Elizabeth found herself humming as she cleaned up the kitchen following breakfast that morning. As the days passed with Lucas gone, she found herself feeling more comfortable in her own home. The fact that Lucas was still sitting in jail awaiting a trial was more of a relief to her than a concern. A lot of the stress and worry had seemed to lift from her shoulders. She could relax in her own home. Even Jack had seemed happier this past week. Once or twice she had considered going to see Lucas in jail but she had stopped short of actually acting on that thought. If she didn't go to see him then Lucas could not try to persuade her to lie about anything. The simple truth was, she did not know when her husband had gotten home that day.
Even so, Elizabeth was not relaxed enough to ask Rosemary for the locket or Bill for the pictures. She wasn't sure if her husband was innocent or not. She was not sure if he would be released or given a jail sentence. Until she knew for sure, the locket and pictures were safer with her friends.
Were Rosemary and Bill still her friends?
Elizabeth quickly dismissed the question. She might not have been a very good friend of late, but if Rosemary and Bill did not care about her, they would not still be supporting her.
Nathan had continued to heal from his injury. He had returned home, with Faith staying with him to provide the medical care and assistance that he needed. Acting as temporary constable for Hope Valley, Gabriel had taken up temporary residence in the apartment above the infirmary. Super Intendant O'Reilly had returned to Union City for the time being after the investigation had been completed. Bill had said he was in constant contact with O'Reilly as they waited to take the next step. Eventually a trial would be set and a jury would decide Lucas' innocence or lack thereof with or without Nathan's recollection of events. Bill said they were still hoping that Nathan would remember what happened leading up to him being shot, especially as Nathan had said that something felt off to him.
Though she had let Bill take Jack to see Nathan, Elizabeth had not gone to visit him since that first time in the infirmary. It wasn't that she did not want to see Nathan but more that she felt guilty for wanting to see him when she didn't want to see her own husband. What kind of wife did that make her?
"Mama happy?"
Jack's question brought Elizabeth out of her thoughts. Looking around, she spotted her son standing in the doorway of the kitchen and the front hallway. Her son's expression was hopeful, despite the tentative tone in which the question had been asked. Somehow the combination of those two emotions tore at her heart. Her son should not have to worry about whether she was happy or not. She had wanted her son to grow up in a house filled with love and happiness. Jack would have wanted that for their son.
Just another of her many failures.
"Yes, I am happy this morning, Jack," Elizabeth told her son, as she finished drying the pan she held. She placed it on the counter. She could put it away later. There was no one to complain that a pan was left out instead of being properly put away. No, she had never been one to care for a messy house but even her mother had not been as fussy over the house as Lucas had been. Though Grace wanted things neat and orderly she had not complained if a fallen petal from a flower had been missed on the floor, a picture left crooked from dusting, a book left abandoned on the coffee table to be picked up later or a robe left draped over a chair in a bedroom. Elizabeth had heard Grace tell a servant on more than one occasion that those things happened in a 'lived in' house and that when she needed immaculate for an occasion she would be sure to let them know.
"Bake cookies for Uncle Bill?" Jack inquired.
Elizabeth nodded. If her son wanted to bake cookies then that was what they would do. She motioned for Jack to come into the kitchen.
"What kind of cookies do you want to bake?" Elizabeth asked her son as he hurried into the kitchen.
"Snicker doodles!" Jack told her happily, grabbing a chair and pulling it over to the counter. "Uncle Bill says you can't go wrong with a dessert with cin'mon," he added as he climbed up on the chair.
Elizabeth laughed. "That he does," she agreed thinking of the time she had been having lunch with Rosemary and a customer had asked Bill why all the desserts on the menu had cinnamon in them. Bill had told the customer that exact answer, though he had later asked Clara to make some brownies for the café.
Elizabeth got out the recipe for snicker doodles that she had gotten from Bill, and then gathered what they needed.
Lucas paced the length of the cell as he listened to the latest update from his lawyer. The man seemed perfectly content with the speed at which things were unfolding. Then again, the lawyer wasn't the one sitting in a jail cell for something that he did not do.
"When am I going to get my trial?" Lucas asked when his lawyer finished the short update. It wasn't like anything new had been found. What else was there to be found? The lawyer had already told him that his office had been throughly searched. That was when the gun had been found missing, not that Bill or the Mounties believed him that he was surprised his revolver was not in the locked drawer of his desk.
"Soon," the man replied. "The prosecution wants to wait and see if Constable Grant's memory comes back before setting a trial date. I tend to agree with them."
"Of course you do. You are not the one sitting in a jail cell," Lucas shot back, stopping his facing and turning to square off with his lawyer. His voice raised a little as he continued. "You are not the one being set up. For all I know, Bill is doing this to get my wife to turn against me. He never did approve of our relationship!"
