Chapter 7

Lily Bercot tried to calm herself knowing that she had probably overstepped the mark this morning with her treatment of the ladies from the hair salon, especially the sweet young girl. And the second one was the Mayor of Hope Valley so that had been a big mistake on her part. She just hoped that Phillipe didn't hear about it. Part of their deal was that she would conduct herself as a lady at all times and even she knew that her behaviour today had been more that of a fish wife….and she should certainly know all about that. But she seemed to have no control over her actions at times, especially when he began behaving the way he had in the past. She knew that meant trouble but had always chosen not to look too deeply into some of the things he did but when she woke to find him gone memories of past incidents came flooding back which had plunged her into the darkest of moods.

The knock on the door had her standing and straightening her hair, hoping that this was the Mayor returning, which would give her a chance to apologise. If she had to grovel a bit then she would because too much was at stake for her to ruin things now. But it was the owner of the establishment who stuck her head around the door, clearly not sure what type of reception she was going to get so playing it carefully. "Madame St Germain?" Her voice was wary but Lily rewarded her with one of her famous smiles, something Douglas Fairbanks himself had told her could not just light up a room but a whole theatre. "Come in please, Madam Aldritt….or may I call you Cat? I would love if you would use my first name also, which is Lily."

Cat was a little confused by the sudden change in the woman. So far she had been insistent on being treated in a more formal manner, one she said her position demanded, and as they did with all guests Cat and Gregory had of course been willing to comply with her request. Not sure how to respond she gave a small nod, committing to nothing but not wanting to upset the woman by not agreeing. "I am sorry to disturb you…Lily", she said hesitantly. "There is a lady and young girl downstairs who say they have come to do some mending for you. I believe your husband spoke with the father of the family about it". Before losing her nerve Cat continued, "Of course, you know you could have asked me to send someone to you, we have a very experienced group of Chinese ladies here in town who do the most exquisite work with needle and thread."

Lily tried hard to hide her true feelings but it was not lost on Cat that the woman had made an unpleasant face when she mentioned the Chinese women. Another black mark against her she thought, not that she was keeping score but her attitude had been the topic of conversation amongst so many of the women in particular and Cat knew any bad treatment of their Chinese community could well be the final straw for many. Trying to move the conversation on without acknowledging what had been said Lily quickly replied, "That is splendid, please send them up." Then she added, "My husband is so considerate. All I have to do is mention that I need something done and he immediately sorts it out."

Glad to make her escape Cat hurried out the door and down the stairs to find the room empty, Martha and Ruth West nowhere in sight. When she heard the sound of laughter coming from the direction of the kitchen she headed in that direction, stopping outside the door to listen. Greg was regaling the two women with tales of some of the stranger guests who had stayed with them over the few years since they took over the hotel, the laughter caused by his description of a pompous little man from Quebec who had come to visit the Hope Valley he had read about only to find out that it was actually a different place thousands of miles away in England! She stayed where she was, enjoying hearing her husband do what he did best, making everyone who walked through the door of the hotel feel relaxed. He had a manner about him that put people at ease and yet all the time she knew he was gauging just who they really were. It would be interesting to hear what he thought of these two and what he had to say about them to Nathan.

Taking a deep breath she put a smile on her face as she walked into the kitchen. "Here you are ladies, I do hope my husband hasn't been boring you with his stories. He does tend to get carried away when he has a captive audience!" She winked at Greg then, in what appeared a teasing manner but one he knew meant that she understood what he was doing, before turning back to the women. "Madame St Germain is ready for you to go up. She will explain what is needed and if you would like any assistance in obtaining materials or equipment then please let me know. We are a town where everyone helps each other."

