There was now some movement in the jailhouse as Earl had been anxious to get under way to return home to his family, he knew that his wife Laura would be worried and he wanted to be back before dark, he had already been away for two days. He had sat with Amy and Tully and was visibly struggling to find the words for them after this catastrophe. It was hard enough for himself but trying to imagine what it must have been like for Tully to see his friend, burnt so badly and dying in your arms, was near impossible. It had been hard for any reminiscing but Christine again told him how she would treasure their little moment when they danced in the street. This was something special to her as it was long before finding out that her husband was now coming home and, up till then, she had been making the best of it. Captain Foster told Earl about Christine's letter, "It can't be long now seeing that her cousin knows where she is and as soon as he makes it back to Grampton, she will be able to direct him here, I'm sure that it's going to be worth the wait.
Sandra had been very quiet and subdued on the ride back, her observation of Joseph and her frightening vision of someone appearing to be lying in a hospital bed somewhere only served to convince her that there were further things to be played out before it would be all over. Joseph's anxiety never left his face and he was in a hurry to get to the jailhouse before those men would depart. He was sure that he knew most of the story from what was relayed by Elizabeth and Sandra but it was the other man from Cape Fullarton that he wanted so desperately to meet and talk to. Apparently he was right there in the office at the time when the news of the death of the young Mountie came to light from the phone call from Captain Foster.
Joseph left Jason to see to Sandra and Elizabeth as he hurried inside the office and he was relieved to notice a Mountie that he didn't recognise was still there and hadn't departed. He knew that there was another one in the cell with Amy so he could see which one was Virgil. "Hello captain, I'm glad to have got here in time to talk to all of you before these gentlemen departed. I might, if I may, have some thoughts that you need to consider." The captain had always valued the wise counsel that this man could provide from the short time that he had been in Hope Valley. He could see that Pastor Canfield had something to offer and he was quite happy to listen. He would ensure that no-one would be departing until Joseph could get his message across, this was a lot more serious than what they might have thought.
With the captain's consent he approached Virgil and introduced himself, "I'm so sorry to have to impose myself upon you like this but I don't believe that it can wait. Can you talk to me about your captain back there at Cape Fullarton, from what I have heard, I am very worried." Virgil took a deep sigh and then a deep breath as he started to recall the events, Joseph could see in his face that Virgil did not have very much time for his captain right now. "I never thought for one minute that the captain would take that approach and stick to it. He was annoyed, to say the least about the wrongful imprisonment of Fred Burns and he took it out on Adrian and Tully and dismissed them unceremoniously from the force outright. I recall that he received a disturbing phone call and then disappeared from the compound for some time. When he returned he told me of the death of Adrian and I was stunned. I soon decided to travel to Rainsford and then onto Hope Valley to see Tully. I didn't care much for the feelings of Captain Bedford and I'm probably in trouble for being absent without leave but that is the least of my worries and, frankly, I don't care."
Everybody was captivated by Virgil's account of events and Captain Foster recounted how he had dealt with his opposite number at the time. This was exactly what Joseph was anticipating and now he was even more concerned, "Has there been any word on whether the parents have been informed and, if so, what was the reaction I might ask." Captain Foster said how he had spoken with Superintendent Stanbridge and his main concern was that the family must not, under any circumstances find out that their son had been banished from the force in disgrace. He, himself, had not paid a great deal of attention to the welfare of his captain and any sense of rehabilitation at that time. "He said that this was going to be a lesson for us all and that the captain must learn from it and become a better officer in command." Joseph seemed to be the one who was the most concerned with this situation and now he implored Virgil and Bill to take Earl back home to Union City and then go straight to Cape Fullarton to assess the situation as Joseph had spelled out, "Gentlemen, I feel that, at this stage, Captain Bedford would feel that he has disgraced himself, his family and the force and, as such, he may consider that he has very little to live for and gentlemen, that worries me."
