Fiona was pale and quiet, both things unusual for the vibrant young woman. Nathan had approached her, concerned that she appeared so out of sorts. Calling her name had gotten him no response, so he tried again.
"Is everything alright with you, Fiona?" Nathan asked gently.
"Yes, thank you," Fiona said, obviously startled by his presence. "Alex Hillman being in Hope Valley came as quite a surprise, and now with his injury...I am not sure what to do next."
"I'm guessing there is more to the story than an injured stranger," Nathan said, raising his eyebrows. He was curious if Fiona realised that she was twisting the fabric of her skirt back and forth between her fingers, she must have been doing it for some time as the material wrinkled.
Fiona blinked, "Of course there is," she said, sighing deeply, and then decided to trust Nathan with a watered-down version of the truth. "I grew up with Alex; he is an old family friend. Seeing him here and injured has thrown me for a loop. It was quite a surprise," Fiona laughed, trying to lighten the mood, and hoping to distract Nathan. He was far too observant, and she didn't want anyone to know further details about her history with Alex, not until she got her head around her feelings.
"Well, that would be upsetting," Nathan said drily. "It sounds like you need to talk to someone about it, I could take you to see Quinn. I know she would be happy for a visit, or she could bring the twins to Town." Pausing, he looked at Fiona; something about the shadows in her eyes, something he had seen in his own, made him ask, "is there something I can do for you?"
Fiona's laugh was genuine this time, "I can see right through you, Nathan Grant; you want to use me as an excuse to see your wife and babies."
Nathan blushed, and a smile lit up his face; he was pleased Fiona seemed more herself. "I usually don't need an excuse to call in on them, but it's nice to have one sometimes."
"I'm sorry, Nathan, but you are out of luck this time; I'll be fine, so you will have to find another excuse to call on Quinn." Fiona's face softened, "Thank you for your concern; I appreciate it. Give Quinn and those gorgeous babies my love and tell her I will call in to see her soon."
"That I can do," Nathan stood, "in fact, I think I will go and do that now if you are sure, you don't need anything."
"Go and see your wife," she said, laughing.
Nathan was glad Fiona had some more colour in her face, and she didn't look so shell-shocked. He made a note to call into the Infirmary later and meet the young man who had Fiona so rattled. A visit to Lee Coulter would help, too; Lee could add more information to the picture he wanted to form of Alex Hillman.
Nathan rode up to his home, technically, he was on his afternoon rounds, and Quinn and his children were members of the Hope Valley community, so a visit wasn't out of the question. Of course, he didn't kiss any of the other women he called in to see, and he didn't change diapers for them either.
He opened the front door quietly in case the children were sleeping. If they were, he hoped Quinn was taking the opportunity too; they had missed a lot of sleep since Sam and Avery had come into their lives. He tried to get up to the twins as often as possible, but Quinn refused to let him get up every night; not wanting him to be tired for his day job, she thought it would increase his risk of being hurt.
He peeked into the lounge room and found it empty, so he padded toward the bedroom to see if they were there. He was surprised to see the room empty. Puzzled, he looked around and noticed that Quinn's boots were missing; smiling to himself, he hurried outside; he knew where they were.
Quinn stood before Misty Dawn, whispering to the mare as she stroked her nose, loving the feel of it under her hand, it was as soft as velvet. It had been a while since she had taken Misty for a ride, and she felt guilty. One day soon, she would leave the children with Allie and take a ride with her husband, like they used to do before the twins were born, and life got so hectic.
Quinn turned to check on the twins, asleep in their carriage. Over the last three months, she had found that fresh air put them to sleep, so she often bundled them up and took them for a walk through the day. She heard footsteps approaching, and her face lit up when she saw Nathan walking into the barn; she still felt butterflies in her stomach when she saw him, her heart racing at the sight of his smile.
"Hey beautiful, how are you?" he whispered, trying not to wake the twins. He took Quinn in his arms and hugged her tightly, placing a quick kiss on her lips. Arm in arm, they walked the short distance to the carriage and peeked at Sam and Avery, sleeping soundly, snuggled together, rugged up for the outdoors.
"I'm so glad to see you, Nathan. Is there a reason for this visit, or did you miss the twins?"
