“‘Guest’ is hardly the proper word for them, Jolena,” Jedediah said. “I swear they were nothing more than a bunch of beetle-headed interlopers, the lot of them.”
Jo laughed over Jed’s description of all the former homeowners. “Well then, I feel really special the ‘fearsome five’ made me feel so welcome and allowed me to stay.”
“We allowed you to stay because you are special.” Mathias gave her a wink and playfully tugged on a lock of her hair.
The look he gave her when he made the comment melted her from head to toe, and she found it almost impossible to concentrate on the rest of their activities thereafter. Still, she somehow made it through all of the games they chose to play which included the most hilarious round of Classic Clue she ever had the pleasure of participating in. The boys didn’t just state their whodunit theories. They completely acted them out.
They shot, beat, stabbed, and hung each other repeatedly in their quest to solve each case, and while in complete costume, no less. She played as Miss Scarlet, Mathias as Colonel Mustard, and Sam played Professor Plum. Jedediah provided a rip-roaring Mrs. White, Alexander chose a haughty Mrs. Peacock, and William wanted to play a very frumpy Mr. Green.
Then when the games finally ended, Jo read them her favorite Christmas Eve poem, “’Twas the Night before Christmas,” followed by the reading of the nativity story, which traditionally ended the Michaelsson Christmas Eve festivities and now ended theirs.
Then, before she climbed into bed, she informed Mathias he would have to spend his night somewhere other than the library. She told him she wanted her Christmas present to remain a secret and no one could go into the room until invited to do so.
After securing his promise they would do as she asked, she snuck the painting into the library and placed it on the outermost wall above the settee. She then covered the face and edges with colorful Christmas wrapping and some large ribbons and bows, to make it easy for them to unwrap. Excitement overtook her as she stood back and examined her handiwork. She could hardly wait for morning to come.
She found it nigh on impossible to fall asleep. Exhilaration and anticipation settled into her being as she climbed into bed and the feeling reminded her so much of her childhood Christmases when she anxiously awaited her visit from Santa Claus.
Yet, somewhere during the night, she must’ve fallen asleep because all at once she found herself waking to the sound of some of the more lively Christmas carols. They originated from her stereo, down in the family room. The songs got louder and louder as the minutes ticked by. Finally, when she could no longer stand to hear one more rousing chorus of “Jingle Bells,” she opened her bedroom door. “Okay, boys, I’m awake. I’ll be down in just a minute,” she called out.
Dakota shot past her and as he ran down the stairs, she added, “While you’re waiting, would one of you let Dak out for me and give him that big ham bone in the refrigerator? It’s his Christmas present.” She donned her white jogging suit with royal blue trim before she raced down the stairs where the boys all waited, with broad smiles on their faces.
“Merry Christmas, Jolena!” they bellowed in almost perfect unison.
“Merry Christmas, to all of you,” she sang out.
“Since you woke up so late, I think you’d better get started on those presents,” Alexander said pointing to the gifts she received from her family and friends. “You might not get through them today if you don’t.”
“She might not get through them anyway,” Jedediah said.
“Don’t be absurd.” She flung a lock of hair behind her shoulder. “First of all, it’s not late. And second, if I choose, I can have that stack unwrapped in under fifteen minutes, I guarantee it.”
“You’re on,” bellowed Sam. “Let’s see, it’s now nine o’clock so you have until quarter after the hour.”
“No, wait—I want you guys to open your present first. So, I need you to gather in the library, if you please.”
Despite their protests, it didn’t take much coaxing to get them upstairs. Then, once they entered the library, she motioned them toward the desk, turned her computer on, and activated the slide show she prepared some time ago.
“Before you open your Christmas present from me, I need you to see this slide show first, because it will explain my gift. Nancy took the pictures you’re going to see when she and her family visited.” Jo winked at Mathias then turned her screen around where everyone could see it and selected the start key. She fastened her gaze on each of the boys in turn so she could drink in their priceless expressions while their images flashed across the screen.