They had not been under any obligation to explain their journey but they felt that those young ladies deserved an explanation of the circumstances of their intrepid journey and the people who they had met along the way. They fell in love with the sea captain who had been the entire point of the expedition and how these two Mounties had chased him from the length and breadth of the country without success and they hated the two corrupt police officers who were now going to get their just dues and they loved the two elderly ladies who had seen fit to help save the life of a young man who would possibly have gone to prison unjustly. Nathan was rather reserved in his thoughts about them, "Audrey and Gretchen are very lovely people and everybody loves them but I would like to have seen them with a little less bravado. Gretchen had bragged about how she had lifted the keys from one of them when she was arguing with them and Audrey on the train and she said that she was going to send a photo of herself with them to those men in prison. I'm going to try and make sure somehow that it doesn't happen."
Buxton was approaching within the hour, despite the condition of the track and there was time enough for Nathan and Simon to enquire where the two ladies were heading. The girls were much more interested in hearing about the two approaching weddings than having to describe their own future plans but they said how they were sisters and had been raised from a very young age in an orphanage and they had no family that they knew of but now they were at an age where they felt that they could start to make enquiries. "Everybody is entitled to know of their heritage and all we have had has been the obstacles and bureaucrats who have stood in our way long enough." Nathan could see that there was more to these young women that they had first thought. "We have been to countless places in different cities and have been turned away repeatedly with the same, 'we're sorry that we can't help but there are rules and records are sealed and withheld', I'm sure that none of those people would have been orphans or else they would have understood our situation and cared a little more. We are heading to Jacksville to see a lady who read one of our strongly worded articles on this problem. We said over and over again, despite the frustration and setbacks that we will not stop until we get some cooperation. Her name is Jean Campton and she said that her family was going to help us."
They were confident that it had been a successful venture even though they hadn't been able to return with the sea captain but now he had something else on his mind. Nathan was puzzled as he had heard that name before and now it was going to annoy him until he could put a face to the name of Jean Campton, maybe he had read it somewhere or else somebody had known this person at some stage. He exited the train at Buxton, which had made good time despite the condition of the track, and farewelled Simon and wished the two girls good fortune on their quest. The people at the stables had taken extra good care of Newton and, after a cheery reunion with his excited horse, they set out for Hope valley. He looked forward to seeing Christine again and telling her how confident he was about her husband and he couldn't wait to see Fiona. He was determined to make sure that Captain Foster would not find out about their exploits as he recalled the implicit instructions that he had been given. He was frustrated because he knew the name of Jean Campton but he couldn't place it anywhere and his police instincts weren't helping him.
Newton was intently listening to quite a myriad of stories and all the people that Nathan the Mountie had run into over his time away. He snorted when he heard the name Stephen Monroe and his ears flicked when he was told of the lovely lady, Susan Madison. He loved getting a hug from Christine so Susan must be very nice if she looks like Christine. "Newt, we nearly got that sea captain so many times but we always seem to miss him by a whisker, he was on the train with us and even in the same carriage and we didn't even know it." Nathan had travelled this road so many times and he knew every tree and shed so he knew how close he was to Hope Valley and soon he could see the water tower in the distance.
Joseph had made sure to take time to speak with Earl and he could see that his home environment and his family was what was needed and any amount of consoling could not take the place of being with his wife and daughter. Earl said a solemn goodbye to Tully and said that they would be seeing each other again soon and then he headed out the door with Bill and Virgil. Bill knew and had stated as such, that he had placed the blame for all of this squarely at the feet of Captain Bedford but Joseph's words had made him understand and realise that he would need to impress upon the captain that he needed to be the example to his men under his command and that he would still be there and doing his job. Bill mounted his horse, "You are quite right Joseph as usual, if we don't act soon, there could be another catastrophe that we might have on our hands and we would surely regret it. We'll get Earl back home and then head off to the cape as soon as possible. It has been nice to meet you again Miss Mills."