"That, and I missed my wife," he said with a smile. "I also wondered if you had reason to go to Town shortly or could find one."
"I could always find a reason for the Twins and me to go to Town; what do you need me to do while I am there?" Quinn's brow wrinkled in confusion; a request like this from Nathan was out of the ordinary. Someone or something had him concerned.
Nathan explained about the accident with Alex Hillman and Fiona's reaction. "She just didn't seem herself, Quinn and..." he hesitated, unable to articulate what he was thinking. "If you had approached her instead of me, you would have gotten a different story, I'm sure of it. I only got half of it."
"Okay, I will make sure she is okay tomorrow." Quinn smiled at his concern for their friend, "if the local Mountie is lucky, we might visit him for afternoon tea."
Nathan chuckled and followed her and the twins back to the house. Nathan knew if he went inside or the Twins woke, he would never finish his rounds, and he wanted to get home and spend quality time with his family. He stood on the Verandah while they said their goodbyes so he wouldn't be tempted to stay.
Quinn sighed as she watched Nathan ride away; saying goodbye to him never got easier, even when she knew it was only for a short time. She missed him every moment they weren't together, even though the twins kept her occupied. Quinn thought about tomorrow and her visit to Town. She would stop in and see Sam, Isobel, and Bill, then, if she was free, have Lunch with Fiona, and afternoon tea with her husband. It sounded like a beautiful day to her.
"You can't be serious, Joshua, another delay!" Bill said, his exasperation evident in his body language and tone of voice
Sam glanced at him, frowning before addressing Joshua. "Judge Lachlan, is there anything we can do to expedite the trial? I believe this additional delay will cause significant distress to my client."
Joshua listened to Sam and Bill, agreeing with them both. He understood Bill's frustration, he felt it too, but he couldn't say it aloud. Sam was right; also, this was terribly unfair to Isobel Manning, who deserved a speedy trial.
"I will see what I can do. Unfortunately, the delays are all legitimate, But," Joshua said, holding up his hand to stop Bill's argument, "there are some avenues I can take in the interest of swift justice.
"Fine, but I am not happy about this, Joshua; it stinks of game-playing," Bill said firmly.
"Thank you, Judge Lachlan," Sam said as she took Bill's arm and dragged him out of the office.
"Come on, Bill," Sam said, "let's go and break the bad news to Isobel. I don't know how she will take the news of this additional delay." Sam's face was serious when she turned to Bill, "I do worry about her; she has become so withdrawn as this trial drags out."
"All the more reason for Joshua to do whatever he needs to get moving. I will go back later and have another word with him." Bill smiled at Sam's look of horror, "don't worry, I will be professional and courteous. I promise."
Sam snorted; of course, Bill could be those two things when it suited him; but he usually preferred his personal method of persuasiveness instead. "Remember, he is a Judge, Bill, not some criminal locked up in one of your cells."
Quinn was pleased to have the car to take her to Town; she marvelled as she always did, just how many things had to be taken with her each time she left the house. Car rides were another of Sam and Avery's favourite things, so she timed her trip to Town to coincide with their nap; that way, when she visited her friends, they would be their usual cheery selves, not tired and cranky.
Isobel was sitting at Quinn's old desk outside Bill's office when she heard the car pull up outside. She stood, wanting to be as far away as possible if the occupants intended to come inside. She hated the way people gawked at her when they realised who she was. She was so tired of it, sick and tired. All she wanted now was for the trial to be over. Although she would never tell Sam or Bill, a part of her no longer cared about the verdict.
Isobel looked furtively out through the curtains, and her sadness turned to delight when she realised it was Quinn and the children who had arrived in the car. Rushing around from behind the desk, she flung the doors open, hurrying towards Quinn.
"Let me get one of the babies for you, Quinn!" she cried excitedly, swooping down on the basket containing the twins. She eagerly picked up the baby closest to her, not caring which one she held in her arms.
Quinn laughed, "thank you, Isobel; seeing as though you have Sam, I will take Avery." Quinn smiled as she watched the young woman holding Sam close to her chest, resting her cheek on his downy hair. Isobel was a natural with the twins with all children actually; being a nanny and looking after children was her true passion.