“Why, we look no different than anyone else in these photos,” Sam murmured as he kept his gaze fixed on the screen.
“But how is such a thing possible?” asked William as he finally turned around to face her.
“I really don’t know.” Jo shrugged and said, “Believe me; I didn’t question my good fortune, either. I’m just grateful to have them.”
Feeling a bit self-conscious, Jo shot a glance at Mathias, wanting to give some kind of warning to the scene Brady painted. She cleared her throat. “I’m not going to insult anyone’s intelligence by pretending you don’t know this is a painting,” she said gesturing toward it. “However, the idea for this particular painting originated from the pictures you see on my computer. I took these photos to an artist in the mall. He studied them for a few days, and then painted the scene his mind created.”
She walked to the other end of the room, pointed to their gift and said, “So, Merry Christmas to all of you, and whenever you’re ready?”
Alexander grinned as he faced his companions. “All right lads, on the count of three, then?”
“Three,” Sam hollered out and amidst their laughter, the wrapping floated toward the floor. Total silence followed the rustle of the paper’s gentle landing.
Chapter 20
After the silence, their expressions of joyous excitement and surprise filled the room. At once, they surrounded her and each in turn, gave her an exuberant ghostly hug and a feathery light kiss on the cheek. Their reaction to the painting pleased her no end. Mathias seemed especially delighted with the way the artist portrayed him—with her. She found herself blushing and smiling all at the same time.
“Thank you, Jolena,” Mathias said, as at last, he turned away from the painting. “I think I can speak for all of us when I say you couldn’t have found a better gift to give us. We’ll forever cherish it.”
Another round of rousing “Hear, hear” followed his statement. She smiled and said, “I’m glad you all like it.”
“Like it?” Alex shook his head. “We love it, Jolena.”
“That we do, and I know we would all love to remain here all day and enjoy our wondrous gift. At least, I know I would,” Sam said as he winked at the boys. “But, I think it only fair Jolena now has a turn to open the presents that await her downstairs. The task will only take her fifteen minutes, or so she says. Then, once she’s finished, we can all come back up here. Maybe we can try some of that eggnog the TV commercials keep going on about and see if it’s as good as they say.”
“What?” she asked, “Not happy with your ghostly ale?” Amidst their laughter, they vacated the room and headed toward the stairs.
Minutes later, she sat cross-legged on the family room floor with her gifts piled haphazardly in front of her. She glanced up at the clock and swept a hand toward it, drawing their attention to the time. “All right, are you ready for this?” She rubbed her hands back and forth, expelled a deep breath, and grabbed the first package in front of her.
As they cheered her on, she rapidly opened each present, held it up for their inspection, and called out the name of the person who gave it. She paused only once to say, “This goes against the grain, you know. Carolyn would be proud—astounded, but proud.” Exactly fourteen minutes and forty-three seconds later, she finished the task and raised her arm triumphantly upward.
“I told you, I could do it.” She beamed as she took in
each of their faces. “And you were all so worried.”
Mathias fixed his gaze to the clock, paused for several seconds, and then shook his head. “Nope, the way I see it, your fifteen minutes have come and gone. You haven’t finished, so you lose the contest and therefore, must pay the price.”
“What are you talking about?” Jo’s mouth dropped as she stared at her companions “You can plainly see I have them all opened.”
“Looks to me as if you have one more present under the tree,” Sam said as he pointed it out.
Jo turned her gaze in the direction he indicated. Another gift lay hidden beneath the branches. She inched forward, took hold of the corded handle, and placed the dark green bag atop her lap. “I don’t remember seeing this one before.”
“I hope you don’t mind, but we helped ourselves to one of your gift bags,” Mathias said. “We needed a place to put our gifts to you and the bag seemed most convenient, since we haven’t quite figured out how to wrap with boxes and those silly ribbons and bows like you do.”
Jo drew in a sharp breath as she gazed at each of them in turn. Pleased expressions looked back. She had no idea they would think to give her a gift or even that they could. The gesture overwhelmed her and made it very difficult to stifle her tears.
