Chapter 2 –
Bill went back to Elizabeth who was starting to come around.
"What happened?" Faith asked.
"She fainted." Bill said. "She just got some shocking news. I should have anticipated this."
"This have anything to do with the stranger Nathan took away?" Faith asked.
"Yes." Bill said.
But didn't expound on it. Elizabeth was sitting up, holding her head by this time. She looked at Faith and then Bill.
"No, no, no." Elizabeth said. "I am supposed to marry Lucas tomorrow."
"Elizabeth." Bill said. "There are bigger things to deal with. If that is truly what you want, it can be arranged. It just might take some time. Right now, I just need to make sure you are okay. Then we can talk about the rest."
Elizabeth was looking around and then stopped on Bill's face again. As if reading the question in her eyes, he nodded.
"Nathan took him over to the jailhouse." Bill added.
Elizabeth tried to stand, but Faith kept her seated for a moment.
"Slow down." Faith said. "I don't want you to fall."
Bill and Faith stood and then helped Elizabeth up, making sure she was steady.
"Please let Faith check your arm as long as she is here." Bill said.
Slowly Faith rolled up Elizabeth's sleeve and just above her elbow, they saw the start of finger bruises forming.
"What happened?" Faith asked.
"Lucas grabbed her."
"He didn't mean to be that rough." Elizabeth said, defensively.
"Still." Faith said. "You should put some cold clothes on it. It will take awhile for them to fade and your arm might be sore."
Elizabeth nodded.
"Come see me if you need."
Again Elizabeth nodded. Faith grabbed her things and then left. Elizabeth plopped down in a chair. Bill took a seat next to her.
"Do you think it really is him?" Elizabeth asked.
"I intend to find out." Bill said. "Do you want to come over or go home and talk later?"
"I need some time." Elizabeth said.
"I will have Henry take you home." Bill said. "Lee and Rosemary have Jack. As soon as I get some answers, I will be over."
Elizabeth nodded. Bill called Henry and he came right over. Bill helped her to the car and watched them drive away before turning toward the jail.
…. …. …. ….
Nathan got to the jail, then went over and got a razor and supplies from the barber shop. Fiona had a bunch of questions, Nathan didn't say anything. He didn't even know what to say or how to even begin to explain. While Nathan was gone Jack got some water heating.
Once Nathan was back, it didn't take long for Jack to shave and also cut his hair. He still needed a professional cut, but looked better. Jack looked at Nathan. He genuinely felt bad for the guy and all he had been put through. Jack had done what he could to clear Nathan's name without blowing his cover.
"I am sure you have a million questions." Jack said. "Feel free to ask. I will answer as best as I can. I am sure you are also confused and probably feeling guilty. I know you love Elizabeth. Don't blame you there. She is an amazing woman."
"Noth …. nothing happened between us." Nathan stammered. "I do love her, but she rejected me because she was afraid after what happened with you."
"So how did she end up with Bouchard?" Jack asked.
"Fear." Nathan said. "I truly believe she doesn't really love him, but ran to him in fear. He chased her, then proposed and she agreed. I honestly never thought there would be a wedding."
"Has he hurt her before?" Jack asked. "There has to be a reason Little Jack is scared of him."
"I have never seen anything before." Nathan said. "But Little Jack has never taken to him, not that Bouchard even tried to build a relationship with him."
Jack shook his head. He still couldn't believe his Elizabeth had let someone like that near his son. He was glad he had come back in time, wishing it had been a lot sooner. He had no idea about his son, no one at headquarters had said anything. If he had known, he would have demanded to come back much sooner.
Before Nathan could say anything else, Bill walked in and didn't look happy. He looked up and froze when he saw Jack's cleanly shaven face. It sure looked like Jack, but he had to be sure. There were lives at stake in what happened.
"Prove who you are." Bill demanded.
"The ring I gave Elizabeth was my mother's ring." Jack said. "It was engraved with 'Love is kind'."
"I need more." Bill said.
"The day of my wedding, you had been stuck in a root cellar." Jack said. "You barely made it back for the wedding and didn't have time to bathe."
