Bill Avery stood just outside the Thatcher home, glancing around as he waited for the door to open. The house—or perhaps mansion would be a better term for it—was large; it was clear the Thatchers were a wealthy family. He wondered what Elizabeth thought of Hope Valley after growing up in a place like this.

He wondered if she would be upset to know he was here. Right now, she had no idea that he was in her hometown, about to speak with her family. He hoped that the interaction would be worth it.

"How may I help you, sir?" a butler asked, holding the front door open.

"I'm Inspector William Avery with the Northwest Mounted Police. I was hoping I could speak with Mr. Thatcher regarding his daughter, Elizabeth."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. Mr. Thatcher left town yesterday."

Bill cleared his throat. "Then perhaps I could speak with Mrs. Thatcher?"

"She and Miss Julie are in New York right now. Did Mr. Thatcher know that you were coming?"

"No, but I'm certain he'd like to hear what I have to say." He glanced down at his watch. "Do you know when any of them are due back?"

"Mr. Thatcher should be back in a few days. Shall I call to let him know you came by?"

Bill shook his head. "No. I have other business in town. I'll check back in a few days. Thank you."

The butler gave him a slight nod before closing the door.

"Well, now what?" Bill said under his breath after the door closed. With one last look at the house, he turned to head back toward town. Perhaps he could come up with a plan over a cup of coffee.

Half an hour later, he stared out the window of a small café as he sipped his coffee. Why were the Thatchers all traveling? Were they out looking for Elizabeth, trying to find anybody who might know where she went? And what about the Spencers? Like the Thatchers, Bill had never met the Spencer family personally, but he knew of them, and they didn't seem like the kind of people who would just let Elizabeth run away without consequence. He assumed they had lots of connections, and they would be doing everything they could to bring her back, back into a situation where her life might be in danger.

Somehow, he needed to let Elizabeth's family know that she was safe without tipping off the Spencers. He had a feeling that, if they found her first, it wouldn't be good.

...

"So," Matthew Spencer handed William Thatcher a glass of whiskey. "William. I assume you're here about your daughter."

He tilted his glass slightly, observing the liquid inside. "Yes, I am," he replied.

"James said you and Grace claimed you didn't know where she went." His tone suggested he didn't quite believe the answers his son had received.

William immediately felt defensive at the insinuation that he and Grace hadn't been truthful. "We didn't even know she left until James showed up at our house."

Matthew narrowed his eyes. "You're telling me that she didn't give you any indication that she was going to leave?"

"None at all. We didn't even know they were having problems." He set down his glass. "But after your son showed up at our house—completely drunk in the middle of the day, might I add—I have to admit that I'm not surprised she left. I've already spoken with my lawyer about getting them a divorce."

"No chance." He sat up straighter. "My son will not be getting a divorce. We're going to find your daughter and the children, and they'll move back here, where Lucille and I can keep an eye on them."

"And what about what Elizabeth wants?"

"May I remind you that you agreed to this match?" He crossed one leg over the other, settling back in his chair. "As did your wife, if I recall."

"And I'm beginning to regret that," William admitted. "It's clear that Elizabeth isn't happy with the match, or she doesn't feel safe with him anymore. How can you accept your son's behavior, Matthew? What if he's been violent with my daughter? Or with the children?"

Matthew waved him off. "He's harmless."

"Are you certain of that, Matthew?" He cleared his throat. "If I found out that your son laid a hand on my daughter or grandchildren, I'll do whatever it takes to see he ends up behind bars."

"Now now, William. It's not going to come to that."

He started to stand. "Well, I can see that you and I aren't going to see eye to eye on this situation. I should hope that if you get any news on Elizabeth, you'll let me know."

"And I'll assume you'll let us know if you hear anything."

"Goodbye, Matthew." William gave him a nod, not bothering to shake his hand or even waiting for him to stand before he left the house. He certainly wouldn't be letting the Spencers know if they had any news on Elizabeth.

Once in his car, he just sat for a few moments, thinking over everything that had happened in the previous couple of days. He always considered himself to be a good judge of character. How could he have been so wrong about the Spencers? About James? He said a silent prayer, asking that Elizabeth would be able to forgive them for putting her in such a terrible situation.

Sighing, he started the car, deciding to head home early. Maybe Grace and Julie's trip to New York would be more fruitful.

...

Elizabeth reached for her teacup, taking a small sip. "So what brought you all the way to Hope Valley? I didn't think anything would ever pull you out of New York."

"Lee did." Rosemary chuckled. "He came to one of my shows—more than once—and he waited outside the theater to meet me every time. We really hit it off, and then when he decided he had some business opportunities out here, he proposed and invited me to come with him." She smiled wistfully as she got lost in the memories. "I still loved life in the theater, but I loved Lee more. So, we moved out here, and he opened the saw mill."

Elizabeth smiled. It was clear her friend was very happy with how everything had turned out for her. "How long have you two been married?"

"Almost three years. We got married shortly after we moved here." She took a sip of her own tea. "And I have absolutely no regrets." She suddenly grew serious when she noticed Elizabeth twisting the ring on her left hand. "I'm so sorry, Elizabeth. I shouldn't be talking about this."

