CHAPTER 21
"Daniel, please take a seat. I wish this visit wasn't due to the events of last night." Bill told him.
"How is Lucas? Will he be, OK?" Daniel asked concerned.
"Last I heard he's not out of the woods yet, but he has a top-notch surgeon who removed the bullet last night. I just hope that Dr. Donovan being here will make all the difference." He told him hoping that was true.
"So, Daniel, why are you here? It is virtually unheard of that you would make a trip like this for a territory governor. It appears you and Lucas have some kind of history together. The bits and pieces of the story I heard between Lucas and Kingston last night, tells me there's something bigger going on. I'm just not sure what that is exactly." He told him with suspicion in his eye.
"Your perception is spot on as usual, Bill." Sterling told him with amusement. "So, fill me in on all the details of last night." He told him. Bill told him as much as he knew of what had transpired the evening before.
"I see." Daniel said. "Well, Bill I'm sorry I didn't make it here in time, if I had we might have been able to spare Lucas another bullet hole. Damn the telephone and telegram wires being down. I wouldn't put it past Kingston to have cut them himself." He told Bill.
If they weren't down for hundreds of miles, I might have believed he did it as well." Bill told him.
"You know Bill, Lucas told me about the first time he met you when he arrived here in Hope Valley. He said you were very suspicious of him. Thought he was up to no good." Daniel told him with an amused smile.
"Well, that's true. He was always giving me answers like, 'this and that, here and there, now and then.' Downright infuriating." Bill said with a chuckle.
"I taught him that," Daniel said with pride. "I told him if a nosey lawman comes sniffing around, be evasive, it will infuriate them to no end. Classic." Daniel said with a hearty laugh.
"So, are you going to fill me in on what exactly is going on here? Obviously, you know Lucas well and he's important to you, otherwise you wouldn't be here." Bill said knowingly.
"I will answer all your questions, and fill you in as to why I'm here. When I'm done, I would like to visit with Lucas. Then I want to speak to Mrs. Aucoin." He told him.
"The Mounties will be picking up Shaw and Aucoin along with the rest of their gang later today and taking them to jail in Union City for now. I tried to talk to them this morning but unfortunately, they are not currently in a chatty mood." Bill told him annoyed.
"I assure you Mrs. Aucoin will speak to me. After I'm done with that conniving woman I would appreciate if you would assemble all the people that you think need to hear the story, I'm about to tell you. But," he told him strongly, "they must be people we can trust and who can be discreet. I have a lot to say. Some people in this town need to be set straight. And I intend to be the man to do just that." He told him somberly.
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MaKayla awoke about an hour after Faith had arrived at the infirmary. She immediately checked Lucas's vital signs. No fever, vitals were reasonable strong, although his blood pressure was still dangerously low. But overall, he was holding his own, and for that she was grateful.
She then went to sit in the chair next to his bed. "Lucas, it's MaKayla. Can you open your eyes for me?" She asked softly. "Or maybe just squeeze my hand." She reached for his hand but felt nothing.
She sighed heavily, knowing it was not unreasonable for him to still be unresponsive but none the less disappointed. "Ok, Governor, you sleep a little while longer. I'll be back soon." She told him, as she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.
MaKayla went out to the front of the infirmary. Faith was sitting at her desk, as MaKayla came around the curtain she looked up. "How's he doing?" Faith asked.
"Well, no fever, vitals are as we would expect. Still unconscious through, hopefully he'll wake up soon." She said with a half-hearted smile.
"But your worried, I can see it on your face." Faith told her.
"I would prefer his blood pressure had come up a bit more. It's still dangerously low. I just hope I got all the bleeders securely tied off. I can't make another blood donation so soon. Hopefully we will see better improvement as the day goes on." She said with a weary smile.
"I have a scone here from Minnie's and I'll get you a fresh cup of coffee, have a seat." Faith told her.
Faith returned with the coffee, as MaKayla took a bite of her scone. "How are you doing this morning? I never did get to ask how you were after that ordeal last night and I'm not talking about Lucas getting shot. That must have been terrifying being held hostage?" Faith asked.
"Believe it or not, it's not the first time I've had a loaded gun pointed at my head. Once at the hospital I worked at in England, one of the soldiers had terrible delusions and somehow managed to get his hands on a gun. I happened to walk into the room at the wrong time." She told her.
