, I would say yes. But the evidence backs up everything he has said."

"Yeah."

"Are you ok?" Jack asked again slowly. He could see the storm of uncertainty and hurt in her eyes.

"Not really. They were willing to hurt a lot of people they didn't even know just too..." Her voice trailed off for a moment. "Good people that I love."

"It's not your fault, Elizabeth."

"It feels like it is."

"Well, it isn't. You are not responsible for other people's actions."

"I know that, but…"

"No. Elizabeth, would you punish Opal if her sister did something bad?"

"No, of course not."

"Why not?" Jack knew how much she loved her students. She would take care of them no matter what, and she would not punish one student if he or she didn't do anything wrong.

"If they didn't do it, why would I punish them? That's not fair."

"Exactly. Elizabeth, you did nothing wrong here. You have worked hard and cared for your students. You are a very good citizen to Hope Valley and a better neighbor. People will know that. Lee will know that. You did nothing wrong."

She nodded her head. Not sure what else to say, they sat in silence. She leaned her head on his shoulder while they held hands. They watched the wind cause the water to dance. There was a duck with six little ones following her that swam by. They could hear birds chirping in the distance. All those things brought comfort to them, but it was the presence of the other person that was the most comforting. They drew strength from each other.

After a few minutes passed, Jack cleared his throat.

"Elizabeth…" Jack began slowly. "I'm sorry your family and best friend hates me so much. I'm sorry I caused a problem with you and your loved ones." Jack's voice was soft, apologetic.

Elizabeth quickly raised her head off Jack's shoulder as she spoke. "Jack, this isn't your fault either." Jack's head dropped. Elizabeth placed her finger under his chin and gently raised his head so he would look at her. "You did nothing wrong. They just hated my decisions. This is solely on them. You did nothing wrong. You are the man I have chosen to live me life with. Their opinions don't matter in my decision. I love you."

"I love you, Elizabeth."

Suddenly, she straightened her back, raised her head and with a voice of determination he knew all too well, she stated, "Ok. What do we do now? How do we fix this?"

Jack knew at that moment she would be fine in time and felt sorry for her father and friend. Jack has seen that look only a couple of times, but that look was the perfect definition of determination.

"I'm not sure yet, but we need to figure this out quickly. Isn't Charles supposed to be arriving soon?"

"Tomorrow…he should be arriving on the stagecoach around six o'clock." She stated.

"That gives us enough time for the both of us to figure this out together."

That statement put a smile on her face for the first time since she stepped into the jail a couple of hours ago. "Yes, together. I like the sound of that."

Jack smiled. "Yes, together. I hope you can handle that." He sassed with his patently playful smirk.

"Forever." She sassed back.

…

"Mr. Thatcher…something has gone wrong."

"What is it, Mr. Johnson?" Demanded William.

"I don't know…our inside man hasn't contacted us."

"Why?"

Mr. Johnson shook his head while looking at his pocket watch. "I don't know. He should have done this almost two hours ago. He is past due in sending me a telegram."

"Mr. Johnson…" William began in an annoyed voice. "This is getting ridiculous. This should have been finished a long time ago. My daughter should be home, but she is still in that…that…that town!" William was becoming so frustrated that he was having trouble finding words.

"Louis had to take things slow because he was being very cautious with the explosions."

"I'm going to Hope Valley to get my daughter. This little charade has gone on long enough!"

"I would advise against that, sir."

"Enough!" William's voice became much too loud. "I will head out tomorrow. This is absurd! My middle daughter's little adventure is over!"

"Sir…you may need to rethink this. You are acting out of emotion…you need to be patient…"

William cut him off. "Nonsense! This ends this week!"

William was fed up with the whole situation. This has gone on for far too long in his opinion. Elizabeth has been gone for three years. Her little adventure should never have lasted this long. He really didn't think it was due to Jack. He has been around for three years and nothing substantial has happened between them. William thought it was the children. That is why he wanted to shut down the town. If the families left, then the children would have to leave to. With no children, there would be no reason for Elizabeth to remain in Hope Valley.

The plan was perfect in its simplicity. The mill, the only true source of income for so many families in that town, would be damaged to the point of closing. Leaving nothing for the town to live on. As a result, the town would all but completely close. Families would have to leave to find work elsewhere. No families mean no children. No children mean no school. No school means that Elizabeth would have no reason to remain in that town. Even the constable would have to be reassigned somewhere else. While he couldn't guarantee where, he did have influence within Mountie headquarters. He could help in Jack's new assignment while making sure it wasn't in Hamilton.

