Chapter 6

Nathan immediately felt bad for shouting, having forgotten in the heat of the moment where he was and that there were children around, until hearing the cries from the lounge made him realise he had woken some of them. Motioning to Lucas to follow him down the hallway he wasn't surprised to hear a door behind him opening.

Elizabeth had felt a sudden rush of guilt when she realised that Lucas had disturbed Nathan. Certain that he had only offered to drive Allie over here so that he could see her she realised that she had actually ignored him since he arrived, even laughing behind his back at him. Standing up carefully so as not to disturb the surprisingly still sleeping Little Jack she hurried across to the door and stepped out into the hallway.

The two men were facing each other, their height much the same but whereas Lucas looked slight and somewhat foppish in his waistcoat and cravat, Nathan's muscles were flexed as his Henley hugged his body closely. She wished she had a fan to hand as she could feel the temperature rising within her but quickly pushed all such thoughts from her mind. This was neither the time nor the place, although she had to admit he was a handsome sight.

Conscious that her cheeks must be flushed she kept her eyes steady as she looked at both of them and spoke in a firm low voice, "Gentlemen, there are children asleep in there. Please lower your voices."

Nathan's eyes told her just how sorry he was and she could almost feel some of the tension being released from him but his expression when he looked back at Lucas was barely civil. In a quieter tone he spoke to the other man, "I told everyone that I did not want to be disturbed and you come knocking on the door and then just barge in. Whatever did you want in there that was so important?"

Lucas looked sheepishly down at his feet before replying, his voice almost inaudible. "I wanted to use the telephone. I suddenly remembered that I need to tell Gustav that he must order more of our good French cheese as I brought most of it here with me."

A tut of disapproval was Nathan's initial reply before he spluttered out in an irritated whisper, "Cheese! For goodness sake man there are more important things going on here than you and a cheese order!"

He turned to Elizabeth then, remembering that she was standing there, his manner a little more sympathetic towards her than it was to the saloon owner. "Please take your boyfriend somewhere where he can't get in the way of anyone." Turning on his heels he walked back into the office and closed the door, resisting the temptation to give it a slam but still using enough force to make it clear that he meant what he said about not being disturbed.

Lucas slunk back against the wall, trying to figure out what to say but Elizabeth found her voice first. "Lucas, whatever were you thinking? I know you were in the room when Nathan asked all that. Did you not listen?" He began to splutter a few words but she cut him off. "I think it is time we had a talk. I'm just going to check that Abigail and Grace can do without me for a while and then perhaps we can take a walk outside. The sky is actually clear now so although it is cold there is a crispness in the air that will probably do both of us some good".

She hurried back into the lounge, speaking quietly to Abigail about what was going on who, as friends do, told Elizabeth to take as long as was necessary. On the other side of the room Little Jack still slept, his head now resting on Allie's lap, the young girl having filled the position that she had vacated. Seeing the bond so clearly evident between them made Elizabeth's heart skip a beat, a sudden feeling of warmth washing over her. She didn't blame Nathan for being angry with Lucas, or with her for that matter, as it was clear that she was the reason he had come here after all. That it meant Allie being here was wonderful but she knew he hadn't brought her just out of the kindness of his heart. If truth be known, she had realised some time ago that all of Lucas's altruistic gestures usually had a benefit in them for him at their core, she just hadn't wanted to admit it.

Now as he held her coat out for her she looked at him perhaps properly for the first time since she had made her initial judgement when he arrived in Hope Valley and saw exactly the same thing as then. Was it because she had met men like him before that she thought she could use him to fight the battle that had been raging inside her for so long. Her anger at losing Jack matched by her fear of loving Nathan? There, she had said it to herself. She loved Nathan. Now she had to convince him of that. But first she needed to tell Lucas. Let him down gently. For he wasn't really a bad man, just somewhat mis-guided at times and too self-absorbed to really understand the meaning of real love. Out there somewhere was the right person who could teach him that, it just wasn't her.

Abigail could see them as they walked down the steps of the orphanage, the path around the front leading past the big window of the lounge. This was it. Her girl was finally taking that first step forward into her future. Not leaving her past behind entirely, for Jack would always be a part of whatever she did, but accepting that it was time for her to live again. To love again.

Outside the coldness was raw and yet Elizabeth found the tingling of her face refreshing. She knew her cheeks must be flushed red by now and yet somehow she felt she needed that. For the first time since Jack died she felt alive again, eager to greet each new day that was to come with an enthusiasm that had been missing for so long. She hoped that Nathan would want to be a part of that but if he was reluctant at first, and she wouldn't blame him after the way she had behaved, it was now her turn to fight for love.

They walked in silence for a while until they reached the big oak tree at the side of the orphanage. Elizabeth felt calm out here with snow all around, as though what she had to say would be more impactful because of the purity of their surroundings. Lucas looked unsure of what was about to happen and yet she had a feeling that deep down he already knew. Perhaps he had always known where her heart truly lay but was too stubborn to give up.

Abigail's words to her this morning still rang clear in her mind. "You know in your heart who is right for you, Elizabeth. You just have to accept it. It is not just about them loving you but about them understanding love. For loving a widow isn't easy. They need to know that you can hold enough love for two men. Be able to put aside their ego and know that your love for them is not threatened by the person who is no longer here. He has waited patiently for you, loved you when you haven't deserved it. It's time."

From the window of the small office all three of the occupants also watched the two figures descend the steps and walk across the fresh snow until they stopped beneath the tree and turned to face each other. Nathan's heart began to beat at a faster pace, as it always did when he saw Elizabeth and Lucas together. But this time he sensed a change, the distance between them clearly showing that something was different.

