Last Tango in Charleston
Judy Moore
Ding! Dong! The bell to Gull Cottage's front door rang loudly. Martha reached the foyer first and opened the door.
"Oh, hello Claymore," the housekeeper welcomed him.
"Evening, Martha," he tipped his hat.
"What brings you up here on a Saturday night? We were just leaving to go into town."
Candy and Jonathan, already wrapped in jackets and hats for the cold fall evening, appeared next to the older woman wondering who was at the door.
"Hi, Claymore!" they said together.
"Hi, kids. Oh, I'm glad I caught all of you then. I have just a few raffle tickets left to sell for the Firemen's Ball next month." He pulled out a stack two inches thick and fanned them between his fingers.
"A few!" Martha remarked, "Haven't you sold any yet, Claymore?"
He grinned sheepishly and shook his head.
"I'll take five then," said Carolyn as she came down the stairs adjusting her coat.
"Five tickets, Mrs. Muir? Why, there are only four of you. Who's the extra ticket for ?" Claymore asked excitedly as he leaned into her to count out five. Carolyn merely grinned at him. "Oh-h! Oh! I shouldn't have asked." He pushed up his glasses with a shaking hand, "You don't mean " he pointed upward towards the attic, " him! He's going to be there?"
"That's right!" said Carolyn putting her hands in her pockets and swaying with a smile.
"Oh, no, M-Mrs. Muir, g-ghosts aren't allowed at the Firemen's Ball! I'm afraid not. Unh, Unh. There's a legal statute about it somewhere I'm sure. Yes! Haven't you heard? Winners need not be present. Yes, that's it, Mrs. Muir, I'll make sure old spook-face wins. Whaddya s-say?" By now, Claymore's lips were sweating and his face was pasty white. The mere mention of Captain Gregg had nearly caused him to drop his wad of tickets on the floor. The children, wide-eyed and watching in amazement, couldn't believe Claymore's sudden transformation into a quivering bowl of Jell-O. Carolyn couldn't help but tease the poor man further.
"Do you want to tell him that he can't go? Or, shall I?"
"B-but Mrs. Muir please, I beseech you," the man put his hands together as if he were saying a prayer, "W-what will everyone think if they s-see him? We want people to stay and have a good time, not be s-scared away by a hideous, chain rattling monster!"
"He'd be a paying monster," Carolyn informed the nervous man as he spat out more grumblings.
"Don't you see, Mrs. Muir? The evening would be ruined before it even started! Please, dear, dear lady Wha-a-a ! W-what did you say!?"
"I said Captain Gregg would be a paying customer."
Claymore's eyes lit up, "Well, in that case, Mrs. Muir, ugly is as ugly does."
"I thought so." Carolyn nodded. "Now I'm afraid to ask, Claymore, and I know this could get ugly, but how much are the raffle tickets?"
"Five dollars each."
"In that case, I'll take one." Carolyn dug in her purse to find a five-dollar bill.
"But Mrs. Muir, you wanted five. Are you sure you don't want more, at least a couple for the kids? It's for a good cause!"
"I know, Claymore, I just want one please."
"And what about you know who ?" He pointed upward again.
"Well, if I win anything, I'll share!" she shrugged.
"O-o-o-h, all right. How about you, Martha?"
"I'll think about it, Claymore," the older woman told him, "I don't think I need to rush into anything just yet."
"Very well," he said rather disconcerted, "One is better than nothing." He quickly made the exchange with Mrs. Muir and she wasted no time in herding her family outside.
"Come on kids, we need to go. Martha, you too!" Carolyn urged them, but Candy hung back on the threshold to ask the chicken-man a question.
"How many tickets have you bought, Claymore?"
"Yes," Martha asked curiously, "how many?"
"None. As you know," he said loftily, "Since I am responsible for the assemblage of the prizes, I'm disqualified from buying tickets."
"Ah, and if no one wins the prizes, they conveniently revert back to you," Martha added.
"Yes," he answered a bit too quickly then realized he'd been duped. "No! No! That's not the way it'll go, if no one wins the prizes, they'll be auctioned, of course."
