Florence was always thinking and never short of an idea which would help her new knowledge thirsting daughter get some further understanding of all the weird system of numbers and see what it was all about. She came out smiling one morning with some little pouches and immediately caught Amy's attention who was wondering what it was she was in for. The buttons came out again and she was asked to count out eight pouches. "Now Amy, let's put two buttons in each pouch." Amy did what she was told with a smile and then Florence asked her if she knew how many buttons were in the little pouches. A puzzled Amy said how she would have to take them all out again and count them. "This is where our times tables become useful." explained Florence. "The children at the school would be able to tell you straight away how many buttons there are in the pouches, because Mrs Thornton has got them to recite those times tables over and over again until they hardly had to think about them." She got Amy to recite the two times table and then they stopped when they got to eight times two. Amy's eyes lit up and yelled out sixteen and hugged Florence tight. This was such a revelation for her as she knew that this was just the start for her and, once she completely understood how it all worked, then she would be able to help teach the little ones. This was going to take some practice over the next few weeks. Her approach from now on would be relentless because she could see why all this stuff mattered.

Peter ended his phone call from the boss at head office and expressed his gratitude to Mr Thatcher for his kind words and incredibly persuasive offer which he had decided to decline. It was an unusual concession that was made to Peter, such was the regard they held for this employee. Mr Thatcher decided to retain him on their books for the duration just in case he had a change of heart over the next few years. "I will keep your name on my list in the office just in case you need our help to find your wife, please give me your full name." Peter listed his name as Chief Officer Peter Glover. Documents of discharge were soon completed with amendment recorded as instructed by Mr Thatcher and eventually Captain Peter Glover now became a civilian and then stepped out of the office onto the footpath as a free man. This moment was a lot for him to digest especially as he had no immediate thought of what to do now. He had said goodbye to his captain and now he looked up one end of the street and then the other. This was what he had wanted for as long as he could remember but now, he was in a daze not knowing what he was going to do right now. There had been little time or opportunity during his lengthy sea duty to contemplate the future but now that was all over. He decided that he might be hungry, and he wondered whether it would still be breakfast or whether some lunch may be the answer. He had nowhere to go for the present, so he picked one way and headed along the street in uniform with all his kit hoping to find a cafe. He had hardly ever gone to shore during his sea duty, choosing to remain on the ship to help supervise unloading and despatch of cargo so that they could prepare for the return journey. He found a quaint little café just in time as the weather was deteriorating so he wandered inside to be greeted by a happy and attractive looking young waitress.

Sandra and Eric soon cooked up a pretext of him taking a weeks' leave of absence to which he was entitled to was soon coming up and he could use it to spend some time at Hope Valley. This would give him the opportunity to reacquaint himself with Amy who he had only met on the one sad occasion at that time at the courthouse. He had only heard reports from others about her previous unfortunate exploits and her stunning success at making a new life for herself at Hope Valley. The more he and Sandra thought about it, the more he looked forward to his visit. He felt the need to make sure that Nathan didn't feel that it would be an imposition having him there, rather than it would just be an innocent visit to meet the people again who he had so little chance of talking to when they were here at Fort Clay. He hoped that he would have a good opportunity to get to know Elizabeth and see how she had been able to find all the strength that she had needed to rebuild her life. His heart shivered at the thought of someone who could do this from great tragedy and provide such an example to us all. He would delay proceedings no longer and inform Nathan that he would be there the day after tomorrow. He did not expect any special treatment while he was there.

It was a lovely morning to be sitting quietly at your desk staring blankly out the window with a smile on your face. That was unacceptable though, because there was always much work to be attended to, some with a priority. "Simon, you look rather distracted at the moment, anything you need to tell me. How did it all go with Janie last night?" asked Earl feeling a little concerned. Simon looked at him with a sheepish grin of some sorts, "Earl, it was a disaster, I'm never going to live this down or hear the end of it. No doubt Janie is going to tell everyone," said Simon still supporting his rueful grin. "What happened, didn't she say yes?" asked a horrified Earl. He was surprised because he had not seen any couples looking like they were made for each other more than Janie and Simon. "Oh, she said yes alright, she didn't even wait for me to get all the question out." Earl was puzzled, "Then what's wrong, her saying yes was all that mattered, right?" Simon shook his head, "I was so happy when she said yes that I clean forgot to give her the ring. She had to prompt me for it, she's threatening to tell our grandchildren." Earl hugged him and congratulated him while they were laughing. "Do you want to know what happened to me?" asked Earl. "Me and the groomsmen were an hour or so too early at the church and we were still sitting in the front row when the gorgeous bride and her father started down the aisle. We hurriedly got up to get in our places but then I found myself on the wrong side. I was standing with all the bridesmaids, and everyone was watching. Everybody says that it was the best wedding that they had ever been to. At least you didn't have two hundred people seeing you look for the ring which, I'm sure that you eventually found. You don't have to tell anybody, they all know."

Peter was in his officer's uniform and was looking very distinguished as he wandered into the café. "Welcome sir, to the dockside café, I trust that we can find something nice for you to eat. The future would have to wait a while, right now he would take a look at the menu that she had handed to him and hope that she would have time to talk with him. "What should I order ma'am, I haven't taken any notice of what time it is so I'm probably too late for breakfast." enquired Peter. She was pleased to meet a nice well-mannered young man for a change, someone who was not there to take advantage of her. She smiled at him, "I'm sure that we can find something nice for you for lunch, I hope you are hungry sir." She brought him a cup of tea and soon the cook brought out a steak with many vegetables for him. "My goodness, I haven't had anything like this for many years, thank you very much." he said with a cheery smile. He invited her to sit with him for a while as he tucked into his glorious lunch that she had brought him. The boss didn't mind, seeing that it was Peter who had asked, and they weren't that busy anyway.

