Chapter 143 – Frog Soup

It was about a half hour after Jack had been at the cafe, that Elizabeth, Patty and Elizabeth Rose said their goodbyes and headed to the house. They hadn't gone far when several of Elizabeth's students came up to them.

"Are we really going back to class on Monday?" Timmy asked.

"Yes we are." Elizabeth said. "There will be some changes, especially since we will have new students, but you will be back in class all day."

Miles looked at the others and smirked.

"I told you." Miles said.

"What are the changes?" Timmy asked.

"Boys, you remember Mrs Delaney." Elizabeth said.

The boys nodded.

"She will be helping in the classroom." Elizabeth said.

"Also." Elizabeth Rose said. "This is my friend Miss Winters. She will also be helping in the classroom this next week. The two of us along with the other Mrs Thornton will be helping in the afternoons, so that this Mrs Thornton can help Mountie Jack as he recovers."

Elizabeth saw the look that the four boys exchanged. She knew exactly what they were thinking. Elizabeth knew that they were going to try and pull what they pulled with Mrs Blakely when she covered for her in January. She could see that the boys were planning, thinking that they would be off in the afternoons.

"I am going to say this right now." Elizabeth said in her teacher's voice. "Don't even think of trying what you pulled when I went to Hamilton in January. So no frogs. No snakes. No bugs."

Patty and Elizabeth Rose exchanged a look and then with straight faces turned to the boys.

"Mrs Delaney." Patty said. "What was it that you did to my brother when he brought a frog to class? I remember part of the story, but I never remember what you did."

Elizabeth Rose put her hand to her chin thinking back.

"Oh, that is right." Elizabeth Rose said. "I had forgotten about that. I made him sorry he chose to bring a frog to scare the girls. Never had another problem with that group of boys after that."

Elizabeth Rose let out a small chuckle.

"W... w…what did you do?" Albert asked with wide eyes.

"Did you make him frog soup for lunch?" Elizabeth asked.

"That is right." Elizabeth Rose said. "He didn't like it either."

"But he never brought another frog to school." Patty said.

"Beth, dear." Elizabeth Rose said. "Do you think Abigail knows how to make frog soup?"

"If not." Elizabeth said. "You two can teach her."

"I think that is a splendid idea." Patty said.

"Think about it boys." Elizabeth said. "Now, I suggest that you run home before you get in trouble for being late for supper."

"See you boys in class." Patty waved as the boys ran off.

As the trio turned toward the row houses, Patty started laughing.

"I don't think we will have any trouble with the boys this week." Patty said.

"I am pretty sure that you have them reconsidering any plans." Elizabeth laughed.

"So what exactly happened when you came to Hamilton?" Elizabeth Rose asked.

"Florence Blakely offered to take the class while I was gone." Elizabeth said. "It didn't take long and some of the boys brought a snake to school again. She left and refused to go back. Cat Montgomery ended up taking the class until after the Monday after I was back. Florence is nice, but she is not cut out to handle multiple children at once, not even her own. Only reason that she had the classroom was because she offered before I could ask Cat."

"So it wasn't the first time that one of the boys had brought a snake?" Patty asked.

"No." Elizabeth said. "Caleb Dunbar had brought one when we were still in the saloon. His mother had started seeing one of the new miners and he didn't like it. This wasn't long after I arrived and the children were still struggling missing their fathers."

"What happened?" Patty asked.

"It got out of the bag that Caleb had it in." Elizabeth said. "I saw it and screamed. That led to others screaming. Jack heard the screaming and came in. He picked up the snake and removed it. I had a conversation with Caleb afterwards and he was sorry. We talked about why he did it and he promised to not do it again."

"Boys." Elizabeth Rose said.

"Yes." Patty said. "They like to push the boundaries. My brothers were so bad."

"How many brothers do you have?" Elizabeth asked.

"Three older and four younger." Patty said. "There are also two older sisters and one younger."

"Wow." Elizabeth said, as she counted on her fingers. "Eleven kids. I can't even imagine."

"It wasn't so bad." Patty said. "The older ones helped with the younger ones. There is a sixteen year age difference between the youngest and oldest. My parents married young and by the time that they were your age, had three and one on the way."

Elizabeth shook her head.

"Jack wants a large family." Elizabeth said. "I told him we would take it one at a time and see."

Elizabeth Rose and Patty laughed.

"Yeah." Patty said. "That was what my parents said. Then they had two and one on the way by their second anniversary. The biggest age gap between any of us is between me and my younger brother and that is almost three years. But Mom lost two in there as well."

"I am sorry." Elizabeth said.

"Nothing to be sorry about." Patty said. "It happens."

Elizabeth could tell that Patty didn't want to talk about it, so she dropped it.

"Do I have to ask, if you don't mind." Elizabeth said. "How old are you and how did you end up in protection services?"

