Chapter 203 – Standoff Between Jack and Charlotte
Jack sat down with his eyes closed. He took a couple deep breaths and then opened his eyes.
"If you think it is absolutely needed." Jack sighed.
"I do." Jacobs said. "I can see if she can come out and see you today."
"I will be here." Jack said.
While Jack rested, Jacobs and Elizabeth cleaned up from the treatments.
"Elizabeth." Jacobs said. "I will be back later. I want Jack to start walking a little more, but I am concerned about his hip pain. I am going to have Faith come out and check it out. It could be from where he fell when he was thrown from his horse, but I would still feel better having her check it out."
"I agree." Elizabeth said. "This is the first that I have heard about hip pain."
Elizabeth looked down and felt some color come to her cheeks, but she took a deep breath and looked at Jacobs.
"This isn't something I did?" Elizabeth asked. "Jack and I have been together a few times this week and I have leaned on him."
"I doubt it." Jacobs said. "Don't be embarrassed, but Faith may ask you some additional questions. Please be honest with her and hopefully she can find the source of Jack's pain."
"Thank you." Elizabeth said. "I think that my aunt and them were planning on us having a late lunch if you wanted to join us."
"I will see." Jacobs said. "You should enjoy some time with your family. I might stop out with Faith or I will be back later to check on Jack."
"Just know that you are more than welcome anytime for a meal." Elizabeth said.
"Thank you." Jacobs said. "I promise to take you up on that before I leave."
"I will hold you to that." Elizabeth said.
"See you both later." Jacobs said.
Jacobs left as Jack settled on the settee. After Elizabeth made sure the door was latched, she came and sat next to Jack.
"Why didn't you tell me that I hurt you?" Elizabeth asked.
"I guess I didn't realize it." Jack said. "I don't want you to feel bad. Jacobs noticed it in the way that I was moving. That was why he wanted a moment to ask me about things without embarrassing you. I admitted that we had been intimate and that was when the pain started. He then wanted to know how my breathing was during and after. He wanted to know if I was able to regain my breathing within an acceptable time and if I noticed any additional breathing problems since we have been together. The answer is that other than that one time, my breathing has been fine. I am not upset with you. I didn't even think about the hip pain until Jacobs asked."
"Okay." Elizabeth said. "I get it, I will try to be more careful from now on, but if something hurts, you need to let me know so we can adjust."
"I promise." Jack said.
Jack and Elizabeth settled on the settee and were just getting comfortable when there was a knock at the door. Before Elizabeth could even get up, Dee and Charlotte both walked in.
"Sorry." Dee said. "I just wanted to give you a heads up. I ran into Jacobs on my way back. He said he would be back later."
"Yes." Jack said. "I will talk to you more about it later."
"What is going on?" Charlotte asked as she sat down in one of the armchairs.
"He just noticed a few tender spots." Jack said. "He wants Faith to check them out, just to make sure that it is nothing to be concerned about. My breathing is a lot better and he is talking about me coming back to the office a couple hours a day maybe next week."
"Do you really think that is wise?" Charlotte asked.
"I know my limits." Jack said. "Besides, it will be just sitting in the office, catching up on paperwork for a few hours. I know that there is no way that I can ride right now. I will listen to Faith and not push it."
"I don't think it is wise for you to be back to work so soon." Charlotte said.
Jack took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
"Noted." Jack said. "I appreciate your concern, but it is not up to you."
Charlotte huffed, but didn't argue with Jack. Everyone sat there in silence for a moment.
"Dee." Jack said. "Did you get those wires off? Did you learn anything?"
"I got the wires off to headquarters." Dee said. "But I didn't hear back. I am sure that I will later. It will take some time to do some checking."
"What are you talking about?" Charlotte asked.
"Work." Jack said.
Elizabeth put her hand on Jack's arm as she heard the tone that he had used with his mother. Jack looked at her and sighed. He knew that he was getting worked up, but he also knew what his mother was doing and he was trying to not pick a fight with her. Dee noticed the tension as well.
"Mom and Patty should be here shortly." Dee said. "I think that Dad and Andrew might be coming with them. I saw them all outside the saloon when I was in town."
