"It's too late now for me to ride to Silverton, so I'll head out at first light tomorrow," Nathan said as they walked to the livery. "There's no real urgency after all, unless you consider a royal decree by Henry Gowen urgent."

Nathan and Elizabeth were walking to the livery so that she could purchase Sarah. Now that she'd made up her mind, she didn't want to wait, and she thought she would ride out with Nathan to the church site to see if she could help him.

"I did burn down a building myself, after all," she said with a grin. "Doesn't that make me some kind of an expert witness?"

Nathan laughed and said, "I'll be glad to have you along. But then, I always am."

"I know you can't tell me about your conversation with Cat, but it does seem you got the answers you needed."

Nathan looked over at her. "Thank you for not asking," he said. "You know there will be things I can't share with you about what goes on in Coal Valley. I appreciate you not making that more difficult for me."

Elizabeth smiled back at him. "I'm always interested, and of course, curious, but I trust you'll share what you can. The important thing is that you're not taking Cat to your office to put her in a cell, no matter how much Henry Gowen wants you to." She turned to him. "That would be very hard for me to watch, Nathan."

Nodding, Nathan said, "There may be times that you disagree with the things I do as Constable, but this won't be one of them." He shook his head. "I can tell you that I think Henry is anxious to take Cat down for a couple of reasons. If Cat is guilty, then Spurlock isn't. And if Spurlock did it, I have to wonder why? Why would Gowen want to burn down his own building?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "I get the feeling Henry Gowen doesn't like the community aspect of it, the power of us gathering that way." Elizabeth laughed softly. "Abigail told me that she was talking to him one day and she made the mistake of quoting scripture to him. She said he looked her right in the eye and said, "I don't speak Bible, Mrs. Stanton."

Nathan laughed at Elizabeth's fairly accurate depiction of Gowen's sneer. Then he shook his head. "I suppose it just doesn't make sense to me that a man would build a church and then burn it down."

"Maybe Spurlock acted on his own?" Elizabeth said.

"But then why would Henry vouch for him at the vigil by the mine?"

Elizabeth laughed softly. "Probably because he cares more about the trouble of having to train another Pinkerton than he does about the loss of the church," she said casually.

Nathan turned and looked at her with his crooked smile. Then he nodded. "I think you're right. On all counts."

Elizabeth just raised her eyebrows and shrugged. "Anytime you need assistance, you just let me know, Constable."

Nathan laughed and took her arm as they walked into the livery.

They managed Sarah's purchase in short order. What took longer was Nathan's instruction on brushing and saddling her. Elizabeth was a quick study, and again Nathan was impressed with how strong she was. Sarah wasn't tall, so getting the saddle on her back wasn't an issue, but Nathan worried that the seventeen or so pounds might be difficult. He laughed softly when Elizabeth swung it sideways a bit and then lifted it right up.

She heard him laugh and raised an eyebrow. "I'm stronger than I look."

Smiling, he said, "I can see that. I was so wrong about you that first day. I did apologize, didn't I?"

Elizabeth reached up and put her hand on his cheek. "Many times." She turned back and adjusted the saddle so it fit just right on Sarah's back while she talked. "To be fair, I was acting like a bit of a princess, but it was only because I was so frightened."

Nathan reached around her and moved a small leather tie from under the saddle. "This will give her a sore if you don't clear it," he said softly. Both of them stopped for a moment because Nathan was right behind her with his arms around her shoulders and he just rested there in the softness of her hair. Elizabeth leaned back into his arms.

They were alone in the livery except for Jed, who was down at the far end of the stalls scraping the floor with a shovel. The rhythmic sound, along with the soft rustlings of the horses and the cool of the dim light inside the large barn made them both close their eyes as Nathan held her.

"We have stables in Hamilton, you know," Elizabeth said softly. "Now I'm wondering why I didn't spend more time in them." She snuggled her head into the natural curve of his shoulder, under his chin. "I remember thinking it wouldn't smell good in there, but this is amazing." She laughed softly, "Horses yes, and all that goes with them, but the hay and the wood and there's a natural, clean smell to their coats and the leather of the saddles..."

