A mountie to rely upon

by awdeano

This is the story of how Nathan rescued Little Jack and his visit to Fort Clay. He had to move on from Elizabeth and other new characters came into his life. They all avert catastrophe and they are forced to test how they feel now that we venture into season 9 and beyond. It's not going to be easy. I, along with the program's aim, try to arrive at a positive outcome for all of us.

5. Chapter 5

Fiona could see the bewildered look on Nathan's face as the stage rolled steadily out of town. Maybe it was someone from the past or even a person who might have resembled somebody he may have known. She thought that the answer to this may not come for a while or maybe it won't ever be found. She wasn't about to dwell on this right now as the freedom from the torment of the last six weeks was uppermost in her mind as they wandered along the street. There wasn't much energy left to ponder over anything else than enjoying each other's company. There was the here and now and that was all that mattered.

Bill had also noticed, after talking to the young lady, how Nathan had looked when he saw her standing by the stage. He also took note of her disappointed expression when she saw Nathan with Fiona and Allie. What could this possibly mean and why would someone come all the way to Hope Valley, step off the stage with some expectation and leave so suddenly with no apparent reason. He was so relieved at having Nathan back after all the endless days of worry and the possibility that he may never have returned at all. He thought that her arrival seemed to mean something to Nathan and how he looked like he was trying to figure out why it should be.

I feel that I've seen her before, but I can't think where." Nathan said scratching his head. He looked very perplexed as he looked at Fiona, "Thanks for that haircut and the excruciating shave this morning, I don't know why my face hurts so much. It's going to take me a while to come to terms with all of this and the stress that I put everyone through." Fiona thought that this was very promising. Sooner or later he would be asking questions and opening up more and more on how he felt. Until then she would just be there for him and listen.

Bill came across to see them both and made a point of not mentioning the girl on the stage. There had been very little conversation on the long trip back from Union City yesterday. He could see that Nathan would have to deal with it all in his own time. The shock of seeing his appearance in the mirror at the Police station and the eventual realization of the loss of six weeks out of his life could be a hard pill to grasp right now.

Before Bill could say anything, Nathan said, "Bill, I don't understand any of this, all those Mounties were here looking for me?" He shrugged his shoulders, "I remember going on my long round just the other day and you say that was six weeks ago, how can that be?" He shook his head and they walked down the road. He stopped as he noticed a tree which had no leaves the last time he looked. Now it was completely covered as a shade tree.

Elizabeth had returned home last evening after seeing Nathan return from oblivion. Her happiness with seeing him back safely was tempered with huge sadness at knowing that something awful had happened to someone that she cared about so deeply and how she wasn't able to do anything about it. She thought sadly about Simon and how he felt that he had to part with his daughter after having lost his wife so tragically. "My goodness, Sarah and Jack should still be here, they didn't deserve to be taken like this." she cried. And then there was Lucas and how she despairingly left him at the altar. "He deserved better than that," she thought sadly.

She was very happy to report to the school children next morning that all their prayers had been answered and that their Mountie was home safe and well, even though word had got around already. There was happiness but more relief than anything in the classroom especially for Allie. Elizabeth sat outside during recess time in a very thoughtful frame of mind. In not too many years' time, young Emily would be a student in her classroom with Little Jack. She thought how always seeing her would remind her every day of Simon and the tragedy that he had to endure as part of his life. As she sat quietly in the sunshine, she felt the need to take a deep breath now and again with the relief that she experienced at having Nathan back.

At home in the evening she sat down and brought her manuscript out, something that she hadn't done for such a long stretch of time. This was something that gave her immense pride and a sense of achievement. The heart and soul that went into this work was originally something she never thought she would be capable of undertaking and completing. She wasn't about to forget where much of the inspiration came from and how indebted she would be to Lucas and his mother. She was astonished to think that there was a time, not so long ago, that she wished she had never written that wretched book and had the impending book launch to deal with. "The longer it takes the better it will be," she thought. She knew that there was going to be a day sometime down the track where Helen Bouchard will say in a letter or even by just showing up in Hope Valley that her book is now in print with so many copies and a formal launch will be expected before long.

Nathan was sad to hear the stories from Fiona and Allie about how he had gone missing and how there was no news for weeks on end. "Bill knew that something must be wrong when your horse showed up on his own in front of the jailhouse." said Fiona. "Bill, Jesse and Lee started the search for you at first light next morning but after three days they realised that they needed more help. That's when they called in the Mounties to help. They stayed for the duration and never complained once. These are people who love you Nathan," Fiona hugged him tightly and started to cry, something she hadn't done in all the weeks that he was missing. "Oh Nathan, I had to be strong for Allie, but I thought I was going to lose you and I couldn't bare it. Allie hugged both of them and said, "Dad, you might never ever know what it was like for us. Days and weeks went by without a scrap of news, but Fiona was so strong and always knew that you would be back for us. We went and helped feed the Mounties when they returned each day." Nathan was never more prouder of his family than right now. He said, "I'm so sorry that you had to endure all of this. I don't know how it all happened but now I'm glad it's all over with. I have the most wonderful family that anyone could hope for." Fiona looked at him with so much love in her heart, "Nathan, even in our darkest hour I could remember our little fishing adventure and the fun we had. I really didn't think that we would get another chance at it. I really want us to have another go. I'm going to show that smart Alec Mr Yost that I really can catch a fish!"

As days went by it seemed that life was returning to some degree of normality. Towns folk would see their Mountie riding on his horse doing his daily round pausing to remember how the whole place had virtually stopped while holding their breath for his return. He rode by the school and saw Elizabeth waving to him feverishly. It was recess time and all the children were outside playing when they saw him approach. He climbed off his horse and was immediately surrounded by what seemed like dozens of enthusiastic youngsters all thankful to see him. Elizabeth was still very concerned for him and asked," I can't tell you how relieved I am to see you here safe and sound, have you any idea what happened?" Nathan was still overcome with the stories that had come from Fiona and Allie, "I remember being on my round and then I wind up in a park in Union City, how and why, I have no idea. I can't believe that I caused all this hardship for everyone." he said sadly. Elizabeth could see the internal struggle that he was going through, she said, "It was hard for Allie, but she showed all the grit that she will need to cope with everything in her life. Fiona was a rock for her to rely on as the weeks went by. They walked to and from school together every day. You can be very proud of both of them." Elizabeth also made a point of not mentioning anything about his appearance when he arrived back in town.

He eventually rode back to the jailhouse stopping occasionally looking at all the trees that were full of blooms and leaves. He distinctly remembered seeing them totally bare the last time he looked which seemed like only a day or so. He couldn't put it out of his mind how all the people of Hope Valley had toiled so bravely to find him. He thought that this was going to be a long road to travel before he would be able to come to terms with everything.

Bill was at the desk going through some incoming paperwork while Nathan was still finding his feet. He couldn't imagine what might be going through Nathan's mind since returning from Union City. He would just have to watch and listen and just be there for him as the days and weeks would pass. "Where did all the Mounties stay while they were here?" asked Nathan. "We just decided to commandeer the saloon when they got here which served them quite adequately." Nathan was surprised, "Didn't the new owner object?" Bill had his usual wry smile, "He was very annoyed when the Mounties appeared the first time during the weapons plant investigation. He was claiming breaking and entering and demanded that action be taken. This next time, according to Simon, he knew that they were here to search for the missing Mountie. In a surprise turnaround he was very supportive and offered the establishment for however long it was needed. It seems that even he was able to find some humanity in our crisis."

Bill was glad to see him trying to return to his life as quickly as possible and he also liked the questions that might mean that he felt much more at ease with himself. He noted how Nathan made no mention at all about the girl from the stage even though it appeared important. So far, they all knew very little, the only thing Nathan could provide was that his face hurt. Whether this happened by accident or maybe by foul play was something that could not be answered. Faith had been watching and waiting also and was reluctant to pose questions to him at this early stage that may unsettle him as he tried to resume his job. Could there have been an extended loss of memory for some reason and a point at some stage where he somehow regained his memory. She was pondering over this, in the infirmary, when Bill appeared at the doorstep. He looked quite frazzled as she invited him in, so a cup of coffee was the order of the day. "Faith, can we talk for a while. I'm sure that you would have some idea or thoughts on what might have happened to Nathan. He seems to be going about his business okay, but it worries me that we have nothing to say to him if, and when, he eventually wants some answers. I would hate for him to think that we had doubts about his wellbeing." Faith replied thoughtfully, "Whatever happened to him was serious enough to cause the memory loss that he suffered. It wouldn't occur just out of the blue. We may never know and hopefully, it may not have any lasting effects on him." Bill was listening very closely and thought how he needed Faith now. "Faith, I have an idea, would you like to come with me to Union City sometime?"