"I'm Peter Glover and I've just this day completed my long stint of sea duty and you, I have to say, are a sight for sore eyes." She smiled and blushed a little, "I'm Alice and I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance sir." He described the momentous morning that he just had and how he had knocked back the bosses offer of a new ship to command. He was pleased to have someone to talk to after the hectic morning's events. "What are your plans now Peter?" asked Alice. "It was a very lucrative offer and hard to decline but somewhere out there I have a wife who I haven't seen for four years. Heaven knows where she might be and I'm not real sure how to go about finding her." Alice had nearly collapsed on the floor while listening to this story. She was a very attractive lady and usually faced with trying to fend off unwanted advances by many men who saw her in the café. This man and his story was quite different. "You might have to start in the town where you met her and work your way from there," suggested Alice. Peter described the whirlwind romance and how they were only married for three days before he was ordered back to active duty. "I remember the first time I saw her; it was at a dance. She was the most beautiful thing that I had ever seen, and she was such a lovely dancer. She might not even remember me," he lamented. "I hear that true love outlasts everything; I think you should approach our local police station before you do anything else. My goodness, what's her name?" asked Alice. Peter finished up his dinner, "It's Christine Pennington and she lived with her foster parents in Bakersfield. I have a long journey in front of me. She watched him and she was sad to see him leave and thought what a nice chap she had been so fortunate to meet and talk with. "I think it would be easy to fall in love with him." she thought.

Captain Foster arrived at Hope Valley in the afternoon much to the surprise of the local townsfolk as his uniform looked a little different than Nathan's or any of the Mounties that they had seen before. They eventually remembered the previous visit of the superintendent and the group of captains who had been here before and this uniform looked the same as those. It was unusual for a uniform like this to ride into town without there being a good reason. Surely there could not be any more unwanted drama for Hope Valley. We've had more than our fair share over the years so it would be nice for the town to just have its normal goings on for the next many years. Nathan had seen more than his allocation of trouble over the years, maybe he is now on the receiving end of some disciplinary action as he was renowned for doing things his own way without higher direction. They stared as this high-ranking officer disappeared into Nathan's office. Nathan, of course, was the only person who knew of Captain Foster's impending visit, and he was going to make him feel welcome. He had arrived with a bag containing clothes and another containing some of his outstanding work that couldn't be left for his return to Fort Clay. These were staff matters, plans for upgrade of facilities and various oncoming projects. "Welcome captain to Hope Valley, we hope your visit will be memorable for you." said Nathan after a formal salute. "Fiona and I would like to invite you for dinner at our place and you can meet my daughter Allie. That should be quite a surprise for her." They stepped out onto the landing just as Amy and Florence were walking past. Amy recognised him instantly and without a word and with a tear in her eye strutted over and hugged him tightly. "I remember you sir; you were the one who spoke up for me at the courtroom and saved me from going to prison. I never forgot you and I never will." Captain Foster had only met her on that one occasion and now he felt that his visit here was worthwhile already.

Alice had suggested that Peter should try the police station first, but he didn't think that they would be able to help. His first venture would be to head to where he had first met her and that was Bakersfield. It would be a train trip to the nearest big city and then maybe a stage or a borrowed horse. It was too late in the day for any train excursion, so he booked into a room for the night. He was now starting to feel that one life had finally come to an end after four long and difficult years and now a new one was starting. It had been a long time since he had been anywhere near a train, so this was very nostalgic as it pulled out of the station and began its long journey the next morning. The last train trip was a sad memory for him as it took him from his new wife at short notice and suddenly back to active sea duty. His only information had been the date, time and location of his reporting destination. He had been given no other details of his posting, so he just followed his orders and he soon found himself allocated a position aboard the cargo vessel the 'Cherry Hills'. He had known nothing else and suddenly his life was back on a ship for the next four years. He accepted the situation and made the best of it and excelled at his duty and gained many promotions. Four years of sea duty were hard to let go as when he would shut his eyes, he could still feel the wind and the rain and the roll of the ship and all of the tasks that fell to him in order to keep the vessel running on time and on the correct course. After the long train trip he eventually stood on the platform and saw the train depart on its way. He found that there was a stage which lined up with the train's arrival which went through to Bakersfield and beyond. His heart pumped with expectation after having waited for so long.

