A/N Just a heads up that the first couple of chapters of this story are pretty heavy, with references to infidelity, physical/mental abuse, miscarriage, and alcoholism. It will get better eventually, but this start is pretty dark. Sorry!
Also, the Mountie in this story is really a hybrid of Jack and Nathan, so it can be read either way! (Although I chose to call him Jack throughout the story)
...
Be still, my soul; the Lord is on your side;
bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
leave to your God to order and provide;
in ev'ry change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; your best, your heav'nly friend
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
"Be Still, My Soul," Katherina von Schlegel
...
"Mama?" the little voice sounded in the darkness. "Can we go back home now?"
"No, baby." Elizabeth lay down beside the child. "I know you don't understand it right now, but we can't go back home. We're going somewhere new." She smiled sadly, touching the little girl's soft cheek. "Remember? It's an adventure."
"But I want to go home. I want daddy."
Elizabeth's stomach clenched at the mention of the man who was supposed to have loved them. The man who had caused her so much pain, who threatened her and her children. The man who was the reason she took the children and left.
She had been married to Sir James Spencer at the behest of their parents. It was a marriage that had been planned since they were young, and though they had never been particularly close, Elizabeth was content enough with the arrangement. She even thought she loved him, and perhaps he loved her, too. That was, until she realized the man she married was not the man she thought she knew.
She discovered he was being unfaithful two years into their marriage when a young woman showed up at their doorstep with her newborn daughter, claiming that James was the baby's father. He admitted to the infidelity, and Elizabeth had forgiven him, foolishly believing when he said it would never happen again. She had even welcomed the baby into their family, raising Emma as her own daughter alongside their son, William, who was six months older than the little girl.
But it didn't end there.
She had forgiven him the first time he hit her. And the second and the third and the fourth. She told herself she just needed to be a better wife, to keep the children quieter, to do whatever she could to make his life easier.
The final straw had been when she saw him raise his hand to the children. Emma had bumped into his desk, spilling a nearly imperceptible splash of ink onto a few papers that were there. Five-year-old William stepped between his father and his little sister, trying to look as brave as possible as James approached with clenched fists, a fire in both of their eyes.
If Elizabeth hadn't come in the room then, she didn't know what would have happened.
She had distracted him long enough for the children to retreat, but then she became the target of his anger. It was worse than ever before. She didn't know how she survived.
That had been a week ago.
As soon as James passed out, she threw a few things into a suitcase, gathered the children, and left. Her plan was to seek out an old friend who had moved to a small town out west a few years before. She had no idea if the friend even lived there still, as James had limited her contact with those outside the family. But she had very little money, not to mention she had recently learned that she was expecting again, so she knew she needed to try. She couldn't bring another child into that situation, couldn't put their lives at risk any longer.
"Mama?" Emma touched her face. "You okay?"
"I'm fine, baby." She forced a smile. "Let's go to sleep now. We still have a long way to go."
Emma snuggled up beside her. William was lying on the other side of his sister, already fast asleep.
Elizabeth tried to sleep, but found herself on edge, as she had been since they left. She worried that James would follow her—or at the very least, send others to find her. She had no idea what she was going to do when they reached their destination. She needed to find someone trustworthy who could help her safely cut ties with James and his family.
She needed to trust that God would protect her and her children, that He would provide for them. There were times in her marriage when she questioned God, even questioned whether He existed. But now, He was all she had.
All she could do was pray. She prayed for strength, she prayed for safety, she prayed to make it through another day.
...
"How much longer, mama?" the little boy asked.
"I'm not sure." Elizabeth squeezed his hand gently. "I think we're close to another town, though. Maybe we can rest there and have something to eat."
"I'm tired, mama," Emma whined.
"I know you are, baby. Just a little bit longer. Why don't we sing something? You can pick the song, Emma."
She put her finger to her chin as she thought. "Alouette!"
After a few lines, Elizabeth suddenly doubled over in pain, and the two children immediately stopped singing, watching her with concern on their little faces.
"Mama?" William took a step toward her.
She gritted her teeth. "I'm fine, Willie."
"I'll get help." He looked over at the town in the distance, then back at his mother.
"No, Willie." She let out a breath, straightening up. "Stay with me, please."
"But mama…"
"Let's keep going. We're almost there."
He relented, taking Emma's hand and walking alongside her as they resumed their song.
A few minutes later, Elizabeth was struck with another pain, this one taking the breath from her lungs.
"Stay with mama," William instructed Emma, sounding so much older than he was. "I'll get help." He ran off before Elizabeth could object, moving his feet as quickly as he could.
Elizabeth lowered herself to the ground. Emma crouched down beside her. "Mama? Are you hurt?"
"No, baby. I'll be okay. Everything will be just fine."
"Daddy could help you feel better."
"No, Emma. Your daddy," she took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to explain things to the sweet four-and-a-half-year-old looking up at her, "we aren't going to see him anymore. Part of being your mama means I keep you and your brother safe, and right now, it isn't safe for us to be with your daddy."
"Because daddy yells a lot?"
"That's part of it." She nodded. "But no matter what, we have each other." She opened her arms, embracing the little girl. "And I love you so very much."
"I love you, mama."
She tightened her hold on her daughter as another pain shot through her.
"Mama?"
"I'm okay, baby. I promise. We're just going to wait until Willie gets back, and then we'll see about getting to town and getting something to eat. How does that sound?"
She looked unsure, but replied, "okay, mama."
...
William slowed his steps as he approached the town, trying to push down the nervousness he was beginning to feel. A few people glanced at him as he walked by, but no one stopped him. He was about to turn a corner when he saw a flash of red, recognizing the Mountie uniform he had seen before on the occasions when he went to town with his father.