The worry for Elizabeth at the thought of the missing Mountie was now mercifully, well and truly behind her. She fumbled through the mess on the table, shifting the manuscript to one side looking for all the accreditation material. She knew that Mr Landis, as apologetic as he might be, would be forced to reinstate the deadline for its completion now that Nathan was okay. A week or so ago she was very close to tearing it all up but now the huge weight was now off her shoulders. She sat down with it all and slowly started reading from the beginning. It would be one module at a time as required.

The weekend came along, and Fiona was determined that they were going to have a good time. Armed with fishing poles, worms and spare hooks together with sandwiches and drink bottles, they figured that the fish wouldn't have a prayer. They were down there early to catch the fish off guard, well, that's what they told Fiona. They all sat together just like last time and prepared to ambush the poor unsuspecting fish. Fiona sat there and watched Allie go to work with the worm and the hook. "This, I have to tell you, is about the most disgusting thing I've ever seen anyone do," whispered Fiona. "Oh, did I say disgusting, I meant revolting." Allie grinned at her, remembering how Fiona had hated this when they were here before. "The fish absolutely love the worms; you just wait, and you'll see." Fiona wasn't so sure, "Nathan, did you teach her to do this, ugh, I can't look, the poor worm." Nathan said, "Allie could catch fish when she was five year's old." Fiona was amazed, "Just imagine what she will have in store for a poor unsuspecting boyfriend, snakes, spiders, mouse traps, I shudder to think." Allie looked at her and said defiantly, "I know where all the spiders are at home, so you had better be quiet so that the fish don't get scared." Nathan was enjoying all this banter; it was the most fun that he had since he came back. Fiona was determined, "I don't want just any fish; I want my fish so don't either of you catch him. Do you think," She went quiet when she felt a little tug on the line, then nothing for a while. "I felt something; do you think I've got one?" Allie said, "He probably just had a bit of a nibble, you'll know when you've got him. I told you they like worms." Fiona was puzzled, "How do they know which worm to pick, what if they like yours better than mine?" Allie laughed, "Then I'll be eating fish for dinner today and you can watch."

Bill had gone early to see Faith at the infirmary to discuss their venture to Union City while Nathan was out on the fishing expedition. He felt guilty at the thought of going behind his back but there seemed to be no other alternative. "Faith, we need to invent some sort of a reason to travel together to Union City without incurring any suspicion from Nathan. Can you have a think about this and maybe come up with a phony medical emergency that needs your expertise. I remember the Constable at Union City saying that they had seen Nathan from time to time in the company of a pretty young nurse. You didn't see her, but I reckon she was probably the same person who came here on the stage the next day after Nathan returned. She saw Nathan with Fiona and Allie and promptly left sadly on the same stage. I think she will be our starting point, wherever she might be."

Faith said how she knew nothing of any of this and how she felt privileged to have Bill take her into his confidence. She also accepted that anything that they discovered might eventually be of great help to Nathan, but she also knew that much of the story may have to be withheld. "We don't have to rush into this Faith, so there is plenty of time to get our story together; maybe we could get Lee to drive us there." said Bill. "We have so little information and so many questions that need to be answered.

"How do you know whether the fish are biting?" asked Fiona, "I haven't felt anything for ages." Allie thought for a bit, "Let's take it all out and see if it's alright." They lifted it out and up came the hook with no worm on it. "Look at that, "said an annoyed Fiona, "They took my worm and I didn't even know; I don't appreciate being outsmarted by a fish of all things. Hurry up and put another worm on, we're not going home until that fish is in the box." Nathan gave Allie a wink of appreciation. Fiona had a bite of her sandwich and a piece of meat fell out into the water. Immediately two fish fought over it feverously and it was gone. "Did you see that," cried Fiona. "I should have meat on the hook instead of that silly worm." She put her head on Nathan's shoulder and reflected on recent times. They had faced one of the most horrible periods of anyone's life and they had survived. They weren't sitting there enjoying themselves by accident; she would never take life for granted ever again.

She was touching the line like Allie had told her and she could feel the ominous little tug that was supposed to tell her that a fish was being tempted by the worm. They both got one at the same time and that little tug became a yank so they gradually and very carefully hoisted their lines out together to reveal a couple of decent sized fish which would be very nice for dinner later. Fiona looked at her fish," Not this time buster." Slimy, squelchy and gooey didn't matter this time; she grabbed it tightly and got it away from the water onto the decking. Nathan got the hook out for her and into the box it went. Allie's fish was already in there by this time. Fiona folded her arms and looked extremely satisfied. "I bet Ned Yost has never even caught a fish himself." she said very proudly. Allie had plans for her later to learn all about filleting the fish.

Elizabeth had made a good start with the accreditation modules even though it was still hard to find the concentration necessary after the last few weeks trauma. It was going to be a very interesting project and, the end result would provide her with substantive qualifications as a highly recognised schoolteacher including the special needs requirements. How could she focus when she could only see the downcast faces of her friends and all the Mounties toiling for so long without any finality. This was going to be a long recovery for Hope Valley. She noticed her completed manuscript at the end of the table and thought of Lucas again. Her thoughts went to the inevitable book launch and a cold shudder caught her off guard. What if she was in Union City and Lucas just happened to appear out of nowhere; this would be a distinct possibility and one that she just couldn't face. She knew then that she would have to put pen to paper soon and try to give him some sort of an explanation.

Fiona had hardly seen her barber shop over the last few weeks. She had stayed with Allie while waiting desperately for news of Nathan. It was only now that she felt that she could resume her life and hope that she hadn't forgotten everything. Allie was used to coming by after school and helping out. She knew that Fiona was still recovering and that being a busy hairdresser was the best thing for her. They planned to make dinner and test it out on Nathan, so they decided to eventually wander over to the Mercantile. They had no idea what to make so they hoped that some inspiration would come when they looked around inside the shop. They hardly had a foot inside the front door when Ned and Florence rushed over to them. Florence was soon in tears, "It is so nice to see you and with a smile on your faces. We couldn't imagine what you both went through for such a long time. Thank God that Nathan's safe. It's time for us all to smile and laugh again." Ned looked kindly at Fiona and Allie and the look on their faces made him feel heartened at his own efforts over the recent weeks. He had supplied all the food and essentials for the Mounties happily at no cost to anyone. He insisted that Nathan didn't have to know anything about this. "Now, tell me about the fish that you caught, I bet it was only a baby and didn't know any better." Fiona looked very indignant, "For your information, Allie said that's the biggest fish she has ever seen come out of that pond." Ned responded, "Was she wearing glasses?" Allie laughed and Fiona scolded, "Don't you listen to him, he will only lead you astray." She hugged him again as they went out the front door. "I want some more of your exotic dishes very soon!" he yelled. "What are you going to cook tonight, I hear bread and butter is very satisfying!" Fiona was not impressed.

Within a day or so, Faith entered the jailhouse to see Bill about a mercy trip to help a friend. She made sure that Nathan was there so that there would be no misunderstanding of the request that she would be making. "Bill, I need your help. I have a colleague in a little town outside of Union City who is in a degree of professional trouble. He has claims of negligence against him and he needs my professional opinion in an inquiry which is set for the day after tomorrow. There are legal issues that would need your level of expertise as well. "How did you find all this out." enquired Nathan casually. "I just happened to be in the Mercantile when Florence said that there was a call for me. It was quite a shock to hear from him and with circumstances like this." said Faith. They were playing their parts so well and Nathan suspected nothing untoward. "It looks like we will have to get there early in order to prepare for the case." said Bill. "I wonder if Lee would help us out and drive us there tomorrow. Faith, you go and get anything you need to get ready and I'll go and see Lee in his office."

