Chapter 194 – Nightmare Afternoon part 1
Shortly after Nathan, Doug, Lee, Missy and Maddie headed to the stables, Gran came back out.
"I thought you were going to lay down until Abigail got here." Trish said.
"I was but we have a problem." Gran said. "Where is everyone?"
"Jack is still with Devin." Frank said.
"Elizabeth and Rosemary are downstairs." Trish said. "The rest went down to the stable."
"What is going on?" Frank said.
"I will explain in a moment." Gran said.
Gran turned and headed down the hall to the office. She knocked and waited.
"Come in." Devin said.
Gran opened the door.
"I need both of you to come out here please." Gran said. "JP, please go downstairs and get both Elizabeth and Rosemary. Bring them up to the dining room."
"Okay what is going on?" Jack asked.
"I will explain in a little bit." Gran said. "I don't want to have to repeat myself several times."
Jack realized that someone upset Gran, so he quickly went downstairs and got Elizabeth and Rosemary. He didn't say anything other than Gran wanted them to come up stairs for a moment. When they got up there, Chris was pacing on his phone and Gran looked like she was going to yell at someone.
"Now that we are all here." Gran said. "I will tell you what is going on. Apparently, William Thatcher is at the front gate demanding to be let in. He was told that his daughter was here and he was demanding that we turn her over to him. Security are refusing to let him in, but that is not stopping him from making loud demands to the press, saying that we are holding Elizabeth hostage."
Elizabeth immediately turned to Rosemary. Elizabeth had her hands on her hips and glared at Rosemary.
"Who did you tell that you were coming up here?" Elizabeth demanded. "Don't you dare lie to me. I want to know right now."
"I told my mother." Rosemary said. "I told her I was coming up here to see you. I also told a castmate that I was going to Saratoga."
"I told you not to tell anyone." Elizabeth said.
Jack came over and wrapped his arms around Elizabeth. He gave her a kiss, which she tried to deepen, but Jack pulled back and held Elizabeth close.
"It is okay." Jack said. "You are safe here. You don't have to speak to him if you don't want to. I told you that you were safe here and I meant it. I am sorry about all of this."
Elizabeth started crying, so Jack held her tighter. He stroked her back, trying to calm her. Frank washed his hands and came over. He put his hand on Elizabeth's back.
"Elizabeth." Frank said.
"Yes." Elizabeth said, her face still buried in Jack's chest.
"Please look at me." Frank said.
Elizabeth turned her face to look at Frank.
"It is okay." Frank said. "We will all keep you safe. No one is going to come into this house and take you. You are an adult and you can be with who you want. It will be alright."
"Marcus, Chris and the team are on their way." Devin said. "Also Abigail is at the gate."
"Let her in." Gran said.
"They are trying, but the press." Devin said. "They are afraid to open the gate right now."
Just then they heard a helicopter over the house. Frank went to the window and looked out.
"There is a press helicopter out there." Frank said, turning around.
Gran picked up her phone and called her husband. Jack pulled his phone and sent a text to Doug, Lee and Nathan. He still held Elizabeth. Frank went around and started pulling shades and blinds so that they couldn't see into the house. It wasn't long and Nathan, Doug, Lee, Missy and Maddie were back in the house. Gran was glad that they came back up to the house, she wasn't worried about the horses, she knew that the hands would take care of them.
"There are at least two press helicopters out there." Doug said.
"Girls go downstairs and stay there." Trish said.
"Yes, ma'am." The girls said at the same time.
"Nathan." Frank said.
"Yes." Nathan said.
"Let's take my SUV and head down to the gate." Frank said. "Abigail is there, but they can't open the gate to let her in. Chris and his team are on the way, as well as someone named Marcus. Let's go see if we can help."
"Marcus is state police." Jack said.
Nathan checked his pistol in his boot and then looked at Frank.
"You were in the Army." Nathan said. "I assume you know how to handle a weapon."
"Yes." Frank said.
"Jack." Nathan said. "Do you have another weapon? I would feel better if Frank was armed."
"I got it." Gran said. "Frank, follow me."
Nathan ran downstairs and got his other pistol. When he returned, Frank had a pistol on his belt. Just before they left, Gran came back out to the group. She was carrying two cases.
"James said to have these in the truck." Gran said, holding out the cases.
"What are those?" Frank asked.
"Two rifles." Gran said. "Just in case. They can stay in the SUV, but if you need to, they will be there."
Nathan nodded and took both cases. Frank and Nathan then turned to head to the garage.
"Guns!" Rosemary said. "Seriously. Elizabeth, it is your father."
"And because of you." Devin said. "There are at least three dozen members of the press out there and growing by the minute. My men have authorization to protect this place and the people within it with force and they will do just that if it comes to it."
Gran went to wash her hands and then help Trish in the kitchen. Gran knew that there wasn't much more that she could do other than pray, but she also needed to keep her hands busy.
"What should we do?" Doug asked.
"Please stay here." Devin said. "I am still figuring things out. Besides, if they can get Abigail in, I want you to unload the groceries. There is no way that I am letting Jack out of the house right now."
