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Nathan & Elizabeth: An Epic Love
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Chapter Forty-seven
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Capital City
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Part II
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The day was particularly beautiful in Capitol City, though the inside of Abbingdon Women's Prison was anything but. Sadly, it was the nicest facility for women that Canada had.
The Chief Inspector, looking handsome and striking in his new uniform, stood at attention, waiting for his prisoner.
Had this been a male prison, he would have been required to witness the disrobing and re-dressing in the clothes the prisoner had arrived in to verify there were no hidden weapons of any kind, even so much as a writing pen or a safety pin. But thankfully, in this instance, that requirement was dismissed!
As soon as Prisoner ST9451 was changed out of her blue and white striped uniform dress with a dark checked apron over it after having undergone a complete pat-down and search prior to redressing under the watchful eyes of the prison Matron, she would be brought to the lobby, where the Chief would meet her. (*109)
According to protocol, the prisoner was to be given no reason for this abrupt change, nor would she be told where she was going or whom she was going with.
Nathan, more than most, knew just how difficult prison life was, especially given his many required visits to them due to his profession. But even given those many visits, he had never once been able to visit his father when he had been incarcerated. The Chief now realized that inability had protected him at the time from not having to know the exact horrors his own father was enduring, as thankfully, his job came after all that.
The conditions for the male prisoners turned his stomach every time he was re-exposed to them, but thinking about a woman living in those conditions was entirely intolerable.
As far as Jeanette Au Coin went, he knew she was awakened every morning promptly at 6 AM. (*110)
He knew she was required to work a minimum of ten-hour days doing things such as cleaning, laundry, and textile production for both the male and female prisoners, including making their clothing and their bedding. (*111)
He knew she was paraded to the dining hall for all of her meals and from there paraded to the workshops where she worked until noon, stopping for lunch, then working until the evening when supper was served, then after paraded back to her cell. (*112)
He knew that if she had no work to do, she was required to stay in her '28 inches wide by 8 feet long by 6 feet 7 inches high cell for 12-14 hours with only a pot as a toilet. (*113)
He knew that on Sundays, she still worked a half day after attending chapel. (*114)
He knew she was eating food of inferior quality throughout her stay, though considered wholesome and in sufficient quantities. Unappetizing food such as beans, oatmeal, black bread, stewed meats, root vegetables, and sauerkraut of cabbage. (*115)
He knew she was given milk once weekly but not much if any, fruit. (*116)
He knew her cell ward was dark and often dank. (*117)
He knew her overall living conditions were not at all good as there were often infestations of bugs and vermin, followed by illnesses of various kinds, such as pneumonia, typhus, or diphtheria, which often resulted in death for many prisoners. (*118)
He knew any attempts at education were poor and that there was little access, if any, to newspapers and magazines in order to keep up with current events. (*119)
He knew both her claustrophobic cell and workshops were poorly ventilated. (*120)
And he knew if she misbehaved either via a slip of the tongue with a foul word or if she spoke what was considered 'injurious speech,' she would pay dearly, either by bread and water diets for 24 to72 hours, solitary confinement in dark cells, or by paying the ultimate price of humiliation for a woman by being required to have her head shaved. (*121)
All of these realities and more were profound reasons that if his instincts were correct about Jeanette's innocence, he wanted her out of this monstrous place as soon as possible…
Still waiting, standing at attention, the Chief Inspector was beginning to wonder what the hold-up was, especially since they were on a fairly tight schedule, given he had no idea how long it would take for him to get the information he required.
He only knew he had no intention of spending an extra day in Capital City; if he wasn't successful today, Headquarters had made no extended arrangements, nor had he wanted them to.
He and his men were set to return back to Hope Valley via embarkation on the midnight train tonight unless an earlier one could be found.
"Ma'am, can you please tell me what the holdup is," asked the Chief.
"Yes, Sir! The Matron just now called, and they are having difficulty locating the prisoner's clothes."
"I see. If they aren't found expediently, please instruct the Matron to leave the prisoner in her uniform for transfer; my team will see that she is given appropriate clothing for the day."
"But, Sir, we are required to return her personal effects!"
"Yes, Ma'am, you are. But that can easily be done after they are first located. Ten more minutes of searching and I am afraid we must resort to Plan B."
"Yes, Sir! Of course! I will instruct the Matron."
Within minutes, Jeanette appeared in the prison lobby dressed in the same clothing Nathan had last seen her in.
Though Nathan had prepared himself, still, his heart fell somewhat when he first saw her drawn face though he didn't show it.