"Okay I will give you that." Bill said. "But tell me something that only Jack would know, not something that would have been retold as part of a story that has been passed down and retold many times."
Jack stopped, looked at Bill and then looked at Nathan.
"Anything you have to say can be said in front of him." Bill said.
"You were married to a woman named Nora." Jack said. "You lived with her father, Jonas and married Nora out of respect to him when she turned up in the family way. You raised the boy, Martin, like he was your own until he died. Then Nora left when she couldn't deal with the grief. You were still technically married when you first came to town. You fell for Abigail Stanton and then when she learned you were married, she got angry and wouldn't talk to you."
Once again, Nathan stood there mouth agape. Bill took a deep breath and looked at Jack.
"How?"
"Let's all have a seat and I will explain."
Bill came over and hugged Jack.
"Welcome home, son."
They all took a seat and Bill motioned to Jack to tell his story.
"Fort Clay was a cover." Jack said. "Yes, I went there to train recruits, but there was a bigger reason for me being there, especially after what had happened to Grant. I didn't learn about the reason until after I had been there a week. One day I was called away from the Fort and when I arrived at the spot I had been directed, there stood Chief Superintendent Collins. He explained that under the cover of training the recruits, he needed me to open an investigation into members of the force. He said after the work I had done with the mine explosion, they needed my help and no one would expect me to be investigating."
"What about the landslide?" Nathan asked. "I was there, I saw the slide, or the aftermath."
"The slide was real." Jack said. "But I wasn't in danger. We used it as a cover to get me out of there. The people I was investigating were getting suspicious and higher ups feared for my life. We told the recruits that it was a mass casualty exercise and they were supposed to pretend to be hurt in the slide. While they were getting into place and covered in mud, several ended up with real injuries and unfortunately two died. When I wasn't back at base, people didn't know what to think. It was Hargraves that said I was dead, based on what the recruits told him. By the time that they could safely look for my body, I was far away from Fort Clay. Collins and the Commissioner decided to go with the story that I was dead as a cover. They figured they could always create a story that I had been washed downstream, saved by people there, but with no memory of the past.
After a few weeks of letting my hair and beard grow, I continued to investigate the three people from the outside. I spent a lot of time traveling, talking to people, especially up in the Northern Territories, since that was where most of the crimes had taken place. Once I had enough evidence to bring the three and others down, I went to headquarters in Cape Fullerton and in Hamilton. I was given permission to return to my life after the bunch had been arrested. I instantly boarded a train back here.
I was going to give it a few days and then talk to everyone. But when I got here, I learned that Elizabeth had moved on so I was trying to figure out what to do. If she had moved on, I wasn't going to create upheaval again. Then I saw Little Jack and couldn't leave my son, especially with a man like Bouchard. I was still trying to figure out what to do when the little guy came running right up to me."
"What about Hargraves?" Nathan said. "Are you afraid he will come after you now?"
"No need to worry about him ever again." Jack said. "He was arrested nine days ago and is being held on a laundry list of crimes that go back to the fight in the Northern Territories. He had been working with disgraced Senior Inspector Houston and after Bill and I arrested Houston, he took over leading the corruption in the force. You, Grant, had been close to accidentally figuring it all out and that was why he came after you.
Hargraves and eight of his associates have all been quietly arrested and are being held. The Commissioner wants to keep this out of the papers and it will be announced that the men have left the force due to various reasons. They are being held in a special wing of Kingston prison, where they will remain."
"Hargraves called two weeks ago and said he was going to be coming to visit." Nathan said.
"I don't see how that is possible." Jack said. "He had been assigned to the new dog training center to keep him away from the general public and where they could keep a close eye on him."
"He sent me a failed Mountie dog as punishment." Nathan said.
"You never have to worry about him again." Jack said. "When I left Hamilton a week ago, he had already been moved to Kingston and will have no contact with the outside world, except through a lawyer."
Nathan sat back in disbelief. He couldn't believe that he was completely out from under Hargraves thumb and that he couldn't continue to harass him.
