“Never in a million years did I think I’d be involved in anything like this.” Judy grinned at her. “We have you to thank, Meredith.”
“Glad I could help.” As John continued to dig, she went over the strange conversation she’d had with Daniel. Had that been the reason he’d left? Now she was the one worried that she’d upset him.
The tip of the shovel gave off a grinding, metallic twang, and the Schultes cheered, bringing Meredith’s attention back where it ought to be. Frederick’s ghostly expression was one of relief. Oliver crouched down to continue recording as John swept dirt from the top of a rusted metal box about the size of those used for fishing tackle. He wedged in the shovel to pry the treasure loose from its resting place. He had to shift the box back and forth several times before he could lift it free and set it on the ground.
“Judy, get the hammer and screwdriver out of the backpack. The box is rusted shut.”
Judy hurried to the pack and drew out a small ball-peen hammer and a flathead screwdriver and brought the tools to him. It took him a few minutes to knock away the rust and hardened sand sealing the lid shut. The metal hinges screeched as he pried open the lid, uncovering a sheet of disintegrating canvas wrapped around the contents. Carefully he peeled that away to reveal a leather-wrapped cylinder resting on top of more leather.
“What’s that on top, Frederick?” Meredith asked.
“Proof of ownership and instructions on what was to be done with the money upon my death.”
“Frederick says the bundle is proof of ownership and a will of sorts,” Meredith said.
John handed the wrapped cylinder to Judy before lifting what remained of the oiled leather beneath. A collective gasp went up as piles of coins—some gold, some tarnished silver—were revealed. “Silver and gold dollars,” Meredith whispered.
Smiling, Frederick shook his head. “Twenty dollar gold pieces, some ten and five dollar silver coins, and yes, some are one dollar.”
“This is a fortune!” Oliver cried as he stopped the video and began snapping pictures. He picked up one of the gold coins and studied both sides. “Oh my God! This is a double eagle from 1850.” He took a picture of both sides of the coin.
Seemingly unfazed by the treasure, Judy sat down and unwrapped the bundle. She lifted a small mason jar with a folded document inside for all of them to see. “This is in remarkably good shape, she said as she studied the contents of the jar. John, you might have to break the glass. I doubt we’ll be able to get the lid off.”
“We’ll see,” John said as he took the jar from his wife.
“Air tight. I knew canning worked for vegetables, so I figured it’d do the job for a piece of vellum,” Frederick commented, looking proud of himself.
John tried opening the lid, grunting from exertion. His efforts produced a gritty sound of sand scratching against the glass. The rust finally gave way and the rim part came off. John pulled a small folding knife from his pocket and used the blade to pry off the sealed lid. “Here you go, Judy. Words written in your great-great-grandfather’s very own hand,” he said, his voice coming out a little hoarse.
Frederick’s ghostly gaze drifted to something only he could see as Judy carefully unfolded the vellum and began reading. “The contents of this strongbox belong to Frederick George Klein,” Judy read. “It goes on to say that if something should happen to him, the money should go to his wife, Prudence Marie Klein. It’s signed and dated the twentieth of April, 1854.” Judy surveyed the area. “Where is he, Meredith?”
“He’s next to me to my left.”
“Grandfather, what do you want me to do with your fortune now? Prudence and her children are long gone.”
Frederick’s image had already begun to fade, and he continued to stare off into the distance. Meredith heard his ghostly gasp, and she knew the warm golden light beckoned to him. This was a critical moment.
“Prudence!” he called out. “I see my dear wife. She’s been waiting for me all these years. My boys! There are my boys. Here comes my beautiful daughter, and they’re calling to me.”
“Now that your fortune is in the hands of your family, you are free to go.” Meredith smiled as Frederick’s face radiated joy. He glanced at Judy one last time, his expression one of gratitude and love, and then he was gone.
“But what should we do with the coins?” Judy asked.
