Chapter 29

Jack, Elizabeth, and JJ stood in the kitchen area of Jack's home for an eternity. No one knew how long they had been holding each other and no one cared. They were basking in the moment. Jack had proposed and Elizabeth had accepted. JJ asked Elizabeth to be his official mommy and she accepted. Her two boys were holding her tightly. In her opinion, life couldn't get any better. Elizabeth had no idea how many times she wiped away happy tears. She and Jack finally released the hold on each other. They didn't want to lose contact. So, they didn't completely release their hold. Just loosened it a little. She noticed Jack's shirt and jacket was wet with her tears. She tried to wipe it away but there was a huge wet spot.

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok as long as they were happy tears."

"The best tears." She smiled at him.

She looked down at her boy.

"You need to wash up."

When JJ let go of her slim waist, she noticed that he was dressed and wasn't dirty.

"How did you…?" Her voice trailed off not understanding how her messy boy was so clean so fast.

"I wasn't really dirty. My clothes were dirty but not me."

"How…?"

"That was the plan. I had to get you home somehow." Sassed JJ.

"Plan?"

Elizabeth's mind still wasn't completely engaging.

"Me and Daddy worked on it all morning. I had to get you here. The idea of having your ring in my pocket was my idea. Did you like that?"

"I did." Elizabeth nodded. "This was your plan?"

"It was." Jack and JJ exclaimed together.

"I also picked the flowers." Exclaimed a proud JJ.

"They are my favorites."

"I hope you liked everything?" Asked Jack. There was a little bit of questioning in his voice.

"It was perfect." Elizabeth stated as she looked at both rings on her fingers. She promised herself that those two precious rings would never leave her fingers.

"I hope you like the engagement ring." Asked a doubting Jack. He was never really good at things like that. He also knew it wasn't as grandiose as Charles' ring. It was what he could afford, but no where close to what he thought Elizabeth would be expecting.

"It's perfect." She whispered admiring her ring.

"I know it's not the most expensive or the biggest…"

"It's perfect, Jack. Truly perfect." She sighed happily. "My two rings are…perfect."

"Are you hungry?" Jack asked looking at Elizabeth.

"Yes…I'm starving." JJ stated.

Elizabeth and Jack laughed. Their little boy was always hungry and ready to eat.

"I don't think I want to eat." Elizabeth never took her eyes off the ring Jack placed on her finger. The more she looked at her ring, the more she loved it. "Let me make you two a sandwich."

"Thanks mommy."

"I'm ok. I don't think I want to eat."

"Are you feeling ok?"

"You just agreed to marry me. I'm fine."

"Were you nervous, Constable?" She sassed.

"Scared out of my mind." Jack admitted.

"Want it back?" She sassed, placing her left hand behind her back.

"Not on your life, future Mrs. Thornton."

Elizabeth swooned at her future name. "I like the sound of Mrs. Thornton."

"I hope so, you are stuck with it for the rest of your life."

Elizabeth didn't say anything. She only smiled as she looked at Jack.

…

Grace Thatcher was pleasantly surprised at the trip so far once she was on the stagecoach. The train ride was smoother, but the feel of the air coming through the side of the stagecoach was just something different. She wasn't accustomed to that sensation while living in Hamilton. Most of her rides were in the back seat of a car on very short trips within the city.

The views of the surrounding areas were spectacular. There were vast flat lands of prairies where it seemed like the tall grasses of the fields danced with the winds. The views of the streams where they looked untouched by man was pristine. However, it was the views of the mountains that were the most grandiose. The mountains were just breath taking. Each turn in the road just led to another picture perfect image.

"If Hope Valley looks anything like this, I can understand why our Beth would want to live there…" William wasn't sure if she was talking to him or to herself. William studied his wife of many years for several minutes. Unlike the train ride and the time at the stagecoach office, his wife looked calm, almost relaxed. He can't remember the last time he saw her so calm.

"Do you really mean that dear?"

Grace looked at William. She was a little surprised he heard her.

"I do. Look around William…this is stunningly beautiful." She extended her hand out the window as if she was showing William. "It doesn't seem as hot as it is back home. Maybe it's the fresh air or something." She left her hand out the window just to feel the breeze a little longer.

"Do you really think Beth would want to live out here in the middle of nowhere?"

