Ch 15: Something Missing

Elizabeth rang the cowbell, and students noisily poured out of the school room doors. With a sigh, Elizabeth turned towards her desk. With her back to the door, her smile faded. She looked at the now wilting asters that she hadn't had the heart to dispose of yet.

They were a bittersweet reminder that their giver was absent, and yet they also were a reminder of how much her relationship with Nathan had changed in the past few weeks. For that they felt sacred, and she couldn't toss them just yet. Tossing the asters felt so final—so she decided they would stay right where they were until they were properly replaced.

"Mrs. Thornton?"

Recognizing the familiar voice, Elizabeth remembered her promise to stay honest and turned around without masking the sadness in her eyes.

Allie smiled sympathetically. "I miss him too. Have you heard anything from him yet?"

Elizabeth shook her head slightly, "no, but the wire last night said that they would reach Nordegg this morning. He is probably surrounded by dozens of Mounties by now."

Allie smiled at the thought before cautiously venturing, "Will you let me know if you hear anything?"

"Of course I will, Allie." Elizabeth smiled sympathetically, recognizing the helpless feeling of waiting for news—any news— while the Mountie you loved was away.

Allie looked down and scuffed her shoe across the floorboard, uncertain how else to prolong the conversation with her teacher. She mumbled a sad, "thanks."

Getting an idea, Elizabeth inquired cautiously, "Allie…I know you're staying with the Weises, but would you like to have dinner with Jack and me tonight? I'm not sure yet what I'll be making, but it would be nice to have your company tonight if you're interested?"

Allie's face lit up at the possibility. "Could I? I would like to, but let me ask Mrs. Weise. What time?"

"How about 5:30?"

"Ok. Thank you Mrs. Thornton! I'll let you know." She abruptly hugged her teacher who stiffened in surprise at first at the girl's sudden affection before wrapping her warmly in a hug.

Allie practically ran from the classroom and skipped down the steps. Elizabeth chuckled to herself at how far they had already come in their relationship. Truth be told, she was looking forward to Allie's company. She had never before had the luxury of having another person understand how she felt waiting, while also be waiting for the same Mountie as well.

Sure, Rosemary had experience missing her Mountie father as a child, and Abigail missed Jack as an extra son, but it wasn't the same as the dynamic that she and Allie shared now. This was precious.

Elizabeth straightened the classroom and wiped down the blackboard, before she gathered her things, and headed for home.

Jack and Laura met her eagerly on the steps and his blond downy head crashed into her thighs throwing his arms around her in a hug. "Hi Jack, I missed you too." She lowered herself to his level and planted a dozen kisses on his cheeks and neck eliciting squeals of laughter.

Elizabeth paid Laura and thanked her for caring for Jack. Thinking of dinner again, she rifled through her pantry trying to decide what to make.

She had more than enough food for most anything she wanted to fix. Still, she hoped to find herself an ingredient or two short for a recipe that would warrant another trip to The Mercantile.

She stared mindlessly into her pantry as her thoughts returned again to Nathan—wondering where he was and what he was doing at the moment. She found herself, yet again, praying silently for his safety.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, she turned to her son who was contentedly stacking his blocks. "Jack? Do you want to go to the store and get some groceries?"

Delighted, Jack nodded, stood quickly, and ran for the door—neglecting his jacket. Amused at his enthusiasm, Elizabeth grabbed his jacket and her shawl and readied them both for town.

Jack skipped happily at her side as Elizabeth continued to work up an excuse for shopping. She had just shopped thoroughly the day before—which wasn't lost on Florence's ever watchful eye, although Ned certainly appreciated her business.

Jack let go of her hand just before the Mercantile steps and ran ahead to try to open the door for his mother. Much to her surprise, he opened it easily.

The door opened to reveal the strong arm of Henry who was more than pleased to help the young lad out. "You're raising him right, Elizabeth. That's quite the gentleman that you have there."

Elizabeth smiled warmly at the praise. "Thank you Henry. I'm trying." She stepped fully through the door, finding Jack's small hand again in her palm.

"Well you're doing a fine job. I noticed that our Constable is absent lately. Where has he been sent off to?" Henry stepped back inside the Mercantile, letting the door close softly behind him.

Elizabeth blushed, but steeled her eyes teasingly, "And what makes you think I would know where he is, Henry?"

Henry smiled and patted her arm. "This is a small town, Elizabeth. People talk. Surely you know that by now."

Elizabeth nodded with pink-tinged cheeks and dipped her head to avoid his glance. "He's in Nordegg." She admitted softly without raising her eyes.

"Nordegg is a fine mining town. I know it well," Henry reassured.

