Spirit of the Revolution (34 page)

He and the lads spent a fortnight very near this area on one of their covert assignments for Colonel Morgan. During the early morning hours, he would come out here and walk the beach. He recalled standing on that rock while he took a few personal moments to watch the rising of the sun and change of the tides.

Jo made an abrupt turn, approached the familiar rock, and lowered herself onto the stone. Just as she did in her dream. She inched her feet into the sand as the morning waves rolled gently over her toes. The seagulls chattered overhead and she could smell the brine of the ocean carried on the gentle breeze. Her fingers wrapped around her pendant. She turned and found Mathias gazing at her with an intensity she could feel.

“Hey, Jo,” Carolyn called out. “Looks like you found this magnificent place all by yourself.”

The sound of Kay’s unexpected voice broke the spell that bound her to Mathias. She turned away from his gaze and shook her head. “Found
it
?” she asked as Carolyn approached.

“Yes. I intended to drag you out here before you left. Don’t you think it looks just like that private beach we used for senior grad night?”

Jo took another quick look around, released the breath she unknowingly held and nodded. “You know, it really does. Except, of course, this beach is much smaller, the rocks are much larger, and the surrounding trees are far different,” she teased.

“Oh come on, Jo. You usually have a much better imagination for things like this. Look at that rocky face over there. And, you have to admit it twists and turns in very much the same way as that beach back home did,” she said in defense of her argument.

“I’ll have to give you that one,” Jo said. “The beach does do that.”

“And Billy broke his foot that night, jumping all of two feet off that stupid rock. Do you remember? What a nerd,” Carolyn said as she nibbled at her lip and shook her head.

Several hours later, just as they crested the hill heading for home, Mathias turned toward her and raised a brow. “Billy Byrd is a nerd? Please explain, Miss Michaelsson. Exactly what is a nerd?”

His bewildered expression made Jo laugh. “Oh come on now, Mathias. Surely, someone said the word in a movie or TV show you’ve all seen. It’s a very common term used today.”

Mathias shrugged and said, “I’m not sure I recall it.”

“Okay.” Jo touched the tip of her tongue to the top of her lip as she sought to explain. “Well, I guess it can mean different things, depending on how it’s used. But in Billy’s case, it means a boy who’s trying to impress all the girls by doing some stupid stunts. In particular, bouncing up and down on a two-foot rock in order to gain more altitude. Then hurtling himself into an ocean that should’ve been at least ten feet deep, instead of merely twenty inches before he found a rather sharp rock at the bottom to cushion his fall. The dork had to wear a cast on his foot for the longest time.” She shook her head and laughed as she recalled the memory of that incident.

“Dork?” he asked.

“Along the same lines as nerd.” She shot him a glance as she slowed the car to make her final turn and once again, he looked at her the way she remembered in her dreams. The intensity of that expression made her feel very weak in the knees.

This morning’s experience convinced her that somehow and in some way, Mathias shared the knowledge of and perhaps even participated in the dream she experienced on that beach. She was well acquainted with that shore, every detail of it. Therefore, it couldn’t have been something her mind conjured from something as ridiculous as senior grad night, could it?

Yes, similarities existed in those two beaches, but the differences far exceeded the similarities. If only she had the chance to walk farther down and around the next bend, she could’ve known with certainty. But Carolyn and Ray’s unexpected interruption precluded her from exploring the notion and she couldn’t just come right out and ask Mathias.

Nothing in his demeanor suggested he recognized the beach. But how could he? How often did he get to New Jersey during his lifetime anyway? At least, not without being shot at.

Still, the feeling that somehow he was involved with the dream continued to plague her and refused to go away despite all efforts to banish it. In fact, little else occupied her mind throughout the remainder of the day.

She carried those same thoughts with her as she climbed into bed that night, snuggled deep into her covers and prayed that sleep would silence her troubled thoughts.

Chapter 27

Jolena struggled to make sense of the conflicting logic her mind presented her obstinate heart. Mathias saw it in her eyes all throughout the day. He almost told her there on the beach, would’ve told her, if Carolyn hadn’t interrupted them. His own desires and selfishness would’ve superseded all else at that moment, just as it had with the men at Carolyn’s party. He never gave them the chance to win her heart.

