I own no rights to The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. The only characters that I own are Lilly, Antonia, Vivian and Kevin Milner, Generals Milner and Ito, and Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka.
Estrangement
Chapter 1
New Years Eve, 1971
The clock read 12:25 AM. Just a short time ago it was still before midnight. Martha and the children were wearing their party hats and gripped the small party horns in their hands. Jonathan insisted that he needed to practice blowing his horn before the time had come. They had been counting down to the start of the New Year. At the stroke of twelve, the horns blew and streamers flew into the air with a 'pop'!
"Happy New Year!" they shouted in a chorus. All of them except Carolyn. She just didn't feel like celebrating. The best that she could muster was a faint smile.
Everyone had retired to their beds now. Slowly, Carolyn strolled over to the Christmas tree. The glow of the lights were warm to her touch. She casually pulled a silver icicle from the tree and wrapped it around her finger. The lit angel on the top had faded a bit more over the passing year, she observed.
A few feet to her right she felt the familiar pull, but not knowing why. Once again, Carolyn found herself standing in front of the fireplace, her eyes captivated by the former sea captain in the portrait above. In times of doubt or confusion, her feet would walk to his image.
Her lips thinned as she stood in front of it. "Do I know you? Should… I know you?" There was no response. Only the crackle of the fire could be heard. Carolyn traced the outline of the man's hands in the portrait with her fingertips. She squinted as her head began to throb with pain. 'Why?' , she thought to herself.
A voice came from behind her. "Happy New Year, Carri."
Carolyn turned around and half heartedly answered. "Thank you, Bobby."
—-
6 Weeks Earlier
"It's only eight days until Thanksgiving, Mrs. Gregg," Martha causally reminded Carolyn as she was looking through recipes for the upcoming Holiday.
"Where does the time go, Martha?" Mrs. Gregg was dutifully eating her sandwich from lunch. She pulled a napkin into her hand and raised it to her mouth.
"That's what happens when you have a wedding and honeymoon. All sense of time goes out of the window." The housekeeper licked her fingertips and continued going through the recipes.
Captain Gregg entered the kitchen with his updated look. New shirt and sports jacket, long dungarees, and a trimmed down extended goatee beard. He managed to talk his wife into keeping his original black ankle boots. All in all, a handsome modern day man.
"Well, ladies, how do I look?" He gave them his brightest smile and held his arms out above his sides.
Carolyn left the small remainder of lunch at the table and gave her husband a mock military inspection. Hands behind her back, she circled three times before stopping in front of him. Tongue in cheek, Mrs. Gregg looked over at Martha. The older women hooded her eyes, smirked, and said nothing.
"Well? Surely, It can't look that bad?" Daniel was giving his best effort to not start blustering.
"I think that you're a keeper!" Carolyn brought her hand up to the now smooth area of her husband's cheek. "You don't look so much like your own doppelgänger." She gave him a kiss and fingered his partially bare jawline.
"Yes, this will take some getting used to." The seaman also felt the emptiness of where his full beard used to reside. His partial beard and mustache would have to do.
"It's our first day out together as husband and wife. We should make a good impression. Are you nervous, Daniel?" She took his hand and lead him to the foyer.
"It would be dishonest to say 'no', my dear." Captain Gregg helped his wife get her winter coat on. It was large enough to help conceal the baby bump. Carolyn lifted her pocketbook from the nearby chair and found her keys.
Daniel put on a winter coat of his own instead of his usual antique wool pea jacket. The new couple had only been home a week and already felt the pressure of trying to appear 'normal'. One of the first things that they did after returning was to find a new car. Carolyn paid for the new vehicle while her captain accompanied her invisibly. A brand new Chevrolet Nomad station wagon was waiting just outside of the gate. Caribbean blue, of course.
The snow was just starting to fall as they slid into the new vehicle. Tiny flakes landed gracefully on the windshield. Carolyn sat in the driver's seat and closed her eyes. Turning the key, the car revved to life with no hesitations.
"You don't know how much it means to me to have a new car, Daniel. I won't have to hope and pray that it starts every time that I get in." She had a tear in the corner of her eye which quickly disappeared with a swipe of a finger.
