BEWITCHED MEETS THE GHOST AND MRS MUIR
Samantha had met Darren just two years ago and their life just was never meant to be the same. Darren Stevens was an advertising specialist and Samantha, well she was a witch. She was a good witch but a witch after all.
Darren would not let her use any of her powers to do anything to help them out financially or otherwise and this made things difficult for her. She had long decided that marrying a mortal had many benefits and if she had to live as a mortal that was fine with her.
Now as far as Samantha's parents were concerned Darren was just plain trouble. Neither her father or mother approved of the marriage and were known to sabotage it from time to time. Her mother came over nearly daily where her father only came once in a while. Andora {Samantha's mother} had played many a mean trick on him and her father had done the same.
It was because of all the stress of having an important job and the fact that Darren and Sam were still newlyweds that Darren made the suggestion that Sam and him take a trip to Maine for a few days. He had gone to York Beach as a young boy and looked forward to the trip. They both were very fond of sea food and the lobster was the best that you could taste up in Maine. The fishermen brought fresh seafood in every morning.
They had little time together alone so taking a three day break was something that they both were looking forward to. The morning was a very warm July day and Darren put the top down on the convertible so that they could enjoy the sun all the way. The ride would take them about four hours.
Darren and Sam left early that morning just a little past seven am. Sam loved riding in the car. Although, it was very slow she had many more chances to take a look at her surroundings. When they hit the Massachusetts line she was starting to get a little hungry. They had decided that breakfast on the road would be better than eating at home since they had left at such an early time.
They pulled into small family run place on the Mohawk Trail in Shelburne Falls Ma. The view was spectacular and Darren made a mental note that this would be the place to when the fall foliage hit. The restaurant sat on a hill overlooking a river with the mountains surrounding them on all sides. The food was delicious and they were glad that they had stopped there.
The rest of the ride was uneventful, however, they made several stops on the way and to Darren's dismay did not get to Maine until way after 10pm. 'Now it is going to be very difficult to find a good motel room' Darren thought to himself.
As they rounded the corner Sam noted that they had arrived in a small town named Schooner Bay. As they went by the two hotels that they saw in the area they both noted that the hotels had no vacancy signs hung out.
"Well this is a problem. Now we are in the middle of nearly nowhere and no place to stay" Darren grumbled "Honey I wanted this to be a wonderful three days and look what happens. I'm so sorry."
"It is ok what is life without a bit of adventure." Sam told him with a grin. Here this is Gregg road perhaps there will be a place to stay out here.
Sam and Darren had gone just about a mile when the motor on the car started to sputter. Darren tried to coax the gas pedal but got no response. "Great this is all we need. Now the car won't run."
"I can get it to work." Sam offered.
"No witchcraft. I will take care of it myself." Darren told her as he got out of the car. He then opened the hood and took a look at the engine. The car was not getting any gas and Darren knew that it would have to be towed.
"I am afraid that there is a blockage in the gasline and the car will have to be towed. There is a house right down the street perhaps I can make a call from there." he told her as nicely as he could.
"I don't want to sit out here alone in the car. Can't I atleast go to the house with you?" Sam asked him with a grin.
"Come on the lights are on so hopefully someone will be awake." Darren told her and took her hand.
As they approached the house Sam knew that this was going to be a different kind of adventure. The house was in need of some repairs but had signs of a family living there. It had a large front porch with a widow's walk and a ghost of all things. Sam decided not to say anything to her husband, however, the spirit of a captain was up on the widow walk watching them.
Darren knocked on the door and a lovely blonde woman in her thirties answered . They made introductions and she introduced herself as Carolyn Muir.
On the table in the foyer was an old candlestick phone. Darren tried to call a tow truck for help but there was no answer.
"I am afraid that you will not be able to reach anyone tonight. All of the service stations in the area don't open until tomorrow morning at eight. You are welcome to spend the night here. I have a spare bedroom." Mrs Muir offered them.
Darren looked to Sam who with a smile shook her head. "Thank you." Darren told her and he walked off to get their things.
"You have a lovely home Mrs. Muir. Whoever built this home had impeccable taste. " Sam told the nice lady.
"Thank you." she said and she opened the doors to the parlour. "The house was built by Captain Daniel Gregg just over one hundred years ago. This is a portrait of him." and with that she pointed to the picture above the mantel. Yes, that was the captain that she had seen up on the widow walk.
To Sam's surprise the spirit appeared next to Mrs. Muir and was arguing with her about the company that would be staying at Gull Cottage. 'So that is the name of this home' she thought to herself.