She shook her head. "No, no. I asked. Besides, hearing you talk about your life gives me some hope. Hope that maybe someday, I might be that happy again."

"Can I ask, were you ever happy with James?" Rosemary set her teacup down once more. "You don't have to answer that."

"No, that's a good question." Elizabeth sighed, leaning back slightly in her chair as she thought. "I think I was happy in the beginning. I don't know that I ever loved him, but I was happy to have someone by my side, someone I'd considered a friend. He was nice to me then. He'd bring me flowers, even if it wasn't a special occasion." She ran her finger down the side of her cup, noticing the delicate pattern printed on the china. "Now I know that was his attempt to get me to see beyond his other behaviors."

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I wish I'd made more of an effort to stay in touch. I'm sure you needed a friend during all of this."

She smiled sadly. "He wouldn't have let me stay in contact with you even if you tried. I don't have proof, but I think he threw out most of my letters to make me think people just stopped responding to me."

"Did you have anybody there?"

"We visited our families every once in a while. And I had the children." A smile played on her lips. "They're the bright spot in the midst of all of this."

"They certainly are wonderful."

"I noticed…" Elizabeth began, but cut herself off, knowing it wasn't her business why her friend didn't have children of her own. "Never mind."

"You were going to say that you noticed Lee and I don't have any children?" Rosemary finished for her.

Elizabeth nodded. "It's not my business, though."

"We would love to have a child of our own," Rosemary replied. "It just hasn't happened for us. Maybe we'll have a child someday, or maybe we'll adopt. Or maybe it's just not part of God's plan for us." She shrugged. "I have hope, though."

"Well, just the few interactions you've had with William and Emma tell me that you would be a great mother, Rosemary. I truly hope it happens for you."

"Thank you." She smiled, reaching across the table to put her hand on top of Elizabeth's.

"Mama?" William wandered down the stairs, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Hi, Willie." She slid her hand out from under Rosemary's and opened her arms for him. He climbed up into her lap. "Did you have a good nap?"

"Mhmm." He leaned against her. "Emma's still sleeping."

She ran her fingers through his hair. "Maybe we can go for a walk after she wakes up. I know you wanted to see the pond again."

"Okay, mama."

...

"No luck," Julie replied when her father asked if they had learned anything in New York. "Rosemary LeVeaux isn't there anymore, and nobody knows where she went."

"Someone did say they thought she met somebody and followed him out west, but they didn't know his name or where exactly they went," Grace added.

"And we don't know if Elizabeth stayed in contact with her after she left. If she did, I still think she's our best bet for finding Elizabeth, but if we can't find her…" Julie shrugged.

"Did the Spencers know where she might be?"

William shook his head and sighed. "Matthew didn't have any leads, either. I think we greatly misjudged that family, Grace. If—when," he corrected himself, "we find Elizabeth, I believe we owe her an apology."

"They were children when we agreed to the marriage," Grace reminded him. "We didn't know how he would be as an adult."

"Still, we put our wants in front of hers. We shouldn't have done that."

"You're right, dear." Grace took his hand. "So what do we do now?"

He shrugged. "Take a trip to Toronto, maybe. See if anybody there might have seen her leave."

"Excuse me, Mr. Thatcher." The butler entered the sitting room. "There's someone at the door asking for you. He came by the other day when you were gone."

"Bring him in, Edwards."

"Yes, sir."

A few moments later, Edwards escorted Bill into the room. William stood, and Bill offered his hand.

"Mr. Thatcher, sir. I'm Inspector William Avery with the Northwest Mounted Police. I'm here about your daughter."

William graciously shook his hand and invited him to sit. "Do you know where she is? We've been worried sick since we found out she went missing."

"Yes, I know where she is."

Grace and Julie both gasped, and William sank down beside his wife, squeezing her hand to keep them both grounded.

"Where is she?"

Bill cleared his throat. "I need all of you to promise that this information won't leave this house. I don't know how much you know about the situation, but I can't in good conscience let the Spencer family know her whereabouts."

"We wouldn't dare tell," Grace assured him.

"I just spoke with Matthew Spencer a couple of days ago. Grace and I don't want our daughter to have anything to do with that family anymore. You don't need to worry about them finding anything out from us."

"Good. She and her children are safe. They're in a small town in Alberta called Hope Valley."

"She's okay? The children are okay?"

"Yes," Bill confirmed. "They're all doing well. Myself and the Constable there are currently trying to create a case against James Spencer, but we need more."

"Elizabeth's word isn't enough?" Grace asked. "Something made her take the children and run from him without telling anybody. Surely that should be enough to make a case."

"She won't admit to anything." Bill shrugged. "It would be his word against our speculation. And to be completely honest, even if she admits to everything she's been through, there's still not a guarantee that things will end in her favor."

"So she's stuck? There's nothing that can be done?"

"We're looking into every option," he explained. "And in the meantime, we're doing everything we can to keep them safe."

William stood. "We'll start packing. How long will it take us to travel there to pick them up?"

