Chapter 104- On The Way
*Back in 2017, I spent a week in Alberta for a summer vacation. I've tried to include details of what I saw and experienced on that trip throughout this whole story where it made sense, but this chapter is a bit fuller than usual with real details and history.
I started my trip, spending a few days in and around Calgary and at some of the ranches in the foothills from north of Cochrane, south to Pekisko, and over to High River (also known as the fictional town of Hudson for those of you who enjoy Heartland—also drove by the Heartland Ranch set where they film—sadly no Kevin spotting on the trip… darn).
As much as I loved the mountains and National Parks, those two days spent in the foothills and prairie around Calgary were some of my favorites of the whole trip.
As promised, Joseph arrived at the house to pick up Nathan and Charlotte just as the sun was beginning its rise over the tree line to the east. They were both packed and finishing their morning coffee on the front porch when they saw the car pulling up the drive. Nathan and Joseph quickly put the bags into the car, while Charlotte went back inside to wash out their mugs and do one last check of the house to make sure everything was in order.
Joseph drove them back down the mountain and looped around the south side of town on the way to the Weise's house. Allie, Opal, and Mrs. Weise were by the door, waiting, when the car pulled up. The two girls hugged goodbye, while Nathan and Charlotte thanked Ellen and grabbed Allie's bags. When they were all re-packed into the car, instead of driving in the direction of the train station, Joseph turned the auto back towards town.
"Joseph, what are you doing?" Nathan questioned. "I know we are a little early, but that doesn't mean we should take the scenic route to the station."
"Forgive me, Nathan," Joseph answered in his eternally cheerful voice. "I forgot something in the café kitchen yesterday while Minnie was working. I was wanting to swing by this morning before I forgot again. I hope you don't mind."
Allie and Charlotte exchanged sideways glances in the backseat and tried to suppress the giggles of happiness that threatened to bubble out of them with Nathan's surprise.
As the car circled back into town, Nathan instantly realized that the slight detour was not for anything Joseph forgot at the café, but rather a proper send off for Hope Valley's honorable constable who just so happened to be one of this year's Order of Merit recipients.
People from the community lined both sides of the street waving as Joseph slowly drove by. A banner hung over the road, stretched between the eaves of the Coulter's office and the saloon. The words "Congratulations Nathan!" painted in bright red letters. Joseph stopped the car in the middle of the intersection and Nathan got out to the cheers and applause of the townsfolk, before a makeshift band led by Mike Hickham and his trumpet started playing from the steps of the Mountie office. Maise, Archie, Bill, and the Coulters were also in attendance, having delayed their journey to the train station to be there for Nathan's sendoff.
Nathan stood flabbergasted. Praise and attention were not something he was always comfortable with, but he imagined he should try to get used to it over the next few days. At least this celebration in Hope Valley was with all the people he knew and considered friends and family. The Mountie Ball in Calgary would be a different story.
"Did you know about this?" Nathan asked as Charlotte and Allie came to stand beside him.
"It was her idea." The two women said at the same time, pointing towards one another in accusation, before erupting into laughter at their synchronicities.
Nathan just shook his head. "What am I going to do with you two?"
He reached around both and enveloped them into a hug before being greeted and congratulated by everyone who had gathered. Quickly, Nathan was encircled with people wanting to shake his hand, pat his back, and give words of encouragement, thanks, or prayers for a safe journey. The line of supporters continued until Joseph reminded them of the time and their need to catch the train if they were going to get to Calgary yet today. Everyone loaded back into the cars and scurried off down the road out of town to the merry sounds of the Hope Valley band and cheers of the community.
The train swayed slightly as it made its way down the tracks. The dull churning noise of iron grinding against iron floated through the floorboards. Charlotte fidgeted with the leather of the train seat. Focusing her anxious energy on a worn spot beside her skirt. She didn't even notice the nervous tick until Nathan's hand covered hers, quieting the action. He gently squeezed her fingers in reassurance and then brought her hand to his lips placing a comforting kiss to the back of her knuckles, before leaning over and placing another to her temple. He lingered; his breath warm on her cheek.
"What is it?" He questioned; his voice so soft that only Charlotte would be able to hear. He moved their now entwined hands to rest easily on his thigh. "Are you feeling alright? Is it motion sickness? I've had that before on a train. Do you want to switch spots with Mom and Allie, so you aren't riding backwards? Or go to the back of the car and see if we can open a window for some fresh air? That may help."