"I don't mind." Patty said. "I am just past my twenty-eighth birthday and my father was and older brothers are all in protection services. It only seemed natural for me to follow them. I was always chasing after my brothers and doing what they were doing. They taught me how to ride and shoot. Father encouraged me to take the test and I passed it just after my nineteenth birthday."

"So you never want to get married and have a family of your own?" Elizabeth asked.

Patty stopped and took a deep breath.

"I am sorry." Elizabeth said. "I shouldn't have asked. I forget sometimes and ask questions that are too personal."

"No it is okay." Patty said. "Your aunt knows. I was born with a condition that makes it impossible for me to bear children. I never thought it was fair to ask a man to spend his life with me when I couldn't give him children. Maybe that was why I was always chasing after my brothers. I never felt like a girl because I didn't develop like a girl."

"I am sorry." Elizabeth said. "I am also sorry if I upset you with my questions."

"No it is okay." Patty said. "I am sure that it is only natural since you are a newlywed who is also expecting."

"Just don't shut the door on love." Elizabeth said. "Thought that I was going to have to choose between my love of teaching and getting married. Then I met Jack."

"They are so perfect for each other." Elizabeth Rose said. "They haven't known each other for a year, but you would never know."

"Thank you for sharing." Patty said. "But I think that marriage is not in the cards for me."

The rest of the walk to the house was quiet. When they got to the house, Patty looked around and saw a few children playing in the field. She also saw where the men were working across the field building new houses. She also noticed the tent in the side yard.

"Whose tent?" Patty asked.

"Jack's mother, Charlotte." Elizabeth said. "She likes being outside. We want her to come in with everything going on, but she is stubborn."

"And you are not, Beth." Elizabeth Rose teased.

Elizabeth just scrunched up her nose. They went into the house and Elizabeth immediately went to the kitchen. She saw that Jack had put the roast in.

"What else were you going to make?" Elizabeth Rose asked.

"Potatoes." Elizabeth said. "Maybe some biscuits and gravy."

Patty came over to Elizabeth.

"Why don't you go lay down." Patty said. "We will finish up dinner."

"You know what." Elizabeth said. "That sounds good. Please come wake Jack and I, when supper is ready if we aren't down."

"I will. I promise." Elizabeth Rose said.

Elizabeth looked around the house one more time and then headed up the stairs to her room with Jack. After Elizabeth had gone upstairs, Patty turned to her friend.

"Is she going to be okay?" Patty asked.

"Yes." Elizabeth Rose said. "Beth is strong, but she has been through more than most with Jack. It doesn't help that her father is acting like an ass."

"Let's sit and talk a bit before we get supper going." Patty said.

"Okay." Elizabeth Rose said.

Elizabeth Rose took a deep breath and proceeded to tell Patty everything that had happened since Elizabeth had arrived in then Coal Valley including how her family treated her and the trouble that was caused. Elizabeth Rose told her about Julie coming causing trouble and being taken by the Tolliver gang. She told Patty about the problems that William caused after that to Jack being transferred and then coming back to find out his ex fiance had showed up after lying to headquarters. She talked about the injuries that Jack received and the fact that Elizabeth had struggled with her fears before they were married only to have Jack injured more than not since the new year.

"Wow." Patty said.

"You see why Beth is struggling." Elizabeth Rose said. "She just found out that she is expecting and her father told her that marrying a Mountie will lead to nothing but heartbreak and she will be left a widow with a bunch of children that she can't care for. Grant I think he said a bunch of brats running around."

"Can I smack William Thatcher?" Patty asked. "I have never liked the way he spoke to his wife or daughters. I mean he pays great, but I made a decision that the money wasn't worth it."

"You don't need to tell me." Elizabeth Rose said. "He is my brother and I hate to admit that most of the time. Him and I had it out back in January when Jack and Beth were in Hamilton, but apparently he didn't learn because he is back to causing trouble. When I get back to Hamilton, he and I are going to have a sit down talk and I am going to make it clear that if he doesn't back off, he will have me to deal with."

Patty nodded because she understood that William Thatcher would be doing the listening and Elizabeth Rose would be doing the talking in that sit down.

"I understand." Patty said. "I will do everything that I can to protect you, Elizabeth and this town. You all have been through enough. I don't know a lot about what is going on, but that is fine."

"Ask Wynn." Elizabeth Rose said. "I am sure that he could tell you. All I know is that there was an escaped prisoner and he had made threats against Wynn while he was in prison. There was also a man that fired a shot near the house here this morning. I don't know if it is related or a separate situation. Then there is the whole mess that the former mayor left that Wynn is trying to work on. It is a lot and I have a feeling that Wynn won't be leaving until it is resolved."

"Got it." Patty said. "Eyes and ears open at all times."

The ladies moved to the kitchen to work on supper as they continued to talk.