"And they are getting what we need for the meal?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes." Dee said. "I told Mom that she needed to get the meat, veggie and potatoes. I think that she is also bringing another loaf of bread from Abigail. Patty might head back in and help Abigail as they gave Ann the weekend off since her husband is back from Rock Creek."
"That is fine." Elizabeth said. "I can help with the preparations if needed."
"So can I." Dee said. "It might have been awhile, but I still know my way around the kitchen. Mom made sure I was capable."
"I know." Elizabeth said. "Which is more than my mother did."
"Beth." Dee said. "Your mother didn't know any better. She grew up having servants and probably doesn't know her own way around the kitchen. She tried to give you a life of ease, but that was never you."
"You are right." Elizabeth said. "I didn't mean it that way. I just never realized how much I missed out on until I came out here and saw a different way of life."
"And now that you know." Jack said. "We can do better with our children, all of them."
Jack looked at his mother when he said the last part.
"You are right." Elizabeth said. "I want all my kids to be able to take care of themselves, even if they never have to financially."
"Best of both worlds." Jack said.
Jack gave Elizabeth a kiss on her nose and then turned her so she could lean on his chest and it was a little more comfortable for him.
"So are you going to give up this nonsense of taking in two girls who need more help then you can give them." Charlotte said. "You can't even build your house yourself. You are laid up because you refused to ask for help and now you are wanting to take on even more."
Jack closed his eyes and let out a harsh breath. When he opened his eyes, he looked at Elizabeth.
"I love you." Jack whispered. "We are together in this, but I will deal with this."
"I love you." Elizabeth said.
With that, Elizabeth got up and went to her writing desk. She was close enough that she could hear and respond, but far enough that she was going to try and not get involved. Once Jack saw that Elizabeth was seated at her desk, he turned and glared at his mother.
"I am only going to say this once." Jack said. "We are going to take those girls and all that it entails. I loved them as much as the child that Elizabeth is carrying. The fact that they are not only blood related to me, but also the daughters of a fellow brother in arms, only makes me love them more. We were asked to raise them as their father would have wanted and Elizabeth and I are going to honor that request. I might have never met Inspector Russell, but from everything that I have learned, he was a Mountie and a man above reproach. I see it as an honor to be asked to raise his girls. From everything that I have learned, he wouldn't have hesitated if the situations were reversed. If it had been me who left a child or children behind, he would have been the first to jump in and offer to help in any way that was needed. The fact that it was his own wife who had a hand in his death only makes it more tragic. I will do anything I can to make sure that those girls know that they are loved and wanted. They deserve that. I know that it won't be easy, but Elizabeth and I are committed to doing it. Will our lives look different then we had planned when we got married a few months ago? Yes, but that is okay. It may be different than what we thought, but that doesn't make it bad."
Jack and Charlotte sat there staring at each other. Dee and Elizabeth both could feel the tension filling the room. Needing to do something, Elizabeth got up and got water heating to do some laundry.
"Why do you have to take them?" Charlotte asked. "Why can't one of the Russells other kids take the girls or are they too high and mighty to take the children of a Mountie? Or is it because they have no blood relation to the girls? Why are you stuck raising children that aren't yours and who will need more attention then you can give them."
Dee could see Jack getting worked up and didn't want him to say something that he would regret.
"Charlotte Thornton." Dee said. "You are so out of line. Andy Russell loved his sisters, but he also knew that he didn't want his girls to live like that. He wanted his girls to be raised in the tradition of the Mounties. He wanted more for his girls than to marry a rich man. He wanted them to experience life, like he didn't so much as a child. He wanted them to know the joys of running in the grass and sitting under a shade tree. The simple joys that he didn't realize that he missed until he became a Mountie and was stationed in Halifax and on Prince Edward Island. He was in the process of looking for his birth family when he was killed. He knew what his birth father's last name was and he knew that there was a Constable Thornton. He didn't know if they were related, but I do know that at the time of his death, Inspector Russell was in the process of making plans to come and talk to Jack to see if they were related. I truly believe that if Inspector Russell had met Jack, he would have asked Jack himself to consider taking guardianship of the girls if anything happened.
