She wanted to hurry up and take Patrick to the doctor but she was in two minds, bent on fronting Judge Monroe and threatening him with bodily harm if he didn't throw the book at those two men. Nathan smiled at her, feeling the need to slow her down a little, "Gretchen, you won't be able to see them for many a long year, we saw them carted out of the courthouse in handcuffs and leg irons and they were placed bodily into the most uncomfortable form of transportation that you could imagine. Their future has been decided for them from now on, Judge Monroe has seen to that. You won't see them back here for at least twenty years if at all. It's ironic isn't it, they are going to experience the life that they had planned for young Patrick."

She listened to Nathan and his caring, kind words and if she had a gun, it would have definitely gone back into the holster at least for now. Nathan scratched his head and was puzzled, "I can't understand why it took so long for them to bring Patrick from the train to the courthouse. It was just as well as we needed that time to explain to the judge and bring him up to speed." It was the most dangerous and hideous smile that appeared on Gretchen's face as she dangled a set of keys in her hand. "That cruel rude man didn't even know that I lifted them from him when we were arguing in the carriage. I will write a letter to him wherever he lands and tell him one day and I'll enclose an autographed photo. He can stick it on the wall of the cell."

It was just as well and quite timely because the judge appeared outside of the courthouse looking very satisfied and he saw the prominent uniforms of the two Mounties. "You keep those two horrible old women away from me or I will throw you all in prison, including you constable." He, like everyone else was very fond of the two ladies who had terrorized this town for many years, nobody had been exempt or safe when Gretchen and Audrey were let loose with the Plankton Players. He had once been a victim and he remembered it very well. He thought with a smile, "How do they do it, they are so rude and obnoxious to all and everyone and they continually get away with it. They charge for tickets to their show and we pay up just so they can make us look foolish and stupid over and over again."

Both Nathan and Simon had forgotten about all the lipstick as the judge extended his hand to them in friendship. He offered his kind comments to Gretchen, "Will you two ladies take the young man to the doctor and make sure that they look after him, he's had quite an ordeal and thankfully, that is now over. We can look after him, here in Grampton until he gets back on his feet and figures out what he wants to do." The judge watched them help Patrick with his black eye, limp gingerly along the footpath, "you know, those two ladies are treasures around here, they raise a lot of funds for charity and we love them dearly. If there is an issue anywhere, Gretchen will take it on, she could put the constable out of business. For all intents and purposes, she looks like just another old lady but I'm sure that she would be a very dangerous adversary for anyone who might get on her wrong side."

Nathan watched in admiration as the two ladies headed slowly along the path with Patrick to the doctor. He looked impishly to the judge as he shook his head in disbelief, "You know sir, Gretchen picked the man's pocket for the keys to the cuffs, I bet they were absolutely ropable when they couldn't unlock that young man from the seat. I never plan to get on their wrong side." The judge laughed and asked the two Mounties, "how did you folks get on with that sea captain, I'm trying to remember his name, Captain Glover I think, I remember that note he wrote me, it gave me all I needed to put my son completely out of business." With all the recent commotion even, Susan had forgotten to ask and now she became excited, "Obviously you didn't find him or else he would be here but, do you know if he found that nurse Sonya Radcliffe?"

Nathan didn't look as frustrated now as he might have been, "we can't be sure but we found where he had stayed in Masterton. We must have been right on his trail and only just missed him again. We knew that a young lady had picked him up from the hotel in a car to take him somewhere so we presumed that he had found someone who knew her so there was nothing left for us to do so we returned. Susan, if our optimism proves correct then he should be passing through here very soon on his way to Hope Valley." Susan explained to the judge how she had received a letter from his mother in Ashford, right at that very moment when Peter had left on the train for Masterton, "Five minutes earlier I could have showed him and said where his wife Christine was living, I was so upset and that's when I met these two handsome young men on the station platform that day." Judge Monroe put his caring arm around her, "I left instructions with the station master that the train was not to depart without our two Mounties on it and I will give the same order for when Captain Glover arrives. I want to meet this man." He shook hands again with them and they hugged Susan and then, with the job done and Patrick now safe, they headed towards the station looking forward to getting back home.