If William would have asked her that question a few hours ago, she would most definitely say no. Now…she hesitated. "I'm not so sure any longer…" Her voice trailed off. "She has to miss the big city…I suppose, but this isn't as bad as I imagined."

William slowly turned his head away from his wife and looked out his side window. He saw the things she did, but he also saw the dirt, the emptiness. He didn't see any coffee shops or any conveniences of a big city. He was born in a small town. Something like Hope Valley he assumed, but that was decades ago. He could barely remember small town living. He was accustomed to a wealthier lifestyle. One he wasn't too eager for his daughter to miss out on.

"We will talk some sense into our middle daughter, and she will be coming home with us. She needs to fulfill her engagement to Charles. They will have a good life together. He can give her everything she wants."

"What if what she wants, he can't give her?" She turned her head to look at her husband. William was shocked at her statement.

"What is it that he can't give her?" William asked, shocked. "He has a great job in the company, and he is doing well. They will have a great foundation for their marriage and their life together. Elizabeth will finally have the life she deserves."

"William, of our daughters, Elizabeth is the one who never showed interest in society life. Viola loves proper society life. Julie…who only knows what she wants. Elizabeth has always wanted to teach under privileged children to give them hope for a brighter future. That is her calling."

"I'm sure Charles would allow her to work for a time at one of the private schools in Hamilton until she produces a child."

"Allow…for a time…" Grace stated in disbelief. "William, maybe you don't know our daughter very well. She turned down Pime Rose Academy a year or so ago to stay in Hope Valley. At every occasion, she has turned down coming back to Hamilton and to Charles. Maybe…just maybe she has made up her mind."

William knew the conversation was over when she released his hand and turned her body toward her window. William returned his gaze out his window knowing he was right. After all, a father wants what's best for his children. Hamilton and Chares is what's best for his middle daughter. Grace sat trying to work her mind out on this whole ordeal. She didn't know everything that happened. She only knew what Willaim and Viola told her. She knew a little of what Julie told her, but Julie always had a romantic view of relationships. Plus, she was a little childish in her thinking. Her inner feeling was that there was more to the story than what she knew. She still thought Elizabeth needed to come home and take her proper place in society with Charles, but now she was beginning to take a little softer stance on Elizabeth's living in Hope Valley..

"Oh my…" Grace stated as the view of another mountain came into her line of sight. "That is the prettiest one yet." She mentioned the same statement for the countless time during their trip.

…

"Mommy, are you staying with us tonight?"

"Not tonight, sweetheart."

"Why?" Elizabeth couldn't miss JJ's disappointment. "You and daddy are getting married."

"We are getting married, but we are not married yet. It's not proper to stay together until you're married."

"But mommy, you already stayed here with us. I moved my bedroom around so daddy can get you a bed in my room."

Elizabeth stared at her little boy with all the love she had for him. For him to move his room around just for her made her feel special. Elizabeth looked at Jack for help. He only smiled at a slightly embarrassed Elizabeth. Jack nodded his head toward JJ. "I would kind of like to hear this." He sassed in a low voice.

"JJ…" Elizabeth reached for his hand She pulled him onto her lap. "Men and women are not supposed to live together until they are married. I stayed that one night because I accidentally feel asleep on the couch. We haven't done that since."

JJ nodded his little head. He understood, he just didn't like it.

"So…when are you going to get married? I don't like it when you leave."

"We were just engaged an hour ago. We haven't had time to talk about that yet."

Elizabeth looked up at Jack. When their eyes connected, the conversation flowed easily just between their looks. They both didn't want to wait too long. They both wanted to be a family under one roof. As much as JJ didn't want her to leave, she didn't want to leave, nor did Jack want her to.

"Daddy and I will talk about it and then we will let you know."

…

Constables Richardson, Franks, and Reed were standing outside the jail's front door. They were looking over the town waiting for the stagecoach to arrive in a couple of hours. Jack decided the best approach for William was the simplest approach, and Adams agreed. When he arrived on the stagecoach, Jack and Adams would arrest William the moment he stepped off the stagecoach and onto the platform. This would give the constables the upper hand. William would be caught off guard. By his last telegram to Charles, he didn't know that Charles and Louis were arrested. He was walking into this blind.

"I think it's a good plan." Franks defended the plan.

"Maybe it's a little too simple." Richardson stated.

"This man captured the Toliver gang with tablecloths and riderless horses. I believe he knows how to arrest someone."