"You do? What's it like?" Elizabeth looked up at him, suddenly intrigued by Henry's knowledge of the place.

"Modern. Even more modern than here with electricity and running water. We're probably roughing it more than he is…if he stays in town." Henry said with a laugh.

Elizabeth smiled at that and felt a wave of peace. "Thanks Henry."

Henry nodded humbly, "You two have a good night." He stepped out the door, and the clanging bell announced his departure.

Elizabeth watched him go for a moment before turning around and taking in Ned smiling sympathetically from behind the counter. Florence leaned back in her operator's chair to check who the newest patron was. Florence's face fell in disappointment as she shook her head slightly indicating that she had no new messages yet.

Elizabeth hadn't asked, but she didn't need to. "Can I help you find anything, Elizabeth?" Ned smiled warmly, though the tone of his voice indicated that he suspected the answer.

"Uh…no. Thank you, Ned. I'll just take a look around…" Elizabeth half-heartedly smiled at him before ducking quickly down the nearest aisle—tugging Jack along. She was silently kicking herself for hoping for news from Nordegg already. She felt foolish now, though her friends were nothing but gracious.

Scanning the aisle for something, anything, to get them out of here, Elizabeth haphazardly grabbed a can of clams from the new arrival items and headed back to the counter.

Ned's eyebrow raised discreetly at her selection, but checked her out quickly without further comment. "Thank you for stopping in Elizabeth. Have a nice night."

"Thank you, Ned. You too." Elizabeth took a deep breath and soaked in the realization that her friends weren't judging her after all. Anxious as she may be for news, the Yosts seemed to sympathize, and silently support her—even if she was quickly becoming their most frequent customer.

Elizabeth pushed open the shop door for herself and Jack. There was just enough time to make a batch of biscuits and cook some chicken gravy to serve over it for a simple supper before Allie arrived.

——

The sun was beginning to set, and there was still no luck finding Arkoff or Bassoff. There had been some excitement when Fraser had led them to a narrow cave on a mountain ledge just above the tree-line near the Cline River. It was at practically the furthest point of their loop to search this evening.

Gabriel discovered that the cave had a recent fire just outside the cave entrance, but with the embers burned out and the ashes cold, it could have been a few days ago.

The cave had a narrow opening that only a single man could crawl through at a time. The cave descended down rapidly and opened up into a small cavern just barely tall enough for the Mounties to stand hunched over.

On one side, laid a flat expanse in the bedrock that was wide enough for two people to lay practically side by side. Based on the pine needles still piled into makeshift beds, the fugitives must have planned to return.

The group followed the tracks for miles, but they led back into town where they were joined by hundreds of other prints—completely erased in obscurity.

It was a dead end. The little energy they had, felt sapped now as the weariness of travel to even reach Nordegg today caught up with them. Looking to his partners' faces, Nathan noted that they seemed to feel the same.

They rode back to the RCMP office and gave the report of their findings in the cave, before Corporal Usher shook their hands and secured a spot for each of them in the barracks tonight. It wasn't the charm of the Brookfield Hotel, but it sure beat sleeping on the rock hard ground.

To be honest, Nathan found that Nordegg was far more modern than he expected for a frontier coal mining town. Most of the buildings had electricity, running water, indoor bathrooms, and telephones. Nordegg didn't grow slowly over time, it had more or less boomed with the discovery of coal at the brink of the Great War just a few years ago. It became an essential town for fueling Canada to the point that the Canadian National Railroad connected it almost upon its founding.

For the Mounties, it was a little slice of unexpected luxury for tonight at least. The Bellevue Cafe was once again offering supper from the Force while still remaining open to the public. The cafe remained packed with equally as many miners as Mounties.

For the amount of men in the place, it was surprisingly quiet. It seemed everyone was exhausted from another long work day. Eating quickly with Morley, Kinslow, and Fraser, there was little discussion between their group.

Fraser was particularly thrilled to see that his sister was caught up serving other tables, so she could only manage a wink from afar. They were served instead by Mrs. Wheatley—an older widow from the edge of town who had likely been tapped out of retirement to help out at the cafe this week.

Finishing the last of their beef vegetable soup, Fraser spoke up a bit timidly, "So…with the tracks leading into town do you think Arkoff and Bassoff could be here… among us?"

Morley slowed his chewing thoughtfully before commenting, "It's possible. There are so many new people here this week that it might be their best spot to hide right here in plain sight, but it's an awfully bold move. It's more likely that they'll see all these red coats and head as far out of town as they can. That's why the search parameters are larger for tomorrow."