"MaKayla that must have been awful." Faith said.
"It was but I learned from it, to keep calm and well, let things play out. I'm not going to say I wasn't scared last night because I was. But somehow, I just knew that Lucas wouldn't let anything happen to me. I just wish I could have done the same for him." She said as a tear escaped her eye, but she quickly wiped it away.
"First of all, you were there for Lucas. Knowing that you were OK was all he needed or wanted. It's just the kind of man he is. Plus, you are a gifted a surgeon who saved his life yet again, not to mention that rare blood of yours that is a life saver." Faith reached out to touch her hand reassuringly.
"Thanks Faith, I needed to hear that. If you don't mind, I think I will head over to the hotel and freshen up a bit. I doubt that Lucas will regain consciousness for a while yet." She told her.
Just then Bill and an unknown man entered the infirmary. "Bill, good morning." Faith said as she looked between Bill and the stranger.
"Ladies, this is Sir Daniel Sterling; he's an old friend of Lucas's. Daniel, this is Dr. Faith Carter and Dr. MaKayla Donovan, they are the physicians that saved Lucas's life last night." He told him.
"Ladies, it is a pleasure to meet you. How is Lucas doing this morning?" He asked.
"He hasn't regained consciousness yet, so unfortunately you will not be able to speak with him. But given everything that happened, he is hanging in there." MaKayla told him.
"Dr. Donovan, correct?" Daniel asked her. MaKayla nodded. "Lucas has told me a great deal about you." He said to her.
"Lucas has talked about me to you?" She asked quizzically. "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage." She smiled politely.
"He cares deeply for you, young lady. And not just as the surgeon who saved his life. When he's ready I'm sure he will tell you that himself." Daniel said with a knowing smile. "If you don't mind, I would just like to have a moment with him." He told her.
Faith stood up. "Right this way Sir." Daniel followed Faith behind the curtain. Daniel stared for a long moment then went and sat in the chair by Lucas's bed. "Oh, my boy, you just simply cannot seem to stay out of trouble these days, can you?" It pained him greatly to see Lucas in this condition once again.
"I'm sorry I didn't get here in time to warn you about Kingston. You are in good hands so I know that you will come back to us. We all owe you a debt of gratitude and I will fix this mess. You rest and let me take care of everything." Daniel patted his hand; he stood up and walked back to the others.
As Daniel walked around the curtain, Bill told him, "I was just telling Faith about the meeting you will be holding this afternoon. She will be there. MaKayla will stay back with Lucas." He told him.
"Good. Looking forward to seeing you there, Dr. Carter. Dr. Donovan, would you have dinner with me this evening?" He asked her. "You and I can talk privately."
"I would like that, thank you." MaKayla told him.
He nodded to the ladies and he and Bill left the infirmary.
Faith and MaKayla looked at each other, "What do you think that is all about?" Faith asked.
"I have no idea." MaKayla said, "but I am looking forward to finding out." She told her.
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Rosemary and Lee were coming out of their rowhouse at the same time as Elizabeth and Jack. "Elizabeth, did Bill ask you to meet at his office as well this afternoon?" Rosemary asked her.
"Yes, he said that he wanted to talk to a group of us about what happened last night." Elizabeth told her.
"Do you know how Lucas is doing today?" Lee asked concerned.
"Bill told me that he is holding his own, but hasn't regained consciousness yet." She said with apprehension. "I wanted to stop by and see him but I guess that isn't my place anymore." She said morosely.
"Poppycock," said Rosemary. "If you want to see him, then you should go talk to Faith." She told her.
Elizabeth gave her an unsure smile, "Let's see what Bill has to say first. I'll drop Jack off at daycare and then I'll meet you later at Bill's office. Where is Goldie this morning?" Elizabeth asked.
"Allie has taken her for a ride in her wagon. She loves being around Allie, she is very good with children." Rosemary said.
"Yes, she is." Elizabeth told her. For a short period of time, Elizabeth had believed that Allie would be her step-daughter one day, but that didn't seem likely now. Nothing she had once believed had come to fruition regarding Lucas or Nathan, she thought gloomily.
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After Daniel had seen Lucas, Bill took him over to the jail. As they entered the jail Nathan was sitting at his desk, writing up a report on the events of the previous night. He looked up as they entered.