Bill had a determined look about him as he could barely imagine what he was going to find when he would arrive at Cape Fullarton to see Captain Bedford so, with that firmly in his mind, they turned to depart and get on their way. They stopped in their tracks as they saw a lone Mountie riding slowly towards them from the other end of the street, "My goodness, it's Nathan!" Elizabeth ran down the steps and took the captain's arm. The smile of a happy wanderer returning soon disappeared as he could see in an instant from the worried faces assembled in the street that something was wrong. He remembered Earl from Union City but then there was another Mountie who he didn't know. He climbed off his horse and Elizabeth rushed to him in tears. All of a sudden, he went cold with fear because something really bad must have happened here and his thoughts immediately went to Allie and Fiona.
"Nathan, something really bad has happened", that was all Nathan needed to hear and now he was really frightened and he put two and two together very quickly. He made for his horse and was just about to mount and quickly head for home when the captain grabbed him, "Nathan wait, Fiona and Allie are fine but we have had a terrible accident." With Nathan arriving unannounced and out of the blue like this, there was no easy way to break the news to him so they weren't surprised when he felt the huge shock that something might have happened to his family. He was lightheaded and he put his head on the saddle and tried to settle down as Captain Foster put a reassuring arm around him. "Welcome back home Nathan, sadly, we have a great deal to tell you." The ten seconds of trauma had taken its toll and it took many deep breaths before he could compose himself. He noticed the withdrawn look on Earl's face and now he wanted to know what was going on in his little town.
"Hello Nathan, I'm Virgil McCain from Cape Fullarton and I've heard of you from Captain Bedford. We need to get a move on so that we can get Earl back to Union City before dark if possible. I'd be grateful if you would look after my friend who is sitting your jail cell, he's going to need all of us from now on." Nathan was speechless and was totally confused, all of this in about less than five minutes of returning. This wasn't anything like the homecoming that he had been expecting. He was being escorted up the steps to the office when he got a surprise when he saw Sandra, "Hello Sandra," this was about as much as he could say. He wanted to ask her what had brought her to Hope Valley but he couldn't get the words out. "You had better come inside Nathan and sit down; we have a lot to tell you since you have been away. He cast a look to the cell and saw Amy sitting and consoling with a man who was unfamiliar to him, he wasn't in a uniform so he couldn't have been a Mountie.
Sandra and Elizabeth sat either side of him as the captain started to explain, "We have had quite a few days Nathan, A young Mountie has died about one hundred miles away in Rainsford and that man sitting in the cell is his partner. He lost his life in a house fire saving a little girl from certain death." Nathan looked at Elizabeth and hugged her knowing exactly what this meant and now he could understand why Sandra was here. "They had been removed from the force in disgrace by Captain Bedford as supreme punishment for an innocent man serving six years in jail. Bill was involved in this discovery and they were on their way to ask him to restore the young man to his position. They had stopped in Rainsford overnight and in the morning is when the fire occurred. That man in there watched his friend and partner die in his arms after rescuing that little girl."
Nathan put his head in his hands in horror and disbelief, "Have the parents been informed yet and how did they take it?" He remembered Elizabeth telling him how she was given the news in the street about Jack's passing and he felt sick to the stomach at the thought. Captain Foster had a determined look on his face, "Superintendent Stanbridge and Captain Bedford went to see them at their home and he told me that the mother appeared to be a very strong woman and she will deal with this in her own way, at least that job wasn't left to a subordinate to do. He also said that Bedford didn't handle it well and he will have to be monitored from now on." Nathan sat there in total disbelief as the captain continued, "Earl was the first person of authority on the scene and it has really shaken him up, Bill and Constable McCain will get him back home in familiar surroundings where he needs to be. Doctor Parker and his daughter were the next ones in attendance and it was not a sight for anyone to have to see I'm afraid."
Nathan was horrified as he could see what Simon was about to walk back into when he would arrive at the station and he needed to take action, "Captain, Simon will be arriving back into Union City within the hour, perhaps we can contact Doctor Parker and suggest that they meet him at the station. I'm sure that Janie would have been waiting desperately for him to return." It was going to be just as rough for Simon as it was for Nathan and instantly, the captain thanked him and considered it to be a very good suggestion. He immediately got on the telephone and asked Florence to try urgently to contact the doctor at the hospital in Union City. Sandra put her head on Nathan's shoulder and felt thankful that the person that she saw lying in the hospital bed was not going to be him but she was still very worried for someone down the track.
