Spirit of the Revolution (7 page)

“Jolena, this is William Ferguson, and Alexander”—Mathias paused and turned his head toward the wall just as the third ghost entered the room—“this is Alexander Buchanan. I’ve known these men almost as long I’ve known Sam, and I can attest to their noble character.”

“Hello, Alexander.” Jo smiled at the ghost who gave her a friendly wink in return. He had brown wavy hair, a jaw-length mustache, and sky blue eyes.

“Then, to finish up our small group, I’d like to introduce you to Jedediah,” said Mathias. Jedediah made his sudden appearance standing beside Sam, and instantly his boyish grin stole her heart.

“This lad is Jedediah Gatlin and don’t let the innocent, youthful appearance deceive you in any way. He’s as ornery and obstinate as any old codger I’ve ever met. We think it’s the Irish in him,” Mathias said, giving her a wink.

A small knot formed in her throat as she gazed at Jedediah. The young blue-eyed blond looked about eighteen, maybe nineteen years of age at best, and it broke her heart to realize he died in battle at such a young and tender age. Nevertheless, he wore a cheerful expression as he stepped toward her and grinned.

“Miss Jolena, I’m so pleased to make your acquaintance,” he said. “And I want to thank you for playing your fiddle today. The sound of it did me wonders.”

“Hello, Jedediah, and you’re welcome. However, I guess I should let you all know that you’ll have to bear with me on that. You see, I play with the orchestra for a living and I need to put in a lot of time practicing—” The ghosts didn’t allow her to finish her sentence. Protests flew around the room. She laughed as she threw her hands in the air to halt the outcry. “Okay, okay. I get the point. I’m glad you enjoy listening to me play because you’re going to hear a lot of it.”

Mathias placed a hand on Sam’s shoulder and said, “You won’t hear a single complaint from any one of us, I guarantee it.”

“Hey, Miss Jolena,” Jedediah cut in. “Do you know how to play ‘Sally in Our Alley’? It’s my favorite song.”

“I’m not familiar with that title, but let me see what I can find,” she replied.

“Well, while you’re looking, see about ‘The Little Turtle Dove,’ my particular favorite,” Sam added with a firm nod of his head.

As the requests continued, Jo absorbed the sight of her companions. They were every bit the fine-looking men she saw in her dream. And, she could bring to mind several females who would envy her position, despite the fact these men were dead.

She spent the next few hours getting acquainted with each of them, and it didn’t take them any time at all to find a place in her heart. They all made her laugh, but most especially Sam. He possessed a quick wit, which hadn’t diminished with time, or perhaps, simply increased because of it. William and Alexander seemed the pranksters. They reminded her so much of her brother, but double the trouble. And Jedediah just wanted to please her. Her maternal instincts swelled, and compelled her to give affection and comfort whether he asked for or needed it.

Finally, she settled her eyes on Mathias. A sigh escaped as she met his questioning gaze from across the room. Something entirely different emanated from the larger than life persona of Mathias McGregor and somehow it filled her with a fervent desire to discover the cause.

Chapter 5

Despite the persistence of Dakota’s probing wet nose, Jo snuggled deeper into the warmth of her comforter. Precious little sleep found her during the night, what with all the images of Mathias and the boys dancing around inside her head. So much needed sorting, so much needed reconciling. And really, right now she just wanted to have the ten minutes her alarm clock said she could have. Did she ask too much in wanting those ten minutes?

In answer to the silent question, Dak whimpered urgently and licked at her face. With a sigh of resignation, she tossed back the coverlet and sat up. She turned off the alarm, yawned, and took just a moment to stretch before rising from the bed.

“Okay, okay. I’m up. I’m up. Just give me a minute to remember who and where I am,” she said as she donned her robe, made her way to the door, and opened it. Dakota rushed past her and bounded down the stairs.

“Good Morning, Miss Jolena, and don’t worry yourself. I’ll let the dog out for you,” Jedediah called out from somewhere downstairs. “Come on, boy, let’s get you outside. You look near to bursting.”

