Chapter 52

Elizabeth hurried to the door; her brow wrinkled in concern. Nathan and the others were late, and now someone was knocking at their door. Unexpected visitors after dark never seemed to bring good news, so Elizabeth took a steadying breath before reaching for the door handle, steeling herself to hear whatever news the visitor brought.

"Henry?" Elizabeth exclaimed. If asked, she would admit Henry was the last person she expected to be standing at her door.

"May I come in, Elizabeth? I have a message for you."

A wave of fear rushed through Elizabeth. Wild thoughts ran through her mind. Something terrible had happened to Nathan and the others, that's why they were late. It must be serious; otherwise, they would have been here hours ago. If it weren't serious, Nathan would have come himself. She always expected it would be Bill who would come with any bad news.

"I'm sorry Henry...please come in, and please…just tell me."

Henry stared at her, his face grave as he stepped inside. She saw him make eye contact with Colleen, who had returned from checking Allie was still sleeping soundly. He gave her a small smile but didn't speak. Colleen remained silent too as she walked toward the kitchen table, placing her hand on it to brace herself for what was to come.

"Tea or coffee?" Colleen offered abruptly. The offer, made from habit sounded rude, but fear tainted her words and overrode her natural courtesy.

"No, thank you, Mrs Parkes. I won't be staying. I have a message for you from Nathan, and then I need to find Constable Kinslow."

Elizabeth felt her fear start to recede. Nathan had been well enough to give Henry a message; that was good. Wasn't it?

"Nathan received a telegram this afternoon from Constable Kinslow." Henry continued. "He revealed Patricia's real name and advised that her Fiancé was on his way to Coal Valley."

"Oh, so she does have someone who cares about her; that's wonderful news," Elizabeth interrupted.

"Apparently not." Henry corrected, grimacing. "The Constable advised he was also on his way to Coal Valley and to relocate the woman, whose real name is Mariah, immediately. He said to expect him as soon as he could arrive." Henry paused, seeing the confusion and anxiety on their faces. "Nathan, Robert and Julie are with her at my home. I need to bring the Constable back home with me."

"You should wait here, Henry. Gabe will come here looking for Nathan if he doesn't find him at the Mountie office." Elizabeth looked at Colleen, wanting to get her agreement. "It would be better if her fiancé doesn't see the two of you together."

"I don't know if there is time to wait. When I left home to come to you, I ran into a man I could only assume was Mariah's Fiancé, a Mr Armstrong; thankfully, he had a flat tyre which is slowing down his arrival in Town, but he is close. I returned home and let Nathan know, and he agreed it sounded like him. I need to find Gabriel Kinslow and get him out of the Town as soon as possible.

Gabriel rode into Coal Valley, pleased that the dark of night hid his arrival. He had weaved his way through the backroads and woods from Brookfield, avoiding the main road and shortening his trip. He was not wearing his serge, wanting to remain incognito for as long as possible. Wearing civilian clothes had been lucky for him so far when dealing with this matter. He had just returned from visiting Lillian and the children at the Orphanage when Mr Armstrong arrived in Brookfield. He had spoken to him dressed as a civilian, not a constable. Gabe believed the man had let his guard down because he didn't realise his role in Brookfield, and he sensed the menace behind the man's pleasant facade. The man had also visited Joe Walsh in the general store, who, when Gabe spoke to him afterwards, concurred with his assessment; general enquiries of others had confirmed Armstrong was not a good man. He had decided to trust his gut, warn Nathan about Armstrong, and have him hide Patricia.

Gabriel's focus was finding Nathan and planning what to do next. He hoped Nathan had found out why Patricia had run and what part Armstrong had played in her reasons for doing so. Riding up to the Mountie office, he saw it was dark inside. On one hand, he was pleased that it meant Nathan had gotten his message and moved the prisoner, but he didn't know how to find them.

Gabe decided not to dismount. Instead, he steered Apollo toward the Cafe where he hoped to find Bill Avery. Something about Armstrong made him think the man would forego the Cafe for the Saloon when he arrived in Town. He hesitated outside the Cafe, hoping Abigail wouldn't mind him intruding on her personal space and entering via the kitchen door, helping to keep his presence in Town a secret for as long as possible. Taking the chance, he stepped up, rapped his knuckles on the door, opened it, and stepped quickly inside.

