Chapter 15- Fight or Flight

It was early afternoon before Charlotte had the courage to leave her house again. She had known that telling Nathan no would be one of the hardest things she would ever have to do in her life. He was what any woman would be blessed to have in a husband. Incredibly kind, supportive, and funny. A hero in every sense of the word. An amazing father and member of the community. She knew that Nathan would have done everything in his power to make sure Charlotte and her baby were happy and safe.

But in the end, she couldn't let him play the savior to yet another lost and broken woman. It wasn't fair to him. As Charlotte had said, Nathan needed to be free to have the possibility of a complete marriage. One where physical affection could also be a part of the equation. Nathan may say now that he did not need that to be happily married, but Charlotte could not stand the thought of some day in the future, him looking at her and wondering what would have happened if he would have been free to marry someone else. Someone who could let him hold her. Kiss her. Love her.

Charlotte shook her head, ridding it of her own "what ifs", as she walked towards the schoolhouse. Making sure to take the long way, as not to walk by Nathan's office. She could not run the risk of seeing him right now. It would be too hard to look into his intense gaze again and not feel the need to change her mind. After their discussion this morning, he had returned to chopping wood until all the logs were split and stacked in their respective piles. The sound methodical and haunting to Charlotte as she sat on her kitchen floor, back against the door, and silently wept into her hands at what might have been.

As Charlotte opened the door to her schoolhouse, a familiar figure sitting in the chair behind Charlotte's desk startled her.

"Elizabeth. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be getting ready for your wedding?" Charlotte said, shock carrying in her voice.

"Charlotte, we need to talk," Elizabeth sternly responded as she rose from the desk and walked over to Charlotte.

"Talk about what?" Charlotte's stomach started to churn in anticipation. Elizabeth's tone made this conversation seem destined for trouble.

"Allie and Nathan Grant. I care for them too much to stand by and see them get hurt by you."

Charlotte's jaw fell open in surprise. "By me? That is a bold statement coming from you Elizabeth. What is this all about?"

"Yesterday when I was walking by, I overheard you talking to Rosemary."

"You were eavesdropping on us?" Anger rising into Charlotte's voice.

"Yes. And I am glad I did. You are pregnant? When were you going to tell me?" Elizabeth asked, not giving Charlotte a chance to answer before continuing. "Ms. Thompson, you should know I have written a letter to Mr. Landis. I believe it is in our student's best interest if you resign and leave Hope Valley as soon as possible. A teacher should be looked upon as an individual with a high moral conduct. An unwed mother does not give that impression to her students."

Charlotte could not believe the words that were coming from Elizabeth. While yes, there had been times that Elizabeth and Charlotte had not agreed on certain things, to be this outright hurtful towards Charlotte, seemed so out of character for someone Nathan and Allie once loved.

But what was done was done. If Elizabeth had in fact sent a letter to Mr. Landis about Charlotte's situation, there would be no stopping her removal as an educator in Hope Valley. The decision of whether to stay or go had been made for Charlotte.

Hot tears stung her eyes at the realization. She had to leave. As soon as possible. As her knees threatened to buckle from under her, Charlotte turned and made a quick exit from the schoolhouse, but as she turned down the boardwalk, her blurred vision almost caused Charlotte to collide right into Nathan's chest.

"Charlotte! What is happening? I heard shouting in your room, and I was coming to make sure you were okay." Nathan tilted his head slightly to look Charlotte in the eyes, "Please tell me what is wrong."

"Everything Nathan." Charlotte said, unable to hold his gaze, instead skirting past him on her way out of town. "I have to leave."

Leave? Nathan thought. And then he saw her. Elizabeth. Standing in the doorway to Charlotte's classroom. People had started to gather in the streets wondering what had just happened.

Nathan did not want a scene, so he walked up to Elizabeth and gestured for her to join him in the classroom. Which she did, closing the door behind them.

"Nathan, I-" Elizabeth began.

But Nathan cut her off, turning now to face her, "What did Charlotte mean she has to leave? What did you say to her?"

"I. I-" Elizabeth was fumbling now. She had not seen Nathan this angry at her since their confrontation at the cabin in the woods when she had gone searching for Emily during the windstorm.

"You what Elizabeth?" Nathan firmly questioned.

"I told Charlotte I knew about the baby. And that I did not think it was right for a woman in her condition to be teaching these children, so I wrote to Mr. Landis. I said it would be in her best interest to resign and leave Hope Valley." Elizabeth confessed. Her head dropped in shame as she started to realize how awful it all sounded when she was not in a sort of jealous rage.