Her ghostly husband slid next to her and put his arm around the top of her seat. He leaned over and kissed the long, golden hair of his wife. "It is indeed my pleasure, love."
"Here we go. First stop, the county courthouse to file paperwork. No one knows us, so maybe that will make it easier." Pulling the gearshift into drive, the new vehicle quietly moved forward.
"We can only hope, darling." Her captain started to watch the snow fall.
A short wait was the only inconvenience that they encountered at the courthouse. Filling out more paperwork and filing more paperwork was per se the norm. Daniel looked pleased when the clerk addressed them as Mr. and Mrs. Gregg. It was music to his ears. Next was a visit to the license branch for a new car plate, so they returned to Schooner Bay where the appearance of the new couple was sure to turn heads. Daniel Gregg wondered if facing an ocean squall would have been easier than facing a town full of cackling hens.
Mr. Gregg opened the door for his Mrs. Gregg who cautiously stepped inside. As busy as the facility was, everything seemed to come to a halt as the couple walked in. Silent stares filled the room as if the pair were movie stars making a cameo debut.
Carolyn hummed and preened her hair while Captain Gregg cleared his throat repeatedly. After a minute or two, people slowly resumed to doing what had previously occupied them.
Finally, the couple approached a clerk at her counter.
"Hello, Mrs. Muir. What can I do for you, today?" The clerk addressed her but was staring at the captain, who smiled gregariously.
"Hi. Actually, Mrs. Newman, it's uh…Mrs. Gregg, now. Mrs. Thaddeus Gregg. This is my husband, Thaddeus Daniel…Gregg. And yes, he's related to Claymore." The surprised woman turned to look at Carolyn straight on.
"He looks nothing like Claymore Gregg." Mrs. Newman's face was flushed and she lowered her gaze.
"Thank goodness," Daniel mumbled under his breath. Carolyn elbowed her husband. "Yes, nice to make your acquaintance, madam." He corrected his previous statement.
"Mrs. Newman. We just need to get a plate for our new car." She forced a pleasant expression on her strained face while feeling whispers throughout the room.
"Of course. I'm sorry. It's just…your husband looks like…"
Carolyn interrupted. "Yes. He's been told that a lot."
At that moment Ed Peavy came into the license branch. Noticing the Greggs, he came over to see if they could use some help. A super hero in the making, he would rescue them somehow.
"Well, nice to see you folks out, Mr. and Mrs. Gregg. Mrs. Newman, are you taking care of them, alright? Dan here is new to these parts, and we wouldn't want him to think of Schooner Bay as inhospitable, would we?"
"Oh no, Constable. No problems here. We'll get them a plate for their new car. Just need to change her name over to Gregg from Muir and add his name to the paperwork."
"Good, Mrs. Newman. I'm sure that they appreciate your help." Ed turned and gave the couple a wink. The tall, lanky man headed back out of the door. If you gave him a cape, he might have tried to leap over a building in a single bound.
Carolyn and Daniel left the license branch with one new car plate in hand. It was time to pick up the kids from school. A larger effort of bravery would be demanded of them and he took her small hand in his. A determined look between them and the couple pressed onward.
—
Together, Mr. and Mrs. Gregg made their way over to Candy and Jonathan's school. The parking lot seemed incredibly long today, Carolyn thought. Parents and teachers watched with curiosity as the kids ran up to both parents with hugs. Carolyn made an extra effort to keep her coat closed, hoping to keep prying eyes at bay.
"Hey, kids. How was school, today?" Carolyn's voice had a lilt in it.
"Oh, the usual." Candy responded as she noticed the stares from kids and adults.
"Yeah. No big deal." Jonathan didn't seem to be aware of the staring that was taking place. "Can I have a ride, Captain?"
"Hop on up, Lad." Daniel stooped down to let the boy climb upon his shoulders. Once the boy was securely in place, he brought himself back up to his full stature.
"Everything sure looks neat up here!" Jonathan pretended to shade the sun with his flattened hand in search of distant lands.