Gabriel had to swallow back a grin at the identical shocked expression on the three faces sitting at the table in the kitchen. All three stared at him, mouths open, until Bill finally broke from his stupor, answering the question on his, Abigail's and Clara's lips.

"Kinslow, what are you doing here?"

Gabriel frowned. This wasn't the reaction he expected. He had assumed Nathan would have included Bill in his plans for Mariah. If Bill wasn't expecting him, he was unlikely to know where Nathan had gone, and Gabriel was no closer to finding them before Armstrong did.

"When was the last time you spoke to Nathan?"

"Earlier today," glancing at the clock Bill said, "it's been hours. Why?" Standing up, his body tense he asked, "What's happened?"

As Gabriel explained to Bill what he knew, he wondered how to find Nathan, desperate to make sure his friend had escaped Armstrong. Bill paced the kitchen of the Cafe as he spluttered about being left out of the loop and all the things he would do to Nathan when he saw him.

"You need to speak to Elizabeth. He will have found a way to tell her he was okay and maybe where he is."

Bill stared at Abigail; his face incredulous. "You think he would tell Elizabeth before me?"

"Yes." "Yes."

Abigail and Clara answered simultaneously, and Gabriel laughed as Bill frowned. He should have gone straight to Elizabeth.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Mrs Stanton; I will take your advice and go and see Elizabeth. Thank you."

"Wait, Kinslow. I'm coming with you." Bill said, grabbing his coat from the hook. "You can fill me in on the rest of it on the way."

"Constable Grant?" Mariah said softly. "I am sorry for what I have done. I ran when I thought I had killed Mr Armstrong. Once I knew I hadn't, it was too late. I was already a thief and knew he would use that against me."

"I'm glad you shared your story, Mariah. Constable Kinslow has spoken to all the people you stole from, and none of them want to press charges. When he hears the rest of your story, I am sure he will agree there is no reason to hold you any longer."

Mariah's eyes filled with tears, and she dropped her head to hide her reaction. She reached out and took Julie's hand in hers, squeezing it tightly. Nathan glanced at Robert and was rewarded with a broad smile. He knew he had made the right decision about Mariah. Looking between her and Julie, he had a feeling the young girl would be staying in Coal Valley.

"Nathan," Julie asked, "would Henry mind if I settled Mariah into a room? She is exhausted?"

"I'm sure it would be fine; he was happy to have her stay."

"Why don't I come upstairs with you, Julie? Mariah can use the room I stayed in when I was here. I will show you where it is."

Nathan watched the three of them walk upstairs. When Mariah reached the bottom stair she paused, turning to face him. "Thank you, Constable Grant, for everything you have done for me. I appreciate it very much."

Nathan nodded and smiled at the young woman, pleased to note that for the first time since he had met her, her smile reached her eyes.

Gabriel blew out a frustrated breath; Bill seemed to be taking forever to saddle Hero. He was eager to see Nathan and find out what had happened since he sent the telegram, and he wanted to get out of Coal Valley before Mr Armstrong saw him.

"Let's go, Kinslow," Bill said, trotting past him, holding a lantern to guide the way.

Gabriel rolled his eyes at Bill, but wisely chose to keep his retort to himself as he followed him away from the livery. He was happy that at least they were on the move. Riding through the darkness, Gabriel wished he had arrived in daylight. He would feel better about riding out the back way to Nathan's if he could see his surroundings. Bill might know the way, but Gabe hated to rely on someone else.

Gabriel saw Bill turn in his saddle, then slow so Gabriel and Apollo could catch up to him. When he was alongside Bill, he started talking, telling Bill everything he knew and why Nathan hadn't had time to fill him in. Gabriel could sense Bill's frustration rising, but there was no time to appease the man; they needed to talk to Elizabeth and then find Nathan, and once they did, Bill could express his displeasure to him directly.

Bill rode along silently, and Gabriel knew he was musing on what he had been told. He understood from Nathan that Bill had been championing Patricia to him, softening his usual tough stance on prisoner treatment. Bill would be glad to learn there were very good reasons for the young woman's behaviour, relieved she had deserved the trust he gave her.

"Can you see the lights up ahead, Kinslow, through those trees? That's the Grant's place."

