Chapter 11 – William's Rant part 1
After lunch, Jack and Elizabeth were headed back to the Delaneys for a quiet afternoon. Jack made a quick stop and sent a telegram to Bill in Hope Valley. He let him know that he could release Charles with the understanding that he was to stay away from Elizabeth. Jack knew he should have sent it the day before, but he didn't mind letting Charles cool his heels another night. Jack just hoped that he got the message and would stay away from Elizabeth. He didn't know if he would have as much restraint if there was another encounter.
When Jack was finished, they returned to Wynn and Elizabeth's home. Jack parked the car and helped Elizabeth into the house. He let Aunt Elizabeth know that they just wanted some quiet time, since Elizabeth was still upset from talking to her mother. Aunt Elizabeth suggested that they go in the library and close the doors. She said that no one would bother them there and that she would call for them supper. After hanging their coats and pulling off their boots, Jack and Elizabeth headed to the library.
As soon as they were in the library, Jack pulled Elizabeth to him. She wrapped her arms around his middle and held him close. He moved his hands to her arms and moved her a slight distance from him before he leaned down and kissed her gently. Elizabeth wanted Jack so bad, but knew that they couldn't right then. The reason was both a relief and a disappointment at the same. She wanted to start a family with Jack, but knew that it wasn't the right time, they hadn't even been married a month. Maybe later in the year. She knew that Jack wanted to have children with her, but she also enjoyed their time alone and knew that would become much more difficult when they had children. Elizabeth just wanted to be close to Jack, so she pushed her thoughts to the side and focused on the kiss between them. She was the first to deepen the kiss. Finally, Jack pulled back breathless.
"Do you know what you do to me?" Jack whispered.
"Whatever do you mean?" Elizabeth teased.
"If we weren't at your aunt and uncle's house." Jack said. "I would carry you to the bedroom."
"Oh." Elizabeth said with a little surprise.
"I love you so much and I just want to be close to you." Jack said. "I need you so bad, it physically hurts right now."
Elizabeth moved away from Jack and went to sit on the large leather couch on one side of the library. Jack was confused and wondered what was wrong. It wasn't like Elizabeth to shy away from their time together. He wondered if the events of the past week were catching up with her. He knew that he would have to choose his words carefully, but he knew that they needed to talk. He didn't want to fight with her and he knew that her emotions were running high. After a moment, Jack walked over to the couch and took a seat close to Elizabeth. He took her hand and turned her to face him.
"I am sorry." Jack said. "I didn't mean to embarrass you or say something wrong. Please just talk to me?"
Elizabeth just closed her eyes and tears slid down her cheeks. It was a few moments before she could gather herself enough to speak. She took a couple deep breaths and then looked at Jack. She paused and took one more deep breath before she spoke.
"No." Elizabeth said. "I am sorry. It wasn't what you said. I don't even know how to explain to you what is going on. I need you, too."
"I am sure that you aunt wouldn't mind if we snuck off to our room" Jack said.
"We can't." Elizabeth said.
"Oh." Jack said. "Is it because of where we are?"
"Yes and no." Elizabeth said.
Jack was confused for a moment and just looked at her. After a moment he realized what she meant. Jack pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her. He leaned them back on the couch and just held her. He knew that his cousins would sometimes become overly emotional at times during the month and knew from growing up around them that it was usually better to give them space. But this was Elizabeth and it was different, they were married. As much as he wanted to be with her, he would respect her space if that was what she wanted.
"If you don't want to talk about it." Jack said. "That is okay. I understand, I don't but I do. I am here for you and you know that you can talk to me about anything."
Elizabeth just nodded her head against Jack's chest and continued to let the tears fall. Jack just held her and let her cry. He knew that she would talk when she was ready, but what she needed was for him to be there for her. So he did the only thing that he could, he held her tight and tried to give her his strength. It was while Elizabeth was quietly crying in Jack's arms that he heard the car pulling into the curved drive in front of the house. He looked up at the clock on the wall and realized that it was too early for Dee or Wynn to be back. They had said that they wouldn't be back until close to supper time.
Jack was a little concerned, but tried to turn his attention back to Elizabeth. It was his Mountie training that kept him on alert and also his instincts helped him in that moment. Jack didn't want to alarm Elizabeth. He also knew that Aunt Elizabeth would not let anything happen to them. She had promised that it was a safe place for them. Yes, Elizabeth had told her mother to contact Aunt Elizabeth if they wanted to get in touch with them. Jack just hoped that it hadn't been a bad idea to share that piece of information.