The completion of each module would be one step closer to Elizabeth's goal to successfully tutor Angela. She felt that Angela's future depended on her getting this done and in time to satisfy Mr Landis. Every now and again she would catch a glimpse of her manuscript sitting at the end of the table. She tried to refocus but seeing the manuscript all the time caused her to accept that she had to get a letter started for Lucas. A sigh and a deep breath, then she got pen and paper in front of her and subsequently went completely blank. She wondered what she could possibly say to the man who she had pledged her life to and then walked away. She felt the lump in her throat and started with, "Dear Lucas". That's as far as it got for some time until she shut her eyes and recalled the time when she found out that they would have had to leave Hope Valley for good. She tried again, "Dear Lucas, it's taken me all this time to gather the courage to write to you because I know that I hurt you and I'm so sorry. Even though I know I had to make this choice, and I know in my heart that it was the right one, there has been an emptiness that I have had to live with since then. I hope this letter finds you well and that you have found contentment in your new position at the hotel. I have been sitting here trying to go through the accreditation documentation that I now have to complete but I can't concentrate on that while I need to write to you and respond to your really nice letter to me before. It took a long time for me to revisit the library which is still intact just the way you left it. I have the fondest memories of our time together and I still wonder how it might have been if things had turned out differently. I had no other thought than of Little Jack growing up and going to school here in Hope Valley. I will never know whether we would have been happy or not and time will never answer that question. Sooner or later, your mother will contact me about the final publishing of my book and a subsequent book launch. I will never forget where the encouragement and inspiration came from when I had serious doubts about my ability to make something like this happen. I have to tell you that I hope the launch doesn't happen for a very long time. We had a very serious incident here where Nathan went missing for weeks and we all just about went out of our minds with worry. He eventually turned up in Union City of all places and had no idea how he got there. A cloud was cast over the entire town for weeks and we are only now starting to recover. I'm sorry for the way things turned out between us. There is not a day goes by where I don't think of you and it will be that way for me forever. If we have a book launch and we find our way to Union City, I would be glad to see you again and maybe have dinner with you at your hotel again. Days with you were some of the happiest times that I have ever had in my life. Signed, "forever in my heart, Elizabeth."

Lee had been planning an excursion himself to Union City to attend a meeting with a contractor soon, so assisting Faith and Bill was hardly an issue. A quick phone call was made and then arrangements were made to set off early next morning. The car was out the front, so Emily naturally thought that any plans to go anywhere had to include her. She had to be coaxed out of the front seat of the car or else they couldn't go. She loved going for a ride in the car with her new dad but today was not for children but for business. Rosemary promised her an ice cream instead which brought a smile and nod of acceptance. She let her new mother help her climb down from the car with a hug.

Lee picked up his passengers at the infirmary and soon they were on their way along the track. About ten minutes into their journey Bill said, "Lee, we have a confession to make, sorry about the deception but there is no emergency for Faith to have to deal with. We have had to plan things in this way because we are attempting to find out what happened to Nathan. He doesn't know about any of this and anything that we find out may have to stay that way. We are planning to start at the police station in Union City." He purposely left out the part where it seemed that a young lady may be involved somewhere in the picture.

They wandered along on their journey and at around twenty miles out Lee said, "Somewhere along here I remember I had to remove a tree branch off the middle of the road. It was on that first day when I drove out here on the search for Nathan." This stretch of the journey was generally open country with not too many shade trees along the roadside, so it wasn't difficult to locate the place where the branch had been. The car slowed to a walking pace to give them a chance to see where it would have been overhanging the road and where it had broken off the tree. They saw the big branch on the side of the road where Lee had placed it as they drove past on their way to Union City.

Elizabeth had worked extremely diligently through the afternoon at a task that was proving to be very rewarding but after three solid hours she felt that she needed a break. Little Jack had been ever so good keeping himself amused even though he had repeatedly asked to be allowed to go and play with Emily. Mum finally decided that this was a good idea so off they went to see what was happening next door. Emily had been rather bored at home while her mum was tidying the room and she still hadn't had her promised ice-cream despite regular reminders throughout the day. "Little Jack likes to have an ice-cream from time to time as well," said Elizabeth. "Emily, would you like to drag your mum down the street with us to get an ice-cream?"

As soon as they started down the street Elizabeth said, "Wait a minute, I'll be right back." She scooted back inside and soon returned wearing her new red serge that had been given to her from Simon and the Mounties of Fort Clay. Rosemary gasped, "Wow, where did that come from!" Elizabeth recounted the visit from Simon when he had told her of the death of his wife and the gifts that he had brought for her. "This means so much to me. I wore it to show Bill and Nathan the day he went missing and I vowed not to wear it again until he was found safely." Elizabeth noticed that the infirmary was shut as they walked by. "Lee took Bill and Faith to somewhere near Union City to help out a friend of Faith who was in some sort of trouble." said Rosemary.

It wasn't long before the children had more ice-cream on them than in them as they all wandered over to the jailhouse to see Nathan. "Don't either of you grubby little ankle biters come anywhere near me with those messy ice-creams." growled Nathan with a smile. Little Jack of course took no notice and scampered over and sat on Nathan's lap complete with ice-cream. Emily had no intention of being left out as well. Fiona and Allie were there as well and very happy to see the little ones. Nathan noticed Elizabeth's red serge and was very impressed. She said, "I was never going to wear it again until you were back safe." Nathan said, "I understand how and why you came to have this jacket and how special it is for you and all of us. Jack would be very proud of you." Elizabeth thought of all the people who she was representing while wearing this uniform. "Why can't we get an ice-cream as well? "said Allie. "That sounds like a good idea. Fiona gave Nathan a hug and a kiss, "We're heading to the Mercantile to get some things to make his lordship here some dinner, bye." Elizabeth was rather surprised at feeling uncomfortable at seeing Nathan showing affection for someone else and how it brought back all those memories. She thought that Fiona was a very lucky woman.

A leisurely two-and-a-half-hour drive brought the three Hope Valley people into Union City and to the police station by about midday. Lee arranged to leave Bill and Faith there and drive off to his meeting. "Before we go back home Faith and I want to buy something special for the two children as a thank you. I have to tell you that we may have to stay overnight if we find things difficult." Lee drove away and Bill said to Faith, "Well, inside here is where we found Nathan and to see him in that state was as big a shock to me since I had a gun pointed at me." They went inside and saw a number of Mounties at work. "Can we help you sir?" was the enquiry from a strapping young officer, "Constable Banfield at your service." Bill introduced himself and Doctor Faith and asked if Constable Grey was available. "He will be back soon from a staff interview; can we get you folks a cup of coffee while you wait?"

Bill recognised Constable Grey instantly when he returned from another office. Constable Banfield pointed out the two people sitting in the corner and said how they had asked for him. He put his paperwork down on the bench and went over to see them. "Constable Grey, thank you for seeing us, you may not remember me but some months ago you rang me at Hope Valley about someone who said he was a Mountie from….," He immediately recalled the occasion and apologised again for not taking him seriously at the time. "Yes, I remember sir, you're Bill Avery, the man who came to get him." Bill introduced Doctor Faith Carter to him. "I will tell you sir, I won't ever forget that day for the rest of my life, how is your man going?" Faith replied, "It appears that he is making a full recovery thankfully, but we will never know for certain because we don't know what happened to him to cause all this." Bill added, "Constable, we need your help. Can you remember when you rang me on that day how you mentioned that Nathan had been seen from time to time with a young lady." Constable Grey nodded his head, "I vaguely recall a pretty young lady arm in arm with him, and she looked like she might have been a nurse." Bill recalled all the sadness during the period of total uncertainty and thought that a young lady had put her heart and soul into Nathan's recovery. "The next day after we got Nathan back home, the stage pulled in with a young lady. She may be the same one who you saw with him. She saw Nathan with his girlfriend and his daughter and sadly got straight back on the stage and drove off. If we can find her, and if she is prepared to talk to us, she may help to answer a lot of questions for us."