Just then Darren came in with their things and Mrs. Muir showed them to their room. The room was small but the bed was comfortable and clean. They would be fine staying there for the night. But Sam couldn't just spend the night there she had to meet the captain.
After Sam had made sure that Darren had gone to bed and that she wouldn't be disturbing anybody she made her way back to parlour and stood beneath the portrait. "Captain Gregg?" she said. "I know that you are here and it would be an honor for you to speak to me."
A few minutes later the captain appeared to her. He looked at her with fire in his eyes, however, she knew that he had a kind heart. That was the one thing she could tell about people right away. It was just part of being a witch.
"And now you see me what would you like to happen?" the captain demanded. He was trying his hardest to appear stern but there was something different about this lady. She could see him even if it had not been his wish. 'Who was she' he thought.
"It is always fascinating to me when I meet a spirit. Especially a spirit that cohabitates with a normal human family" she told him with a smile.
"I take my personal privacy very seriously madam. Why didn;t you just use some of your powers and make your car work for you?" the captain asked her.
"How do you know about any powers that i supposedly have?" Sam asked him but knew that it was useless.
"Let's not play games madam. You are trying to act nonchalent, but I can see right through you." the captain told her. "You are a good witch, why did you marry a human?"
"For the same reason that you stay with Mrs. Muir I suppose. I love him." Sam told him. She laughed as he looked at her in bewilderment. "I do believe we could become friends captain."
Just then the door to the parlour opened and Mrs. Muir was standing in the doorway. She looked at the captain and then at Sam with a questioning look.
"I am so sorry that our conversation disturbed you." Sam told her. "It is not often that I find such a fascinating spirit to communicate with. Your captain is a very interesting man." she said with a smile.
"Indeed he is." Mrs Muir said and looked up at the captain with a big questioning look.
"I was thinking that it was getting rather late and perhaps we could talk more about this in the morning." Sam offered.
CHAPTER 2
Darren and Sam woke early that morning to the sound of children and the wonderful smell of bacon eggs and coffee. This was such a warm and happy home they felt very welcome there.
"Good morning everyone. Thank you so much for taking us in." Darren and Sam told the family.
The Muir family consisted of two children Jonathan who was about six with his sister Candy who appeared to be nine or ten. Breakfast was being made by a very capable woman named Martha Grant.
"Come have a seat Mr and Mrs Stevens." Martha told them. "I have pancakes bacon eggs and plenty of coffee and toast for you."
"Thank you so much, but we don't want to be a bother. We are going to have our car towed this morning and can get something to eat in town." Darren said.
"Oh I couldn't have you do that. Breakfast is our bigigest meal here." Mrs Muir told them from the doorway. "Besides that you need to taste our coffee. Martha makes some of the best I have ever tasted" she said with a smile.
"Thank you so much." Darren told them.
Breakfast was filling and the Stevens were very happy to have stayed for the breakfast. She did not see any sign of the captain. The children went off to school and Darren got hold of the tow truck. They would bring their car into town and check out what was wrong with it.
"Why don't you stay here while they work on the car?" Mrs. Muir offered. "It could take a couple of hours."
"Thank you so much." Sam smiled.
"Good morning everyone." Sam looked up to see Captain Gregg standing next to the stove.
"Good morning." everyone said to the captain with a smile. Although Martha looked surprised to see that the guest knew about the captain. He took a seat at the table and smiled.
The chat was very friendly and Sam was offered a walk on the beach with her new friend Carolyn and the captain.
The beach was right accross the street and very scenic. Although it was July and quite hot out already Sam knew that the water would be very cold but she couldn't resist putting her feet in the water. There were a few rocks and lots of shells for Sam to pick.
Just as the rounded the corner Sam saw a tow truck with her husband in it pull up in front of Gull Cottage. 'Oh no.' she thought. 'Why was he coming there in a tow truck?'
The three of them walked up to the cottage to find Darren very upset. Darren tried to show them a smile but you could see how upset he was. "They are going to need a part in order to fix the car and it will be another three days. I have asked them to get me a rental car but unfortunately, that won't be ready until this afternoon. I am so sorry for your inconenience. Tom, the tow truck driver said he will give us a ride into town
"That won't be necessary you are welcome to stay here until you can get the rent a car. " Mrs. Muir told her with a smile.
"Thank you so much. You have been the best host anyone could ask for. It would be our honor to invite your family out for dinner. I heard that the meals at Norries are the best in town." Darren said with a smile.
Sam took a seat in the parlour with Carolyn her husband and the captain. It was quite unconfortable being in the same room with Darren and the captain without her husband knowing about the captain's existance. However, the captain seemed to find it amusing and stood in the corner with a funny smile on his face.
