Spirit of the Revolution (27 page)

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Jo sat atop a large rock, with her arms wrapped loosely about her knees. She cast her gaze upon the roll of the ocean waves that crashed intermittently against her bare feet. With eyes closed, she lifted her chin so the light gentle breeze could caress her face. She took a deep breath and filled her lungs with the scent of sea brine. At the same time, she delighted in the songs of the seagulls as they chattered high above the ocean. The place seemed very familiar to her, and yet she had never been here before. As she took in the view, her hand wrapped instinctively around her beloved pendant, and she smiled with contentment.

“I hoped I might find you here,” he said.

Jo turned toward the sound of his voice. Mathias extended his hand in silent invitation. He no longer wore his backwoods mountain clothing. Instead, he wore a form-fitting navy-blue T-shirt. His faded blue jeans skimmed the gently lapping waves that bathed his bare feet. At once, she took hold of the offered hand and gasped as its warmth and strength closed over her own.

“Mathias—” Stunned, she gazed at his hand while he assisted her to her feet. “I can
feel
you. Your hand—it’s as if you—as if you’re
alive
. How is such a thing possible?”

Mathias brushed a hand through her wind-blown hair. A touch of humor entered his eyes. “Didn’t you know? Every now and again, when the moment warrants, all things are possible.”

“Then I would have this moment with you last forever,” she whispered.

“Forever is a very long time, Jolena Leigh Michaelsson. I can attest to that,” he said. “Are you so sure that’s what you want?”

She placed her free hand against his chest and fused her gaze to his. “I should think that every now and again, when a moment like this presents itself—forever is not nearly long enough.”

Mathias gave her hand a gentle squeeze as his eyes filled with the same joy that enveloped her heart. “Then we’ll have to make certain each of these moments we share last as long as possible.”

Their leisurely walk along the beach stretched on and on for what seemed like hours. They talked about anything and everything. They filled the moments with playful laughter, quiet companionship, and serious conversation. Then, as can only happen in dreams, Jo suddenly found the darkness of evening encompassing them. She and Mathias, now elegantly dressed, danced together on an outdoor dance floor, lit solely by a luminous full moon and the brilliance of the stars. No other couple took advantage of this beautiful area, so they alone danced to the music of “Greensleeves” as it wafted out the open double doors of the main dance floor. “You look exceptionally beautiful this evening, Jolena. I must confess it truly surprises me someone hasn’t whisked you away and made you his wife by now. Although I’m sure countless numbers have tried.”

Jolena tilted her head to the side as she considered his statement. “I suppose there may have been one or two along the way.”

“Did you find them all so very distasteful then?” he asked.

They looked at each other for several long moments. Mathias appeared to hold his breath while awaiting her answer. The intensity of the expression on his face, replaced the playful banter of a moment ago. She lowered her gaze and took a deep breath as the now familiar heat rose up from her belly and filled her being.

“Distasteful? No. It’s just that—”

She struggled with putting her feelings into words. Yet, how could she form a coherent sentence when he held her so close? She stopped dancing then and looked into his warm brown eyes. She met the force of his gaze with boldness. At this moment, he wanted her to drop the last barrier that remained between them. He wanted absolute truth, with nothing held back. She could see the need in his eyes. Here, in this place, she could answer that need without hesitation or reservation.

“The truth is, none of them were you, Mathias,” she whispered, her voice full of emotion. “No one on this earth, past, present, or future, could ever take the place you already have in my heart. Didn’t you know? Haven’t you guessed? You are the man I have waited my whole life to find.”

With no words to express his joy, Mathias gently cupped her face in his hands and lowered his lips to hers. The searing kiss that followed spoke of all the love and passion he had kept hidden away—until now. For here, nestled away in this dream, he didn’t need to withhold his feelings.

“I have waited for you all of mine. I love you Jolena Leigh Michaelsson, from the very depths of my soul. No matter what comes, no matter what happens in the future, somewhere in your heart, you must
always
remember that,” he whispered against the softness of her lips.