Her once beautiful, lively face was emotionless and void of any expression whatsoever. There was no cockiness or spunk, no spirit of life even, though he felt sure all three would come back with time. And though her cockiness, borderline rudeness wasn't a trait he admired at all, it would be welcomed over the devastation she was clearly experiencing now.
Also, she was pale and terribly thin, with her clothing now hanging loosely around her body, just as he had expected.
She was escorted by a team of four guards plus the Matron, who was in charge of the entire facility.
As they had instructed their prisoner to do, she was not allowed to look up until spoken to, the guards leading her in movement, slowly toward him.
"Chief Inspector Grant, this is Prisoner ST9451, and I have prepared her papers for you as requested."
"Thank you, Matron Fairbanks. That is much appreciated."
"Can you please come and sign the final papers of discharge?"
"Of course!"
He noticed that a confused expression immediately fell on Jeanette's face, which was still lowered, the moment she heard his last name, yet she still obeyed her instruction.
Nathan moved to the counter, where he was handed a sheaf of forms.
"I'm afraid a signature is required on the marked pages for a total of six."
"Yes, Ma'am, I am familiar. Is there any special information that is not documented I should know?"
"She has been a model prisoner, Sir!"
"And the report of conduct is attached to her file?"
"Yes, Chief Inspector, it is!"
"Then I think we are ready for the transfer. I very much appreciate your diligence, Matron Fairbanks."
"My pleasure, Sir!"
The six local Mounties attending Nathan stepped to the forefront and took over the guard positions in their preferred formation: two on each side of the prisoner, one in front of the prisoner, and one behind the prisoner.
In that formation, they led the prisoner into daylight, whose remanded custody was now the full responsibility of their new Chief Inspector.
As such, they placed her into the back seat of his secure limousine used for Dignitaries.
He then returned the salute of his men prior to getting in the back seat beside her.
"At ease, Gentlemen…"
The drive to Headquarters took twenty minutes, and according to protocol, not a single word was spoken.
But by having her ride with him, Nathan was making her as comfortable as possible while treating her with the utmost respect, which his men immediately picked up on.
Jeanette kept looking out of her window, then she would look over through his, and then through the front windshield, marveling at the sun and the skies surrounding her, just like a child seeing them for the first time! Which was exactly what every newly released prisoner did. Coming outside to the light for the first time, after all the darkness inside, no matter for how long, was a momentous occasion, reassuring the prisoner the real world still, in fact, existed. A fact, Nathan knew was much too easy to lose sight of during one's incarceration.
When they reached the bustle of Capital City, she knew it well enough to remember where Lucas's office was located. Nathan noticed as they purposely passed by that she began crying, just as he had suspected she would.
He handed her his own handkerchief, his heart wounded at seeing her so broken, believing she had lost the love of her life forever.
'Perhaps,' he thought. 'That has been her worst punishment of all to have endured.'
Nathan made up his mind right then and there that when they spoke off the record, for Lucas's sake and for hers, he was clearing that very hurtful matter up, as he was sure Lucas would want him to do.
Especially because he had no doubt if he didn't, Jeanette would remain in her current state of despair with no hope of a future other than what she had already resigned herself to.
And he knew that he had to get her to the place where she was willing to fight not only for herself but for Lucas as well if he was going to be successful in his interrogation of her.
But given her terrible state, he knew now, it was going to take more time to get her there before he could even begin his questioning…
Once Nathan was settled in the secure room with his prisoner, he did a very strange thing, before the door was closed.
"Constable, do you happen to have a female stenographer in your employ?"
"Yes, Sir! Mrs. McCoy."
"Can you, please bring her to me as quickly as possible?"
"Of course, Sir, I'll be right back with her. She works not far from here."
"Thank you."
Then he addressed his prisoner in a gentle, most compassionate voice.
"What would you like me to call you?"
She was taken aback by the kind question and at first stumbled over how to answer.
"I…I'm sorry! It's just that I haven't heard my name for a very long while," she answered weakly. "Please call me Jeanette."
"Jeanette, it is! And you may call me Nathan when we are alone."
"Thank you, Nathan. Am I allowed to speak?"
"Absolutely, you are. While you are with me alone, all the prison rules are gone, at least for the time being, which is something we will discuss in a few moments, as I know you are wondering why we are here. All of that will be explained. The goal is for you to be comfortable. But first, can you write your normal clothing and shoe sizes down on this paper in the first column, and then the sizes you think you might be now in the second column? I would also like you to note any style and color preferences along with any favorite brands within reason."