"Jack had that other mountie with him."

"Sure…but the arrest was all Jack's plan. O'Reilly stated in his report that he had no part of that plan. Plus, there were countless mounties chasing after the Tolliver gang for days, even months. Yet it was one mountie that arrested them all."

"Very true." Richardson agreed.

"I believe it will work. Many times, simple is the best course of action. We tend to make things too complicated. That's when things go wrong, too many moving parts."

Richardson nodded his head. There was a lot of truth in Franks statement. He looked up to see Jack walking toward town with Elizabeth and JJ. He knew the story of JJ. Richardson took a long look at Jack. He was the essential mountie. He looked like a mountie. He was dressed and put together like a mountie. He spoke like a mountie. Richardson realized at that moment that he needed to quit being jealous of Jack. Instead, he needed to learn from him. He watched when Adams stepped toward Jack.

"Good afternoon, Constable. Do you have a few moments?" Adams asked as he stepped toward the couple.

"Sure." Jack stated. He discreetly gave Elizabeth a sad expression. He patted JJ on top of his head. He gave Elizabeth a small smile that she perfectly understood. He wanted to kiss her but knew he couldn't with his superior officer present. He gave Elizabeth a small smile and nodded his head.

…

"Jack, let's talk privately for a few moments."

"Let's walk." Jack turned to walk in the direction of the schoolhouse. He knew no one would be there if they needed a place to sit and talk. "What's on your mind?"

"A few things. First, I believe your plan regarding Mr. William Thatcher is spot on. I believe it is the best option available to us."

"Thank you. I agree."

"I have spoken with Mayor Stanton. In a couple of days, we will have a ceremony to celebrate your promotion. You are being promoted from Constable to Sergeant."

Jack stopped walking. He turned to face Adams. Jack had worked hard at being a mountie. He was excited about the promotion but thought it may be a little too early on in his service. Most Sergeants are at least four to five years older than he is now.

"Aren't I'm too young for that promotion?"

"You are young, but that should never be a roadblock to a deserving individual. You have worked hard for this promotion, Jack. The Toliver arrest, the church fire arrest, the con man arrest is just a few of the things you have done while stationed here. All your hard work has been noticed. You have earned this."

"Wow…" He whispered. All of this was a little overwhelming for Jack. He was having trouble wrapping his mind around the news.

"Congratulations, Jack. The promotion is well deserved."

"Thank you, sir."

"Now, I have something to discuss with you that isn't as wonderful as the promotion."

…

Abagail leaned back in her chair with a little tear rolling down her face. "They did all of that…?" She asked with a little bit of amazement in her voice.

"They did. Oh, Abagail…it was absolutely perfect!" Exclaimed a smiling Elizabeth. JJ was so precious asking me to be his official mommy. And oh…the ring he gave me is just precious." Elizabeth showed Abagail the ring for the third time. "When he kneeled beside Jack to ask me to marry them, I just melted." Elizabeth swooned at remembering the gesture.

"That is just perfect!"

"It was Abagail. It was all perfect. And Jack…" Elizabeth wiped away a joyful tear. "Jack was just perfect."

"You've said that many times." Sassed Abagail.

Elizabeth tried to sound offended, but the smile on her face just couldn't be hidden.

Abagail reached for Elizabth's hand. "It's great to see you so happy."

"I've never been so happy. It's…it's just…"

"Perfect." Sassed Abagail.

Both ladies laughed. They chatted about the timing of them getting married. Both ladies were excited about getting married.

…

"Headquarters is requesting you to go to Buxton for six, maybe eight weeks." Adams intently watched Jack's reaction. He knew immediately Jack wasn't happy.

"I was told I was permanently assigned to Hope Valley. I may have to leave for a couple of days at the most, but I was promised I wouldn't be assigned anywhere else."

"I understand Jack, but things have changed."

"Sir, I was told by a superior officer that I wouldn't have to leave. You know the story of JJ."

"I do."

"Then how can you come to me and tell me I have to leave for two months…probably longer?"

"I was told six to eight weeks."

"And I was told I wouldn't have to leave." Jack snapped back.

"Jack, you have received an order. You leave in four days."

"Sir, with all due respect, no…I do not."

"Jack, you can't disobey an order."