"So this is a portrait of the man that built Gull Cottage. He appears to be a man of strong will and personallity. I would have enjoyed meeting a man such as him. A man of the sea." Darren said.
"Oh the history books tell of him and what a good strong man he was. He was once named the strongest man in all of New Englnad." Carolyn Muir offered.
"Very interesting. I see some of his instruments around the room. It is somehow nice and proper that some of his items remain in the home." Darren said with a smile.
"I like this man." the captain told them and then disapeared.
There was a knock on the door and Martha answered the door. She looked so surprised Mrs. Muir thought that she was going to faint. Sam and Carolyn looked up and saw the reason for Martha's shocked look. There in the foyer stood Captain Gregg in modern clothes and an impish grin on his face.
"Good morning everyone. My name is Captain Daniel Gregg. I am a friend of the family." he said and bowed to Sam and smiled at Darren. Although he was appearing to them as a human he could not touch them.
"Very glad to meet you captain." Darren said with a smile. Darren was used to seeing different things since he had married Sam and something about the captain was very different. As a a matter of fact he was not a completely solid figure, almost but not quite and why didn't he seem to touch anyone or anything. He would speak to Sam later about this.
Darren and the captain went out to the wheelhouse exploring while Carolyn and Sam went about doing their thing. Sam was packing some of their items when her mother appeared. "Well well this is a nice little home. Dreary." her mother told her.
"Mother this is Gull Cottage and the family is very nice." Sam told her. "They let us spend the night showed us their home and fed us a wonderful breakfast."
"How did you end up here? Really Samantha I thought you were going to York Beach. What happened?" Andora asked her.
"Our car broke down and the Muir s were nice enough to take us in. Now the car can't be fixed until three days so we are getting a rental." Sam told her.
"Sam why don't you just fix it yourself? You don't have to wait for someone to repair the cawr anymore than I do. This is stupid." her mother grumbled.
"You know how Darren is. He wants to do everything the mortal way and is unwilling to let me use his powers to fix it." Sam told her.
"Well I can take care of that right now." Andora told her.
"Not now mother we are actually having a good time." Sam told her with a smile.
"What does Darren think about his new friend the ghost of Captain Gregg?" Andora asked her with a devilish look on her face.
"Mother be nice. The captain has not told him who he is. He thinks that he is just a friend of the family. Darren has no idea that he is a spirit." Sam told her.
"Oh mother they are so nice. I wish that there could be something done to help the captain and Mrs. Muir out. They make such a lovely couple. She is a widow with two children." Sam told her.
"Sam sometimes things are difficult for people. However, perhaps there is a way that you could help them." her mother told her.
"Do you really mean that? Is there a way we could give the captain his life back? Sam asked her.
"We cannot give anyone life. That is way beyond our powers, however, there is another way." Andora told her.
They discussed this and Sam decided that perhaps it was a good time for her to discuss this with her friend Carolyn. There would be some risk but if everything went as planned the captain and Mrs. Muir could have a long life together and this home could be a complete family.
With that her mom was off leaving Sam to ponder how she could approach the subject with her new friend and the captain. They would both have to be in total agreement if this spell was to work.
Sam had just finished in the room when her husband came in with the captain. They were talking like best friends.
"Hey honey." Darren told her with a smile. "The captain and I had a very nice visit. Don't worry people he told met the whole story."
Carolyn was very surprised to hear this. There was nothing more precious to them more than family and privacy. The captain had exposed both of them to a possible problem. The four of them had just taken a seat in the parlour when Sam told them she had something to discuss.
"As you know I have a few things that I can do that a normal human cannot do and I might be able to help the two of you out also." she said with a questioning look.
The captain looked her right directly in the eye and told her "Go on."
Sam cleared her throat and started to explain what she could do to help them; "I cannot give you life, however, I am capable of sending Carolyn back into your time. Once she is back in time if she can find you and cause you to love her I will be allowed to transfer the captain to this time. He will then live out a normal life with a normal life expectancy.. However, if this fails you may never meet. Sometimes things change ever so slightly after someone travels through time."
"Are you telling me that you could send Carolyn back to Gull Cottage have her meet you and then if she falls in love with me and me with her we will return to this time with me as a mortal?" the captain questioned her.
"Yes. That is basically what I said. Of course there are a couple of things that will be needed from the captain. We will need an invitation or letter from a good friend who the captain would trust of introduction and it would be easier of Darren came with us. This was the victorian era and it would not look right to have two woman stay with a bachelor without a man." Sam told them as she looked over at her husband.