“I’m sorry, Judy. He stopped caring about earthly concerns the moment John uncovered the box. He’s gone. What you do with the contents of that box is something you and your family will have to work out on your own.” Meredith smiled.
“I’m glad you have Frederick’s will to document your find and ownership, along with all the pictures and the video Oliver took. I have no idea how things like this are handled since this is park land. Before you do anything, consult a lawyer,” she suggested.
“One thing I know for sure, this calls for a celebration.” John took the letter from Judy, placed it back in the jar and into the box with the coins. He gathered the tools and the treasure and stowed them in his backpack. Oliver helped John hoist the pack onto his back. “Oliver, will you take the shovel?”
“Sure. What kind of celebration are we thinking?”
“It just so happens we brought a very expensive bottle of whiskey with us, and I’m sure we have sodas in the fridge we can use as mixers. What do you say we head to the saloon and toast Frederick, Prudence and their three children?”
“Why the saloon?” Oliver asked, once again looking anxious.
“Because that’s where we always went when trying to contact my great-great-grandfather, and Keoghan’s Saloon is where we finally met him,” Judy said. “It seems fitting somehow, and it’ll be like we’re going out to celebrate rather than staying in.”
“We have chips, guacamole, and salsa leftover from dinner,” Meredith added. “I’ll bring them along.”
“I’m not legal.” Oliver picked up the shovel and started out for the trail leading to the cabin.
“You don’t have to drink if you don’t want to, but I think we should stick together this evening,” Meredith said. “If you do have a shot or two, we won’t tell if you don’t.”
As the four of them made their way along the path, a peaceful, happy feeling settled over Meredith. She always felt this way after helping a soul depart, and it almost made her sacrifice worth the hit her savings would take.
Soon she’d head into Missoula to begin the ancestry search on Daniel’s family. Tonight she’d celebrate with her new friends, and maybe she’d see Daniel at the saloon. She couldn’t wait to tell him the good news. Frederick had found peace at last.
Daniel trailed after the group of revelers as they returned to Garretsville. After his conversation with Meredith, he hadn’t wanted to stay, but he hadn’t wanted to leave either. So he’d remained invisible, hovering out of chill range as they found Frederick’s fortune.
He’d seen the golden light beckoning, and he’d witnessed Frederick’s family calling to his friend. Daniel had tried to follow Frederick into the golden glow, and once again he’d found his way barred by an invisible barrier.
Here he remained with his attention fixed upon Meredith and his existence a maelstrom of emotions he shouldn’t have the capacity to feel. Letting loose a ghostly groan, he continued on to the saloon to await the arrival of the celebrants. The moment he drifted inside Keoghan’s, Daniel sensed the agitation. The other ghosts were somehow aware that one of their numbers had departed.
“Where is she?”
“Yeah! Where’s that woman who helped Frederick?”
“I want to go home …”
“Help me …”
They all spoke at once, clamoring for attention, and he imagined this was what Meredith faced all the time when in the presence of the dead. Daniel circulated among the linger of ghosts.
“I promise you’ll get your turn, and it will be soon. Don’t harangue the lassie this eve. Let her seek out each of you on her own,” he told them.
It took some convincing and explaining about Meredith’s mission in Garretsville, but they finally understood and drifted into their usual routines.
The living entered then, carrying food, drink, and glasses. A phantom lump formed in Daniel’s ghostly throat as he beheld Meredith. Her aura shone more brightly this evening, the rainbow colors more vivid, and her smile lit up the entire saloon. If he were alive, he’d hand her his heart on a silver tray and pledge his lifelong devotion to her this very moment.
Even as he shook off the ridiculous notion, he couldn’t help but drift closer, nor could he prevent the smile and the rush of happiness seeing her brought him. “Good evening to you, Meredith.”
“Hi.” She beamed. “Daniel is here,” Meredith announced as she set the food on one of the larger tables. “We did it,” she told him. “We found Frederick’s treasure, and he crossed over.”
“Aye? That’s grand news indeed.” He sat beside her. “I’m happy my friend is at peace.”