"Nathan, I would like you to meet Daniel Sterling, your boss." Bill said as he watched Nathan scramble to his feet.
"Good afternoon, Sir." Nathan said politely. Daniel gave the constable a cursory smile.
"Bill has told me that you were instrumental in helping out with the action that took place last night. Of course, we would have liked to have gotten out of that mess with no blood shed, but sometimes things don't go as we plan. Is that your report you are writing up?" He asked.
"Hmm, yes sir." Nathan replied.
"Well, I'll want to see that before you send it to headquarters." He told him. "But right now, I want to see Mrs. Aucoin. Constable, please bring just her to Bill's office. We will be waiting for you." With that Bill and Daniel left the jail. Nathan stood there shaking his head, the head of the CSIS and RCMP was here. What had Lucas been involved in he wondered.
Ten minutes later, Nathan and Jeanette were at Bill's office. Jeanette had a surly look on her face, which only made Daniel laugh.
"Mrs. Aucoin, wish I could say it is nice to see you again, but to be honest, it isn't." Daniel said in a mocking tone.
"The only thing I want from you is the name or names of the Mounties that you and Kingston have in your pocket." He said succinctly.
"Why would I ever tell you that, Daniel?" She asked in her most menacing voice.
"Because you either tell me or life for you will become harder than you ever imagined. Jeanette you and I both know I can make that happen. So, you either do things my way or you reap the hell you so richly deserve." He told her eyeing her with a steely gaze.
Her countenance softened, "How is Lucas, will he be, Ok?" She asked quietly.
"That has not yet been determined. But if Lucas dies, I promise you, you will wish you had too." Daniel said angrily. "Now who is in your pocket?" Daniel asked as he stared down the young woman. "And don't even think about lying to me."
Bill knew, when needed, Daniel could be ruthless but this was somewhat unexpected even for him. When she decided to mess with Lucas, she made a huge error in judgement. Nathan stood there astonished at the menacing tone that Sterling was taking with Jeanette. He meant business, for Jeanette's sake Nathan hoped she would cooperate.
Jeanette looked around the room at the men, finally she turned her attention to Nathan. "Constable, I would appreciate it if you would let Lucas know that I'm so very sorry for how everything turned out. I really never meant for things to go this far or for him to be hurt. For once in my life, I'm going to do the right thing. Could you please also tell Lucas…" she trailed off as she composed herself.
"Tell Lucas, that he's truly not to blame for Matthew's death. I just needed someone to blame and Lucas was an easy target. They were brothers you know. Each would have given up their life to save the other, without hesitation. Matthew would never have wanted Lucas to spend the rest of his life feeling guilty about that night. Matthew did exactly what he wanted that night. And he would have done it 1,000 times over even if he knew how it would end. It was me who couldn't accept the choice my husband made." She said as a tear rolled down her cheek.
Jeanette turned her gaze to Sterling, "Commander Wilson Harkness. You will have to ask him who he has in his pocket. Can I go now gentlemen?" Jeanette stood. Sterling looked to Nathan and nodded. Nathan walked Jeanette out of the office.
Bill then turned to Daniel, "Harkness is in cahoots with criminals? I never would have believed it. But I do believe she is telling the truth. It explains why the Mounties closed the file on Lucas's shooting despite all the contradictory evidence." Bill told Daniel.
"So do I, Bill. We have a big mess to clean up here." He sighed, realizing once again that Lucas had come to their rescue.
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Later that afternoon as Elizabeth entered Bill's office, she was surprised at the number of people Bill had called together. There was Joseph and Minnie Canfield, Florence and Ned Yost, Faith Carter, Rosemary and Lee, Nathan, Mike Hickam, Henry Gowen, Maise Hickam, Mei Sou, Edwin Mitchell and Molly Sullivan. There were three men standing next to Bill's desk. The oldest was a tall, burly bear of a man who she had never seen before. The other two she had seen around town before although she wasn't sure of their names.
Bill surveyed his office, everyone he asked to attend had arrived. "Ok, everyone, please take a seat," Bill told them.
"I would like to introduce you to Sir Daniel Sterling, William Kennedy and Declan Murphy. Sir Daniel, is the Minister for Public Safety which has direct control over Canadian Secret Intelligence Service and Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Kennedy and Murphy are agents with the CSIS." Bill told everyone.