…

In the schoolhouse Cecilia was busily trying to keep the youngest class of children focused on the story she was telling, knowing that two of Sarah Cunningham's siblings were in the room. She wondered just how much they had put together from their sister's absence and the brief conversation between Katie Yost and herself. There was certainly a worried look on both their faces and she noticed they had shuffled around on the floor until they were seated together. Realising that the children were waiting for her to continue she looked quickly at the door in the hope that the young woman would come bursting in before she began to speak again, then praying that her smile was hiding the concern that she was feeling.

"I have had a wonderful time reading all your stories. I love how for some of you there is a real Mountie who has been a part of your life at some point or still is now and that they hold a special place in making you who you are. Others of you have enjoyed reading about the Mounties in my books and it was very humbling for me to see how this has boosted you at times when something has been upsetting you or you have just needed a little help to work through a problem. Then there are those of us who have lost a Mountie we hold very dear to our hearts and while they may no longer be with us in person they are always here in so many things that we do in our daily lives. Nothing will ever take that away from us."

None of the children noticed how Cecilia had included herself in the last category but Katie and the other teacher in the room knew how her Mountie father had been killed by one of the Hamilton mobster Rocco Perri's men when he came too close to discovering the truth about the murder of a young woman. That it had been the man who later became her stepfather who had set him up had been yet another blow to her when he was discovered to be the mastermind behind a huge wave of corruption that threatened the very existence of The Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The woman had the Mounties in her blood, Katie thought, and through her writing was doing as much, if not more, to further the understanding of the service than any publicity campaign ever could. By encouraging the youth in society to see them as human beings and not just police officers she was helping to create trust going forward, something everyone agreed was much needed after the scandal a few years back.

Now Cecilia lightened her tone as she asked the children to tell her some words that they thought described a Mountie. A sea of hands shot up and she realised there was not going to be an easy way to do this so she just pointed at one after another. "Brave…Noble…Kind…Tall…Heroic…Always Get Their Man…Horse Rider…Lawman…Red Serge….the words kept being shouted out. Suddenly the word "handsome" was added and a giggle swept around the girls in the room while the boys all rolled their eyes and laughed. With this break she had a chance to look around at the faces before her, seeing who was perhaps a little too shy to join in. In the corner she noticed little William Barr, sitting quietly and not saying anything, his eyes locked on her as the others once more started calling out words. Finally putting her hand up to silence them she looked straight at the young boy, "Is everything alright William? Do you have a something to add?"

She knew he was a quiet boy who according to Katie struggled at times with the schoolwork. He did however excel at art, his drawings displayed on a number of walls around the classroom. But he was often bullied by his classmates for being different. Simple, they called him. When she first asked about him it was explained how his mother had died in childbirth and his father, barely an adult himself at that time, struggled to cope before leaving him on his grandparents' front porch and disappearing. Now what Cecilia saw in front of her was a child who seemed to have no confidence in life. "Is there something you wanted to say William?"

Hearing her say his name again, he smiled, and it was like watching a flower suddenly open into full bloom. There was a light shining from his eyes that had been missing before and it took all her strength not to reach out and draw him into her arms. Give him the love that he so obviously craved and needed. His little voice faltered as all the other children turned to stare at him. As his head began to go down Cecilia spoke again. "Could you come up here and sit with me please William. I would really like to hear what you have to say." With that she beckoned to a spot on the floor just in front of her and nodded towards him encouragingly. "Come on. I know that everyone else is eager to know what you think too", and looking up at the children she raised an eyebrow until the murmur of "yes" could be heard throughout the room.

….

Nathan was still not convinced that everything was as it should be with John and Daniel West but with only his gut feeling to go on there was nothing more he could do for now. He waited until the automobile had disappeared over the brow of the hill, their need to get back into town having been explained by the father while the boy still remained silent. Perhaps he was just shy with strangers, he thought, as Allie was quite certain that she had heard him talking animatedly as they drove past earlier. He decided to have a quick look around before he left to see if there was anything suspicious. It may lead to nothing, he thought, but he was rarely wrong when following his instincts and in this instance they were telling him that things just did not add up.

