Chapter 9
Jaegar had been gone for a month now. Determined to make do without him for now, Mary busied herself with a special project. It was fortunate that she had hidden so much gold away in case they ever needed it. One day, she bagged up most of her jewelry and her more expensive gowns and headed to town. After having gotten so thin and using some herbs to darken her blonde hair slightly, no one recognized her. The shop keeper was famous for his "back alley" trades and carried her possessions inside while she counted out the money.
It had taken several more unscrupulous connections, some all the way overseas to do what she was doing. It was difficult to trust them all; they were banded together in a tight web of deceit. However, she unburdened her conscience by remembering her intentions were good.
That's why she was so excited when she got the letter. Written in a scholarly slanting hand, she could tell that this man was very well educated.
Mary,
I received your letter approximately a week ago. It was not an easy decision to make and any sane man would have just tossed it into the fire. Your story really is quite extraordinary and I wonder if I'm destined for the asylum by answering it. However, strange things do happen sometimes and the worst that could happen is that I'll feel like an absolute fool, right?
You said you know my father. Not "knew", but "know". I find this very interesting, as he died very close to my birth. Mother would never talk about him and I couldn't figure out why. When she did speak, she said she never understood him but that he must be very brave for fighting in that war. If it is possible that I could meet him, I have decided to journey to Sleepy Hollow the next chance I get. I will not be able to stay long, however, because I have a job as well as a wife and I don't like to leave her very often. I can honestly say that I'm not sure I believe in ghosts; please keep that in mind.
Matthias.
Mary went to bed that night feeling very proud of herself. She nestled herself into the covers and daydreamed about Jaegar being reunited with his son before she drifted off to sleep. For the first time in her life, she had done something for someone else.
Down in the flaming depths of Hell, Jaegar could feel butterflies in his middle.
I wonder what's going on up there, he thought to himself, I don't remember feeling her this happy before.
He took comfort in knowing that he would be able to leave in a few days. He tried to keep the ugly and frightening thoughts out of his head while he rode out his stay.
I hope she hasn't found another man. I hope she isn't planning something. I hope she hasn't done a lot of things…he thought.
As much as he'd hated to admit it, he'd worried about her constantly since he had left. She was much safer on earth than she was down here, but it was difficult anyway. He wished he could be with her.
For the first time, he wondered what it would have been like if he'd been alive.
During the spell that she'd put on him, he hadn't been able to physically see her. His "vision" looked different—he could sense heat and movement. The person always appeared as a red "smudge" in his mind that he was supposed to kill. As soon as he'd sliced through their neck, the smudge would dissolve into golden sparks and disappear. He had seen Mary as a dark spot. It wasn't until he had his head back that he knew what she looked like…
He waited on the incessant pulling sensation on his middle to go away so that he could go back to her. Whatever it was, it must have been big. He only hoped he could share in her happiness, as he had none of his own.
………………………………………….
Matthias's coach arrived exactly when Mary expected it. She was waiting outside when it pulled up. The fat, squat coachman retrieved Mathias's meager one suitcase and placed it on the steps before helping Matthias out.
He was a slender thing and he didn't yet look twenty-five. His unnaturally blue eyes were an exact copy of Jaegar's. His hair was also jet black though it flopped in his face instead of standing on end. His eyes didn't contain quite the same wildness as Jaegar's.
Must be because he's never experienced a war, Mary thought to herself.
"Are you Mary Van Tassel?" Matthias asked in heavily accented English.
"I am. Why don't you come inside? It looks as though it will rain any moment."
He picked his suitcase up and carried it inside.
"Tell me about my father," Matthias demanded.
"Of course," Mary said, "have a seat by the fire. It's quite a story."