Gabriel leaned forward, straining to see into the darkness beyond the lantern's glow, eventually able to see the outline of the back of the house in the dull light. Gabriel was pleased they were almost there, wishing his visit to his friend's home was for a more positive reason. He was looking forward to seeing Colleen's improvement. He had been devastated to hear of her illness and that it had been considered life-threatening until Robert Pearce reviewed her, not limiting his treatment ideas to mainstream medicine. Nathan's family were like family to him, and the thought of Allie being without her mother had affected him deeply.

As the two rounded the house, approaching it from the front, the curtain at the window twitched, and Gabriel imagined the two women inside, anxious to know who their visitors were.

"Elizabeth, it's me and Gabriel Kinslow," Bill called when they got close enough, wanting to assure them they were friendly visitors. Gabriel saw the curtain twitch again before the door was opened seconds later, and the two women stood silhouetted in the doorway.

"Bill, Gabriel, I am so glad to see you both," Elizabeth called, rushing forward to help the two men tie their horses up before bustling them inside.

"Gowan? What are you doing here?" Bill snarled, surprised. Henry Gowan was the last person he expected to see inside the Grant home.

"Bill, Elizabeth admonished, "Henry is here to help. He is here waiting to see Gabriel so he can fill him in on what has happened."

"How is it Henry knows, and I don't?" Bill said, his face pinched with anger.

"If you sit down, Bill, you'll find out." When Bill hesitated, Elizabeth said, "Sit," more firmly, pleased when he did, choosing the seat at the table opposite Henry.

"Henry, please explain to Gabriel what you have told Colleen and me while I get everyone some more tea," Elizabeth knew Bill wanted to object, wanted to be the one giving orders, but, he bit his tongue, and Henry began to speak.

When Henry had finished telling them all he knew, Bill jumped to his feet. "We need to get going, get to Nathan," he insisted.

"Wait, Bill. Let's think about this," Gabriel cautioned. "Right now, Mariah is safe in a location no one would expect, protected by a Mountie. Even after Henry returns and Julie and Robert leave, she will have the protection of two armed men." As he finished the last sentence, Gabriel glanced at Henry for confirmation of his assumption he was armed. Henry nodded once, and Gabriel continued. "Mr Armstrong doesn't know you at all, Bill, and while he doesn't understand I am a Mountie, he will be suspicious of why I am now in Coal Valley if he sees me. I need to go with Henry, and you should stay here in Town."

Bill pursed his lips, wanting to find a flaw in Gabriel's plan, but he couldn't. It made sense. It went against everything he held dear to let Henry Gowan play a part in this operation. The man was scum. After a moment of contemplation, he threw up his hands, conceding with the plan, knowing he had no choice.

"You were right about one thing, Bill," Gabe continued. "We do need to get going." Standing, he pushed his chair back and stood, "Henry. If you're ready, we should go."

As Henry prepared to leave, Colleen spoke to him, asking when they could expect Julie and Robert, wanting to be ready in case they received any other visitors instead.

Gabriel walked to Elizabeth and took one of her hands in his. "It is going to be all right, Elizabeth. Nathan made the perfect choice of locations; it's evident from Bill's reaction that no one in Town would suspect Mariah is at Henry's."

"What about Julie and Robert being there? Won't they be in danger if he does find out?"

"It won't be long before they are here with you. They can leave the moment Henry and I arrive." Smiling at her, he asked, "Is there a message I can give Nathan?"

"Just remind him to stay safe and come home to me when we can."

Elizabeth, Colleen, and Bill stood on the verandah, watching Gabe ride after Henry. Elizabeth hadn't realised she was wringing her hands together until Colleen placed her hand over hers.

"If you think about it, Elizabeth," Colleen murmured. "Nathan, Julie and Robert are in the safest place possible. This Mr Armstrong has not arrived and has no idea about anyone in this Town; he will not know where to begin looking."

"You're right, but until I see them for myself, I'm going to keep worrying."

"Once Henry arrives with Gabe, you two can head home; there is nothing more you can do here," Nathan said when Julie joined him, and Robert came downstairs.

"I am not sure I feel right leaving her alone," Julie said. "I got her settled into the room, but I doubt she will sleep."

"Even if she doesn't, Julie, there is no point in both of you losing a night's sleep, especially you, Robert. You never know what kind of emergency you may have to deal with tomorrow. The Town needs you rested."

"I think Nathan is right, Julie. Your family will be worried; I doubt Elizabeth or Colleen will rest until you're both home. I can at least take one of you with me."