Nathan pulled her tighter to him. "Do you know how much it means to me that you love this? I would still love you if you didn't, but this is so much a part of who I am. Horses." He laughed softly. "You may think I'm awkward now, but you couldn't imagine me at sixteen. Just as tall, but fifty pounds lighter, a beanpole with absolutely no skill at talking to girls or competing with the boys who could. But horses... we always understood each other."

The thought of self-conscious Nathan at sixteen made Elizabeth turn and put her arms around his waist. "You're not really awkward, Nathan. I understand it now, in so many ways. It's because you care so much. You want things to come out of your mouth in the same way they form in your head, and it doesn't always work out that way. I have the same problem, I just don't censor myself as you do."

Nathan laughed and brushed a wayward curl from her cheek. "I censor myself because there have been so many times that it turned out badly. I seem to recall you wanting to throttle me a few times early on."

"That's because I didn't know you." She touched his forehead tenderly. "Now I think I translate, and I hear what you mean to say."

Nathan smiled. "I believe you do." He looked around quickly and then bent to kiss her. It was like the realization of a dream, kissing a woman he loved so dearly, right here in the stables. The sounds around him, Sarah scratching her nose against the wood of the stall, Elizabeth's lips so soft and warm and inviting. Nathan finally pulled away and held her head against his chest.

He laughed softly. "Sixteen-year-old me is in heaven," he said.

Elizabeth pulled away and looked up at him, smiling. "And twenty-six year old you?"

Nathan sighed and ran his thumb across her cheek. "Never imagined I could be this happy."

They both heard a noise and turned to see it was Jed clearing his throat on the other side of the door to the stall. Neither of them had noticed that the scraping had stopped, but that wasn't surprising, because they hadn't noticed much in the last few minutes.

"Just wanted to be sure that tack will work for you. If it does, I'll throw it in," Jed said, grinning down the row of stalls to give them the chance to arrange themselves. Having grown up in stables and also having spent most of his life in them, Jed understood the magic of the place.

Nathan smiled and released Elizabeth, whose blush could be seen even in the limited light. "This will work just fine, Jed, and that's kind of you." He turned to Elizabeth and raised his eyebrows, making sure she agreed.

"This is the saddle I've been riding on, isn't it, Jed?" When he nodded, she said, "Yes, and thank you."

"Okay, then, we'll settle up and you can be on your way. I assume you'll want to board her here?" Elizabeth nodded and he said, "So, $125 for her, and $7 a month for boarding, $5 if you pay six months in advance..."

"Okay if I ride her out and bring the money back, Jed?" Elizabeth said.

Jed grinned again. "Oh, I think I know where I can find you, Miss Thatcher, The schoolroom ain't far if I don't get my money."

Elizabeth laughed. "Thank you." She turned and put her hand on Sarah's neck and then looked at Nathan, her eyes bright. "I own a horse!"

Nathan laughed, his eyes full of love. "Yes, you do."

They rode out to the end of the church road and looked at the charred remains of the building. Elizabeth sighed softly. "Such a waste," she said, and then she turned to Nathan and grimaced. "Says the woman who burned down a building herself..."

Nathan smiled back at her. "Yes, but that building didn't have much life left in it. This one was only two years old. Brand new wood, new paint..."

He dismounted and watched Elizabeth as she did the same. "You're getting very good at that." He raised an eyebrow, "But I think it may be time to get you some riding culottes. I saw some in a catalog at the Mercantile. All the rage in Calgary, from what I understand."

Elizabeth laughed out loud. "Constable! Thumbing through catalogs of women's clothing? I have a little trouble imagining that."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "How do you think I buy clothes for Allie?"

Nodding, Elizabeth said, "I stand corrected."

He began walking around the perimeter of the site. Of course he'd been here already a couple of times, but now he was hoping to find something in particular.

"What are we looking for?" Elizabeth asked, very curious.