"Honestly Elizabeth, you have no idea what you've just done. How did you know Charlotte was pregnant?" Nathan now turned away from Elizabeth to pace the front of the classroom.

"I… I overheard Rosemary ask Charlotte yesterday if she was pregnant. And Charlotte confirmed it herself."

"Did you hear their whole conversation?" Nathan questioned, anger at the situation rising in his voice.

"No..."

"Elizabeth. Charlotte was attacked before she came to Hope Valley. Attacked. And then you have the audacity to say those things to her. You have no idea what her past has been. The pain and hurt she has already experienced. This job. This community. It is all she has. And now for whatever reason, you have decided to take that away from her. Elizabeth. I thought I knew you better than that." Nathan said as he breezed past Elizabeth on the way to the door.

"Nathan-" Elizabeth tried reaching for Nathan's arm, but he pulled it away before she could.

Nathan could not be there anymore. He had to figure out what to do about this mess. Charlotte had to stay. She may not be ready to marry him, but that should not mean she needed to leave town. There were too many good people here who cared about her.

And if Charlotte left Hope Valley. How would he be able to protect her from Beck?

Charlotte had just wrestled her trunk down the stairs when a knock sounded on her front door. She ignored it. Hoping Nathan would get the hint that she did not want to talk. Like everything in her life right now, decisions were being made for Charlotte by other people. First Beck and now Elizabeth.

Another round of knocks came at the door. More urgent this time.

Still Charlotte chose to ignore them. She could not face Nathan.

Again. More knocks on the door. "Ms. Thompson. I know you are in there. We need to talk."

Allie

Charlotte made her way to the front entrance, unlocked the door, and slowly opened it in to reveal Allie on her front porch. Eyes puffy and slightly red. Allie pushed past Charlotte into her house.

"I heard you and Uncle Nathan this morning." Allie quickly began as she turned to face Charlotte in the living room.

"You heard that?" Charlotte tried replaying her and Nathan's conversation from this morning.

"I couldn't hear everything, but enough to know that Uncle Nathan asked you to marry him, and you said no. How could you say no? Don't you love him?" Allie's eyes started to fill with tears. "Don't you love me?"

"Allie it's not as simple as just loving someone…"

"No, it should be that simple!" Allie raised her voice, but then at that moment took in the sight of Charlotte's partially packed luggage beside them. "Are you leaving us?"

"Allie, I have to go. I don't have a job here anymore. I cannot stay in Hope Valley. Please understand. This is for the best."

"Best for who?" Allie spat before turning and running out Charlotte's door.

"Allie, please…" Charlotte called after the girl from her front porch. But Allie was gone. Already on a dead sprint down the lane past the row houses, before turning towards town.

Newton stomped and snorted his unease as Nathan pulled him up in front of Charlotte's house. Dismounting he knocked on the front door, but there was no answer.

"Charlotte." Nathan rapped a second time. "Please, we need to talk."

Again. Not a sound came from inside. A feeling of dread simmered inside Nathan.

Had Charlotte already left town?

"Constable Grant?"

Nathan turned towards the shy voice coming from the house next door.

"Angela. Do you know where Ms. Thompson is? I need to speak with her." Nathan said, trying to keep his voice calm.

"I heard her calling out after Allie earlier. It sounded like they were both upset." Angela answered. "Constable Grant. Is Ms. Thompson leaving?"

"Not if I can help it, Angela. Do you know what direction they went?"

"It sounded like they both took off towards town."

"Thank you, Angela. You better get inside though. It looks like another storm is coming in." Nathan called back to the girl as he swung a leg over Newton's back and urged the horse into a gallop towards town.

As Nathan was coming to the edge of town, he saw a woman running towards him down the middle of the street. Coming closer he noticed that it was Rosemary with Lee right behind her. Both waving their arms frantically in Nathan's direction.

Nathan slowed Newton and stopped in front of Lee and Rosemary.

"Nathan! It's Allie and Charlotte." Rosemary began, "Allie was upset and took off on Bandit. With this storm rolling in Charlotte went after her on Danny."

"Which direction did they head?"

"To the west. Out of town."

To the upper meadow.

"Nathan, that's not it." Lee interrupted before Nathan could ride off. "One of my men just returned from that direction and he says with as dry as it has been lightning from this storm rolling in seems to have started a small wildfire up in the foothills. We are trying to get a team rounded together to take water up and get it put out before things get out of control or the winds shift, and the fire comes towards town."

Nathan's heart sank. That was the direction Allie and Charlotte would have rode.

Everything else seemed to fade around Nathan as he sunk his heels into Newton's sides. The pair riding hard and fast into the storm.