CHAPTER 5

Bill went back to town, after helping Elizabeth with the firewood, she would be supplied for those days, but he would have to see Lee or Frank help her when he wasn't in town, he couldn't let her do that anymore. So it was decided that every day he or someone else would run to the school and do that job. She would have her students and herself as warm as Jack always let her be. Entering the cafe, he was followed by Rose and Lee, this couple was the best, it was a joke, there was no way to be close to them, not to laugh because they amused anyone.

- Bill, coffee?

- Yes, Abgail, with three soft-boiled eggs, please, more bacon and two hot rolls.

- Rose and Lee, do you want the usual?

- Yes, Abgail, the two shouted together in a laugh like a child. Abgail went to the kitchen laughing, every day they did that, they looked like two children and they never grew up.

While eating coffee, everyone talked at that table, where the subject of Elizabeth and the problem of lighting the fire, or cutting wood was resolved in forming a real team, in addition, she had to reinforce the firewood of her germinated house, which Lee would be responsible for living next door.

- Bill, we can check this mountie Philip I'm afraid of him, for Elizabeth.

Bill said that he looked at his file, it was an exemplary file, family of years after years of brave and honorable officers, that he had served in the Northern Territory, that he was captured and tortured there, where he had that huge scar, and that he lost the old memory, but who knew everything about his work and when doing the tests with the doctors they ended up leaving him active.

- I think Elizabeth will need to come to town soon, said Lee.

- And her clothes are getting tight, Rose was saying.

- Apart from that one day or another she will end up having to see them around town, in addition to shopping or something else as a doctor she will have to come to town. Lee spoke worriedly.

Abgail only replied:

- Everything in its time, God knows what he does and why he did it. Elizabeth is much better now and she is a very strong and resilient woman.

Meanwhile, a young policeman was racking his brains "Why can't I get that image out of my head? All day long I see young Mrs Thorton pregnant with that cowbell and smiling at me."

- It's my police friend, who was punished and demoted because of her, really was right about her. She didn't even become a widow and she's already pregnant with another man? Yeah... but I don't have anything to do with that, do I? What to do if she's not such a proper girl... Philip grumbled.

He had already heard rumors of the great love of the teacher and Hope Valle's mountie, but it seemed that the girl decided to change her life, right after her husband's death, she was very fast, too fast, Philip laughed aloud.

That afternoon, Lee and the men of the city worked non-stop on the construction of that house, she would be in love with the project they were following, Elizabeth didn't know anything about the construction of her own house. Since Jack had died, she hadn't appeared on their land again, but Lee felt he had to keep his promise to Jack to take care of his Elizabeth. Lee could never imagine that his Rose could keep such a secret and that made him love her even more. Everyone in town noticed that Rose had become best friends with Elizabeth, treating her like her own sister.

- Lee, what's going on here?

Lee looked up and it was only at that moment that he noticed Officer Philip at his side.

- Yeah… yeah… we're… Lee lost his voice, of all people in the world he never imagined seeing that policeman there. And I didn't even know if I wanted to explain to him what was going on, I knew he didn't like Elizabeth.

- Hum, I'm waiting, what are you guys doing here at ten at night? Philip asked in his low but mountie voice, leaving no trace of a refusal to his question.

- We are building Elizabeth's house.

Philip let out a great laugh, the loudest he had kept in his being, and laughing he said:

- This woman has a spell under all of you in the city, even at home he managed...

But he was interrupted before he even finished his sentence, by a now scowling Lee, flanked by several men.

— You respect her and her pain; Lee was talking without even breathing. Jack was a hero to us, he loved her above all things, he bought this land and woods in my hand. Then the war came and he went to the northern territory. They got engaged the night before she left, she was alone here, I've never seen anyone pray so much for someone and their well-being. It was just sadness. But it all ended almost a year later, he came back, then we had their wedding a fortnight after he got back from the war, but they called him to do a young mountie training, they had just got married and she followed him to cape fullerton which they went as a honeymoon traveling and camping, she left him there at the fort and returned alone in the stagecoach, waiting for her love to return there after two months. She is a warrior, she never once complained, she knew about her husband's service, she was proud of him. Almost on the day of his return, there in the street in front of the police station, a young mountie, new soldier, arrived here at night, we were celebrating Dr Carson's birthday, he asked for Elizabeth Thorton and said only… her husband died in the service, and walked away leaving a desperate woman on the ground. I promised Jack that I would help him with the work. He's gone and I feel obligated to keep my promise. We will never leave you helpless; for her, for what she did and does for us. She is kindness personified, kindness in living form and Jack as well as a friend was like a brother to me, and he would love to see his beloved and his son cared for and protected. We are running with the work, doing the same as Jack's drawing, to see if she is happy and comfortable with the baby.

Philip, made a mocking half smile, and picking up the drawing, he said that it was a very big place for only one, and even with plumbing inside the house, too much for a single widow. For a widow I think that's too much.