Yet, she deserved such a chance, didn’t she? But, even if she did find someone else, could he stand by and watch their love blossom? Could he find a measure of contentment knowing she found the happiness life intended her to find? Could he really let her go? The conjured images of another man holding her, loving her, caused a moment of rage, and intense pain. He closed his eyes against it.

“Mathias,” Sam called out as he strode into the library from the outside wall. “Jedediah found it.”

“Where?” Mathias asked as the other lads barged into the room behind him.

“Very near to where Valley Creek
used
to run its course, about a half mile or so from where Porter’s old barn once stood. Just as we deduced after seeing the drawings, the place isn’t on his property at all,” Sam said. “Jedediah found some rubble which masks the entrance to an old abandoned coal mine. The place hides behind some overgrown branches and vegetation now. Nonetheless, we walked through the rock to see what we could find. Once we got to the other side of the stony wall, we had no doubt but that we found the place of operation. An unfortunate cave-in sealed the entrance about the time we met our deaths. We know that, Mathias, because the remains of Matthew and Joshua are still inside.”

“Does it look as if the Redcoats are responsible for their deaths?” asked Mathias.

“No, the English never stepped foot inside the place. We believe their entire operation remains intact. The iron, the forge, the tools, everything is still inside. And gauging by Thomas’s drawings, four of the boilers are complete. Even some of the engines look close to the drawings in their finished state. I’m certain if the Brits discovered the site they would’ve cleaned it out and made use of it themselves. If not the invention, then at least the iron.”

“Did you see any other bodies inside the mine beside those belonging to Matt and Josh?” Just as Mathias finished the question, Jolena stood in front of the library doorway. She still fussed with the ties of her robe. From the look of her tousled hair, it appeared she received very little sleep, if she got any at all.

“Is everything all right, Jolena?” he asked.

Jo caught and held his gaze as he asked the question. She found it difficult to sleep while the battle raged between heart and mind. One way or the other, she had to know about the dreams. She slipped out of bed intent on asking Mathias outright about his involvement. If he admitted taking part, then she needed to know if they truly reflected his feelings. At least she would finally get her answers and if nothing else, the knowledge would give her peace of mind. Her heart pounded with both anxiety and anticipation. As she took hold of the handle, she held her breath and turned the knob. Yet, just as she entered the room, Mathias said something about “bodies.”

Her gaze wandered about the room then as she took in the expressions each face presented. “You found Matthew and Joshua,” she said.

Sam cast a brief glance at his feet and nodded. Then as he lifted his gaze to meet with hers he said, “A short while ago, right before dawn. I just finished telling Mathias about the discovery. And Mathias, to answer your question, I’m sure no one else occupied the mine when the entrance sealed shut. We found no evidence of anyone else.”

“What are we going to do about them?” asked Jo.

“There’s nothing anyone can do,” Alexander replied. “The entrance has at least a foot of hard rock, solidly packed in front of it. The important thing is we found it. A mystery spanning two centuries is finally solved.”

Mathias nodded as he began to pace. “We now know that at the very least, General Washington, Jacob, Thomas, Matthew, and Joshua conceived a plan to aid the patriots. The bold and daring plan might’ve worked if given the chance. We’ll never know why the British executed Thomas. The possibility exists they simply found him at the wrong place, at the wrong time, carrying something that made them suspicious. They needed no other excuse than that.

“Nevertheless, his execution set off a chain of events. Jacob Weidmann learned of Thomas’s death through the British officers who used his home as their base of operation. Because of my cousin’s execution, those involved needed to relocate the operation elsewhere to ensure secrecy. Matthew and Joshua took on that task. Unfortunately, the mine entrance gave way, sealing them both and the entire operation inside. Meanwhile, Jacob wrote his letter to General Washington, notifying him of current events.

“As fate would have it, a trusted servant of the Weidmann household betrayed Jacob’s trust. He alerted the British army of the meeting I had with Elisabeth. A British company in turn conducted a search for me. They successfully ended our mission to retrieve the letter and get it into the hands of George Washington. At the same time, Peddelton must take responsibility for the death of Jacob Weidmann. General Washington probably never learned what happened to the men involved or to the plan itself. Without Thomas or his drawings, they couldn’t recreate it.”

