Forever Young Birth Of A Nation (29 page)

“I predicted this and it started things
going sour for me in New York. So it has been quiet here then”

“Yes. Oh we hear that the British have
occupied Staten Island, just a few miles across from New York
City.”

“Hmmm. So Washington did run them out after
I left. They will invade eventually. No way to stop them from
building up ground forces from the sea. No doubt they’ll only move
when they have a very large force.”

“Everyone thinks so. There are supposed to
be a lot of Tories there, friendly to the British.”

“That’s true. Regarding the Declaration
though, I would very much like to read it.”

“You are in the right place because it is
posted inside.”

“Who wrote it?”

“Well, it was written by a young Virginia
planter named Thomas Jefferson, but there were four others on the
committee who modified it somewhat.”

“Was anything written to do away with
slavery then?”

“It was, but the Congress deleted it for
fear that over half of the colonies wouldn’t sign it. They fear
their economies would collapse. Insisting on it would guarantee
that the British would win this war because those colonies with a
lot of slaves would withdraw from the war.”

“Hmmm. That is likely to be true. Still it
is a sad thing, Paul. The British for all of their shortcomings
have abolished slavery in England.”

“Yes, but they will capture and sell them
here, the hypocrites! And Rhode Island has as many as any colony.
They breed and sell them to the southern colonies.”

“I never knew that.”

“Jefferson was disappointed. Old Ben
Franklin had some input there, as well as John Adams. Both advised
Jefferson in the writing of it along with a couple of others. Oh,
by the way Franklin is going to France I hear.”

“Franklin; I know that name. He wrote
‘Poor Richard’s Almanac’
.”

“Yes.”

“Why is he going to France?”

“He is an emissary of our newly formed
confederation. The Congress is trying to convince the French to
enter the war and fight against England.”

Ian furrowed his brow, lost in thought for a
few seconds and then he fastened his eyes upon those of Revere and
said “I have very influential contacts there that have loyal men
inside of the French government. These men have access to the King,
Paul. I will send a letter to France.”

“You have contacts in France, truly?”

“I was a banker there for one of the biggest
banks in that country and I even helped start a network of sister
banks in other countries over there. We have a secure method of
communicating.”

Shaking his head, Revere smiled saying “You
always surprise me, Ian. Will these contacts be sympathetic to our
cause?”

“I am a senior officer and one chosen for
starting up two banks here in America. Believe me, they will.”

“I suspected that you and James might be
more than just two frontiersmen.”

“Well Paul, we adopted a convenient disguise
after the British closed our bank and came after us. We figured
that they would not be looking for two frontiersmen.”

Laughing then, Revere shook his head saying
“I must go. Good luck with your efforts.” He extended his hand then
and departed at a brisk walk heading toward his shop.

After reading and re-reading the
Declaration, Ian was profoundly affected by it. Although simple, it
was a great statement; one sure to shake the world. He was
disappointed that the abolition of slavery had been deleted from it
and thought that would become a big problem in later years. Still,
he realized that the whole effort of organizing would have fallen
apart otherwise, and that would hand a victory to the British.

He would craft a sufficiently boring
economic report to encode the vital information and would also send
a packet of letters for Scotland and for his family in France. Soon
enough he would pay to send it all to London on one of the few
ships that still traded in Boston.

He was certain that any British ship leaving
Boston would be boarded and searched. American ships stayed in port
or stayed overseas far away from England for fear of being seized
by the Royal Navy. No doubt they were offshore, doing whatever they
could to keep needed supplies from entering Boston and to prevent
any patriot communications from getting through to enemies of
England.

***

Three days later he found a two-mast galleon
bound for London in two more days. They were hauling manure as that
was the only thing that the Crown would allow to get through from
the Boston at the time, and the only thing that Boston would
export. He had carefully made his secret communications concerning
Henri helping Benjamin Franklin in a well-crafted economic report
and had written four personal letters as well, telling his families
that he would soon be going to New York City.