Julie couldn't argue with them, especially when they were right. "If Patricia needs me, will you promise to come for me, Nathan?"

"I will, I promise. Will you make me a promise now? Will you promise to tell Elizabeth I am safe and will remain safe and be home to her the moment I can be?"

"I'll tell her, Nathan, but you know she won't be satisfied until she sees that for herself."

Nathan was surprised when Julie threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. He smiled as he remembered her initial opinion of him; he hadn't imagined this closeness in their future.

As Henry parked his car at the back of his property, Nathan and the others rushed to meet Gabriel where he was securing Apollo. Greetings were exchanged quickly as he entered the home, with Nathan ensuring everyone was introduced before asking Gabriel for an update. Gabriel filled Nathan and the others in on his interactions with Mr Armstrong, including the feeling he had gotten from the man, which Joe corroborated. Robert filled Gabriel in on the information he had received from Mariah, sticking with the facts without elaboration or embellishment.

"So, what's our next move?" Gabriel asked, looking at Nathan.

"First things first, Julie and Robert are going home. They have settled Mariah in Robert's old room, and she will be there until morning. You and I will remain here with Henry, guarding her. Bill will send a message to me when he locates Armstrong.

Gabriel nodded at Nathan, "Will you arrest him for what he has done or tried to do to Mariah?"

"No," Nathan stated. He saw the look of shock on Julie's face, and he rushed to explain. "Armstrong expects to find Mariah behind bars; he wouldn't be coming here if he hadn't heard she had been arrested. If we arrest him, we must also arrest Mariah until we prove her assault on him was self-defence. I don't want him to know our suspicions about his involvement in Mariah's father's death."

"So, how do we explain her absence from the jail?" Gabe asked, "if he expects to find her there."

"We could say she was ill, with something highly contagious," Robert offered. "I would be happy to refuse to let him see her. He won't know whether there is or isn't an isolation room in the back of the Infirmary."

Nathan glanced at Gabe, pleased he was nodding in agreement with Robert's plan. "If that is what we are going to do, someone should be close by if he tries to cause trouble."

"Nathan, I agree, and it makes sense for you to go with Julie and Robert." When Nathan started to protest, Gabriel held up a hand, silencing him, "For now, the most important thing is that Armstrong is not suspicious, and that means you need to be in the Mountie office in Coal Valley."

It took several more minutes of discussion back and forth between the two Mounties before Nathan agreed there was some merit to Gabriel's idea.

"Fine, Gabe, I accept your idea, but I want you to get a message to me the moment anything changes."

"Agreed. And you can call in here on your rounds tomorrow and give us all an update."

"The only weak link in the plan is my housekeeper. She will be coming throughout the day to prepare meals, and it would seem odd if I didn't allow it, although I can hold her back from cleaning upstairs."

"Introduce her to me. I can be a visiting business associate. I am in civilian clothes; I won't wear my Uniform. That will explain the additional food and the comings and goings tonight."

Nathan was eager to leave now they had finally dealt with everything. While he would have been happy to stay at Henry's, the thought of seeing Elizabeth had him rushing Julie and Robert out the door. He thanked Gabe again before leaving, knowing he could entrust Mariah to his care and would do whatever it took to keep her safe.

Bill paced the lounge room, his footsteps loud in the quiet room. Elizabeth and Colleen had given up all pretence that this was an ordinary evening, instead sitting together, silently lost in their thoughts. Elizabeth started when Bill stopped striding around the room and hurried to the door. He had heard the car engine much sooner than her.

Elizabeth stood beside Colleen, looking past Bill and out into the darkness, pleased when she recognised Robert's car. Elizabeth sighed deeply, relaxing a little, knowing at least Julie and Robert were safe. She couldn't relax completely until this whole ordeal was over.

"Nathan!" Elizabeth cried, seeing him emerge from the back seat of the car. She ran to him, barely avoiding knocking into Bill as she raced through the front door and threw herself off the verandah and into his arms.

"Well, that's quite a welcome," Bill said, shaking his head at her exuberance. "Anyone would think there had been something to worry about."

Colleen scoffed at Bill and rolled her eyes. "Come in, Julie, Robert; we are eager to hear everything," she said as she smiled at her brother and Elizabeth. "Those two can join us when they are ready."