Chapter 11 - Confusion at the police station.

With a decisive gesture, Elizabeth stood up, determined to face the consequences of her actions. She walked away without looking back, each step heavy with the weight of her own guilt and regret. As she left the police station behind, a sense of resignation and determination enveloped her, knowing that she had a difficult journey ahead of her to make amends for what she had done.

Jack stood there, immersed in a mixture of anger and frustration, while Elizabeth walked away determined. He felt like he was in a whirlpool of conflicting emotions, unable to fully process what had just happened. Elizabeth's presence seemed to take the ground out from under Jack's feet, leaving him bewildered and confused.

He watched as she left the police station without even giving them a chance to talk about it, leaving him in a whirlwind of thoughts and feelings. A sense of helplessness consumed him, as if he were struggling against an implacable current, unable to find a foothold to hold on.

Between burning anger and suffocating despair, Jack found himself facing an abyss of uncertainty, struggling to find a way through the emotional storm that Elizabeth had unleashed.

Bill watched the scene from afar...

- Charlote, I don't know what happened in there. But that young woman looks like she's been through a battle.

- Yes, Bile I hope my son hasn't overstepped the bounds of politeness.

- But now Bill... I'm the one who has to face the beast, could you come with me?

- Not even dead... I'll stay out here and give you moral support... Bill laughed.

Charlote entered the police station after knocking on the door. Jack was pacing back and forth, looking for an answer.

Charlote explained the reason for her surprise visit. But she skipped over a few details, such as how many days he had been hiding there watching them.

Jack told her about the conversation he'd just had with the teacher.

Charlote knew the look on Jack's face. He was very angry, but it wasn't because the teacher had stolen his horse. Charlote noticed a twinge of pride when he talked about her and her best friend Sargentt getting on so well. But all that anger was fear that something would happen to that young woman. Jack was afraid that she would get hurt... but he wouldn't give in, he would never assume that, after all, if the Mounties had wanted them to get married, they would have given each of the battalions a wife.

Charlote smiled, and thought:

"My son, if you saw how in love you look right now, I think even the neighbor's chickens would cluck with laughter! "

Jack still couldn't fully understand why his mother had decided to show up in town. The excuse of ill health and the need for time away from the farm to rest seemed a little suspicious. However, he chose not to question her at the moment, as he had other matters on his mind to deal with on that busy day. Determined to show his mother a bit of the city, he took her to the local café, where he introduced Charlote to Abigail, the owner of the establishment. The two women quickly engaged in animated conversation, sharing stories and experiences as if they were old friends from long ago.

Meanwhile, Jack was watching the street from the café window. His gaze caught the instant Elizabeth Thatcher passed in front of the establishment, heading towards the salon where she gave her classes. A mixture of emotions invaded him at that moment: curiosity about what Elizabeth would be doing that afternoon and a strange feeling of anxiety, mixed with a slight touch of uncertainty, about the reason for his mother's surprise visit. He decided to keep his attention focused on the present, enjoying the moment with Charlote and Abigail, while leaving the mysteries surrounding his mother and Elizabeth to deal with later.

But it was strange, and Elizabeth kept thinking about it. After all, she didn't usually go to the bar at that time, outside of school hours, because she wanted to avoid trouble with some of the bar's regulars, as at that time everyone knew that many miners and men from the area would be there drinking...

Jack got up and stood there looking out of the window. Something was strange... meanwhile the two women had also noticed, and Abigail pulled Charlote into the kitchen and spoke:

- He cares a lot about Elizabeth.

- I noticed that, Abigail. And I've never seen my son like this.

- She's a good person, Charlote. She doesn't seem to have been born in a golden cradle.

- Abigail, are you sure?

Abigail, the lively café owner, spared no detail when she told Charlote about Elizabeth's arrival in town. From the moment she set foot in Hope Valle to recent events, Abigail described everything in minute detail, including the new house that Elizabeth had rented and was proudly decorating. She emphasized the teacher's commitment to taking care of everything herself, from minor maintenance to decorating, considering each aspect a new achievement in Elizabeth's life.