Darren thought about it for a minute and looked over at his new friends. "It is ok I am willing to help."
"What do you think Carolyn?" the captain asked Mrs Mur.
Sam and Darren left the room so that the captain and Carolyn could discuss this in private. This decission could be a very large life changing situation and they would have to decide if they were going to go through with it or not. There could be consequences if things did not work out right. Of course they were in love and of course this would be a dream come true, but it still was a very hard decision.
The captain looked down in deep thought. This was the chance he had always dreamed about, this was a chance to have a life with the woman and children that he loved all so much. But, how would this work? If he had not haunted Gull Cottage things might have been very different. Would they have to move to another home? What about their memories together? Would they be lost? Would they remember before or just the way the things were now.
"Captain? Daniel? What are your thoughts? I know that you are very deep in thought and I want to let you know that whatever you chose I will stand by. There is nothing I would give up for a chance to have a life of my own. Sam is offering us a chance for a life of our own and still having everything that we ever had. We will still have the children and that is all that counts. If we can work it out so that we keep Gull Cottage that would be the best that we could ever want." Carolyn spoke in deep thought also. She must protect her family also.
"If there is a chance that something will happen to my family I will not take the chance. Moving to another home would not be a happy option, however, it would be all right as long as somehow the home goes to the old seamen as I originally wanted." the captain told her with love in his eyes. "My dear there has never been a question of how I feel for you. I love you more than I could have ever imagined and will love you for all eternity. That is a fact that I have known nearly since the first day I met you."
"Oh Daniel it is so much to wish for. Going back in time and stopping you from dying from the gas heater is the easy part. Convincing you to love me is an even easier task. I just have a couple of questions for Sam that's all." Carolyn told him. She had never wanted to hold him as much as she did at that time.
"Yes I have a couple of questions for her too. Also we need to get some paper from my time and write a letter of introduction. Of course the letter cannot be in my handwriting as I would recognize it as my own and wonder what was going on. I must not be suspicious or Sam says it won't work." Captain Gregg told Carolyn still thinking very deeply.
Darren and same went into the parlour to talk again about the proposal with their friends Carolyn and Daniel. Sam wasn't nervious about going back in time as she had done it many times before but this must be precise for this was to save her friend's life.
"Now you say that there can be some minor changes when there is time travel involved. What does that mean? Will the children and my home still be standing or what?" the captain asked them with great concern.
"Oh yes the children are not yours and the home will survive, however, sometimes small things change because of what happens when you are back in time. That is why we should do our best to have as little contact with anyone other than you while we are in that time period." Sam explained.
"Then I think that Mrs Muir and I are ready. This is a note from a friend of mine who was living in Philadelphia at the time of my death. I am sure that you will be more than welcome at Gull Cottage by the other me from the other time. The coroner said that I died on Saturday evening around 10pm. There had been no visitors to the house since Wednesday. The weather was terrible and my maid had stayed at home." the captain told them. "Thursday morning will be a good time for you to arrive." He had Darren write the letter and all was set.
Sam had to be careful when back in time because her powers were limited, and so she had explained to her mother exactly where she would be if she was in need of assistance. She set the spell up so that she and the four of them would return that evening at 8pm. There would be a change in history as history would now show that instead of dying by suicide townsfolk will take for granted that the famous Captain Daniel Gregg died at sea. She hoped that that would make little difference in the time continuation.
With a short incantation Carolyn Darren and Sam found themselves outside of Gull Cottage. Sam was able to materialize a horse and carriage so that the three of them would fit into what would be expected from a family from the 1850 s.
Carolyn looked up at Gull Cottage and saw how beautiful it had once been. She had worked hard to make it a great home but it still was in need of repairs 'never ending' she thought to herself with a little smile. Inside of the home would be the Captain Greggg that did not know her the man that she loved more than anything in the world and here was her chance.
Darren knocked on the door and they were met almost immediately by the captain. He was not in uniform, a rarity, since he usually appeared in uniform in the twentieth century. He was every bit as dashing but alive and strong just standing there.
"May I help you?" The captain asked the group of strangers.
"Yes. Hello my name is Darren Stevens and this is my wife Samantha and my friend Carolyn Muir. We are on our way to Portland Maine coming from Philadelphia. A mutual friend of ours asked if we had a chance would we be willing to stop at Gull Cottage. The weather is qute poor and I think that we might have found ourselves in a little bind." He handed the letter to the captain who took it and smiled.
