Chapter 258 – Interesting Conversations

Andy went to the office looking for JD and when he didn't find him there, he went up to the apartment and didn't find him there either. He went and stood on the top of the steps, looking out over the town. He had no idea where his superintendent went or how to find him. Jack and Doug saw him standing looking out when Doug went over to him.

"Corporal Thornton sent me over." Doug said. "If you are looking for JD, he is unconscious in a jail cell for threatening Ms Winters. He swung at Constable McGinty and Joe hit back."

Doug then walked back toward the jail. Andy followed him.

"Good to see you again." Jack said, as Andy walked up.

"Good to see you back at work." Andy said.

"It is good to be back at work." Jack said. "Is there something that I can do to help you?"

"Your friend informed me that my superintendent is in your jail." Andy said.

"He is." Jack said. "And he will stay there until we have a chance to decide what is going to happen to him. He is facing menacing charges as well as attempted assault on a Mountie."

"Oh." Andy said. "I know that he has a bit of a temper, but he is a good worker. I was hoping he would have learned to think before he spoke or acted."

"I have learned that people like him don't learn much, except the hard way." Jack said. "I would suggest that you rethink your relationship with him. Ms Winters is going to be sticking around and I won't stop her from defending herself if he tries anything."

"Also, most of the people in town saw him take a swing at Constable McGinty." Doug said. "I know for a fact two of the biggest gossips saw and from what I understand, she was one of the widows who voted against you reopening the mine. If you keep Mr Walker or at least don't get him to issue a public apology and mean it, then you are going to be facing an uphill battle."

"Why would I listen to you?" Andy asked.

"Because." Doug said, standing up and glaring down at the man. "I am Constable Douglas Burke and I am going to be in this region moving forward. Your man has already upset people and you haven't even got the mine open. I was only in town a few hours and realized that the women of this town, especially Mrs Stanton rule with an iron fist. The worst thing that you could have done was to cross her."

"But I didn't." Andy said.

"Your employee did." Doug said. "And where I come from, it is the same thing."

Andy looked to Jack, thinking he would be more reasonable.

"I have been here long enough to know not to cross any of the women in this town." Jack said. "Figure out a way to fix this or you are going to find it hard around here. I will also give you another piece of information. Ms Winters will be sticking around and if her brother-in-law is going to act like an ass, then I will be doing my own digging into his background."

"I have already prepared a wire to his wife." Doug said. "But I was going to wait until I spoke to Ms Winters to send it."

"Can I go talk to him?" Andy asked.

Jack nodded his head.

"If he is awake." Jack said. "But leave the door open and we will be right here."

"Of course." Andy said.

… … … …

Patty got back to the cafe and Elizabeth Rose immediately knew something happened. When she went to Patty, she waved Elizabeth Rose off. Patty went to wash her hands, put her apron back on and get to work. Elizabeth Rose and Ann exchanged a look and then shrugged their shoulders. Both women were wondering what happened, but it appeared that Patty wasn't in the mood to talk.

"Will you be alright if I go over to the schoolhouse?" Elizabeth Rose asked. "I just want to see how my niece is doing. It is almost lunch time. I can come back and help if needed."

"Go." Abigail said, walking in. "If you need to stay we will understand, otherwise come back and help with lunch."

"Okay." Elizabeth Rose said.

Elizabeth Rose left to check on Elizabeth. Patty went about the kitchen doing what needed to be done, but not speaking other than when asked a direct question. After about ten minutes Frank came in. He quickly gave Abigail a kiss and then walked over to Patty. He forced her to stop working and look at him.

"Are you okay?" Frank asked. "I saw and heard what happened."

"I am fine." Patty said.

Frank just looked at her.

"I mean it." Frank said. "He had no right to say that to you and if you are upset it is okay."

"Getting upset won't do any good." Patty said. "Not the first time he called me that. I tried to tell Erin he wasn't a nice man, but she was smitten by him and now she is stuck with him because they have four children. I didn't even know about the last one until I heard one of the ladies talking about it earlier. I don't even know where Erin and the children are."

"Outside of Calgary." Frank said. "They will be there until school is finished. From what I have been able to learn, your brother-in-law had been working for Mr Yeager in his office there for the past two years and he was giving him an opportunity to have more responsibility by offering him the position of Superintendent of Mining Operations. From my understanding, JD has worked in mining for years and when Mr Yeager started his company, he recruited your brother-in-law to work for him and has been teaching him the office work, but he wasn't happy with the office work and wanted to be more hands on."

"How did you learn all that?" Patty asked. "Because that is more than I have known in years."