Constable Grey thought for a while and said," There are plenty of medical clinics located around Union City and of course there is the hospital which is not far from here. I'm imagining how he would have got here in the first place. If he was injured or met with foul play out on the trail and someone helped him, where would they most likely bring him. If it was night-time when they eventually got him here, then all the clinics would be closed by then. Bill, I think my first investigation would be at the hospital. It is quite large so it may take a while to find out if Nathan was there or not." He offered to escort them and introduce Bill and Faith, but they thought that he had been more than helpful already.

Elizabeth was quite proud of herself as she carefully hung out her special Mountie uniform when she returned home. Rosemary was only too pleased to have Little Jack come and play with Emily in the afternoon. They could throw a ball to each other outside while it gave Elizabeth a chance to continue with her work. Rosemary had found it difficult to find suitable topics for her paper apart from ones that had been completely exhausted over many months. There had been no issue during the long episode with Nathan, so she felt that she had to come up with something special for the town. She would have loved to do a write-up on Emily and how she was new to the town but thought the better of it for now. She thought about how people came to Hope Valley and eventually decided to make it their home. One of the deciding factors was the children and the picturesque little school and the teacher. She could get any number of pictures of the school and have photos of the children individually and in groups. "That will do nicely," said Rosemary, "Now, how am I going to get this past Elizabeth." It didn't take her long to figure out the answer to that one.

Bill and Faith were pointed in the direction of the hospital which was about a half a mile along the main road. They were very apprehensive at the thought of what to say to this lady when they would find her as they wandered along. This was not supposed to be an intrusion on someone's private life. The fact that Faith was a doctor would show that they were genuinely concerned about her welfare as well as Nathan's. Bill was quite sure that he would recognise her when they encountered her. If she had been seen with Nathan around the vicinity of the police station, then the hospital was the closest and the most likely place to find her. The very impressive looking hospital came into view and soon they were heading towards the front entrance. "I wonder if Nathan was brought through here right where we are." reflected Bill. He was quite overwhelmed as they walked inside and saw all the activity from all the nurses and orderlies.

There were staff behind a big counter who saw Bill and Faith enter. A kindly voice asked, "Can we be of service to you folk, you look a little bewildered, we won't bite." Bill seemed a bit more at ease as it was most definitely a kind sounding voice. "We're not exactly sure where to start. It might make it easier if we could talk to someone in authority. My name is Judge Bill Avery, and this is Doctor Faith Carter. We are here from Hope Valley. Our request may take a bit of time to explain." She looked a bit worried as she asked them to take a seat for a while. "I will see if our administrator is available, won't you wait please while we check for you." Faith looked concerned, "I think she feels that we are planning to lay a complaint of some sort."

She returned eventually with a very formal looking lady, "Good afternoon, I'm Susan Brown, the Assistant Administrator, how may I be of assistance to you?" Bill introduced themselves to her, "We have quite a story to tell you, I hope you can be patient with us." She ushered them to a little office enclosure where they sat down and then she invited them to relate their story to her. "Firstly," Bill said, "let me assure you that we are not here to complain about anything, quite the contrary as you will see." She sat back a little more relaxed. Bill started from the beginning how their Mountie went missing a few months ago and an extensive, exhausting search by many men turned up nothing. "Six weeks later I got a call from your police station down the road that our man was there right out of the blue. We are here because Constable Grey said that a young nurse was seen with him occasionally. We have no idea what might have happened to him, but this young lady may have had a big hand in saving the life of a good friend of ours." By now Susan's glasses had come off and she was close to tears herself. "I can't imagine what you people would have gone through, six weeks you said. You think that this lady may be a nurse who works here. I can look through our records of patients and admissions, but we don't even know whether he was injured or not." Bill chimed in, "By the time we got him back to Hope Valley, he had developed a six-week-old beard as his face was still in considerable pain. I forgot to mention that he has no knowledge of the missing six weeks."

She said how she would need about an hour or more to check records and ask around, so Bill and Faith went back down the street and found the little café. Bill noticed the Swedish meatballs on the menu and showed Faith. "This is what Fiona and Allie made for Nathan and got a well done from Ned." They found their way back to the hospital where Susan was waiting for them. "I have found an entry where a man was admitted in the evening roughly around the date you suggested, however, he was never checked out officially all those weeks later. I am waiting to ask the attending doctor who will be here shortly."

The wait seemed like an eternity as they had to sit and watch the hustle and bustle of a busy hospital ward in action. A young nurse marched by who, for a fleeting moment, caught Bill's eye. He quietly said to Faith, "If my eyes weren't deceiving me, I could have sworn that she just walked past us in the foyer. I'm sure it's the same person." Susan came back with an older gentleman and introduced Bill and Faith. "Good afternoon, I'm Doctor Parker and from what I have heard from Miss Brown, I may be able to help you folks." He seemed very sympathetic and hoped that he would be able to help these troubled people. "I have a vivid memory of the man who was brought in. He was badly injured and was in a coma for three days before any movement leading to recovery became evident. My daughter was the nurse attending to him and she sat with him for many hours during this period." Bill's voice got shaky when he asked, "Do you think we could talk with her; I think all of us from Hope Valley owe her a huge debt of gratitude. Between the two of you, the life of our friend was saved. I am a judge and my colleague here is a doctor also as you are. We understand the sensitivity of this situation and anything said here will be in confidence if necessary."

Doctor Parker and Susan looked at each other, "We'll see what we can do." and with that, they both disappeared for a while. Bill and Faith were silent and quite on edge as they waited for them to return, hopefully they would have the young nurse with them. After about ten more minutes they reappeared, and Bill instantly recognised the young girl standing with them. She was the same girl from the stage at Hope Valley that day. Bill thought that this was what an angel must look like. "I'd like to introduce my daughter, Jane Parker." A polite handshake but Bill could have hugged her tightly as if she was his own daughter. She looked at them and said, "You can call me Janie." They sat down and Bill was overcome and speechless. Faith helped out, "It's nice to finally meet you Janie, it has taken a long time to get here. Constable Nathan Grant was the man you looked after so well, and I can tell you that he seems to be making a full recovery thanks to you." Susan came and put her arm around Bill. She could see the difficulty that he had gone through and now, seeing Janie again brought it all back. Janie saw how Bill had reacted and thought that this man has had the weight of the world on his shoulders for a long time and some of it was still there. If she had felt any inhibitions about seeing them, they were all gone by now. She grabbed Bill's hand, "I will be glad to talk to you Mr Avery, I will tell you everything that I can recall."

Rosemary had flown right into action and started the write up on the school. She thought that how it became the church on Sundays would be a worthwhile addition to write about. The history of it all included how school for the children was located in the saloon years ago and how it was still made as a success until the new school was eventually built. Some of the children could be encouraged to provide their own little stories which could be included. They could save their copy of the newspaper and have something to show their grandchildren in many years' time. If most of the article is done already then how could Elizabeth possibly even think of screwing her nose up at it.

Janie thought about how to start from the very beginning. "I remember a lady brought him here to the front entrance in a car in the evening. She was soon gone without leaving any details so we will never know who she was. You would have been horrified to see the condition he was in. We had no idea where he had come from, but we got him into a bed where he stayed for over three days without hardly moving. We had observed a considerable bump on his head. He was in considerable pain and remained so with each day as he slowly began to recover. His vision was blurred, and he had no memory of who he was or even where he was." Faith remarked, "When he returned so thankfully all we could see was that his face was sore which accounted for the lack of shaving, you seemed to have done an amazing job with him." Janie continued, "He gradually got his vision and his health back, but he suffered with his lack of memory. When he was able, we went for walks together down the street. It was from then that I could tell that he would notice something from time to time that triggered some sort of a recollection from his past. He was downcast, often wondering if he had been a bad person and maybe it would be better if he didn't regain his memory."