"Come on in. You are welcome here for as long as you need to stay. I am afraid that there is a northeastern blowing and we may be stuck here for a few days." the captain told them.
"That is quite all right with us. Your hospitality is very nice and thank you for inviting us in." Darren told him. " I will go out to the carriage and grab some of our clothes before the storm gets much worse." With that Darren and the captain were off to the carriage.
Carolyn and Sam looked around the cottage. The kitchen had no sink and many of the items that had gone bad over the last one hundred years were there brand new. The captain had been right in theiir day the items had been beautiful. Unfortunately by the time she had moved to Gull Cottage the items were full of moth holes or worse.
The foyer looked much the same except everyting was lit by candles. There was no electricity in 1869 as the captain had reminded her many times. The home was immaculate and she was glad to see that the portrait was hanging over the mantlepiece just as it was in her home.
"My home has four bedrooms and so I will be glad to show you to your rooms. Unfortuantely my cleaning lady will not be out today because of the weather, but the rooms were cleaned yesterday." the captain told them as he headed up the stairs.
The upstairs hall looked just the way it did in their time and Carolyn found herself in the room that she called the guest room. There were some minor differences but most of the hosue appeared to be the same. Of course the guest room was much larger, apparently when they added the bathroom to the house they took some of the space from the bedroom. 'No bath' well that would be something new she thought to herself.
Sam and Darren found themselves in Martha's old room. It was bright and cheerful and spotless. ' The captain keeps a taught ship.' Sam thought to herself. But they had a mission that needed to be accomplished in three days so she was wondering what to do next. As she opened the door she was surprised to find Carolyn already starting the innitiative. Sam watched as her friend walked toward the captain's cabin to a partially opened door.
Carolyn knew that the captain was a man of honor so she would have to be careful or her twentieth century ways. She reached up and tapped on the captain's door. This was to be their bedroom in one hundred years and she wanted to make sure that the circumstances were to stay the same.
"Yes madam." the captain answered the door with a smile.
"I had just come by to thank you and let you know that the accomodations are more than adequate." she told him with the sweetest smile she could muster up.
Carolyn was happy to see him warm smile and the twinkle in his eyes that he had shown her on many an occassion. She peeked inside and saw the telescope and the veranda where the captain and her had spent so many happy hours. She found herself yearning for those times and for him more than anything. Even though he was very much alive they still had not touched and she was itching for the feeling.
Sam knew that the captain would feel uncomfortable with a woman in her room, so she broke in and asked to have a tour of the house with a very sweet smile. The captain was more than happy to take them all around the home. He had not completed everyting but the home was as it would be for the next one hundred years almost.
They asked all the polite questions and tried thier best to act as though they had never been in the home. That was hard for Carolyn as she had lived in the home for over three years now. Most of the home was just as it was in their time and she felt very much like it was her home.
As they started down the stairs Carolyn tripped just slightly. 'These darn old fashioned shoes' she thought to herself'. However, the captain caught her in his arms and she didn't even slip a foot. Oh his arms those strong warm masculine arms were around her and she just melted.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs the captain put her down asking first if she was ok. She was excited to see by the look in his eyes that he too had felt the electricity between them. It had been strong and she could have kissed him right then.
They went into the kitchen where the captain brewed up a large pot of coffee. Although the fire was going in the fireplace the house was getting chilly. This Gull Cottage didn't have any central heat like the Gull Cottage of the twentieth century.
"What do you do for your work Darren?" the captain asked.
"I work in the advertisement field. I work for a company out of New York." Darren told him.
"That is a good job. Do you enjoy it?" the captain asked.
"Yes I do. It can be very fast paced at times but it keeps me busy." Darren offered.
The conversation was light and Darren and the captain went out to chop wood. Now Darren had never chopped wood in his life and the captain found himself unimpressed. However, the captain was glad to find out that Carolyn was a widow and had no husband. She was quite a lady and he felt something very strong toward her. Strange this lady was catching his attention as she had. Usually he was the man who liked to play the game of sorts. 'she is going to be a test for me' he thought to himself.
Mrs Muir was busy thinking about other ways to catch the captain's attention when Darren and the captain walked in. They were talking and she could tell that the captain was a little irritated at this time.
The time difference was showing. "I am sorry I have never cut wood in my life. My life has been a city life " Darren was telling the captain.
"I could tell. You nearly cut your fingers off." the captain said in a scolding way. "Very well, forgive me for losing my temper you are a guest at my house." the captain told him.
They then filled the firewood in the bin next to the fireplace all ready for a long winter's night. One thing for sure the three time travelers were glad that they had twentieth century clothes with the thermal warming. It was hard not having any central heat.