"No. I feel fine." She stated truthfully. Charlotte didn't physically feel sick, but her mind had been racing since they boarded the train.
She turned slightly towards Nathan, and he read her face like a well-loved novel. He knew instantly what troubled her. "You're nervous."
She nodded her head ever so slightly. Confirming his suspicions.
"Whatever for? I'm the one who has to make a speech the day after tomorrow." He winked, trying to lighten her mood with a little humor. It seemed to work as a brisk laugh escaped her lips.
"It wasn't until this morning at the train station, when I realized that other than Brookfield… and those few days in Buxton this summer after the flooding, I haven't been outside of the valley since…"
"Ah…" Nathan sighed heavily. "I guess I hadn't thought about that either. Are you okay with this? At the next stop we can hop off and catch a train right back to Hope Valley if you want. You know I would never make you do anything you weren't comfortable with, Charlotte."
It was her turn to study him. Gauging if he was telling the truth.
He was.
"Plus, if we followed through on that plan, I could also get out of that dreaded speech I mentioned."
"But what about your award? I couldn't let you miss out on that," she answered. "Not for me."
"I'd do anything for you." Nathan shifted slightly, wrapping his arm around his wife's shoulders, he pulled her into his side so she could rest her head on his strong chest, as his fingers drew small circles on her upper arm, putting them both in a trance.
Charlotte's gaze drifted to Allie in the seat across from her. The young girl bounded with endless excitement for their adventure together. This was their first trip as an official family. Since the planning had begun, Allie could scarcely contain her excitement with the prospect of spending a few days in the city. According to Nathan, he and a very young Allie had traveled through Calgary years ago, when he had been reassigned to a new posting and needed to pick up supplies and orders from Fort Calgary. That was only a couple months before the NWMP left the barracks and the fort was repurposed into a hospital, a refuge, a police administration center, and support buildings for the railway. Even though the fort was no longer the property of the Mounties, Calgary still served as a central location for regional meetings.
No matter what anxieties Charlotte was currently experiencing, she couldn't bring herself to deny Nathan, nor Allie, the memories this trip could offer for their family. Allie was becoming a young woman. It was something Charlotte was painfully aware of. She often found herself longing to have known the girl sooner. To have been able to experience all of Allie's "firsts". And while she knew she could never go back in time and change that; she could start now and make sure she never missed any of those milestones in her daughter's life moving forward. One day, in the not-so-distant future, Allie would spread her wings and create her own life, apart from Nathan and Charlotte. It was a beautiful, yet painful experience, this being a parent thing.
As if reading her mind, Nathan again leaned closer and whispered. "She'd understand, Charlotte. I can't deny Allie wouldn't be disappointed, but she'd understand. She loves you and wants to see you happy. As do I."
"I'm sorry. I didn't expect to feel this way. It kind of came out of nowhere. I don't want to disappoint anyone."
"You're not disappointing anyone. These are real feelings you are having. I understand where they are coming from. I'm just sorry we didn't think about this prior to leaving so we had a chance to talk it through. If you want to go back to the safety of Hope Valley, we'll go, no questions asked. But if you want to continue onto Calgary, know I will always be with you. Every moment. There isn't anything to be afraid of. Especially with this year's Order of Merit recipient by your side, as your husband."
Charlotte chuckled lightly at the way Nathan mockingly puffed up his chest and she felt her anxiety lessen. She turned her attention out the window. The mountains and forests had disappeared, replaced by the more familiar foothills and open prairies of her youth. The recent chinooks had melted some of the winter snow that buried the normally lush, green grasses of late spring and summer, but still a thick blanket of white coated the passing landscape. "You know… I didn't grow up far from here. Less than a two-days ride almost straight south of Cochrane."
"Outside of Longview, if I remember right."
Charlotte nodded her head. She had told Nathan so much about her life, but it still surprised her he remembered those small details. "Yes. The ranch headquarters were about nine miles west of Longview into the foothills. I remember the first time I took a trip to the city with my parents. I was about Allie's age. The ranch had sold that year's steers to the railroad, beating out some of the other big ranches in the area like the Bar U, Flying E, and the A7 for the bid. It was quite the lucrative contract at that time. One my dad was chuffed to have signed for the ranch. The only stipulation was we had to deliver the whole lot to the railhead in Calgary in about a week's time. We worked all day and night rounding up the steers and then trailing them to the city to beat the deadline. When it was over, I was so exhausted… I slept in the back of the cook's chuckwagon the whole two days it took us to get back home. Momma had been afraid I'd fall asleep riding and then slip off my horse and hit my head on a rock. Looking back, she was probably right."
