She could hear voices outside the Saloon and knew they had come; the children were there. Elizabeth smoothed her hair and then ran her hands down her skirt, removing some non-existent wrinkles in the fabric. She had wanted a chance to start over, and the time had come. She couldn't take back arriving late, dirty, and dusty and then burning down the house the Town provided. Today was her last chance to change people's minds and prove that despite her age and everything that had happened so far, she had what it took to teach the children of Coal Valley.
Elizabeth opened the doors of the Saloon and walked outside, scanning the crowd and trying to locate Florence Blakely. Elizabeth knew if Florence was there and ready to give her a chance, it would help the other mothers feel confident to do the same. Her heart dropped a little when she couldn't see her in the crowd; despite that, she stood at the top of the stairs and smiled broadly at the other mothers and children. As she smiled at the families, the mothers stared back at her, looking over her hair and dress, sharing doubtful glances.
"Good Morning, everyone; welcome to the Coal Valley School; I am your Teacher, Miss Thatcher." Looking into the faces of the children, she said, "I can't wait to get started on our lessons. How are you all today?" Elizabeth spoke with enthusiasm and energy, wanting the children to know how pleased she was to be there; unfortunately, there were no returning smiles. The children did not share her enthusiasm for lessons.
"Come inside, Children," she said, standing beside the doorway to give them room to pass. "Put your lunch pails on the table at the back and find a seat at one of the tables," she instructed. Elizabeth's smile faded as the children didn't move, shuffling closer to their mothers, watching her warily.
With her smile frozen in place, Elizabeth's mind was screaming, 'think of something, don't just stand there,' but nothing came to; she licked her lips and opened her mouth to ask them again but stopped as she saw someone coming, the crowd parting to let her through. It was Florence Blakely.
"Do you send homework home? I don't have time to do homework with my boy when he gets home from school." Florence's question was more of a statement, leaving no doubt of her expectations. Elizabeth didn't care; Florence was here with her son Paul, which seemed to be the impetus for the other mothers to nudge their children into the classroom.
Elizabeth caught Florence's eye and smiled in gratitude, thanking her silently for giving her a chance to prove herself. She smiled at the other women, who trusted her with their children.
Florence stopped next to Elizabeth and whispered, "Abigail reminded me we promised you a trial for at least a week. We honour our commitments. I will allow you time to prove yourself, but I won't hesitate to pull Paul out if this isn't working."
Elizabeth nodded, "I understand, Florence; I promise you won't regret it." While she was glad for the opportunity, Florence's words had taken some of the shine off her excitement. Over Florence's shoulder and the heads of the mothers as they wandered away, she saw a flash of red. Glancing up, she saw Nathan astride a magnificent horse; she couldn't remember the name Gabe had mentioned, but whatever it was, he and his rider commanded attention. When Elizabeth saw Nathan watching her, smiling, she couldn't help the answering smile that spread across her face. As he waved, reached up and tipped his hat to her, she bit her lip, trying unsuccessfully to contain her smile; there was nothing she could do to hide the brightness in her eyes.
Florence and Molly, who stood watching her, shared a glance at seeing Elizabeth's face suddenly light up. Molly turned to follow her gaze and realised the new Mountie was the reason for that bright smile. Molly felt a stab of pain, remembering the loss of her husband in the mine disaster, wondering if the pain of losing him so suddenly would ever go away. They would make a lovely couple; she thought, the pretty schoolteacher and the handsome Mountie.
Molly was nervous about leaving her daughter; her father's loss had a significant impact on her, and she hadn't spoken a word since his death. She had made sure Abigail had told Elizabeth this before bringing her along. Looking at Elizabeth, she said, "Good luck Ms Thatcher; I will see you later today to collect Rosaleen. Florence, I think we should let Ms Thatcher start her first day."
Florence didn't utter a word; tilting her head slightly, her frown still in place, she walked away with Molly.