The pounding on the front door caught Elizabeth's attention. She looked at Jack and he just motioned for her to be quiet. Aunt Elizabeth went to the door, she figured that her brother would be coming when she learned that Jack and Elizabeth had talked to her mother. She quickly covered Elizabeth's coat with one of Dee's extra navy Mountie coats. She pushed her boots under the bench. William wouldn't be concerned with a Mountie coat or boots, since both Wynn and Dee were Mounties. She answered the door and saw an angry William.
"Where are they?" William bellowed at his sister.
Jack and Elizabeth both heard her father and she was concerned. She looked at Jack. He just shook his head and pressed his finger to his lips. Jack decided that it was best to stay in the library for the moment. Elizabeth pointed at the phone and Jack understood, he quietly went to the phone and called Mountie headquarters. He waited to be connected to Dee.
"Dee." Jack whispered. "William Thatcher is here and he is very angry. I am concerned."
"Where are you in the house?" Dee asked as he motioned for his father.
"In the library." Jack whispered. "I don't think he knows that we are here, but still."
"Lock the doors to the library." Dee said. "Dad and I will be there in ten minutes. Mother can stall her brother."
Jack quietly hung up the phone and went to lock the door. But instead of returning to Elizabeth's side, he stayed at the door and listened. Aunt Elizabeth was doing what she could to be pleasant to her brother and stall him.
"William." Elizabeth Rose said. "Is that anyway to greet you sister? Now here let me take your coat and briefcase. Then we can talk nicely."
William just looked at his sister, but slipped his coat off and set his briefcase on the bench before following his sister into the dinning room.
"Would you like some tea?" Elizabeth Rose said. "I was just fixing some."
"Fine." William said, looking around.
He didn't want to calm down, he wanted to talk to his daughter and talk some sense into her. He also knew his sister and she wouldn't talk to him when he was angry like he was. She would either kick him out or wait for him to calm down. Just as Elizabeth Rose brought the tea tray in, the phone rang.
"Excuse me." Elizabeth Rose said.
She went to answer the phone. It was one of the Mounties from Wynn's office. He was calling to make sure that she was alright and let her know that Wynn and Dee were on their way. She played it like it was just Wynn calling to let her know that he was coming. She hung up the phone, returned to the table and poured tea for both her and her brother.
"Now what is all this about?" Elizabeth Rose said, looking over at her brother.
"I want to know where my daughter is." William said, trying to control his temper.
"Well." Elizabeth Rose said. "I don't know right now, but I can leave a message at Headquarters for Jack to pass on to Elizabeth."
"I was told that they were here." William said.
"What are you talking about?" Elizabeth Rose said. "I know that Beth is in town, but I am not sure where she is at the moment."
"They were over to see Grace this morning and Grace implied that they were staying here." William said. "Did you know that she married that man behind my back?"
Jack was struggling to hear what was being said in the dining room, but he also didn't want to leave the library or Elizabeth. He just tried to stay calm like he had been trained and just listen as best as he could.
"By 'that man' you mean Jack Thornton." Elizabeth Rose said. "Then yes, I know that she married him. He is quite the nice young Mountie."
"How do you know?" William huffed. "That was not what I had planned for Elizabeth, all he is going to do is hurt her. I will not stand for this."
Elizabeth Rose could tell that her brother was starting to get angry again, so she would need to choose her words carefully, she knew that she still had a few minutes before her husband and son returned. Usually she could handle her brother, but she hadn't seen him this angry in a very long time.
"Well." Elizabeth Rose said. "To be honest. Beth wrote to me right after she was engaged. She explained what happened when she was here in October and she said that you didn't approve of her choices, but she had chosen to follow her heart. She didn't want you to interfere with her wedding or the life that she was building in Hope Valley. Also according to her, you were the one that cut her off. If she wanted to follow her heart, I for one wasn't going to stand in her way."
"What do you mean to interfere?" William said. "I have allowed her to go play teacher out in the wild west, but it was never to be a permanent arrangement."
"You allowed her." Elizabeth Rose said, her own anger rising. "Last time I checked, Beth is an adult and can choose to do what she wants. From everything that I have seen, she is a very capable teacher and is loved by her town."
"What do you mean?" William said.
"Fine." Elizabeth Rose huffed. "If you must know. Wynn, Dee and I went to Hope Valley for the wedding and spent some time with Jack and Beth. They are a wonderful couple and truly in love."
"It is impossible." William bellowed. "She was just home in October and she wasn't engaged. It is only January, how can she be married. She hasn't even known that man that long. Besides, she doesn't know what she wants or needs, her head is still in the clouds, like when she was a teenager."
Jack was worried, he could hear both William and Elizabeth Rose raise their voices. He still wasn't sure that it was safe to go out there. He looked back at his Elizabeth and she was still quietly crying, curled up on the couch and he knew that he had to stay there. He figured that Wynn and Dee would be home soon. He knew that his first priority was to protect his wife. He figured that Aunt Elizabeth could handle her little brother long enough for Wynn and Dee to arrive. As Jack listened, he said a quick prayer.
