Chapter 5

It had been several weeks, in fact almost a month since the events that destroyed their town and their lives. Aaron and Jason worked hard alongside the rest of the town to rebuild. Lottie's was up and running and since Clancy had managed to save the important items from her saloon, she was able to start making money and using that to purchase some new decorations and furnishings for her place.

"Well, Lottie, me dear! I think we have done a fantastic job!" Clancy said as he drank a draught of his 'good Irish whiskey!

"Clancy, I can't thank you enough for saving our supply, but that does not mean you have free drinks every time you come here! Fish face!"

Clancy laughed and then kissed Lottie on the cheek as he left for his ship. Lottie just looked at him and sighed. Aaron walked in to get a bit of lunch and Jason came in after him.

"You know Jason, if you cut that timber on the south ridge this week, we can have it ready for you in two weeks and of course Mr. Harmon, will be pulling in for the rest of his ships decorations as well!" Aaron had begun a side business when a new young man came into town a week ago and showed everyone that he was a wood carver, a real artist and wanted to start a business there. So, Aaron gave him a place to work and now Bens' Mercantile was a 'showroom' of his abilities and interesting pieces of art.

Jason answered Aaron: "About that. I will have my loggers cut that for you. But Joshua and I want to find Jeremy. I know he is still out there, but I was hoping his memory would come back sooner than this. Allyn said it takes time to recover but how long? She never gave me an answer."

"Jason, if you no longer have Corky, I think Joshua should stay here to run the business while you go off chasing your brother! I mean, you want to keep your mountain and your business, don't you?" He said this with a hint of humor rather than malice but still worried that the best business partner he would have wouldn't be around to help get the project done in time.

Jason looked at Aaron and almost took insult but instead of reacting, he just put the though away until another day. This was not the time to waste on useless arguments or insults. He took a bite of his steak and then said:

"I know we lost Corky, but we have gained someone else. Miss Essie and Swede have graciously accepted an offer to come back. Swede will oversee the operation; Miss Essie will be teaching school as well! So, there is no problem for Joshua and me to go 'galivanting' around looking for our brother."

Aaron nodded. He knew the real reason they needed to find Jeremy. It seems as if Candy, as strong as she is or has been totally devastated and everyone was worried about her. If Jeremy did not come back, if he had died, they were afraid she would have to have specialized help.

"Okay, I see your point. Well, I do hope you find him. Jeremy was/is the better part of the Bolt brothers!" Aaron said this with a sort of smile on his face as he finished the last bite of his lunch.

When they rebuilt the dormitory and Lottie's they decided to make it into a hotel attached to Lottie's saloon. Biddie was now running the hotel. Since Corky left, she really had no other person she felt close to. Since she was a good organizer, she was the best manager for the position. Candy, Karen, and a few of the girls that had stayed after the disaster were all involved. They would cook and clean and keep the rooms spotless. They all helped.

"Biddie, when you do the orders for the next time please include at least two more sets of sheets, I don't know what the one person did but if he doesn't keep coming here and ruining our sheets, we are going to have ask him to buy his own!" said Karen with a laugh.

"I will put that down on my list, thank you Karen!" Biddie said as she was going over the registration for the hotel. "Karen, Mr. Harmon will be coming any day now and he wants Suite 104 and has asked to use the event room for a party next Tuesday evening."

Karen acknowledged that but reminded that they had a women's club meeting on the same day said to Biddie:

"I think we have a women's club meeting on that day around 2, will there be enough time to clean and prepare for the party."

"Why, yes indeedy! Karen! I planned things so well if I do say so myself!" she smiled when she said that "Oh, have you seen Candy?"

Karen shook her head and left. Biddie was a little worried when Candy and Dr. Allyn came in laughing and smiling.

"My, what have we hear, a happy Candy? And Dr. Allyn so good of you to come over."

Dr. Allyn finished her conversation with Candy who walked to her room by herself.

"Biddie, she is getting surer of herself, but she is still fragile. I would like you to keep the Laudanum somewhere where she won't find it but if she realty needs it, I know that you are particularly good friends with Candy, and I can rest assured that you will know the right time to give her some."

Biddie nodded to Dr. Allyn, took the bottle, and put it in her pocket. "is she really getting better? Do you think she will have a relapse?" Biddie asked worried for her friend.