"There are already rumors going around as to what happened to Governor Bouchard last night and the incident at the saloon. I'm sure your first question, however, is how is Lucas doing this morning? Since we have Dr. Carter here, I will let her answer that question. Faith." He gave Faith the floor to address those assembled.
Faith stood, "Last night Lucas, Governor Bouchard, suffered yet another gunshot wound. He is still unconscious, but his vital signs are improving. He is not out of the woods yet, but Dr. Donovan and I remain optimistic that with time he will make a full recovery." Faith told them.
"Thank you, Faith," Bill said, "we will continue to pray for his recovery. Daniel if you would." Bill said.
Daniel stood and went to the front of the room. He surveyed the people around him, people who Lucas had called friends but yet were so willing to think badly of him. And then had the audacity to publish those doubts in their local newspaper. Where was their loyalty? Daniel wondered. None the less Daniel would do what he could to set them straight.
"I appreciate you all taking the time to meet with me today. But before I begin, I must make something absolutely clear. What I say here today is confidential and cannot be banter around town. I am especially thinking of you Mrs. Coulter." Daniel said as he eyed the editor and chief of the Valley Voice. He was well aware of who she was from his agents.
"You, Mrs. Coulter, I'm afraid have a penchant for reporting only one side of the story and often when asked to keep things off the record you publish anyway." He said succinctly.
Rosemary immediately stood up, "I resent that," she said firmly, "the people are entitled to transparency. Lucas was trying to keep the news about Montague's involvement a secret and I felt that the town deserved to know." She told him with conviction.
"Oh Mrs. Coulter, you are so naïve. From what I have seen you apparently care little about getting a story right but rather rushing to judgement of things that you don't have the full story on. All in the name of an exclusive. Because you, young lady, feel that your assessment of a situation is the only one that matters." He scowled at her.
"But my reason for being here today is not to change your mind or discuss your qualifications as the editor of a small-town local newspaper. I'm simply here to offer you a deeper understanding of the man you were so easily willing to vilify." He said with an icy stare directed solely at her.
"Mrs. Coulter, I need your word that none of what I say here today will be printed in your newspaper or any other." He told her. "Do I have that assurance?" He asked.
"If I don't know what it is, how can I give you that?" She asked him.
"You can give it to me simply because as a minister of your government, I'm asking that of you. If you can't then you need to leave… now." He told her with a menacing tone.
Rosemary pondered this for a moment, "Fine, I give you, my word." She told him.
"Good. Thank you, Mrs. Coulter. One last thing, if you don't keep your word, I'll ruin you and your husband and don't think for even a second that I don't have the power and means to do so. Do we understand each other?" He stared at her with a resolve that scared Rosemary.
She finally responded, "Yes, I understand."
"If anyone else has the same concerns, you can choose to leave. Otherwise, I will continue." Daniel told them. He looked around the room, as the townspeople did as well, no one expressed any opposition. "Then, I will continue." He said solemnly.
"I'm here today to speak on behalf of Governor Bouchard since he is currently unable to defend himself. I will do it for him. Although I must say, it pains me greatly that I need to, especially to this group. But so be it."
"I met Lucas and his best friend Matthew Aucoin, shortly after they graduated from Cambridge University in 1910. They were both from wealthy Canadian families, handsome, educated. Both assumed they would join their fathers in business someday but neither were in a hurry to do so. They were more like brothers than friends really. They initially forged a friendship over their shared lonely childhoods. They loved to play poker and were both extremely good at it. I often came across the pair of them playing in elite poker games across Europe. After observing them for a bit, I decided that we at CSIS could use them in our endeavors." He said with a smile.
"Both young men were intrigued and willing to participate on different missions. These missions consisted of getting certain people, especially the ladies, to reveal things that they might not otherwise have done so. No one ever suspected them. By all outward appearances they were just young rich playboy types." Daniel observed his audience. They didn't seem too shocked by this revelation, which made him chuckle, since Lucas was far from a playboy as one could get.
