Chapter 216 – Wynn Reflects
After he left the saloon, Wynn headed to the cafe. He wanted to check and make sure everything was fine there. Before he went into the cafe, Wynn took a moment. He sat on the porch of the cafe and looked out over the town. There was still light rain falling, but it was definitely slowing down, but he knew that the sky held a threat of more rain overnight and into the next day. Wynn closed his eyes for a moment. He was tired and frustration had gotten the best of him the last few days. As much as he loved this little town, he wanted things to be better. He knew that he was going to have to return to reality even if everything wasn't resolved here in Hope Valley. He knew that the earliest he would be leaving would be the following weekend. For Wynn it didn't seem like enough time to resolve all the issues that he was dealing with. He knew that he had a good team of men around him, but the task they faced still seemed near impossible.
"Sir." A voice said.
Wynn opened his eyes and shook his head to put his thoughts aside.
"Yes." Wynn said.
"Are you okay, Sir?" The cadet said.
"Yes." Wynn said. "I was just taking a moment to myself. What are you doing Cadet Harris?"
"I was checking the closed businesses." Harris said. "Sheriff Avery and Constable McGinty assigned me to patrol through town. With so many people in town, they wanted to make sure that everything was secure. I know that the cafe is still open for a little bit, but I also decided to check the buildings not in use. I didn't want someone breaking in, looking for shelter and causing additional problems."
"Very good of you." Wynn said.
"Thank you, Sir." Harris said. "My uncle is a Mountie and always taught me to not just do the minimum."
"Who is your uncle?" Wynn said. "I didn't realize you were a legacy."
"Because I would never use my uncle's name to advance my career." Harris said. "The other reason, he is my mother's brother and until two years ago, I had been estranged from him. After my mother died, my father cut us off from her family. He disowned me when I told him that I wanted to be a Mountie."
"Do you have a moment to sit?" Wynn asked.
Harris looked around and then took a seat across from Wynn.
"So again." Wynn said. "Who is your uncle? I know that you would never use his name to advance your career, I was just curious."
"My uncle is Inspector Oscar Lambert." Harris said. "He is my mother's older brother. When my mother married my father, an up and coming businessman in Montreal, he didn't like her family. From what I understand, my mother had little contact with her family after getting married. When my mother died when I was seven, my father completely cut us off from her family. A year later when he got remarried, he acted like my mother never existed. I was sent away for school. I started making inquiries with people about my mother's family.
Two years ago, I was on a trip with some school friends and saw a Mountie that I knew I knew. The last day that we were going to be in Toronto, I went up to him and asked him his name. Then I asked if he had a sister named Olive, he looked at me. Especially since no one other than her family called her that. She had used her middle name of Helen when she married my father. He was stunned that I was in Toronto. He gave me his address and I started writing to him and he wrote back. Six months after we started writing, I left school and joined the Mounties."
"Your uncle is a very good Mountie." Wynn said.
"Thank you." Harris said.
"Would you like to serve with him?" Wynn asked.
"Ideally." Harris said. "I wouldn't mind serving with my uncle, but in reality, I want to be out of the city. I never liked being in the city for long periods of time. I wouldn't mind serving in a place like this. A bit of modern convenience but still plenty of rural areas to be out in nature. I wouldn't even mind heading up North after a few years of experience."
"No sweetheart?" Wynn asked.
"No, Sir." Harris said. "As the oldest son of an Irish Catholic family, I was always taught that I was to be a priest. I was in a seminary prep school when I joined the Mounties. Girls were never a part of my life. I would have no idea about how to talk to a girl if I even had an interest in her."
"Don't shut yourself off." Wynn said. "But I understand where you are coming from. Thank you for being honest with me. I will let you get back to your work."
"Thank you." Harris said.
He stood and saluted Wynn, then turned and left. After Harris left, Jack's words about doing better for the young men came back to him. He made a note to talk to Jack more about that. At the moment, Wynn knew that changing the culture of the Mounties was going to be hard. He also knew that many Mounties married and did fine. Were there cases like the Thorntons? Yes, but there would always be death, no matter the profession.
"Are you okay?" Patty asked.
"Yes." Wynn said. "I was just talking to Cadet Harris. He gave me something to think about. It has been such a long day. I take that back. It has been a long month and it is starting to wear on me."