Laura answered the door before the butler
could and found a Sheriff’s deputy standing there, hat in hand.
Lucas Ross introduced himself and asked if he could come in. Laura
smiled and nodded as she took in the sight of this man, liking what
she saw. He was in his late twenties, tall like Ian, a cleft chin,
clean shaven, with wavy sandy-colored hair and sharp hazel colored
eyes that looked as if they missed little. She thought that he had
a stern look about him, but an open and pleasant demeanor at the
same time. He had regular features and like Ian was on the lean
side. Opening the door wide she gestured for him to enter and then
looked at him inquisitively. He said “Ma’am, there has been a body
found nearby and we are asking everyone in the area if they have
seen anything that might give us a lead as to what led up to him
being killed.”

She put her hand to her mouth in shock and
said “Please come in, Deputy Ross. I will get everyone here
shortly.” Leading him to the parlor she said “Please be
seated.”

He nodded and sat in a large wingback chair,
looking about at the opulent surroundings. In under a minute he saw
two older ladies preceding Laura and then an exotic looking young
lady and a young man following all of them. Rising he introduced
himself again and Thelma Millhouse introduced herself, her sister
Merriam, Laura, Cosette, and Stuart.

“As I told Miss Laura here, I am
investigating a death that happened nearby.”

“Excuse me Deputy Ross” said Thelma as she
went to a table nearby and picked up a delicate looking summoning
bell and rang it. The butler appeared and she instructed him to
bring the staff. Turning to Ross she said “Please excuse the
interruption Deputy; they will be here shortly.

In under a minute the butler, maid, and cook
joined them and were introduced to Ross after Thelma gave a brief
explanation of why he was there. He then spoke, saying “I am hoping
to find something that will help us determine how this happened.
What with the British Navy bringing in more troops to Staten Island
every day and a general uneasiness in the main part of the city, we
are shorthanded. To tell the truth, we came out only at the
insistence of a passerby who saw this fellow in some bushes
alongside the road. We think that he might be one Leonard
Morehouse.”

Thelma spoke then, saying “There is a
Morehouse family some four doors to the south of us, on the same
side of the road.”

“Yes. I have been there already and Mrs.
Eunice Morehouse is even now looking at the body to see if it is
her son.

“How horrible!”

“Have any of you seen anything out of the
ordinary around this area, or maybe any wild animals around, such
as a wolf?”

“Good heavens Deputy Ross! There are no
wolves left on Manhattan Island, are there?”

“Well, I did not think so, and wolves are
very wary of humans and usually stay well away from them. But
still, we are baffled by this thing. There is a bite on the man’s
neck.”

“I know who Leonard Morehouse is” said
Merriam. “He raises horses at a place further to the north, around
a mile from here. He is tall, ruddy complexion, rusty reddish hair
and a moustache.” About then Laura chimed in “That is right. I
remember him well; always outdoors a lot, and a really pleasant
fellow, well liked around here.”

“That sounds a lot like this man, but he is
as pale as a ghost, in fact far paler than is normal for a corpse.
You will excuse me, but he looks as if he has no blood in his
body.”

Cosette looked at Stuart and he turned
slowly to her, raising his eyebrows, which Ross noticed. Sensing
something, he said “Do either of you know this man?” as he looked
directly at Cosette.

Fastening her exquisite eyes on him, she
replied with a slight smile “We are new here in New York, just
visiting really. We don’t know the man.”

Ross took her measure as she spoke, noting
her striking poise and her unique voice as well as her beauty. Used
to sizing up people at a glance, he was baffled to realize that he
had no category in which this young woman fit.

“Well, if none of you have seen a wild
animal in the area, I will take no more of your time today” he said
as he rose to leave. Laura smiled sweetly and came forward to show
him out when Stuart spoke “Cosette and I have seen people mauled by
animals in Scotland. We could come and look at the body if you
don’t mind.”