She nodded and lifted the pen, completing his requests at the same time there was a knock on the door.
"Chief Inspector Grant, this is Mrs. Edna McCoy, and she has been cleared to assist you for as long as you need."
"Thank you, Constable! Mrs. McCoy, we appreciate your assistance very much. Through no fault of her own, our guest has no adequate clothing, and she will be attending a function tonight, where she not only needs something that fits, but something that is quite a bit dressier, shoes and bag included, say as for a fancy dinner? Do you think you might be able to do a little shopping for us? Here is a list of her old sizes and what she thinks her current sizes might be, along with her preferences in brand, style, and color."
Mrs. McCoy read through the list.
"Miss, do you mind standing up? I think you might be much smaller than this second column suggests, as I have a daughter who is very, very close to your size."
Jeanette looked at Nathan for approval to do so, to which he nodded.
As she stood, Mrs. McCoy spoke.
"Just as I thought! You are exactly my Emmy's size. This will be an absolute delight, as she hates shopping, and I happen to love it!"
"That's wonderful, Mrs. McCoy! Please take this cash with you, and if you need more, give them my business card, and they can charge the difference to me."
"My pleasure, Chief Inspector! Is there a deadline as to time?"
"We would like everything delivered as soon as possible, but definitely before 5 PM this evening."
"Every single item will be here way before that, I assure you, as my family calls me the shopper extraordinaire! But oh, is there any particular lipstick or makeup you need, Dear?"
"Oh," sighed Jeanette. "That would be heavenly!"
She scribbled three items down and the colors she used: lipstick, foundation, and blush.
"I believe we've staffed this mission more than appropriately," noted the Chief, as he could tell they were in good hands. "Good luck, and thank you, Mrs. McCoy!"
As soon as the door closed, Jeanette looked as though she were going to cry all over again…
"Can you tell me why you are being so nice to me? And are you allowed to tell me what function I'll be attending tonight?"
"Yes, to both, though I need to privately discuss several other matters with you as well. Let's start with the questions you've asked. But if it's okay, I'd like to start with the second one first."
She nodded, so terribly unsure of what was happening, and a bundle of nerves inside.
"You will be having dinner with the Governor tonight. Though I regret, given the precautions for your safety, I must insist it has to be inside his office quarters."
"No! He hasn't even contacted me. And he doesn't want to see me. He made that perfectly clear. I'm an embarrassment to him, and he himself said over and over again that he no longer loves me. No, I won't do it! I simply can't."
"That's understandable. With one correction, Jeanette. What if I told you the truth? The truth Lucas has shared with me multiple times is quite different from what you think."
"If it's hurtful, please spare me. Please! I just can't go through being hurt all over again."
"Jeanette, I'm not here to hurt you but to help you. From where I stand, you have every right to be angry with him, given what you've had to go through without his support. But, in his defense, he hasn't really known what to do, given the difficult situation that you both are currently in. Yet, I do know he feels very much responsible for it all."
She breathed out, not believing the words just said to her, though the one thing she knew to be true was that the man before her would never lie.
"The truth is, Jeanette, Lucas loves you and only you. He has clearly told me he has only and always been in love with you. Which if we're being totally honest here, I believe both Elizabeth and I already knew exactly as you also knew it. Lucas is on pins and needles, anxiously waiting to have this time with you tonight. Although I will admit he is terrified that you might not forgive him. And that is your decision to make when the time comes."
"He arranged this time?"
"No. To be perfectly honest, I did."
"But why would you do that?"
"He wanted to come visit you in prison. And I knew that wasn't a good idea, for you or for him. He also had started the process of offering you clemency, but I asked him to stop that immediately, again for your best interest, and for his. If this 'scandal' is to ever die down, and I believe it will, you two must rehabilitate and fight it together as a unit. And I believe you can do that."
"But…you know if I show my face in public, I'm as good as dead," she whispered.
"Yes, that is true for now. But I've been working hard on fixing that, and if the two of you will be patient with me and allow me to finish wrapping everything up about this case, I don't believe it will remain that way for long."
"I want desperately to believe you, but how does that fit in with my first question? Why are you being so nice to me? I was awful to you. Absolutely awful. I called you a Boy Scout and I meant it to feel scathing to you."
"Well, I hate to disappoint you, but there wasn't anything scathing about it, as I've been called a lot worse in my line of work. Actually, I thought your assessment was quite spot on the mark and pretty funny too, as I always wanted to be a Boy Scout but never seemed to have the money to pay the dues or buy the uniform!"