"I am sorry for all that you have gone through because of him." Jack said. "I tried to intervene, but I couldn't blow my cover until we were sure we had enough to get them all. This investigation had been years in the making, I would say close to a decade, if you count the work that Bill did with Houston."
"What are you going to do about Elizabeth?" Nathan asked. "If you ask me, she never really got over losing you."
"If she will have me." Jack said. "I would like to live with my wife and raise our son. If she truly doesn't love me anymore and wants to move on, I will let her go, but I will take the boy and stay in town. I will never let Bouchard near him again. From what Collins has told me, my land is held in a trust by William Thatcher for Elizabeth. He wanted to protect her from losing it."
"And you didn't know about Little Jack?" Bill asked.
"Not until I got here." Jack said. "Collins and others at headquarters didn't tell me much about what happened in the aftermath. All they told me was that Elizabeth was devastated about my death, there was a funeral and she remained here teaching after spending some time with her family in Hamilton. They didn't say anything about her moving on or that she had a child, much less my child. If I had known about Little Jack, I would have demanded to be allowed to come back sooner. I had been happy to hear when Grant had been assigned here. I figured if someone had to look after my town, he was one of the best."
"Thank you." Nathan said. "It wasn't easy, but Elizabeth made it easier. I never meant to fall in love with her."
"Like I said." Jack said. "I don't blame you. You all thought I was dead, I also know what it is like to be under her spell. There is just something about her."
"So what is going to happen now?" Bill asked.
"I have been told, I can share the post with Nathan if I want and he is okay with it." Jack said. "Or I can take an assignment somewhere else. They are leaving it up to me. Collins knows how much Grant wants to stay here, so I will respect that. If we share the post, our area would be expanded to include most of the valley. I have paperwork up in my room that I would give you once I make my decision. Right now, a lot depends on what Elizabeth wants. I also have the option of retiring, but I wasn't so keen on that idea."
"So are you going to do this?" Bill asked. "If you go out looking like you, it will create quite a stir and I think you owe it to Elizabeth to explain first."
"Grant." Jack said. "Can you do a few things for me?"
Nathan nodded. Jack pulled out his key to the hotel.
"Please go up to my room and grab my messenger bag." Jack said. "Then bring Bouchard here. I also want Elizabeth to come here. Once she knows, then I won't mind going out, but until then, I feel it is best that I stay here."
"Agreed." Bill said.
"Room nine." Jack said. "The messenger bag is hanging inside the wardrobe. Also, do you think I should put my serge on?"
"I would wait." Bill said.
Nathan nodded, took the key and left. While he was gone, Bill just looked at Jack. He still couldn't believe the story that he had told. Bill reached over and grabbed the phone. He first called Lee and asked him to bring Elizabeth to the jailhouse. Bill then had Florence connect him with Collins in Hamilton. It took a few minutes, but once Bill started speaking, he was able to quickly confirm things. Just as Bill was hanging up, Nathan walked in with Lucas.
"What do you want!" Lucas shouted. "I have things to get ready for tomorrow. I didn't mean to grab Elizabeth, so what is the meaning of this."
Nathan stood by the door, while Bill sat at the desk still. Jack came from the backroom, looked Bouchard up and down, then stood toe to toe with him, just glaring.
"Stay away from Elizabeth and Little Jack." Jack said, his tone icy and his glare steel.
"That is for her to decide." Lucas retorted. "Besides, after tomorrow, she will be mine and you will have no say."
"Let me put this another way." Jack said. "Stay away from my wife and son. If I see you near them again, I will shoot you on the spot."
"Wife." Lucas sputtered. "Her husband is dead and tomorrow she will be my wife."
"Jack." Bill said, with a warning.
Not backing down, Jack stuck his finger in Lucas's chest.
"She is my wife." Jack said. "She will never be your wife and I am not dead. You have been warned. Stay away!"