"I'm going to miss those two boys," said Susan with a tear in her eye, "Did you see all that lipstick all over their faces, I can't imagine for a minute how they plan to explain that to their fiancés." They stood there watching as the two Mounties disappeared up the ramp and onto the platform. "You know judge, I was only joking when I said that I was coming to their weddings but not now, I couldn't bear to miss out and I'm sure that David will let me, I'm going to turn up there unannounced and what a surprise that will be for all of us. I will get to see my cousin again." The judge smiled at her mischievously, "you won't be going anywhere unless you can provide a suitable story to your husband why your face is covered in ruby red lipstick. I'd like to be there when you try, just mentioning the name, Gretchen and that should do nicely, I'm sure that he will understand."

His attention returned to the issue of the young man who was now heading to see the doctor. "Susan, that young man is going to need a great deal of healing and rehabilitation and I have plans that can involve you if you are able to help." She said immediately that she was quite prepared to be part of any initiative. He put forward his suggestion, "I am going to write and initiate proceedings with the police commissioner governing the Gladstone district. I will be very explicit and place them in a position where they will have to ensure that an action such as this can never happen again. Patrick, by the time I'm finished, is going to be entitled to quite a tidy sum in compensation and that is where you come in Susan. I hear that you are in need of assistance on your land and this young man may fit the bill nicely for you and David."

"You've barely touched any part of your food since you came back yesterday, you can't sit here in the dark forever. Mother and daughter had been very close right from Marjorie's childhood and they never kept anything from each other. She trusted her daughter's judgement and Marjorie had repaid her with honesty and dedication right through the difficult years of growing up and all the study that she had done to gain her qualifications. She had been single minded and had never let anything stand in the way of her vocation that she had worked so hard for. Now she was ready to recommence work with added experience from the recent secondment to the new hospital in Woodside. Marjorie was a level-headed young lady but, all the same, it was hard for her mum to sit aside while her loving daughter was in some sort of trouble and bewilderment. Clearly, she was experiencing something that was bothering her and it was something that she couldn't explain to herself.

"Momma, we helped that man find where his wife has been living and now he's gone on the train somewhere nearly two thousand miles away in the west to be with her again." She wasn't in tears or even close to it, "can you believe that momma, that's more than halfway across the country to be with someone who he loves and he knows that she is waiting for him. No-one would walk across the street for me to be with." She was just staring at the wall somehow in disbelief and now she was close to tears. "He was a perfect gentleman all the time, but we could see how he was silently tearing himself apart as we seemed to be getting closer to finding where she was. It's the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen, he cried when a police officer told him that his wife was going crazy waiting for him. A huge weight came off his shoulders and he just broke down in tears. It's the most manly thing that I could ever imagine and how lucky he is to have true love like this. I wish that I could be there when he sees her again."

Momma could see exactly what was happening to her daughter, "Yes, I can remember the apprehensive look that was always evident on his face, no matter how many times you could tell him that it was all going to be alright, we just didn't know what was ahead of him. I am so pleased for him and he can now relax on his long train journey to Hope Valley. I am already waiting impatiently for a letter from him and a photo. You can be very proud of yourself Marjorie for what you have done for him." She could see that this was her daughter's first introduction to love and how it can affect people so drastically and how it can drive you to make you do some irrational things that you wouldn't necessarily do. "Momma, do you think that something like this might ever happen to me?" Now she was in tears, "I can't bear that he's gone and he will never be back and I won't ever see him again. He was such a wonderful man and I want so bad for him to be happy. Momma, I cried when he waved to us on the train as it left the station." Already she was formulating a plan that she just might put into action.