His lawyer did not flinch at the look or the accusation. "Personal feelings have no place in a criminal trial," the man said calmly. "I will also tell you that given how the evidence looks, if this went to trial tomorrow, I would say there is a ninety percent chance that they find you guilty."
"I did not shoot, Nathan Grant!" Lucas stated forcibly.
"So you say," the lawyer said. "However, there is a note seemingly from you asking for Constable Grant to meet you when he was shot. Another note, also seemingly from you, asks your cook to pick up a package that was never there, leaving the saloon empty at the time of the shooting. Your gun, which you say was locked in your desk drawer, was found in the woods along the road between Hope Valley and your home. It was missing one bullet. The same type of bullet that Dr. Simmons removed from Constable Grant. A jury would move to convict. If Constable Grant can remember what happened, perhaps his testimony would provide something to exonerate you."
"Assuming he tells the truth. Assuming he doesn't just say I did it to get me out of the way. He has never particularly cared for me," Lucas said.
"Do not question the integrity of a Mountie in the courtroom. That alone will probably get a jury against you," his lawyer advised. After waiting a beat, he added, "for that matter, keep your opinion about Judge Avery to yourself until all of this has passed as well."
Lucas sighed. He knew at least on that point his lawyer was right. Besides, even without his profession, Nathan Grant had never done or said anything that would make people question his integrity. Yes, he had kept his connection to Jack Thornton and Fort Clay to himself, but he had never lied about it. Not even to continue to keep the truth from Elizabeth that her late husband had taken an assignment that Nathan himself should have been on.
Claiming that Nathan Grant was lying was a sure way to end up sitting in jail for a crime that he did not commit. He didn't know who would have shot Constable Grant in his office, but Lucas did know it was not he.
As for Bill, the man might not like him but in the courtroom the man was all business. Lucas had seen that for himself on the few occasions he had found himself in Bill's 'court room'.
"I can ask Judge Avery to set a trial date if you want, but I don't think it would be in your favor to rush the process."
Lucas sighed and resumed pacing. As much as he did not want to admit it, his lawyer had a point.
"Fine. I will try to be patient a little longer."
"Good," his lawyer said. "If there is nothing else, I will touch base with you again tomorrow."
Lucas nodded as he continued to pace. His lawyer picked up his briefcase and left the office. Constable Kinslow stepped inside the office as the man left. The Mountie hung up his hat, propped open the door and took his seat behind the desk.
Though the breeze from the open door felt good, it also made Lucas long for freedom. He should not be here. Lucas glanced at the Mountie who was casually perusing through the papers on his desk.
"Shouldn't you be out figuring out who shot your friend?" Lucas accused.
Gabriel looked up at him calmly. "All the evidence we have says that man is already sitting behind bars. Now, if I had a lead to pursue, like perhaps a solid reason someone might want to set you up, then I would look into it."
"I am a business man. Every business man has bad blood with other business men."
"Bad blood is one thing," Gabriel told him. "It usually leads to people trying to extort money or ruin someone financially. Setting someone up for attempted murder is a whole different level of ticked off."
Lucas turned away. He was wasting his breath. As far as people were concerned, he was guilty. Bill had probably even convinced Elizabeth of that. It was probably why his wife had not come to see him.
Approaching footsteps made Lucas look toward the door. Bill was about to enter when a childish voice called to him.
"Uncle Bill! I got something for you!"
Though he did not see him, Lucas recognized Little Jack's voice. Bill moved from the doorway and greeted the boy. Lucas could hear the conversation that took place. Apparently, the boy had baked Bill cookies.
"They are not peanut butter like I took to Nathan. I made you Snicker doodles. I know you like cin'mon," Jack explained.
Lucas was sure Bill would have thanked the boy but he had stopped listening to the conversation. The fact that Jack had been to see Nathan did not sit well with him. Perhaps if Elizabeth had stopped by to see him in the week since he had been arrested it wouldn't bother him. However, she hadn't. Apparently though, she had gone to see Nathan. Perhaps Bill wasn't the only influence keeping Elizabeth away from him? Perhaps his wife was using the opportunity to sleep with Nathan? The Mountie would probably be willing, giving that he had once claimed to love Elizabeth.
"Cookie?"
The question brought Lucas out of his thoughts to see Bill standing in front of Gabriel's desk. The judge was holding out a small tin to Gabriel.
"Thank you," Gabriel said, picking the cookie out of the tin.
"Keeping my visitors from me, Bill," Lucas commented. It wasn't that he truly believed Bill had kept Elizabeth from seeing him. It was more that Lucas wanted some reason for his wife's failure to come see him.
Bill turned to look at him. "What are you talking about, Bouchard?" the judge asked, his voice even though his disdain was evident.
"I heard Elizabeth and Jack outside. Did you tell Elizabeth that she could not come see me?"
