A Note to the Reader
•
The following is a re-imagining of what might have happened after the culminating scene of the final episode ("Wedding Day?") of the TV series "The Ghost & Mrs. Muir." A list of the characters and a plot summary of this episode appear below, for those who would like a little backstory. Those familiar with the series will recognize in my opening paragraphs the ending of that last episode, in which Carolyn Muir's parents have just renewed their wedding vows. What then follows is not a real-time narrative, but a series of vignettes; one of the show's greatest charms, to my mind, is that it sparked the imagination...while also leaving something to the imagination. It is in that spirit that I have written. I hope that others who loved this series for its nuanced characters and subtly developed relationships will enjoy the various references and allusions to previous episodes, as well as my continuation of the story.
•
To the memory of a truly gifted cast of actors, in grateful thanks for the joy they brought us all—
NPW
Cast of Characters
•
Carolyn Muir—A young widow, a writer by trade, who moves herself and her children from Philadelphia to Schooner Bay, on the Maine coast, in 1968, to make a fresh start. She rents Gull Cottage sight unseen, and finds herself drawn to the house even though she realizes almost immediately that it is haunted.
Captain Daniel Gregg—The original owner of Gull Cottage, whose portrait still hangs above the fireplace—and whose spirit still inhabits the house. The Captain died in 1869 in a mundane household accident. Believing he could never settle down, he intended his house to become a home for retired seamen, and has succeeded in scaring people away from it...until the Muirs arrive. Adults cannot see the Captain unless he wishes them to.
Candy Muir—Carolyn's daughter. Older than her brother, Candy does not believe in Captain Gregg at first; as time passes, however, she becomes able to see him.
Jonathan Muir—Carolyn's younger child, who is able to see and hear Captain Gregg from the first time the family steps foot in Gull Cottage. Because Jonathan is not afraid of the Captain, the two establish a strong bond.
Martha Grant—Mrs. Muir's housekeeper, who comes to Schooner Bay with the family. For almost two years, Martha senses but does not see the Captain. When, alone and feeling unappreciated, she plans to leave the Muirs, however, the Captain appears to her rather than let her leave without realizing how dear she is to them all, and she stays on.
Claymore Gregg—The real estate agent who rents Gull Cottage to Mrs. Muir, Claymore claims to be a great-grand-nephew of Captain Gregg, and his last living relative—a claim the Captain vehemently denies. By turns miserly, cowardly, laughable, and (occasionally) sweet, Claymore wears many hats in the small town of Schooner Bay.
Plot Summary
•
Mrs. Muir meets the Captain on her first evening in Gull Cottage. Although these two strong personalities do not get off to a good start, from the sparks that fly that very first evening they begin to forge a friendship as improbable as it is undeniable. By the time a couple of years have passed, the two have come rely on one another in endless small ways. Both recognize that they share a special bond—albeit one limited by their extraordinary circumstances.
Carolyn's parents, led to believe that their daughter is in love with a real-life man named Captain Gregg, arrive to investigate. Claymore poses as Captain Gregg; Carolyn's mother, hoping to head off an elopement, plans a wedding. The genuine Captain alerts Carolyn to the misguided plans, and the celebration is converted into a renewal of vows for the elder Muirs, who are celebrating their anniversary. It is here our story begins.