While Abigail narrated, Charlote watched intently, absorbing every detail. She noticed Jack scratching the back of his head, a gesture that indicated his intrigue at the situation. Elizabeth's presence seemed to make him nervous, and Charlote sensed the tension in the air.

Jack, for his part, kept his gaze steady, watching the movement outside through the café window. His eyes settled on Elizabeth, who stood outside with her hands on her waist, expressing clear irritation as she scolded Robert. He watched as she handed several books in a basket to the boy and pointed towards the hall where she normally gave her lessons, gesturing vehemently. It was clear that Elizabeth was genuinely annoyed, a facet Jack had never witnessed before.

Elizabeth said goodbye to the boy with a gentle wave, picked up another smaller basket from beside him and headed towards the police station. Jack watched as she knocked on the door twice, waiting patiently until someone finally opened. The door opened slowly and Elizabeth peeked inside before entering, carefully closing it behind her.

Jack was perplexed: "What does this woman think she's doing in my police station?" he thought, frowning and letting out an indignant sigh. Without wasting any time, he ran off in the direction of the police station to see what was going on. "I hope she's not trying to arrest someone without my permission," he muttered as he picked up his pace.

To Jack's surprise, when he arrived at the police station, he found Elizabeth lying nonchalantly in her cell, absorbed in reading a book. The cell door was locked and the keys were hanging on the railing. Jack's gaze couldn't have been more surprised by the unusual scene unfolding before him. He blinked a few times, as if to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, before opening his mouth to express his disbelief.

Charlote, Abigail and Bill also rushed to the police station, and they were all equally surprised to see Professor Elizabeth inside the cell. Their faces showed a mixture of disbelief and concern as they tried to understand how she had ended up there. The situation was so unusual that even those present at the police station, the other officers and citizens, joined the group, perplexed at what they were witnessing. The murmuring and commotion increased as everyone tried to understand what was going on.

- Elizabeth! What are you doing? Abigail asked frightened.

- Hi, Abigail! I've come to pay my penalty. I stole the mountie's horse in front of the police station, and I know that's at least three days in jail, I looked it up in the books before I came, or it could be more if a judge decides, so I'm here.

- But Elizabeth ... Jack said.

- Calm down, Jack. I couldn't ask Robert to take the consequences of his actions if I didn't do the same. Besides, it wouldn't be right if you didn't punish me, like any other citizen.

- I ... I... Jack was nervous, he was running his hand over the back of his neck, messing up all his hair.

Charlote couldn't help but agree with her son, Jack. The situation was so unusual that it seemed straight out of a comedy script. Professor Elizabeth really did specialize in leaving people completely baffled and at a loss as to what to do. Her unique way of dealing with situations made everyone around her feel like they were on a rollercoaster of emotions. Not even Charlote, with all her life experience, could understand how a woman so dedicated to her work could end up in a police station cell. It was a mystery worthy of the best comedies, and Charlote knew that there was still a lot to discover about this peculiar teacher.

"That girl, she's going to make my son hairless. "

- Are you sure?" asked Jack.

- Yes, I'm absolutely sure.

-But what about the lessons? What about the children? Abigail asked.

- Jack, how many days will my punishment be?

He coughed, and replied:

-Elizabeth, for me...

- Right! Elizabeth interrupted... Do you think three days would be enough?

- Yes, but...

- So that's it, Abigail. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are just three days of classes. It won't be too difficult..." said Elizabeth.

-"I think I should ask Molly or Florence to replace you...Abigail went on.

- No need, my substitute will be there tomorrow without fail. And he'll do just fine..." laughed Elizabeth.

Bill looked at Charlote, that smile and Elizabeth's way of speaking showed that there was a plan...

They all left the police station, not knowing how to react to all this.

Jack looked at them and said;

- What do I do with her?

Charlote felt sorry for her son... his eyes were lost as if he were facing a battle.

- Calm down, my son.

And so they decided that the next day, they would be at the school, or rather in the barroom, where the classes were held, so that they could meet Elizabeth's replacement.