Her mum could see only too well where all this might be heading, her daughter had fallen in love with a man who belonged to someone else but she wasn't unhappy by any means. The sensation of being in love had never been a part of her make-up in her life and now it was something that she was going to have to deal with. She hadn't even considered returning to work now that she was back home as the only single thing that was in her head was the vision of Peter crumbling in a heap to the floor with relief after listening to the police officer. It was never going to go away on its own and she couldn't bear having to wait every day for a letter that may take weeks unless he forgot her when he got to Hope Valley. "Momma, that police officer had got a visit from two Mounties, you know, those ones with the funny hats and the bright red uniforms that we have seen in photographs. Thoe two men came all the way from Hope Valley just to try and find Peter. They had come so close but missed him every time. It looks like Peter has many people who love him like I do." It was something new for her to have her heart aching like this and she was going to have to do something about it. She wasn't frightened to say that she loved someone. She finally realised something that she had known all along, she was going to have to follow her heart. She knew that her mum would understand.

Jason showed up outside the school building but this time he had brought the horse and cart with him. He hadn't relished the prospect of pushing Sandra around on the uncomfortable bumpy paths and Captain Foster had requested him to suggest to the ladies that they pay a visit to the Canfield family as they would appreciate the opportunity to meet Sandra while she was here. He was respectful as he knocked on the door, "I'm just letting you know that I'm back and that Captain Foster has suggested that I take you to see Pastor Canfield and family." Elizabeth had already considered a visit to see Joseph and it had saved having to ask Jason and now it was handy that Sandra's personal coach was here ready for her. Sandra was loved by every Mountie and all the families at Fort Clay and it was hardly an issue for any of them as they would see her being carried up the steps at different places. They all considered it to be an honour to be able to provide any assistance for her when required. Elizabeth knew that Pastor Joseph would be needed once the traumatic events were explained to him. It was always a pleasant occasion when she would run into him from time to time down the street, but today, unfortunately would hardly be a social call.

They were soon closing in on the Canfield homestead and they could see Cooper waving excitedly to them as he raced inside to tell his parents of the visitors even though he couldn't quite tell who they were from such a distance away. He eventually saw the different Mountie driving the coach with his horse tied at the back and he knew that Nathan was away and then he noticed Mrs Thornton sitting next to another lady and it looked like there was a wheelchair on the back. Joseph emerged from the front doorway and looked pleasantly surprised to have visitors turn up out the front. He knew that there must be something amiss as Angela and Cooper had gone to school that morning only to find nobody there and the building was still closed up which was very unusual for the little town of Hope Valley. "Mrs Thornton, we went to school this morning and everything was locked up and you weren't there, what happened?"

The wheelchair could only mean one thing, Elizabeth had spoken at length about the wonderful and inspirational lady from Fort Clay and now, apparently she was here with everybody in Hope Valley. He was very perceptive as he saw the glum look on their faces which seemed to indicate that this was to be more than a social call. Nevertheless, it would be first things first and he greeted this pretty lady and welcomed her to this town. "Miss Mills, there's no need for any explanation," as he spoke to Sandra, "There hasn't been a day go by where Mrs Thornton hasn't sung the praises of what we call in our household, the first lady of Fort Clay. Welcome to this house Miss Mills and welcome to Hope Valley." Jason had quickly placed her wheelchair on the porch and had returned for Sandra when Joseph put a gentle hand out in restraint. "Will you let me please, it would be my honour Jason, that is, with your permission ma'am."

Soon she was sitting on the porch and Minnie had tea and cookies out for them on a plate. "I can see it in your eyes that there is a serious problem and you know that I am always here for you and our community." He waited and steeled himself for what was to come and Minnie had now put her arms around a very distressed Elizabeth. "Joseph, there has been a terrible tragedy and it's someone who we don't even know but it feels like he was one of us." She sobbed as she described the dramatic arrival of Tully and Earl and the horrific tale that they had related to Captain Foster. Joseph thought that he was going to have to see much of this event for himself and how it might be going to test everyone's resolve. The tears appeared in his eyes when he was told how the life of a little girl was saved by this brave young man. He couldn't help but immediately recall the story of Mountie Jack and he knew instantly how it was going to affect Elizabeth, perhaps this was what had brought Sandra to our town.