"I'm sorry, Quinn," Isobel whispered, "I miss being around children so much. If it wasn't for you and Rosemary allowing me to spend time with your children, I don't know what I would do."
"Never apologise for loving my children, Isobel. I promise you; nothing will stop Sam and Bill from ensuring you can get back to doing that."
"Except for another delay," Isobel said wearily as the two women walked inside the building. "There are times I think this is never going to end."
"Another delay," Quinn asked, horrified for the young girl, "What is it now?"
Before Isobel could answer, Bill and Sam had walked out to greet her and the Twins. Quinn watched the young girl, noticing the sadness in her eyes, the defeated slump of her shoulders. Quinn had been in Isobel's shoes and completely understood how isolated and miserable you could feel, no matter how many people were on your side. She would talk to Sam; hopefully, she had noticed the change in Isobel's behaviour and was looking out for her. Quinn vowed to spend more time with the young girl, letting her play with the twins. A few minutes in the company of Sam and Avery could lift anyone's mood.
Quinn left the twins in the care of Bill, Sam, and Isobel while she quickly visited the Barber's office to see if Fiona was free for lunch. She was pleased to see a bright smile light up Fiona's face when she saw Quinn walk through the door; she seemed to be her usual self.
"Quinn, it's wonderful to see you; what have you done with the babies?"
Quinn quickly explained to Fiona where Sam and Avery were, promising they would join them for Lunch if Fiona could make time to go to the Cafe.
"Why don't we have lunch here? That way, I can spoil the babies and have them all to myself."
"Deal; how about I collect lunch and bring it back with Sam and Avery." Quinn quickly agreed, knowing it would be much more likely Fiona would open up to her in private than in the Cafe.
The time flew by for Quinn, but she eventually returned to Fiona with the food and the twins.
"I was starting to feel offended; whenever I ran into someone, they were disappointed to see me without the children. I might start getting a complex."
"I wouldn't take it personally; your children are perfect angels, and everyone adores them."
"You wouldn't think so if you saw them when they are tired and cranky," Quinn said, although the smile on her face told a different story. "Enough about me, though; what's been happening with you?"
"You mean, what information did your husband send you to get out of me," Fiona said, laughing. "I knew he saw right through me yesterday."
"He was concerned, Fiona, that's all. He said you seemed out of sorts."
"I was. I am." Fiona sighed and then shrugged, "I won't ask you not to tell Nathan about this, but I would appreciate it if that's the only person you tell."
Quinn nodded and settled back in her chair, holding Avery. She watched as Fiona smiled down at Sam, who she held on her lap before she continued speaking. Quinn had to admit she was shocked Fiona hadn't mentioned Alex Hillman before. She had talked about her broken engagement but never once alluded to the fact there was someone she was pining over. Quinn felt sorry for her friend when she explained what happened when she told Alex how she felt about him. What awful timing. Quinn had only ever loved Nathan, so she didn't understand what it was like to know the person you loved was in love with someone else. Nathan understood that, before she met him, he had to experience that very thing, but worse because he had to watch them together; at least Fiona had been spared that.
Quinn knew no words from her could heal this heartbreak and instead reached out and squeezed Fiona's hand. "Have you seen him today?"
"No," Fiona said, shaking her head. "I called into the Infirmary and spoke to Faith; he had a restful night but was still sleeping. She told me I could call my Mother so she could inform Anne. Faith doesn't seem to think it is serious" Fiona smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes, "My mother was out, so I am waiting for her to return my call, another reason I wanted to stay here for lunch."
"Did Faith indicate whether Alex could leave Hope Valley and go home, or does he need to stay here?"
"I didn't ask. Was that wrong?" Fiona questioned. "I don't think I could stand watching as Anne and his family swoop in."
"Are you going to go and see him when he does wake?"
"I suppose I will have to; if I don't, people won't understand, and there will be too many questions." Fiona dropped her head, focusing on Sam, "I don't want anyone to know what happened between us. I am not only embarrassed, it ... I. I... still feel the same and seeing him again has brought back how much it hurt that he didn't feel the same."
"Did he tell you that?"
"No, but he asked someone else to marry him, so he mustn't have felt the same."
"Maybe. You should talk to him and see where things stand right now.