Sam and Darren wanted to let Carolyn and the captain be alone so they said that they were going upstairs to their room and the captain shut the parlour doors. "That will help keep the heat inside of the room" the captain told her with a smile. He then went over to the fireplace and stirred the embers.
"I was looking at your portrait this morning. I see that you are in a full uniform. Do you wear that outfit most of the time?" she asked him.
"Usually that is the clothes that I wear while I am at sea. These are the clothes that I wear when I am at home and relaxing." he told her with a genuine smile.
"Tell me about your time at sea. The stories you could tell me would be very exciting." Mrs Muir told him with a warm smile.
"You would like to hear some of my tales? There are not too many women who are that interested in a man of the sea." the captain told her " I could go on for hours is that what you wish? "
"As a matter of fact it is my wish. You see I like to write stories and unlike most women my stories are of different adventures." Mrs. Muir told him with a smile.
Sitting in the parlour and listening to sea stories was something that Carolyn was used to. His stories were very interesting and she could listen for hours. And as had happened many times in the past time went by very quickly. They looked up at the window and noticed how dark it had become. 'It must be past six oclock' Carolyn thought to herself.
"Perhaps I should start some supper. It appears that time has gone by and it is now evening." the captain told her with a bow and a smile.
Between the captain and Mrs. Muir dinner was ready within thirty minutes. Captain Gregg was a very good cook and the food looked delicious. Carolyn went upstairs and got Darren and Sam for supper. They were just sitting there wondering if they should go downstairs or not. They looked rather embarrassed and Carolyn felt sorry for them.
Dinner was delicious and they enjoyed a great time together. Carolyn could see that this was the same man who she had fallen in love with in the next century. Although, he was different in some ways in most ways he was just her Captain Gregg. 'I hope he has some genuine feelings for me it is all I can do to keep my hands off of him' she thought to herself.
Doing the dishes sure was different. He had a pump but no hot water. You had to heat the water on the stove. The soap was handmade and a type of lime Carolyn thought. Sam and Carolyn made sure that everything was ship shape and scrubbed before they headed back into the parlor.
"The storm is coming in strong and hard now. It looks like we might get up to eight to ten inches before the storm blows over." the captain said as he looked out the bay window.
Mrs Muir stood next to the captain and looked out of the window with him. "What a magnificent tree. What kind is that?" she asked.
"That is a monkey puzzle tree. I planted it with me own hands brought it back from the south pacific." the captain told her with pride.
Carolyn thought of the awful fight she and the captain had about the tree and how he had almost left the home over it. She shivered at the thought.
"My dear are you chilly? Let me put some more wood on the fire." the captain told her with a worried look. He walked over and added more wood to the fire which at this point the fire was rouring. it felt warm and she felt very much at home in Gull Cottage.
They played a game of cards and talked more about the sea for the rest of the evening. The time travelers were well aware that they only had two days left to get Carolyn and the captain together. They needed to work fast.
They all went to bed at around nine pm. Carolyn put herself to bed and thought about the captain. He was definately the man she wanted to spend eternity with. Every move that he made made her happy. Just a man alive and so alive that was going to die in two days if she couldn't help it.
The captain went to his room in a tizzy. 'This was not how he usually felt. A woman that liked old sea stories. A writer a woman writer. Did they even exist? ' he thought to himself. Mrs Muir sure was a wonderful change from the norm of the women he had met. He had been all over the world and had never met someone like her. He didn't know how but he knew that she mustn't leave his home. She was going to be his wife if he had anything to say about it for sure. He laughed to himself and settled down for a rest.
The next morning the storm was even worse. Carolyn went down to the kitchen and started to make some breakfast for the whole brood. She made some bisquits with gravy knowing that was one of the captain's favorite breakfasts. She looked out with a smile. From the kitchen she could see her strong able bodied sea captain chopping some wood. The weather was miserable and she wanted to have everything ready for him when he came in.
"Do I smell bisquits and gravy Mrs. Muir? How did you know that was my favorite breakfast?" he said with a smile. He then stood over the stove and rubbed his hands together for the warmth.
"Have a seat. Hot coffee will be done shortly for you." Mrs Muir said with a smile. "Thank you for chopping the wood."
"We will need the wood. It takes almost twenty-four hours for it to dry enough to use for firewood. The wood I cut this morning will be ready in the morning." he said with a smile. "I have a gas heater that is good for some heating however, the switch is faulty and I didn't get a chance to have it fixed yet." the captain told her.
