Sam Duncan sat looking out the schoolhouse window, daydreaming. Mabel was aware that his mind was not on his studies today, after all, it was spring and the children wanted to be outside.She understood how they felt, her mind kept wondering away from her as well.
The little boy suddenly sprang to his feet and without thinking of raising his hand, he began to stutter, "SSssstage...coach!"

"What? It's early !" Mabel ran to the window, followed by a number of her pupils. Sam was right, there it was, rounding the corner and heading up mainstreet.

"Does that mean we get out of school early today ma'am?" someone asked.

"No WE do not", their teacher insisted.

- - - - - -- - -

The stage pulled up in front of the store and the passengers greatfully stepped out onto the street. Marie and Clive were inside when they heard the sound of the coach as it made its way through town. They eagerly hurried to meet it.

"Welcome to Bordertown," Marie greeted the gentleman with her usual charm, "I am Dr.Marie Dumont, and this is....."

"Jack Craddock!" Samuel Nestor smiled as he offered his hand to Clive. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Actually, I'm Clive Bennett, of the North West Mounted."

"Oh...forgive me. In her letter Mabel said her intended was a law man, I just assumed..."

"Jack Craddock is the marshal here in Bordertown", Clive explained as he looked around for his partner.

Jack was nowhere in sight, and both Clive and Marie hoped he was making himself presentable for his first meeting with Mabel's family.
Samuel introduced the pair to his wife Sophie who nodded politely. Marie remembered hearing that Mrs. Nestor seldom spoke.

"This is our youngest, Martha," Mr. Nestor said as he motioned to the young woman beside him.

Taking her hand Clive smiled, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance miss."

"The pleasure is mine corporal," she smiled sweetly.

Martha was younger than than her sister by several years and had an air about her that Mabel lacked. Where Mabel was quite plain, Martha was not. She was tall and well proportioned, and her dark brown hair flowed down her back past her waistline.

" Might I ask where my sister and Mr.Craddock are?" Martha spoke to Clive, who was still holding her gloved hand.

"Ah..well, Mabel would still be in school...and Jack...."

Before the corporal could finish his sentence Jack rode up on horseback. All eyes turned towards the marshal as he shouted, "Mornin'!" Teathering his horse to the railing he approached Samuel Nestor with an outstretched hand. "You must be Mabel's pa......Jack Craddock, pleased ta meet ya."

Mr. Nestor appeared dumbfounded as Jack shook his hand. This was Mabel's intended? He looked like an outlaw. Craddock was covered in dirt and soaked in sweat, he was unshaven and his hair looked as though it hadn't been combed in days.
Choosing to refrain from further conversation, Samuel excused himself and Clive pointed the family in the direction of Sally's boarding house.

When they had disappeared inside, Bennett turned to the marshal, "Good one Jack. You do realize that first impressions are important don't you?"

- - - - - - - - -

School dismissed at 2:30, and with only one day left before summer break, Mabel had no preperations to make for the next day. She gathered her books, lunch pail and shawl and closed the big door behind her as she left. It was still undecided whether she would teach next year. It would depend on if, or when, a new teacher could be found.
All things said, Mabel felt it had been a fairly successful year. Corporal Bennett had come to her rescue with Mrs. Radway and her wicked son Kyle. After a stern lecture from the mountie Kyle had become more co-operative. It seemed he had dreams of becoming a North West Mounted Policeman himself, Clive assured him he would have to change his ways. Mabel shuddered at the thought of that boy enforcing the law.
Joanna Radway was still a thorn in her side, but they had successfully avoided each other..and there were no more brawls.

Making her way across the street to the marshal's office, Mabel greeted Ardamous Boone who was sitting on the boardwalk sipping a bottle of whiskey. "Good afternoon handsome," she smiled.

Ardamous giggled, as he always did when Mabel spoke to him. "Ya gettin' nervous yet ma'am?"

"Not yet Ardamous."

"Well if'n ya change yer mind 'tween now and then, ya know I'm still unspoken fer." he reminded her.

"I'll keep that in mind!" she smiled.

Entering the detachment Mabel was surprised not to find the marshal. "Hello Clive. Have you seen Jack?"

Bennett was sitting at his desk filling out a report of some kind. "He's gone home..to clean up I hope. He's already met your family." he warned.

"I wish the stage hadn't arrived so early, I wanted to introduce them to Jack myself. How did it go?"

"I think your father was genuinely surprised," he grinned.

"I must find Jack and be sure he's ready for dinner tonight." she turned towards the door, "I want him to make a good impression."

Too late for that, Clive thought to himself.

Climbing the four steps to Jack's cabin, Mabel hummed to herself. She knocked on the door and entered. There was Jack, sitting in the tub in the middle of the room.

"Mabel! Tarnation woman git out!" he shouted as he grabbed for his hat and covered himself as best he could.

Mabel smiled. "Come on Jack, in a couple of days I'll be able to scrub your back for you. There's no need to be bashful."

"I ain't tellin' ya agin woman! Git out!" Jack looked panic stricken. Mabel couldn't hide her amusement, she laughed out loud.

"It ain't no laughin' matter!"

"Calm down, I just wanted to make sure you'll be on time for dinner. Dom will have it ready at six." ......she sat in the chair by the door.

