"I'm just going to walk down and check on Sarah," Elizabeth said to Abigail. "Are you two okay?"
Abigail and Allie were more than okay. They were deliriously happy. Having lived for most of her adult life with Noah and Peter, Abigail hadn't been able to spend much time around little girls. Right now, she and Allie were sewing new clothes for Allie's dolls out of scraps of fabric.
"Gingham," Abigail said softly, her head right near Allie's as they worked together on a tiny ruffled apron.
"Gin-um?" Allie said, looking up and frowning.
"Ging-am," Abigail said more slowly and clearly.
This time Allie said it perfectly and Abigail smiled.
"Well," Elizabeth said, heading toward the door. "I'll just be going now..." She wasn't sure they'd even heard her until Abigail looked up and said, "Have a good time," and then bent back over her sewing, helping Allie with a thimble that was far too big.
Abigail laughed softly. "We're going to need to get you a smaller thimble..."
Elizabeth closed the door quietly, smiling to herself. She loved it when two needs met. Abigail had been lonely without Peter and Noah, and Allie was very drawn to women since Colleen died. The two of them had been spending more and more time together, and since Elizabeth was with Allie all day long at school, it worked out very well for Allie to have a different woman to go to in the evenings.
It was a lovely late afternoon. Still no word from Nathan, but Elizabeth wasn't surprised. She didn't know the specifics of his trip to Silverton, only that it had to do with clearing Cat, but Nathan had said he might even have to spend the night if he couldn't find who he was looking for.
Entering the twilight of the livery barn, Elizabeth breathed deeply and was transported immediately back to yesterday afternoon with Nathan - which reminded her of kissing him - which made her miss him even more. She went straight to Sarah's stall and opened the latch on the door.
"Hello," she said softly, putting her hand out. Sarah stretched out her long neck and nuzzled Elizabeth's fingers. "Oh, you can smell the apples, can't you?" Moving closer, Elizabeth reached into the pocket of her skirt and took out a small dishcloth. Opening it up, she took a piece of apple out and laid it on the palm of her hand the way Nathan had shown her. "Abigail made apple pies today. The builders got three of them, but we got to keep one," she said, as if she were telling Sarah a very important secret. Sarah rubbed up against Elizabeth happily. "You like that, don't you?" she said, laughing and pulling out another slice.
Elizabeth stroked Sarah's nose gently and looked around the barn. "It's such a beautiful afternoon, and you've been cooped up here all day, haven't you, sweet girl?" It almost looked as if Sarah was answering her with the way she moved her head up and down against Elizabeth's hand.
Laughing, Elizabeth said, "Well, that's that. We're going for a ride." She opened her hand with the rest of the apples and Sarah took them all in one bite. Elizabeth checked to make sure her coat didn't need brushing and then went over to the shelf where the saddles were kept. She had her saddled quickly, and then she remembered what Nathan had said about the culottes.
They rode down to the Mercantile and Elizabeth looked quickly through a catalog to find what she needed. She ordered a pair in soft brown and one in deep mauve and then decided to go out and see how the building was going.
Every day was a wonderful surprise at the new miners' housing. The framing on three of the houses had now been closed in and they were starting on the roof trusses. They still had a couple of days before the first miners arrived and Elizabeth wouldn't be at all surprised if they opted to stay in their new homes even without amenities. Nathan said that doors and windows would arrive first thing in the morning.
But what really made Elizabeth smile was the ongoing feel of the barn raising that they'd all experienced on Sunday. There were children playing ball in the path while their mothers fed the workers with casseroles and cobbler, and it looked like almost all of the single miners were out there helping as well. In some cases, Elizabeth thought that the help came more from a desire for home-cooked meals than from community feeling, but it didn't really matter as long as they did the work. Abigail had told Elizabeth that one of them suggested she open a café because her food was so much better than the saloon's.
Watching the children play from her seat on Sarah, Elizabeth thought for a moment. Her mind kept going back to Albert for some reason, and she thought she might follow the road to the Bickley's farm so she could see him, to ease her worry.