"I'm not, sir. I am obeying an order from Superintendent Jackson. He told me since I was accepting JJ that I wouldn't have to travel for long periods of time. My superior instructed me that Hope Valley is my permanent assignment."

Adams realized the informal conversation between he and Jack turned into a formal discussion when Jack began calling him sir. He could also see Jack's anger and determination beginning to come through his tone and body posture.

"Jack, you will put your career in jeopardy if you refuse your post, even if it is a temporary posting. You will by all chances ruin your opportunities to advance your career. You are a young man with a promising career."

"Maybe I will retire from the mounties…" Jack stated slowly in a whisper.

"Retire?" Asked a stunned Adams.

"I'm not sure." Jack stated looking down at the ground rubbing the back of his neck. He was lost in thought. "Whatever the case, I will not leave my family."

"You know your enlistment is up in a couple of months. I was going to speak to you about reenlisting."

"Five minutes ago I would reenlisted in a heartbeat, but now…"

"Jack, we don't want to lose you as a mountie."

"Being a mountie has always been a desire of mine. I also wanted to follow in my father's footsteps but…"

"But…"

"I'm not sure if I will have a choice if I am assigned something so far away for that length of time. I do not desire to be away from my family for that long. JJ has experienced the tragic loss of his parents. He is getting accustomed to his new surroundings. I can't leave him for that long. Yet, I can't take him with me." Jack didn't mention his engagement yet. They haven't announced it to the town.

"Jack, we will need to further this discussion."

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, I need to get back to my family. I need to speak with Elizabeth." Jack immediately turned to walk back to the café. He didn't give Adams time to walk with him. He needed to speak to his person.

…

Jack walked into the dining room of the café. Instantly he made eye contact with Elizabeth. She knew immediately that something was wrong. She stood without excusing herself from the table and began walking toward Jack. They never took their eyes off each other. Elizabeth thought something must have happened concerning her father. He wasn't expected for a few more hours.

Elizabeth stood in front of Jack and their nonverbal communication was strong. She nodded her head as he reached for the door handle. Abagail, Julie, and Tom watched the had a whole conversation without using a single word.

The first years of their friendship and relationship were good times but also difficult times for Jack and Elizabeth. They were young and trying to find who they were. They were getting accustomed to a new town and new roles. Their difficult times in their relationship were always tracked down to a lack of communication or a miss communication. The Hamilton disaster has taught them both that communication was essential for their relationship. Both Jack and Elizabeth understood that now, and they were both working on it. They didn't hold anything back. They talked through every topic so there weren't any misunderstandings. Neither of them wanted to relive that time frame again.

As Elizabeth walked through the door, Jack and Elizabeth both reached for the other's hand. When their hands touched, they were instantly calmed. They were halfway to the pond before they said the first word to each other.

"Elizabeth, I need to speak to you."

"Yes Jack. What's going on?"

"Sargeant Adams spoke with me just a few minutes ago."

"Is everything ok?" Concern was evident in her voice.

"No." He shook his head. "I am being promoted and they want to have a ceremony in a day or two."

Elizabeth stopped walking. "That's a good thing, isn't it?" She didn't understand how that was a bad thing.

Jack nodded his head.

"I'm proud of you, Jack. If that's a good thing, then why is it bad?"

"The promotion is good, but the following issue isn't good. He told me that I have a new posting that I am supposed to leave in four days. He said it would be a six to eight week assignment."

"Jack…" Elizabeth drew out his name. She took a half step closer to him. "You said that Hope Valley is your permanent posting."

"It is. This is a temporary posting."

Elizabeth thought about it for a moment. Her mind was racing trying to work out the difference between a permanent assignment and a temporary assignment. She didn't want him to go. She wanted to be married to him well before the end of his temporary posting. She wasn't happy but understood this is part of his job. Jack smiled when Elizabeth took a deep breath. Her back straightened, and she lifted her shoulders. This was her determined stance.

"We'll make this work." She stated firmly. "Of course, JJ will stay with me if that is ok with you." Her voice wasn't as strong as she wanted it to be. "We can share my room above the café, or I could stay at the row house with him. Whatever makes him and you the most comfortable."

"Are you ok with this?" Jack asked a little confused.

"Absolutely not!" She answered very quickly. "No, but I know this is part of your job. Your superior said you wouldn't be transferred because of JJ. I don't understand it. He said you wouldn't have to leave for more than a day or two. I don't want you to go especially after this afternoon, but we will make it work."

