Chapter 35 – Snowstorm
Elizabeth was home about an hour when Jack came in. He let her know that the weather was getting worse. Before he took off his coat, Jack wiped off his boots, headed out the back door and brought in more wood. He then went to fill the water buckets. He wanted to make sure that they had what they needed, especially if the weather got worse. Jack also made sure that the shovel and broom were by the back door. When he was finished, he removed his boots and went to warm up near the pot belly stove.
Later that evening, Jack and Elizabeth had a simple meal. They had plenty of food in the house, but neither was really hungry. They chose to head to bed early. Jack had even grabbed an extra quilt to put on the bed. When Jack and Elizabeth woke the next morning, it was still snowing and Jack could hear the wind blowing. He slipped from the bed and looked out the window. He shook his head and then slipped back into bed. He knew that they wouldn't be going anywhere that day because of the snow. He wrapped his arms around Elizabeth and pulled her close again.
"How does it look outside?" Elizabeth asked.
"Bad." Jack said. "Snowing and blowing. We aren't going anywhere today unless it is an emergency."
"Want to stay here for a while." Elizabeth said.
"Sounds good." Jack said. "It is warm here."
"You are warm." Elizabeth said. "That is why it is warm."
Jack leaned down and kissed Elizabeth. He slid his hand down her arm and rested it on her hip. Elizabeth responded by wrapping her arms around Jack and pulled him closer. After they made love, Jack and Elizabeth laid wrapped in each other's arms under the warm covers listening to the wind blow. They both fell back asleep. After two hours, Elizabeth woke and looked at the time. She slipped from the bed and quickly dressed for the day before heading downstairs. The first thing that she did was stoke the fire, before heading to the outhouse. When she came back in, she went to warm herself by the stove for a moment before starting some coffee. She made herself a sandwich, then took her coffee and sandwich back to her chair. She read her book as she ate. The smell of the coffee on the stove finally woke Jack up. Jack quickly dressed and headed downstairs. Jack found Elizabeth sitting and reading. He went and poured himself a cup of coffee. He saw that she had eaten a sandwich, so he fixed himself one before heading over to sit on the couch. He ate his sandwich and then opened his sketchbook. He started working on a sketch. He had been downstairs almost an hour before Elizabeth realized that Jack was even downstairs.
"When did you come down?" Elizabeth asked.
"A while ago." Jack said. "You looked so comfortable, I didn't want to bother you."
"Are you hungry?" Elizabeth asked.
"Nope." Jack said. "Made a sandwich. How about some soup for supper? It just sounds like a really good day on a cold day like this."
"Sure." Elizabeth said.
Elizabeth went to the kitchen and pulled out the recipes that Abigail had given her and found the one that she was looking for – tomato. She pulled out what she needed and started the soup. She then pushed it to the back of the stove so that it could cook at a lower temperature. She wasn't sure what she was going to serve with it, but they would figure something out. The soup would be on the stove for a while. Elizabeth cleaned up from preparing the soup, then poured herself a cup of tea and took it over to where she had been reading. She checked with Jack to see if he wanted more coffee before she sat down and continued to read her book.
Overall, it was a quiet day. Elizabeth read and Jack work on some sketches as well as read some. They didn't say much to each other, but enjoyed being near each other. They enjoyed that they could be together without having to talk. They just enjoyed being in each other's space, usually touching in some way. It was late in the afternoon and before their normal supper time, when Elizabeth could hear Jack's stomach rumble. She knew that the soup was ready and just kept it hot on the stove. She closed her book, went to the kitchen and made some hot cheese sandwiches to go with their soup. She set the table and put the food there on before calling Jack over to the table.
"I heard your stomach." Elizabeth said. "I figured we could eat early and if we are hungry later, we can heat something up."
"Sounds good." Jack said.
Jack and Elizabeth had a nice supper and then Jack helped Elizabeth clean up the kitchen. He also bundled up and went and got more water. He saw that there was about seven inches of fresh snow. While Jack was bundled up, he swept off both the front and back porch, as well as cleared a path to the outhouse and woodpile. Jack figured that they had enough wood for the next couple months but if winter lingered, he would have to chop more. That reminded him that he needed to check the supply at the schoolhouse. He had plenty at the jail and could always take some from there. When Jack got back in the house, he took the blanket and sat in front of the pot belly stove to warm up.