"William Connor Thatcher!" Elizabeth Rose said. "You sit down and you listen to me."
William just looked at his sister and sat back down at the table. He hated when she talked to him like that, but she was the older sibling after all. He could tell that his sister was angry. He also knew that she had a temper, but rarely did she let it get the best of her.
"Beth is an adult." Elizabeth Rose continued. "She has a right to make her own choices, whether or not you like or approve of them. Now unless you want to completely lose your daughter, I would suggest that you change your attitude and do it quickly. No matter what you decide, Wynn and I WILL NOT turn our backs on Jack and Beth. Jack is a decorated Mountie who pours his heart and soul into serving his country. He is good for Beth. She is happy and they are making their home in Hope Valley. He loves her more than life itself and he would do anything for her. He may not come from money, but he has a good heart. Everything that he has, he shares with Beth. He didn't marry her for her money. He could care less about the money. He has a nice little house that they have rented for the time being in Hope Valley and he is working on plans to build her a nice house on a very lovely piece of land …"
"What happens when he gets moved?" William interjected.
"Wynn has taken care of that and that is all that you need to know about that." Elizabeth Rose said. "Now like I was saying. They are a lovely couple that is dearly loved by the town that they both serve. That town rallied around them and helped to make a wedding happen in a very short amount of time. It is amazing what she has done with those children."
"What do you mean?" William asked.
"You know about what happened there, don't you." Elizabeth Rose asked.
"There was some kind of mine disaster." William said. "Then there was that trouble with an outlaw kidnapping Julie and Beth."
Elizabeth Rose was just going to more fully explain things to William when the back door opened and Wynn and Dee walked in. Elizabeth stood to greet her husband and he gave her a quick kiss on the check before going to the kitchen. Dee set his stuff down and went to the sitting room, he could hear if he would be needed, but would also give the others a chance to talk. Wynn returned with a cup so he could have some tea and sat down by his wife.
"Sorry." Elizabeth Rose said. "I was just explaining to William the amazing work that Beth had done with the children and he was lacking some of the details of what happened. Yes, there was a mine disaster killing forty-seven men, leaving twenty-two women a widow and fourteen of those widows had children. Wynn, dear how many children were left fatherless that day."
"I don't know off hand." Wynn said. "I think somewhere around twenty, twenty-five."
"Anyway." Elizabeth Rose continued. "When Beth arrived, many of the children were struggling with more than just learning to read and write. When we went there at Christmas, the children were happy and outgoing. They had found their joy again and that was in part because of Beth and Jack. Jack took it upon himself to help the children that had lost their father, since he knew what it was like to grow up without a father. The children adore both Jack and Beth."
While his parents and uncle were talking, Dee slipped down the hall and slid a note under the library door to let Jack know that they were there and everything was okay. Jack picked up the note and looked at it. He knew that they would have to face William at some point and figured that it was better since Wynn was there. Jack went to Elizabeth, pulled her up into a hug and then led her from the library to the dining room.
"Did you know that Jack received an award?" Wynn said. "For capturing the Tolliver gang and rescuing both Beth and Julie. You know what he did with that reward?"
"He built a church and schoolhouse." A voice said from the doorway.
Everyone turned to look and saw Jack and Elizabeth standing in the doorway. Aunt Elizabeth could tell Elizabeth had been crying and she held tight to Jack. She was so glad that they had stayed in the library until Wynn and Dee arrived.
"Not only did he donate the money." Elizabeth continued. "But he also helped to build it for me and for the community. When it was finished, it was the day before Jack's award ceremony and there were a number of other Mounties in town and they all helped to move everything from the saloon to the new schoolhouse. Now the children have a proper place to learn, but we also have a proper church. It was only fitting that Jack and my wedding be the first to be held in the new church."
Elizabeth looked at Jack and gave him a smile. He squeezed her hand to let her know that he was right there with her.
"You can't be serious." William said to his daughter.
Jack felt Elizabeth stiffen. He wanted to say something, but he was going to let Elizabeth speak if she wanted to talk to her father.
"I told you back in October." Elizabeth said. "I … love … Jack and we were going to build a life together. I am an adult and I can make my own choices."
"You don't seriously think that he can provide for you." William said. "Charles is a much better choice for you, besides I already gave him my blessing. His parents and your mother were already planning the wedding."
"Too bad." Elizabeth said. "Speaking of Charles, have you spoken to him?"
"No." William said. "I did receive a wire that he missed his meeting with Mr Coulter, but I have not heard from Charles."