Nathan chuckled.
"Maybe that's part of the reason why I wear this one today!"
Despite herself, she smiled.
"Nevertheless, I am sorry for those words. I was angry at Elizabeth. Well, more accurately jealous of her, and since she could have cared less about any barb I threw her way, I decided to throw them your way instead. Again, I am so sorry. But once more, why are you trying to help me?"
"Because I personally don't believe you are a criminal. Instead, I believe you are the victim, one who is terrified enough for her life to take the fall for something she didn't do. And I hope you will prove me correct as we speak this afternoon, both openly and honestly. I believe that talk is going to be quite a lengthy one as I know it's the most important one you will ever have in your life. Quite frankly, our conversation will determine your future: whether you remain in prison for a very long time and go to trial for something you didn't do, yet still may have to pay for the rest of your life if a jury finds you guilty. Or…"
"Or what is the alternative? Because I see none from where I sit!"
"I not only see one, I have already prepared it, Jeanette, and it is waiting for you this very night if you can prove your innocence to me by answering the confidential questions I have prepared for you."
"Are you at liberty to tell me what is prepared?"
"Yes. It is my decision to do so or not to do so."
"And what have you decided? You have to understand that experiencing what I thought was Lucas's final rejection broke me inside. It made me lose all hope, and it made me feel as though I deserved prison with all its horrors, whether I committed a crime or not."
"I do understand that. Jeanette, if you answer - every - single one of my questions this afternoon, completely and honestly, I already have the approval to remand you into my custody permanently till this case is resolved in every way. That means if you can prove your innocence to me, which I have told you I already believe in, tonight, I will be taking you to an undisclosed, but secure location which is being protected by a most capable special forces team. That team will stay there with you, guarding you, till I deem it is safe for you to return to public life."
He paused, letting that sink in, then continued.
"You and I both know this is the only way out of this, as there is currently a bounty on your head. A quite hefty one, at that."
She nodded, fully aware.
"So, now, instead of my 'Boy Scout,' you're going to be my 'Knight in Shining Armor?'"
"Good, that spunk is still deep inside somewhere! I can't tell you how happy I am to see it again!"
She gave him a look of such solemn appreciation because whether he knew it or not, and she had a pretty good idea he knew exactly what he was doing, he was helping her to slowly find her way back to the real Jeanette.
"But one correction, Jeanette. Your professional 'Knight in Shining Armor,' yes! But your real 'Knight in Shining Armor' is in the building that backs to where we presently are, literally an alley away!"
Her face instantly glowed, and she gasped with the most loving look on her face.
Letting him instantly know that both Jeanette and Lucas were still very much in love with each other.
They were just going to have to do the hard work of forgiving each other and getting through this rough phase, together in heart, though for a while, physically apart.
"This is what is going to happen. A stenographer from our classified security team is going to come in. That person will be recording every question I ask of you, and every answer you give me. The results stay with me and will only be shared with my two superiors, Commissioner Conrad Donaghy, first in command of the Mounties, and Deputy Commissioner Hal Blevins, second in command of the Mounties and now my immediate superior."
"Sounds like you are now right up there with them."
Nathan nodded, still not believing it himself.
"I am now responsible as Chief Inspector for all major cases across the entire country, and yes, as I said, I deal directly with the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner. That is why I now have the authority to help you on a level only imagined before. I also have everything that has been collected by both Canada as well as the United States at my fingertips on every minute detail related to this case, including Casimir Shaw. All of that I have in notes, right here with me, though most of it is committed to memory. I'm only letting you know that so you know if you choose to lie to me, I will clearly know. And this is not a threat, just a promise: if you choose to go there, I will stop the interrogation immediately and take you back to Abbingdon that very moment. Are we understood?"
"Yes, completely, Chief Inspector Grant. I give you my word I will tell you the whole truth, and only the truth as I know it…"
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109-121. "Facts Regarding Early Prison Life for Women in the Canadian 1800s and early 1900s," although the first women were incarcerated in a Canadian prison in 1835, they were separated but part of a male prison; the first prison built exclusively for women wasn't built until 1934 in Kingston, Ontario and for 60 years it was the only federal prison in the country for women. The aspects mentioned in this story are all based on facts from within the older shared prisons: from uniforms to actual cell size and daily processes (access to news, food, work, etc.), to punishments that were actually approved and used to diseases encountered. Public Domain Information.