He was having a difficult time trying to grasp the gravity of the loss of a young man, barely of age and, also, there was a man in distress sitting in the jailhouse refusing to come out. "Joseph, Amy has been with this man ever since he had arrived and I think that her presence with him is a good thing and she might be of quite some help for him." He looked across at Sandra who appeared as a tower of strength as she sat with her dear friend but he could see that there was something bothering her and it was serious. Cooper and Angela had been sent inside as it appeared to the parents that Sandra had something to relate. It was going to be easier for her without the children being there,

"Pastor Joseph, I was there with Elizabeth at Fort Clay when she franticly related to me what seemed to be some sort of a message from Jack as she had sat there at his gravesite. I believe that it turned out to be true and Amy was saved from her father's grasp by a quick thinking Earl Grey and Jason. We can't offer any plausible explanation for this but we know in our hearts that it was true. I went myself to see Jack before I left to come here and during the night I had two clear visions that frightened me, I saw Eric and Elizabeth standing together at a gravesite somewhere which may be the young Mountie at Rainsford. I am worried about the other one because they are very distressed as they stand by a bed in a hospital. Joseph, I am very frightened because I can't face thinking about the people I love so dearly and it might be one of them who is lying there.

Joseph had well remembered Elizabeth coming to him with that story about Jack talking to her a long time ago at Fort Clay and he found himself unable to provide any credible answers for her. There had been many claims in the past all around the world that couldn't be substantiated but, somehow nothing could be denied either. Again, he had no answer and it seemed that we were all going to have to wait anxiously and hope that it would be nothing to worry about. They thought of Nathan and Simon, and all their loved ones and any wait was going to be a long and painful one. As more questions popped into his head, he knew that he was going to be needed by one and all so he had to be in full control but the thought of losing a young life in these circumstances was very hard for him to bear. He thought of the little girl who might have been lost as well as the mum who had lost everything in the fire. He imagined Adrian's parents and, as he looked at his own children, any further thoughts were too much for him to bear.

He knew that before very long, he would be meeting the little girl at Rainsford and he could hardly imagine how he was going to handle it. If Adrian hadn't been there at that time, the little girl who he would be looking at would not have been there. "Elizabeth, what were those Mounties doing there so far away from Cape Fullarton, surely there field of influence doesn't stretch that far." Sandra intervened as she saw her friend failing to find the words. "This is a question that we will have to find a different answer for as we know that Adrian's parents would want an answer for this as well. The truth is that both men were dismissed from the force by the commanding officer for a simple oversight which caused an innocent man to spend six years in jail. They were on their way to Hope Valley to see Judge Avery to implore him to reinstate the young man to the service. Tully, the older more experienced Mountie blamed himself for the oversight and was not going to make any request for himself, only for his young partner. Rainsford was on their way and Joseph; you know the rest."

Joseph was horrified, "Of course we can't possibly allow the parents to find out about this, the loss of their son is horrendous enough but finding out that their son wasn't supposed to be there in that little town would destroy them even if he did die as a hero. Sandra had already given this matter some consideration and she had a suggestion to put forward. "When we get back to town, I plan to ring my father at Fort Clay and have him liaise with Superintendent Stanbridge to set up irrefutable plans that suggested that the two men were on their way to Fort Clay on secondment for a week or so." Joseph's thoughts then went to the captain at Cape Fullarton who had made the ill-fated decision which ultimately resulted in the young man's death. Elizabeth filled him in how Captain Foster had dealt with him harshly when he broke the news to him and he had wondered whether he had been excessive. Joseph suddenly became very worried about this man, "I hope that this captain is being counselled and supported, he has made a monumental mistake of judgement in his life and it may destroy him if where not careful."