I am not sure about the relapse but as the days go by, she has been doing better. She is helping Miss Essie with plans for the next school terms and Miss Essie thinks she can get a teacher license for her. That will help a whole lot. She will be too busy to think about you know who and she will be happy with the children at the school." Said Dr. Allyn

"I Have some other patients to see. If you need to go somewhere, please let Lottie or one of the other ladies know. So that she doesn't panic." Dr. Allyn left and Biddie remembered the few weeks that had passed. It was almost daily they would find Candy in the Bolt cabin, or near their favorite rock or picnic site. One day, they could not find her at all, until late in the evening when she came walking back to town. She had been saying some confusing things that evening, she even said she met Jeremy and he was coming to get her as soon as he could. No one believed her. The townspeople thought he had died, only Jason, Joshua, Aaron, Dr. Allyn, and Lottie knew it was real. They knew that Jeremy was alive, but for Candy's sake they could not let her know, not yet anyway.

The new artist, carpenter/carver was doing a great business, he had been contracted out by a few of the wealthier people who had moved to Seattle but were living nearer the University. They liked to have pleasant things and since they had the money, they invested in those things. His name was Jacques Luis LeBeau. He was tall, dark, and handsome. He spoke three languages as well as some Indian languages. He was originally from Québec Canada but found that the Washington territory/state was much more to his liking. He was older than most of the young ladies who were in the dormitory, but he had no problem if they didn't have. Except for one young lady who always seemed so sad. He had decided to cheer her up with some flowers or maybe even a piece of a French pastry. His father had been a baker, so he had of course picked up a few recipes. His attitude about that was he could catch more women with French pastry than flies! He was always joking and laughing. He was a promising investment for Seattle's future and for Aaron's as well.

Although he was not in a sense 'courting' any one woman, he was enchanted with one or two other girls in the group at the hotel. Since there were no women of the 'lower sort' to be with he learned to hone his skills with the ladies from New Bedford. He was coming out of the hotel with his hat in his hand and was about to walk to the mercantile when he saw the young woman, 'Candy' was her name leaving the hotel by another door. He knew that she tended to disappear and worry the others so he thought he could go to the mercantile another day and decided to follow her.

She walked up the hill past the outskirts of town. She went to the cemetery with some flowers for a grave. When she had been told that Jeremy had perished, she insisted on having a gravestone made for him, so she could go and sit and talk to him. Jason had made a bench and Joshua had purchased a stone for the 'imaginary' grave.

"Oh, Jeremy, what am I to do? My life has stopped, and I can't go on. Why can't you come back to me! I hate it here without you!" She buried her face in her hands and cried. Jacques came upon her and seeing her crying, he reached for a handkerchief to help her dry her tears.

"Excuse me, mademoiselle! I was just wondering if I might be of any help or comfort to you in your time of grief!" He handed her is kerchief and she dried her eyes. She looked so sad. He reached out to hold her in his arms and she let this happen.

Candy looked at him, as if she were still in a dream. Then she pulled back from his arms and said:

"That is quite all right, I am happy now. You must be the gentleman caller who has been leaving me flowers and pastries. I must tell you that my heart belongs to another, and he may be gone but I am still his."

Jacque Luis LeBeau did not want to hint at something that probably would upset her, so he said:

"My dear lady, I have meant nothing by my little gifts. I was hoping to see you happy as you must have been before. Would you like to talk about your love, sometimes talking about it helps the grief to heal?"

She looked at him and thanked him. All she wanted to do was go back to town before anyone missed her. He asked if he could walk with her and she said yes, but nothing else during the walk.

Maude and Helen were on their porch having an afternoon tea when they saw Candy with the artist.

"Well! Would you look at that, I thought she was mourning the loss of her beau, Jeremy Bolt! Here she is just walking with another man so soon after his death! What a scandal!" said Helen

"Yes, it is a scandal, we need to see Aaron right away!" OH, Christopher, would you go tell Aaron that we need to talk to him as soon as possible? Here is a quarter for doing that errand!" Maude said.

"Thank you, ma'am." Christopher said and he scurried off to Aaron's office at the mill.

Chapter 6

Jason and Joshua had made it to Wakanado's camp. They were greeted by one of the other sub chiefs of the tribe and were given food and drink. Soon Wakanado returned and after having refreshed himself, he met with Jason and Joshua.