Meredith nodded. “So am I. His family came to show him the way. Families always do that.”
“It’s freaky when you do that,” Oliver remarked as he set the camping lantern at the center of the table.
“Do what?”
He shrugged. “Hold what sounds to us like one-sided conversations, you know, with ghosts.”
“Meredith, do you prefer a cocktail or a shot?” John asked, holding up a bottle of whiskey and a can.
Her delicate brow creased as she considered the matter. “I think a shot. Make it a double.”
Daniel snorted.
She cast him a wry look. “We’re celebrating.”
“So I see. Pay me no heed. I’ll leave you to it, but I’ll be nearby should you …” Piercing grief and regret shot through him. He’d been about to say should you need me. What possible use could Meredith MacCarthy have for a dead man? “Should you wish me to introduce you to any of the others you’re here to help.”
“That’s most considerate of you,” she said, gracing him with another smile.
His phantom heart sinking, he drifted off, yet not so far away that he couldn’t hear what was being said or that he couldn’t keep Meredith in his sights. Oh, how he yearned to be needed by her, how he longed to be with her in life. Frustrated, and utterly depressed, he settled at a nearby table, listening and watching as the living talked, laughed, and drank.
“What’s it like to be part of a family that can do the things yours can?” Oliver asked.
“You can’t even imagine.” Meredith made a noise, part snort, part laugh. “You know the expression stranger things have happened? Well, stranger things are my family’s normal. If we had a clan motto, it would be ‘expect the weird and unworldly.’”
Oliver’s expression lit with curiosity. “Like what? Give us an example.”
Meredith shook her head. “You wouldn’t believe me.”
“Tell us,” Judy cried. “Tell us a the most outlandish thing your family has ever experienced.”
John draped his arm across the back of his wife’s chair. “I promise we’ll believe you. Judy and I have always had open minds when it comes to the paranormal.”
“Hmph.” Meredith glanced around the table at her companions and shrugged her shoulders. She slid her glass toward John. “Hit me with another, and I’ll think about it.”
Daniel couldn’t help smiling at her look of skeptical reticence. “Go on, lass. Tell them a story,” he called, receiving a disgruntled look for his input.
“Fine,” she huffed. “Have you heard of the Tuatha dé Danann?”
Daniel had. He’d grown up hearing mythical tales of the fae, and his granny had oft told stories of Irish heroes and their brushes with the demigods. His attention sharpened.
“The Tuatha dé Danann have something to do with Celtic mythology, don’t they?” Oliver asked.
“Yes, but it turns out they are not mythical at all; they’re real. The Tuatha dé Danann are also referred to as the fae. My older sister has a stepdaughter who is half fae. Her name is Boann.” Meredith leaned forward and whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. “Boann was born in the third century.”
“What?” John frowned.
“It’s true.” She straightened and nodded emphatically. “Her mother, Morrigan, cursed Boann’s father to dwell in the void realm for all eternity. Fáelán—that’s his name—was also born in the third century, but he’s not fae. With Boann’s help, my sister rescued Fáelán. Now he and my sister are married and have a son. They live in County Waterford, Ireland.”
Those sitting around the table looked as stunned as Daniel felt. He couldn’t help himself. He drifted closer.
“How is that even possible?” Judy asked. “How did your sister rescue a man from the third century?
“Well, I’ll tell you.” Meredith leaned forward again and placed her forearms on the table.
Transfixed, Daniel listened as Meredith told the story of how her sister Regan met the Fianna warrior from the distant past, and how they managed to escape the fae princess’s curse. Had he heard her correctly? Fáelán’s fae daughter had sent Meredith’s sister back to third-century Ireland to prevent him from being cursed in the first place?
Time stopped for Daniel as he took in that part of Meredith’s astounding tale. Regan had traveled through time, and so had Fáelán. That such a thing was possible boggled his mind beyond his ability to cope.