“Now without looking, you have to extract one item at a time,” Mathias said. “When you have the gift in your hand, we’ll tell you who it’s from.”
The small lump in her throat swelled and Jo’s hand shook just a bit as she grasped something made of wood, about the size of her hand. She drew it out of the bag and gazed at the detailed carving of a hawk in flight.
“Merry Christmas, Jolena,” Alex said as he took a step forward. “I used to whittle a bit in my time, taking my inspiration with what surrounded me. If I remember correctly, I made that one there a bit before the war. I know it’s not much, but—”
“How can you say that?” Her eyes filled with unshed tears as she covered her mouth. “This is a beautiful work of art, Alex. The carving would rival anything I’ve seen in any art gallery, and it will look so perfect next to Johann’s clock on the mantel. Thank you, so very much. You have no idea what this means to me.”
“Well, go on,” he replied, looking a bit embarrassed over her praise. “You’ve got more.”
Once again, she dropped her hand into the bag and this time she could feel something soft. She closed her hand around it and withdrew the object from the sack. A small leather pouch with an intricate shell and feather work design lay in her open hand. After gently stroking the glassy shells, she peeked inside and found more shells, each unique in color and shape. She found braided hair from the mane or tail of a horse, intertwined with colorful strips of leather and some beautiful feathers. Dried berries and a mixture of crushed herbs, which smelled as sweet as any perfume, supplied a colorful nest for the braids and shells.
“Merry Christmas, Jolena,” said Jedediah. “That there’s called a spirit pouch. One of the finest maidens of the Lenni-Lenape I ever had the pleasure of knowing made it for me. She gave it to me as a parting gift and told me it carried great magic. I’d like you to have that magic now.”
“Oh, Jedediah—I feel honored you would give this gift to me.” Jo shook her head as she sniffed and dabbed at the first tear that meandered down her cheek. “Thank you.”
Then as she looked into the anxious faces of the other boys, she dipped into the bag again. This time her fingers wrapped around a small piece of round metal. As she tugged the object upward, she could feel another like piece, attached to it. Once she cleared the bag, she opened her hand. She held two identical buttons, in pristine condition, about an inch in diameter, with the words Continental Army engraved around the outside edge. Inside the etching appeared the number one followed by a period, followed by the letter B. Centered beneath those, a perfectly engraved letter P.
“Merry Christmas.” William gave her a nod and winked in affection. “A long time ago, those buttons were taken off my military coat. They signify the Pennsylvania First Battalion. They’re still in good shape because we didn’t stay with them very long and trust me, my mother kept everything. Anyway, I wanted you to have something that once belonged to me, and I know how much you like things from the period.”
“Oh, William, I’m going to display these and my spirit pouch, on the shelf next to the painting of George Washington. They’ll look so perfect there. Thank you so very much,” Jo said as she used the back of her hand to wipe away another wayward tear.
“Only two left to go, Jolena,” Mathias said, urging her on.
This time as she searched the bag, her hand closed around the final item. She lifted the small porcelain box out of the bag with great care. The elegant trinket box featured gold painted arches that intersected each other. At the bottom of each intersection, a dainty blue forget-me-not added decoration to the underglaze.
“Merry Christmas, dear friend,” Sam said. “Just a little something to express my gratitude for all the joy you’ve given us.”
Though difficult, she swallowed past the lump in her throat. “This is so lovely, Sam and so delicate.” She shook her head as she nibbled a bit on her lip. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” Sam replied and then pointed to the box. “You still have one final gift inside the box, lass.”
Jo fixed her gaze to Mathias’s as she opened the lid. She withdrew a small teardrop opal-and-sapphire pendant attached to a delicate silver chain. With trembling fingers, she put the antique necklace on, vowing to make it part of her wardrobe each day, from this moment onward.
“Merry Christmas, Jolena,” Mathias said.