Nathan had been too preoccupied with the gruesome news of the last few days to notice that Pastor Joseph had gone into the cell to be with Amy and Tully, "Hi sir, my name is Joseph and I can't even begin to imagine what you have endured. You have to know that your young partner died a hero and he saved the life of someone who has a mother who loves her and, thanks to Adrian, she will still have her in her arms for many years. I hear that any record that might have showed that he was no longer a member of the mounted police has been removed and destroyed. Your efforts in coming here were successful Gene, the words on his gravesite are going to reflect who he was and how his name will shine forever. It's a great honour for me to meet you Constable Gene Tully. You might not feel it right now but I can tell you that, in time, the sun will shine again for you.
The shock and anxiety had now passed and Masterton was now a long way behind him as the train rumbled along on its journey. Peter had not forgotten how it had seemed to take an eternity to get all the way to Masterton on Susan's suggestion initially and how he had so little success at finding Sonya until Marjorie came along. He had remembered that he had to exit one train and take the stage to link up with another which would get him into Grampton before the final leg of his long journey. He couldn't believe the miles he had covered since his breakfast in the café with Alice. Bakersfield felt like a distant memory from the past and he knew now that it was an optimistic thought that Christine would still have been there after all that time. He could feel his heartbeat a little more each time he remembered something from the last few weeks. Right now, he was more than happy just to sit and stare out the window or have his eyes shut and listen to the clickity-click of the train on the track.
He was sitting with his eyes shut and his mind had taken him back onto his ship out in the middle of the ocean where the wind and blinding rain would force every man to have his wits about him and be part of a team until the storm abated. He would be amazed how a storm would pass and the sea would become dead calm and the moon would be out and the stars would be there to guide them. The constant wind on his face and the rolling of the ship would be there forever with him no matter where he was. Bert had said the same thing repeatedly and now he understood what he meant. Peter had watched his grandfather right from a young age and he had seen him go out in whatever weather he had been presented with and amazingly, not once had there ever been a complaint. Peter remembered how Bert would say how God gave us the inclement stormy weather so that we would always appreciate the good weather when it would come.
Sometimes it was bright sunshine through the day and it would eventually vary and gradually get windy and overcast and trees and branches would be blown around violently and you would wonder how they would remain upstanding. Regardless of the weather, good or bad, the train would plough on and on along the track and it would eventually make its arrival at its destination after the long journey. Peter's upbringing with Bert made him appreciate how the trains were modern technology and he wondered if people would think of what it must have been like over a hundred years ago. The country was very rugged and inhospitable in many places and it would have taken many years of hard work for many men in all kinds of conditions to open up the country just like Bert endured on the ships in the early days.
During the odd times when he might have his eyes open on the journey, he looked along the carriage and imagined how Christine would have sat on this very train on her journey to Hope Valley. He knew that the little dog on the cover of the paper had something to do with it but he was still amazed at her incredible gumption to rip up her settled life in the east to travel so far out west. It was not going to be very long and he would surely find out what that reason was and he was very excited at the thought. He was sad and his heart was heavy to think that she had been doing this all alone and she wouldn't have had any clue whether she would ever see him ever again and now she had no alternative but to make a life for herself. He must have slept for some time as some of the stops at different towns had come and gone and he hadn't taken any notice of passengers moving in and out. He was almost shocked with surprise when he opened his eyes to see this pretty little dark haired youngster staring at him.
He rubbed his eyes and he could see that he had been asleep for quite some time as he saw that the carriage was now a lot more full of passengers than it had been before. He yawned and started to try and sit up straight and now he was captivated by this dear little princess who had not taken her eyes off him from when he first awoke. He was sure that she hadn't blinked at all and he was surprised by the gentle expectant look on her face as she stood there in front of him. There was no smile and her eyed seemed to reveal that her young life had had more than its share of hardship along the way. She couldn't have been much more than three years old and she was so beautiful, "Hello young lady, how do you like riding on the train?" There was still no response but her gaze never left him. "I've been on my journey for nearly three days and I'm still barely half way so I have a long time to go." He smiled at her but there was still no response from her.
