Chapter 3

The first few days in Hope Valley were always busy for The Grants as they settled in and tried to catch up briefly with as many people as possible. Nathan spent his time between The Mountie Office and the Training Centre while Cecilia got into a routine with the children, aided a great deal by Molly.

Nathan was surprised when his enquiries came up with nothing untoward regarding Phillipe St Germain. He had sent out requests to a number of departments within Headquarters and many Regional Offices to see if they had any information, as well as contacting counterparts in Los Angeles and New York having ascertained from the stickers on the couple's luggage that they had recently been in both places. In fact there seemed to be very little on record about the man anywhere according to his sources. He was surprised he hadn't noticed him on the train, although because of the children they had chosen to eat all the meals in their compartment so it was only when he was walking to stretch his legs or checking at different stops for any messages that he may have come across them.

At Nathan's request Gabe, Ed and Jim had also made enquiries to see if there was any information about either him or the woman he had introduced to Greg and Cat as his wife but again they had come up with nothing. So on the morning of their third day he had strolled down to the library to find Patrick O'Reilly. If anyone could come up with the answers they needed then it was him.

As he walked through the door he was surprised to see the plaque he had made for Elizabeth hanging once again above the shelves of books. He paused for a moment, not sure how he felt about it, before realising that when he carved those words he was probably speaking as much to himself as to her. "Always do what you are afraid to do" was one of the mantras by which he tried to live. That didn't mean doing anything reckless or foolish but merely that it was important to face your fears and find a way to either defeat or live with them, even if that was simply a matter of acknowledging them enough to take away some of the power they held over you.

He still had moments of doubt and regret. His emotional connection to Elizabeth Thornton was well and truly in his past but there were times when the sadness of her situation hit him and it was then that he sought comfort from his wife. For someone who had seen true suffering to still have such a huge and open heart spoke volumes about the different character of each woman and Nathan knew deep down that Elizabeth was always headed on this course in life, it was just a matter of what the catalyst was going to be.

Patrick was deep in conversation with Eileen Handsworth as Nathan stepped through the door and he couldn't help but think to himself what a handsome couple they made. He almost laughed then, thinking that he sounded just like Rosemary. But there was no denying that these two people seemed to have a connection, an ease about the way they were with each other that made Nathan wonder if perhaps there was something more there. Now the town midwife, part-time reporter and leader of the Chinese Friends Society, Eileen had come a long way from the bigoted woman he had first come across. She had blossomed from the sad person she was then to someone who embraced the joys of a life of kindness and friendships. Perhaps this was the reward both these good people deserved, to have found a kindred spirit with whom to spend their twilight years.

He shook himself out of his thoughts as both of them turned towards him, "Good Morning, I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" Was that a flash of guilt he saw on their faces? Patrick was quick to recover and laughed, moving in front of Eileen to give her time to compose herself. While he understood the jovial meaning of Nathan's words he wasn't sure she would understand the banter that always existed between Mounties.

He had seen Nathan glance up at the plaque so watched him carefully to see if there was any further reaction and was glad to see nothing. Now was not the time to mention it but he would find a moment soon to make sure that putting it back in the library did not make his friend feel uncomfortable in any way. Somehow it just seemed as though it had been brought back home.

"Come on in, Nathan. Eileen and I were just discussing arrangements for getting Sarah Cunningham in here from their farm on the three days each week that she is going to be manning the library once school has broken up for the summer. You know her parents, Jack and Jennifer, and I am sure Cecilia must have mentioned her as she is quite a talented young writer."

Nathan remembered The Cunninghams well, their contribution to the rebuilding of Hope Valley in the past four years had been outstanding, helping to bring together the town residents and those in the outlying areas who had felt forgotten for so long. It was through them that many of the grievances that had caused so much discord had been aired and a way forward that benefitted the whole community was begun.

"She certainly has," he answered, "From what I can gather Sarah is quite a prodigious talent, so much so that I know Cecilia is planning to speak with her parents on where she goes from here once she has graduated. I am not privy to all of my wife's plans, fortunately as there are many, but I know she will make sure the young woman is guided in the right direction, always with her support." He didn't say that he was aware that Cecilia had been corresponding with William Thatcher to see if a scholarship could be arranged through the foundation for the young woman to attend college. Her parents had a smallholding on the edge of the Hope Valley community and with five younger children would certainly not have the funds to pay for their daughter but that was no reason for her not to be given the opportunity.

At this moment Eileen popped out from where she had been standing behind Patrick. "I had a quick chat with your wife yesterday Superintendent, where we discussed…" She paused at the look on Nathan's face, one she had seen before. "Sorry, I had a brief chat with your wife yesterday Nathan, where Sarah was mentioned and I told her I had an idea. I don't want to say anything else until I know it will work but I am confident that the young lady will be able to pursue her dreams."