This was certainly different for the captain now seeing a very happy looking Amy who looked very much like she had settled in and was part of the Hope Valley community. "Hello Amy, I've looked forward to meeting you in a much better place than that awful courtroom. I hope you never have to think about that place ever again. From what I have heard, it looks like you have many friends who are there to help you along the way." Even though he had only seen her on one occasion, he knew her full history right from Nathan giving her a second chance. Florence had waited patiently after being so surprised at Amy's welcoming of Captain Foster, "Welcome sir to Hope Valley, whoever you are. We wondered whether Nathan was in trouble with a high-ranking officer coming to town." The captain grinned at her, "You must be Florence, the person on the other end of the line when I had phoned recently. I'm Captain Foster from Fort Clay and I've come here for a few days to see things for myself. Amy has had a torrid time of it, and it seems like she has been able to put it all behind her. She wouldn't have been able to do this without people like you Florence." She had decided as she was melting that she had taken an immediate liking to this man. She looked right into his eyes, "Thank you captain, we are grateful for everything that you have done for us. We are so glad that you could be with us for a while." As they wandered off Nathan said to the captain, "She's quite the young lady isn't she, after everything that she has been through, she provides us with this positive approach to life which we find so amazing." Nodding in agreement the captain replied, "I still remember you phoning me with the request to forego any charges and take her under your wing for six months. Looking at her now, I couldn't imagine her pointing a gun at anyone. That was a good decision and course of action which is going to last you a lifetime Nathan." They wandered down the street, "She earned her reprieve sir, she could have easily escaped with those men but, instead she chose to stay and face her possible jail sentence. I froze that next morning when she had handed the gun back to me and told me that she meant what she had said. I have complete faith in her integrity and will always be there for her. We are all waiting to see what she strives for over the next few years, whatever it may be, I'm sure she will be a complete success. I wonder how many others there might be who are sitting in a prison cell who would be deserving of the same chance that Amy received."

Bakersfield was virtually unchanged as far as Peter could see, it was just as if it was only yesterday when he had to leave so suddenly. He was amazed how he recognised everything, and it felt as if the last four years was just a heartbeat. Bakersfield was not much more than a small village, so it didn't take very long to locate Christine's foster parents' home. His heart was in his mouth and pumping with expectation as he had waited a long time for this moment. So many memories flooded back as he wandered along the street and up to the familiar front door. The same footpath, the same steps and the same front door. He could just imagine Christine's face when she would see him right in front of her. He knocked on the front door with his air of anticipation and optimism and waited for someone to open the door. A middle aged, pleasant looking woman appeared and she saw the man in uniform standing before her. With a surprised look she asked, "Good afternoon sir, can I help you with anything?" Peter was equally surprised at seeing someone different. "Oh, hello, I'm sorry, I was expecting to see Mr or Mrs Fisher, the foster parents of my wife Christine." The lady could see that Peter had made quite a journey to get here only to find disappointment, so she invited him inside. "I'm sorry to have to tell you, they moved to somewhere in Europe shortly after Christine got married. She stayed on here I believe for about a year and then she moved away and then my husband and I have been here ever since. I'm sorry that I can't help you with where she went." Peter was clearly confronted now with disappointment as the reality started to set in that this was not going to be as easy as he had hoped. Obviously four years had been a long time and things may have changed for her. This was a shock and it set him back on his heels well and truly. This was his one and only lead and now he had no idea what to do next. He was now starting to feel cold, lonely and disheartened as he wandered back down the street. He would have to book into a room for the night and take stock of the situation.

"Good afternoon Miss Miller, I'm sorry I didn't get much of a chance to talk with you back at Fort Clay with everything going on." Fiona looked around giving the appearance that she didn't know who Miss Miller was. She went over and hugged the new arrival and said, "Hello Captain Foster, I'm Fiona and if I was Miss Miller to you then you probably wouldn't get an invite to our wedding." He smiled knowing that it was to be Fiona from now on. "And this must be Allie, the one who terrorised Jason when he was here." Allie had just arrived back from school and was embarrassed to see this Mountie inside her home. He offered a handshake, "I'm Captain Foster here from Fort Clay to spend some time with you all to put faces to names that I have only heard of before. It's nice to meet you Allie. I hear that you have been a big help with Amy while she is learning to read and write. I think that is very commendable and you should be very proud of yourself. There is a lady called Sandra, back at Fort Clay who is very annoyed that she can't be here to be with you and Amy, so you'll just have to settle for me." Allie liked this man, and she was glad that he was here. "Have you known my dad for very long sir?" she asked. "Well, I hadn't been at Fort Clay very long when we heard that your dad was missing for all that time. We would get reports back daily from Simon and it was very distressing for all of us including Sandra when there was no good news. It upset Jason to see you and Fiona suffering so badly, but he found it so inspiring how you were forced to make the best of it. I first met your dad when he arrived at Fort Clay one evening and since then I have found him to be a good man and a fine officer. He is very proud of you, Allie, as we all are."

Next morning the phone rang at the switchboard, "Good morning from Hope Valley, how may I help you?" answered Florence. "Hello Florence, it's nice to hear you again, this is Simon and I'm looking to speak to Nathan if I can please." It was very heart-warming for Florence when there was any reference to Simon because of all the help that he had given to Amy. Nathan had seen the closeness with Janie and Simon, and he knew that it was inevitable that there would be good news on the horizon. She put the call through to the jailhouse, "Hello Nathan, Janie and I wanted you to be the first to find out, we are now engaged and looking forward to a wedding just like you. I need you to handle something for me very carefully. Rosemary is eventually going to find out this news and become worried about my daughter. My circumstances have now changed since I put Emily up for adoption and that could cause some anxiety for Rosemary. I want you to talk to Elizabeth and tell her that I gave my word at that time that I would never try to rescind that decision. I, like you pride myself at being a man of my word and, as such, Emily will be her daughter forever. I really don't want Rosemary to have even one second of anxiety or worry when she suddenly finds out about our engagement." Nathan held Simon in high regard, and he decided that he would have to talk with Elizabeth about how to handle this for him.