Elizabeth grabbed a second blanket, went and sat with Jack. Jack scooted back to lean against the couch. Elizabeth sat between Jack's legs and leaned back against Jack's chest. Jack reached up and grabbed the book that he had been reading. They had agreed to read it out loud to each other. It was nice sitting in front of the warm stove sharing a book. Elizabeth was reading and Jack was distracting her with kisses to the neck. Elizabeth closed the book and turned in Jack's arms so that she could kiss him back. They continued kissing each other until they were breathless, but neither wanted to break the contact, so leaned their foreheads together.
"Want to head upstairs?" Jack whispered.
"Sure." Elizabeth said.
Elizabeth stood and then helped Jack up. Together, they banked the fires and turned down the lamps. Jack then led Elizabeth upstairs where they continued what they had started downstairs. As much as Jack loved Elizabeth when he first saw her that day the town had gathered at the mine, he loved her even more in that moment. He loved that she was his and he could hold her close at night. They fell asleep in each other's arms. Jack woke up at one point, looked at the clock and saw that it was only just after midnight. He was hungry, so he slipped from the bed and lit the lantern. He wrapped a robe around himself and headed downstairs. He made a quick sandwich and had a glass of water. Before he headed back to bed, he checked the stove and added a couple of logs. He watched them catch, then let them burn for a little before rebanking the fire and heading to bed.
The alarm went off and Jack reached to turn it off. When he turned back to wake Elizabeth, he realized that she was gone. He crawled from the bed and dressed for the day in warm but casual clothes. He then headed downstairs and saw that Elizabeth was fixing breakfast for them. She had made coffee and was working on making oatmeal with cinnamon. Jack was glad that they were having a warm, filling breakfast. He was hungry and also knew that it was probably going to be a long day with the blowing snow that had been there the day before. Jack sat down with a cup of coffee and it wasn't long and breakfast was ready. They had a nice breakfast and then while Jack did the dishes, Elizabeth fixed a lunch for both of them.
Before long it was time to leave. Jack walked Elizabeth to school and made sure that the stove was going before he left. Jack also checked the wood supply before he headed to the jail and saw that they had plenty. Jack headed to the mercantile first, he wanted to send a couple wires before heading to the jail. He also wanted to check on Ned and see how he was doing after the storm. Jack found that things looked good. He got his messages sent and then headed to the jail. He found Carver and McGinty both there. Carver told him that he was able to do rounds, but there had been a number of drifts and that it took longer. Jack asked about where the drifts were and whether they were blocking any roads. Carver let him know that it was more on the trails and that the main roads were slippery but okay. Jack let Carver know that if the weather held and he was up to riding back to Benson Hills he could. Jack let both know that if things continued, that McGinty would be heading home that weekend. Jack thanked Carver for all that he had done to help them.
As they were talking, Bill came in. They all wanted to know how he was doing. He hadn't spent much time at the jail during the past week. He had been spending more time at the cafe. He had ditched the sling, but was still taking it easy with his arm. He said that it would probably be another week before he felt comfortable riding. Bill agreed that it was probably good that Carver head back in daylight and that they would be okay with just McGinty for a couple more days. Jack decided that he needed to go for a ride and see how it felt. He went to saddle Sergeant. He added his bedroll to the saddle and some provisions to the saddle bag. He took the rifle just in case. He let McGinty know that he was going for a short ride and shouldn't be gone more than an hour.
Jack wanted to check the snowfall and how the river was doing. It had already been a wet winter and Jack was worried about when the weather warmed up. It had been a wet fall and Jack knew that a wet winter after a wet fall could lead to the river flooding. He wasn't concerned about the town of Hope Valley, but there was a settlement that was close to the river. Then there were also the men that worked at the Silverton Mine. Jack knew that the road leading up to the mine sometimes washed out and took time to repair. Then there was the threat of a mudslide at the mine. Jack knew that a mudslide would be bad. He had a couple of months, but he wanted to be prepared. Jack knew the dangers of not being prepared. He didn't want to get caught not being ready for anything that would come that spring.
When Jack got back to Hope Valley, he talked to Bill about his concerns. Bill agreed that it would be better to be prepared if something happened. Bill and Jack worked on a plan. They agreed that it would be good to order extra provisions. They weren't always the best, but would provide if needed. Bill also suggested that they add additional blankets and medical supplies. Jack worried about where they could store things, but then he offered to use the room at the house if needed. Bill agreed that it might be the best, that way Jack would have a count of what was available and what was being used. Jack said that he would talk to Elizabeth. McGinty also suggested that they order some extra cots just in case they needed to set up a temporary shelter or hospital. Jack thought that he would also talk to Abigail and see about what if anything that the town had in storage. Jack realized that making a full plan was going to be better than just something thrown together. He knew that he would have to make a more detailed plan, but getting an outline to headquarters soon for approval was his plan.
