O Night Divine A Holiday Collection of Spirited Christmas Tales - Kathryn Le Veque Page 0,314

right. Ye are a big one.” The ghost gave an appreciative nod. “Good. Ye’ll make a fearsome reaper of souls if ye dinna choose yer life’s path wisely.”

“Can we get this over with?” Obviously, he’d not get his life back until these damned ghosts had finished with their amusement. Damned Hobbs. It was his fault the spirits appeared. He’d called them down with all that talk of Christmas and higher powers. “I need to speak with Ellie. I need to explain to her why she’s too good for a life with me.”

“So, ye still mean to condemn her to an early grave, do ye? After all we’ve shown ye?” Captain Horace cocked a sparse brow at Nabbers. “Draw blood, lad. This one doesna see sense even yet.”

“What do ye mean, condemn her to an early grave?” They’d all warned him of Ellie’s death. He had to stop them. “I’ll never let any of ye hurt her.”

Captain Horace unleashed another chilling grimace as Nabbers jumped from his shoulder to Tait’s. “Oh, we’ll no’ be the ones to hurt her, me lad.” He gave a slow nod. “Ye will.”

The monkey screeched, then sank his fangs into Tait’s neck.

Tait tried to knock him away, but the animal wasn’t there. Instead, he and Captain Horace stood in the middle of chaos. Men and women shouted. Gunfire cracked. Screams filled the burning house in which they stood.

“Where are we?” Tait shouted.

“Preston. Lancashire. During a poorly planned siege.” The pirate ghost fluttered his bony fingers through the crackling flames beside him.

“Why?” Tait asked, but then he saw her. Ellie lay motionless against a corner wall, her empty eyes staring out at nothing. Tait rushed over and grabbed her up. He had to get her out of here before she burned. “Ellie!” But it was too late. Color gone, body cold as a stone, his precious Ellie was already gone. He looked back at Captain Horace. “Why?” he roared. “Why?”

The ghostly captain gave a disinterested shrug. “Because she married another. A believer in the Old Pretender.” Captain Horace shimmered with a wicked look as he chuckled. “Good lass that one was. Committed fully to her Jacobite husband even though she thought him a bit tetched. Fought and died at his side.” His head tilted as he tapped his chin. “A good man she married.” With the toe of his boot, he nudged a dead man next to Ellie. “Aye, he was a good man.” He cackled louder this time. “Is that no’ what ye said she needed? A good man to lead her straight to heaven’s gates?”

“I said she needed a good man to keep her happy!”

“Oh, she was happy.” Horace nodded. “Well, in a way, she was happy, I suppose.” He looked down at Ellie and shook his head. “Never had any bairns, though.” His dark stare slid back to Tait. “She thought her husband took unreasonable risks, so she took herbs to keep’m from seedin’. Seems like the only wee ones she ever really wanted would have been from yerself.” Captain Horace shrugged again. “It appears ye’ve quite a lot to be proud of, Cap’n Tait. Not only did ye guide Ellie to an early death, ye kept yer children’s souls from entering this world.” The specter swept off his hat and bowed. “Well done, fine sir. I look forward to working with ye. With so many jilted souls to yer credit, we’ll be walking Christmas Eve through eternity.”

Tait hugged Ellie’s limp body tighter and closed his eyes. “Nay, this canna be so,” he whispered as he rocked from side to side. “This canna be so.” How could protecting Ellie from himself end this way? He didn’t give a damn if he was cursed to wander through eternity at Captain Horace’s side, but every fiber of his being raged at costing this dear, sweet lass a joyful life and children.

He forced his eyes open and looked at the man beside her. The unknown husband who had been given the opportunity to cherish Ellie but had chosen to cast it aside for battle. Tait froze, still staring at the dead man’s hand locked tight in a fold of his wife’s skirts.

He had no right to judge the poor deluded fool. He himself had made the same mistake as her husband. Ellie had loved him, but he had cast her aside, pushed her to an unfulfilled, short life. Damn it all to hell and back, he did love her, loved her fierce, and didn’t give a rat’s