“Thank you, Jedediah.” From the sound of his voice, Jo guessed he called out from the family room. Ghosts must have very sensitive hearing in order for him to hear the soft rustle of her door all the way up the stairs. But why should that surprise her? As she readied for her morning shower she considered the abilities she had already witnessed. Abilities that truly astounded her. Ghosts could make themselves look like living people, speak out loud, laugh, make jokes, walk through solid objects, and more than likely, a host of other things she’d yet to see.

Jo looked down at the bath towel in her hand. Her gaze then shifted to the glass shower door in her bathroom and back to her towel again. With sudden determination, she tossed her towel on the bed and made her way down the stairs.

As expected, her ghostly friends gathered in the family room. They examined the various components of her customized sound system as if trying to understand the function of each. They all turned and gazed at her as she entered.

“I’m only going to make one rule,” she said coming straight to the point. “My bedroom and bathroom is strictly off limits. Everyone understand that?”

Mathias exchanged glances with each of his companions and shrugged. Then, as she turned on her heels and made her way back up the stairs, she caught sight of Sam from the corner of her eye. He waved a hand in dismissal toward her, shook his head, and tsked.

“Women,” he muttered and the comment made her laugh.

About forty-five minutes later, she returned dressed in a white tuxedo blouse and black slacks, ready for her day. Since the boys still poked about the stereo as if totally intrigued with the thing, she picked up the remote and turned it on.

“This stereo has a three hundred disk carousel, which is almost full,” she said. “That means it holds hours and hours of music. I have everything from classical to new age already loaded.” She explained the function of each button and said, “Does everyone understand how it works?”

William took the remote from her hand and showed her he could follow simple directions. Seconds later, the deep, rhythmic beat of “Smoke on the Water” boomed out of the speakers. Jo laughed at their initial reaction to the song her father used to play so often during her childhood. However, not until William and Alexander got down with the music, in what she could only describe as an eighteenth century boogie to a twentieth century song, did everyone else join in the laughter. Sam laughed so hard at the spectacle they made of themselves, Jo almost expected tears to run down his cheeks. Jed and Mathias weren’t far behind in the hilarity of the exhibition, either.

“All right, all right,” Jo sputtered as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “I can’t take any more of this, so let me show you how to use the remote for the TV, the satellite box, and the Blue-ray machine. I’ve got lots of must-see movies too.”

Once she finished the lessons, Alex bowed his head and said, “Well thanks, Jolena. I believe you’ve provided us with some new entertainment.”

“Indeed.” Sam shifted his gaze toward her and nodded. “I hope you’ll return shortly to enjoy the day with us.”

“Well actually, I won’t be back until quite late,” she said. “I have a few errands after my work day is over, and then I promised my friend Carolyn I would stop by for a visit. So if you guys don’t mind, would you look after Dak for me, while I’m gone?”

“I’d be happy too, Miss Jolena,” Jedediah replied.

Jo made her way to the table and picked up her car keys before retrieving her bag and violin. “Thanks, and I guess I’ll see you all later this evening. Have fun with the stereo and the television,” she said as she slung her bag over her shoulder and headed out the door.

Mathias insisted on accompanying her to her car, to make certain she stayed safe, he said. She couldn’t imagine anything adverse befalling her path in broad daylight. Still, she appreciated the gallant gesture as well as his company. He said they’d all anxiously await her return. The comment warmed her from head to toe.

At that moment, she had no idea the day would pass at a snail’s pace. She fidgeted and sighed all the way through the rehearsals. Far too many times to count, she lost and found her concentration. At the end of the day, she bolted through the doors ahead of everyone else. From the parking lot of the concert hall, she bounced into her car and drove straight to the library.

After locating all the available books she could find on Morgan’s Rangers, and the part they played during the Revolutionary War, she searched for and found one on Major John Clark. Satisfied with her selections, she returned to her car and made the ten minute drive to Carolyn’s house.

Jo wanted to see her, not only because they hadn’t seen each other since she moved into the house, but also because Kay truly believed in ghosts. Her interest and belief in the supernatural might give her the insight she needed and help her know what to expect in the days ahead. She gave the door a couple of knocks before she stuck her key into the lock and turned the knob. After she let herself in, she headed for the living room.