Inwardly, Jack smiled at her. She was speaking so quickly that he was having trouble understanding her. He could tell she was upset and not happy about him having to leave for a few weeks, but she was going to be strong for him and for JJ. This actually made him fall in love with her even more. It also made up his mind at that moment.

He tried to talk a couple of times, but Elizabeth was on a roll, and she wouldn't stop talking. Finally, he closed the distance between them and gently kissed her on the lips. That stopped her. She stared at him in shock. Her smile grew when he leaned in and repeated the act.

"I love you, Elizabeth."

"I love you, Jack. I promise we will make it work. I don't like it, but we will make it work."

"I love the fact that you said we. But Elizabeth, I'm not going."

"Jack, you can't refuse an order."

"This time I can."

He chuckled at her confusion. "I'm not leaving my family, Elizabeth."

"JJ will be ok. He will be with me and Auntie Abagail. We will take care of him."

"E…liz…a…beth…" He elongated her name. She loved it when he did that. "I am not leaving my family." He squeezed her hand. She was misunderstanding his meaning of family. She knew what he meant when he squeezed her hands.

"Jack, you can't…"

"I am not leaving my family!" His voice wasn't loud or stern, but there was no doubt in his tone that he wasn't leaving.

They both looked up in the distance when they heard the stagecoach go by. They both sighed. It was a little early. Neither one of them were looking forward to this, but the most important part was that they weren't finished with this topic.

"We'll finish this discussion later." Jack stated.

Elizabeth was grateful for their open discussion even though she was confused how he was going to refuse a direct order.

"Yes, we will finish it later. Thank you for speaking with me. Now, let's get this over with."

"I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry, Jack. You have a job to do."

They reached for each other's hand at the same time. They smiled when they turned around and walked back to the café. They were pulling strength from each other. They were standing together as one.

…

"That must be the café that Beth talks about all the time."

"I believe so, Grace. It's the only thing in town." He looked out the window as they passed the café.

"It's a quaint little town." Grace stated as the stagecoach stopped. She leaned out the window a little to take a better look around. She had to hold onto her hat to keep it from flying off her head.

When the door opened, the driver extended his hand to help Grace step out of the stagecoach. He only let go of her hand when she was steady on her feet.

"Thank you."

"Yes ma'am."

William joined her on the platform. As they looked around, they noticed a few landmarks that Elizabeth had written to them about, Yost Mercantile, Abagail's Café, the jail. They stood on the platform and took in the sight of the whole town.

"It's small." Whispered Grace.

"I would say very small." William turned around to look at everything. "I can't believe Elizabeth likes it here." William shook his head.

"From all she says in her letters, she loves it here. It is small, but nice. I would have thought it would be much dirtier being an old coal mining town."

"There used to be coal dust over everything." The driver stated as he climbed up on top of the stagecoach to retrieve the trunks. "No matter how hard they tried, the coal dust always won. The coal mine closed a couple of years ago. The dust finally settled, and the town's people was able to win the battle against the coal dust."

Grace was nodding her head. She was very surprised concerning her feelings toward Hope Valley. While it wasn't Hamilton and she would never want to live here, she strangely found herself quickly falling in love with the town. There were flower boxes on the buildings with beautiful flowers in them. The town was much cleaner than she ever imagined it would be. The roads were gravel instead of just one huge mud puddle than she often thought it would be. The buildings were small and couldn't compare to the buildings in Hamilton. However, they were well kept and surprisingly very pretty with wood siding instead of concrete. She half imagined them to be tents or very small shacks that were falling apart.

For William, he wasn't impressed by any measure. His daughter was much more than some small backwater town. He didn't see what his wife saw. All he saw was that there were no shops or fancy restaurants. It still looked dirty to him. He did, however, like the flowers in front of each building. He made a mental note to speak with his maintenance supervisor to see if that was a possibility at his buildings.

"Let me help you with those." A man walked by and spoke to the driver who was trying to lower the trunk to the ground without dropping it. The driver handled one end and they were able to lower the trunk without incident. The stranger helped with the second trunk. As he turned to walk away, William reached into his pocket to pull out some money for a tip.

"No need sir. I didn't do much. Just being neighborly." The stranger smiled as he waved and walked away.