Nathan said nothing, taking a moment to appreciate how much this woman had changed. Each year when they returned he learnt of ways that she had given to the community and yet she would always brush it aside if mentioned, telling him that it was a small thing compared to what the people of Hope Valley had done for her.

Patrick interrupted his thoughts, bringing him back to why he was there. "I know you didn't just come in for a chat Nathan so tell me, how can I help you."

Was he so obvious he wondered and then realised that it was probably the case, certainly in his first few days back. There always seemed to be so much to cover and he wanted to get all the work out of the way so that he could then spend the summer enjoying his friends and family. He had a feeling that the arrival of Phillipe St Germain may stop that from happening this year.

Eileen quickly bade them farewell, realising that this was probably not a conversation to which she should be privy. As the door closed behind her Nathan explained to Patrick the wall they had come up against when trying to find out information on the Frenchman and before he could ask Patrick jumped in, "You want me to do some research for you, see what I can find? I think the best place to start is the contract for the building of the new hotel and see if I can chase a trail back from there."

Nathan wasn't surprised by how quickly the other man was able to see the job that needed to be done and find a way to begin. He had never let him down and so he was confident that this would be no different. "I don't want to rush you but the sooner the better, my friend. There is something that just does not sit right about this man, call it instinct if you will, and I need to find out what that is."

In The Mercantile the major topic of conversation was the fascinating couple, with all manner of suggestions being bandied about as to where they were from and what their presence meant for Hope Valley. Cat Aldritt kept her head down as she perused the shelves for the items she needed, not wanting to be drawn into any of the discussions. If it wasn't for the odd demands from the French woman then she would not have ventured in here at all but sensing the importance of keeping this pair happy she was willing to do what she could.

The new hotel was a big thing for Hope Valley and something that she and Greg had agreed would only enhance their own businesses and others. With more high class visitors would come the need for their entourage to be accommodated and between the boarding house and The Royal Hotel they expected to be kept busy. She knew that Jim Buchanan had spoken to Greg, presumably with Nathan's knowledge, asking if he could keep his ears open for anything that may be of interest about the pair but so far with the exception of asking for changes to the regular menu and requests for champagne and pots of tea, there was little to report.

Fortunately Ned had acquired some new summer stock for the furniture emporium only last month, amongst which was a wicker garden set that had hurriedly been purchased by Cat, with Florence making matching cushions and undercloths by the morning after their guests arrival as it became clear that the balcony was where Mme St Germain intended to spend most of her time. Additional plants were placed on the balcony which Cat was glad had benefitted from a fresh coat of paint in the spring, giving it what Ned assured them was the Hollywood look he saw in his magazines. The boxes of fine china and crystal glasses that they reserved for special guests, left over from the days when Lucas Bouchard owned the hotel, were unpacked and washed, while the silverware was polished until Emily said she could see her reflection in it and the linen and lace cloths starched and ironed.

It was surprising how quickly the residents of Hope Valley became accustomed to the sight of the glamorous woman reclining in her chair, fan in one hand when the temperature rose during the day and glass of champagne or teacup in the other. The only comment Cat had made about the couple was that while her husband was very relaxed with everyone he met, she insisted on being addressed more formally and treated with the respect she felt her husband's money warranted. There were no pleasantries with Madam St Germain, in fact there was very little conversation at all.

Fiona had tried on the second day to invite her to join some of the ladies for afternoon tea at Minnie's Cafe but with a charming smile Lili merely replied, "Non, merci", lifting the book that was resting on her lap to indicate that the conversation was over. Noticing the title Fiona wondered if it was something she should mention to her husband but then decided that she was being silly. It was after all a well-known novel that many people of a certain group in society would think nothing of reading.

Cecilia was far too busy in her first few days to be bothered about the woman and she certainly did not want to put herself in a position to bump into Phillipe St Germain if she could help it. Wracking her brain she had tried to remember a time when their paths may have crossed in the past but so far there was nothing. Her attempt to hide her discomfort when meeting him had been unsuccessful, Nathan so attuned to her ways that he detected the slight stiffness in her bearing when she came across to the other side of the café to join him and Gabe. Speaking of it later she assured him that he was not someone that she remembered from her time in the war zones or any other difficult times she had experienced. It was more of a feeling, she said. An awareness that the man was not who he seemed, which made Nathan more determined to find out the truth about him.

While his wife lazed on the balcony Phillipe St Germain was making the most of the bright summer days to get on with business. Often seen in deep conversation with Lee and his men as they poured over the plans for the new hotel or with his jacket off and sleeves rolled up as he visited the site, he showed himself to be a very down to earth man who was always willing to listen to other people's ideas and bow to their greater knowledge of what would be best for the building of the hotel in this area. In the early evening he had sat with all the construction workers for a drink in The Royal Hotel before disappearing upstairs, returning later back in his more elegant attire with his wife on his arm.