“And I love you, Mathias. I don’t know quite how to explain this, but—I have the strangest feeling that I have always loved you.”

The declaration amazed him. He had no time to consider its meaning, for she brushed her mouth against his, seeking another kiss. He wasted no time in complying with the desire.

Finally, after several kisses that expressed the deep love he carried within his heart, he stepped back just enough to gaze into her eyes. “You might have confessed your feelings a bit earlier you know and eased some of my uncertainty.”

Jolena gently traced the lines of his jaw with her fingers. “I wouldn’t ever want you to doubt the love I feel for you. But surely you must understand that I couldn’t tell you.”

“Why not?” he asked as he gathered her closer to the warmth of his body. He gloried in the feel of her in his arms, and he wished this dream didn’t have to end so soon. Yet, the dawn approached.

“Because I don’t ever want you to feel that you have to stay with me,” she answered.

“Stay with you?” Understanding eluded him.

“Stay with me, here,” she replied. “Carolyn told me once that love can make a spirit feel bound to the person who loves him. That spirit doesn’t feel free to leave this sphere for fear of breaking the person’s heart. If the time should ever come—should it become your desire to leave this existence and join your loved ones, then I wouldn’t want you to feel obligated to remain with me, just so my heart wouldn’t break.”

Mathias shook his head and gathered her closer still. “There will never come a time I would desire to leave you, Jolena, nor could I, even if you should ask it of me. If that day should ever come, I would hide away in the shadows, and simply watch over you until you took your last breath,” he whispered huskily as he drew close to her lips once more. “I can promise you that—”

Chapter 21

Jo sighed and tossed her pen atop the desk next to the huge stack of mail she willfully neglected during the holidays. The tedious chore needed doing, yet she had no desire to tackle it today. Her hand sought her pendant as her mind drifted to the incredible dream she experienced Christmas night, now two weeks past. Again.

She’d never had one quite like it before and even now, she could recall it in glorious, vivid detail. Perhaps she recalled it so clearly, because in an effort not to forget it, she continued to relive it, and probably more often than she should. But, how could she help it? The dream gave her absolute knowledge as to the strength of his arms when he held her, to experience the feelings he inspired when he well and thoroughly kissed her. The dream gave her total understanding of what it meant to possess the love of Mathias McGregor, and it proved a fierce and powerful thing. She glanced up and found Mathias watching her with an intensity that made her blush.

“A penny for your thoughts?” he asked.

Jo let out a bit of a laugh. “I’m afraid that kind of information would cost you much more than a penny, sir.” She retrieved her discarded pen and held the pile of mail aloft, hoping to shift his focus off her wayward thoughts and onto a much safer topic.

“Just look at all of this mail. Sorting through it will take most of the morning I’m sure. Yet, I suppose it’s the price I must pay for such willful neglect.”

“Well, if you can wade through it this morning, perhaps we can go for a ride this afternoon,” he said.

“You’re on, McGregor. That’s all the incentive I need.” She tossed him a smile as she replaced the stack of mail, and began sifting through it, one piece at a time. Finally, she arrived at the large envelope near the bottom. She picked it up and as she studied the return address, she gasped.

“Look, Mathias. This package is from the Pennsylvania Genealogical Society. I wonder how long this sat here on the desk collecting dust.” She shook her head as she picked up her letter opener and cut through the seal. “I suppose I should’ve tackled this job a bit sooner.”

Mathias rounded the desk and stood just behind her as she all but yanked the contents out of the envelope. The information for Joshua Porter lay on top. She hurried through the pages but found no evidence of military service during the War.

“They have included an early plat map which shows the area of Joshua’s property,” she said, pointing to the highlighted area on the map. “And they’ve included all of his tax records, which ended in 1778.”

While Mathias studiously looked over the map, the other boys popped inside the room and gathered around the desk.

“Look at that,” Sam said, pointing to the area bordering near Valley Creek. “I didn’t realize his property extended this far north.”

“I didn’t either,” Mathias replied. “What else did they send us?”