After the plan was made, Jack wrote the basic plan up and got it ready to send off to headquarters, letting them know that he was going to work on more details. Jack also typed a copy and wrote a letter to Wynn. Jack expressed his concern about not having a full-time doctor, much less a nurse in town. Jack also expressed that if there was a disaster, that the current infirmary would be unable to handle what came in. On top of that, Jack expressed that he had learned that the infirmary was still actually property of the Pacific Northwest Mining Company and after they had used it for the Garrison arrest, that the town had been informed that they would need permission to use it and that Pacific Northwest Mining wanted to be reimbursed for the use and medical supplies that had been used. Jack also let Wynn know that Pacific still technically owned the office that they had used and they wanted reimbursement for use of that as well. He also told Wynn that he wasn't sure who told Pacific Northwest, but he had his suspicions, but would keep those to himself for the time being.
Jack was concerned, especially after all that Pacific Northwest Mining Company had pulled in the past. Jack had been so busy that he didn't realize that school had already gotten out and that it was getting closer to supper time. Jack packed up his stuff and left the jail. He stopped by the cafe quickly and talked to Abigail for a moment. He let her know that he needed to talk to her sometime over the next couple of days for some official business. She let him know to come find her sometime between meals when he was able. Before Jack left, Abigail gave him the second loaf of bread that Elizabeth had wanted as well as some scones for dessert that night. Jack thanked Abigail and headed home.
When Jack got home, he gave the food to Elizabeth and asked what's for supper. She told him that she was heating up the leftover soup. Jack sat down and let Elizabeth know that he needed to have a serious talk with her. She was worried, but then Jack explained that it was nothing bad. He talked about how they had had a wet winter and how the past fall had been wet. He talked about how both he and Bill were worried about the settlement and the Silverton Mine when the weather got warmer. He also talked about how Bill and he had come up with a plan and were ordering extra supplies. The problem was going to be where to store some of those supplies. Jack then explained that since they had extra room, he was wondering if they could store some things there. Elizabeth quickly agreed.
Elizabeth let Jack know that she wanted to try and finish grading papers before supper. Jack said that he had plenty to work on as well. Elizabeth went back to her writing desk and Jack stayed at the table. He went over and got a couple sheets of paper. When Jack sat back down, he started writing out what he still needed to know. He wanted to know how many men were working at the Silverton Mine. He also wanted to know how many men were at the settlement. Beyond that, Jack wanted to know if there were any outlying farms that were at risk. He knew that he needed to talk to Abigail about what if any items that the town had stored. Jack also wanted to know where they could house people and if needed where they could set up a larger infirmary. Jack was thinking about the school, but wasn't sure if that was the best plan. He figured that it was the most logical, but wasn't sure it was the most practical.
Jack was pulled from his thoughts when Elizabeth touched his arm. She was letting him know that supper was almost ready. She had the soup on the stove and had sliced the bread. She finished setting the table after Jack had cleared his work. Jack poured them each something to drink as Elizabeth put the food on the table. They enjoyed their supper and talked about their day. When they were finished, Jack offered to clean up so that Elizabeth could finish grading. Elizabeth tried to argue, but Jack insisted. Elizabeth let him clean up and went back to her grading. It was taking longer to get through the papers since she had assigned writing before the storm. So as much as she wanted Jack to rest, she was grateful for the help. After she finished grading papers, Elizabeth went upstairs to join Jack who had gone up about half an hour before.
Thursday and Friday went by rather fast. Jack had found time to meet with Abigail on Friday and learned that the town had a few cots and blankets in storage, but nothing really. She also let Jack know that the Pacific Northwest Mining Company did own both buildings, but had left them unused since they had left after the trial back in October. Abigail also let Jack know that Gowen had made no effort to have the town purchase those buildings. Abigail also let Jack know that she had tried to contact Pacific Northwest Mining about those buildings and they had not returned any attempts at correspondence. If Pacific Northwest Mining pressed the issue, Abigail let Jack know that the town could claim the buildings as abandoned, but hadn't done so formally yet. Jack was grateful for the information and knew how he was going to use it. He also knew that he had to relay that information to Wynn. He had sent a wire off giving him the additional information.