He could see Elizabeth's lips moving. There was a calmness to her bearing, almost a lightness, as though she was at ease with what she was saying. In contrast Lucas was hunched in the shoulders, his hands in the pockets of his coat, his head down. The schoolteacher and a naughty student was what came to mind.

Trying to ignore what was going on outside he turned towards Chloe and Lillian, wondering what was the best way to get this questioning back on track. Somehow the young girl looked even smaller than before and so he once again spoke in a soft, almost hushed tone, with no accusation or recrimination in his voice.

"What side of the door is the plant, Chloe?" It was the question that had remained unanswered when Lucas had interrupted them and yet he still felt it would tell him something about the girl. He wanted to put her back there in the farmhouse but not in the harsh way he would use with a hardened criminal by making them think about the event of which they were being accused. This was more gentle, an association with the plant as part of her normal life. But at the same time he needed to make her realise that he had not been fooled by her confession and that eventually the truth would come out. Better for that to happen now.

They sat in silence for a moment and it was almost as though he could see the workings of her mind as she thought about it, wondering what trickery there was in his question. She was a smart little girl, he thought. Something in life had made her wise to how other people, adults, would react to what she said or did. He knew about that from his childhood, always having to be cautious of the mood in the house and what his father would be like when he came home. Had there been trouble in the Scott family? Was this what it was all about?

As the time stretched on Chloe fidgeted more with her fingers until finally she laid her hands calmly on her knees and looked once again out of the window towards where Elizabeth and Lucas still stood talking.

"They were like them, you know. Always seemed as though everything was right but underneath that picture of a happy family it wasn't like that at all. Mummy was scared all the time. She would send us to our rooms when things got very bad but I could hear what they were saying. I knew what he was doing."

Nathan was surprised by the sudden openness of the girl. Keeping his face calm he gave a little nod, letting her know that he was listening. Had anyone else ever listened to her, he wondered, or had she been keeping this bottled up inside for a long time.

"Sometimes we were happy. When Daddy wasn't drinking or if he had won some money at the card tables." In his stomach Nathan sensed that old feeling return, the sickness and pain of being so helpless to change something. He had wanted to confront his father but his mother had insisted that he stay silent, that she would always make sure that they had a roof over their heads. She wouldn't let him take that away from them.

Now as he looked at Chloe properly he saw dark shadows on her leg just above the top of her sock. Another one visible at the cuff of her dress, a finger imprint as though someone had grabbed her hard. That was something he had never had to deal with for Archie Grant was not a violent man, even when he was drinking. How these children must have suffered.

When he raised his head up again she was watching him and the look of embarrassment on her face made his heart break. "Zoe, none of this is your fault, you have to realise that. Whatever happened that night it was a result of other people's actions." She nodded in reply, the tears once again threatening to slip from her eyes.

"Perhaps it is time for us to get something to eat and then you can tell me everything. None of you are in trouble, I just need to know the truth. Shall we do that?"

Lillian had watched the conversation in horror, wondering how they had not realised the background of these children or the injuries they carried. But she knew often it was the oldest of them who bore the brunt of an abusive parent, their natural instinct being to protect their younger siblings. Just like their mother would have tried to shelter them. As she thought about what they had done since their arrival she realised that both Chloe and Joe, had been quite private about others being around as they washed and dressed, clearly trying to hide what had been done to them. The others she knew were okay for at least one of them had been with them at bath time and nothing had been seen.

"Let me go and ask Mrs Winters to prepare three plates of food. We could eat in here so that no-one else disturbs us." She was almost out the door when she turned, "I'm guessing you would like coffee Nathan?" Without waiting for his reply she turned to Chloe, her voice gentle and warm, "and I think a mug of hot chocolate may be just what you need young lady."

Somehow the air in the room seemed different now, Nathan thought. As if by taking that small step towards lifting the weight she had been carrying had given Chloe the chance to finally breath again. Watching her as she stared out at the snowy landscape he thought about his own mother and what she had to deal with to keep them safe. She was a fierce warrior, there was no doubt, something he always admired in women. Abigail, Elizabeth, Lillian, Grace. From the little he could surmise Annie Scott came from the same mould, as did this young girl sat in front of him.

"Perhaps after we have finished talking you would like to meet my niece. She is a lot like you, bright and caring. I think you two will get along. She likes to write stories about the people she meets and the places we visit. It was hard for her when her mother died as she was still so very small, just like your little brothers and sisters. They are lucky to have you here to look after them."

A small smile touched her lips then but with it came a haunted look in her eyes. Had she ever been praised before for what she did? He had a feeling her mother had shown her love where she could and it was this memory that was clouding her mind right now.

"I would like to meet her. Allie? Is that her name?"

Nathan nodded, thinking that this was one very small step forward. It was going to be a long journey for these children but he had a feeling that plans were already underfoot for their future. If what he thought was going to happen then he knew that Abigail would not be doing it alone. Perhaps this was the thing that would push Bill to grab hold of this second chance he was being given.

And, of course, Elizabeth would be alongside her too, helping in any way she could. The friendship between her and Abigail went beyond most that he had ever seen. They understood each other in a way that he thought only shared pain could forge, as though each had willingly taken some of the other's heartache to lighten the load for them. How much Elizabeth must have missed her friend these past few years when perhaps she had needed her the most.

Mrs Winters came bustling through the door then, a tray with plates of stew in her hands, with Lillian just behind her. "I've been keeping these warm for you Nathan, because I thought you'd be needing some sustenance before long. Eat it up quickly or it will get cold."

Before she could place the tray down on the desk the air was split by a scream from Chloe. Standing up and pointing out the window she shouted out, "He hit her! The man out there hit Miss Elizabeth! That's what my daddy did the night of the fire."