"We don't want to use a faulty gas heater. Those things can kill you know." Carolyn told him in a worried tone. "I heard that they let off a gas that causes you to fall asleep and you just never wake up."
"That is very true and that is why I will be very careful with it" the captain assured her.
'There is no way that he is going to die from carbon monoxide poisoning if I can help it' Carolyn thought to herself.
Just then she heard Sam and Darren coming down the stairs so they all enjoyed a large breakfast together.
"When you were showing us your house I noticed that you have a large selection of books. Would it be all right if I borrowed one for reading?" Carolyn asked with a smile.
"Of course you are more than welcome to enjoy my library as your friends are. I will be working on my charts most of the day." the captain told them.
It felt like she was back in her own time to Carolyn. She was busy reading and setting up her stories while he was in the alcove working on his charts. 'Darn no ball point pens either I'll never figure out how to use one of these things' she thought to herself as she looked at the quill pen the captain was using.
At around 11 am the captain came into the parlour and offered to start lunch. In the nineteenth century there were no boxed meals everything was made from scratch and took a while to make. Mrs Muir was more than happy to help the captain make lunch.
The bread that Mrs Muir had made this morning was warm and ready and the captain took some kind of pulled beef out from the pantry. Along with that he took out some fruit from a mason jar. They heated it up on the stove and dinner was ready for just about twelve.
"The lunch smells delicious. When I get home I will have to go on a diet." Sam told them with a smile and took a taste. "Oh and this taste as good as it smells."
"The food sure is delicious" Darren said " and I am enjoying the company as well."
"I am enjoying the company as well. If I was going to be stuck in the house for a northeastern you are the people that I would like to spend the time with ." he said it with a warm smile and an extra warm nod toward Mrs. Muir.
After lunch Sam and Carolyn did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen spotless once again and made another loaf of bread. They could hear hammering upstairs and Carolyn knew right away that the captain was working on some of the eves in the attic. She knew that because the captain had told her how he had been working on finishing the eves when he passed away.
Darren was upstairs with the captain but Sam and Carolyn were sure that he was hindering the captain not helping him. Darren meant well, but, he was not handy around the house at all.
At around four the two men came downstairs and the captain went right to the kitchen. He was getting things ready for supper when Carolyn came in to help him. "Is there anything that I can do?" she asked.
"It is always a pleasure to receive help in the kitchen from a beautiful woman" the captain told her with a smile. " I see that you have made more bread. That is good as we will be eating that for our dinner."
"Nothing like warm bread to warm the blood." Carolyn said as she sliced tomatoes. It looked as if he was going to make some kind of meat dinner. The food was very different in the nineteenth century but it was good.
The captain and Carolyn worked side by side for over an hour and were very pleased with the end results. "Madame, I believe we make quite a pair." the captain told her and took her arm. For a moment she thought he would kiss her but he pulled away.
Dinner was delicious and once again around seven they all went into the parlour. The snow had not subsided and even with the rouring fire it was chilly in the parlour. Carolyn thought about the shawl that the captain would give her and how that would warm her. She was standing in front of the fireplace and didn't hear the captain enter. In his hands was another type of shawl and he placed it around her shoulders. She instinctively leaned against his chest and thanked him for the warmth shawl.
The captain looked down at the lovely lady and put his arms around her. He just couldn't help it. She was just there and her blonde haired beauty was just a dream come true. Carolyn responded with a sigh and a warm smile. This was something that she could never do with her Captain Gregg and had longed for his arms for so long. She just never wanted them to let her go.
"Let me pull the chairs a little closer to the fireplace Mrs Muir. This will help keep you warm." the captain said in a soft voice.
"Thank you for the shawl. I already feel a little warmer here in your arms." she told him as she looked up into his eyes with all the love she could convey.
Sam and Darren came in from upstairs and they enjoyed some wine and more sea stories. Halfway through one of his stories it occured to him that he was telling them everything and yet they had barely mentioned their life. He would talk to Carolyn about it after the Stevens went upstairs.
Darren and Sam said good night and left Carolyn and the captain alone. The captain stood up and stirred the embers once again and turned to look at Mrs. Muir. "It has occured to me that I have gone on and on about my life and you have said little about your own. Tell me about your life."
Carolyn knew that she was going to have to choose her words carefully but he was right she needed to tell him something. "Well my life has been pretty normal up to this point. I was married at nineteen and have two children Jonathan and Candy. My husband died four years ago in an accident. We stayed with my in laws for a while but that didn't work out so I moved out on my own. We live in a house much like Gull Cottage with a housekeeper and a small dog named Scruffy."