"Perhaps we should go home. This may be enough exposure for one day." Captain Gregg was not the only one feeling uncomfortable. Carolyn and Candy huddled together in an awkward moment feeling multiple sets of eyes upon them.
"Good idea. Candy, get in the car." Mrs. Gregg escorted her daughter to the car and all entered the new vehicle. They drove away as a small crowd of women gathered in the parking lot. Sure enough, the cackling hens started to squawk.
"It's not always going to be like this, is it? People can be so weird." Candy
folded her arms in a demonstration of annoyance.
"It can take people time to adjust to anything that is new to them." Captain Gregg turned around in his seat while Carolyn drove.
"Maybe we shouldn't call you 'Captain' anymore. That will really make people wonder!" The girl looked even more irritated.
"How would you like to address me, Candy dear?"
"Dad!" Jonathan shouted. "We should call you Dad instead of Captain!"
"I think that Jonathan's right. I mean, you know. You really are like a dad to us." She leaned forward and put her small hand on the seaman's large hand that was resting on top of the bench seat. Jonathan followed suit and put his hand on the other two.
"Yeah! You guys are married so you can be our Dad!"
Daniel's emotions were ready to flood the decks. "Dear?" He turned to his wife and swallowed hard.
Carolyn couldn't speak the words, but tears ran down her cheeks as she smiled and nodded her affirmation. She touched her emotions to his. Silently, they blended into one. Her right hand found its place on the hands of the other three.
"We are a family. All five of us." Daniel placed his free hand on the unborn child. A gentle kick was his response.
"Yay!" Candy and Jonathan yelled.
"Can we put up the Christmas tree now?" Jonathan knew that it wouldn't hurt to ask.
"Let's get through Thanksgiving first, shall we?"
Everyone laughed as the new station wagon pulled up in front of the house.
—
After dinner, homework and baths were done, Candy and Jonathan had been sleeping soundly with a little help from their dad. There would be no eaves-droppers tonight.
Daniel and Carolyn had Ed Peavy over for dinner that night. The two decided to update the Constable and Martha on the questionable events that took place during their honeymoon. The tall Mr. Peavy wore an expression of concern as he looked at Martha and the newlyweds.
"So, you don't know who or what was hanging around?"
"No. I'm afraid that we could only guess. I believe that it has something to do with that 'black veil' group that spearheaded the abduction of Carolyn and myself." The seaman edged closer to his wife on the couch.
The man who was all legs walked over to Martha and put his hand on her shoulder. "Do you think that Martha is in any danger?" Their housekeeper took hold of the hand that lay softly on her shoulder.
"We don't think so but can't be certain." The captain glided his fingers along his jaw.
"So far Daniel and I are the only ones who hold any interest to them." Carolyn shifted her weight and pulled down her maternity blouse a bit further.
"I hope that you're right." He contemplated sleeping some nights in the police car outside of Gull Cottage.
—-
The following morning came about as usual and the kids were getting ready for school. Martha had their lunchboxes almost complete. Heavy coats and scarves were in order as outside temperatures took a plunge.
The school bus was a bit late, but the kids were ready, so they watched at the window for the big yellow transport to make its appointed stop.
"Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!" The two kids called out as they dashed for the bus.
Carolyn watched as her 'tough as nails' seaman's heart melted for their children.
—
Today was the big day for Brad and his broker friend to arrive and discuss the price of the ship relics. The pair was expected any time now.
Captain Gregg went over the items once more for good measure, noting time period and condition. It may be even worth another visit to the ship wreck, but not at this time.
—
The bus came to a stop in front of the school. Children filed out of the long vehicle. All were running inside to escape the cold weather. Candy and Jonathan were among the many kids filling the building.
All at once, Jonathan stopped. He stood still as the other kids walked around him. His fingers clutched the handle of the lunchbox tighter. Slowly, he peered over his shoulder and up at the ceiling of the hallway. A familiar, yet unfamiliar sensation came over him and Jonathan could feel the hair raise on his arms and neck. His muscles drew tense and he raced into his classroom.
—-