Andy loved his parents and the life that they provided for him, but from a young age, he knew he was called to more. He made the choice to join the Mounties when he was ten years old and did join the academy when he was sixteen. He graduated the day after his seventeenth birthday and took the Inspectors exam the week of his twenty-first birthday becoming one of the youngest Inspectors ever in the Royal Northwest Mounted Police. Andy did more for the Mounties in four years then most people do in their entire careers. As a Constable in Halifax, Andy solved several old cases because he saw a pattern that others missed.
Dad had thought about taking Andy under his wing and mentoring him so that he could one day potentially be Commissioner of the entire force. His death hurt more than just those girls and the Russell family. Andy's death is a huge loss for the entire force and the entire country. One thing that Andy did before he died was to take a large portion of his trust fund and set up a fund to help children who lost a Mountie father in the line of duty. He set it up so that children will be taken care of for years to come. He also convinced others in the society circle that the charity was a worthy cause and it has committed donors for the next five years. Working at headquarters, I have seen the fund set up and it is amazing. It will provide everything from basic needs to continued education for children of Mounties.
As far as your concerns about the girls, they will be fine. Yes, they miss their dad, but from what I heard from my father, you should have seen them Jack and Beth. Both girls took to those two immediately. What they need more than anything is a loving environment, where they feel safe. I am sure that Jack and Beth will be able to provide that in spades. Will they have other help with the children? Yes, as is their right. Anyone who doesn't agree with them hiring a nanny to help them isn't worth the time day. Jack and Beth will be the best thing for those two little girls. They will love them and raise them to be confident young women who will change the world. I have no doubt that not only those two girls, but all of Jack and Beth's children will change the world. How can they not with amazing people raising them to know what is important.
You need to figure out where you stand. If you chose to stand against Jack and Beth in their decision to take the girls, then you are going to be the one to lose. I admit that it won't be easy to begin with and that the timing isn't the greatest, but that doesn't mean that they should turn their backs on those two little girls. From what Jack has told me, he has felt a deep connection to the girls from the moment that he saw them on the train."
"Thank you, Dee." Jack said.
Jack stood up, walked over to Elizabeth and whispered something to her. She then went upstairs and Jack came back to sit in a chair facing his mother. No one spoke while they waited for Elizabeth to come back downstairs. Jack and Charlotte stared at each other. Dee put his head in hands and was praying. He just hoped that he hadn't overstepped when he spoke up. He didn't fully understand why Jack and Elizabeth wanted the girls so badly, but he trusted Jack and Elizabeth enough to know that one it wasn't about the money from the girls and two that they truly believed in their hearts that they were meant to have the girls. Elizabeth came downstairs and then pulled up a chair so she was sitting next to Jack. Dee still had his head down as he sat on the settee between Jack and Charlotte. He looked up for a moment when he heard Elizabeth's chair.
"You want to know why I feel so strongly that we have made the right decision about the girls." Jack said. "This is why."
Jack held up an old sketchbook, but before he could say anything more there was a knock at the door. Dee immediately jumped up and opened it to see his mother, father, brother-in-law and Patty.
"Come in." Dee said.
Elizabeth Rose, Wynn, Andrew and Patty all walked into the house. They immediately sensed the tension.
"We can come back." Wynn said.
"No, stay." Jack said, without looking away from his mother.
"Jack was just trying to explain why we feel so strongly that we need to take the Russell girls." Elizabeth said.
"I will get the food going." Patty said. "Then I am going to head back to help Abigail."
Patty and Elizabeth Rose went to the kitchen to get lunch started. Dee directed his father and Andrew to have a seat and he grabbed Elizabeth's desk chair and sat down.
"You don't have to explain to me." Wynn said. "I trust you to make the right choice."
"Thank you for that." Elizabeth said. "But apparently Charlotte here is still having a hard time accepting that we know what we are doing."
"Let's back up a moment." Wynn said. "Andrew, you remember Beth. This is her husband Corporal Jack Thornton."
"Nice to meet you." Andrew said. "I can leave if you want me to."
"No." Elizabeth said. "Because if everything works out, this will affect you as well. But we will talk about that more later. I also know that Uncle Wynn said you have paperwork for us. I have other paperwork that I would like you to look at."
"How about we back up and make sure that everyone is on the same page." Wynn said.