Elizabeth closed the doors and paused as she took a deep breath, trying to compose herself; the fact that she was starting her teaching career had her full of excitement, and she walked quickly toward the front of the room. She turned to face the children hoping to see a room of eager, smiling faces, but she found the opposite. The children sat morosely in their seats, most staring at the empty table in front of them. Those not staring at the table were staring out the window, clearly wishing they were in the sunshine instead of cooped up in the classroom. One of the older boys with dark brown hair appeared to be moments away from falling asleep. While this wasn't what she had imagined, this was what she had, and she knew there was little time to turn things around.
"Good morning, children," Elizabeth exclaimed, continuing to speak enthusiastically, her smile broad and encouraging. "my name is Ms Thatcher, and I will be your Teacher. Would you please tell me your names so I can get to know you all?" Silence followed her request, and she realised there would be no volunteers, so she decided to call on students at each table instead. Pointing at a young girl at the front table, she said, "Can you tell me your name, please?"
My name is Rachael, Ms Thatcher," she said quietly.
"It's so lovely to meet you, Rachel," Elizabeth said sweetly and pointed to her companion, asking the same question and greeting them, working her way around the room until she reached Rosaleen. "It's lovely to meet you, Rosaleen," she said without asking the young girl with bright red hair to introduce herself, not wanting to cause her stress or anxiety for not speaking.
Once the children introduced themselves, Elizabeth started outlining her plans for the classroom and explaining what the children could expect from her. As she began outlining her expectations of the students, and their behaviour, a sound interrupted her. Elizabeth stopped speaking, shocked at the strange noise, unable to identify it; having never heard anything similar in her life, she stood frozen.
The children were not frozen; three of the older boys, including James, who only moments before appeared on the verge of sleep, leapt from their seats and ran from the Saloon. Elizabeth called after them, "stop!" then more sternly, "come back!" Her cries for obedience were ignored, unease rising within her. Elizabeth went after them, rushing between the tables to reach the doors before they were too far ahead of her. Over her cries and pounding heart, she heard her name called and spun around.
"Ms Thatcher," Rachael called hesitantly. "Ms Thatcher," called her young voice, louder this time.
Searching the crowd of children, Elizabeth saw Rachael raise her hand tentatively. "Ms Thatcher, you should let them go."
"Why, Rachael, Where are they going, and what is that noise?" Elizabeth asked her, confusion and frustration showing on her face and in her voice.
"That's the mine, Ms Thatcher," Rachael stated briefly.
Elizabeth processed what Rachael had said and realised the high-pitched sound was a siren at the mine. "Do you know why they would sound the siren, Rachael?" she said, trying to calm down.
"It means they found more of the daddy's," Rachael dropped her head on the last word, hiding the tears that had welled in her eyes as she explained to her Teacher.
Elizabeth glanced around at the remaining students, recognising the anguish on their faces and knew now was not the time for class. "Children, stand up, follow me," Elizabeth encouraged; now she understood she wanted to move quickly. She gathered the children, lifting the smallest child into her arms, and they made their way out of the Saloon.
As Elizabeth led the children out of the building, she saw many townspeople hurrying through the streets and started to follow them. Hearing hoofbeats to her left, she turned to find Nathan riding toward her, "Nathan, the mine has let off the siren, it means that they have found more..." She didn't continue in front of the children, knowing Nathan would understand. "Some older boys left to go there; I need to stay with this group."
Looking at Elizabeth and the children, Nathan's face was solemn, their pain clear to him. "I will go to the Mine and make sure the boys are okay." He looked at her students milling around her, "you come when you can," he said, his voice hushed as he watched the townspeople hurrying toward the mine, heads down, silent. He didn't say it but wanted to be there for the Townspeople and the boys. He adjusted the reins, said, "Come on, Newton," and clicked his tongue, urging the animal forward in a trot.
He nodded to Elizabeth, but this time, he didn't cheekily tip his hat; he turned and rode away, not looking back.
"Come along, children," she said clearly. She was determined to support these children and their families whatever they found at the mine.
Abigail watched as Nathan rode up to the group of boys who stood waiting for news. Abigail knew they should be in school and briefly wondered at the circumstances which had led to them being there. As she considered where Elizabeth was, she was interrupted by an argument between Henry Gowan and one of the men. She glanced around the crowd, knowing emotions were running high and anything could cause the crowd to erupt.