As Jack was speaking, Elizabeth had walked into the jail and froze again. She saw Jack and Lucas squaring off. She heard what Jack had said and couldn't believe it. Seeing him, she knew it was her Jack. Both Jack and Lucas turned and looked at Elizabeth. Lucas tried to step forward to talk to Elizabeth, but she rushed past him and crashed into Jack. He held her, but for Elizabeth it wasn't enough and leaned back enough to capture Jack's lips with her own. She kissed him like she had been dreaming of kissing him for the last five years. Lucas stood there, mouth agape at the display. Even Nathan and Bill were a little shocked at the display.
Finally, both Nathan and Bill cleared their throats. Elizabeth released Jack's lips, but stayed in his embrace. She slipped off the engagement ring from Lucas and held it out. He refused to take it, so she put it in his hand. She then slipped the rings from a chain around her neck and Jack put them back where they belonged. He then pulled a chain from under his shirt and Elizabeth slipped the ring off and put it on Jack's finger. Finally together, they turned to Lucas who still stood there shocked. He was red-faced and angry.
"How dare you." Lucas spat. "You promised me"
"She promised me first." Jack said, with a hint of glee in his voice.
"This isn't over!" Lucas huffed.
"Yes it is." Elizabeth said. "I have always loved Jack and always will. I don't care how it happened, but he has come back to me and we will be together. We can raise our son like I had planned."
Lucas moved to step closer to Elizabeth, but Jack stepped in front of her.
"Leave!" Jack said. "From what I hear, you are good at that. I warned you what would happen if you come near my wife and child. Besides, I know all about you. You only want Elizabeth so you can access her trust fund. I would suggest that you leave town or I will use my vast network of connections and find out what else you are hiding."
"You can't threaten me." Lucas said.
"It is not a threat." Jack said.
"I think you better listen to him." Bill said, stepping closer to Jack.
Lucas turned on his heel and stomped out of the jail. Bill motioned to Nathan who followed him.
"I will give you some time." Bill said. "I want to make sure that Bouchard doesn't cause any more trouble. Then I will be back. What about tomorrow, Elizabeth? What do you want me to tell people?"
"Tell them that the wedding is still on." Jack said. "Don't say anything else."
Bill nodded and left the jail. Jack sat Elizabeth down and tried to explain things to her. He left out some of the details that he shared with Bill and Nathan, but told her enough to understand. She was angry and hurt. He told her that if he had known about Little Jack, he would have come back sooner. After talking and sharing a number of kisses, they talked about what they wanted. They agreed to renew their vows the next day. That was when they would announce to everyone that Jack was back. Despite the confusion and initial anger, Elizabeth was happy to have her Jack back.
It was forty-five minutes later that Bill returned with Jack's things from the hotel. It was getting dark out and past the supper hour, so he also brought two plates from the cafe. He let them know that despite the new baby, Lee and Rosemary would keep little Jack for the night and he had been fed. They thanked Bill and let him know that they would walk home later once it was dark. Bill nodded and left them be. Jack and Elizabeth ate and talked about everything that had happened since she had left him at Fort Clay. It was well past dark when Nathan came back.
"I have done rounds." Nathan said. "Most people are in for the night. I think it is safe for you to head back to the house."
"Did Lucas leave?" Jack asked.
"Yes, but I don't know when." Nathan said. "He left here and went to his office. I had to leave for rounds, but when I returned his car was gone. I would still be careful."
"I know." Jack said. "I won't officially be back in the office until sometime next week, so we will figure things out then. I am still waiting on my new horse as well."
"We will figure it out." Nathan said. "Take all the time that you need with your family. There is nothing pressing right now that I can't handle. I know you are around if I need you and Bill is still here."
"Thank you." Jack said.
Elizabeth stood up and walked over to Nathan.
"I never meant to hurt you." Elizabeth said. "I am sorry about how everything happened. But somewhere you knew that I was still in love with Jack."
"It is fine, Lizbeth." Nathan said. "You two belong together. I will be okay."
"Still." Elizabeth said. "I know that we had a connection. I truly never meant to hurt you. I am sorry for the things that I have said to you."
"It is okay." Nathan said. "You are forgiven."
The trio walked home as friends. As much as Nathan loved Elizabeth, he knew she belonged with Jack and his heart would heal. At least things were as they were meant to be.