Elizabeth turned Sarah and headed out to the north side of town where many of the farms lay sprawled out under the mountains. She had to keep reminding herself that children didn't mind walking and running long distances, because the Bickleys were all the way at the end of the lane.
As she got closer she squinted to see a woman walking toward her, and very quickly she was able to see that it was Mavis Bickley. Inside Elizabeth's head, alarms were beginning to sound, and getting louder.
She pressed her heels gently into Sarah's flanks so that they were soon at a trot instead of a walk, and they caught up to Mavis quickly.
"Have you seen Albert?" Mavis asked, shading her eyes from the lowering sun. "Did he stay late at school?"
Elizabeth didn't like talking to Mavis from such a height, so she hopped off of Sarah and took the reins over her head. "No. He said he was coming straight home because you needed him to do the milking."
Mavis nodded, looking every inch the frustrated mother. "I did need him. Benjamin and I had to do it for him or those cows would've burst." She started looking concerned now. "And you didn't see him on the road?" Mavis looked up at the position of the sun to get an idea of the time. "He's never been this late before without telling me," she said.
"Mavis, is Benjamin still at the farm?" Elizabeth knew that Albert had an older brother who was in his late teens. He didn't attend school because his father had been lost in the mine and now his mother needed him to tend their small farm. He was a strong, strapping young man and Elizabeth didn't want to do this alone. In truth, she could hear Nathan's voice in her head, and if she did this by herself, she knew that voice would not be happy with her.
Mavis nodded. Elizabeth got back up on Sarah and said, "I'm going to ask him to ride out with me. I think I may know where Albert is."
Her brow furrowing, Mavis said, "Should I be worried, Elizabeth?"
She reached her hand down and Mavis reached hers up. "No, don't worry. Your Albert is a very smart and resourceful boy. We'll find him."
Elizabeth knew vaguely where Spurlock's cabin was only because Nathan had mentioned it once. She knew it was just beyond the mine, and once Benjamin had saddled up and they began to ride, he told her he thought he knew exactly where it was.
"He's a mean one, that Spurlock," Benjamin said, frowning. "He's on our road all 'a time, ridin' that black Morgan, lookin' like death itself. An' you think he might 'ave Albert?"
"I'm not sure, Benjamin. I just want to ask him some questions." She looked over at him. "He has a gun."
Benjamin nodded and pulled aside his coat. "Aye, so do I."
Elizabeth smiled. Of course a young man of seventeen would have a gun on the furthest farm from town with no father to protect the family any longer. She nodded to him, aware again of how very fast children needed to grow up in the west.
The cabin was in the trees, fully sheltered, small and made of weathered logs. It looked to be only one room, and there was a small shed off to the right. Elizabeth had no intention of sneaking up on Spurlock, even if she did have the skills to do that. She simply wanted to get a look inside the cabin to assure herself that Albert wasn't there.
They dismounted and tethered the horses and Benjamin went first to the door while Elizabeth stood a short distance off to the side. She tried to peer in the windows, but they were so dirty that it was impossible to see inside. Benjamin knocked with his left hand, while his right hooked into the strap of his holster on his hip. "Spurlock?" he called out. No answer. He knocked again, and Elizabeth could hear the metallic sound of the latch rising before the door opened just a crack.
Spurlock frowned darkly, surprised to see the young man at his door. "What do you want, Bickley?" he said, opening the door just slightly.
"Albert's missin'," Benjamin said. "Want to ask a few questions."
Spurlock sneered. He still hadn't seen Elizabeth, due to the angle of the door and where she was standing. "Well, if you can't keep track of that little weasel, it's not really my problem, now is it?"
"Mind if we come in and have a look?" Benjamin said. At the word we, Spurlock's brow furrowed and he opened the door enough to gaze around. Seeing Elizabeth caused his sneer to widen, and he laughed a little.
"Ah, you brought reinforcements," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Now I'm scared."
"Mr. Spurlock," Elizabeth said, pulling herself up to her full height despite her pounding heart, "I saw you today. And I know why you might have a reason to be... upset with Albert." She squared her shoulders. "And just so you know, Constable Grant is also aware."