Nathan's fingers floated along her hairline, tucking some wayward strands behind Charlotte's ear. "Do you realize how much you light up when you start talking about things you love? Like your childhood on the ranch."
"Those were some happy times for me," Charlotte smiled. "Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of difficult moments too, but no matter what we went through my parents always made sure I knew one thing."
"And what was that?"
"That I was loved." Charlotte's gaze drifted back to Allie. "It's something I want her to always know too."
"She does," Nathan kissed Charlotte's cheek. "She knows how deeply you care. How much you care for not only her, but me too."
"Cochrane!" The train conductor moved through the car calling out. "Next stop Cochrane!"
"So, what's your decision, Charlotte?" Nathan asked gently.
She reached forward, her fingers grazing along his chiseled jaw on her way to direct a sweet kiss to his lips. "We're going on to Calgary, Constable. We have a Mountie Ball to attend."
As the train neared the station in Calgary, Rosemary arrived at the door to their cabin. Holding her lower back with one hand and rubbing her large baby bump with the other. "After sitting so long, I simply must work some of the knots out of my muscles before we reach the station."
"Are you sure it was the right choice that we travel this late in your pregnancy?" Lee questioned, as he and Fred arrived behind Rosemary in the aisle with a few of their travel bags.
"I'm perfectly fine, Lee! Just yesterday, I had an appointment with Carson and Faith, and they said that the baby and I were the picture of health. Plus, I have well over a month left in the pregnancy. There is no need to be concerned."
Lee clearly was. Charlotte smiled gently. She knew how long the Coulters had prayed to expand their family and now that it was happening, she understood why Lee would be slightly concerned and extra protective of his wife and unborn child. She glanced sideways at Nathan wondering if he would be the same way whenever, God willing, the time came for them too.
"Babies come early all the time," Lee continued. "What if you go into labor while we are in Calgary? Or…" Lee paled. "Or what if you go into labor on the train."
"I'm NOT going into labor on a train, Leland Coulter! And even if I did, Charlotte's here if I need help."
"Charlotte's not a nurse or a doctor," Lee pointed out. "No offense, Charlotte."
"None taken," Charlotte held up her hands. "Although… if there is trouble, I've untangled a few colts in my time."
Nathan burst out laughing as Rosemary shot a shocked look at Charlotte. She was about to open her mouth in rebuttal when the train blew a long, low whistle, as the clickity-clack of the wheels began to slow down.
Everyone seemed to forget the conversation, instead pressing against the closest windows to see more of the city.
"Is that…" Allie gasped, pointing out a large building just on the other side of the glass. "Our hotel?"
"Yes, it is," Charlotte smiled. "That's the Palliser."
The train jerked to a stop with a big hiss from within its iron innards like a giant sigh that the long journey was finally over. The group gathered their things and made their way to the exit. Railway assistants helped the ladies down from the train while the men worked at finding their luggage.
As Nathan assisted Lee, Bill, Archie, and the porters at collecting the bags he couldn't help but scan a watchful eye over their surroundings in the C.P.R Station. People moved quickly about them. Some coming. Some going. Dark-suited businessmen, young women bustling by in heavy fur coats, ranchers and farmers, and the occasional red tunic of a Mountie completed the groups mulling about. Because of his job, crowds always made Nathan nervous. Especially now when Charlotte had admitted to being anxious about leaving Hope Valley for the bigger city.
What she hadn't said, but Nathan knew also was in her thoughts, because they were in his too, was concerns about who exactly would be at the Mountie Ball, given as Nathan, for a long time, had believed that part of the Schneider gang ultimately had ties to someone within the NWMP.
Gabe, Bill, and Nathan had all discussed the possibility and questioned if it was the right decision to come to Calgary without a deeper understanding of what was happening with Beck's old connections or what they were getting themselves into. Eventually though, they had all agreed, they wanted this opportunity to see if they could make headway of who could be trusted within the organization as they began to peel back more and more layers of Beck and the Schneider gang.
But the moment Nathan realized on the train that Charlotte was worried about the possibility of digging up ghosts of Beck on this trip, he had instantly regretted the decision to come. Was it worth the risk?
Nathan's gaze landed on Charlotte's where she stood to the side with Allie, Maise, Rosemary, and Fred. After their talk on the train, she seemed more herself, but he still noticed the slight tension in her muscles and the edge in her voice. Their eyes connected and he gave her a reassuring smile as he strode to her side, wrapping a strong arm around her back and kissing her forehead.