Fraser nodded—though all four Mounties discreetly scanned the room with their eyes. Leaving a tip for Mrs. Wheatley, the men stood and headed back towards the barracks. Once outside the cafe, Nathan hung back, craning his neck towards the RCMP office.

"Go call them. You obviously want to. I'd like to see if I can send a wire to Lillian myself." Gabriel smiled sympathetically as he nudged his friend.

Morley turned back with a knowing smile. "C'mon Ed, walk me back to the barracks, Son. Those two are in love." Gabriel and Nathan opened their mouths to protest, but couldn't deny it. Morley's smile upturned at the corner to a smirk at their blushing faces. Puzzled, Fraser followed the older Mountie, leaving Grant and Kinslow behind to cross the street to the RCMP office.

There were a few Mounties still lingering in the office who also, it seemed, had sweethearts to call home to. Corporal Usher was just finishing up the last of his paperwork and stood from his relatively neat desk. "You boys are free to use my phone. Grant, you've got a daughter to call, is that right?"

"Yes Sir." Nathan's thoughts immediately turned to Elizabeth as his other reason for calling home, but he managed to maintain his tender eyes for his daughter. "She is twelve. I try to call whenever I can on a mission so she doesn't worry."

Corporal Usher raised a hand to wave at the retreating Mounties who had been on the other phone line as they ducked out of the office quietly. "You're a lucky man, Grant. That seems smart. Well, I'm going to head over to the Cafe before it closes. If you leave before I return, can you lock up for me?"

"Yes Sir." They responded in unison.

"Thank you. Have a good night Gentlemen."

"You too Sir." Nathan returned.

Gabriel cleared his throat and asked a bit self-consciously to his commanding officer, "Sir? Before you go, is there a place in town that I could send a wire?"

"Yes. The General Store should still be open for another half hour or so." Usher responded with a sly grin and a small nod.

"Thank you. Have a good night." Gabriel returned, ignoring the creeping blush across his cheeks.

The door closed, and Gabriel was quick to follow behind him to avoid the likely ribbing he'd receive from his friend if he stayed.

Finally alone in the empty RCMP office, Nathan rounded the desk and leaned forward in the Corporal's chair. He placed his elbows on the desk as he dialed the Hope Valley switchboard. He heard the connection click to the familiar voice of Florence Yost.

"Hope Valley switchboard, this is Florence. How may I direct your call?"

"Hi Florence. It's Constable Grant. Can you direct me to the Coulter's for Elizabeth?" Despite his attempt to sound professional and confident, Nathan couldn't help feeling a bit sheepish and like a teenager calling on a pretty girl.

"Oh…Constable Grant! Yes…of course…I sure hope everything is alright…?" Florence trailed off as she noticed her husband glance at her from behind the register—catching her fishing for potential gossip.

Nathan cleared his throat subtly before responding, "Everything is fine, Florence, if you could just connect me please."

"Of course. Please hold for the Coulter residence." After a moment, Florence was back, "Constable Grant, Lee Coulter is on the line. Rosemary is going over to get Elizabeth."

"Thank you Florence." He waited for the click, before greeting Lee.

"Hi Nathan. This is a surprise. Rosie just headed over to Elizabeth's. She should be here in a moment. Between the look on Elizabeth's face the last couple of days and my wife buzzing around the house yesterday, I'm happy for you Nathan. Rosie and I have been hoping for this for a long time."

Nathan smiled on his end of the line. "Thank you Lee. That means a lot to me. I'm a happy man too."

"Oh here she is. Take care of yourself out there Nathan." Lee handed the phone over to a breathless Elizabeth.

"Nathan? Hi! Is everything ok?" Elizabeth was mostly hopeful and excited, but was battling back fear creeping up at his unexpected call.

"Lizbeth…hi. Everything is fine. I'm safe in Nordegg, but when I got the opportunity to make a phone call, I wanted to reach out to you. I miss you, Lizbeth. My group will be heading a little further into the mountains tomorrow so I'm unlikely to be able to call or write to check in with you for a few days, but I wanted you to know where I was so you didn't worry."

"Nathan, thank you for calling." She paused for a moment to take in his thoughtfulness. "It's already dark here. Where are you staying?"

Touched at her concern, he smiled to himself. "I'm fine. They've put Gabe and I up at the RCMP barracks tonight. It's surprisingly nice here for a mining town. Tomorrow we will camp out with the guys. They seem to be good men. Morley is a seasoned veteran, and Fraser is plenty wet behind the ears, but he seems like a good kid. He reminds me of Robert in a way." Nathan traced the wood grain on the desk with his finger as he talked, awkwardly fidgeting.