The rattly old carriage was half empty which suited Peter quite nicely, he was not interested in any conversation with anyone and he was just sitting quietly staring into space, not even knowing where to start. After a while he gradually became coherent enough to notice houses as the train went past and lights were coming on with nighttime beginning to set in. These would be families with husbands and wives and children making lives with each other and having the companionship of loved ones. He had thought of precious little else over the last four years and now, with each passing mile, he would be getting closer to Christine. What was it like where she was, it seemed from what the police officer had said from his meeting with the two Mounties, that Hope Valley was well out in the wilderness.

He could barely imagine it but he remembered clearly how he fell in love at the very first sight of that gorgeous lady with the long dark hair. He found time to give thanks and remember all the folks who had, without a thought, given him all the encouragement with his search right from Alice at the café through to Sonya and Marjorie. They would be in his heart forever. His head was going nineteen to the dozen and it was going to take some time for him to relax, but, one thing was for sure, the doubt that he had felt ever since his unsuccessful visit to Bakersfield was now in the past. The train rumbled on into the night and his eyes remained open for a long time and he didn't even know if and when he might have fallen asleep. The darkness and the serenity brough his thoughts back to the endless miles on the rolling seas with strong waves crashing over the bow and how he had waited so long for a moment like this where he could dream of seeing her again.

The excitement and anticipation of boarding the train for the final leg of their journey was soon tempered by the realisation that there was a problem which was not their fault by any means but they could easily find themselves in a rather awkward situation. Fiona and Janie may spy a tell-tale red tinge on the shirt or the uniform and they would no doubt want some answers to some obvious questions, that is, if they were prepared to listen. It wouldn't have been the first time that a fiancé had gone on a trip or excursion and taken advantage of a liaison with the opposite sex if the occasion presented itself. They had been reflecting on their success at saving the young man from prison and now the train was well underway when they hurriedly realised that the lipstick had to be gotten rid of completely. They had no access to any mirror to check if they were getting anywhere, only each other and their body language seemed to tell them that nothing was working.

There were two young ladies sitting across the way with smirks on their faces and each time they saw Nathan looking at them they would bury their heads back into their magazines. If they knew what was going on from putting two and two together, then there was no hope of keeping it from their loved ones when they would get back home tomorrow sometime, no matter how innocent they were. Nathan growled at them, "you can stop trying to make out that you're reading those magazines, I'll bet you haven't read one word since we left Grampton." One of the ladies defiantly met Nathan's gaze and fired back with a grin, "I can't help imagining that you two boys have had quite an escapade on your trip away, have you got wives or girlfriends waiting for you." Nathan glared at her sitting there with her impish grin, "Don't even ask, you would never believe it in a million years." He turned to Simon, "we aren't getting anywhere, do you reckon you could go and find Noel and see if he can find some wet towels for us, it will save me from thinking about arresting these two smart-alec women."

Simon hadn't got much more than halfway along the aisle when he saw Noel the conductor appearing with a couple of damp towels after anticipating that they might be needed. He could see the very interested young ladies sporting an almost permanent smile, "Hello ladies, I see that you've met Don Juan and Cassanova here." Nathan glared at him, "You know, there was room in that prison wagon for one more." Noel could see that those two women weren't going to go away so he busied himself with helping to remove the stains on the faces and the uniforms. "Would you like to try out your explanation on us and see if it stands up." They waited expectantly for a response. Nathan looked at them seriously, "Just remember that you asked, and, for your information, I always tell the truth, we were mugged by two old ladies and they wouldn't take no for an answer."

They nearly fell off their seats with laughter and the magazines were suddenly packed away, no longer required for the journey. "You look so serious but surely you can't be, how do you big strong policemen go with real criminals when you can't handle being beaten up by two little old ladies, did they have walking sticks when they overpowered you with lipstick." Noel thought that they had successfully removed all of the stains and he carefully inspected everywhere to make sure. "Ladies, it might sound rather far-fetched but I guarantee, it is all true, these two policemen and those two little old ladies went to great lengths to save a young man from being sent to prison and we are all very proud of them." The magazines were nowhere to be seen and the ladies sat in anticipation, "We have a long way to travel and we aren't going anywhere, we're listening, I don't know why but we are listening." Those impish smiles were now starting to disappear from their faces and they were ready to start over with the two Mounties.