Stepping away from the river he moved into the woods on that side of the road, his tracking experience ensuring that nothing of importance would be missed. He took a wide circle around, coming back to where the vehicle had been stopped, and then crossed to the other side, repeating the exercise with the same attention. Finally he returned to the tree to which he had tethered Newton, having found nothing. Looking across to the riverbank where the men had been sitting he noticed some stones sticking out of the water but when he got closer realised there was no way they could have used them to get over to the other side. He had done all he could here. For now there was nothing but the deep feeling he had that something was wrong, he just had to keep watching and listening. Everyone made a mistake at some point and that would be when he found out what they were up to.

…..

Further down the road towards town Joseph and Allie had returned to the log, not sure what to do next. "Perhaps we should try to push your car back out of the little ditch the front wheel is in", Allie suggested, thinking to herself that she didn't even know if that was possible. "Then you can drive back into town to get help while I ride out in the direction Dad has gone to see if I can find him."

Joseph was uncertain, Allie having explained to him why Nathan had sent her back to get help if he hadn't returned in time told him that Nathan was concerned for his daughter's safety. As he mentally debated the right course of action to take the sound of a horse approaching at a fast pace once again had him standing by the road to see who it was. He was relieved when Jim Buchanan appeared from the direction of Hope Valley. Trying not to let Allie know just how disturbed he was by the whole situation he turned towards her and keeping his voice light said, "The Mounties to the rescue. It is always good to see our men in red. Your father has been that beacon of hope for many of us so many times that sometimes I wonder if we don't take him and his colleagues too much for granted. I think I need to make mention of that in Sunday's sermon."

Before Allie could reply Jim had dismounted, a questioning look on his face as he took in the scene in front of him. Looking from the car to where Hero was tied to a tree nearby he quickly asked "Are either of you injured?"

Joseph was quick to reassure him that they were both fine and then he explained the events as they had unfolded, from the deer running out in front of him and then finding Sarah's satchel and notebook, to the search he and Allie had undertaken of the nearby area in the hope that they would find her. Allie then added the message from her dad about the two men in Monsieur St Germain's vehicle and how he had gone after them to find out what they were doing out here in it.

Jim took all of this in, trying to work out the best way to deal with both issues. "How well do you each know Sarah? Has she done anything like this before that you are aware of?" At the look of confusion on both of their faces he added, "I mean, has she ever just disappeared for a while without telling anyone?" He knew these were difficult questions to ask but he had to determine the likelihood of something serious having happened to her as it would impact on his decision of how to proceed.

Joseph answered first, "I have known Sarah since we first arrived in Hope Valley. The whole family, in fact. They are good hardworking people and Sarah is a serious, conscientious young woman. This is not like her at all."

Allie spoke up then, "This is definitely not like her. My mother is at the school today and Sarah was supposed to be helping her. There is no way she would miss that. Apparently she has spoken of nothing else for weeks!"

Jim pondered that for a moment before asking, "Could it all have been a bit too much for her? The excitement of spending the day working with Mrs Grant?" He knew it wouldn't have been the first time that a young person found something they had been looking forward to suddenly very daunting and overwhelming. While he wasn't close to the Cunningham family, he had met Sarah at church quite a few times and from those brief interactions he had the impression of a quiet but determined young woman. There was a lot of talk of how talented she was and he had been privy to the discussions taking place recently to find a way of ensuring that she was able to continue with her education. Eileen Handsworth's solution had come as a surprise when Patrick had mentioned it to him yet somehow it seemed like the perfect way to show just how far Hope Valley had come in the past four years. Could all of the expectation have become too much for her?

But whatever the cause of her disappearance, right now he had to find Sarah and to do that would require assistance from others. "Allie, I want you to ride back into town and find Bill Avery. Ask him to get Greg and Patrick to ride out with him." He paused for a moment then, wondering just how big a task this was going to be. "Tell him to see who else is available to help in the search out here."