Peter sat in his room after the shock and realisation that Christine was no longer there and that she might prove to be difficult to locate. He was starting to wonder what it may be like when he finally did find her. He decided that he could dwell on the doubts that were building up or he could smarten himself up and start to plan his next step. He was sure that she would be out there somewhere, and he would not stop until he found her. This was just a setback, nothing more. He recalled how they had to manage the ship with engine failure and battle the heavy seas all through the night until the storm passed so that they could undertake repairs. They were on their own and had to make do with what they had. He had confidence in his own ability then and he would do so now. After having Christine at the forefront of his thoughts for four long years, it was going to take more than this to ruffle him for very long. He now decided that he would catch the stage back to the big city and then head to the police station and try to solicit some support and advice from them. After that he would undertake the long journey to his hometown to see his parents. His long and continuous sea duty had not given him any opportunity to do any sort of letter back home so he would be returning unannounced. There would now be time to write a note to his parents in the evening and post it in the morning. "Dear mum and dad, I'm finally back on dry land now forever after completing my sea duty. I am now going to try to find where Christine might be and also come back home over the next few weeks. I have missed you all and am looking forward to seeing you soon. I can't give you a return address because I am always on the move. At the moment I am here in Bakersfield where Christine lived and soon, I'll be heading next to Cloverton. See you soon, love Peter."

When there were words that she couldn't understand, Amy would go to Florence or Mrs Thornton for some explanation. She had never forgotten the two books that were still sitting patiently on the shelf in her room waiting for the day when she could read them by herself. There were any number of the children's books that she could read already, and she had loved every minute of it. There couldn't have been a better example for the children than seeing firsthand what it was like for someone to be unable to read. Since Amy had been there as part of the school, there had never been any problem getting all the children to read and do their homework. Florence brought out the buttons once again along with all the little pouches. "Amy, we have fifty buttons here and five of these little pouches. We can use mental arithmetic to know how many buttons we will put in each pouch. It's part of knowing our times tables but being able to work backward." Amy hadn't liked all the times tables at first but now she was becoming quite good at them so she could see, with a little prompting that the ten times table would apply in this case. She squealed with delight when she said how ten times five was fifty and that meant that there would be ten buttons in each pouch. "Does the captain have to know all this to be able to do his job?" she asked. Florence replied to say how he would know all his arithmetic and a whole lot more so that he could do his job properly. He would have to write all kinds of reports and work out how much some project was going to cost so that he could decide whether it was going to be viable and worthwhile. He would have a great deal of responsibility to be in charge of all those men and women at the Fort. Amy had plans to eventually be able to work in the Mercantile and make life easier for Ned and Florence. She also had not forgotten about the promise that she had made to herself about the two letters that she was going to write.

While Nathan did his rounds, Fiona showed the captain along the street, and they eventually found their way to the Infirmary. Nathan introduced him to Faith and Christine and then left him there for a while. Captain Foster had a similar facility operating back at Fort Clay with dedicated staff just like the ones he was talking to right now. He knew that neither Hope Valley nor Fort Clay could function without this special type of people. Faith extended her hand with a smile, "Welcome captain, Nathan said you were coming, and we are pleased to have you here." Christine smiled at this tall handsome man, "Hello sir, I'm Christine Glover, I can't help thinking how you remind me of my husband." He noticed a hint of sadness in her voice, "I hope to meet him while I am here, Mrs Glover." She thought that his voice had a certain gentleness along with the authority that he needed as a captain in the force. "My husband is on a ship somewhere in the merchant navy out on the ocean and I haven't seen or heard from him for four years. I miss him terribly, but I have had to get by on my own for all this time." She told him about her grandmother and the letter from her grandfather. "I'm sure that I wouldn't have survived without Faith and the people of Hope Valley who have taken me in as one of their own." The captain felt her sadness and thought that he was so thankful that he had made the effort to spend some time with the people here. Sandra had previously brought his attention to a newspaper article which had referred to an elderly lady who had passed away at Hope Valley who had been married to a law enforcement officer in Texas years ago. He was in awe as Christine told him how she was the granddaughter and that was why she had found her way to Hope Valley and made it her home.

Nathan, in the meantime had found his way to the school waiting for recess time so that he could talk with Elizabeth while the children were at play. She was always pleased to see Nathan, "Good morning kind sir, Allie tells me we have a visitor in town, I hope you're not in any trouble," she said with a grin. "No thank goodness, I think he was sorry that he missed out, because of his workload, being part of your visit to Fort Clay. He talked with Allie for quite a while yesterday and I think she was quite taken with him. Elizabeth, I've come with some good news, but we need to manage it carefully." She was puzzled by this approach from Nathan, but she was listening intently. "Alright Nathan, let me have this so-called good news that we have to be so careful with," she stared at him impatiently. "I had a phone call from Simon yesterday, him and Janie are now officially engaged. I was honoured that he wanted me to be the first to know." Elizabeth was overcome with delight, "You didn't have to be a genius to know that was on the horizon. Poor Janie was so confused when she talked with me and Sandra in the chapel at Fort Clay. Well, why is this good news causing you the concern that I can see on your face." Nathan looked at her seeing the care and wisdom in her face. "Well, after hearing of this news it wouldn't be long," Elizabeth gasped with shock at what just gone through her head, "What's going to happen with Emily. Oh, Lee and Rosemary are going to be shattered if she loses her after all this time." Nathan grabbed her by the arm and said, "This is exactly the reaction that Simon is wishing to avoid and that's why we have come to you Elizabeth. He has specifically asked for you to tell her in such a way that there won't be any possible chance for any anxiety for her. It will be better for it to come from you. If she saw me in my uniform on her front doorstep, she may think that something is wrong. Simon has never forgotten for one instance how Emily came to be part of Rosemary and Lee's family and he couldn't bear it if they suffered even just for a moment." She could see how important this was to Simon and she was going to give it some careful thought before approaching Rosemary.

