Spirit of the Revolution by Debbie Peterson Page A

the stairs and approached the foyer.
    “Well if isn’t those infuriating neighbors, again,” he muttered in irritation. “After you invited them to leave the first time around, Mathias, you think they’d know enough not to return.”
    Jo took in a sharp breath, halted her steps, and whirled around as she met Mathias’s way too innocent gaze. “ You caused the ruckus my first night here?”
    Mathias merely shrugged as if his actions didn’t warrant a mention.
    She shook her head slightly while she continued her journey toward the door. Just before she opened it, she said, “Then, I’d like to thank you for your timely assistance. I really appreciated it more than you know. But this time, please behave? They already think I’ve lost my mind.”
    Douglas and Gloria Parker greeted her with tight lips and furtive glances. A slightly built young man, probably in his early twenties, bearing a bit of resemblance to Douglas, stood beside them.
    “Good morning,” she sang out in just as pleasant a tone as she could manage.
    “Hello, Jolena. How are—how are things going for you, now that you’ve had the chance to settle in?” Gloria twisted her face into something resembling a smile. “I mean, I truly hope all is going well for you, dear. You are all right, aren’t you?”
    “Yes, I’m fine, thanks and truly, I don’t think things could possibly get any better.” Jo opened the door a little wider to allow them entrance, even though they clearly wished to stay put. “Please, won’t you come in?”
    “Oh. No, no, we can’t stay, I—” Gloria stammered as she placed a hand over her heart and gulped. “I—we only stopped by to, uh— Oh dear, where are my manners? Jo, I would like to introduce you to my nephew, Owen Parker. He has come down to help us with the harvest, so he’ll be living with us for the next three or four months. And, Owen, this is Jolena Michaelsson. She’s our master violinist that plays for the Philadelphia Orchestra.”
    “Hello, Owen, it’s nice to meet you.” She made brief eye contact with the young man and gave him a smile. In turn, he twisted his head to the side, dropped his gaze, and simply bobbed his head.
    Gloria took a deep breath, and said, “I don’t know if we mentioned it during our last visit, but as a community we often rally together to help those who are victims of natural disasters. I’m sure you already know the recent earthquake in South America has left thousands of people homeless. So, what we’re doing today is gathering any extra blankets you may have, as well as hygiene items you might want to donate to the victims of this disaster.
    “Or if you’d like, we’re also collecting monetary donations, so we can buy the needed items. There’s a cargo plane leaving at the end of the week. If possible, we’d like to make sure it’s filled to capacity with the things these people so desperately need to survive and—” Gloria stopped short as she stared passed Jo with a sudden look of horror on her face.
    From the direction of her gaze, it seemed she focused on the hall tree. Jo turned and looked at the piece herself, yet didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. “Is something wrong?”
    “Oh…n-no…I just thought I saw—” Gloria waved a hand and shook her head. “Probably just a shadow.”
    “There is a slight breeze today,” Jo said as she glanced over at the boys, who shrugged. “The limbs of the trees can create shadows through the windows from time to time. Anyway, I do have some extra blankets I could donate to the cause. Would you like to come in while I gather them? They’re in my storage closet, so it might take me a few minutes to get everything together.”
    “Oh, it’s such a lovely day, with the light breeze and all—” Gloria smiled tightly and took a half step backward. “We’ll just stand right here and take in the sunshine, if you don’t mind?”
    “I don’t mind at all. Come on, Dak. Let’s put you outside for a