Meredith went on to tell the story of her twin sister Grayce’s adventures in the Comeragh Mountains. She said something about druids, the fae, and how they’d hidden three valleys from the rest of the world during the years the Irish kings were at war. Daniel didn’t really listen. How could he when he’d learned Regan had successfully prevented her man from being cursed—in the third century.
Fáelán now dwelt in the present, and he’d married the woman who’d saved him. Was it possible Boann might be willing to send Meredith back in time? Could the woman of his dreams prevent his and his partner’s murders? Would she be willing?
His mind churned. Without being aware of what he was doing, Daniel shifted himself to his mining camp. There he paced and thought. An array of possibilities spread out before him like a king’s banquet. First and foremost was the enticing notion of being alive with Meredith—if even for a brief encounter.
Second, he might finally be able to fulfill his vow to his dear mother. He’d bring his family together under one roof again, and perhaps Meredith could be persuaded to stay with him. After all, in his time he’d be a very rich man.
Nay, such a desire was purely selfish on his part. She lived in the present, and he doubted she’d wish to live in the past. She had her time, and he had his. Meredith had a family and a life. Fate surely meant her for another, someone who existed in her own century.
The thought of her with another man had him scowling. He kicked at pebbles on the ground, sending them scattering. Pretending to draw in a breath, Daniel forced himself to think of other things, like how to convince Meredith to agree to the plan coalescing in his mind.
Aye, he needed to keep his focus centered. Fulfilling his promise to his family had to remain his priority. His burgeoning feelings for the beautiful ghost whisperer would be his secret to bear.
6
Meredith opened the storage shed behind the gift shop and surveyed the equipment. She grabbed a pair of work gloves, a five-gallon plastic bucket, and one of the trash grabbers. “I have a master’s degree. Someday I’ll have a PhD. Yet, here I am, fixing to spend my day picking up trash. Trash carelessly dropped by noodleheads who see our planet as their own personal trash bin,” she muttered.
Daniel’s soft chuckle echoed inside her mind, and she whipped around. There he stood, exactly far enough away that his coldness hadn’t alerted her to his presence.
“Noodleheads? I’ve known a few in my time.” He chuckled again and drifted closer. “Do you often talk to yourself, Meredith?”
“I do. I guess it stems from being alone so often.” She g
roaned. “I didn’t mean for that to sound as pathetic as it did. It’s just that I’m still adjusting to having my sisters so far away. We used to be really close, as in spending a lot of time together. Now I talk to them once a week and see them maybe once a year—if I can afford the trip.”
Meredith closed and locked the shed door. “Someday I’ll have a place of my own, and I’ll adopt a fluffy little dog. That way, when people see me talking to myself, they’ll assume I’m talking to my dog.”
He chuckled again. “We always had dogs on our farm, cats as well. As a wee laddie, I was never without a four-legged friend to play with.”
“But … you had siblings,” she said.
He shook his head. “I was an only child for many years. My mother miscarried twice and gave birth to a stillborn babe before my brother and sisters came along. I was nearly twelve by then.”
“That must have been difficult for your parents.”
“Aye. I could see for myself how worried and careful they were each time my mother was with child again. I witnessed their grief.” Daniel took up a place beside her as she began her rounds through Garretsville. “I grieved those losses as well.”
“Is there something on your mind this morning, Mr. Ghost, or are you just hanging out?”
“Heaven forbid any part of me should hang out,” he quipped, doing a theatrical pat-down check over himself and twisting around to catch a glimpse of his backside.
She laughed. “A ghost with a sense of humor is a rare thing indeed. That’s another characteristic that sets you apart.”
“Aye? You bring it out in me. I love the sound of your laughter, and seeing you smile brightens my day.”
“Flatterer,” she teased as her heart skipped a beat. “Back to my question.” She used the trash grabber to pick up a plastic water bottle and dropped it into the bucket. “What’s on your mind?”
Summoned in Time: A magical, ghostly, time travel romance... (The MacCarthy Sisters Book 3) Page 7