Spurlock's nasty smile now showed some teeth. "Ah, but your Constable's not here now, is he?"
"He's on his way," Elizabeth lied. "Right behind us. Just let us come inside and assure ourselves that Albert isn't here and we'll leave you alone."
Spurlock laughed softly. "Now, Miss Thatcher, it's not Godly to lie. We both know he's more than a town away, doin' whatever it is he does." He narrowed his eyes and opened the door halfway. His voice was taking on an oily tone that made Elizabeth's skin crawl, and his smile made it even worse. "But I'm a reasonable man. Would've liked some notice so I could tidy up the place, but..." the door opened almost all the way, "...I suppose it wouldn't do any harm to have you come in and look around."
Benjamin went in first, while Spurlock stood off the side holding the door. Elizabeth followed, and for a moment her eyes had to adjust to the dim light inside the cabin. It wasn't as filthy as she expected it would be, in fact, it looked somewhat homey, if a little messy. It smelled of coffee and wood smoke, and something like fried fish from the night before.
But when the door closed behind her, what caught her eye was Albert, sitting cross-legged on Spurlock's bed, his hands tied behind his back, a bandana around his mouth, and his terrified eyes looking at her, wide as saucers.
It had been a very successful trip. There was really only one gambling hall in Silverton, and Remy Auclair was well-known in town. The common advice was to go to the Jack of Spades saloon and wait, and sooner or later, he would show up.
Nathan had debated on whether to wear the red serge or his civilian clothes, and he'd decided on the burgundy shirt and suspenders. A Mountie cooling his heels in a saloon tended to draw an unwanted amount of attention, and Nathan was hoping to keep this interrogation fairly low-key.
Nathan had waited for four hours nursing a quarter of a beer, but finally the man had swaggered in on jangling spurs, looking for all the world like someone who had stepped right out of a dime novel. He'd been more than happy to talk to Nathan in exchange for a couple of whiskeys, and he seemed almost proud of his business as a gambler and how he conducted it. Nathan told him he was the Constable of Coal Valley, and Auclair hadn't flinched. Nathan got the feeling that he felt his profession was no less honorable than his own.
Of course, Auclair told Nathan, he remembered Catherine Montgomery, and more pointedly, her husband, Joseph.
"The man never held a hand he didn't like," Auclair said with a laugh. "He would stand on a pair of twos, that one."
Nathan had to swallow his distaste for everything he heard and saw from the man sitting across the table, and he realized again that to be a true gambler a person needed to have a severe lack of conscience. It didn't matter a whit to Auclair that Joseph Montgomery had a wife and three children who needed his money to eat and keep a roof over their heads. It was just business.
"She said she'd get it to me, and I'm not a monster," he said, his lilting French accent making everything he said sound slightly elegant. "She paid every last penny of his debt, and I was satisfied."
Nathan leaned forward, putting his hands casually around the bottom of the mug that held his long-warm beer. "And do you remember when that was?"
Auclair downed the last of his whiskey and raised an eyebrow. Nathan motioned to the bartender to refill his glass. Auclair nodded and reached into his brocade vest to pull out a small notebook. After turning some pages, he said, "July 25th, paid in full." The day of the vigil.
"And she came here to you?" Nathan asked.
Auclair replaced his notebook in his pocket and said, "Yes," and he smiled. "She sat nearly where you're sitting, Constable."
Nathan breathed deeply, trying to imagine Cat here in this saloon, handing over the money she had earned making candles during endless sleepless nights while she grieved the loss of her Joseph. All just to keep her husband's honor intact in the eyes of Coal Valley and her children. Being a Mountie allowed Nathan a view into the best and the worst of people, and in this chair he was seeing both.
Nodding, Nathan said, "Thank you, Mr. Auclair, you've been very helpful." He started to push back his chair.
"You fancy a quick game?" Auclair said, his eyes sparkling. "Not against the law, is it?"
Nathan's smile masked the clenching of his jaw. "I'll pass, but thanks for the offer," he said, standing up. "I have a long ride home."