"I understand that." Patty said. "Not that I don't mind taking this job. But the grind was getting to me after an intense trip to Europe. That was why I was headed to Vancouver for some time off. The plan was after seeing some friends in Vancouver for a few days, I was going to take a boat down to San Francisco and then I would journey back toward New York on a train. From there, I would travel north again. I was supposed to be gone for two months."
"I am sorry." Wynn said.
"No." Patty said. "Nothing to be sorry about. This has been one of the best protection jobs that I have taken in the last three years. I love being with the townspeople. Helping at the school is wonderful. Yes, there have been challenges, but in the bigger picture of things, this has been one of the easiest protection jobs. The town is amazing and I love getting to know the children. Honestly, I could see myself leaving the protection service for a place like this. If I could get a long term job through the protection service in a small town I would love that. I just have never been offered that before."
Wynn nodded. He had an idea, but he wasn't ready to act on it.
"How were things here in town today?" Wynn asked.
"It was busy." Patty said. "But overall it was good. I heard about Bill and Charlotte's argument in the street. I tried talking to her, but she has dug in her heels. I don't get why she is so against Jack and Elizabeth taking those girls. I mean if I learned that I had some blood relations out there and I was in a position to take them in. I know I would in a heartbeat."
"I think it is more than that." Wynn said. "I knew Thomas. He didn't talk much about his family and the little he did wasn't good. I know that Thomas' mother was very strict and had her own ideas about things. The reality is that her son had a child out of wedlock. He wanted nothing to do with the child and the mother was young and unable to care for the child, so she did the right thing. She found a family that would love and take care of the child.
I think Charlotte is threatened by the money. Not only does Beth have money, but now both of those girls will have untold wealth. Charlotte came from a dirt poor family and lifted herself up through education. Married to a Mountie, they never had a lot of money. Now she sees her son married to one of the wealthiest young heiresses in the country. I don't think that she knows what to do about it."
"But money was never a huge thing to Elizabeth." Patty said. "From what I can see, she doesn't care about it. She would rather live a simple life and use her money to help other people."
"And that is true." Wynn said. "I think it is just the fact that they have access to more money then Charlotte can wrap her head around. Beth has never cared about the money. If she cared about money, she never would have become a teacher or come out here. She has said more than once, she came out here to escape the trappings of Hamilton. She hates high society life. Can she dress up and play the part for a short time? Absolutely. Is she miserable the entire time? Without a doubt.
Beth is never more happy than when she is curled up in front of a fire with a book or a notepad to write. Jack is the best thing ever for Beth. Jack and Beth would be completely fine if the money disappeared. They want to live their life here in Hope Valley with the same values that they have come to love about this town."
"I see that." Patty said. "I just don't know how we can get that across to Charlotte."
"I don't either." Wynn said. "I just know that if Charlotte doesn't soften her stance, she is going to be the one to lose. Beth hasn't said anything, but she is very protective and if she feels that Charlotte is being unfair to those two girls, especially after the baby comes, she won't hold back. Jack is also stubborn. He knows what it is like to be treated differently.
After Thomas' death Charlotte moved the boys in with her brother and family. Her brother's in-laws did that to Jack and Tommy. Every Christmas, every birthday, and every family gathering. Jack and Tommy were left out by them. I know that it hurt Jack and I know that he will never allow it to happen to his kids. That is another reason that I gave Jack an indefinite posting here. This town loves them and will support them. That is what they are going to need this coming year."
"I understand." Patty said. "I have been to many places because of my job, and I have never found a place like Hope Valley. I can think of other places that are special, but they only have a few of the qualities that are quite present in Hope Valley. This is the only place that seems to check off all the boxes. I also know that loving, caring, protective of their own attitude that pervades the very foundation of this place has been borne out of pain, heartache and tragedy. They understand the importance of loving and living and are not afraid to do either. I have been hoping and praying that magic that is Hope Valley will find a way to work on Charlotte. But I have a feeling that it is going to take a lot more than that and I don't know what it will be. Ann said that the way that Charlotte is being, it will take a true miracle to move her stubborn heart."
Wynn looked at Patty.
"Ann and her family stopped by for supper." Patty said. "She had witnessed the argument between Bill and Charlotte. That is when we talked for a bit and she said that about Charlotte."
"Then that is what we are going to have to pray for." Wynn said. "As you heard, Elizabeth Rose and I will always stand with Jack and Beth. We made that decision a long time ago and the recent actions of my asinine brother-in-law won't change that. If anything it only strengthens our resolve to be there for Beth."