“This is the most exquisite necklace I’ve ever seen. Thank you, Mathias,” she whispered, as she picked up the pendant for a closer look. Then after placing the rest of her gifts back inside the bag, she clutched the handle, rose to her feet, and tenderly kissed him on his cheek. All the while, she made every effort not to go through his form. Then turning to her other boys, she kissed them in like manner.
She stood back then, and took them all in at once. “To say I’m overwhelmed is a huge understatement of what I feel right now. Thank you all, so very, very much for your gifts. I’ll treasure each one all the days of my life. And just so you all know, you have made this the best Christmas I’ve ever had, and I’ve had some pretty good ones.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Mathias shrugged and shot the boys a quick glance. “It’s still a little early for you to make such a statement. You did lose the bet and therefore, you still have to pay the price.”
Jo stood open-mouthed, with one hand at her brow while clutching her gift bag with the other. “But I don’t recall even making it a bet, much less one with consequences. I merely said I could have my gifts open in under fifteen minutes.”
“But you guaranteed it, which is one in the same,” Mathias glibly stated. “Are you going to renege?”
“I can’t believe you’re making this such a big deal.” She huffed out a breath. “Okay, let’s get this done right now. What is the consequence for my tardiness?”
“Hmm, it needs to be something out of the ordinary—” Mathias looked over at Sam. “Got any ideas?”
“Well, let’s see.” He turned and gazed out the window. “It is Christmas, after all. We needn’t be brutish. So, something simple, I’d say.”
“And we don’t want it to take a whole lot of time, either,” Alex muttered. “I want to get back upstairs and take a second look at our painting and I’d like to see those photographs again.”
“How about she fetches Dakota without calling him?” Jedediah suggested. “We really shouldn’t leave him out there in the snow. His coat will get all wet and natty.”
“Perfect.” Mathias gazed at her and winked.
“Fine.” She turned around, placed her gift bag atop the table, walked out of the family room, and into the kitchen.
“You might want to get your jacket,” William called after her.
“I won’
t need one,” she tossed back.
Although she couldn’t see them, the boys followed close behind. She opened the door and peeked all around looking for her dog. Oh, that’s right. Jed gave him the ham bone. She stepped through the snow, and made her way to his doghouse. No Dakota. She turned around and almost ran into Mathias.
“Not fair, when you gave him that bone to devour,” she chided.
Mathias merely shrugged. She sighed, but just then, she could hear Dakota barking. She shifted her gaze in the direction of the sound and spied the barn just up ahead. Perhaps he wanted to warm up a bit. She made all haste to the open doors, and all the while, wished she had taken the time to get her jacket.
She found all her ghostly companions waiting for her inside, grinning from ear to ear. She narrowed her eyes as she turned her head to the side. “What’s going on? None of this makes any sense whatsoever. What are you all up to?”
Without saying a word, they stepped aside so she could see the stall behind them.
Both of her hands flew upward and cupping them around her nose and mouth, she stifled a cry of surprise. Lacy, wearing a big red bow on her royal-blue halter, nickered to her. Stunned, she looked over at Mathias.
“One final gift, Jolena.” He winked as he extended a hand in invitation.
“But how? You—I can’t believe you did this for me.” Once again, she found herself wiping away tears she couldn’t control as she made her way to his side. He placed a hand about her waist and turned her toward the stall.
Sam chuckled as he shifted his gaze from her to Mathias. “Believe me, my dear, when Mathias has a will to do something, he finds a way to accomplish it.”
Mathias escorted her to the stall that housed her horse. Her horse. As she stood in front of the gate, her arms encircled the mare’s neck. Lacy responded by curving her head around Jo’s shoulders.
Mathias smiled his pleasure as they renewed their acquaintance. They bonded the moment Jolena spied her in Parker’s pasture the day they visited the cemetery. Jolena had to have her, that’s all there was to it. The task didn’t prove all that difficult to achieve. He noted Parker’s collection of antique farm equipment and offered to trade him his nephew’s old cast-iron plow for the horse.
Spirit of the Revolution Page 20