"Help!" He waved his arms above his head, hoping that the Mountie would see him. "Please help!"
The Mountie brought his horse to a halt, dismounting just in front of the little boy. "You need some help?"
William nodded. "My mama. She's hurt."
"Can you tell me where your mama is?"
He turned, pointing in the direction he had come from. "In the trees with Emma."
"Is Emma your sister?"
"Yes, sir."
The Mountie crouched down. "And what's your name, young man?"
"William. Will you help my mama? Please?"
"I'll see what I can do, William." He helped the boy onto his horse, hopping up behind him. "Okay." He tapped the horse's sides, bringing him to a trot. "Let's go find your mama."
William directed him down the road. They made it nearly a mile away from town before the little boy excitedly pointed toward the right side of the road. "There's mama and Emma!"
Elizabeth was on the ground, her hands clutching at her stomach. Emma sat beside her, tears spilling down her face.
The Mountie jumped down from the horse, helping the young boy down before approaching his mother.
"Ma'am?" He crouched down near her, taking in the bruises she had tried to cover up—some faded and some new. "I'm Constable Jack Thornton. Your son said you're hurt."
She shook her head, taking a deep breath. "I'm fine. I just need to rest for a bit."
"You look like you're in pain. Why don't I help the three of you to town? We have a nurse who could do a quick checkup, and then I'm sure Abigail Stanton, our mayor, would love to make you all a meal at her café."
"Thank you, but we can manage."
"Please?" He held out his hand. "I'd hate thinking of you three out here all alone, especially if you are sick or hurt."
"Mama," Emma whispered, tugging on her sleeve. "My tummy's growling."
She sighed. "Okay, but we need to get moving again after we eat. I think we're getting close to our destination."
"And where is that?" he asked as he helped her up.
"Just a small town out west. I have a friend there."
"If you tell me what town, I may be able to help you find the best route to get there. I could even get you a ride there, so you don't have to walk." Sensing her hesitation, he added, "this will stay between us. I promise."
She looked at him, trying to determine if she could trust him. She knew she would need to let someone in eventually, and if she couldn't trust a Mountie, who could she trust? "Um, it's a place called Coal Valley."
"Well, ma'am," he smiled, creases forming around his eyes, "you're in luck. You're already there."
She furrowed her brow, clearly confused. "But the water tower there says this is Hope Valley."
"The town was renamed after the coal mine was closed down a few years ago." Jack lifted William onto the horse, instructing him to hold on tight. With a little reassurance, he convinced Emma to let him carry her, and with the horse's reins in one hand and the little girl secured in his other arm, they all headed toward town. "You said you have a friend here? Maybe I know them."
"I don't actually know if she's still here. We haven't spoken in a while. Her name is Rosemary LeVeaux."
Jack chuckled. "She's still here, but she's Rosemary Coulter now."
Elizabeth stopped walking, grabbing at her stomach again.
"Are you sure you're okay? It just seems like you're in a lot of pain."
"I'm fine, Constable," she said through her teeth. "Let's keep going."
The rest of the journey into town was spent with only the crunch of gravel beneath their shoes to fill the silence.
Jack tied his horse up outside the jail before leading the little family over to the infirmary. A pretty young nurse looked up from a small pile of paperwork when they entered.
"Hello, Jack," she greeted him with a smile. "Who's this?"
He turned to introduce them, before realizing he never learned the young woman's name.
"Elizabeth," she said quietly, holding her hand out to the nurse.
"I'm Nurse Carter." She shook Elizabeth's proffered hand. "You can call me Faith. What brings you by?"
Elizabeth glanced over at Jack, then at her children.
"I'll keep an eye on them," he assured her. "You and Faith can go talk. We'll be right here."
She cleared her throat, giving him a small nod before following Faith behind a curtain. She took a seat on the cot, wringing her hands in her lap. "I'm about three months pregnant, but I've been having sharp pains in my stomach over the past day or two."
"Have you had any bleeding?"
Tears filled Elizabeth's eyes, and she nodded. "It started in the middle of the night."
Faith put a hand on her shoulder, a sympathetic look coming across her face. "You might be losing the baby, Elizabeth."
"I know," she said quietly, her voice thick with tears.
"Do you mind if I do a little check to make sure you're okay? I want to ensure you aren't losing too much blood."
Elizabeth nodded her consent, lying on her back and holding her breath as Faith started to feel around her stomach. She winced when Faith pressed on a bruise near her hip.
"Did that hurt?"
She gritted her teeth. "It's fine."
"Elizabeth…"
She shook her head, blinking back tears. "It's fine."
Faith put a hand on her shoulder, lowering her voice. "Anything you say in here will be held in confidence."
"I just need you to make sure I'm okay so I can get back to my children."
"Well, I'd really like for you to stay here at the infirmary, at least for a few hours. Jack can take your children over to the café. I know Abigail would be happy to keep an eye on them for you."
Elizabeth shook her head again. "I need them with me."
"Elizabeth, they don't need to see you like this. It'll only worry them."
She sighed heavily, knowing Faith was right. "I can trust this Abigail with them?"
"Yes. She's wonderful with children. She has two children of her own, and she watches Jack's niece while he's working. They'll have a great time with her, and I'm sure they'll get a hearty meal while they're there."
"Okay, but just for a little while."
"I'll go bring them around so you can say goodbye." She disappeared around the curtain, returning just a few moments later with William and Emma.
"Mama?" William questioned, noticing her tear-filled eyes.
"I'm okay, sweet boy. Nurse Carter is going to help me feel better. Constable Thornton will take you two to get something to eat, okay?"
"I want to stay with you, mama," Emma whimpered.
"I know, baby girl." Elizabeth reached over, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "But I'll see you very soon. I promise."