"A year after working on some low-profile intel cases for us they both officially became agents for the CSIS. As such their missions became more and more intricate and dangerous. They were both very effective and were of great help to our country. Their assignments took place in Europe and the United States, surprisingly neither worked as agents here in Canada. In late 1913 they were sent to New Orleans to get information on a cartel that was trafficking illegal substances between America and England." He paused while he took a sip of his tea observing the faces of his audience. They seemed quite intrigue and surprised by the information he was sharing.
"During this assignment, they met Jeanette Dubois who was a known grifter in New Orleans. They were using her as a way to exchange information with their mark. It was while working this case that Matthew fell in love with Miss Dubois, and they decided to marry. After his marriage to Miss Dubois, Matthew left the service of the CSIS. They purchased a saloon in New Orleans which was named the Queen of Hearts." He watched his audience at the mention of the saloon name.
"Lucas, however, continued on as an agent. About a year after Matthew and Jeanette married, Lucas was given another assignment in New Orleans. He was happy to be reunited with his old friend. The assignment had been going well by all accounts. Unfortunately, during the course of this operation someone gave up Lucas's identity and the cartel set up an ambush to eliminate Lucas. Through a patron at his establishment, Matthew learned what was about to take place and went to warn Lucas. The end result was that Matthew lost his life that night in an ambush instead of Lucas." Daniel paused again, as he observed the troubled look on their faces.
"Jeanette blamed Lucas for Matthew's death and used Lucas's own guilt against him at every turn. Lucas tried to stay in New Orleans for a while to help her with the saloon but soon realized that he needed to leave for his own sanity. He continued on as an agent but the man he had been was forever changed. The fun-loving happy young man that I had first met was gone. The fact that he walked away from that ambush and Matthew didn't has continued to haunt him to this day." He told them solemnly.
"Mrs. Thornton, I understand Mrs. Aucoin told you that she and Lucas were engaged. I can assure you that Lucas and Mrs. Aucoin never had a romantic relationship of any kind. Jeanette was all about preying on Lucas's guilt and using that guilt whenever it suited her. When Lucas came to Hope Valley and had finally found a love of his own and happiness with you, well, Jeanette couldn't stand to see him happy. When she got the opportunity to twist that knife yet again, she took it. I know it pained Lucas that you had believed Mrs. Aucoin and not him." He told her.
Elizabeth lowered her head. She had believed Jeanette, despite Lucas coming to her to tell her it wasn't true. She used that supposed new knowledge from Jeanette to assuaged her own guilt as to what she herself had done to him.
Elizabeth raised her gaze to meet Daniel's. "Thank you. I appreciate you clarifying what the true nature of Lucas and Jeanette's relationship was, although it should not have been necessary. I should have always trusted that Lucas wouldn't lie to me. I'm greatly ashamed and embarrassed by my own behavior." She said quietly. Daniel nodded at her admission but felt no sympathy for the woman.
"As I said Lucas continued on as an agent after Matthew's death. He became an even more effective one but a reckless one. He no longer cared about his own safety and would take the most dangerous of assignments. One such case involved the kidnapping of a 5-year-old boy. The boy's father was rich but more than that was a member of the inner circle who had access to vital military secrets the Germans would pay handsomely for. This man had one weakness, his son, and Jonathan Kingston knew it." He paused to gauge his audience. They all seemed quite surprised to hear of Lucas's life before his time in Hope Valley.
"Lucas had known Kingston over the years, they had played in many poker games together. Lucas took advantage of that relationship and maneuvered him into giving away the location of the boy. Lucas then went on a one-man mission to rescue the child as the deadline Kingston had given had expired. Well, suffice to say Lucas found the boy in time, unfortunately, Kingston escaped before officials could arrest him. The Germans never received the intel they so desperately wanted and the Allies were able to go on to win the war."
Daniel could sense that they were finally understanding the kind of man that Lucas was and how much they truly owed him. "For his act of bravery, Lucas was knighted by King George. An honor to be sure, but it meant nothing to Lucas." He told them honestly.
"Shortly after the incident with Kingston, Jeanette contacted Lucas. She was in trouble with a businessman named Amos Dixon, I believe most of you are familiar with that name." The group nodded remembering what happened shortly after Lucas had arrived in Hope Valley.