"When something incendiary is used to start a fire, it doesn't begin slowly. There is a flash point, an area that has lines radiating outward, like a starburst." Nathan used a stick to move small pieces of blackened wood from the dirt beneath. "Often, the fire destroys the evidence, but sometimes, you can still see it."

"Incendiary... so something flammable, like lamp oil or kerosene?" she asked.

Nathan looked up at her and smiled. "You know a lot about a lot of things, Elizabeth."

She grinned and pointed to her chin. "Teacher."

Nathan laughed. "Well, Watson, what would you use if you were going to start a fire?"

Elizabeth tilted her head and raised one eyebrow in warning.

Nathan made a face and said, "Oh, sorry. Well, if you were going to do it in a way other than pouring an entire bucket on a raging fire in the stove..."

The eyebrow went higher, but it was accompanied by a smile. "I would probably use the lamp oil. It feels thicker than kerosene, like it might last longer? Not burn as fast?"

Now Nathan's eyebrows went up. He smiled and said, "I may have to deputize you..."

They wandered around the site, making sure not to disturb too much, although in a couple of days that would be moot. There was already a list of people who were coming out on Saturday to clear the area and get it ready for the new church building.

"Nathan?" Elizabeth said from a place that used to be the back of the church. He walked over to her and bent down to a spot where she was pointing. He looked up at her and smiled and then nodded. "Very nice work, deputy." Elizabeth beamed at him, extremely proud of herself.

Pushing the dirt around gently with a stick, Nathan saw the edge of something paper. He reached down carefully and pulled it out from under the dirt, which was the only reason it hadn't burned completely.

When he held it up he could see clearly that it was a label from a can of whale oil.

The next morning, Nathan left at first light. Allie had spent the night with Abigail and Elizabeth and they'd made brownies together. Elizabeth and Nathan talked for a while on the steps while they watched the sunset and then she'd kissed him goodnight. Nathan had no idea how long it would take him to get the answers he needed, but he hoped he'd be back by the afternoon.

Allie happily walked to school with Elizabeth and spent some time with her before the rest of the students arrived. They worked on basic mathematics and just as Elizabeth thought, Allie was very quick. Elizabeth had noticed that Allie was picking up concepts that some of the older children were still having trouble with, and she thought she had an unusual aptitude for numbers.

Then the day went fast and before she knew it, Elizabeth was ringing the bell for the end of the afternoon recess. As she stood on the boardwalk outside the door to the saloon, she happened to look across the street.

Charles Spurlock was standing there, in his usual black clothing and hat, leaning against the wall right outside Nathan's office. He was cleaning his fingernails with a knife, and he was looking directly at her. It was clear that he wanted her to know that he was fully aware that Nathan was out of town.

For a moment, Elizabeth panicked. It was the only time she'd been anxious when Nathan was gone, and she started going down the list of the men she could go to for help. Tom Trevoy was the first one she thought of, and then Ned Yost. Everyone else was at the mine.

Relax, Elizabeth, she said to herself. She matched his glare and gathered the children to her to be sure they all got safely into the classroom.

She was distracted for the rest of the afternoon, and she did steal glances out the window, but didn't see him again. As she dismissed the class, she went up to Albert.

"I need to take Allie home, Albert. Would you like to come play over at Mrs. Stanton's house?" Elizabeth said. She didn't know why, but she didn't like the idea of Albert walking home alone.

"I can't, Miss Thatcher. My mama's waiting for me. She needs help with the milking." Albert said. Elizabeth smiled, seeing that he clearly would rather have a nice slow walk with his teacher.

"Alright, Albert. But you go straight home, okay? In fact, maybe run home so you get there faster to help her."

Albert nodded. He would run home, but first he had a trade he wanted to make with James. He'd been trying to get a painted wooden top from him for a long time, and he thought the set of jacks he had would get James to give it up. They were meeting out behind the livery and Albert was already late.

He got to the door and looked back at her. He never could get over how pretty she was.

"Run, Albert!" Elizabeth said, laughing. And out he ran.