As they were speaking, Jack's phone rang. He looked at it and saw that it was his Grandpa John.
"Yes, Sir." Jack said, answering the phone.
("What is going on?" John asked. "I just got a call from Marcus' assistant, but she didn't have much information.")
"Apparently." Jack said. "Elizabeth's best friend who arrived earlier today with Doug's mother and sisters had told a few people that she was coming up here to see Elizabeth. Elizabeth's father has shown up here and is making demands. There is a lot of press and it is growing by the minute. Abigail has come, but they are afraid to open the gate to let her in. Frank and Nathan headed down to try and help. The rest of us are in the house. There are at least two press helicopters over the farm."
("I am having Peter call and see if the sheriff's department can clear the airspace." John said. "Is everyone alright?")
"Yes." Jack said. "Elizabeth is upset, but we are all okay. I was meeting with Devin about things. Elizabeth and Rosemary were downstairs. The others had been down at the stables, but arrived back at the house quickly."
("Okay." John said. "Call me and let me know if there is anything else that you need.")
"I will, Sir." Jack said.
("JP," John said. "I know that you don't want to, but would you consider making a statement to the press. You don't need to take any of their questions, but maybe a statement might calm things down. Please think about it. Devin can help you if you agree to do it. You don't need to say anything about Elizabeth if you don't want to, but please think about this.")
"I will think about it." Jack said. "I am going to sit down with Doug, Lee and Devin. I think that if we put our heads together, we can come up with something."
("That is all I am asking." John said. "Talk to you later, if you need me to come up soon, I have a helicopter on stand by. I can be there in less than thirty minutes.")
"If you want to come, spend the weekend." Jack said. "You are more than welcome. But you coming by helicopter right now, might just create a bigger circus. Granted I don't know how."
("I will talk to Andrew and Peter." John said. "But we might still come.")
"Let us know either way." Jack said.
("I will." John said. "Talk later.")
John hung up the phone. Jack put his phone back in his pocket and let out a deep sigh. He then moved Elizabeth out his arms enough to look at her face as he had kept an arm around her as he spoke to his grandfather.
"What do you think?" Jack asked.
"About what?" Elizabeth asked.
"Facing the press." Jack said.
"I don't know." Elizabeth said. "I don't think I can do it."
"I would never ask that of you if you didn't want to." Jack said. "But do you honestly think that me making a statement will help."
"I doubt that it could hurt." Elizabeth said. "I just don't know if it will make much of a difference. But if you want to try, I will support you."
"Thank you." Jack said. "I will have to think about it."
While Jack was talking, Abigail came in with a load of groceries. Doug and Lee immediately jumped up and went to help unload the car. A moment later Jack turned at the sound of running feet.
"Jay!" Cody screamed just before leaping into Jack's arms.
"Hey Cody." Jack said, swinging him around.
"Horsies!" Cody said.
"I don't know." Jack said. "I don't know how long you are staying."
Rosemary sat at the table and didn't offer to help unload the car. She also wondered who it was that Jack was holding since the little boy was quite taken with Jack and looked a little like him. While this was happening, there was a knock at the back door and when Jack looked over it was Opal. Jack motioned for Elizabeth to get the door. Elizabeth opened the door and let Opal in. Rosemary sat there trying to take everything in. She didn't realize that there were so many people that were going to be around. She had barely had anytime with Elizabeth and it didn't look like she was going to get any at this point.
"Mama and Mr James told me to come to the house." Opal said. "Is that okay?"
"Of course." Elizabeth said. "Things are a little crazy right now, but come."
Elizabeth and Opal walked back over to Jack and Cody.
"Opal." Jack said. "This is my friend Cody. I think you met his sister Becky the other day."
Opal nodded. Just then Becky came over.
"Becky." Jack said. "Can you take Opal and Cody downstairs? Doug's sisters are in the room next to mine, but they may be watching tv. You can pull out some of the toys in the closet."
"Thank you." Becky said.
Becky, Opal and Cody headed downstairs. Jack went over to the kitchen to see if there was anything that he could do to help. Elizabeth took a seat next to Rosemary at the table.
"Who are all these people?" Rosemary asked.
"Opal is the daughter of one of the new employees." Elizabeth said. "Abigail is married to Jack's godfather Bill and is considered family. She had been here on and off helping Gran. She brought her two youngest children Becky and Cody. Because of the security concerns and because Jack, Doug, Nathan, Frank and I had been in Toronto, Gran had asked Abigail to do some shopping for us including getting stuff we need from the farmer's market for the next few days."
"I thought we were going to get to spend time together." Rosemary said.
"We will." Elizabeth said. "It would have been easier if you hadn't opened your big mouth."
Rosemary glared at Elizabeth.
"See all these people." Elizabeth said, motioning to everyone around. "They are probably going to all be here for supper and there might be more coming, especially with the security concern. I said we will get some time and we will, it just might not look like you want it to. From this point forward, my life is going to be different. I am still learning to deal with it so I don't expect you to understand, but you could try."