Page 28 of The Ghost of Ellwood

My laugh was raspy and still a bit hoarse from sleeping so hard.

“I enjoyed the book,” he continued. “You are a talented storyteller.Rivetingis an excellent word to describe it.”

Out of all the compliments I’d received over the years aboutBloody Rage, Theo’s meant just a little bit more. Maybe because hewasa ghost? It would be like a real Marine reading a book you wrote about the Corps and saying it was spot-on. That’s how I felt as Theo began to explain the plot and what he liked about it.

“I never guessed the key to stopping the spirit’s wrath until you revealed it.” Theo sat beside me at the kitchen table. “Very well done.”

“Thanks, Theo.”

“My only question iswhy. Why did the spirit Mary target all of those innocent people?”

“She was angry,” I answered, after swallowing a nice gulp of coffee. “The townspeople believed her to be a witch at a time when such a thing was cause for execution. She returned with a vengeance.”

“And in doing so, she murdered people who had nothing to do with her unjust death.” Theo’s body flickered a little before growing stable once more. “Any anger I hold is only directed toward one person. Two, counting myself.”

In the three days of us co-existing in the manor and sharing words here and there, we hadn’t discussed any more of his past.

“Why are you angry at yourself?”

“Because of the choices I made while alive,” Theo answered sadly. “However, I feel as though I’d make the same choices again if given a second chance. I don’t believe they were choices at all, really. We choose what to wear each day. We choose to speak out in moments when we should hold our tongue. And we choose a million other small things in life.”

I stared at his face, catching the sorrow in his eyes.

“But we do not choose who we love,” he added, softer than before.

“Did you love Harvey?”

Dark eyes flashed to mine, and he stood from the table. “I beg your pardon, Ben, but I am not comfortable with discussing such preposterous notions. Two men cannot love one another. It’s the law.”

Damn. What did I know about early 1900s America? Sodomy laws, for one. Men convicted of it were imprisoned. Of course Theo would refuse to admit it. Denial was engrained into him.

“When you lived that was true. But that’s not the case anymore. Times have definitely changed.”

His jaw remained tight and he made no movements to sit. Then, his anger subsided. “Explain. Please.”

“Well, two men—or two women—are allowed to be together now,” I said. “They can even get married.”

“Surely, you mean to trick me.” Theo slowly sunk back down in his chair.

“I’m telling you the truth.” I fought the urge to reach for his hand, if only to comfort him. But I refrained. I didn’t want to scare him off. “Believe me, it’s still an ongoing battle. The law is on our side, for the most part, but there are still a lot of people who fight it, using their religion as a way to discriminate against others. It’s better than it used to be, but there’s still a ways to go.”

Theo sat in silence, absorbing the information. “You saidourside.”

“Um.” I scratched at the back of my head. “Well, yeah. I’m gay.”

“What does being merry have to do with this conversation?”

I snorted a laugh. “Sorry. I forgot that…well, it doesn’t matter.” The term didn’t mean what it did now until the 1930s, if I remembered correctly. “I enjoy the company of other men.”

Understanding dawned on him. “Oh. I see.”

He flickered, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared on the other side of the kitchen. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he faced the open window. I couldn’t read his expression.

I stood and approached him. “Are you okay?”

“Is anyone ever reallyokay, Ben?” Theo moved his gaze to me. “I cannot recall the last time I felt as such. My existence has been dark for many, many years. Shadows cling to me wherever I go. Yet, now I feel a light within my heart, one I thought I had lost ages ago.” He stepped closer, studying my face. “You tell me that men like…like us…are allowed to exist in your world, Ben. I only wish I could’ve lived long enough to see it.”

“But youhavelived to see it. In a way.”