Nathan felt the tension in the crowd as he rode up. Before he dismounted, he saw a man standing defiantly in front of a vehicle, angrily demanding the release of what appeared to be a plank of wood. The man he spoke to sat in the backseat of the car, refusing to release it. Nathan assumed the man being chauffeured around was the infamous Henry Gowan, the mine manager. Nathan looked around for Elizabeth's students and saw a group of boys about the right age; one of them, a tall young man with blonde hair, had a stern look on his face and his hands clenched into fists at his side. Stepping toward him, Nathan asked, "Are you okay, son? What's your name?"
"I am not your son," he spat out. When he turned to look at him and realised Nathan was a Mountie, his eyes reflected his surprise. His jaw clenched as he offered, "my name is Gabe Montgomery."
Nathan spoke as he started to step toward the men, "My name is Constable Grant; I am the Mountie for Coal Valley. Let me handle this, Gabe, please." He waited for a moment for a response, but the only acknowledgement he got was the boy setting his feet firmly together. At least, Nathan thought, he wasn't going anywhere. Nathan looked at the other young men surrounding Gabe, "Stay here and stay together, okay. Miss Thatcher is on her way here with the rest of your class."
Nathan hesitated, then handed Newton's reins to Gabe. The young man looked shocked but took them from him and held them tightly. Nathan was glad; it served a dual purpose, to keep Newton out of the crowds and anchor and distract Gabe and his friends from doing something stupid.
Nathan strode towards the front of the crowd, aware of people whispering as they observed him. He saw Abigail and gave her a small smile of acknowledgement; he was glad she was there; she could be a calming presence if required. "What seems to be the problem, sir?" he asked the miner standing in the way of Henry Gowan's car.
"They found a plank with the miners they finally dug out today. That plank belongs to one of us, not him." The miner shouted, receiving a resounding cheer from those around him.
Nathan knew he had to think fast to diffuse the situation before it could escalate. If the trouble got out of hand, people could be hurt, which was the last thing the Town needed. "What do you have there, Sir, Mr Gowan, I presume?"
"What business is it of yours, Constable? This came out of my mine." Gowan growled at him, unmoving, his words confirming who he was.
"As the constable now assigned to Coal Valley, this plank belongs to me," Nathan spoke clearly; his voice was firm and direct, allowing no argument. "I will be the one to find the rightful owner. While I do, the plank stays with me." Nathan stepped forward and stood waiting; now, he could read the words etched into it, "Forgive me, Pa."
Henry Gowan was fuming; how dare the Constable put him on the spot like this. He didn't want the men and women of this Town to have the plank; they would turn it into a monument, a constant reminder of what had happened. Breathing in, trying to control his temper, he stared at the young man before him. Instinctively he knew the Mountie would not back down.
"Let me do my job, Mr Gowan." Nathan maintained eye contact with Gowan, knowing he couldn't look away or capitulate. The next few moments would determine the relationship between himself and Henry and let the townspeople know they could trust him. As he watched Henry, he saw his eyes narrow and his face twist in defeat. At that moment, Nathan knew it was time to act. He took one step forward and held his hand out for the plank.
Henry waited for a beat too long before handing over the plank. "Report back to me on what you find out; this is the property of the Pacific Northwest Mining Company."
Nathan looked at the miner standing in front of the vehicle and tipped his head sideways, indicating the man needed to move. As he stepped away from the car, the driver sped off, leaving a cloud of dust behind them.
Nathan turned toward the crowd, cradling the plank of wood in his arms protectively, "those of you who believe this belongs to them should submit a writing sample for comparison. I know this is a difficult time, so I promise I will make this my priority."
Elizabeth smiled as she watched Nathan; he had taken charge of the situation and stood tall and strong before them. Nathan had diffused a tense situation by remaining calm but firm, negotiating an outcome the miners could accept, his empathy for their situation apparent. She wondered about the man in the car; he hadn't appreciated Nathan's effort as the others.
Elizabeth wished he hadn't looked so handsome doing it. Something about Nathan in uniform left her doubting her decision to remain only friends. Who was she kidding? Nathan in civilian clothes had the same effect.