“But we just can’t leave those men in there, Mathias. It’s just not right,” Jo said. “They might not have worn a uniform or served in a battalion at the time of their death, but they died for their country the same as all of you did. At the very least, they deserve a proper and decent burial. They deserve to come home.”

They gazed at each other for several long moments. Then his expression softened. “How would you suggest we get them out, Jolena? We can try, but I don’t believe we possess the ability to maneuver solidified rock. Even if we could, how would we explain it to those who’d witness the occurrence? Valley Creek has many visitors now and on a daily basis as I’m sure you know.”

“I don’t know.” A deep sigh escaped as Jo sat down feeling dejected. Each idea that engulfed her mind held an obvious flaw and needed discarding. Yet, she couldn’t allow Matthew and Joshua to remain entombed in such a place.

“Let me see if I can go back in there and find another way out,” Jedediah volunteered. “The Lenni-Lenape taught me there are many ways to advance through the mountains. Perhaps I can find one that connects to the mine tunnels.”

“Don’t you think if another way presented itself, Matt and Josh would’ve used it?” asked Alexander.

“Not necessarily, not if the cave-in killed them outright or if they remained so focused on the main exit, they spent their last breath trying to heave those rocks, instead of looking for another way out,” Jedediah replied.

“Jolena,” Mathias said as he knelt down and brushed the tangled hair away from her face. “If Jed can find another way to get inside, it means you’re going to have to go in there yourself. We’ll accompany you, of course. But I know of no other way to explain the discovery to the proper authorities. This also means you’ll see everything inside the mine that still exists, including the remains of Matthew and Joshua. Are you really up to all of that?”

“Mathias, if any one of your bodies rested inside that place, I would fight heaven and earth to get you out. I don’t think I should do any less for Matthew Brewster and Joshua Porter. All of you were part of the same mission, even if you didn’t know it at the time.”

“All right then,” Mathias said. He looked up at Jed and gave him a nod. “Go ahead and take some of the boys and see what you can find.”

Jed, along with Alexander and William, disappeared from the room. She could only pray they could find another way inside the mine. Matthew and Joshua deserved no less than a decent burial. Yet, at the same time, the notion brought her to another.

“Mathias, did you all receive a proper burial?” She never asked the question before, not even when they visited the Weidmann family cemetery. But what if no one ever found them out there in the woods?

He nodded, giving her the assurance she sought. “We did and not too far from here, actually. Our bodies rest at the old Lutheran cemetery just west of here. Would you like me to take you to the graveyard and show you sometime? You could pay your respects,” he teased, in an obvious effort to lighten her somber mood.

“Are all of you together?” she asked.

“Yes, we’re all together, ‘as in life, so as in death,’ I believe the minister said at our collective funeral,” he replied. “The church is gone now, but the cemetery remains and is well looked after.”

“Then, someday I would like to see it,” she said. Just not right now. Not when the vivid images of his death that early June morning so long ago, still filled her with so much anguish.

The day passed at a snail’s pace. Every moment she expected the boys to return. Yet, the hours ticked by, one tedious minute at a time. Mathias and Sam did their best to keep her occupied.

Nevertheless, time and again, she found herself wondering if they could accomplish such a lofty goal. Even if they did find a way to transport the bodies out of the abandoned mind, how could she explain it without mentioning Mathias and the boys? Her desire to protect them from public scrutiny far outweighed her desire to see Matthew Brewster and Joshua Porter properly buried. If it became necessary, she would leave the men where they were.

The wait seemed nigh on unbearable and she looked around for something with which to occupy herself. Perhaps she could make a file of evidence to submit to the authorities. She took one of the copies of Jacob Weidmann’s letter to George Washington and placed it in a newly created file folder. Copies of the loose pages from Thomas McGregor’s journal dealing with the project, and copies of the drawings found inside the back and front endleaf, soon followed. She also made copies of the pictures she took in Scotland of the James Watt exhibit and in the cemetery. Then, along with the information from the Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, placed that evidence inside the file. With nothing more to add, she placed the file on top the desk. She glanced up at the clock. Two minutes to nine and they had yet to hear from the boys.