"Because it is my job to listen." Frank said. "Besides, I did some checking on my own."

"How long have they been married?" Frank asked.

"Almost thirteen years." Patty said. "JD married Erin two days after her eighteenth birthday and she is just over three years older than I am."

"I will try to talk to him." Frank said. "From my understanding, Constables McGinty and Burke put him in a cell after he took a swing at Joe."

"Thank you." Patty said. "I don't want to talk to him. I just want to make sure my sister is okay and if she has a chance to get away from him. He is abusive and he punched her in the stomach and she lost their first child."

"I will see what I can do." Frank said. "But if he continues to work here, are you going to be okay?"

"I will find a way to be okay." Patty said. "We might have a few go-a-rounds before that happens, but I don't mind. He needs someone to put him in his place. He has no respect for women."

"He was quite rude to me and basically told me he doesn't answer to a woman." Abigail said. "I am not happy with Mr Yeager at the moment."

"One thing at a time." Frank said. "But if he apologized, would you accept it?"

"If he meant it." Abigail said. "And I know the difference."

Frank nodded and left the ladies again.

… … … …

Andy walked into the jail and saw that JD was sitting on the cot, holding his jaw.

"Apparently you still haven't learned to control your temper." Andy said.

JD went to say something, but Andy held up his hand.

"I am speaking and you are going to listen to me." Andy said, sharply. "Because your future with my company depends on it."

JD nodded and then hung his head.

"You are going to apologize to Mrs Stanton." Andy said.

JD's head shot up and there was fire in his eyes.

"I mean it." Andy said. "Not only does she deserve the respect that her office brings, but she is also a mine widow. Her husband and son were killed in this very mine fourteen months ago. You will apologize and you will mean it."

JD just looked at him, but didn't say anything.

"Also." Andy said. "Why didn't you tell me that your sister-in-law lived here?"

"Because she doesn't." JD said. "She was supposed to be in Europe, last I heard."

"Not according to the two constables out there." Andy said. "They made it sound like she lived here and would continue to live here. Is that going to be a problem for you?"

"I don't know what her problem is." JD huffed. "She has never liked me."

"Then I will ask her what the problem is." Andy said. "Now you are going to sit there and think about what you did. Maybe if you show you are sorry, I can convince the Mounties to just fine you and not hold you to stand before a judge. So sit there, don't say anything unless you are asked a direct question and try to figure out what your problem is."

Andy didn't give JD a chance to respond, but turned and left. He quickly nodded to Jack and Doug, then headed to the cafe. He figured that would be where Ms Winters was and if not, they might know where she would be.

… … … …

Elizabeth was having a good day at school, despite the children having more questions as she got bigger and they could clearly see the baby more. It was still hard to have thirty-three students, but she was finding a routine. She took a moment to sit at her desk and have a few crackers while the children worked on something. While she had a few minutes, she started the letter to her friend Deb. She knew that if possible, she wanted her there sooner rather than later. That would give Deb and Dan time to settle in and for them to come up with a plan together. It would also give Deb a chance to get to know the students and families before school started. Elizabeth knew that it hadn't been long since Andrew and David had left, taking all the paperwork with them, including that for Andrew Russell, but she hoped that that man would be understanding of their requests and why they wanted things done the way they asked. She knew that Andrew was going to meet with the Russells, so she tried to put it out of her mind and focus on her students.

They were just finishing up their morning reading when Aunt Elizabeth quietly opened the door and stepped into the back of the room. Elizabeth looked up and smiled at her Aunt.

"Very good, Gem." Elizabeth said. "I want you all to continue reading quietly."

Elizabeth went to the back of the classroom to see what her aunt wanted as she wasn't expecting her that day. She knew that the students might be listening more to their conversation than reading, so she was hoping nothing was wrong.

"Was there something that you needed?" Elizabeth asked, quietly. "I wasn't expecting you today."

"I was just checking in with you." Aunt Elizabeth said.

"Thank you." Elizabeth said. "But we are good. I will need you to come in on Wednesday, Jack and I both have appointments with Faith."

"I will be here after lunch, then." Aunt Elizabeth said.

"Thank you." Elizabeth said. "I will talk to you later."

Aunt Elizabeth nodded. Elizabeth watched her aunt step out and head back to town. Elizabeth took a moment and stood in the doorway, rubbing her stomach as she felt the baby move. She continued to rub her stomach as she headed back to the front of the room. She knew that the eyes of many students were on her, but she just went to her desk and sat down. She looked at them and motioned to their readers. She went back to her letter for a moment while the students finished up reading before she released them for lunch and recess.