The very attractive lady sitting across from him had to be the little girl's mother and there was no mistaking the resemblance. "I am so sorry sir, my daughter stares at you for so long," Peter immediately picked up on the accent which indicated that she and her daughter had arrived her from somewhere else, probably from across the sea. He could see that a smile did not come naturally to this lady just like her daughter. "Your little girl is very pretty ma'am and very captivating; you must be very proud of her." The mother put a loving arm around her and said, "We sat here next to you on purpose sir, I can see that you wear uniform from the ships." Peter was now quite puzzled at the lady's observation and also, her efforts to speak this new language as well as she could, "Yes, that's right, I've just finished four years of sea duty and now I'm on my way to see my wife again after all this time."
"I am so glad for you that you have wife to come home to after, how many years did you say, four years, my goodness that was a long time for you to be away from her." Her standoffish little girl clung to her mother and she still gazed with her deadpan expression at the man in the uniform. "I am here in camp and now my husband send for me and now we make new life for us and our little girl in this country." She had the same focussed and determined look about her that he had seen with George Harris. "He has job on the train tracks and he waited until he could get house and then at last we could come." It was very apparent to Peter that she had been through an ordeal and now finally it was coming to an end for the better.
She kept on looking at Peter's uniform, "Many people are alive today because the ships come and bring food for us, for long time we have nothing and we have nowhere to go. If not for you we would not survive and I would lose my baby." She grabbed Peter's hands, "My family live on farm for many years and soldiers come and say we must go. They point gun at us and we have only five minutes before they chase us out of our home and our village and they didn't care that I am with child, how people can do this." Peter had known extremely well of the massive conflict and how the population were forced to suffer but now he had met one of the innocent people in the flesh and he knew that she was right. His was only one of many ships that these people depended on for their lives.
He was close to tears for the suffering that these people had to endure over so many long years. He asked about her family, "We had to leave our home and everything that we had because the soldiers had guns. We could only eat from what we could find and my father went without so that I could eat and I was soon to have my little baby. He say to my husband to go across the sea to this country and get job and make life for your family. My father said he must have to return to our home and see if there is anything left but he say probably will never be the same again, I think maybe I never see my father again." Peter was shattered for this lady's family and their little town; her father may never see his little granddaughter again. This was the most compelling turn of events and he remembered the confidence that Captain Perkins had shown for him over the years. He thought of Bert and how proud he was of his grandfather and he knew that they had so much in common and he would savour his words for the rest of his life.
The train continued on its journey into the night and the weather started to close in, clouds rolled in and there was a gentle sound of thunder from time to time. "I'm sorry, I never introduce myself or my daughter. My name is Karolina and this is my little treasure Renata." Peter extended his hand in friendship and told them what beautiful names they had. "My name is Peter Glover and I am very glad that I have met you both." She was very taken with his uniform, "if you have uniform like this then you must be the captain." She knew how she was sitting next to one of the dedicated men who had worked so hard to bring supplies to the unfortunate masses. He smiled at her and the little one, "no, I wasn't the captain but during my last year at sea I was the first officer which meant that I was second in command."
The sky was not completely covered with cloud and every now and then a bolt of lightning would light up the night sky and Renata looked scared especially when the thunder got louder and louder. Peter was well accustomed to all kinds of storms and you just had to accept it and adapt accordingly, "Don't be frightened Renata, this is just all part of nature and the rain makes the crops and vegetables to grow and we get water to have a drink." The thunder got louder and she clambered up onto Peter's lap and snuggled up tightly to him. Her mum was amazed, "She never do this with anyone before so captain, you have a new friend." He hugged that little girl with all his heart and as he spoke softly to her, she fell asleep in his arms. He told her of the times with calm seas and how beautiful and spiritual it was just at sunset when the sun was going to sleep for the night. He said how there was nothing that could match it in the whole world but she was now fast asleep and she hadn't heard a word.
