Page 31 of Ghost
“Good day, Mason,” Francis spoke, his accent sounding very proper, but still quite southern to Mason’s ear, even more pronounced than his own.
“Oh!You can speak!”Mason was so excited.“This day just gets better and better.”He took a step towards Francis.“You have a really nice voice.Love the accent.”
Francis laughed.It was a deep, manly voice and laugh.Mason felt like he was going to swoon if that were really a thing.
“Thank you, kind sir.I was a little taken aback when I first realized that I have the ability to make myself heard.I have not heard the sound of my own voice in a very long time.”
“What changed?Why now?”Mason asked.
“I am sure I do not know,” Francis answered, his brows slightly furrowed.“There are things that I do not understand, even after all this time.”
“You also look more...solid?”Mason couldn’t help himself as he felt his cheeks heat up, knowing his face had turned red.“Even more handsome.”
Francis smiled; his eyes had a spark to them that Mason hadn’t seen before.
“I feel stronger.”Francis looked around the room.“It is odd to me, but it feels as if a thick veil has been lifted from my eyes.Things appear more in focus and brighter.It is as if I can see small details that I had not been able to see before this time.”
When their eyes met, they both smiled.“I’m happy for you, then,” Mason said.“It’s always good to be able to see.”He felt like a simpleton around this man.It seemed to Mason that his ghost was well educated and was almost formal in the way he spoke and carried himself.
Francis turned towards the front windows.“I spent many an hour reading by these windows.”
“This was your home?”Mason asked.He walked over to Francis, standing beside him, also looking out onto the front street.
“This was our city home.”He turned his head to look at Mason.“Our main home, the plantation of my father’s family, is a day’s journey north of here.I am unclear as to what has happened to it.My mother hated it there and spoke of wanting to sell it, but only I had the power to do that.”Francis returned his gaze to the street.“I would never have agreed to that.”
“Maybe one day I will try and find out for you.”Mason had the urge to touch the man, but knew it was impossible.“I’ll let you know what I find out.”
“You would do that for me?”Francis turned to face Mason.“That would be a great kindness.I would never have asked that of you, but it would be a great comfort to me if I knew.”
Mason could listen to Francis talk all day.It was like music to his ears.He knew that he would do his best to help this man, livingordead.
“Sure, I’d like to do that for you.”
“I knew when I first realized you were present that you were of a kind nature.”Francis smiled and his hand rose as if to touch Mason’s shoulder.He halted his hand before...They each understood that any physical contact was impossible.
Their attention was quickly drawn to the street as a loud motorcycle went by.
“I detest those beasts,” Francis said, his nose turned up, his brow deeply furrowed.“It has truly become a deafening time.There is so much noise I do not know how anyone can think.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Francis looked at Mason with a slight smile.“I will leave you to your work.I do not mean to distract you as I know you have many things to accomplish without much time to do so.”
“I do have a lot to get done,” Mason said, feeling sad that they couldn’t talk more.“But, on a good note, I’ll be here full time in the very near future and we can talk more then.I really would like to know all about you.”
“And I, you.”Francis smiled.“Until next time.”
Francis slowly faded away.Mason noticed that his smile was the last thing that he’d seen.
I know I should be freaked out about all this, but strangely enough, I’m not.If anything, I’m even more curious about this guy than I was before.And damn, is he hot.
Mason looked at his watch and decided to go ahead and run to the major home improvement store and leave the cleaning till the morning.He did have a lot to get done and not much time to do it.He wanted to use the manpower that Mitch and Paul provided while they were here.It wouldn’t be long before he was by himself, and all the work would be on him.
