Chapter 6

Florence was just setting out the fresh vegetables on the rack at the door of the mercantile when she noticed her stepdaughter coming hurrying from the direction of the school. Where she turned would give a clue as to what was wrong and Florence just prayed that she was not headed towards the hospital as that would mean someone was injured. Or worse. She watched as Katie crossed to the Mountie Office, taking the steps up onto the boardwalk in one leap with her skirt lifted a little higher than she herself would have ever contemplated. It was clear that something had happened and Florence needed to find out exactly what.

The school teacher had just placed her hand on the door handle when it opened in front of her and she found herself staring at an expanse of red serge and brass buttons. Jim Buchanan's hand reached out to grab her as she stumbled back suddenly but the quip that was forming on his lips was quickly quashed as he saw the look of distress on her face. Ushering her inside and then to a seat on the chair by his desk he waited as she took a moment to catch her breath. Once he was satisfied that she had calmed a little he let go of the hand that was still clasped in his and spoke softly, not knowing quite what he was dealing with here. "Miss Yost, shall I get you some water and then you can tell me what has happened to make you rush in here like this?"

Katie nodded, feeling the dryness in her mouth not just from the run over here but also from the fear that had gripped her on the way. If Cecilia Grant thought there was enough cause for concern to send her after her husband then something terrible must have happened.

At that moment she felt a gentle hand on her back and looking round saw the kind face of her stepmother. Still having so many wonderful memories of her own mother she had never been able to take that final step towards calling Florence "mother" but she loved her as one and regretted every day the anguish she had put her father through because of her doubts about their wedding. Now as she saw how subtly Florence constantly found ways to ease the burden on him of running The Mercantile and the willingness with which Paul had stepped in to manage the furniture emporium when he arrived back in Hope Valley she couldn't believe how wrong she had been. That they loved each other went without saying, it was there in the little looks and smiles shared between them, at the touch of hands or whispered words they thought no-one noticed. But most importantly it showed in how happy her father was and for that, if no other reason, she had grown to love Florence. They were a family.

Now she felt a calmness from her presence. After placing the water in front of her Jim hurriedly moved another chair for Florence to sit on and took his own seat behind the desk. "Now take a deep breath and tell me what has happened. The more information you can give me the easier it will be for me to deal with the situation and know if I need to call on anybody else to assist."

On the road beside the entrance to the meadow Nathan sat astride Newton, Allie's words as she rode off still hanging in the air around him. "Be safe" she had called out before spurring Hero on in the direction of Hope Valley. Those two words. At one time he had thought they were a sign of love from another person, that it was her way of letting him know that she really did feel the same way even though she couldn't admit it. Now when he thought of where he was in his life he wondered how he could have been so easily duped. Anything he felt then paled in comparison to the depth of emotion his wife and family brought out in him.

At first Allie had wanted to search with him but he had quickly explained that if there was any trouble it was important that he not have to worry about her and that someone else should know what was happening. So she had agreed to ride back into town to ask Jim Buchanan to come out if Nathan hadn't returned after a short period. There was never any recklessness in his actions, there never had been, for a long time because of the young woman who had just departed and now for his growing family. Everything was thought out as much as possible for nothing was worth risking their happiness or his.

But right now either his nose for trouble was telling him something or there really was nothing to worry about. Either way he knew he had to follow the two men and find out what they were doing this far out of town in Phillipe St Germain's automobile. He didn't hav e to look far as the bright red vehicle became visible through the trees when he had travelled barely two miles further up the road. The father and son were a short distance away, sitting by the river and he just caught their conversation as the older man said, "You mustn't let it happen again. It's not fair on any of us to have to keep moving the way we have been".

Before any more was said the sound of a twig snapping under Newton's hoof made both men look up. Nathan dismounted and approached, keeping his manner friendly. "Good morning gentlemen, may I ask what you are doing out here in this vehicle?"

Both men stood, the father holding out his hand and stepping forward. "My name is John West and this is my son Daniel." Nathan nodded in acknowledgement, shaking the man's hand but keeping his eyes on the youth who was standing just behind him. "And your reason for being out here?"