A lot of travelling over the last few days had not yielded any favourable results but Peter did not intend to allow that to defeat him. The stage had got him into Cloverton reasonably early where there was a district police station where he would hopefully be able to secure another lead to find his wife. They were surprised to see a man enter their building wearing an officer's uniform, so he was able to capture someone's attention fairly early. "How can we help you sir?" asked a very curious police officer behind the counter. It sounded to them that Peter had quite a lengthy story to tell so they found someone who could listen and take all his details. He started at the beginning from when he and Christine were married to where he had just returned unsuccessfully from the little town of Bakersfield. The officer frowned and thought how there was little that they could do, but maybe their records might show if there were any families of Pennington's living in their district. Peter waited while the officer went to check the records and ask around if Christine's name was familiar to anyone. He returned with one piece of information where someone had remembered a Mrs Pennington winning a baking contest in one of the events recently in a little village just out of town. The officer was very sympathetic and very accommodating suggesting that Peter leave his bulky kit at the station while borrowing his horse. He was given directions and an address, and, with many thanks, he set off hopefully. This seemed to be a bit more promising than what he had been unable to find at Bakersfield.

Nathan and Elizabeth both agreed that if the news of Simon's engagement reached Rosemary first, then she would undoubtedly become very worried about Emily, so Elizabeth decided to act with haste. After some consideration she knew exactly what and how she would say so that there could be no misunderstanding. Rosemary would not have time to be worried about her daughter. She thought how wonderful it was that Simon was so caring about Rosemary's feelings. He was completely right because she knew Rosemary very well. Even if she was told about Emily after hearing the news about the engagement first there would still be sleepless nights. Elizabeth wondered whether Janie had been involved in this plan. She resolved to speak to them and tell them how perceptive they were and how wonderful they were to care so much.

She waltzed straight into Rosemary's place just like normal and said how she had such a busy day in the classroom again today. She tried to be as carefree as possible, but it was rather difficult for her as she still had Jack's words from Fort Clay returning to her all the time. Rosemary looked tired but she said how she had a wonderful day with the three little ones. "I know for a fact that Emily is going to be your daughter forever Rosemary." This came as good news for Rosemary as she looked up, but she still needed some convincing. Elizabeth immediately confirmed the news even before the first sentence had sunk in. "Nathan has had word of Simon and Janie's engagement and he explicitly said how Simon was insistent that you know that he is a man of his word and Emily will be your daughter forever. He didn't want you to have even one second of anxiety about this. He and Janie make a wonderful couple." Rosemary clutched her daughter tightly and chocked back a few tears as Emily looked at her strangely. Elizabeth could see the relief as Rosemary now had to sit down because she knew that this had always been on her mind. She thought how perceptive Simon been to consider her feelings and asked that Rosemary be told in such a way to avoid any anxiety. She would never have to worry about her little girl ever again. She thought that, as far as she was concerned, her naughty little princess can smuggle all the dogs in the neighbourhood into the church and she would never complain ever again. While she sat there watching Emily playing with her little friends, she spared a thought for Simon who had made the agonising decision to give up his daughter. She would spend the rest of her life doing the best that she could for hers and Simon's little girl. She could hardly wait to tell Christine. Rosemary noticed how deep in thought Elizabeth was as she rose from her chair to go home. She wasn't going to let her best friend get out the door without finding out what was bothering her. "Rosemary, I went to see Pastor Joseph about my experience at the gravesite with Jack. His words were most comforting but at the finish he said something very strange, he seemed to think that there was someone else who is going to need all the support that we can provide. I don't know what he meant.

Sitting on a horse brought back many memories for Peter of his youth, long before he expected to be supervising men on a cargo ship on the ocean. Living and growing up out in the country made him an accomplished horseman so the local police noted how he needed little instruction on how to ride a horse. He had made quite a good impression with the police, and they hoped that he would have some success as he rode off. His previous venture to Bakersfield had now taught him not to be optimistic, in fact, he conceded that he may have a long road ahead of him before he would find Christine. He was convinced that he would eventually find her, no matter how long it took but in the back of his mind he was worried that she might have moved on from him. He was trying very hard not to think of that as he rode along. But what if she has found someone else to love, after all, it has been four long years being apart from her and he couldn't blame her if she had moved on from him as she never had any word from him at all during that time. He couldn't help having a heavy heart as he made his approach to the home to where the police officer had directed him. He was hesitant as he knocked on the front door and waited for some response. There was no answer so, undeterred, he wandered around the back and found an elderly couple digging in the back yard. They were very proud of the vegie garden that they had produced with love and care and they showed Peter around their property where they had lived for many years. "Who did you say you were looking for?" asked the lady. Peter described his wife from Bakersfield and said that she was Christine Pennington. They were aghast as they listened to his story about the wedding and his sea duty. "I'm sorry Peter, we are Mr and Mrs Pennington for sure, but we don't know any Christine Pennington. We have relations in towns near and far so we can give you a list which may be helpful to you. None of us are on the phone so we can't help you with that. They are all mostly about the same age as us so your Christine can't be with any of them."