"Mabel!"

"Clive says you've already met my family, what do you think? What did my father say to you?"

"I ain't discussin' this now woman! Least ways not 'til I'm decent. Ain't you got someplace you gotta be?"

"Okay I'm going. I'll see you at six." she walked towards the tub, bent down and kissed him on the cheek.

"Git!" Jack waved his arm in a feeble gesture to push her away.

"Don't forget to wash behind your ears," she winked. "Oh..and Jack..."

Craddock glared back at her with a stern look.

"Wear a tie." she said as she closed the door behind her.

Hearing her footsteps walk away from the door, he shouted after her, "We ain't even married yet and yer naggin' me already!"

Mabel still had a smile on her face when she walked into the boardinghouse to see her family. She had prepared herself for this moment and she would survive no matter what her father threw at her.
Her sister was sitting by the fireplace in an attempt to fend off the chill, "Martha!" Mabel screamed as she grabbed up her little sister in a hug.

"Father is very angry," Martha warned. "An American marshal, of all things! Father says he's not much more than an outlaw."

"I can handle father. Where's mother?"

"Resting. It's been a long journey, she's very tired."

"Hello Mabel," Samuel Nestor greeted his daughter coldly. He made no attempt to embrace her and showed no signs of emotion.

"Hello father. How was your trip?"

"Hardly worth the trouble by the looks of it." he said flatly.

Ignoring the remark, Mabel continued, "I've had Dom Bertino prepare dinner for us tonight, he's a wonderful cook. Sally will be serving it here, in the diningroom."

"I told you he's angry," Martha whispered as Mr. Nestor disappeared up the staircase.

"Come on, I'll show you around town," Mabel said, not seeming to hear her sister's remark.

They walked across the bridge and strolled through the meadow. Martha had a million questions, first about Jack, who she thought was very old and scruffy, and then about Gabriel. She had always liked him, even though he was a bit on the wild side. Martha asked about the corporal too, she thought he was very handsome.

"Why aren't you marrying corporal Bennett?" she asked, "He seems quite nice, that's who I'd pick."

Mabel explained that love wasn't that cut and dried. While Clive was handsome and well educated, he didn't appeal to her. Jack was the one she fell in love with, and she told Martha everything about him. It was nice having her sister to talk to.
She knew Martha's life would be much different than hers, father had already picked a husband for her, and Martha, who was always eager to please him, would do as he bid. She would marry an associate of her father's, live in a fancy big house and have servants to do all her chores. Jack and Mabel would live in the small room behind the schoolhouse until the much needed repairs were done to the cabin. That suited her fine.

- - - - - - - -

At six o'clock Sally Duffield served dinner. Jack and Mabel looked across the empty table at each other.
"You look very handsome Jack." she told him as she placed her napkin on her lap. The marshal tucked his into the collar of his best shirt.

"Will your family be joining you?" Sally asked sheepishly.

"I'm not sure Sally. Could you try to keep dinner warm for them just in case?" Mabel was certain they wouldn't be joining them but was determined not to let that ruin the evening. It was sort of romantic dining alone with Jack anyway. "This is romantic isn't it Jack, just the two of us?"

"Yup...sure is." he replied as he dug in to his food.

Mabel watched him eat. It was quite fascinating. He used his fork like a shovel, stopping just long enough to swill his coffee and wipe his mouth from time to time. To say Jack Craddock was uncultured was an understatement. She understood why her family wasn't there, father had forbidden it.
There were times during the past few months when Mabel wondered if her fondness for Jack was the result of her need to rebel against her father. 'No' she decided, 'Jack Craddock was the perfect man'.

"Are you ready for desert?" Sally called from the kitchen.

As she carried in the apple pie she had baked earlier that day, Mrs. Duffield paused to glance up the stairs. Mr. and Mrs. Nestor decended the staircase followed by Martha. Jack rose to his feet as the women approached the table.

"Ma'am." he nodded towards Mabel's mother. Receiving no response he quickly pulled out a chair for Martha, who sat beside him. She smiled at him politely, but didn't speak.

"Hello mother." Mabel spoke as she leaned forward to kiss her mother's cheek. Again, there was a polite smile, but no words were spoken.

Jack and Mabel exchanged glances. She longed to be able to tell him what was happening. Father had given the order that no one was to speak.

Craddock remembered a conversation with Mabel some months back. At the time he had found it hard to believe, but it was true, Samuel Nestor ruled his family with an iron fist.
Turning to Jack, Mabel began discussing the wedding arrangements. He played along knowingly. They discussed the decorations for the church, the beautiful gown Sally had made for her, the food Dom was preparing for the celebration afterwards, they even discussed the students in Mabel's school.
It was an attempt to keep the atmosphere from getting too uncomfortable, and besides... Mabel knew her mother was eager to hear of her plans, but was in no position to ask questions.

As Samuel Nestor finished his meal he complimented Sally on her hospitality. Rising to his feet, he pulled out his wife's chair in an apparent signal that dinner was over. Sophie rose to her feet, her meal only half eaten, Martha followed her lead.

After his wife and youngest daughter had left the room, Samuel turned to Mabel and spoke," We'll be leaving on the stage tomorrow. I have no desire to witness this silly charade you call a wedding."
Then he disappeared up the stairs.