Chapter 194 – An Unexpected, Unwanted Visitor
Elizabeth arrived at school and immediately set about getting a few things ready before she would sit to wait for her students. She read through the note from the previous afternoon. She looked over the lesson plans and tried to decide how much she was going to assign for homework. She then went about grading papers. She was almost caught up, but she knew that there would be more next week.
As Elizabeth was sitting grading the papers, she heard Pastor Frank moving around in his office. He didn't come over, so she wasn't worried. It was only when she heard someone knock on the side door did she jump. Before Elizabeth could react, she saw a man walk in.
"Excuse me." Elizabeth said. "Can I help you?"
Before the man could say anything more, both cadets had entered the schoolhouse.
"Sir." Cadet Morin said. "I am going to have to ask you to leave as there is no unauthorized personnel allowed."
By this time Pastor Frank had come over and moved to stand between the man and Elizabeth. He nodded to the cadet behind him to go get help. So Cadet Lewis slowly backed away and headed to town.
"Now." Morin said. "I am only going to ask you one more time to leave, before I will be forced to remove you."
"This is the Hope Valley School is it not?" The man said.
"What business do you have here?" Frank asked. "School is not in session yet and we weren't expecting anyone."
"I am looking for Miss Thatcher." The man said.
"What business do you have here?" Frank stated again.
The man stood there staring at Frank and the Cadet, not answering them. That was the scene that Bill, Charlotte, Aunt Elizabeth and Patty walked in on. Patty immediately moved to put herself between Elizabeth and the others. Bill walked right over to the man and stood toe to toe with him.
"I am Sheriff Avery." Bill said. "State your business or I will have you arrested."
"I am looking for Miss Thatcher." The man said.
"Well." Bill said. "Until you state your name and business, you won't be speaking to her."
Bill kept one hand on one of the pistols that he wore. Both Cadets had their guns drawn, but not pointed at the man. When the man just glared at Bill, it was Charlotte who stepped up next to Bill. She looked the man up and down, then studied his face for a moment.
"Do I know you?" Charlotte asked.
For the first time, the man looked at Charlotte. He looked her up and down and saw that she was wearing pants and carrying a pistol, which she had her hand on.
"I don't think so." The man stammered.
Charlotte glared at the man for another moment and then it was as if a light bulb went off.
"I know you." Charlotte said. "You are Thomas Higgins' son."
The man took a step back and glared at Charlotte.
"How do you know who I am?" The young Higgins stammered.
"Because I have had the unfortunate occasion of knowing your worthless father." Charlotte said. "So you will be asked for the last time, what business do you have here."
"My father sent me here to remove Miss Thatcher as teacher." Higgins said. "He said that she has questionable morals, keeping the company of several men in different cities."
"You will do no such thing." Charlotte glared. "You run back to your pathetic little father and tell him if he doesn't leave the Hope Valley school alone, he will have to deal with me, Charlotte Thornton."
"You can also tell him that he will be dealing with Elizabeth Delaney." Aunt Elizabeth said. "The wife of Royal Northwest Mounted Police Deputy Commissioner Wynn Delaney."
"Who is the teacher here?" Higgins demanded.
"I am." Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Aunt Elizabeth all said at once.
"This school has three teachers?" Higgins asked, confused.
"Right now it does." Charlotte said. "Also since this is an independent school, you have no real authority here."
"I am not leaving until I speak to Miss Thatcher." Higgins said.
"Well then you are going to be here for a long time." Elizabeth said. "There is no one here that goes by the name Thatcher."
"I want your names." Higgins demanded.
"Fine." Bill said. "As I stated, I am Sheriff Avery. This is Charlotte Thornton (pointing to Charlotte.). That is Elizabeth Delaney (pointing to Aunt Elizabeth). That is Royal Northwest Mounted Police Cadet Morin (pointing to Morin) and that is Royal Northwest Mounted Police Cadet Lewis (pointing to Lewis). That is Elizabeth Thornton and Patricia Winters (pointing to them as he said their names). The other man is Pastor Frank Hogan.
Now that you know who everyone is, you can leave. As you have been told, there is no unauthorized personnel allowed in the school and since we didn't know you were coming, you are unauthorized. This building was being guarded because it was ordered so, but Deputy Commissioner Delaney. If you have any further questions, you can address them to me or the mayor over at the jail. I am not going to allow you to disrupt the school day and the children will be arriving soon."
"I said I am not going anywhere until I speak to Miss Thatcher." Higgins said.
"Frank." Bill said.
"At your side." Frank said.
"Please help me escort this man to jail." Bill said.
"Gladly." Frank said.
"You have no reason to arrest me." Higgins said.
"Yes, I do." Bill said. "Creating a public disturbance and failure to follow orders."
"Either walk or we can drag you." Frank said.
"This isn't over." Higgins said. "I want to talk to the head of the school board."
"Fine." Bill said. "That can be arranged at the jail."
Bill took a step toward Higgins and Frank did as well, causing the man to step back. They continued to do that until he was back out the side door. Bill then turned and looked right at Lewis.