Mrs. Muir stepped in between Claymore and Martha. "Well, good luck, Claymore. And you'll need it, too, because I have the winning ticket," she claimed with another grin, and again pushed her troop farther down the walk. "All right team, we really need to get a move on or we'll be late. Let's go."
"I guess I'll follow you back to town then," Claymore said. "What's the occasion, Mrs. Muir?"
"We're going in for a movie. It's my birthday," Carolyn informed him with a smile. "After that, we're off to the malt shop. Care to join us?" She asked, knowing he'd decline, not wanting to spend the money.
"Oh, no thank you, Mrs. Muir, but just to let you know I'm not a spoiled-sport, here's fifty cents to buy a birthday popcorn on me. Happy Birthday, Mrs. Muir."
"Why, thank you, Claymore. How generous of you. I'll certainly make it a point to enjoy the popcorn."
"Ah, hah! That's the ticket, Mrs. Muir, and don't forget the butter!"
"Oh, I won't!"
"And you're very welcome. It's the best I can do on short notice, Mrs. Muir. Of course, had I known it was your birthday, I'd have given you something for the fine lady that you are." He kissed her hand.
"Claymore; is this really you, or does your gallantry have something to do with the rent that's due next week?"
"Sometimes, Mrs. Muir, I surprise even myself." He tipped his hat to her, "Have a wonderful evening. Bye. And see you all at the Ball." He walked to his car and hopped in, turning it around to follow the Muir's wagon as they headed into town for their celebration.
When the family arrived home, the children ran upstairs ahead of their mother to get ready for bed, and in the kitchen, Martha put the coffee pot on the stove to reheat the afternoon's leftovers. Up in the master bedroom, Mrs. Muir nearly finished unwinding her neck scarf when Captain Gregg's voice invaded the room.
"High time someone showed up from this family! I was beginning to think I'd imagined the likes of you."
"Good evening, Captain," Carolyn responded with an exuberant toss of her scarf and coat onto the bed. She then peered in her dresser mirror and fluffed her hair observing, too, the glow in her cheeks from the nippy night air. The mantel clock pinged punctually at nine thirty telling her the evening was still young. For what… she didn't know, but she was ready for anything.
As the Captain watched Carolyn putting on her lipstick, she wondered if knew of her birthday. If he didn't, she would have to admit to a certain amount of disappointment, but it was just another day after all. His ignorance of her special day would be partly her own fault for not having told him in the first place, but a birthday wasn't something one went around telling other people about, especially a hundred-year old ghost. Ideally, she hoped the ghost would not have forgotten, particularly because birthdays seemed to come once a year.
Carolyn also had the thought the children might have leaked information about her birthday in some way or another perhaps by speaking of her it, and in that way, possibly Captain Gregg might have overheard. But so far, either the seaman was holding out on her or he really just had no idea. For some reason, even the hints she'd scattered around the house hadn't worked their magic. All the cards and phone calls she'd received from family and friends should have been a telltale sign that something was up, but the traveling ghost seemed never to be in the right place at the right time.
Of course, she could have gone out on the balcony and shouted to anyone who'd listen that it was her birthday, but there was no point in becoming that drastic. The attempt would be all for nothing. And so it seemed that at the moment, the ghost in her house, who claimed to see and hear everything that went on, seemed to be deaf, dumb and blind as a bat. Just as well, Carolyn thought, why should she promote the fact that she was another year older, another year farther away from youth and youthful-thinking.
When Captain Gregg reasoned Carolyn was done with her toilette he inquired, "Where, might I ask, Madam, did you and yours venture out this evening? Anywhere notable?"
"It's Saturday night, Captain. We took in a movie, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, starring Don Knotts. You know, it's funny; I had the strangest feeling of deja-vu through the entire movie. I wonder why?" Carolyn smiled wryly.
"Perhaps because of your familiarity with ghosts, Madam." The Captain put his hands on his lapels appearing a bit smug. "What do those writers really know anyhow? I doubt the creators of the picture have ever had a real ethereal experience such as yours. You are unique."
"Mmm, thank you, Captain. I think," she responded as her bedroom door flew open. The children, now in their pajamas and fuzzy slippers, ran into her room, sliding across the wooden floor and directly into her arms. Kisses overflowed.