"I know what you mean." Patty said. "That is why my brothers and I stopped taking jobs for William Thatcher. He paid great, but we didn't like the way that he treated the women around him. Even my brothers felt that the girls deserved better."
Just then Elizabeth Rose came out.
"Shall we head over?" Elizabeth Rose asked. "Abigail is all set for the morning. The kids are in bed. She was going to finish up a few things and head to bed herself."
"Then yes." Wynn said. "We can head over. Tomorrow is going to be another long day."
Elizabeth Rose nodded. The group walked to the saloon. As they got closer, they could hear the music and loud voices.
"Please tell me you still have some cotton?" Wynn asked.
"Of course I do, dear." Elizabeth Rose said. "But I was hoping that you didn't want it right away. I was hoping to talk."
Wynn looked at his wife and smiled.
"Of course we can talk." Wynn said.
"Good." Elizabeth Rose said.
As they walked in, Wynn and Elizabeth Rose headed for the stairs and Patty headed to sit with Bill and Charlotte. She thought that maybe she could play a hand or two.
Doug got back to the house and even though the guards looked at him funny, they didn't say anything. He went up the steps, knocked and then went in. He knew that he probably could just have walked in, but that wasn't how he was taught and it wasn't his home.
"Sorry, it took longer." Doug said. "Joe caught me at the livery and he wanted an update on Jack."
"That is fine." Dee said. "Dishes are done, I have changed the sheets and even folded the laundry that Mom did earlier."
Dee was sitting at the table with his sketchbook.
"What are you working on?" Doug asked, walking over.
"Something for the play room." Dee said. "Jack is going to turn one room upstairs into a playroom for the kids. I was trying to do a mural for the wall. Growing up, Beth had a mural on the wall of her playroom that was inspired by Grimms Fairy Tales. I also know that there is one at the Russell mansion. I thought if I could combine the two, then the girls might feel more welcome."
"Russells?" Doug asked. "That is the two girls that everyone is talking about. The ones that Jack and Elizabeth are going to take."
"Yes." Dee said. "You know about the history, right?"
"Yes." Doug said. "Jack wrote to me about saving them on the train. He also wrote about seeing them in January and how he is related to them."
"Yes." Dee said. "The grandfather has asked Jack and Beth to take the girls. That is what has Charlotte's knickers in a twist."
"I am sure." Doug said. "So show me this sketch."
"I know that that one that Beth had was mostly the animals." Dee said. "I am thinking that the one at the Russell mansion is the princesses. I was trying to figure out how to combine them."
"How about taking one or two of the princesses." Doug said. "Adding Mounties instead of knights and then adding some bunnies, birds and other small animals. You could use the castle from Sleeping Beauty."
"Oh I like that." Dee said. "What if I turned the girls into princesses and used the view of the mountains."
"Then we could be the Mounties." Doug said.
"Love it." Dee said. "I will work on it. You know that you might have to come back and help do this."
"Of course." Doug said. "If your dad can get me stationed closer, even better."
"We will deal with that on Monday." Dee said.
The two sat there and worked on different sketches for the mural. Dee also shared more about what had been going on and the things they still needed to resolve. They took turns going upstairs. It was close to midnight when Doug decided to turn in. Dee promised to wake him in a few hours so they both would get some sleep. After Doug went to bed, Dee worked on other paperwork and did two more sketches related to the paperwork he was going through. Sometimes it helped him to draw the scene that was described in a report.
It was close to three in the morning when Dee heard Jack moaning in pain. Dee got up and made Jack some medicated tea. He then took it up and got his temperature before helping drink some of the tea. Jack thanked him and Dee helped him get settled again. Once he was sure Jack was settled, he picked up the tray and headed down. Dee then woke Doug.
"Feel free to grab any book on the shelves." Dee said. "There is paper in the bottom drawer of the writing desk, wake me in two hours. I just checked on Jack and gave him the medicated tea. He can't have any more for eight hours."
"Got it." Doug said.
Doug went to grab a book and Dee crawled onto the cot set up in the bedroom and promptly fell asleep. Doug checked on Jack when the alarm rang. He was glad that he was able to help. He was still worried about Jack, but at least he was trying to do something.
Overall, all things considered it was a good night. There were no fights at the saloon and people peacefully went home after Tom and Ian made a last call. The cadets patrolled through town before taking their shift as guards. The only thing that made it a little bit miserable was the distant rumbles of thunder and the drizzle that picked up in the early morning hours.