Elizabeth realized that as she got bigger over the last month of school, she was going to have to take more breaks as she had started to feel it in her back when she stood for too long. She knew it was going to get worse, but she was glad that she only had a few weeks of school left and then she could focus on other things.

… … … …

Andy got to the cafe about the same time that Elizabeth Rose had come back from the schoolhouse. He looked at the woman.

"I am looking for Ms Winters." Andy said. "Would you know who I am speaking about?"

"Patty should be in the kitchen." Elizabeth Rose said. "Can I ask what this is about?"

"I need to speak to her about her brother-in-law." Andy said. "He was unaware that she was here and they had a confrontation in the street and he is sitting in a cell right now."

"If he is sitting in a cell." Elizabeth Rose said. "He obviously deserves it."

"How would you know?" Andy asked. "Did you see what happened? Do you know what was said?"

"No but I trust my husband and he trusts the men that work under him." Elizabeth Rose said. "So if they put him in a cell, then he had it coming."

"And you would be?" Andy asked.

"Elizabeth Delaney." She said. "I take it you are Mr Yeager."

"Yes, ma'am." Andy said. "But you can call me Andy."

"I have known Patty for years, Mr Yeager." Elizabeth Rose said. "If she was upset, she had a right. I haven't known her to ever lose her temper without being pushed. I don't know what happened with her brother-in-law, but I know that she is not happy with him at the moment and that won't change until he learns he can't say and do whatever he wants without consequences."

"I just want to know what is going on." Andy said. "I just want to ask Ms Winters if she has a problem with JD being here and if so, what can be done to help the situation. If he is willing to apologize, I am not inclined to fire him. He is a good worker, despite his temper at times. I have never had a problem with him and I don't have time to look for a new superintendent."

"Well." Elizabeth Rose said. "I have a feeling that if Mr Walker stays, you will be looking for a new superintendent anyway. If he is already being disrespectful to the women of this town, it doesn't bode well for either of you. The people of this town will not be dictated to by outsiders and you have yet to get the majority of people on your side. They may be willing to allow you to operate your business here, but that doesn't mean you have been accepted. You need to prove that you are different then the previous mine owner and from where I stand you still have a lot of work to do."

Before they could go into the cafe, Frank came out. He looked at Elizabeth Rose and nodded to her. He then turned to Mr Yeager.

"Leave Patricia Winters alone." Frank said. "She doesn't want to talk about things and frankly from where I stand, she was justified in her anger toward Mr Walker. She was trying to talk to him and he refused to listen and started to walk away from her. So she treated him like the spoiled child he was acting like and grabbed his ear to get his attention. I have seen her do the same thing when one of the schoolboys got out of hand. From what I was able to hear, she didn't say anything that wasn't warranted. He was the one that threatened her and took a swing at the Constable."

"I am concerned about things going forward." Andy said. "The constables made it sound like Ms Winters is here full-time."

"She is here for now." Elizabeth Rose said. "She will be leaving within the next couple of weeks as she has things to take care of, but yes, she will be moving back here to stay. That will be closer to the end of summer or into the fall."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Andy said.

Frank nodded to Elizabeth Rose and she went inside. Frank motioned for Andy to take a walk with him. Frank took a moment before he spoke as he led them on the road toward the row houses.

"I would suggest that you make it perfectly clear to Mr Walker and all of your employees." Frank said. "That they are to respect the people of this town and what they have been through. It is a big thing, you, reopening the mine because of what happened here last year. This town doesn't need the mine to survive. Will it help? Yes, but it is not essential, like it once was. We have the sawmill and that is expanding. The railroad is coming and there are other businesses that are coming. If you don't want to be run out of this town by the widows, you better figure out what you want.

These women are some of the strongest women I have ever encountered. They are not going to let any business come in and tell them what you can do or not do with their lives anymore. They have freed themselves from the tyrannical control that Pacific Northwest had on this town. I wasn't here to personally see it, but I have heard from several people that Abigail Stanton and Elizabeth Thornton both went toe to toe with Henry Gowen and he was the one that flinched. Those are not two women that you want to tangle with. Not only do they stand together, they have the support of so many others. Especially after all those two have personally been through in the last years.

Yes, people have had it hard in the last fourteen months, but it seems that those two have gone through more and it has only strengthened their resolve to make things better for those around them. I am not going to get into all that they have been through, but their faith and backbone has been tested by fire and is stronger than steel. Tread wisely Mr Yeager, those are not two women I would want cross at me. I mean it when I am just trying to give you insight. I would love to see you a part of this community, but if you truly want to be a part of it. Hope Valley is like no other town I have ever been in and I won't allow people to destroy what has made this town strong."