Bill had suspected all this right from the outset but now to hear it in actual fact was too much for him. He squeezed her hand, "Thank God for people like you, your father and this hospital for taking care to help someone in great need when it really mattered. I understand that, after we came here and brought him home, you never heard any more details. Well, I can tell you that somehow, he must have regained his memory and then presented himself to the police station. He had no idea of his scruffy appearance and how he ended up here in Union City. It causes him great concern, even though he doesn't show it, that he has no recollection of the six weeks that you have described to us. He didn't just decide to leave here without saying goodbye. He just has no memory of all these events. I'm sure that when he saw you by the stage at Hope Valley, it meant something to him." Janie was all choked up, "I couldn't bear thinking that he just decided to return home without a care for all the people who cared so much for him. I can see, he just doesn't remember us and probably never will. I think I have helped you, but I have to tell you that you have helped me more than you will ever know." The relief on her face was evident as she hugged Bill and then Faith as she said, "I hope he is recovering well and is happy, he is a really nice man." Bill reflected, "We had twenty Mounties from Fort Clay searching half the territory for him for all that time and thanks to you, he survived and without really knowing it, you saved all of them and our little town. I wish there was some way that Nathan could know how you put your heart and soul into his recovery. Maybe it's enough for now that we know." Bill and Faith both thought that it was probably just as well that there was no mention at all of Fiona and Allie.

A few days later Elizabeth was conducting lessons in class when there was a knock on the door and an uninvited entrance by Rosemary, "Good Morning everyone," she said with her usual beaming smile. Any thought of schoolwork by the students vanished immediately as Emily wandered straight up to Elizabeth. Their hearts melted when she decided to sit in the front row with the school children as if she was in class. "I have something to ask your teacher about. I'm planning to do an article on the school and the church for the town's newspaper and we just need her permission to go ahead." All the children were ecstatic and pleaded with Mrs Thornton, "Please, please, please can we do this, please say yes." they asked excitedly. "I'll have to discuss this with Mrs Coulter, and I'll let you all know tomorrow." said the bemused teacher staring straight at Rosemary. She knew that she had been purposely placed in an awkward position where she couldn't say no. She whispered glaringly to Rosemary, "Sometimes I wish that you were one of my students." A puzzled looking Rosemary replied, "I'm sorry, I think I have something in my ear." Elizabeth had a bit of a smile afterwards when Rosemary said that it was time to go. Emily had no intention of leaving preferring to stay in class with the other children. Mum was finding out that this little girl had a mind of her own. Elizabeth remarked, "Oh, is that a grey hair that I can see?"

Bill and Faith had returned successfully, and the story went such that her friend had been exonerated after an exhaustive hearing with no mention of any wrong doings recorded. It had been a long trip back and Lee had been pleased that the young nurse had been located and that she had been prepared to talk to them. He was equated with the story and promised that there would never be any mention of the real mission in his household. They all agreed that this story should go over quite well without any question. Before they left, they bought presents for Emily and Little Jack.

Nathan was in the jailhouse the next day and was reading various reports and bulletins that came in regularly through the post. There would be new regulations and procedures to come to grips with, some routine and others more important. One in particular commanded his attention concerning a renewal of illegal whisky trade in the northern areas. He thought that this had been wiped out years ago but maybe it had started up again. There wasn't much detail other than requiring Mounties to remain vigilant. He didn't think about it anymore until a phone call came in from Fort Clay after a few days. It was from Superintendent Mills asking to talk with Nathan. The call was put through by Florence to Nathan's office, "Hello Nathan, it's good to talk with you again, I was very worried about you during your ordeal but I trust that you are very much recovered by now. Constable Morgan reported back immediately the nature of your return but could not provide any details of what had happened to you. Thank goodness it finished well. Nathan, you would have read by now the bulletin on the whisky trade business which seems to be gathering pace. A few other senior officers and I will be coming to Hope Valley to set up a plan of how to deal with all of this. It should take place in about a week or so, nothing has been arranged so far. You can let Bill Avery know but nobody else. Our meetings will be in your office and confidential."

Elizabeth had marched into Rosemary's front room after school, "You knew I couldn't say no if you asked me in front of all the children. You are a menace." Rosemary appeared surprised, "I'm sure I never thought of that." Elizabeth grinned after trying to appear angry, "It seems I have a new student; I wonder if she takes after her mother. I should have set homework for her." Emily had refused to leave the school until all the other children finished at the end of the day when it was time to go home. "I will tell the children that it's okay to be part of the article. I hardly have to do anything myself; you will do the write up and the children can do their parts. I can help with photos from the library. I will tell Lee that an article on his lumber business will be next." This drew a look of displeasure and exasperation from Rosemary, "Imagine trying to get Lee to co-operate with that!"

The first of the Mountie officers rode into town the following day and sought out Nathan's regional office. He introduced himself as Captain Peterson from Fort Simpson and asked where he would be able to stay while awaiting the other members of the conference. He had with him a bag which contained plans and proposals which would be put forward for discussion at the meeting after the other members arrived. Nathan took him to the Café to introduce him to Bill who would be able to help convince Wyman Walden to cater for them in the rooms at the saloon. The captain was mainly concerned about the security of his bag full of plans.

Another Mountie officer arrived later in the day and waited by the jailhouse for Nathan to return. Captain Peterson had asked for a little tour of the town before settling into the saloon and planning a meal at the café. "Good afternoon constable," said the officer by the jailhouse. "I'm Captain Edwards from Union City, I heard of your misadventure recently and now I trust that you are well and fully recovered. Constable Grey sends his compliments and good wishes." Both officers had known each other for many years and were very pleased to be reacquainted again. Nathan left them to reminisce over coffee at the café with Bill while he conducted his rounds. He was concerned at ensuring that Captain Peterson's bag was secure in the safe.

It was getting rather busy with Mounties at Hope Valley as a third officer arrived, this time with two attending constables. He introduced himself as Captain Bedford and had come from Cape Fullerton. Nathan took them to the saloon where they could bunk in for their stay. Nathan asked him, "How is that construction of that new complex going, it seems to be taking a long time for completion." Captain Bedford replied, "It should be completed very soon." Nathan got back to the jailhouse just in time to meet Superintendent Mills and Constable Simon Morgan who had recently arrived from Fort Clay. Simon was especially pleased to see Nathan after all the rigorous and exhaustive searching previously for someone they valued so heavily. "You are a sight for sore eyes Nathan, you look like you are doing alright." said a very thankful Simon. "Has Elizabeth worn her new jacket for you yet?" Simon's smile turned into a long distant stare as he looked around remembering the last time he was here. The thought of those terrible emotions all flooded back and how things might have turned out.

Bill was going to have a busy time over the next week or so entertaining the high-ranking officers who had seen fit to use Hope Valley as the venue for their planning meeting. There would be a welcoming dinner set out in the café for the following evening. Superintendent Mills expressly asked if Elizabeth and the Coulters could be made welcome to attend along with the children as well as Fiona and Allie. Early in the morning Nathan had planned to head out on his long round, something he hadn't done since he had returned from Union City. He was accompanied by Simon and they set off together for the day-long excursion. They thought that there would be enough Mounties in Hope Valley to cope with any problems. Simon had not seen much of the Hope Valley district except for the travelling to conduct the weapons plant raid many months ago so this was a welcome experience. He was impressed with Nathan's knowledge of the district and all the homesteaders battling to make a living as best as they could. Also, how he managed the journey so that the horses would be looked after with waterholes along the way. It was a warm day again and, as force of habit, Nathan parked himself under the tree in the shade while he removed his red serge for the afternoon. Simon noticed the big branch on the side of the road and also, where it had snapped off the tree some time ago.

Superintendent Mills had mixed feelings when the ladies showed up for the dinner in the café. He was so pleased to see them, but he found it hard to hide his huge feelings of relief and worry over the burden that these nice people had to experience for so long. One hug told the whole story. Fiona was never going to forget how it was this man who gave the authorisation to send the Mounties in to help in the search for Nathan. Simon was going through the same thoughts as he could remember what it was like the last time that he saw Elizabeth, Fiona and Allie. He looked at Allie, "Jason says hello. He says that if he has a hard day sometimes, he thinks of the young girl at Hope Valley who had her chin up right through adversity." He spoke with Elizabeth, "This is a better time than when I saw you last time. To see Nathan now after they brought him back in the car, I promise, I will never complain of anything ever again." He saw Emily with Rosemary. "Do you think my little girl will remember me?" Elizabeth laughed, "You should have been at school last week. Rosemary came in with Emily briefly and Emily refused to leave after a while. It was so funny, she sat in the front row as if she owned the place. She even put her hand up when she saw the others do it when I asked a question. All the children adored her. I'm enjoying seeing her being a handful with Rosemary." Simon smiled, "I'm happy for them, I made the right decision and it has worked out very well for both of them." His smile slowly disappeared, and he started to look rather helpless, "What's wrong Simon?" asked Elizabeth. "I know in my heart that she will be happy with the Coulters, but I have a lot of trouble accepting that she will never know her mother, who she was and what a wonderful person she was. This is with me every day and I know how you are when you look at Little Jack. We have a lot in common don't we Elizabeth."