"Jason Bolt, your brother has been well physically, but he still has not remembered who he is. He walks these mountains but does so as a spirit missing his body." Wakanado paused and then said:

"When we first met, Jason Bolt, you said your brother was not quite all the way there. I believed that Jason Bolt, until these past few days. He came to warn us, and as he was warning us when the earthquake hit. He was thrown from his horse and landed on his headfirst. I sent my women to help him, since we knew who he was. We took care of him and then when he was healthy, we said he should return to his home. That is when he looked at us and did not realize that he was not home. He muttered something about his mother will be missing him. We did not comment, just gave him some new clothes, and his horse. My shaman, said that he may remember someday, but we do not know. Now he walks these mountains in search of himself."

Jason looked at Joshua, both were worried.

"Do you know where we might find him, we came to bring him home." Said Joshua his blue eyes full of worry for his brother.

Wakanado said: "He walks this mountain, he has camped, hunted, and fished but never goes towards his home. As I said, he is like a spirit who is looking for his home!"

Jason thought more about this. Then he said:

"Thank you for telling us, Wakanado. We appreciate all that you have done. Please let us know if you need any help at all!"

Wakanado, stood up. The meeting was ended. "Go in peace, find your brother, his spirit may yet be saved!" Wakando raised his hand and both Joshua and Jason nodded and left on their horses.

Jason stopped Joshua when they were far away from the camp.
"Joshua, you go back to town, I am going to find Jeremy and see if he will come back with me. He may or he may not, but I must try. I will see you in a few days."

"Jason, it has been over a month, will he remember anything at all?"

"I don't know Josh, but I am going to take him to our family cabin and see if it helps him at all." With that Joshua rode to town and Jason went further up the mountain.

He was sitting at his camp; it was evening, and he had found some good trout for dinner. He sat and ate in silence until he heard footsteps. He quickly doused the fire and then hid behind a rock. He had a knife and a bow and arrow which the Indians gave him when he left their village. They had been very friendly; he had thought they were his people, but the shaman said that he came from somewhere else and had to leave to find that place. But he had not gone any farther. He had stayed there. He felt a sort of peace and safety in that place at least until now. Hiding behind the rock, he waited until he saw the shadow of a Without hesitation, he jumped the man and was about to kill him when the man got the upper hand and knocked him on his back and would not let him get up. The man had tossed the dropped knife and pinned him down so he could not get up.

"Who are you? Let me go!? I will kill you!" he said.

"Jeremy, Jeremy, it is me, Jason!" Jason shouted at him. But Jeremy did not respond to that name or the other name either.

"Jeremy, if you promise to sit up and hear me out, I will let you go?"

His wild blue eyes looked at the person who was pinning him down, in the dark he could not tell, but something deep inside was vaguely familiar. He nodded his assent so Jason, got off him and sat back waiting.

They sat staring at each other until Jason said:

"I think we should light that fire so we can at least see each other. The other person nodded and relit the fire. When it was going, they both sat across from each other. The younger man watched him warily.

"Who are you?" He said to the older man

"I am your brother Jason." Jason said quietly

"J-j-Jason? I don't know that name. I don't know my name either, but you say it is J-J-Jeremy?"

"Yes, it is! There was an explosion, we all left Seattle in a hurry, and you went to warn the others!"

Jeremy looked at him, his head was spinning, with this revelation.

"I-I-I lived in a Place called Seattle?" He shook his head. Suddenly, he felt faint and started to fall over. Jason was there and caught him. He laid him down gently and covered him up with the blankets. Then Jason sat by a tree watching and praying for his brother.

The next morning, Jason had some breakfast for him and Jeremy. When Jeremy did wake up, he was pleasantly surprised that this Jason fellow was kind and had breakfast, but he was still wary.

"Well, good morning, I am sorry we don't have any coffee, but I made some hot tea from your tea leaves…" Jason said offering a cup of hot something to Jeremy.

Jeremy took it gratefully and sipped it slowly. HE was eyeing this Jason person; he was not sure that the name he had said was his was Jeremy, so he said to Jason:

"Ah! Mister Jason, do you mind if you don't call me Jeremy? I don't seem to recall or have any special feeling for that name, Could you call me Jonathan?"