Elizabeth and Little Jack headed down the street after school and after she had successfully passed on the news to Rosemary about the engagement and Emily's future. This was a happy occasion as seeing the relief and joyful face of Rosemary gave Elizabeth some respite from the memory of her strange visit to Jack's grave. She was to thank Nathan prolifically and say how well the little task went and how Rosemary is over the moon with happiness and relief. She barged into the jailhouse and immediately saw Captain Foster sitting there with Nathan. Nathan was stunned, "I'm sorry Elizabeth, from the job of fixing up Rosemary's dilemma, I clean forgot to tell you that we have a visitor who has come to stay for a while." She looked at Nathan and reported, "Do you remember how I told you how Allie had told me that we were having a visit from the captain from Fort Clay. Anyhow, Nathan, it worked perfectly, Rosemary was completely relieved right from the start. Oh, my goodness, sorry Captain, you must think that I'm rambling on." Elizabeth stopped for a while and Nathan explained as Little Jack sat quietly on his knee, "Captain, we had word from Simon this morning of the announcement of his engagement with Janie. It didn't take long before the thought of his daughter came up and he went at great length to insist that Emily was to stay with her new mother and that she be told that in a very careful way to alleviate any anxiety." Captain Foster looked thoughtfully and sadly at Elizabeth, "I hadn't been at Fort Clay very long when Simon lost his wife in the street. I had to watch our good friend experiencing the worst time of his life and having to come to grips with somehow returning to humanity. We all suffered along with him and to see his little girl not ever knowing who her mother was, I still find it hard to believe that it happened. I certainly can see that if Mrs Coulter found out about the engagement first, then she would have felt very worried about her adopted daughter. Thank you, Mrs Thornton, for caring enough for Mrs Coulter and Simon to get that right." She looked him in the eye and saw one of the most caring and gentle persons that she could ever hope to meet.

Peter returned to the police station and thanked the officer for the use of his horse. The Pennington's had packed a box of vegies to give to the men back at the police station with a nice little card. Peter had smiled as he was forced to juggle the box on the horse as he rode along. They were amazed and very impressed at the station that he hadn't dropped anything along the way. It was an unsuccessful visit, but he now had his list of other families in different towns to pursue. He bid them all farewell and headed back to the railway station to continue his search. As badly as he wanted to search for his wife, he felt that it would have to wait for a while as he now decided to travel back to his hometown of Ashford where he would be reunited with his family. He wasn't optimistic but he wondered whether there was a possibility that his parents may know where Christine could be. He wondered whether his hastily prepared letter would reach them before he would get to Ashford. He hoped that they would be at the station to meet him. He remembered how they had only met Christine on one occasion at the hastily arranged wedding and then they had returned home afterwards. His grandparents also lived in the district and would be very pleased to have him back in town. He would have to explain the circumstance why he had been unable to write to them occasionally as becoming a senior officer, he was always obliged to remain on the ship to supervise loading and unloading of cargo. His parents had taken an instant liking and acceptance of their new daughter in law. He tried to remain as upbeat as possible as he sat once again on the train for the long and arduous journey across the country.

Elizabeth sat in awe of the sincerity of this new visitor to Hope Valley. It was obvious that his prime objective was the welfare of all his men and the families and everyone who came into contact with him. "I'm sorry how Sandra and I just simply barged into your office back at Fort Clay, it was extremely rude of us." remarked Elizabeth. Captain Foster hadn't been concerned at the time but he happily made the phone call to Hope Valley anyway. "I could see, Mrs Thornton that you seemed a little anxious at the time, but I didn't think anything of it at the time. I never got a chance to talk to you about it later unfortunately." Elizabeth still hadn't had much of an opportunity or inclination to digest her talk with Pastor Joseph about her encounter back at Fort Clay, but now, she felt very relaxed with this man here from Fort Clay. She had supreme confidence and trust in him, and she was glad that he had come to Hope Valley. She noticed how Little Jack locked eyes with him and smiled at him from the safety of Nathan' lap. "By the way," asked Elizabeth with an inquisitive look, "Where is Bill, has he gone somewhere. I never saw him around yesterday." Nathan looked at Little Jack looking puzzled. "Where did you put him, he must have gone somewhere." Nathan added, "He was asked by Captain Bedford to go to Cape Fullarton and help him review an old case. He is very concerned that they put a man in prison about five years ago with what seems like fairly flimsy evidence. They need his forensic ability and expertise and his independence to review the reports and see if they can fix a bad deed. Of course we know that Bill will turn everything upside down if he thinks that something is amiss."

There was a familiar sight on the platform as Peter's train pulled into the station at Ashford. It appeared that his letter had arrived in time to let them know that he was coming home. It had been four long years since he had been with his parents and now as the train pulled to a stop, he saw his mother who looked exactly as he had left her. There was an anxious look on her face as he stepped onto the platform to embrace her. "Peter, we are so thankful to have you back here in time, but I have to tell you, your grandfather has taken a turn for the worse." Peter was horrified to think of his grandfather being ill, he had been so close to him all his life. He had been a sailor on the sailing ships for many years and Peter had marvelled at the stories of journeys all over the oceans. Some of the stories were farfetched but Peter was glued to every word. "Peter, he's been asking for you." said his distraught mother. This was the worst news that he could have imagined, and it came as a huge shock to him. His mother noticed the difference in uniform because he had left as a sailor and now, he looked very distinguished like an officer. "He's in the hospital and the doctor is quite concerned about him, I'll take you straight to him." He had been expecting a very happy and exciting reunion with his family but now this terrible news brought back all the lifetime experiences that he had spent with his ever-loving grandfather, and he became very worried as they quickly headed to the hospital.