Friday evening, Jack took Elizabeth to the cafe for supper. Since it had been a long week, he felt that they deserved to go out. They enjoyed supper at the cafe and a walk back to the house. When they got home, Jack was tired. He had stepped up his duties and was planning on sending McGinty home by the end of the weekend. Jack also knew that it would be awhile before Bill was back to one hundred percent. He just hoped that he wasn't making a mistake sending McGinty back. Jack felt bad that he had been there well over two weeks pushing three. He decided that he would talk to McGinty and see how he felt. Jack also wanted to talk to Bill about the decision before he made it final.
Saturday, Elizabeth stayed at the house while Jack headed to town. Elizabeth wanted to do some laundry. Elizabeth also wanted to go through her thoughts and feelings. She still was upset about her family. She wanted to be close to her father again, but she refused to give up Jack. She knew what her heart felt and she knew what she wanted. She just didn't fully understand why her father was being so stubborn. She understood that parents wanted better for their children, but shouldn't their own happiness factor into things. No matter how many times that she told her father that she didn't care about material things or status. She didn't understand why status was so important to her father. Elizabeth finished washing the personal items and hanging them on the inside line that she had put up. Then she hung a sheet just in case someone stopped by.
When Elizabeth was done with the laundry, she sat at her desk and wrote out a long letter to her aunt and uncle. She still had questions about the company and if she took it over. She also wanted to know if they had heard anymore about Julie or what Viola was up to. Elizabeth let them know that other than the wire demanding an apology she hadn't heard from her family since before she had been in Hamilton. Elizabeth also expressed her concerns about Jack and how he was pushing himself. She didn't go into detail, but said that Jack was already getting worked up about what could happen that spring. She also thanked them for the money and said that she was going to use it for the house. She also let them know that the armchairs arrived and were perfect. She asked about getting a couple of oil lamps for the downstairs that looked nice. She hadn't found anything in the catalogs that she had that she liked. She went to describe what she was looking for, but let them know that it wasn't urgent for them to find. She also asked her aunt to send her some material so she could have a couple of dresses made and warm socks for both her and Jack. She finished her letter letting them know some of the other events around Hope Valley. She was glad that she was able to write to her aunt and uncle and let them know how she was feeling without fear that they would be upset with her.
As Elizabeth sat there, she wondered what it would be like when they had children and shed a few tears over the fact that she felt that she still wasn't expecting. She knew that they had only been married a very short time, but more than anything Elizabeth wanted to give Jack children. She put her hands on her stomach and once again offered a prayer. She knew God had a plan, but she was struggling to see it at the moment. She also didn't want Jack to be disappointed in her. She knew he had said that he could never be, but there was a part of her that doubted if Jack would be truly happy if she couldn't bear his children. Elizabeth said another prayer and let the tears fall before wiping her face and going back to her writing. When she pulled out her manuscript, she realized that she only had five copies. She could have sworn she had typed a sixth, but she must have miscounted. She set up the typewriter and went about making a sixth and seventh copy.
When Jack got to town, he talked to Bill about how he was feeling. He wanted to gauge how he was doing before he sent McGinty back to Benson Hills. Jack also talked to Bill about how he was doing and would he feel that he could physically back him up. Bill admitted that he didn't feel one hundred percent and that he was still having trouble moving his arm. Bill asked about Jack's leg. Jack let him know that it still hurts from time to time. Together they agreed to wire Captain Rushman and request that McGinty remain for at least one more week and if that wasn't possible until a replacement could arrive. They let Rushman know that neither was at one hundred percent and didn't want safety compromised. It didn't take long for Jack to get a response back from Captain Rushman. He agreed to let McGinty stay another week. He let them know that it would be easier to have him stay instead of sending someone else and getting them up to speed. When Jack had gotten the word back from Captain Rushman, he went to talk to Bill and then together they went to talk to McGinty. He agreed that if neither was one hundred percent that it was best that he stay there and help.
Jack also wired Wynn to let him know that he was back at work, part time, but McGinty was staying as neither him or Bill were one hundred percent. Jack felt good about McGinty staying for the week, especially with his birthday coming and he wasn't sure how he was going to be that week. Jack knew that he wasn't always in the best head space around his birthday and with everything else that had happened, it might have been worse that year. At least Jack knew that. He talked to Bill a little about things and Bill agreed that it was better that McGinty be around to help and they would see how things were the following Saturday.