Elizabeth would move back to Hamilton. She would resume her courtship with Charles. Charles was hired years ago with the intention of him eventually marrying Elizabeth and taking over the company when William stepped down in retirement. He trusted Charles. He liked Charles. Charles was the perfect match for his middle daughter. They had the same circle of friends. They have been best friends for years. They were always together. Their walks, their dinners, and their luncheons always gave William hope for the two to marry. Why couldn't his daughter see the writing on the wall.

William knew his middle daughter could be stubborn. She was a lot like him, and he loved that about her. This life change to Hope Valley was only supposed to be for a short time. He figured Elizabeth would last about a month, or at least until the cold set in. Using an outhouse in the cold is not for the faint of heart. While his daughter had an inner strength, she was accustomed to the finer things in life. She enjoyed the theater along with the fancy restaurants and the shopping at the expensive dress shops. Elizabeth's trips back to Hamilton were good, but they weren't enough to convince her to move back. Those trips gave him hope when she spent all her time with Charles. Even when Jack was with her on two of those trips, she still spent most of her time with Charles. He would have never guessed she would stay in Hope Valley this long.

William just couldn't understand the unknown factor. Who was this, Jack Thornton? What power did he hold over his daughter. Charles has warned him not to overlook his influence on Elizabeth. But how could this simpleton control such a strong, intelligent woman? This Jack fellow was just a mountie. He was a mountie in a small, unheard of town. If he was a good mountie, why wouldn't he be in Cape Fullerton, Hamilton, or another big city? You go to a big city to move ahead in your profession, not to a small town out west.

William's thoughts were disrupted. "Mr. Thatcher…"

"Yes."

"You leave at nine in the morning." One of his maids stated. "I'll have your suitcase ready for you. How many days will you be there?"

"Four to five days."

"I'll have you some extra items packed just in case your stay in extended."

William nodded his approval. He went back to his thoughts as she left the room.

…

Jack and Elizabeth held hands as they walked to Lee's office. Jack knew Lee would be at his office. Elizabeth often would squeeze Jack's hand tighter than normal. He could sense the emotions emanating from her. There was, of course, anger along with regret. The storm of emotions was written all over her face. Jack wished there was something he could have done for her.

Lee hobbled out on the front step of his office at the mill. It was long after he was expected to be there, but he just couldn't leave. It was close to five o'clock.

"What is it worth to you for me not to tell Faith or Rosemary you are still here?" Sassed Jack.

Lee jumped at the voice. He just knew he was caught. "Depends…" He sassed. "Do you want Faith or Rosemary to kill me?"

"I guess neither."

"Good afternoon, Elizabeth. How are you?"

Elizabeth glanced up at Lee but did not make eye contact. She was standing a little behind Jack. Jack insisted if she was going to see Lee, he wanted to come with her. She resisted at first, but now she was grateful he was there. Elizabeth didn't want to be here, but knew she had to speak and apologize to Lee for everything her family and friend did to him.

"Mr. Culter…may we talk?" Elizabeth's voice was weak.

Lee looked at her very confused. In public, Elizabeth would formally address him, but in informal situations, she would always call him Lee. For Elizabeth, she didn't feel like she had the right to call her friend Lee. Lee nodded his head.

"Let's take a seat." Jack suggested. Lee and Jack sat down on the top step, but Elizabeth remained standing. After several moments of awkward silence, Jack spoke. "Lee, how are you feeling?"

"I'm good. Feeling better every day. My leg still hurts when I'm on it for too long, but it's improving." Lee turned his attention to Elizabeth. "How are you? I haven't seen you in a little while."

"That's really great Lee. I am excited to hear that." Elizabeth could not look Lee in the face. While she may not have been responsible for his injuries, she did feel guilty.

"Elizabeth, is there something wrong with you? Are you ok?'

Elizabeth shook her head. While she may not have been able to look Lee in the eyes, she couldn't take her eyes off his injured foot. She swallowed and then took a deep breath. "Lee, I need to tell you something." A tear slipped down her cheek as she told Lee everything Mr. Franklin told them.

Lee sat and listened to everything Elizabeth told him. She was thorough in telling Lee everything that Jack didn't have to add anything. When Elizabeth finished her story, Lee looked at Jack. He nodded his head up and down.

"Your father and best friend were behind the accidents?"

"Yes. They hired Mr. Franklin to close the mill." Elizabeth didn't look up from the ground in front of her.

"Why would they do that? I have a contract with Thatcher Shipping?"