Nathan had said many times, but it had fallen on deaf ears every time. Amy would venture down to the stables every day and not left until the place was spotless and the horses were happy. She would say with a grin how the horses were getting very fussy and had said that they weren't prepared to go back to the way it was before. They expected their food and rubdown at the same time every morning and they got very noisy when they could see her arriving. The six months of her duty had long been completed even though Nathan had told her that she was free to do what she liked long before the so-called due date came up. She was overcome with joy when Nathan told her of Simon's engagement, but she was concerned that she wasn't ready to write the letter that she had promised. She was a prolific writer, and she would copy out passages from books that she loved. Her letter was going to be done without anybody's assistance but now she may have to get Allie to help her. She would get a lump in her throat even at the thought of writing this letter as she was sure that she wouldn't be here today and okay, if it wasn't for him placing his life on the line for her. She was still puzzled at the voice that she had heard and the feeling of a hand on her arm that evening when she was at the Turners farm. It was strange and eerie, but it had given her the confidence to continue with her determined plan to study harder than ever before to become a worthwhile part of the community. She believed that she was going to be alright.

The captain had brought with him many items of work that couldn't wait for his return, but he didn't refuse Nathan's invitation to accompany him on his rounds in the morning. It was a welcome alteration to his format for him to be out in the fresh air as his high-level job involved a great deal of desk work and administration. He was happy to have Nathan to talk to who was still trying to think why the captain had wanted to come to Hope Valley to stay for a while. They wandered carefree down the street past the closed-up saloon. "I believe that the saloon has been closed up for a long time. I remember hearing from Simon how the Mounties all bunked in there while they were searching for you Nathan. That was a bad period of our lives." They rode on out from the street and soon the school came into view sitting on the little rise. They noticed Amy rushing along the track to get to school on time. The captain stopped and took his hat off in appreciation of the local landmark that stood for so much. It almost took his breath away as this was one of the main attractions that was to entice him to Hope Valley. "This is a very special place for all of us," said Nathan who had also removed his hat. "It's called the Jack Thornton school and it has seen many things as part of the progress of this little town. School used to be in the saloon just to make do but when this building arrived it became school during the week and church on Sunday. Jack and Elizabeth were married here along with other weddings. Christine's grandmother had her funeral here and you can just see her grave from here. This little place has helped many of us through some of the hard times." The captain looked on in complete awe. "I have to bring Sandra here one day, I owe it to her for everything that she has done for us." Nathan was not in any hurry, "Sir, Fiona and I would like to invite you to the Sunday service. It would be our honour.

The nurses at the hospital recognised Peter at once and saw the anxiety on his face as he entered the foyer and the ward. Ashford was a small town, and everyone knew everybody else. They all knew the undying bond between Peter and his grandfather, so much so that Peter had followed in his footsteps and made the old man very proud. His heart was heavy as he walked into the room and saw the old man lying in a hospital bed. He was now very frail and the four years of not having any idea where his favourite grandson could be had taken its toll. The sight of Peter instantly brought a smile to his weather-beaten face, "You are a sight for an old man's eyes, come and let me look at you." He tried to move and sit up, but he was far too incapacitated to get anywhere other than just lying down. He had never been a man to sit idly by and let others do the tasks that may have needed a strong and willing hand. This was extremely heartbreaking for Peter to see him like this knowing that time had finally caught up with him. "Hello Bert," said Peter fighting back the tears, "I'm back after so long at sea." His grandfather was always Bert to him and the other grandchildren. Peter, as a youngster, had heard someone call him Bert and it just stuck, much to the amusement of the entire town and family. He looked at Peter and immediately noticed the officer's uniform, "Do I have to call you sir from now on?" he grinned, "Come and sit down over here where I can see you and tell me what you have been up to all this time." Peter's mother was visibly upset but very relieved that Peter had somehow been able to make it back in time to see Bert. She knew that the doctor's prognosis had not been promising for some time and affairs should be put in order. "I'm proud of you Peter, your work on those rugged cargo vessels delivering all the goods which saved many lives in those war-torn countries." He lay there holding Peter's hand and they talked about the ships and the rolling seas and how the ship's complement would all work as a team to get the job done. He told Peter that he would like to have those days back again. The last time he had seen Peter was at his hastily arranged wedding. "How is that very lovely young lady going who you married what seemed only yesterday?" Peter told him of the task that lay before him and how she could be anywhere and that it may take years to find her. "I'm hoping that she hasn't moved on from me Bert, my search may actually be in vain." Bert squeezed his hand and looked closely at him, "Oh no Peter, not that lady. I saw her at the wedding, and I could see it in her eyes. You can take my word for it because I know, she is out there somewhere waiting for you. She is a strong-willed woman who loves you deeply." His hand slipped quietly from Peter's arm, and he closed his eyes for the last time.