“Besides the tax records, they have included some of his church records. We have the christening dates of his children, dates of communion, and things like that. On this piece of paper, they’re noting the marriage to his wife, the church, the minister, and the witnesses. And let’s see—” Jo took one page at a time and thoroughly looked over it. “They have sent genealogical records for some of his children and grandchildren, as well.”

“You said his tax records ended in 1778?” asked Mathias. He rubbed a hand back and forth against his mouth. “Did he sell his property to someone else or did he die that same year?”

“I don’t know. Let me look through this stuff again. They didn’t include a probate record of any kind with this package or anything else to do with his death,” Jo murmured. “But I don’t think he sold the property, either. The 1779 through 1800 tax years shows someone named John Porter as paying the taxes on the property without transfer of ownership. Do you recognize the name?”

“John is Joshua’s son,” Samuel replied. “Fine lad—”

“They documented all of the cemetery records for the family on this page,” Jo said as she perused the list. “They have recorded here a Jane Porter, ‘beloved wife of Joshua,’ but Joshua himself is not buried next to her. That’s odd, and he doesn’t show up anywhere else, either. Hmm—”

“Well, Jane is the name of his wife,” Mathias stated as he began pacing the room. “Is there anything else of importance?”

“Just some odds and ends,” Jo said. “Actually, as far as I can tell, there’s nothing here that really helps us in our quest. Nothing mentions military service of any kind or anything else connecting him to the war.”

“Unless we just can’t see the forest for all the trees,” Mathias added. “What about the records for Matthew?”

Jo picked up the stack of papers dealing with the Joshua Porter family, placed them inside a new file folder, and put it off to the side for later consideration. She then turned her attention to the information they received concerning Brewster.

“Again, they’ve included the plat map, which details the property he owned.” She placed it on the edge of her desk, and then turned it toward the boys so they could study it for themselves. “The piece of property isn’t very large, is it? However, I guess a blacksmith doesn’t need much land.”

“No, those few acres served him well enough,” said Sam.

“How very unusual—” Jo looked up from the page and fastened her gaze on Mathias. “You’re not going to believe this, but all of his personal tax records end in the year 1778, as well. Do you think it’s just a coincidence or—”

“Possible, but certainly not probable. I think something is going on here.” Mathias shot his companions a brief glance. “We just have to figure it out. What else do we have on the man?”

“The Genealogical Society sent us the records of some of his descendants, church records, and cemetery records.” Jo ran a finger down the list of names included on the cemetery list. “I find a Sarah Brewster, wife of Matthew, but Matthew is not beside her, nor does he show up in any other cemetery they’ve included in this package. What does this mean? Where do you suppose these men are buried then?”

Alexander furrowed his brows and shrugged. “Where is the connection to all of this? For all intense and purposes, each man disappeared in 1778, leaving no trace as to their fate.”

“I don’t know,” Mathias replied. “Did they send us anything dealing with military service that might give us a clue?”

“I have one muster roll, which says he served with the Pennsylvania 4th Battalion during a short period of time in 1776 and once again for about two months in 1777, but nothing more. He doesn’t appear on any of the muster rolls during the year 1778 either, so he couldn’t have died in the service.”

Mathias shrugged. “Well lads, what do you make of all of this? Anyone have any ideas?”

“We have two men, mentioned in your cousin’s journal in the year 1778. All three men interacted with each other. And then without explanation, all three men disappear the same year,” Sam said, summing up the evidence. “We’re missing the vital piece or pieces of information. We can’t tie it together without that piece.

“Well, now we know the full length of Joshua’s property, perhaps we can find remnants of what we’re looking for there,” William said. “After looking at this map, it’ll take us some time to search his property methodically.”

“Understood,” said Mathias. “Perhaps we can go out and begin traversing the entire property at night. Jedediah can lead the search. At the same time, one of us needs to remain behind. We can’t forget Paul Sanders is still a threat, not only to this house, but to Jolena as well.”

“Of course,” Sam replied. “That goes without saying.”