Jason heard that name, he smiled, and thought 'yes, he does remember something even if he doesn't know it.

"Sure, I can call you Jonathan." He said with a smile.

Jonathan smiled at Jason, and they ate a little breakfast.

"Jonathan, would you like to come to Seattle? It is a beautiful town. There are many who know of you and would like to meet you?"

Jonathan thought for a while. Yes, sure that will be fine. I have some furs to sell. Do you know by chance if anyone in town buys furs?"

Jason said yes. They had already packed things away, so Jonathan and Jason headed to Seattle. Jason thought he might take him to the cabin but decided to wait to see what Allyn would say.

Chapter 7

They entered Seattle and the first ones to see them were Aaron and Ben. They both smiled, but were curious, was this real Jeremy, he had beard, and looked a bit scruffy. Jason took him to Lottie's and took him in the Saloon. With a booming voice Jason said to everyone before they could say anything:

"Folks While looking for Jeremy, I found this young man who might know where Jeremy is. His name is Jonathan!"

Everyone looked a little confused but then Swede who was in there said:

"Hello Jonathan!"

Then everyone else started to call him Jonathan. Candy heard that Jason was back and went to find out in the saloon. When she saw him, she was a little confused, he sorts of looked like Jeremy, but his name is Jonathan? Timidly, she said

"Hello, Jonathan. It is nice to meet you!" when she reached out her hand to shake his, she suddenly felt faint and was about to swoon when Jacques, stepped up to steady her. He took her to a chair and Biddie was there with her. Dr. Allyn had just walked in and told Biddie to take Candy back to the hotel part of the saloon.

"Hello, my name is Dr. Allyn, it is a pleasure to meet you!"

'Jonathan smiled and nodded his head. Lottie came to him and said"
"Sir would you like a room for the night and perhaps a bath and shave?"

Jonathan, said that would be fine, in fact he asked if there were any good barbers in town, he wanted to get the beard off. Lottie said yes and gave him a room key. Jason smiled as Jonathan left to go to his hotel room. "Dr. Allyn said:

"Jason, do you know that what you are doing may be considered dishonest? He still does not know who he is. I can tell by the look in his eyes! You may be playing with fire!"
Jason looked at Dr. Allyn and the rest of the town, quietly he said to play along as if he was Jonathan. After all, Jonathon Bolt was their father and if he has a little memory of that then he may start to gain it back by just being in town.

"Jason, sometimes I wonder who the doctor is!" She said with a smile.

After he had had a bath and had a shave, (Lottie personally helped him). He felt good and was ready to start going about the town, finding someone who would take his furs.

Meanwhile, Candy was in her room, Biddie was sitting with her when the doctor came in.

"Well, how are you, Candy?" Doctor Allyn asked

"I don't know, he looks so much like Jeremy, I am afraid to ask him?"

"Candy, I know this is a shock to you, it is Jeremy! But until he regains his memories, he thinks he is someone else!"

Candy looked at Dr Allyn and said:

"I have to go to him! I have to see him!?"

"Not yet Candy, not yet. Remember he does not have his memory back so he may not react well to you, or he may have a relapse himself and never remember!"

Candy was surprised and then asked DR. Allyn another question:

"So, I have to play along until he regains his memories?"

"Yes, but there is something else. He has shaved and cleaned up and he is Jeremy! But I want you to be strong, when you go out in public, wait until he approaches you. Don't approach him! Call him Jonathan…"
"That was his father's name!"

Yes, that was, he seems to remember that. But anything else will have to wait until he remembers himself!" Doctor Allyn looked at her with compassion and hoped that she would be okay when she saw him now that he was all scrubbed up!

Dr. Allyn left and Candy and Biddie looked at each other.

"What are you thinking Biddie?" said Candy, suspicious of the look in Biddie's eye.

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all!"

"You are thinking of something, tell me!"
"Well, I just thought that, well, the doctor said not to hurry though."

Candy gave her that look, and Biddie knew she had to say what was on her mind

"Well, maybe after he has been here for a while, we could get you to together for a special dinner and he would remember you! That's all!"

Candy looked at Biddie and said:

"Biddie that is a very nice idea, but I think we should wait until he has gotten used to the town and us before we do that."

Biddie nodded and they both decided to wait.