"I will think about it; I will talk to my Mother and Faith first and then see what will happen. I need to make sure I can control my emotions and reaction to him first."
Quinn let the conversation drop; there was no point in pushing Fiona while so much was still unknown. Quinn understood Fiona's need for time and information before seeing him. The hurt she felt at the time must have been horrible.
"Please let me know if you need to talk or if I can do anything. You know Faith and Nathan could be the ones to make the calls to Alex's family. You don't have to do this."
Fiona stared at Quinn as she chewed her lip, "I know it's silly, but I want to be the one that is there for him, even if it isn't the smartest thing to do."
"Okay, but I want you to let me know how you are," Quinn said as she touched her lightly on the arm. "Nathan and I care about you, and if anyone understands how you feel, it's him."
Fiona's eyes filled with tears as she listened to Quinn, "I can't believe he stayed in Hope Valley after what Elizabeth put him through, and I am so glad he found you. He deserves to be happy."
"So do you!" Quinn replied, smiling at her friend.
Faith heard Alex Hillman stirring in the bed where he lay. He had been in and out of consciousness when Lee had brought him in. Late last night, he had woken, and Faith had been able to talk to him. When he closed his eyes after their initial conversation, she was satisfied that he was only sleeping. Faith had been concerned about the lasting effects of his head injury. Alex Hillman had woken alert and could answer all her questions accurately, so she was optimistic he would make a full and speedy recovery.
Faith slid the curtain around Alex's bed back, pleased to see he was awake. "How are you feeling, Mr Hillman?"
"Only a slight headache," he said, smiling at her, "I feel pretty good, actually."
"There will be a few people pleased to hear that!" she exclaimed. "Lee has called, and I am sure Fiona would be glad to give your fiancé that update."
"Fiancé?" He asked, frowning, his face perplexed. "I don't have a Fiancé. I know I got hit in the head, but I think I would remember having one of those." Shaking his head, "did you say Fiona called her?"
"Well, she was going to pass a message to Anna via her mother." Faith explained.
"Is it possible to see her, Fiona? I mean," Alex asked anxiously, "I think we need to talk, hopefully, before she speaks to my family, especially before anyone talks to Anna."
Faith frowned. Alex was anxious to talk to Fiona, but when she called in earlier, she didn't want to see him. Faith had hoped she would return with news of Alex's family and Fiancé and when they would arrive in Hope Valley. Now she didn't know who would be coming.
"Let me see what I can do," Faith promised without too much confidence. Fiona had been very skittish around Alex. There was something Fiona wasn't telling her, and she would get to the bottom of it.
"What do you mean he and Anna broke up? When did this happen, and why didn't you tell me?" Fiona spoke more sharply than she intended, but how could her Mother keep something like this from her?
"Every time I tried to talk to you about Alex, you changed the subject or said you had to go. I got the impression you didn't want to talk about him," her Mother replied, her voice equally tart. She wondered why Fiona continued to pretend she didn't have feelings for Alex Hillman; it was apparent to anyone who saw them together how they felt about each other. It was a shame she thought; that they never told each other how they felt, it would have saved many broken hearts. Sarah Miller sighed, it was a case of star-crossed lovers or poor timing, but maybe now everything would align, and they would both admit their feelings.
"Well, we have to sort something out now, Are the Hillman's coming to see him?"
"I think they are away somewhere; I am having a terrible time contacting them." Smirking, Sarah continued, "I think it's best if you represent the family, Fiona until his parents can get there to Hope Valley." She felt terrible about lying to her daughter, but she and Alex's Mother had discussed the situation at length, and both agreed if the injury were mild, they would delay their arrival in Town, allowing their children to spend time together.
"Mother, No!" Fiona said, "I can't do that."
"You must, Fiona, there isn't anyone else, and we can't let Alex or his family down; they are one of our closest friends; it wouldn't be right."
"Fine, Mother. I will see him," Fiona agreed, but she knew her tone reflected her reluctance. "Please try harder to let his parents know; it isn't right; they aren't aware of his injury."
"Of course, dear," her Mother promised as she disconnected the call.
Fiona stood with the telephone receiver in her hand, already regretting her promise to her Mother. How could she face Alex after all his time, especially now she knew he was no longer engaged?