"A few days, but I would recommend you let them stay in Hope Valley right now. There's no reason for us to believe he'll be able to find her there, and it'll be much easier for us to protect your daughter and grandchildren should there be any threat against them."

William wasn't quite convinced. Surely they could keep Elizabeth and the children just as safe in Hamilton as they would be in a small town with only two law enforcement officers. "I could speak with the Mounties here and set up a watch to make sure James doesn't get near the house. They should be with family, not in a town filled with strangers."

Bill sighed. "Well, I can't stop you from bringing them back here, but I would make sure that's what Elizabeth wants. From what we've gathered, she hasn't had a lot of control over her own life in the past few years."

"He's right, dad," Julie spoke up for the first time since Bill had arrived. "She needs a chance to make decisions for herself."

"Why don't we go visit them?" Grace suggested. "Then we can see for ourselves that they're okay. We can discuss bringing them back later."

"I'll have Edwards retrieve our luggage." William shook Bill's hand again. "Thank you so much, Inspector. If there's anything we can do for you, don't hesitate to let me know."

...

"Uncle Jack!" Allie exclaimed. "Look!" She pointed toward the other side of the pond, where Elizabeth and the children were strolling along the shore. "I want to show them how to fish!" She shoved her fishing pole into his hand and ran off before he could respond.

He just chuckled and shook his head as he watched her say something to Elizabeth and then William.

A few moments later, the little family joined them. He passed Allie's pole back to her, and she wasted no time in leading William to the water's edge and showing him how to cast the line.

"I hope we're not intruding," Elizabeth stated quietly, shifting Emma on her hip.

"Not at all," he assured her. "Allie has been wanting to go fishing with William and Emma ever since she met them."

"Do you and Allie go fishing often?"

A smile played on his lips. "As often as we can. Hey, Al?" he called out.

"Yes?" She turned to look at him.

"We're going to sit over here. Don't get too close to the water."

"We won't." She quickly turned her attention back to the water, letting William have a turn with the fishing pole.

Jack led Elizabeth and Emma over to a blanket left out after the picnic lunch he and Allie had shared earlier. He invited her to sit, waiting until she was settled with Emma in her lap before he sat near the opposite edge of the blanket.

"My sister—Allie's mom—and brother and I used to go fishing all the time when we were young." He glanced out at his niece as he spoke, the smile returning to his face. "She's so much like Colleen. Sometimes when we're out here fishing, it feels like I'm a kid again, competing to see who can catch the most."

"How long has Allie lived with you, if you don't mind my asking?"

"About three years. My sister passed away about a year before that, when Allie was four."

"I'm four," Emma whispered.

He grinned at the little girl. "You're four years old?"

"Uh huh." She nodded, peeking out from beneath Elizabeth's arm. "And Willie is five."

"Those are good ages. I remember when Allie was four, she had this little bear that she would carry around everywhere. She even wanted to take it in the bathtub with her." He chuckled.

Emma cracked a smile. "That's silly."

"It was silly," he agreed. "Now she just keeps the bear on her bed. Do you have a special toy?"

"My dolly. I left her at home."

Guilt filled Elizabeth. In her rush to leave, she had completely forgotten about her daughter's beloved toy. "I just packed the first things I grabbed," she explained. "I didn't think…"

"It's okay, Elizabeth," he cut her off before she started beating herself up. "You got them out of there. Things can be replaced; you and your children can't be."

She took a shaky breath, nearly overwhelmed by the care she felt from him, a man who hardly knew her. He seemed sincere, but given her history, she couldn't help but be a little guarded.

"I'm still not ready to talk about everything," she admitted, running her fingers through Emma's hair.

"And I won't push you to talk," he promised. "But remember, I can't really make a case against your husband without information directly from you. We can speculate all we want, but a judge will want a firsthand account of what's happened."

"I know." Her voice sounded so small when she spoke.

"You did it!" Allie's shout pulled them out of the seriousness of their conversation.

They both looked over at the pond, where Allie was helping William reel in a small fish.

"Look, mama!" William beamed, holding up the pole so she could see the squirming fish. "I caught a fish!"

"You did! Good job, Willie."

"Here," Jack stood, making his way over to the children. "I'll help you get it off the hook."

"What do we do with it?" William questioned, watching as he pulled the hook from the fish's mouth.

"Well, we can either throw it back into the pond, or you can take it home and cook it up for supper tonight."

"Mama?" He turned toward her, waiting for her guidance.

"I don't think one fish will feed all of us, plus Mr. and Mrs. Coulter. Why don't you throw this one back?"

"Okay, mama." He giggled as the slimy fish was placed into his hands. "Bye, fishy." He tossed the fish back into the water, his eyes following it as it swam away.

"I like Mr. Mountie," Emma observed quietly. "He's nice."

"Mm." Elizabeth watched the constable interacting with his niece and her son, both children giggling at something he said. For a brief moment, she let herself wonder. Wonder what life would be like if James was more present with William and Emma, if he cared more about his family than he did about himself.

She even let herself wonder if she could still have a life like that, someday. Someday, if she could free herself from the Spencer family.

Silently, she began to pray. Maybe someday.