"They wanted to close the mill. If the mill closed, the town would shut down as well. Then they thought I would move back to Hamilton."

"They did all that so you would move back home?" Lee was having trouble understanding the whole thing.

She nodded. "You weren't the intended target the day you were hurt. Mr. Franklin said you wasn't there for days at that time."

"That's true. I wasn't supposed to be there. My meeting was cancelled. Since I have free time, I thought I would take advantage and finish a couple of projects."

"That makes me feel better that you weren't targeted. I am so sorry, Lee. I would have never thought they would be capable of doing something so cold hearted." Elizabeth tears was flowing freely.

Lee looked at Jack. "All of this is true?"

"It is. I arrested Mr. Louis Franklin running away from the mill this morning after the explosion. He has all kinds of evidence to back up his story."

"Wow…" Lee's voice trailed off. "This is very difficult to believe.

The three individuals exchanged looks. There was a heavy silence among the friends. Lee reached for Elizabeth's hand. He could see the hurt on Elizabeth's face.

"Elizabeth…" He paused until he had her attention. "Did you have anything to do with this?"

"No Lee…I would never do anything like this. I consider you a friend."

"Did you execute it our plan it?"

She sat shocked looking at Lee. "Of course not!"

"Then it isn't your fault. You have no guilt here…none at all." He paused to make sure he still had her full attention. "Listen, Elizabeth. You are a good friend to me. I am alright. I am improving each day and Faith does not think I will have any lasting trouble from this injury. I am honestly good. I do not hold anything against you because you did nothing wrong. Ok?"

"Ok." She barely stated above a whisper. Her heart was able to beat again, and the weight of the world began to fall from her shoulders.

"So, what happens now?"

"They will be arrested and punished." Elizabeth stated with authority.

Elizabeth and Jack stayed for a few more minutes to talk with Lee. Elizabeth began to feel much better thanks to Lee. He stressed that he didn't hold anything against her. If Lee didn't hold this against her, she shouldn't either. She hated that her father and friend were responsible, but that was on them, not her. The conversation with Lee was making her feel better.

…

The walk back to town was quiet. Jack knew Elizabeth needed to think everything through. He could see it in her eyes. Both Elizabeth and Jack were grateful for the silence and the constant contact. Elizabeth walked with her arm wrapped around Jack's arm and her hand resting on his forearm. His free hand was resting on her hand.

"The evidence is overwhelming…isn't it?" Elizabeth asked in a hushed voice.

"I'm sorry…"

Elizabeth nodded her head.

"I'm sorry your best friend and your father hates me so much that they would do something so horrible as to destroy the lives of people who they have never met. I'm sorry your father will never approve of me."

She cut him off. "Jack, you listen to me, and you listen good." She used her scary teacher's voice. "This isn't your fault just like it isn't my fault. My father made his own decisions. He acted upon his decisions and will pay for his wrongs. You didn't force him any more than I did."

Jack gave her a weak smile.

"I didn't want him to do this, but he did this. Not you or me. This is completely on him and no one else."

Jack nodded his head. They slowed their walk just to be with each other longer. They didn't want to take this for granted. They wished it was under different circumstances, but they welcomed the time together.

Neither knew it, but they were drawing strength from each other. There were times Elizabeth were lost in her head due to William's and Charles' actions. When she was slipping away, Jack pulled her back up. She did the exact same thing when Jack was lost in his head and slipping away. They were a team and was each other's rock. They found strength in each other.

"What are we going to do? Charles will be here tomorrow evening on the stagecoach."

"It's expected to arrive at six. We have time to figure something out."

Elizabeth smiled at the word 'we'. Over the last few days, they have really begun to work together as a team. She loved that fact. She tightened her hold on Jack's arm. "Let's go get our boy…it's time for dinner."

…

"Sir, are you Mr. Stewart?"

"Yes, I am. How may I help you?"

"I want to rent your services."

"I'm sorry, but it's too late in the evening. You can come back in the morning. We open at seven."

"I desire to leave now. I want to rent a stagecoach and a driver to leave now."

"Sir, we can't do that."

"Mr. Stewart…I will pay you whatever you want. I need to leave now."

"Where do you want to go?"

"Hope Valley."

"The stagecoach leaves in the morning. You will arrive tomorrow evening at approximately six o'clock."

"If I leave now?"

"You will get there around ten in the morning."

"I will double your fee."

'Sir…"

"I will pay four times your rate."

"Sure Mr…"

"Kensington. Charles Kensington."

"We leave in fifteen minutes."