A voice from behind startled them, "Search for whom? What has happened? Allie, are you ok?"

Nathan had been surprised when none of the group had noticed his arrival, so focused were they on the discussion they were having. It was only when he had dismounted and walked closer that he realised the seriousness of what they were saying. He immediately moved around to stand beside his daughter, his arm drawing her a bit closer as he saw the distress on her face. "Who is missing Allie?"

"Oh dad, it's Sarah….Sarah Cunningham. She was supposed to be in the school with mum today, helping with her talk to all the children. I know how excited she has been about it. Mr Canfield found her satchel when he crashed his car. We have looked in the area all around here but can't find her."

Nathan had turned to Joseph at this point, "A car crash? Was there anyone else involved?" In his mind he was wondering whether a Red Dussenberg may have been the cause but Joseph quickly assured him that it was only a deer which escaped unharmed. "It's more of an embarrassment for me as I know I was entirely to blame. I should have been paying more attention to the road but truth be told I was too busy feeling good about what I was doing to help people. I gave into the sin of pride for a moment there. But I have to say Nathan, I don't think I have ever seen deer venture across into this part of the woods before. I wonder if something startled it."

It would have been so easy for Nathan to take over giving instructions then but he knew that this was Jim Buchanan's town now and he was the one to lead them in moving forward. Turning to his constable he addressed him with the utmost respect, "You seem to have worked out a plan Jim so tell me what you want me to do."

One of the things all the men who ever had worked under Nathan admired most in him was how he treated all of them. Never had any of them heard him speak down to someone, even the criminals they had dealt with. When asked about this Nathan had admitted that he hadn't always been like that, his view of those who did wrong having been influenced for a long time by the memory of his father's past. It was only when he experienced the unfairness of life himself and learnt that no matter how hard you tried to do the right thing it didn't always work out as you hoped that he understood that every person was dealing with situations that others may not understand. He knew how difficult it had been for Jim to establish himself here in Hope Valley, with both Ed and Greg sometimes unwittingly overshadowing his role, and yet despite this and his own personal loss he had found his own place in the town and was now highly regarded by the whole community. To Nathan it was important that he never did anything to undermine that and so he was quick to defer to the constable as the lead in this.

"Thank you, sir. I was just asking Allie if she would ride back into town and tell Bill what has happened. Get him to arrange a search party to come out here so that we can cover a wider area." He turned to Allie then, "But the first thing you need to do is go to the school and make sure that Sarah hasn't turned up. There is always the possibility that there is an explanation for her belongings being here while she is there. What that could be I don't know but we have to make sure she is actually missing!"

When at that moment the Red Dussenberg appeared along the road Nathan was confused. They had driven off towards town ahead of him and somehow had ended up behind. Yet he hadn't passed them. There were only a few places where they could have turned off the road so he would have to speak to Jim about adding those areas to the search. Something was not adding up. He raised his hand to greet the two men, "Gentlemen, I expected you to be back in Hope Valley by now. Did you have a problem?"

John West climbed out of the car and came across to join the group. "Nothing to worry about Inspector. I wanted to test the vehicle on a bumpier road than this so took the opportunity when I noticed a rough track a few miles back. We had to travel down it further than I anticipated before we could find an area wide and flat enough to turn around."

A plausible explanation, Nathan thought to himself, but one he was finding difficult to believe.

…..

Sarah had stirred once more, the throbbing in her head matched by the pain in her ankle. She could feel something tied around it but when she tried to sit up everything began to spin again. Shaking her head to clear her thinking she struggled to remember what had happened. There had been the sound of a car and then what? That's right, a figure had appeared yet try as she might she could not put a face to it. She remembered running then, scrambling across fallen logs and under trees to get as far away as possible but still she could sense someone there at a distance behind her. Then nothing. Suddenly she felt her body stiffen and her senses sharpen. She could hear voices. Men's voices. More than one. Then she began weeping silently in the dark once more, waiting for whatever was about to happen.