could tell.
“What happened here? There's only one kind of ivy that leaves a red stain like this,” he said. “Where did you find it?” She could tell he was curious about whether she had been into the Forbidden Forest.
“Well,” she said, “it kind of found me.”
“What do you mean?”
“A couple girls gave it to me. They found it around her your head when you were lying unconscious on the edge of town.”
“I see.” Elsa could not figure out what he thought of the ivy stain. Mentioning Chloe and Sarah brought up the idea in her mind that one of them had visited Theo before Elsa did. That possibility posed a far more optimistic problem for Elsa to solve than the alternative one—namely, that the first visitor was Lili. She wondered if Theo truly desired her, as Lili definitely gave the impression that she desired Theo. While Elsa knew Lili had been through a lot in the past few days, Elsa did not want to give up her connection with Theo. He sat there, continuing his work in the garden, planting the same red seeds into the ground.
Elsa decided to bite the bullet. “Tell me Theo. Just who was your first visitor today?” Her stomach turned in anticipation of his answer, hoping perhaps that the person was someone she didn't have to compete with, such as Father O'Grady or maybe Priscilla.
“Lili paid me a visit today,” he said, sending Elsa into an abyss of jealousy. She knew it was wrong, as Father O'Grady taught her from her childhood where those emotions led. But she couldn't help feeling that way about Theo, and it was clear then that the evil inside her was winning its war for her soul. She despaired at the knowledge.
“What did she want?” Elsa asked. Theo looked up at her with his blue eyes fiercely looking into her soul. She wondered if her question angered him, because she was prying into his private life, his secret relationship with Lili that he didn't want Elsa knowing about. Elsa imagined the most horrific things about Theo in that moment, that maybe he had just finished making love when she knocked on the door, on the same bed he had put her on when she'd fainted. Red hot anger flushed through her cheeks, and the embarrassment that came from Theo witnessing her change in complexion made it that much worse. But he didn't say anything to her. She was burning with fire on the inside, her heart aflame, and he couldn't give her at least a sign her worst fears were unfounded. But then he grabbed her hand in his, looking down at her red stain.
“I'm sorry those ivies stained your dress. I guess it means we're connected somehow, huh?” he said, as Elsa breathed a huge sigh of relief. “You're going to be at the dance tomorrow, I hope.” Elsa nodded her head, as Theo got up, wiping the dirt off his pants. She followed him back inside his house, as he dug through a cloth bag, his giant thighs draped over the kitchen table. He was such a hulking man, she thought, and she longed to know him physically. Watching him sent her into an emotional tailspin, mixing the good and forbidden qualities into one new experience. When Theo pulled out a damp cloth from the bag, he handed it to her, and said, “This should work. Dump the powder on your dress tonight when you take it off before bed. Toss a little water on it and let it soak overnight. Should do the trick.”
“OK,” she said, breathless.
“I'll show you out,” he said, smiling at her as he opened the front door. Elsa found herself so confused when she left. If he liked her, why did he make a point of seeing her out of his place? She also wanted to know why he didn't let her know she had nothing to worry about in the garden when she asked who had visited him first. Elsa didn't want to a pawn in a man's game, manipulated for the joy of it, and she wondered if Theo's origins in the Forbidden Forest had anything to do with his mischief.
CHAPTER 10
Father O'Grady and his clerks
“What happened here? There's only one kind of ivy that leaves a red stain like this,” he said. “Where did you find it?” She could tell he was curious about whether she had been into the Forbidden Forest.
“Well,” she said, “it kind of found me.”
“What do you mean?”
“A couple girls gave it to me. They found it around her your head when you were lying unconscious on the edge of town.”
“I see.” Elsa could not figure out what he thought of the ivy stain. Mentioning Chloe and Sarah brought up the idea in her mind that one of them had visited Theo before Elsa did. That possibility posed a far more optimistic problem for Elsa to solve than the alternative one—namely, that the first visitor was Lili. She wondered if Theo truly desired her, as Lili definitely gave the impression that she desired Theo. While Elsa knew Lili had been through a lot in the past few days, Elsa did not want to give up her connection with Theo. He sat there, continuing his work in the garden, planting the same red seeds into the ground.
Elsa decided to bite the bullet. “Tell me Theo. Just who was your first visitor today?” Her stomach turned in anticipation of his answer, hoping perhaps that the person was someone she didn't have to compete with, such as Father O'Grady or maybe Priscilla.
“Lili paid me a visit today,” he said, sending Elsa into an abyss of jealousy. She knew it was wrong, as Father O'Grady taught her from her childhood where those emotions led. But she couldn't help feeling that way about Theo, and it was clear then that the evil inside her was winning its war for her soul. She despaired at the knowledge.
“What did she want?” Elsa asked. Theo looked up at her with his blue eyes fiercely looking into her soul. She wondered if her question angered him, because she was prying into his private life, his secret relationship with Lili that he didn't want Elsa knowing about. Elsa imagined the most horrific things about Theo in that moment, that maybe he had just finished making love when she knocked on the door, on the same bed he had put her on when she'd fainted. Red hot anger flushed through her cheeks, and the embarrassment that came from Theo witnessing her change in complexion made it that much worse. But he didn't say anything to her. She was burning with fire on the inside, her heart aflame, and he couldn't give her at least a sign her worst fears were unfounded. But then he grabbed her hand in his, looking down at her red stain.
“I'm sorry those ivies stained your dress. I guess it means we're connected somehow, huh?” he said, as Elsa breathed a huge sigh of relief. “You're going to be at the dance tomorrow, I hope.” Elsa nodded her head, as Theo got up, wiping the dirt off his pants. She followed him back inside his house, as he dug through a cloth bag, his giant thighs draped over the kitchen table. He was such a hulking man, she thought, and she longed to know him physically. Watching him sent her into an emotional tailspin, mixing the good and forbidden qualities into one new experience. When Theo pulled out a damp cloth from the bag, he handed it to her, and said, “This should work. Dump the powder on your dress tonight when you take it off before bed. Toss a little water on it and let it soak overnight. Should do the trick.”
“OK,” she said, breathless.
“I'll show you out,” he said, smiling at her as he opened the front door. Elsa found herself so confused when she left. If he liked her, why did he make a point of seeing her out of his place? She also wanted to know why he didn't let her know she had nothing to worry about in the garden when she asked who had visited him first. Elsa didn't want to a pawn in a man's game, manipulated for the joy of it, and she wondered if Theo's origins in the Forbidden Forest had anything to do with his mischief.
CHAPTER 10
Father O'Grady and his clerks
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