"Cadet Lewis." Bill called.
"Yes, Sir." Lewis said.
"Come outside," Bill said. "Close the door and stay outside this door until I get back, if I find out otherwise, I will not be happy."
"Yes, Sir." Lewis said.
Lewis did as Bill said as Bill and Frank walked Higgins to the jail.
Inside the schoolhouse, Charlotte turned to Morin.
"Go back to your post." Charlotte snapped. "I will also be talking to Jacobs about your failure to secure the school, allowing someone to enter unauthorized."
Morin quickly scrambled back outside and stood at the bottom of the steps. Aunt Elizabeth and Patty had both turned to Elizabeth.
"Are you okay?" Aunt Elizabeth asked.
"Yes." Elizabeth said, with a shaky voice.
"Here down." Patty said.
Elizabeth took a seat at her desk.
"Charles said he was going to come after my teaching certificate." Elizabeth said.
"Well." Aunt Elizabeth said. "He is going to have a serious fight on his hands. This will not be allowed. I will see to that personally."
"You don't understand." Elizabeth said.
"I completely understand." Charlotte said. "I told you if you had any problems with Higgins I would not allow it."
"What are you going to do?" Elizabeth asked.
"Don't worry about it." Charlotte said.
"Are you going to be okay teaching this morning?" Patty asked. "Or do you want us to take the class?"
"I will be okay." Elizabeth said. "But maybe if you could come a little early."
"We will do that." Patty said. "Now take a few minutes and collect yourself. I will stay outside until you ring the bell."
"Thank you." Elizabeth said.
"Charlotte." Aunt Elizabeth said. "Walk with me to the mercantile?"
"Gladly." Charlotte said. "I have a feeling we both have wires to send."
Charlotte and Aunt Elizabeth left. Patty watched the go, knowing that she should have gone with, but she was more worried about Elizabeth at the moment. Patty waited until the other two were down the aisle. Then she knelt in front of Elizabeth.
"Don't let him get to you." Patty said. "We will handle it. No one is going to allow anything to happen. Between your aunt, uncle, mother-in-law, Jacobs and myself, we will make sure everything is taken care of. You just focus on the students."
Elizabeth nodded. Patty looked at the clock.
"You have about fifteen minutes before the children arrive." Patty said. "I will be outside until then."
"Thank you." Elizabeth said.
After everyone had left, Elizabeth sat down and took a deep breath. She slowly let it out as she placed her hand on her belly. She had wanted to stand up to the man, but something inside of her told her that it was better to keep her mouth shut. She was never more grateful for Frank being right there and keeping an eye on her. She was also going to talk to her uncle and Jacobs about how they were guarding the school and how someone was able to slip in the side door.
What Elizabeth didn't know was that Patty had the same thoughts of how someone was able to slip in. While she was waiting, Patty had talked to Morin and learned that they had checked and made sure that Pastor Frank was in his office and they were usually in the front and would only be on the side if Frank was going to be gone. They would check around the building every half hour. Lewis had gone to the outhouse and Morin believed that was when the man slipped in. Patty was not happy and it was going to be known.
Once they had Jack settled, the three men headed back into town and Cadet James headed in to sit with Jack in case he needed something. They hadn't been sitting there long when there was a knock at the door. Cadet James went to get it and saw that it was McGinty. He snapped to a salute.
"Was there something that you needed, Sir." James asked.
"No." McGinty said. "Just checking in with my friend. I haven't been over here in days."
"He is resting in the bedroom downstairs." James said.
"I won't be long." McGinty said. "You can take up your post outside and I will let you know when I am ready to leave."
"Yes, Sir." James said.
McGinty exchanged a salute with the Cadet and saw him step outside. McGinty went in, pulling the door closed after him. He immediately went to the downstairs bedroom and knocked on the open door frame.
"You up for a visitor." McGinty said.
Jack smiled and waved him into the room. McGinty grabbed the chair, turned it around straddling it. He crossed his arms across the top of the back and leaned forward.
"You look better than I thought you would based on what I had heard." McGinty said.
"You should have seen me a few days ago." Jack said.
"So you are feeling better?" McGinty asked.
Jack nodded.
"Ribs are still a pain." Jack said. "But I am hoping that by the end of next week, I can maybe spend an hour or two in the office. I think that it is going to be several weeks before I can comfortably ride a horse."
"Not surprised." McGinty said. "You remember when I hurt my ribs the second week out of the academy. I was glad that I was in Hamilton at the time. I wasn't happy about being stuck in the office for six weeks, but it allowed me to heal."
"I had forgotten about that." Jack said. "So tell me what is really going on. I know that Wynn, Jacobs and Dee are trying to shield me, so I can heal. But I want to know how things have really been going. Also I want to hear the details of your busy trip to Buxton and Union City."
McGinty smiled and spent the next forty-five minutes filling Jack in on everything that had happened since he had arrived. Jack was glad that McGinty was there. He was also glad that Bill and McGinty were getting along. Jack loved hearing about rounds and how the people were coping with things. It gave Jack hope that things were really moving toward a better life for everyone.