Next morning the high-level meeting began in earnest with assessments to be made on what they were up against. Shipments of illegal whiskey seemed to be getting through regularly without any knowledge or opposition and authorities were now starting to make a considerable effort to shut it down. When they did receive tips of prior shipment movement, they would send in Mounties to make a seizure but, for the most part, their efforts went unrewarded. This became a major concern as it appeared that their plans were being intercepted in some way. This was frustrating to these officers to see this illegal trade operating at such a dangerous level.

Nathan was running late for this meeting when a tearful Fiona entered and interrupted the gathering in the jailhouse. "Nathan forgot my name this morning," she said to Bill. "I'm sure he was struggling for words while he was looking at me." Fiona had come early as usual to go for the morning walk to school with Allie. "Do you think that he might be suffering from aftereffects from his injury?" cried Fiona. Bill went cold at this thought and immediately wondered how far something like this could extend. "I know you're upset; we all are but we just have to wait and see if anything else happens. We can't show any concern in front of him."

Elizabeth noticed Allie looking rather sad during class time, so she had a quiet word to her during recess time. "I can see that there is something bothering you Allie, what's wrong?" she asked. "Uncle Nathan, I mean dad forgot Fiona's name this morning. I could see that he had a problem remembering just for a moment. Mrs Thornton, I'm worried. I can't bear it if he gets worse with this." Elizabeth went stone cold, maybe they weren't finished with just having Nathan back safely. What if he was going to have adverse reactions and what if they gradually got worse over time. "Allie, this may be nothing to worry about, I forget many things every day. We just have to wait and see but not let him know that we are concerned. That could upset him if he thought that we were worried about him, as I said, it may be nothing." Elizabeth tried very hard to conceal her shock at hearing this awful news.

A tip had come through regarding a new shipment which was suspected to be on the move in two days on a similar route as in the past. The officers planned to send in the Mounties and intercept and seize the shipment and make a solid start to shutting the operation down permanently. Captain Peterson got on the phone and alerted his officers at Fort Simpson who were then expected to co-ordinate affairs between other districts. Captain Bedford arranged with his two attendants to record the basics of the plans for future assessment. Nathan was able to participate in the initial planning but was given the okay to conduct his usual daily rounds. They watched him leave the office with concern and saw him get on the wrong horse. He sat there looking around before he must have realised the mistake that he made and changed horses. They could see the puzzled look on his face as he must have wondered how he could make such an error. Bill was now getting quite concerned and wished that the officers had not witnessed this mistake.

Plans had successfully been distributed and all the Mounties were placed secretly in position for the arrival of the shipment. They waited and waited but no shipment was forthcoming. There had been no mistake with the information that they had received. It was from a reliable source and they were sure that it couldn't be questioned. Something had gone wrong somewhere else. The officers found out later that the shipment had been cleverly rerouted somehow and successfully avoided the ambush by the Mounties. They now had to re-evaluate their plan to see where the problem lay. In the meantime, they had asked Simon to keep a close eye on Nathan.

Elizabeth was down the street and had called in to the Mercantile after school and filled her basket with some items when Nathan wandered in. She was down on her knees looking at items on the bottom row where she was out of sight. Nathan went up to the counter and hesitated, looking vague and appeared to forget what he was looking for. He wandered back out of the shop and Elizabeth looked at Ned and Florence in dismay. "What was that all about," asked Ned, "He looked like he forgot what he wanted. He didn't look happy at all." Elizabeth went to see Faith at the infirmary and told her what she had just seen and what Allie had said. Faith became very concerned; she was careful not to reveal any details about how she came to know that Nathan had sustained a heavy bump on his head. She said ruefully, "This could be hopefully only short-term aftereffects if he had sustained some sort of head trauma. Thanks for letting me know, I will be keeping a careful eye on him from now on."

A very forlorn Elizabeth now went to see Bill who was still conversing with the officers about their bad news previously on the elusive shipment. She was quite upset at relaying news like this about a good friend. "Surely he can't be still suffering from his ordeal, I just can't handle it." Bill didn't say anything about how Nathan had got on the wrong horse earlier today so that she wouldn't become anymore upset. Nathan had ridden out on his rounds even though he had done them earlier. He met the two constables attending Captain Bedford returning into town.

The following day Elizabeth received a letter in a package that she could have done without for a long time. It came from Helen Bouchard and it outlined the long-awaited proposed book launch. Once Nathan had returned safely and finally the long-suffering period was over, she became quite prepared for it even though she wasn't looking forward to it. She opened the package and saw for the first time a copy of her book which had now been published. Obviously, there would be a considerable number of copies in print which now demanded promotion in the form of a book launch. Her book was absolutely beautiful and, as she turned the pages, she could hardly believe that this was the finished product from her effort in trying to give her story to the world. Helen understood in her letter thankfully that Elizabeth had school commitments to honour and that any book launch would have to be staggered to fit. She stated in her letter that she had a car and a driver provided by the publishing company and that she would be arriving in Hope Valley within a couple of days to discuss the format. She only now came to the realisation that Helen would be completely unaware of the recent horror experience that Hope Valley had gone through.

Simon seemed to be accompanying Nathan wherever he went as instructed by Superintendent Mills. He would be with him on his rounds and would even see him to his home at the end of the day. Nathan still attended the meetings but now had very little input into the planning preparations. Nevertheless, a next shipment was reportedly ready for despatch within the next few days according to reliable sources within the operation. The officers were mindful of how the last plan from the so-called reliable information had gone wrong. The mistakes of last time were not to be tolerated again. They would have the Mounties ready to go again on final instructions. Captain Edwards took charge this time and phoned through instructions to Union City headquarters. Captain Bedford instructed his two attendants who were to ride quickly to get further assistance. There would be two groups of Mounties this time to cut off the other route. Everything was now in motion and they had to wait anxiously for the outcome. Unfortunately, the information coming back indicated that the shipment had been able to slip through earlier before the Mounties were set up. This was intolerable and even worse because they were no closer to any answers to closing down the illegal shipments.

Helen Bouchard showed up on Elizabeth's doorstep on Friday afternoon just as school had ended for the week. She was expecting to see a happy and vibrant Elizabeth but was disturbed to find a downcast lady who seemed to have the worry of the world on her shoulders. "Hello Helen, please come in, I have so much to tell you about the horrible few months that we have had here." She thanked Helen for that most wonderful letter that she had sent and said what an honour it would have been to become her daughter. "Actually, I am grateful to have you to lean on right now, we've had such a torrid time." Helen was aghast at hearing about the awful mishap with Nathan and how it appears that the trouble for him still might not be over.

Helen had forgotten about the driver who was still outside tending to the car and politely waiting to be asked inside. She apologised prolifically and introduced him to Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, meet Henry who I have available to me for the weekend. I have a suggestion for you. There has been a huge response to the probability of your book becoming available in Union City. We could make a weekend of it and worry about other places down the track. All expenses are covered by the publishing company. They have huge confidence in your publication and for the good that it will do for women in this country. Your current frame of mind may be even more good reason to speak at a launch to provide people with hope for their future. Elizabeth, I believe in you so much from the little time that I have known you and helping you with your manuscript to where we are now. There are a lot of people who need to read your work."