"No. Though don't get me wrong. If it was in my power to keep visitors from you, Elizabeth is definitely someone I would do so with. Thankfully, she has not seemed interested in coming in to visit, which in itself raises questions for me."
"What are you implying?" Lucas asked, his anger rising.
"I am implying that shooting Nathan might not be the only thing you need to be behind bars for," Bill told him. "Unfortunately, I have no proof and Elizabeth evades my questions. However, even if you are innocent like you claim, you can be sure I will be keeping a close eye on you Bouchard."
Lucas turned and walked toward the back of the cell. He had a feeling this conversation would not help him at all. Perhaps he should push for his case to go to trial before he found himself facing more charges.
Nathan walked behind Ally and Opal as they walked from the school building toward Abigail's café. The two girls were happy to be out of school for the summer and Nathan had promised to take them to the café to get a dessert to celebrate. Never had Ally been so relieved for the school year to end and that made Nathan uneasy. Was Hope Valley's school the right place for her anymore? Nathan knew that he would need to figure out the answer to that question in the next couple of months.
Today, however, they were going to celebrate the start of summer.
Reaching the café, Ally pulled the door open and held it for both him and Opal. As his right arm was still in a sling due to the healing gunshot wound, Nathan was thankful for his niece's consideration. He was ready to be done with the sling. He had an appointment with Dr. Simmons in a couple of days to see how the healing process was going. Not only were there the stitches holding the skin shut to consider but also the damage to the muscle. The doctor had told him that although there was nothing obviously broken, that he couldn't rule out that the bullet had not caused a crack in the shoulder blade it had lodged against. All of that needed time to heal.
While he was healing, Ally had been doing a lot of extra tasks for him the past two weeks since he had gotten shot for which he was thankful. Especially now that Faith was staying with the Coulters, as her presence was not medically necessary at the Grants now.
Nathan followed the girls as they hurried toward an empty table by the wall.
"I want a brownie with ice cream," Opal said.
"I want the Cinnamon Cake," Ally said, neither girl bothering with a menu.
As he sat down next to Ally, Nathan got the distinct impression that both girls had decided on their treat long before their arrival at the café. Not feeling like anything sweet, Nathan simply ordered some coffee when Clara took their orders.
"Are you feeling all right?" Ally asked him, looking over at Nathan with concern.
Nathan reached out with his left hand to smooth her hair in a comforting manner. "I feel fine. I am just not up to something sweet right now. I will eat my dinner tonight I promise," he told her, saying the last words with a smile.
Ally nodded, though Nathan had no doubt that his niece would be watching him at dinner tonight. Though most of the time their relationship was the normal one of parent and child, there was times, like the past couple of weeks, where Ally was the one fussing over him. Nathan supposed it was only natural. After all, it had just been he and Ally for a long time. She had told him one time that if she did not fuss over him then nobody would. While that did not quite hold true these days, the sentiment was still there.
Ally and Opal started talking about plans for their summer vacation then. Listening to them, Nathan knew that even with the uncertain school situation, bringing Ally back to Hope Valley had been the right choice.
Nathan let the two girls chat. Clara was soon back with their treats. Ally and Opal wasted no time digging into their desserts. Picking up a spoon to add a little sugar to his coffee, Nathan caught a reflection of Clara in the metal at the angle it was held. Seeing the reflection in the spoon, brought memories back.
Nathan remembered hearing footsteps that day in Lucas' office. Thinking that it was simply Lucas returning, he had not panicked. The gunshot came out of nowhere but even as he tried to fight through the pain, Nathan recalled seeing the reflection of his attacker in the glass door.
It had not been Lucas.
"Nathan are you all right?"
Clara's question brought him out of his memory. He saw the café surroundings and saw Clara looking down at him in concern. Glancing to his left, he saw both Ally and Opal gazing at him with worried expressions.
"I am fine," Nathan replied, fixing Ally with a gaze as he spoke. His niece was the one he most wanted to reassure. He reached out and patted her shoulder as he looked up at Clara. "Is Bill here?"
Clara nodded. "He showed up a few minutes ago to cook for the dinner rush."
Nathan looked back at Ally. "You and Opal eat your dessert. I will be right back."
Ally nodded, though the worry had not left her expression completely. Nathan placed a quick kiss to the top of her head as he got to his feet. He made his way through the dinning room to where Bill stood at the stove. The older man looked up as Nathan approached.
"You look like you saw a ghost?" Bill stated, his voice laced with concern.
"Not a ghost," Nathan replied. He kept his voice low as he continued. "I do remember what happened the day I was shot. I saw my attacker, Bill and it was not Lucas."
Bill moved pans away from the heat and reached out for Nathan's arm. Leading Nathan to the settee, Bill told his friend to tell him exactly what he remembered and how the memory came about.