"How soon until we are going to eat?" Allie asked. "That sandwich from lunch already seems to be wearing off."
"We were planning on meeting Gabe, Lillian, and Grace at the hotel restaurant around six," Charlotte answered, looking at the watch on her wrist. "Which means we should probably keep moving and walk to the Palliser to get checked in, so we have time to unpack and freshen up a bit."
The group collected their things and walked out into the late afternoon sunshine. A few riders on horseback maneuvered expertly around cars and pedestrians making their way down 9th Avenue. Thankfully the C.P.R. Station was right next door to the hotel, and it was only a short journey down the street to the rather imposing building.
"Wow!" Charlotte couldn't help but exclaim. "Calgary certainly has changed over the past few years. I can't believe we are staying here. I know it's not usually our cup of tea, but a part of me is excited to see how grand the inside of the hotel is."
Nathan squeezed her hand tighter. "Strangely enough. I'm excited too. But I think it has more to do with the people I'm with, than anything else."
They carried their bags up the few steps to a pair of heavy doors held open for them by one of the hotel's employees. Rosemary and Lee led the way. The couple was well-traveled and comfortable with the grander accommodations, but the rest of the group stood agape at the entrance to the hotel lobby. Tall white pillars lined the hallway, gilded in gold details, fine settees and leather chairs provided plenty of places for wayward travelers to rest, all lit with the grandest of crystal chandeliers.
"Alright, everyone," Rosemary commanded the situation as she and Lee came back to the group. She had made the reservations months ago and came bearing the various room keys from the check-in desk and began distributing them accordingly. "I've been assured these rooms should all have double beds. Here you go, Allie and Maise; Room 302. Lee, Fred, and I are in Room 304. Bill and Archie, you're in Room 306."
"I hope you don't snore, Judge Avery," Archie joked.
"I don't snore!" Bill rolled his eyes, grabbing the key from Rosemary before Archie had a chance to.
Everyone laughed at the friendly repertoire Archie and Bill had built over the past few months.
"The front desk said that Gabe, Lillian, and Grace already checked in and they are on the same floor as us. In the rooms just across the hallway, I believe." Rosemary commented.
"Rosemary, what about our room?" Charlotte asked, noticing there were no more keys to pass out.
"Ah, yes! Unfortunately, I believe there has been a mix-up with your room."
"What kind of mix-up?"
"It seems as though the Mounties have changed your reservations, but they wouldn't let me fix it for you. They said that Nathan would have to handle it. I'd be more than happy to stay and help you, to make sure everything is taken care of," Rosemary offered.
"No, that's alright," Nathan answered. "Why don't you all go upstairs and get settled so we can meet back down here in let's say an hour?"
The rest of the group agreed and made their way to the elevator hall.
Once they disappeared around the corner, Nathan turned to Charlotte. "Why don't you stay here with the bags, and I'll go get in line at the front desk to try and work out this mix-up. Hopefully they aren't sold out of rooms, otherwise it looks like I may be bunking with Bill and Dad, and you will be crashing Allie and Mom's sleepover."
Charlotte chuckled slightly, "Well maybe the hotel has a spare luggage room in the basement or something we could commandeer."
"That's not a bad idea as I know Bill and Dad both snore like a freight train."
Nathan bent and gave Charlotte a quick parting kiss, before taking his spot in the back of the line at the check-in desk just across the lobby from where she stood. Charlotte took a moment to scan her surroundings, taking in the grandeur of the hotel. Molded ceilings, fine oak woodwork, with handmade rugs and tapestries. Large pieces of art lined the walls, decorating the space. The expansive lobby echoed with patron's voices and the even rap of boot heels moving across the marbled floors. The cacophony of sounds threw off Charlotte's senses, but suddenly she picked out a voice calling her name.
"Charlotte!"
Charlotte turned to see an unknown man striding towards her with purposefulness. The crowd in the lobby seemed to automatically part around him.
"Charlotte Thompson! I thought I recognized you. Although, I do believe it is Charlotte Grant now if I'm not mistaken."
Instinctively Charlotte took a step back but was met with the solidness of one of the lobby's white pillars. The man stopped directly in front of Charlotte. His height, dark features, and muscular frame were imposing to her. A familiar sense of uneasiness coursed through her veins, and she pressed a hand to her quivering stomach. "I'm sorry sir, but do I know you?"