Elizabeth smiled as many parents gathered around the children; none seemed concerned they were there and not at school. She watched as Nathan walked back to the older boys who had run out of the classroom on hearing the siren. As he reached the group, still holding the plank, he spoke quietly to Gabe; she couldn't make out the words but could see the young man relaxing, although his eyes barely left the writing on the wood. Elizabeth frowned in concern at the intensity of his gaze; she made a mental note to keep an eye on Gabe and reach out.
Cat Montgomery, Molly Sullivan and several other mothers stood around, their children nearby, discussing the day's events. It was a bittersweet moment for the widows whose husbands' bodies were recovered. There was closure now. They could finally give them a proper burial, but the original grief resurfaced, and the pain rushed back. Elizabeth knew she couldn't possibly understand their grief and hated feeling inadequate and unable to help.
"Ladies, I am so sorry to interrupt you, but I wanted to offer my condolences for your loss." Elizabeth rushed through her speech, not sure what reception she would get. "I know I can't imagine what you are going through, but if there is anything I can do to help you or the children, please, let me know."
Cat reached out and touched her arm, "thank you, Elizabeth, that is very much appreciated. Would it be okay if I took my children home with me? I know it is disruptive, but ..." she trailed off, looking at the other mothers who were nodding along with her.
Abigail smiled; by asking such a simple question, Cat had established Elizabeth's authority as the town Teacher, a connection with the children and, in turn, their mothers. She didn't think there would be any need to worry about reviewing Elizabeth's trial period.
"Of course, Cat, please, all of you, take your children home; we can start school again tomorrow. Their lunch pails are in the Saloon, we will walk back with you, and they can collect them." Elizabeth called out, gathering the children into a large group and leading them back to Town. Cat shared a glance with Abigail, and they smiled at each other. Elizabeth would be fine.
Nathan was glad to use his proximity to Gabe, James, and the other boys as an excuse to walk back to Town with the school students and Elizabeth. He smiled as they walked together, happy to listen as she talked to her students. The children seemed more comfortable outside the classroom, and Elizabeth used the opportunity to build a rapport with them. Nathan would like to do something similar with them, especially the older boys. He recognised himself in them, and while his father may not be dead, he wasn't around while Nathan grew up, and he missed that male influence in his life.
Nathan walked Newton to the Mountie office and tied him up outside. After securing his horse, he went inside to collect some letters, returning outside in time to see Elizabeth leaving the Saloon.
Nathan made a point to catch up to Elizabeth, who was heading to the Mercantile, as he was. "What takes you to the Mercantile Elizabeth?" he asked.
Elizabeth smiled up at him, her eyes bright, "I managed to finish two letters yesterday, one to my family and one to Rosemary. I want to get them posted so they can write back. I didn't realise how much I would miss my family." She sighed, "I want to make sure Rosemary is fine as well; I hated leaving her alone."
Nathan shook his head, smiling back at her, "it must be the day for posting letters; I am sending one to my mother and one to my sister and niece."
"How lovely," Elizabeth asked, unable to deny her curiosity about his family. "What did you tell them about Coal Valley?" she asked, amused, wondering if she would feature in his letter.
"Well, I told them about my trip here and having to leave the train." He couldn't resist teasing her and said, "I might have mentioned a certain teacher from Hamilton who burned down a perfectly good house on her first day in town."
"You didn't!" she cried, swinging around to face him, stopping him in his tracks, "you were the one who said it was old and acted like I did the town a favour."
"Don't worry; I'm teasing." He said, delighted by the blush her outrage brought to her cheeks. "I told them it was old."
"Oh you..." she said, laughing with him, screwing up her face, and she continued walking with him. "And it can only get better, right?" she suggested.
"Absolutely; how could it be worse." Nathan winked at her as they continued up the stairs and into the Mercantile. He was happy to see her smiling and full of laughter; despite the day's sadness, he was pleased she had made great strides in establishing herself in Town.
Nathan tried to ignore his misgivings about deceiving Elizabeth about his posting to Coal Valley. He had almost convinced himself he was right in not telling her; after all, he had no proof her Father had organised it. Until he knew for sure, there was no point upsetting her or their friendship.