William stood a little shocked at the man turning down the money. He was also surprised that a man volunteered so easily. No one in Hamilton would have offered to help. He thought to himself.

"There's Beth!" Exclaimed Grace as she looked down the street and noticed her and Jack walking toward them.

…

Both Jack and Elizabeth were a little nervous with her father arriving in town early. The plan was simple. Jack and the mounties would meet the stagecoach and immediately arrest William. Speed was the key. The faster this was done; the less William would have time to react. Several of the other mounties would join Jack on the arrest. Jack hesitated to be the individual to arrest William. The situation was a little complicated with him being Elizabeth's father. However, all the other mounties stressed the importance of Jack doing it since he is the mountie stationed in Hope Valley. Jack's nerves were put at ease when Elizabeth supported the decision.

Elizabeth tried to have Jack agree with her being present during the arrest. Jack disagreed. She knew her father wouldn't do anything against her. After all, he is her father. However, Jack stressed that they didn't know what he would do under the circumstances. His mountie training kicked in. You just didn't allow civilians to be involved in the arrest. Not only that, but his fiancé's heart also engaged. He wanted to protect his future wife. Even if he had to protect her from her father. They both discussed it and agreed that she would be present, but at a safe distance. She felt it was her duty to be there but understood Jack's concerns. Jack also understood her desire to be present with her father. Both were excited that they communicated the whole process to an end that each could live with. It wasn't the easiest conversation. They both expressed themselves. Most importantly, they listened to the other person. With them both, they noticed that they worked together as a team and found common ground.

Jack and Elizabeth turned the corner and began walking down main street. They didn't release their hands. They were finding comfort and peace in the touch. The situation with her father and with his temporary posting were causing issues. Nothing was resolved. Yet, they found comfort in the presence and touch of each other.

When they began walking down main street, the stagecoach came into view. Elizabeth looked up and noticed someone. "Mother!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Your mother came?"

"I had no idea she was coming. I never received a telegram that father was coming, and I certainly didn't receive one that mother was coming. What is she doing here?" The shock in Elizabeth's voice was evident.

"Wow…" Jack stated.

"Yeah…I'm shocked she came here." Elizabeth stated slowly. She really was shocked her mother would come to Hope Valley. She barely asked any questions about Elizabeth's home.

"Stay with me. She may need you." Elizabeth nodded at Jack's statement. She agreed with it. She was also grateful that Jack was concerned for her mother. Especially with the way her mother and her family treated him. Her mother wasn't as cold toward Jack as the rest of her family, but she certainly wasn't friendly to him.

…

"Elizabeth! Elizabeth!" Grace spoke as she stepped to the edge of the platform. She smiled when Elizabeth noticed her.

"Here we go…" Elizabeth whispered as she smiled at her mother.

"It'll be ok." Jack whispered as they approached her parents.

"Mother." Elizabeth stated as she stepped into her mother's hug. She gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. "What are you doing here?" Elizabeth quickly forgot about her father.

"We wanted to come and see you. Your father told me he was coming to see you. I insisted on coming. He stated that he was bringing you home. I wanted to assist you."

"Mother, I am home." Jack smiled at her proclamation. He was standing a few feet behind Elizabeth watching her interaction with her mother.

"Are you sure, dear?"

"I am mother. I know we haven't discussed this very much, but I am staying in Hope Valley. I thought father told you all this?"

"He did to some degree, I suppose. He also said that you would be coming home to Hamilton and continuing your engagement with Charles." Grace looked into her daughter's face. "Dear, are you happy here?"

"I am, mother. Happier than I have ever been."

Grace smiled at her daughter. She stepped back to take a look into her daughter's eyes. As she reached for her middle daughter's hands, she felt the ring.

"Dear…" She stated as she picked up Elizabeth's left hand. "…is this what I think it is?"

"It is mother. Jack proposed to me this afternoon. I accepted his proposal."

William gasped at the news. Grace studied her daughter's face. The things William told her weren't adding up. She was confused by the joy in her daughter's face.

In the silence, Constables Jackson and Franks walked up to the group. They knew the plan. The stagecoach was a couple of hours early. They stood behind Jack and were waiting for his que to make the move to arrest William. They didn't know who the woman was standing in front of Elizabeth.

Elizabeth looked over her shoulder and made eye contact with Jack. He immediately knew what she wanted. Jack stepped up to stand in front of William. Elizabeth remained holding her mother's hand. She took a couple of steps away and lightly pulled her mother with her.