Reluctantly Elizabeth accepted Helen's suggestion and they were on the road early next morning to Union City. Little Jack loved the ride in the car but eventually fell asleep in the back seat with his mother. His routine would be messed up but that could not be helped. He had seen Emily in the car on quite a few occasions. Elizabeth knew the way quite well from her trips previously with Lucas. She looked longingly with mixed feelings as they drove past the spot where they shared their picnics. She wasn't sure whether she was ready for a meeting with him while her heart was heavy with Nathan's possible illness. She felt as flat as she had ever been, and she wondered how she could ever supply the inspiration and a message for other people to take away. Her one saving grace was that she had her little boy with her, and he would be with her right through the book launch. What if nobody came along and they were there by themselves; quite frankly she didn't really care one way or another.

Nathan had ridden out on his rounds and met Captain Bedford's Mounties heading out of town at a gallop. They saw Nathan and stopped for a while. They had been made aware of his predicament and wondered what he was doing out this way. "Nice day for a ride isn't it." said a very easy-going Nathan. They nodded and continued quickly on their way. They looked back and saw Nathan do an about-face and slowly ride back into town. As he got off his horse Bill and the officers saw that he looked like he was trying to find something in his pockets. He would go from one pocket to another and back again with no luck until he gave up. They looked at each other and shook their heads and wondered what was going to become of one of their most revered Mounties. Nathan walked off and had to come back for his horse.

Elizabeth recalled the book launch with Virginia Woolf as she and Helen walked into the same room, which was packed with enthusiastic people, most with their copy of the new book in hand waiting in anticipation. She was greeted with a warm round of applause such that she was embarrassed that there should be some important person here. Little Jack walked into the room, hand in hand with his mother looking around totally at ease. She felt the need to offer a polite recognition to all these people as she always felt embarrassed at being the centre of attention. They had walked straight into this gathering without having any opportunity for any preparation. Elizabeth was ushered over to what seemed to be a main head table where there was a stack of her books set neatly on the side. She sat down with Little Jack and took one of them in her hand. "Look at this Jack, mummy wrote this." she said proudly.

"Good afternoon one and all, my name is Helen Bouchard and I am here to welcome you all to the inaugural launch of a new book entitled 'A Single Mother on the Frontier' but you already know that because I can see that most of you have one in your hand before we even start. It is my pleasure and with great pride that I introduce Elizabeth Thornton to you." Elizabeth had never come face to face with a standing ovation before and now to witness this happening for her made her feel quite shaken and overcome. She took many deep breaths and tried to remind herself that she was a schoolteacher and that she should be used to standing in front of a crowd. She had done this on many occasions in the past. "Well, hello everyone and thank you so much for coming today. I haven't prepared anything formal as this was only sprung on me yesterday after I arrived home from school after teaching my students. Maybe it's better this way although I may be seen to be fumbling my way through how we eventually got to today." This drew a laugh from the crowd which helped to put her nerves to one side. "I promise that I will try to get things in the right order." She paused for a while and her mood became very thoughtful. "Ever since I was a little girl, I knew that I wanted to be a schoolteacher and be a writer. I grew up in the big city and gained my qualifications and could have attained an excellent teaching position there. Instead, against my father's better judgement, I chose to leave my family and the high city life behind with all its glitz and glamour and go out into what seems like the wilderness to find my calling there. If you thought being thrown into the deep end was an understatement, you'd be right. Since that first day, I witnessed tragedy and grief but most of all, the recovery and the coming together of a community under adversity over and over again." You could have heard a pin drop in the room as she told of her marriage and how she lost him suddenly. "I attempted to write some short stories which my husband had published for me, but it was another man who read these and encouraged me to write from the heart and with some meaning. I owe this man a debt of gratitude that I could never repay." She paused trying to gather her thoughts, "The characters in the story are fictitious but based on the lives of real people but my main theme was to tell a tale of what it is like for a woman to have to face life miles and miles away from anywhere and endure tragedy and ultimately, with the help of a loving community, rise up above it and survive."

She thanked everyone again and answered some questions and then sat down to sign many books for the people in the room. "I loved hearing your wonderful inspiring rendition of how this book came into being. I can't wait to read it; will you please sign it to Ruth Sims please?" said a pleasant looking lady at the front of a long line. Elizabeth was there for quite a while listening to many compliments and praises. "Could you sign mine please Mrs Thornton, to Janie Parker thank you." There were a few more signings and just when they were nearly finished there was a final question from a journalist, "Mrs Thornton, have you any thoughts on whether you might consider a sequel to this book and what the theme might entail?" She thought about it for a while and responded sadly, "Life for everyone can be very taxing for one thing or another. Illness, the loss of a family member or friend or even rejection or job loss can be very upsetting. We at Hope Valley recently over the last few months went through one of the worst things that anyone could have to endure. Our mounted policeman who is one of our most loved members of our community went missing while on his round. Despite every effort by so many people, he wasn't found until six weeks later when somehow, he turned up right here in Union City. We still have no idea what happened to him, but we were so grateful, you can't imagine, for his safe return. As I said, six weeks went by without a scrap of information and all of us just had no choice but to endure the unknown." She started to get choked up and started sobbing, "Nobody should ever have to go through what we did; I will never get over this and I will never be the same again." She sat down with her head in her hands. Soon a gentle voice came out, "Let's give the lady a moment if you please." It was Lucas who had been in the background up until now. Helen stood up and got everyone's attention. "I introduced myself at the beginning, I'm Helen Bouchard and I helped Elizabeth with editing the manuscript. I can tell that this work came from the heart and it is a credit to her for being able to tell her story so well. I must tell you that I stand to make a lot of money from this book. I have decided to donate every cent to women's charities all over the country. I urge everyone to read this book, read it and read it again and live by it."

The young journalist was very distressed, "I'm so sorry Mrs Thornton, I never meant to upset you, I have bought three of your books, one each for my mother and my aunt." Elizabeth gathered herself and continued, "I'm sorry everyone, the reason I am so upset is that our Mountie seems to be displaying some sort of aftereffects from whatever happened to him." Janie dropped her book on the floor and cried, "Oh no, it can't be!" She turned around to hug her father anxiously who had been standing with her during Elizabeth's talk. Elizabeth added, "If I can ever find the words to describe how the folks of Hope Valley rallied to the cause at hand and quietly went about their tasks with the never-ending belief that their Mountie would be rescued no matter how long it was going to take; that is a most powerful story that everyone should read." The launch ended with a most heartfelt, deserved standing ovation and Elizabeth looked quite overcome. Lucas watched on in complete amazement. He distinctly remembered the day when he had suggested that her writing could be better and that it should come from the heart.

Janie was very distraught at hearing about Nathan and his possible relapse. Elizabeth could see her inconsolable with her father and became curious. "Is there somewhere we could talk for a while, I'm Doctor Parker, Janie's father." Elizabeth was flabbergasted to hear him relate the events and their involvement with Nathan carefully omitting the visit from Bill and Faith. "Janie was the nurse who tended him for the entire six weeks. She grew very fond of him so you can appreciate how distressed she is at hearing this news. I would be grateful if you could keep me posted on his progression please. Let me tell you, I hardly even know you but I'm sure that your father would be very proud of you."

Everybody said goodbye and melted away and soon there was only Elizabeth, Helen, Lucas and of course Little Jack. Any reservations or inhibitions that Elizabeth had felt disappeared as soon as they had a chance to greet each other. They hugged and a kiss on the cheek, "I am so proud of you Elizabeth, they saw the honesty and the down to earth person that you are." said Lucas. "and here's not so Little Jack, he's growing up so fast, he will soon be at school." He could see that his former fiancé was very troubled and in no condition to find any enjoyment in life at the moment. "You told it as it is, and everyone listened and will have taken away inspiration and a strong message that they won't forget for a long time. The best thing I ever did was to suggest to you to write from the heart. You couldn't have done it better." She drew a deep breath and said, "Well, I'm glad it's over and done with, they did listen though didn't they." Lucas had the new book in his hand, "So, I'm holding the finished product of all the sweat and anxiety that you put in to make it real. I'll always be glad that I had a small part in it now that I can see it." Elizabeth was so thankful that she had said everything in the letter to him recently so that there didn't have to be anymore explanation now. They could have a nice relaxing reunion after such a torrid afternoon, although she couldn't even look at anything to eat for herself. He could see that her attention was somewhere else. She was more focussed on her liaison with Doctor Parker and how that young girl had nursed Nathan back to health.