"Lucas went back to New Orleans to bail her out of that situation with Dixon. Unfortunately, it became clear to Lucas that she could no longer stay in New Orleans. Lucas traveled with Jeanette up here to Canada, hoping to put some distance between Jeanette and New Orleans. Jeanette had friends in Cape Fullerton and she decided to stay there. Around that same time, Lucas saw a for-sale ad for the White Stallion Saloon.' He was tired, wanted to stop. Wanted a life for himself, a family." Daniel smiled thinking how close Lucas had come to achieving his dream.
"The saloon that was for sale here in Hope Valley, seemed the perfect way to get that and to honor the memory of his best friend. Unfortunately, due to corrupt Mountie's, Dixon got out of jail early and came looking for them. No need to recount that whole situation. Once Dixon was dealt with, Lucas called in some favors and got Jeanette a job with the Treasury department which she gladly accepted. She decided she wanted to try life again on the right side of the law. She wanted to honor Matthew's memory instead of desecrating it. Or so Lucas thought. When she disappeared from her treasury job a few years ago, she went silent. Of course, we now know what she was doing." Daniel said with dismay.
"This brings us to present day. When I heard that Lucas was considering running for territory governor of Alberta, I immediately contacted him. I advised him strongly that it was a very bad idea. Putting himself out there in the public eye was just asking his enemies from his time in service to seek him out." He told them.
"Since Lucas never worked as an agent here in Canada, he thought the likelihood of that was slim. He felt that the town would be wiped out if Balfour got another term and his fiancée and friends had encouraged him to run for governor. He felt the risk was worth it to save the town he loved." He said annoyed
"As Lucas told me, this was the place that his Elizabeth loved. Where she wanted to raise her son. Where she had met her first husband. Too many people he loved would be hurt if Balfour won. So, he ran for governor, despite the devastation he felt when Mrs. Thornton broke off their engagement. He is a man who follows through on promises made." He told them with admiration.
"After he accepted the nomination, he asked me to assign two agents to you, Mrs. Thornton," looking directly at Elizabeth. Daniel wanted her to realize that everything Lucas had done was for her. Those agents are the gentleman here in this room, Kennedy and Murphy. Lucas was paying their salaries out of his own pocket." He told the group but hoped that Elizabeth understood how far he went to protect her.
"Of course, hours after he won the election someone tried to assassinate him. Although Lucas couldn't remember who tried to kill him, he was not sold on Clayton Pike as his assailant, which is why he continued to have the agents protect Mrs. Thornton and her son." Daniel explained.
"Lucas never asked for any agents to be assigned to protect him?" Nathan asked incredulous that Lucas wouldn't have done that.
"Lucas felt that his enemies, which there are many, would go after those he loved, if they truly wanted revenge against him. Lucas has never really cared about his own safety, I'm sorry to say. He only ran for governor for the people in this room, not for himself and against what I advised him." He told them strongly.
"Lucas had already lived life on a grand stage; he neither wanted or needed that now. He only wanted peace and the life that Hope Valley offered him." He said with a sadness to his voice.
"One could only survive life as an agent if one kept everything close to the vest. Divulging information before its time usually meant disaster in our world. Being governor does require more transparency, I'll give you that. Something that Lucas is not accustomed to. Something, if he stays in government, he will need to learn. In fairness, the man has spent most of the past 8 months just trying to survive. Yet from where I sit, this town and the people he cared so much about only sought to tear him down."
"Mrs. Coulter, Lucas had Montague vetted out with the CSIS. Although Montague does play fast and loose with the rules depending on who he is dealing with. Balfour was a crook so Montague felt no compulsion to be more above aboard with the towns people. I assure you he wouldn't have played fast and loose with Governor Bouchard. Lucas was no fan of Montague's ethics to be sure but with all the slander that Kingston and Jeanette put out there no respectable businessmen were interested in investing in this resort venture."
"But Montague tried to turn our town into a dust bowl. The people of Hope Valley didn't want him here." Rosemary said vehemently.
"Well, Mrs. Coulter you got your wish, now didn't you. Instead, your town will become a ghost town of your own making because there will be no jobs for the people to stay here. You may have cost your town an opportunity to grow and prosper due to your own short sightedness. You chose not to trust Lucas after he asked you to. He wouldn't have put the valley in jeopardy. Of course, your article had a direct effect on how this entire scenario played out. The lack of trust you had in your friend is mind boggling to me. Beware of the devil that you choose, Mrs. Coulter."
