CHAPTER 91

A beautiful, sunny day began in Hope Valle, Bill had just left Abigail's café, where he had asked her to send a basket of goodies to Charlote at her home. Bill was a smile in person, and Frank, noticing this, called him over to the corner of the café and asked:

- Bill, I, as a pastor and as your friend, am noticing a different smile on you. I see a new light in your eyes, as if you had found happiness.

- Frank, I haven't told anyone yet, but you're my great friend and the one who helps lead me along the path of faith. I'm going to tell you a secret, something that has brought me great happiness.

- Bill, tell me everything, and don't hide anything from me, because I'm scratching my head with curiosity...

- Bill, laughing at his anxiety, explained that he shouldn't keep it a secret, because he still had to talk to three people who were very important to him, and who should be the first to know everything, so he told them that Charlote had accepted his proposal.

- Bill, I'm very happy for you. And when will I have the honor of performing this wedding?

- It'll be soon, Frank. But first I need to talk to Jack, Tom and Elizabeth.

- Bill, I know you're not children anymore and you don't need Jack and Tom's permission.

- Yes... I'm not going to ask their permission, but I want their consent and their blessings.

- I think that's quite right, Bill. But sorry, my ignorance, I don't understand why you need to talk to Elizabeth... she's not Charlote's daughter.

- She's your daughter-in-law. Which makes her like a daughter to me. But I need to talk to her, for me, and not for Charlote... as her adoptive father by law and her guardian, I think my role as a father would be to explain to her the whole situation and all my love for Charlote. Besides, I need to reassure Elizabeth that my love for her won't diminish or change just because I'm getting married.

- Bill! My friend, that's beautiful. I... Frank stammered without words to show how proud he was of his friend.

- Frank... that girl has suffered a lot. You don't know 1% of her life or what we're finding out. I don't want her to feel left out or abandoned by me and even though she's now found her real father Wynn, I can't just throw her aside and abandon her like a used package, because I don't know how to live without this girl. She's my daughter too and Wynn will have to get used to sharing her with me.

- Bill... I, as your friend, am very proud of you, and knowing that you love her as your daughter makes my heart happy. I know that her marriage to Jack was rushed, as I know that you and Abigail at the time did everything you could to unite that couple, who already loved each other very much, as I also know that you signed all the paperwork as judge and guardian. My dear wife, you always remind me of the details of those days.

- Frank, the best decision I ever made was to marry those two and be her guardian and protector.

A strong voice was heard in that place, and they looked and smiled at the newcomer.

- I agree with you, Bill... those two can't stay away from each other for a minute and look at them already married for months, besides, you being her guardian and adoptive father forever, your place in her heart is untouchable. And I have the honor of sharing the title of father with you.

- I know that the two of you will love Elizabeth and give her all the happiness she has lacked in her life.

Wynn and Bill looked at each other and asked what he was talking about. Frank lowered his eyes, saying that if they had already discovered many things, they could imagine that he, as a pastor in his conversations with her and God at the foot of the altar, had also been shocked to discover certain passages of his life in that family. But since it was in secret at the foot of the altar, in confession, he could say nothing, but that she needed to receive a lot of love. Frank also explained that even though he was a pastor, he still had to learn to believe more in God's miracle, because knowing some facts about Elizabeth's life, all the tribulations in her childhood and youth, and that she had become a young woman with such an honest and kind character, could only be God's fingers shaping that young woman's life.

Everyone there was talking about it, and really thinking about it... it would be the only explanation, since she hadn't become someone on the side of evil. It was at this moment that Ned came running to the door, urgently looking for Bill... in his hands he held a telegram, and Ned's face was pale, showing Bill that when he received and read that secret message, he had found something very serious.

Bill took the paper, looked at it, and as he read, he spoke quickly:

- Wynn, we need to get to Jack at the police station, urgently.

Wynn said goodbye to Frank and together with Bill, they arrived at the police station where Jack and Frankison were filling in documents and chatting excitedly like two brothers.

- Jack! We've got something serious here. Bill said very seriously.

He showed Jack the telegram...

- Edward Monclay, he's a childhood friend of Elizabeth's; I met him when we went to the Mounties' Christmas ball, a decent young man and he's very fond of my wife, he's a trustworthy person, Bill.

- Edward... I remember him, said Frankison... when I was still at the Thatcher mansion, he always came to play with us, and he was always there to defend Elizabeth from Julia and Viola.

- Frankison himself. He told me that Grace no longer allowed him in her house after Elizabeth was eleven or twelve, accusing him of siding with her and leaving her sisters unprotected from Elizabeth's wickedness; he started meeting her at school, and then when she went to college, he continued to visit her, but she hid her situation from him, afraid of what the weight of the Thatcher name might do to her budding career as a mountie.

Everyone in the room was open-mouthed with surprise to learn that there was yet another person injured by Charles Kensigton III, it was a complicated situation and there was still the poor victim, a young woman who was pregnant by that man. It was fortunate that Edward came across her path, because Charles, being on the run, was a danger to everyone, and if he found out about this girl and her pregnancy, he could even attempt to take her life.

Wynn spoke to Bill to send a telegram to the young man in his name as judge and Wynn's as commander, asking for secrecy in the case even from his superiors, that he should protect the lives of the mother and child and leave for Hope Valle urgently.

- Frankison, I need you to hack into the system and put in that Edward Monclay is on duty, throw in some data to throw him off course. He also needs protection...

- Wynn, do you realize how much danger Elizabeth is in if she falls into this man's hands?

- I know, Bill. And I can't even imagine him doing anything to my daughter, I mean our daughter...

- He mustn't dare touch my wife, or I'll kill him myself this time... Jack was agitated, his blood was boiling and he looked enraged.

- Calm down, Jack... he's not going to do anything to my sister. I'll be with you and the two of us together will finish him off if necessary. Frankison had a fire in his eyes that Wynn had never seen, not even when they had fought in wars together, he had witnessed it in his eyes, but knowing that someone could molest his twin sister ignited a gigantic rage in him.

- Calm down, boys... we'll all protect her, for now she mustn't know about this. It could terrify her and we don't want that.

They agreed, because they knew it was the best solution;