The officers back in Nathan's office were dismayed at how the shipments were still able to move unchecked despite what seemed to be accurate information and quick response. The whiskey operators always seemed to be one step ahead. When the officers gave orders to attempt to find the original source of the shipments it appeared that the operation would go to ground until the Mounties were gone. They foiled the planners and the Mounties once again by sending down a dummy shipment of water barrels when the information they received seemed accurate. They had been very clever at eluding the authorities time and time again. It was as if they knew the Mounties' strategy almost straight away.

The officers were ready to put their next plan to cut off the next shipment when they found out when it was too late that Nathan had issued orders for the Mounties in the field to stand down. Superintendent Mills berated Nathan in front of everyone and dismissed him from the gathering. "It's too late now to rectify the damage that he has done." he said becoming very annoyed. Captain Bedford said that he could at least get his two constables to ride quickly to make other arrangements. "Simon, I hate the thought of this, but I may have to recommend that you take over the position here at Hope Valley if Nathan's condition worsens." said a very disappointed Superintendent.

Elizabeth had been back from the successful trip to Union City and back at school again. She worried about Nathan but at least she now knew what had happened to him even if they didn't know the cause. One of the older children delivered a letter to her after school that had come in earlier that day. It didn't look familiar and she became quite curious, she wasn't expecting anything, and she didn't recognise the handwriting. It read, "Dear Mrs Thornton, I got back home after the launch of your book the other day which I've now just finished reading. I was quite taken with your most inspirational talk which was truly from the heart. Your book that you signed for me will take pride of place and will be read time and time again. I was terribly disturbed at hearing from you about that awful experience with your Mountie. I can't bear to imagine how you all managed to cope with just not knowing for so long whether he would be back safely. I have something that I must tell you. Back around the time your Mountie went missing, I was returning one evening to Union City when a man standing in front of a horse and cart waved me down. He was very brave to do that because it was very dark, and I could have run him down if I wasn't careful. He had an injured man in that cart, and he said that he had brought him many miles and he was attempting to get him to the hospital at Union City. We both struggled but we were able to get him in my car and then I raced him to the hospital as quickly as I could. It was so sad to see this young man injured and in such pain. I suspect that this man might have been your Mountie and I was so pleased to hear of his recovery but then I was sad to think that he still might not be out of the woods yet. I will keep him in my prayers as I'm sure that you do. I also am no stranger to worry and anxiety. My younger brother decided over a year ago to go to Europe and I've heard nothing of him since. Heaven knows what is happening over there. I think you deserve to write that sequel one day. I don't think anyone could put that message to all of us as well as what you could. Please, take care and God bless," signed "Ruth Sims."

Elizabeth could distinctly remember signing her book but struggled to put a face to the name. She had a tear in her eye and a lump in her throat when she thought of all the good people who had helped Nathan along the way without a care for themselves. She sat at home thinking of the faith that Helen had placed in her and how she thought that her book had really hit the mark from the reaction of everyone and this was only the start. It had moved this nice lady enough that she had felt the need to write to her to express her appreciation and suggest that she might have had a part in Nathan's recovery.

Superintendent Mills sat with Bill and the other officers despairingly trying to figure out what could have possibly got into Nathan's head to make him do such a thing. Taking it upon himself to issue orders thus countermanding the current procedure set by high ranking officers could result in a nasty enquiry for him. They summoned Nathan back to the office and demanded an explanation for his reckless action. He was standing before them about to speak in his defence when the phone rang. The coordinating officer from Fort Simpson reported to Captain Peterson that two lots of shipments on the different tracks had been taken into custody by the Mounties along with about twenty prisoners. Captain Bedford stood up in confusion, "I thought that the Mounties had been withdrawn." Nathan looked at Superintendent Mills and asked, "Sir, do you know about the new complex being built at Cape Fullarton?" The superintendent was quite exasperated still with his mind on the phone call. "There's no new complex under construction at Cape Fullarton, what are you talking about?" he said abruptly. Nathan then replied firmly, "You and I both know that sir, but he didn't know that when I asked him when he first got here last week." He was now looking at and pointing to Captain Bedford. "Some years ago, I met a lieutenant Bedford from Cape Fullarton who wore glasses and walked with a slight limp. This is not the same man." said Nathan turning back to face the Superintendent. Captain Bedford snatched Nathan's gun from its holster and fired two shots at Nathan and the Superintendent. Immediately Simon pointed his own gun at Captain Bedford who had realised that he been set up and had fired only blanks. Nathan said to him, "You are under arrest for attempted murder, whoever you are." Simon had relieved him of his gun and taken him into custody. "Nice work Constable Grant." he said with a smile.

There were six Mounties outside with a prison vehicle from Fort Clay that Simon had arranged previously ready to take Captain Bedford and his two so called attending constables under guard. Bill and the three officers looked at each other in total bewilderment, "May we have some sort of an explanation please if it is not too much trouble?" Simon looked at Nathan and said, "Well, go ahead, it was all your idea." Nathan tried to figure out where to start, "I suspected Captain Bedford right from the start. I told Simon who came with me on my round so that we could devise a plan. I am so sorry for the deception Bill, but I could never get you on your own at any time to fill you in with the details without raising suspicion. In short, I had to be made to look incompetent in order to convince Bedford that I had withdrawn the Mounties so that their shipments could proceed unopposed. Fiona started it all and it went on from there. She made sure that Allie knew after a few days as she was starting to get very upset. We needed as much hysteria as possible to encourage Bedford to make a mistake. He was the only one who could have got word through to get the shipments to proceed."

By now Bill had turned white and looked like he had been mortally wounded. He had just found out that his best friend and comrade was not in the process of going crazy but in fact had cleverly exposed and captured major players in a major illegal trade group. "Nathan, after all that this town went through when we didn't know where you were for so long; you will never ever begin to understand how we all felt and how we could do nothing about it at any stage. It was very upsetting for us all to think that you were having aftereffects from what may have happened to you before. You are our family." Nathan looked at Bill and said, "I hated having to deceive everyone, all of my friends and people who believe and put their trust in me. I'm just thankful that Elizabeth didn't have anything to do with this." Bill was horrified, "Nathan, she knew everything and was absolutely inconsolable when she came and saw me. You need to tell her straightaway and be very careful how you handle it."

Nathan and Bill farewelled the officers, "Nathan, we still can't imagine how you came up with this ridiculous scheme that you managed to pull off. I'm not sure whether to recommend a commendation or a firing squad." He said with a smile, "You will need to put in a full report to me as soon as possible, we are extremely relieved that you are okay." Bill thought it might be better served if he accompanied Nathan to see Elizabeth.

They soon knocked at her door and looked very sheepish when she asked them inside. She was clearly despondent and seeing them on her doorstep must mean that they had bad news for her. They sat down inside and by now Little Jack was sitting on Nathan's knee. "Elizabeth, you have my permission to slap this fellow across his face as hard as you can, no one will blame you." She was clearly surprised. "Nathan has quite a story for you and I have to tell you that he is alright, and nothing is wrong with him." said Bill. "How can that be?" she cried, "I saw you in the Mercantile and Allie told me how you forgot Fiona's name. It broke my heart to think that we were having to go through all this again when we thought it was all over." By now she was sobbing. Nathan hated seeing Elizabeth in distress and he was struggling himself to find the words. Bill started to explain how Nathan and Simon had conjured up this outlandish plan which succeeded in outwitting the Whiskey smugglers. It involved Nathan appearing to become incompetent so that the captain who was an imposter." Just stop right there," she cried hysterically, "you lost me a long time ago. All I know is that you let me think that you were going mad and that you would lose your job and you wouldn't be able to look after Allie and Fiona would leave you. That wasn't fair and I will never forgive you. I'm going to tell you something that maybe I shouldn't. I broke down over all of this at my book launch in Union City last weekend. A doctor came to see me afterwards and said how you were his patient and his daughter was the nurse that got you back on your feet and back to good health. She was very distraught when I had mentioned about our Mountie and his possible relapse. The doctor had said that she had sat with you night and day. You don't realise that there are so many people who love you and care about you so much." Elizabeth thrust her arms out and hugged him and cried, "Don't you ever do that to me ever again."