Auclair stood up as well, and pulled his waistcoat down smartly. "And the offer stands, anytime you happen back in town." He put out his manicured hand and Nathan shook it, feeling the softness there, and thinking the man probably hadn't done an honest day's work in his life.
Nathan reached Coal Valley in the late afternoon, and he meant to go straight to Cat's and tell her what he'd found, but for some reason he decided to check in on Elizabeth and Allie at Abigail's before heading down to Cat's row house.
"She went to visit Sarah," Abigail said. "About an hour ago, I think."
Nathan frowned, unsure of exactly what he was feeling, but finding that he wanted to see Elizabeth. "Do you mind…" he started.
Abigail nodded and smiled. "We're making an apron for Allie's doll. Take your time," she said, turning back to her sewing.
Sarah's stall was empty.
Ned was out in front of the Mercantile. "Have you seen Elizabeth?" Nathan called out.
"She stopped by to make a catalog order, probably, oh, forty-five minutes ago?" Ned said. "She said she was riding down to see how the building was going."
At the building site, Florence was serving up shepherd's pie. She told Nathan she'd seen Elizabeth riding toward the farms.
Albert. Spurlock.
Newton had already had a long day. But Nathan knew, digging his heels in firmly to his flanks, that his horse could still head out at a run.
"Albert!" Elizabeth said, and started toward him. As she did, she heard the sickening sound of something hard hitting flesh and then a loud thump as Benjamin hit the floor. She turned and could see Spurlock standing over him with the butt of his pistol in his hand. Then he turned to her.
She sat next to Albert on the bed, taking the bandana off of his mouth and putting her arms around him. "Are you alright? He didn't hurt you?"
"No, ma'am," Albert said softly, starting to cry.
Elizabeth held him tighter and started to reach around to untie the rope at his hands when Spurlock walked calmly over and said, "I'd like to leave him tied up, if it's all the same to you…"
"No! It's not!" Elizabeth said vehemently. "He's just a child!" She kept at the rope, gasping at the red welts she saw at Albert's tiny wrists.
Spurlock grabbed her arm and pulled her up. Elizabeth couldn't believe how strong he was, and before she knew it, he had his arms around her and she could smell his rancid breath and feel the hard stubble of his beard as he rubbed his chin against her cheek. "You're a pretty little thing, aren't you? And you smell good…"
"Let me go!" Elizabeth said, struggling fiercely against him. To her horror, Albert stood up, and even with his hands tied behind his back he was trying to force himself between them. Spurlock took one meaty hand and slapped him across the face, sending him flying across the floor.
She looked at Spurlock, whose face was now very close to hers. She could see the black coldness of his eyes.
"You'll enjoy it more if you don't struggle so much, but I'll have my way whether you do or not…"
A tear rolled hotly down Elizabeth's cheek, her breath coming so fast that she thought she might pass out. But through her teeth she said, "I'll kill you first…"
"Or I will…" came a voice from the doorway.
They both turned and Nathan was there, gun in hand and his eyes filled with blue steel.
Spurlock quickly looked around for his gun and realized he'd dropped it when he'd taken Elizabeth into his arms. For a split-second, Nathan could see him considering if he could pick it up in time.
"Don't try it. I'm just waiting for an excuse to kill you," Nathan said.
Spurlock still had his arm around Elizabeth's neck, using her as a shield. "Well, then you might as well kill me, because I'm not going to prison."
Nathan smiled the smile that no one in their right mind wanted to see when he had a gun in his hand. He said softly, "I beg to differ…" and he lowered the gun and shot Spurlock squarely in the kneecap.
It's likely the second most painful place a man can be shot and still live. And Spurlock went down like a bag of cement, howling in agony. Nathan went quickly to Spurlock's gun on the floor and picked it up, tucking it into his belt.
Elizabeth gave a small cry and ran into Nathan's arms, holding on to him for dear life and beginning to sob.
"It's alright," he said, allowing himself finally to feel the terror he'd held at bay since he'd realized she was here. If he hadn't arrived at this moment… but he couldn't even think about that. "I'm here," he said softly, his voice faltering as he buried his face in her mass of curls. "I'm here."