John West gave his head a shake of apology, realising that he hadn't finished answering the question. "I am an automobile mechanic. This morning as the French gentleman was driving back into town I heard a misfiring of the engine so I offered to have a look at it for him. We are just testing it on a longer drive to make sure that the adjustment I made is working." He looked around then, taking in the expanse of the river in front of them, "This landscape is so beautiful it seemed a pity not to stop a moment to enjoy it. We have seen so little of such things in recent times."

Nodding his agreement Nathan noticed that the young man had said nothing, his face expressionless as he kept his eyes down, so he directed his next question to him, "We are certainly lucky to be in such a beautiful place. Are you planning to stay long or will you be heading further north?"

Again the son stayed quiet while his father quickly replied, "That I do not know. We lost our daughter Mary last year and my wife has not recovered from that. A new beginning is what we are after but it has to be the right place for Martha. And our other daughter Ruth. Maybe somewhere like here would be good for us."

"Well you could do worse than settle in Hope Valley and as they haven't had a proper mechanic since Bob Williams left a few months ago I am sure you would find a good amount of business to keep you going. People have either been taking their vehicles all the way to Benson Hills for servicing or at a pinch some of the farmers have been able to fix things so I know they would welcome someone here permanently. Why don't you come by the Mountie Office later and I'll tell you who you should speak to. That is, if you are interested?" He paused then, having another look around before adding, "There is something magical and healing about this town so it may be just what you are looking for."

The man nodded enthusiastically and yet Nathan could still see a wariness in his eyes. There was something he was keeping back and whatever it was he needed to find out before the family was welcomed fully into the community. Still the son had remained silent and this set different alarm bells off in Nathan's mind. He would have to speak with Greg and Cat to see if they had noticed anything unusual. Then suddenly the thought of Allie staying in the same boarding house sent a chill through him and he was uncertain what to do. For now he would get as much information as possible and then make a decision.

He tried not to let his concerns show on his face as he bade them farewell, making it clear to John West that he would be waiting to speak to him later. To the son he gave a half smile, enough to be deemed friendly but still with a warning that he would be watching him.

Joseph was singing again, his first call of the morning had been uplifting as he saw the change in old Mrs Simpson since some of the boys from the church had started coming out to help with little jobs around her cabin. The holes in her porch floor and leak to her roof had been fixed by one of the working parties arranged by Lee Coulter and with the boys adding some fresh paint to the door and some spring flowers now blooming in the flower boxes they had made, it was a much cheerier little cottage. The sewing circle had given her a new quilt and cushions to brighten the interior and he was pleased to see the knitting basket once again by the sofa. There certainly seemed to be a sprightliness to her step as she moved around the kitchen making coffee and setting out plates for the piece of Minnie's coconut cake they shared and a pie left in the icebox meant that a hearty dinner was going to be enjoyed by her that night.

Now as he thought about how good it was to see the community coming together he gave thanks that the dark days were behind them. For so many to have suffered so badly and yet still find it in their hearts to look for the good in life was wonderful and he felt humbled to be here doing God's work amongst such good people. With his mind wandering he was slow to react when a deer ran out from the woods and as he finally pushed down hard on the brake he could feel the car sliding sideways off the road before coming to a stop with its bumper against a tree. Jumping out he stepped around to the front to check and was relieved to see that there was no damage. The problem now was how he was going to get it out from that position.

It was then that he glanced down at the back wheel and spotted a notebook caught beneath it. Then looking around he noticed a satchel lying beside a fallen log, some of its contents strewn out amongst the leaves that had composted over the winter. Carefully he pulled the book out and opened the front cover. There the name Sarah Cunningham leapt out at him and a shiver went through him as he thought of the vibrant young woman who often did a reading in church. What had happened that her belongings were here?

At that moment the sound of a horse galloping along the road grew louder and Joseph moved back around his car so that he could see the approaching rider, his nerves a little tense as he waited. When he recognised Hero with Allie on his back he let out the breath he had been holding, stepping forward a bit as he waved to flag her down.

Pulling back on the reins Allie took in the scene in front of her, concerned at the sight of the car against the tree but glad to see Pastor Joseph looking unharmed. As she drew closer she could see a puzzled look on his face and was dismounting almost before bringing Hero to a stop. "What happened? Are you okay?" she asked, reaching out with a reassuring hand to touch his arm. Joseph nodded, looking back at his car as he spoke, "It was a deer. Completely my fault as I wasn't paying close enough attention. But I am glad you are as there is another problem." With that he held up the book, not needing to say anything as Allie took in the name written there and the discarded satchel close by.