Though he had little interaction with the women of Hope Valley, those he did meet were divided into two camps. Some were taken in by his charm and good looks, almost swooning if they caught his eye and were gifted with a smile or wink. To those who had seen his type before there was a wariness. Like Cecilia they sensed a danger in the man, wondering what lay beneath the smooth surface that he presented to them all.

On the third morning Cecilia was up early, surprised at the nervousness she was feeling for what was such a simple and enjoyable experience that lay ahead. Four years ago, as the town had begun to regain their normality after Lucas Bouchard and the other criminals departed, plans were made for many activities to be established that would boost the morale of everyone, especially the children, and create new memories to cast out the bad. Katie Yost had approached Cecilia with an idea, something to which she readily agreed and it was now an annual event in the last few days of school before the summer break.

She would spend a day in the school talking with each class about her latest Mountie stories and working with some of the older children to help them with their own writing. Although Cecilia spent a fair amount of time in her daily life surrounded by youngsters, particularly the sons and daughters of other officers, it was an interesting change for her to interact with those whose lives had been affected in different ways by a Mountie. For some it had been directly, others through finding a story or character in one of her books that filled a need in them. For someone like Little Jack it was the loss of a Mountie father. Each child had their own tale to tell and so this last term Katie had decided that it was time for the children to give something back to Cecilia by writing about what The Mounties meant to them.

Molly was, of course, more than happy to be looking after Billy and Colleen for the day and had arranged to take them out to the Coulter's property so that the girls could have fun together while Billy was excited to join Patrick and Little Jack as they played with the dogs, Hamish and Dougal, though never far away from the watchful eyes of the ladies seated on the front porch of the house. That this was Mountie Nathan's little boy meant a lot to the two ten year olds and they were determined to make sure he didn't get into any trouble.

Cecilia had stopped at The Mercantile on her way to the school to collect the parcel of notebooks, pencils and erasers that she had written ahead to ask Ned to order for her. She knew how much encouragement children could get from small rewards for their hard work and so she tried to find something in each of them to highlight. Hopefully these would act as reminders of the positive words she always endeavoured to use to them. The discouragement she had felt when her first stories were rejected had stayed with her for a long time after and it was only when she did finally achieve success that she could move on from it. Still there were times as she began a new book when the doubts rose to the surface momentarily and she had to delve deep into herself to remember that without the bad, the good times would not be quite so sweet.

Wrapped up in her own thoughts she didn't notice the man walking towards her until she felt the jolt as they bumped into each other. The apology had already left her lips before she raised her head to see Phillipe St Germain standing there, an amused look on his face. Stepping back quickly she continued speaking, "My mind was far away on other things Monsieur, so I apologise that I did not see you. I do hope I have not hurt you in any way." She could feel her heart beating faster, the adrenalin pumping through her body making her feel awkward, the formality of her words unusual for her. It was a discomforting feeling that she couldn't explain.

The man quickly bent down, collecting from the street the bag that had dropped from her basket, staying silent until he was once again looking straight into her eyes. "Not at all Madam Grant and it is I who must apologise to you for I too was not watching where I was going. I hope there is nothing broken in here," he finished as he handed the bag back to her. "Would you like me to get you anything or perhaps escort you to the café for a cup of coffee to settle your nerves, for I can see that something has upset you."

By now Cecilia had gathered herself together, realising that people around had stopped to stare. Lifting her eyes to the balcony of the hotel she could see Madam St Germain rise from her chair and take a step towards the railing, meeting her gaze with an intensity that seemed to cut right through her. Phillip turned to look up in that direction and upon seeing his wife there a fleeting expression of irritation crossed his face before his large smile was back again and he raised his hand to wave at her. "I'm afraid my wife gets quite lonely when we travel. It is a quiet life for an actress who is accustomed to being the centre of attention. Perhaps you and your husband would like to join us for dinner one evening? I was going to ask Monsieur et Madam Coulter, who I understand once graced the stage herself, so we could make it a small soiree."

Quickly regaining control of her feelings Cecilia managed a smile, trying to make her voice sound genuine as she replied, "I am sure that would be lovely monsieur. Let me check with my husband and Rosemary to see what evening would suit best and I shall send a message to the hotel for you. Now, if you will excuse me, I really must be on my way as I am expected at the school house right about now."

Before she could do anything Philipe had grasped her free hand and raised it to his lips, lingering a little too long for her not to feel uncomfortable. "C'est merveilleux, madam." As he released her hand he once again stared straight into her eyes, "I wish you a good day."

From an upstairs window of the Training Centre Nathan had heard the final part of the interaction with interest. He trusted Cecilia to be able to handle herself with a man like Philipe St Germain, even if he made her feel uncomfortable, and knew that if they were to get to the bottom of who he was and why he was in Hope Valley then time spent with this couple may prove invaluable.

Watching her walk away he felt proud of his wife. She held her head high, not looking around at the man who she must know had stayed still, his eyes fixed on her retreating back. Yet there was concern too as he worried that something dark from her past may be about to surface and short of leaving on the next train he may not be able to stop it.