Elizabeth swallowed silently, trying to get control of her voice. "Thank you, Nathan… for the call. It means more than you know. I'm glad that you're with a good group of men. I had asked Henry earlier tonight about Nordegg. He said that it was nice. I'm glad. It makes it a little easier to take knowing that you're in good hands." Elizabeth felt herself rambling, but she couldn't help it with the wide range of emotions coursing through her.

"Oh…And I had dinner with Allie tonight. I hope that is ok. We were both missing you and I invited her over…" She trailed off at the end hoping that she hadn't overstepped.

Nathan smiled into his end of the line. "Of course it's ok. I'm glad that you had each other. Thank you, Lizbeth for including her. I worry about her being alone while I'm here. The Weises are wonderful to her, but…thank you. I'm sure it meant a lot to her."

"I hope so. It sure meant a lot to me." Elizabeth admitted quietly. Recognizing that their time was likely running short, she added, "Be safe. Come home to me." Her last words were a mere whisper into the receiver.

Nathan ran his fingers through his hair as he processed his mixed emotions of the last few days. "I have a lot to come home to. I miss you, Lizbeth. Can you tell Allie about the new plans? I have to go. I love you."

"Love you too, Nathan. I will. You'll be in my prayers. Thanks for calling. Bye."

"You're welcome. Bye, Love." He responded with a lump in his throat.

A click on the line, and she was gone. Nathan looked up to see his friend standing sympathetically at the office door.

"I'm going to guess that wasn't Allie."

"Nope," was all Nathan supplied, denying his friend any more teasing ammunition.

"Allie is likely getting ready for bed, but maybe we can leave a message with Florence for her. Do you want to add anything?" Nathan asked.

Gabriel smiled at the idea. "Tell her Uncle Gabe says to, 'Keep her nose clean."

Nathan laughed knowing Florence would likely be confused at their inside joke that Allie should stay out of trouble. It would mean a lot to Allie though, so Nathan already knew it would be worth the potential embarrassment.

"Alright, fine. This should just take a minute." Nathan grabbed the phone again, and Gabriel took a seat across the desk from him.

After two rings, Florence picked up at the switchboard. "Hope Valley switchboard, This is Florence. How may I direct your call?"

"Hi Florence. This is Constable Grant again. Is there any way that I could leave a message for Allie tomorrow?"

"Of course, Constable. I'd be happy to do that for her. What would you like it to say?"

"Tell her that Dad is safe in Nordegg and will be tracking the next few days, but I'll check in again when I can." He glanced across the desk at Gabriel who was leaning forward anticipating the next part of the message. "And….Uncle Gabe says to 'keep her nose clean."

"I'm sorry?" Florence asked, surprised.

"It's a joke they have. It would mean a lot to her. Could you tell her just like that, please?"

Florence smiled in understanding, "Of course. I'll run it out to the schoolhouse first thing in the morning. Anything I should pass along to…uh…Mrs. Thornton while I'm there?"

Nathan flushed red at the thought—his mind feverishly searching for something safe, yet meaningful to say. He smiled as a thought mischievously crossed his mind.

"Tell her that I'm already out of cookies. She'll understand." He shot a look at Gabriel who rolled his eyes.

Florence quietly huffed in frustration that it wasn't a juicier message, but agreed to deliver it anyway.

"Thank you, Florence. I know this is typically above your scope of duties. It means a lot."

"You do a lot for this town, Constable. I'm happy to help. Anything else?"

"If Bill asks, feel free to let him know that Gabe and I made it to Nordegg."

"Ok. Well, have a good night. Be careful out there."

"Thank you, Florence. Good night."

The line clicked and Nathan looked up at Gabriel with a sad sigh.

"I know, Buddy. Me too. At least you got a response." Gabriel said with a sad smile.

"Sorry, Gabe. Probably no way to reach her at the orphanage this time of night, right?" Nathan sympathized with his friend as Gabriel shook his head slightly in defeat.

"Sorry. C'mon. I'll tuck you in." Nathan teased as he stood from the desk and gestured towards the door.

"You wouldn't dare." Gabriel laughed, knowing his friend's antics, but grateful still for his attempt to cheer him up.

The two Mounties headed for the door, flipping off the lights, and locking the door securely behind them. It had been a long day and morning was sure to come quickly.

—————————

A/N:

Thanks to Melissa Atwood @missela for the cave description. I bent the truth a bit for the Wapiabi Cave outside of Nordegg for our bad guy hideaway. I'll share the actual cave info she gave me on the Sunday Night Serge Facebook group.

"Keep your nose clean" is a classic line my husband's grandfather (Edwin/Ed) used to say to him telling him to stay out of trouble when he was young.