“Kay-Kay, I’m here,” she called out.

“Hey, Jo,” said Carolyn as she exited the kitchen, carrying her famous bread dip. “Sit down and make yourself comfortable, girl. I have all kinds of munchies set out, so we can just dive in and eat. As usual, I’m starving half to death, and I have so much to tell you!”

“More drama in the archeological field again?”

“Yes, and you can’t believe the idiotic thing Mason’s group did this time. They all but ruined an entire dig site. But, we’ll discuss that later. First I want to hear about your house now that you’ve settled into it,” Carolyn said as she tucked a piece of her short dark hair behind her ear.

“Speaking about my house, before I forget”—Jo withdrew a key from her pocket and handed it over—“here’s the key to my kingdom; guard it well.”

“Thank you very much.” Carolyn placed it on the shelf, and then settled into the chair opposite her. “So, tell me all about it.”

“The house is perfect, Kay-Kay. Having six full acres of lush property makes my surroundings peaceful and quiet. I can play my violin all night long if I want to without worrying about the neighbors. You really are going to have to come out on one of your days off and see the finished product for yourself. Maybe even come and spend the weekend with me sometime? Spending an entire weekend with me might give you some well deserved rest,” she baited.

“As if.” Carolyn rolled her eyes, lifted a glass to her lips, and took a drink. “When is the last time I had a whole day that I could call my very own? Ray Brennan or one of his cohorts, always has something they want analyzed, cleaned, or preserved. One would think that since Ray hired Paul Sanders, some of the load would shift onto his shoulders. But I’ve yet to see much difference. Still, I do want to come out and see the transformation of your house. So, maybe one of these days in the not too distant future, I’ll show up on your doorstep with overnight bag in hand.”

“Said without an ounce of conviction, but, here’s hoping anyway.” Jo picked up her soda, tilted the glass in Kay’s direction, and then took a drink.

Carolyn waved a hand as she retrieved the beautifully wrapped gift on the coffee table and held it out toward her. “Yes, well, in the meantime, here’s a little something from me to you. And, if you don’t hurry and tear the thing open, I swear I’ll do it for you.”

Jo laughed as she accepted the gift and placed the box on her lap. She shook her head then and tsked. “This goes against the grain, you know.”

“I don’t care, so get over it,” Carolyn replied.

After Jo drew in a deep breath, she took hold of the paper and ripped it away from the box. Carolyn leaned forward. Her eyes lit up in expectation as Jo lifted the lid. She gasped in surprise as she removed the gorgeous eighteenth-century brass bed warmer from its nest.

“Oh, wow, Kay-Kay.” Her fingers traced the intricate etching. “This is perfect. Thank you so much. Where on earth did you find it?”

“Of all places, a garage sale.” Carolyn shook her head as she stuffed an olive into her mouth. “I can’t believe how cavalier some people are with antiques. Anyway, let me tell you about Mason.”

After catching up on all of the gossip and exhausting all the girl-talk, Jo turned to the subject of ghosts. She refrained from telling Carolyn about Mathias and the boys, knowing they chose when and to whom they revealed themselves. Nonetheless, she wanted a better understanding of her situation.

She took another sip of soda and set the glass on the coaster. “So tell me, if one had to do a factual, serious report on ghosts, what kind of information do you think it should contain?”

“One of Nan’s kids needing information again?”

“No, but it’s something along those lines.”

“Well, first of all, despite what
you
believe, I think a report should attest spirits do in fact, exist among us. There are many credible people out there Jo, besides me, who’ve had experiences. And sometimes those experiences are shared by more than one credible person at a time.”

“Methinks you have a recent ‘for instance’ you’re dying to share. So, go ahead and tell me about it.” Jo could recite all of Carolyn’s personal stories from memory. As a young child in Oregon, she shared her home and communicated with a little boy spirit who continually looked for his mother. Then, she insisted, she encountered many spirits at various archeological sites. Guilt washed over her now, as she recalled the many times she accused Carolyn of hallucinating. After all, she never once caught sight of the little boy ghost herself.

“All right then, I will.” Carolyn took a framed photo off the side table and passed into her hands. “Do you remember my friend, Tamara?”