"Mr. Thatcher…" Jack stated in a mountie's voice. "…you are under arrest for the planning of the destruction of the sawmill in Hope Valley. Also, for the attempted murder of Mr. Lee Coulter. I'm sure the prosecutors in Medicine Hat may charge you with more crimes, but this is the beginning."

"You can't be serious?!" William demanded in a loud booming voice. "There is no way you are placing me under arrest. Attempted murder? The destruction of a sawmill?"

Jack nodded his head.

"I will have your job!" William demanded in a loud voice. He took a step back when he noticed the other two mounties standing behind Jack. "You can't arrest me. Don't you know who I am? This is ridiculous!" He dismissively waved his hand.

To Jack's credit, he didn't react to William's threats. He remained cool and levelheaded. He had a little smirk at the corner of his mouth. This isn't the first time a suspect has tried to prove who he is with his or her power. The bluster of a person being arrested always amused Jack to some degree.

Jack looked over at Elizabeth. She was still holding Grace's hands. Both ladies had a shocked expression on their faces. Not only because William was being arrested, but because of his attitude. His superiority was shocking to Elizabeth.

Jack stepped forward to be a little closer to Willaim. In a soft but strong voice, he began to speak.

"Mr. Thatcher, you are under arrest. Within the next two minutes, you will be escorted to my jail. In a day or two you will be transported to Medicine Hat to stand trial for your crimes. There, you will have the opportunity to defend yourself. Now, you choose how you will walk to the jail. The first option, you will walk to the jail with me, Constable Jackson, and Constable Franks without handcuffs. The second option is that you walk to the jail with me, Constable Jackson, and Constable Franks in handcuffs. The third option, we physically take to down to the ground and then handcuff you. We will then forcibly walk you or carry you to the jail. I would prefer not to place you in handcuffs in front of Elizabeth and Mrs. Thatcher."

William was a little taken back by the tone of Jack's voice. Jack's voice was calm and soft, yet firm. When he looked into Jack's eyes, he saw strength and resolve. William was beginning to waver in his stance. He quickly looked in his wife's direction to see his wife and daughter. They were looking at him shocked. He would describe Elizabeth's expression as hurt. He turned his attention to the two mounties that were standing behind Jack. Then he turned his attention back to Jack. He saw the same expression as before.

"Option one, option two, or option three?" Jack asked calmly. After a few seconds of silence, Jack spoke in a softer tone as before. "Mr. Thatcher, please don't make me place handcuffs on you in front of your family."

"You can't do this!" William demanded, but it wasn't with the same attitude as before.

"Mr. Thatcher, you are under arrest. You will decide how you are escorted to jail. You have thirty seconds to decide."

Elizabeth smiled with her eyes. She was very grateful that Jack didn't want to place handcuffs on her father. She, and she knew her mother, didn't want to see that. She only prayed her father would take the first option. With the attitude that he was displaying, she wasn't sure what option he was going to take. She also knew that Jack was very serious with his tone. When Jack was calm, he was determined. Jack doesn't just fly off the handle with emotion. However, a determined Jack was someone you did not want to challenge.

"Constable…" Grace spoke up. "…what do you mean he is under arrest for the planning of the destruction of the sawmill and attempted murder? William wouldn't do that!"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Thatcher. Yes, he is under arrest for those two charges. Plus, others when he arrives in Medicine Hat."

"There must be a misunderstanding." Grace cried.

"I'm sorry to say that it isn't a misunderstanding. I have evidence of Mr. Thatcher's planning and paying a Mr. Louis Franklin to destroy the sawmill."

At the mention of Mr. Franklin's name, William's head shot up very quickly and then his shoulders slumped. Everyone noticed the immediate change in his posture.

"My lawyer will take care of this misunderstanding." William stated without the confidence of a powerful man.

"I hope so, sir." Jack stated. He stepped to the side and extended his hand to show William the direction that he needed to walk.

William lowered his head as he took the first step toward the jail. Jack quickly glanced in Elizabeth's direction. She mouthed the words 'thank you' to him. She was grateful Jack didn't handcuff her father. She and Grace watched Jack and the two other mounties escort William to the jail. They didn't take their eyes off them until they disappeared inside the jail.

"Elizabeth…what's going on?"

"Come mother. Let me explain…"