When you wake up in the morning and eventually get around to planning your day, you don't anticipate receiving the shocking tale of events like what arrived at Pastor Joseph's doorstep that morning. Despite Minnie forever telling him that he can't possibly expect to take on everybody's problems, he saw it as his civic duty in the community and the wider district to do just that. He knew that the people in adversity would turn to him and he would be there to provide the answers. He had taken it to heart when he had first met Elizabeth and discovered that she had lost Jack so tragically and he had been amazed how she had been able to recover so resiliently and rejoin the community. He was rocked by this shattering news this morning and how there were so many people who were going to need his guidance and understanding.

He did not waste any further time and he returned to town with the others so that he could indeed, see things for himself. He agonised over the loss of Adrian, the young Mountie who had always just tried to do his job but there was little that he could do for him at the moment. It was the young man's parents and the captain who had issued the ill-fated instruction that had his attention and that's where his focus would be when they finally entered the township. He had taken notice from Sandra and Elizabeth that there was a Mountie who had arrived from Cape Fullarton and he wanted to talk with him before anyone decided to return home. He was extremely worried after the events with this disaster and he needed everyone to be on top of things to try and prevent another disaster.

A lonesome and thoughtful looking young woman stood alone on the platform waiting for the train to arrive. It had only been a solitary two days since she had farewelled the nicest man who she had ever met and she had been so happy for him but also so sad that he was leaving her. She was standing there on the same platform in exactly the same place experiencing all those recent memories, she was ready to follow him as she had to know that him and Christine were going to reunite after all. She was sure that she hadn't been able to sleep since his departure and now she wasn't going to let the grass grow under her feet so she waited and watched for the train to arrive to take her right across the country to the northwest. She had been single minded and her mother had been unable to shake this plan from her and their farewells had been from home that evening. The evening had a chill in the air and the platform was dark as she could now see the headlight of the train in the distance now on the approach to the station.

Even before she had finished her schooling, she had decided upon a nursing career and, as she had been through school, nothing was going to stand in her way. She was so single-minded and focussed on her vocation and there was no hint of interference from any other area of life's challenges. Many of her friends had relationships and she was happy for them but she never let any of it detract her from her final goal of nursing qualifications. She had only just returned from a secondment to another city hospital when her meeting with Peter changed her life so drastically. She couldn't believe how her life had now changed such that she was prepared to travel right across the country herself to see Peter's reunion with his wife for herself. She knew that this was not a rational decision but she couldn't help it, was this what love was that caused people to do and nothing else would stand in its way.

They say how time heals everything and how a couple of sleeps seem to make a situation put in a better perspective than the initial shock. Peter awoke after two days on the train and now he was hungry. It was a very different Peter by now as he smiled at how his grandfather always had the right advice from his many years of experience. He had said that his wife was waiting for him and he was right again all along. He remembered some of the most hair raising moments on the high seas and how it looked that they might not survive but Bert was always there in his mind and that would help him find the skills when they were needed. He was so proud of what he had done and he had been able to recount it all to him before he passed away. He was always going to have a special lifetime bond with his grandfather from the stories of being out on the high seas and working with him on the land in his retirement.

There was to be a scheduled stop of around twenty minutes at the next town where passengers could get a well-earned breakfast and more provisions for the rest of the journey so he quietly sat back and was now able to enjoy the journey without having that nagging and debilitating thought in his head that his trip would be all for nothing. He had visualised Christine getting his little note with trepidation but now that was all behind him thank goodness. He was now able to think much more clearly and he wondered about her life what seemed to be out in the wilderness and whether she had been able to find her grandmother in Hope Valley. His thoughts progressed to how, in amazement that they had already known that he was out there and they had been taking steps to locate him, so he was never alone right from the outset. What a shock it must have been for Christine, his eyes welled up again as they had done so many times.