Ross turned back to the two; eyebrows raised
and said “No, thank you. That is not necessary.” He nodded to
everyone then, smiled briefly and turned to follow Laura to the
door. Turning there he thanked her for her time, noticing once
again that she was quite pretty and noting the absence of an
engagement ring as well. Her auburn colored hair was done up in a
bun, but he imagined it let down, with the wind blowing through it,
and noted again her large beautiful hazel colored eyes.

Saying good bye, he wondered why he had
looked to see if she was engaged. Shaking his head at his own
behavior as he made his way to the place where the body was found,
he noted the fine quality of the homes in the area and thought how
strange that an animal attack would occur here, and not in some
more remote location of Manhattan Island.

Eunice Morehouse was being led away by her
daughter, both of them weeping as he signaled to his assistant to
bring the wagon up to the site. Before the two could load the
corpse though, he paused and instructed his assistant to wait
there. Jogging back to the Millhouse home he operated the large
brass door knocker and shortly the butler answered. Laura appeared
then, smiling sweetly as she said “Deputy Ross. May I help you with
something else?”

He thought
you can tell me how a lady as
pretty and as sweet as you are is not married or engaged.
Answering he said “I am going to take that lady up on her
offer….you know, Cosette?”

“Oh yes. Please let me go and get her” she
said as she disappeared into the parlor. Shortly Cosette and Stuart
joined him there and he informed them that he had reconsidered and
would like their help after all. Cosette nodded and excused herself
for a moment, going up the grand staircase. In a moment she
reappeared, tying on her wide-brimmed hat. She seemed to flow down
the staircase with a feline grace, not touching the handrail. Ross
noticed that she had long gloves on now and had put on sun glasses
that were hanging around her neck as she approached them, smiling
slightly.
What is it about her?

When they arrived at the scene, Ross stood
back to observe Cosette and Stuart. She removed her sun glasses and
peered intently at the body. It was as he said; abnormally pale
with a near circular bite wound on the side of his neck where the
carotid artery would be. She looked at Stuart then as he looked at
her. Ross thought
there is something there. What do they
know?

Cosette turned to Ross then, and smiling
sweetly she said “I spoke out of turn, Deputy Ross. This is not
like any wolf attack I have seen.” Looking at Ross, Stuart said “I
have not seen a bite like this before sir, but no wolf did it.”

Ross thought
well, with the war coming to
New York City now this case will languish. I am still baffled by
it. I wonder what those two know that they are not telling
me.

Taking their leave, Stuart and Cosette
turned and walked toward the Millhouse mansion, not looking at each
other nor speaking. As they turned into the ornate gate to walk up
the wide brick walkway, Cosette turned to Stuart and said “There
are vampires in New York City other than us three, Stuart.”

“Aye Cosette. You have company now.”

As the trio walked toward Revere’s shop,
Melissa clung to James’ arm, questioning the two about all that
they had seen and done while with the Seneca people. Revere was
just coming out of his door and locking it when they arrived.

Turning to go he smiled broadly at them
“Ian, James, Miss Willocks. Can I help you with something?”

“Yes, Paul. Melissa is here to buy a mirror
and your shop is the first place we thought of.”

Laughing he unlocked the shop and said “I am
always open if there is even a farthing in sight!”

Ian said to James with a laugh “You’ll pay
more than a farthing for any of Paul’s work and you will get your
money’s worth too!” He followed them as Revere took them to where
he had two wall mirrors and three hand held mirrors displayed. As
the two looked at them, he turned to Ian and said “I just heard
that the British fleet has now vacated Nova Scotia. We have set
watchmen up and down the coastline.”

Ian looked intently at Revere, and then said
“I doubt they will try to take Boston now, Paul. My guess is that
they will land troops at Staten Island.”

“They have already started that. We sent
word to Washington himself that the entire British fleet is gone
from Nova Scotia.”

“When they get a big enough force, likely
they will invade New York City.”