"Karolina, you are the luckiest person alive to have a little daughter who looks like you and you can raise her and teach her everything and keep her safe." He was very angry as he thought about what had happened to them through no fault of their own and they were defenceless and now they had to start all over again. He remembered Danny and how he had been frightened with the storm and how he had fallen asleep in his arms. He knew that when he would be reunited with Christine at Hope Valley, he would be making his own enquiries about Karolina's family. Before they would depart, he undertook to get as much information and details as he could. It may be an impossible task but he would seek as much help as he could find as he wanted the grandparents to hold this little child in their arms just like what he was doing right now.
Sarah had been quite the horsewoman and her and Simon would spend many hours riding around the district of Fort Clay before they were married and long before Emily would come into their lives. Janie had many similarities to Sarah but being atop of a horse wasn't one of them. He was close to arriving at Union City and he was excited to see his fiancé again after what had seemed to be an eternity. He smiled as he visualised her sitting so frightened on the horse and praying for her life and telling the horse not to move. The was no problem as he had not released the horse from the rail, however, she was not convinced by any means and she had told him so. He loved her dedication to her job and her patients and how she was so close to her parents. He could hardly wait to arrive after such a long trip.
He stepped off the train now in his uniform, happy to be home knowing that he would be sleeping in his own bed tonight but most certainly, not before his first job and that was that he would be looking for Janie. He stood for a while trying to get his land legs in motion after sitting for so long on the train and feeling so stiff. There was a flower stand close to the ticket office so that would now be his first destination before he would head to the hospital as she would probably be on duty. Reporting in to the station and Captain Edwards could wait for a while. He couldn't believe his bleary eyes when he saw Janie quite a distance away on the platform and surprisingly, her father was with her. Even more surprising was that she was in tears when she saw him and rushed to his arms. His heart went stone cold and he feared the worst although he couldn't imagine what could possibly be wrong and how could they have known that he was on this particular train today.
Crying and being puffed out at the same time meant that she could hardly get the words out. Simon was beside himself to see his fiancé and the doctor's daughter being in so much stress. He hugged her and waited for her to regain some sort of composure, he noticed the serious and concerned look on her father's face so he knew that something terrible must have happened while he and Nathan were away. "Simon, we have had the most awful tragedy," he had to sit down with them as he felt weak at the knees anticipating bad news. Her father took over as he could see Simon's anxiety, "Simon, a young Mountie from Cape Fullarton lost his life in a house fire at Rainsford, he went into the burning house and saved the life of a little girl. Earl Grey from here was the first to respond and we weren't much far behind him. It was a sight that nobody should have to see as the young man was burnt beyond recognition, when we got there his partner was sitting with him in the middle of the street."
Doctor Parker was clear, precise and professional as always but Simon could see that he still needed all his faculties about him in order to remain calm for everybody, his future father in law had seen it all before. Janie was still upset and still snivelling, "Simon, his partner said that the young Mountie died in his arms right there in the middle of the street. We believe that Earl was going to take him to Hope Valley." Simon vividly remembered sitting on the ground having to say goodbye to Sarah in the middle of the street at Fort Clay, it was clear in his mind just as if it was yesterday and it was something that he would never forget no matter how many years would go by. He was here right now to support Janie but he was worried for his good friend Earl. He wondered what Mounties from Cape Fullarton were doing so far away at Rainsford and how was it that Earl had been somewhere in the vicinity to be there so quickly.
They must have sat there for over an hour before they left the station as there was so many questions with no answers available. "I'm so sorry that you had to have this happen to you and I wasn't here to help when you needed me." Simon, with a tear in his eye, looked at Doctor Parker, "thank you for being there for her sir." He had never expected a reception like this on his arrival back home, "This is going to be a big shock for Nathan as well as he was involved with the death of Jack Thornton and he still feels more than some degree of responsibility. Has anyone spoken to Laura yet about Earl, she would be worried." These questions had served to take Simon's mind away from the tragedy of Sarah but now his head was back in the street at Fort Clay, there were tears in his eyes and he had to fight so hard to stop from crying. He wanted Earl to be back here with him as well.