Daniel turned his attention to Henry. "Mr. Gowen, from a public relations standpoint, I will work with you and Mr. Mitchell on a press release. Needless to say, none of the information I have divulged today will be told. Lucas's life depends on this being kept quiet. I can assure you that Mrs. Aucoin will not be an issue going forward. If I was Lucas I would walk away from the governorship and this town. A town that has shown no understanding of the magnitude of the sacrifices he has made to preserve it." He said with scorn in his voice.
"But the Lucas I know won't walk away, he has never run from a fight and I sincerely doubt he will start now. Most, not all of the people in this town have shown him no mercy of which you should be ashamed." He saw the shocked look on their faces, that someone would dare speak to them so bluntly.
"I saw Lucas as a poet not a fighter, I had no idea that…" Nathan said aloud as he trailed off not sure what to say to everything he had just heard.
"Constable you were not meant to know, but I could no longer sit back and watch one of the finest men I know continue to be treated as a pariah in the town he loved. The town he thought of as home." He said with chagrin.
"I have broken the code of silence that I have mandated we drill into all our agents. It is how we are able to do what we do, to keep our citizens and ourselves safe. That is the reason why Lucas never shared any of this with his friends or even you Mrs. Thornton, the woman he loved." He said with passion.
That brings us to today, where Lucas is once again left fighting for his life." Daniel just shook his head in dismay.
"Assuming no one has anything else to say. I will take my leave. I'm going to check into the hotel for the night. Dr. Carter, please let me know if there is any change in Lucas's condition. Bill, Mr. Gowen, I will talk with you both later." Daniel honestly wasn't sure if any of what he told them would make a difference in their treatment of Lucas but he had set the record straight. The rest was up to the people of Hope Valley. He gave them one more disappointed look before he left the office. Agents Kennedy and Murphy left with him.
Bill walked back to the front of the room, "Remember what Daniel said about this information being kept quiet. I appreciate you all coming today." Bill said quietly.
"Bill, did you know any of this about Lucas before?" Ned Yost asked.
"No, I only found out a little before all of you. Lucas never really talked about his life before Hope Valley and I admit I honestly thought he had been up to no good back then but thought he came here to change his ways. I couldn't have been more wrong. I know I owe him an apology, as do most of the people in this room." He said in his usual gruff manner.
"Elizabeth," Florence asked, "is everything Mr. Sterling said true? Are you the one that broke off the engagement instead of the other way around?" She asked.
Elizabeth stood and looked at her friends, "Lucas was kind and I was cruel." She lowered her head and walked out of Bill's office. Rosemary followed her.
Everyone else got up and started to leave Bill's office as well. Nathan and Lee went up to Bill.
"What are we supposed to do with this information?" Nathan asked totally shocked by everything he had just learned about Lucas.
"Nothing" Bill said. "Daniel's only purpose in revealing any of it was so that we would start supporting Lucas as opposed to tearing him down. We just wanted him to fix our water problem and didn't give much thought to what he might be giving up or what being governor really meant. I know I didn't," he said ashamed.
"I heard about the rescue of that child 5 years ago; it was quite the feat. To think it was Lucas. I'm speechless." Nathan said.
"Well, I need to go to Rosie, I'm sure she is feeling pretty guilty that her articles are partially to blame for this whole mess. Not to mention her distrust of Lucas. Honestly, I am just as complicit as my wife." Lee said with regret.
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Faith returned to the infirmary and found MaKayla sitting at the front desk. MaKayla smiled at Faith as she came in. "Only Mrs. Jackson, came in, I believe she has bronchitis. I gave her a prescription to fill at the pharmacy. How did the meeting with Mr. Sterling go?" MaKayla asked curiously.
"You should wait to hear everything directly from him." Faith told her.
"Is it bad?" Makayla asked with trepidation
"No, no, not at all. Just surprising. Once you talk with Mr. Sterling, we can discuss if you want." Faith said.
"I can't wait to speak to him. Unfortunately, there has been no change in Lucas's condition since you've been gone. If you don't mind, I'm going to go to Lucas's house to take care of a few things, then meet Daniel at the saloon. I'll be back after that. If anything changes with Lucas, please call me immediately." MaKayla told her.
She then walked over to Lucas before she left. "See you later governor. I love you." MaKayla told him as she leaned over and kissed him on the forehead.