Beyond the Quiet Hills by Aaron McCarver Read Free Book Online Page A

morning, but how about flapjacks and ham?”
    â€œSounds good. Let’s go get started.”
    When they went down the stairs and into the dining room, they found James Spencer already seated at the table. He was sixty-one now, and his hair was silver. Still, there was a commanding presence about him. He was one of those men who, as he grew older, did not lose his physical strength nor his mental alertness. “Well, sixteen years old, eh? Happy birthday, Jacob!”
    â€œThank you, Grandpa.” Jacob took his seat and waited until after his grandfather had asked the blessing. Then he reached over, speared three flapjacks, and plopped them down on his plate. As he was cutting them up, his grandfather lifted one eyebrow.
    â€œWith your hearty appetite, I doubt you will ever starve to death,” he said, smiling.
    Picking up the jug of maple syrup, Jacob poured a liberal stream on the flapjacks until all were soaked. He stuffed a forkful into his mouth, then picked up a chunk of ham and bit it off.
    â€œI see your manners haven’t improved,” James said wryly. “Don’t you want to cut that ham up into pieces?”
    â€œNope! It all goes to the same place, Grandpa. It doesn’t make much difference how it gets there.”
    The two older people watched Jacob eat with gusto, and finally Esther asked, “Are you excited about the party this afternoon?”
    â€œI guess so.”
    â€œWhat about your friend Tom Denton?” James asked. “Will he be there?”
    â€œOh yes. He’ll be there.”
    Esther winked at her husband and then asked idly, “What about his sister, Annabelle? Will she be coming, too?”
    Jacob glanced up, and seeing the smiles on the faces of both grandparents, he swallowed, and his face grew a dusky red. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe she will be.”
    Seeing the boy’s embarrassment, Esther quickly turned the conversation to another subject. She thought of Annabelle Denton and for some reason was disturbed. For some time she had known of her grandson’s attachment to Annabelle, the sister of his best friend, Thomas Denton. The two had prominent parents, Edward and Phoebe. Edward was a wealthy planter with a fine house in Williamsburg, and his wife was a sweet-tempered lady but fully as determined as her husband to hang on to their money and spend it on the finer things of life.
    Esther sipped the strong coffee from a delicate blue china cup. She did not like coffee very much, and as she studied the tiny scene painted around the edge of the cup, her mind was on Annabelle Denton. She looked up at her grandson and, as often happened, was struck again at how strongly Jacob resembled his father.
    He looks exactly like Josh did when he was sixteen , she thought as her mind went back over the years. She remembered her son’s sixteenth birthday. It had been in this very house, and he had had breakfast in this very room. With a start she realized that he had sat in the very chair that Jacob sat in now. All the similarities sent a shiver through her. She thought of Jehoshaphat, and, as always, a pang of regret washed over her. They had lost him sixteen years ago when he had fled Williamsburg and the bitter death of his wife to lose himself in the dark and wild world of the Appalachian frontier. Though he had visited once, she wondered how he was doing and longed to see him again.
    Coming out of her reverie, she shook her shoulders slightly and said, “Jacob, you’d better hurry. You’ve got your chores to do before that party.”
    â€œHere, it’s your birthday present,” James said suddenly. He handed a small box to Jacob, who took it and stared at it.
    â€œThank you, Grandpa and Grandma. What is it?”
    â€œAll you have to do to find out is open it,” James Spencer said, smiling slightly. He watched as the boy opened the box and saw Jacob’s eyes fly wide open.
    â€œWhy, Grandpa,”