Allie was pleasantly surprised and amazed at how far Amy had come with her reading and writing progress. She knew that Amy did not want anyone else to do the job for her, but only provide some help and guidance when she would write her letters. "Amy, you are going to make a wonderful teacher someday. The work that you do with the little children is something of a skill that you have to have inside you. I am confident that you will be as good as Mrs Thornton if you keep working this hard at your study. You have people who depend on you already." Allie was forever giving her little exercises to show her how the use of arithmetic was part of everyday life. There was one occasion where they had four eggs and Allie said how they needed ten. "How many more eggs do we need Amy," was the question that came from Allie. Weeks ago, she would have had no idea what it all meant but now she was starting to make some sense of it all. She thought straight away about the subtraction or taking away practice that she had been doing for so long. She grinned at Allie, "Ten take away four is six so we need six more eggs. I wonder if all the chickens heard us." The more she learned, the more she understood how her father didn't see the need for any of that, but she thought sadly how it did not excuse him for depriving her of all the learning that she had started. This was all leading to a major confrontation a long way down the track. She knew what she wanted to write to Simon, and she practiced it over and over again until it started to seem right. A smiling Allie was suddenly motivated by Amy's persistence so she thought that she might write a letter to Jason just for fun and ask him cheekily if the strap to his saddle is working any better than before.

The closer the captain got to the little church, the more the thought of the little chapel back at Fort Clay filled his head. He was beginning to understand more and more why it was named after Elizabeth Thornton. The folks of the town were slowly heading to the church for Sunday service and a few of them had noticed the captain in full uniform. Everyone was entitled to go to church, but he had felt it to be an honour to be invited by Nathan the other day and he had accepted immediately. He ascended the steps and walked through the open doors and slowly looked around and acknowledged the people who were staring at this high-ranking officer in their midst. He thought immediately of Sandra and how she would feel the spirit within the walls just like the chapel back home. This building hadn't been there that long in the bigger picture, but it sure had some stories to tell. He tipped his hat to Mrs Thornton and Amy as they turned around to see him as he prepared to sit at the back of the hall. The sermon this morning from Pastor Canfield included, among other things, the story of the man himself who was not afraid to give his life on earth for the benefit of others. Amy always sat in awe, listening intently thinking about how wonderful it could be for someone to be like that and be so selfless. There were a few local announcements and messages to deliver to the congregation and then Pastor Joseph made welcome the newcomer to Hope Valley.

Nathan had filled pastor Joseph in earlier on who this officer was and where he was from. "I would like to welcome Captain Foster here who has come from Fort Clay to visit with us. You may have seen him around town over the last few days, a uniform like this is hard to miss," This brought laughter from the people. "Sir, I wonder if you would have a few thoughts and maybe like to say a few words to the people of Hope Valley if you please." The captain stood up and wandered to the front holding the little church and all it stood for in his heart. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I'm Captain Foster, second in command at Fort Clay and, by the way, Superintendent Mills offers his complements to you all. I can't tell you exactly why I am here because I really don't know, if I am being completely honest, I have it indelibly printed into my mind how we had a visit not long ago from people of Hope Valley and I know, because of certain circumstances, that it would not have been an easy venture to undertake," He glanced at Mrs Thornton. "One of the reasons that I am now here is partly to return the favour to you all and to see things for myself about the little town that we had heard so much about. My job these days is more of an administrative one where I organise required missions and training ventures that can prove to be dangerous where the officers must be highly trained or else, they could fail in their duty. Whether the approaching task is training or of a law enforcement nature, we send these people out and we don't rest or relax until they all return safe and sound. It is the same for the families of these officers as it is for me." He now took a glance at Amy. "We can plan and make the best formulated strategies and yet we still worry about the safety of all the officers until they return. I have a point to make here about the special bond that we all have as a tight community which has developed over many years. I can't fail to see that you all have the same special bond as a fine community and that is what has helped you to survive during hardships and tragedy that had beset you in the past." His eyes wandered to Nathan and also to the people who had suffered from the mining disaster. He noticed little Emily sitting with her stepmother and father. "I want you to know that we at Fort Clay have always shared in the anguish when misfortune came your way. The people of Hope Valley have been an inspiration to us all. Finally, I would like to make a comment about how we can have a bond to something and then have it challenged by another bond that might have developed over a period of time. It could be heartbreaking to be forced to choose between either of them and I can't imagine having to face something like this myself. I thank you all for listening to me." Elizabeth was close to tears as she knew that he was talking about her.

The cemetery seemed like a very forbidding place to Peter even though the day was meant to be a celebration of a life that had meant something to so many people. Bert was the last of his comrades who had all past on over the years. There was nobody of his vintage still around to speak of his exploits, however, the entire town was shut for the day as they were all there in attendance to pay their respects to a dear friend. Peter found the going very tough, but he found the courage to speak about his upbringing and how his grandfather had so much bearing on how he had turned out. The town had a little church which was filled to the brim with many people accepting that it was standing room only, but nobody minded at all. They all noticed Peter and how dashing he looked in his officer's uniform. Many girls had known Peter since childhood and loved the relationship that he had with Bert, and some had secretly hoped that he would have married one of them. Christine was an outsider who he had met when he had gone to Bakersfield and his heart was stolen forever. He felt so strange at the gravesite when the pastor spoke and said, "ashes to ashes, dust to dust," and then the coffin was lowered into the ground. His beloved grandfather, Bert was now buried and had now become a memory. His mother was at his side and they were strong for each other, she had lost her father, "Peter, the doctor said that by all accounts, Bert should have gone weeks ago. It seems that he was determined to hang on and wait until you returned." Peter had taken Bert's words to heart, and he now had an even stronger resolve to set about finding Christine. He didn't care how long it was going to take but he was never going to stop looking for her. He would start again from the very few leads that he had and work from there.