"Something must have happened to Sarah? Have you had a look around?"

Joseph shook his head, "Not yet, I was just about to do that when I heard you approaching. We need to be careful though, so I think we should stay together." Allie nodded, a sense of foreboding having descended upon her. Strange things seemed to be happening this morning and she knew they had to be wary if they were to avoid adding to whatever trouble was already here.

Descending the steps of The Mercantile Fiona looked around the town, the uneasiness she had been feeling since her visit to the French woman still with her. It was as though a wind was blowing through, coming into Hope Valley on the same train as Monsieur St German and his wife, and bringing with it she knew not what. All she could do was pray that rather than bringing danger it was like the Mistral in France, the northwesterly wind that blew down into the mediterranean and reputedly brought with it clear skies and good health. This town had suffered enough in the past, surely now was their time to enjoy a peaceful existence.

She hurried across to Nickels and Dimes, conscious that she had left poor Opal in an upset state earlier after the cruel words spat at her by Madam St Germain. She was a sweet girl, enthusiastic and eager to learn and she just hoped that this hadn't destroyed any of that. As she opened the door she was surprised to see both chairs empty and from behind the little screened off area in the corner the sound of sobbing.

"Opal? I am so sorry to have taken so long getting back and that you had to suffer that awful woman. I should never have sent you over there on your own."

Sobs turned to sniffles as the young woman tried desperately to get her emotions under control. "It's not that Mrs Harter, I didn't understand most of what she was saying anyway as she was speaking French. It was actually quite funny watching her face go red as she got more annoyed. I am sorry if I let you down but I really did try everything to please her but she was not having it."

Fiona smiled, imagining just how strange it must have been to be on the receiving end of a tirade when you didn't understand the language. Then she became serious again, watching as Opel came out from behind the screen, the redness of her eyes belying her claim not to have been upset by what had occurred. "If it isn't that then why have you been crying?"

Opel's face began to crumble again but she managed to stop the tears, giving a big sigh before answering. "You know how Harper always calls at my house in the morning to walk me here, before he goes back to printing off the copies of The Valley Voice?" Fiona nodded, aware of the budding romance between the two young people. He was a good, hard working young man, starting his day early to get the newspaper out for Rosemary. He always took a break at the time when Opel was due to leave home, sometimes accepting the offer from her mother to come in for a cup of coffee whilst other times too busy and needing to hurry back. But that short time together to start their day was special and Fiona knew it was something Opel cherished.

"Well this morning he didn't turn up. I waited for him until the last minute but there was no sign of him as I walked here. Then I had to rush across to The Royal Hotel so it wasn't until I got back that I tried to find out what had happened. I knew we had customers coming in so I telephoned the newspaper office instead of popping down there but when Mrs Coulter called out to him in his little print shop at the back he said he was too busy to speak to me. Then I heard Allie's voice. Do you think he isn't interested in me anymore now that she is here? How can I compete with someone who has done all the things she has and been to so many different places?"

Fiona tried to stifle her smile, thinking back to when she was Opel's age and how dramatic young love could be. If only she could find the words to let Opel know that everything happens for a reason and that what seems so important now will be forgotten. That one day everything will fall into place and you will finally understand, that after all the hardships and battles you went through, all of it was leading you to what you were searching for. To where you belonged. But for now she merely wrapped an arm around the young woman and in the kindest tone said, "I am sure you have nothing to worry about Opel. Don't forget that Allie works at the newspaper too so it's not surprising she was there. Besides I have seen how Harper looks at you, as though you are the only girl in the world for him." She could feel some of the tension leaving the still shaking shoulders and quickly added, "and seeing as there isn't a queue of people waiting for our services right now I suggest we head across to Minnie's Café and have some cake. That is the answer to everything in my book!"

Outside of town Sarah Cunningham opened her eyes just a fraction, the pain in her head making her cry out. And yet no sound came. She reached up and gingerly touched the side of her head, feeling a lump where the throbbing was worst. She felt dampness beneath her and the roughness of rock at her back. As she tried to move it was as though her body was on fire and so she lay back down, the faint light above her causing shooting stars to flash in her eyes. She wondered how long she had been here, wherever this was. Was anybody looking for her? Then she felt the tears running down her face and she closed her eyes, letting the darkness take over again.