"It must be very difficult a young widow such as yourself with two small children. Do you make enough of a living?" he said in a worried tone "Forgive me I have no right to make such a remark."
"It is all right most women are not as independent as I am. But we do all right and are very happy at this time." Carolyn told her.
The captain now knew for sure that this was the woman for him. Two children, well he had always wanted children, and a housekeeper, well he could always use one of them he thought laughing to himself.
"Captain, did I say something funny?" Mrs Muir asked him in an amused tone.
"No. You are just not like any lady that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. " He told her with a big smile. "It would appear that it is getting close to the time that we should be retiring." he told her with a smile. They then went up the stairs and to their respective rooms.
When Carolyn woke up she knew that this would be the last day of life for her beloved if she didn't do something this evening. At all cost she must convince him to come and live with her. She came downstairs to the coffee already brewing and breakfast brewing. The captain was busy making breakfast for the whole clan.
"Have a seat Mrs. Muir breakfast will be done shortly." the captain told her with a smile. "Good morning Sam good morning Darren breakfast will be on the table shortly."
They ate a hearty breakfast and afterward the captain and Darren went back upstairs while Carolyn and Sam cleaned the dishes and the kitchen once again. Carolyn was dusting the living room when she was surprised to see the captain standing in the doorway.
"Mrs. Muir you don't need to be doing that. The house is my responsibility." the captain told her.
"I feel as if this is where I belong. This feels like a home to me." she told him with a yearning look that she just couldn't help.
"I know that we have only known each other for a few days but you do belong here at Gull Cottage with me. You your children your housekeeper and your dog." he told her. With that he pulled her into his arms and gave her a long deep kiss.
She was so entwined with the captain that she now knew that they would be together forever. He did feel the same way she did. Now how was she to tell him about her?
Carolyn took the captain by the hand and led him into the parlour. It was now nearly five oclock and she needed to explain things to him. "Captain Gregg I have something to tell you. Please allow me to tell you everything and then you can ask me any questions that you wish. Some of the things I have to say to you will be hard to believe but let me tell you ok?"
They sat on the divan together and Carolyn cleared her throat. 'this is it' she thought. "I will start at the beginning. Three years ago I moved from my in laws home and into Gull Cottage. It looks a lot like it does now but there have been some minor changes. I moved in and found the home to be haunted by a sea captain you." she paused so that he could let the information sink in. He started to speak but she put her finger to her lip and he quieted. "As time went by I fell more and more in love with the captain {you) my children and even the dog got to love you but we could not touch because you are only in spirit. Then Sam came into our life and she offered us a chance to live our lives together. However, it has to be your wish as much as it is mine. You will come to my time and live out your life with me." she said to him. Carolyn was trying to read his face but she just couldn't .
"Are you mad? You say you are from another time? What time are you from? How did you get here? And you say you are in love with my spirit?" he shouted.
"I am not mad confused or anything I am a woman from the future. That is why I don't know how to work the pump or the old stove and why Darren doesn't know how to chop wood. We don't do that in our time." she told him softly. "I have a picture of my family if you would like to see it. she offered.
The captain nodded and watched as the strange lady in front of her took out a photo. The photo was of a quality that he had never seen and in color of all things. The picture was of Mrs. Muir 'in pants of all things' and two chidren a girl in pants also and a boy with an older woman in a very short dress. They appeared to be standing on the porch of Gull Cottage. He stared at the photo for almost two minutes before he spoke.
"And this is how my home will look in one hundred years? You will wear pants and so will your daughter? Is that why you now work also?" the captain blasted. Blast it woman what do you think I should say?"
"I am hoping that you say that you will come and spend the rest of your life with me and my family at Gull Cottage. There will be just one difference, the time will be different." she said nearly begging.
Just then Sam and Darren came in and the captain gazed at them with wondering eyes. "What she has told you is the truth. We are here to take you to the future." Darren told him with great confidence. "I promise you that you won't regret it."
"I need to think about this" and with that the captain left the room. Carolyn looked to see that he had taken the photo with him and hoped that that was a good sign.
The three time travelers were sure that it was no more than a half hour later, however, it seemed as though it was two hours later when the captain walked back into the parlour. "I have thought and thought about this and have decided that I will go back to your time. If I don't like it can I come back to my own time? Never mind I don't have to ask I know that Mrs Muir and I will be happy forever" and with that he kissed her.
At eight oclock just as the spell had said the four of them found themselves standing outside of Gull Cottage. Mrs Muir looked over at her car and the kids toys in the yard and smiled. The captain was standing next to her and she knew they were off to a new adventure.