Candy grinned, showing off her sparkling brushed teeth. "Did you have a good day Mom?"
"We did!" Jonathan chimed in.
"Well good! So did I, and thank you for everything," Carolyn rubbed their heads and kissed the top of each one. "Now off to bed."
Without fuss, the kids bade their mother and the Captain goodnight and raced down the hall, sliding and slamming into the wall at the end, a ritual they performed nearly every night. By their giggling, Carolyn knew they were okay.
"One of these days, they'll go right through that wall," she commented.
"Nonsense, Madam, this ship was built to last, you won't find a better bulkhead, nor a better Captain." He fingered his beard, "And as Captain, I pride myself on always knowing what my crew is up to. At all times." He glared at her. "Therefore, as commander of this vessel, it is my duty to ask a few pertinent questions for the purpose of clarification."
"Oh? Ask away, sir. What's on your mind?"
The Captain rubbed his beard again, curiosity nagging at him about the apparently eventful day of which he had not taken part.
"Madam, was there some special significance to this day? I must admit, it seemed like any other day. Have I missed something?" He leaned against the mantel, "What were the children referring to? And what were you thanking them for? You know I try to take an avid interest in the children whenever possible."
"Oh, I know you do, Captain, but I don't know why you're asking all these questions," she shrugged nonchalantly. "Today was like any other day. Absolutely ordinary. We had a simple Saturday night out, Captain. There's really nothing more to it," she assured him.
Carolyn swallowed hard. Blast! How was she going to get out of this one? Being stuck between a rock and a hard place was not where she wanted to be, and now she really didn't want the Captain to know of her birthday because he would surely be angry at her for keeping her it from him. She knew he hated being left out of family matters and to know he missed her birthday would hurt him very much, much more than her not being acknowledged by him. She had not handled this matter very well and regretted her decision not to tell him. Hoping he would not press the matter anymore that night, she quickly took off her shoes and pulled her nightgown from the closet.
"If you don't mind, Captain, I'm a little tired and want to turn in early."
"But I do mind, Madam," he said with narrowed eyes, "You have that look about you when I know you're hiding something from me. Tired indeed. A moment ago, you bounced in here ready to tango. Never did I see a woman more vibrant than you are now."
"Really? Fancy that." A chill went straight up her back.
"Madam, I have all night, all eternity if need be, to hear of your escapades of the day. Why were you in town this evening?"
"We went to see a movie," Carolyn reiterated.
"Yes, I know that much, but why now? You usually take the children about once a month. You're not due yet."
"I didn't know you were counting."
"As I told you, I make it my business to know the business of my crew. Helps to avoid mistakes later on."
"Is that so?"
"Confound it, Madam, I can't help thinking " the seaman folded his arms feeling a bit left out of the familial cycle. He couldn't quite say what he wanted to, the right words wouldn't come. He gave up. "Well blast it all, if you go out to a film, I suppose you have your reasons."
Carolyn didn't feel like arguing or hurting the Captain's feelings. One thing she had learned while living in Gull Cottage, was that her resident ghost had feelings just like everyone else, and included among those emotions were deep, strong and unyielding feelings for her. She swung her nightgown in the air like a surrender flag and claimed defeat. She would tell him now and get the storm over with.
"If you must know, Captain, the reason we went into town, is that it's my birthday," she said quietly.
"Oh, is that all your birthday," he seemed satisfied enough.
Suddenly, the Captain realized the magnitude of what she'd said and de-slouched himself from the mantle to stand at attention. "Your birthday! By heavens! Your birthday?"
Carolyn looked up expecting thunder, but the skies remained clear.
"Why was I not informed? I apologize, Madam, I didn't know. This is your special day and I spent mine selfishly revising my sea charts and being completely inattentive to you. I don't know what to say. How can I make this up to you?"
"How could you have known, Captain?" she placated him. Despite the greeting cards visible on her desk, he was definitely not as perceptive as he pretended to be. Then again, he'd not had much practice remembering such frivolities as birthdays, he couldn't even remember his own! Captain Gregg turned and put a hand on the barrel of his telescope. After a tick, he spun around.
"What is the date?" he asked firmly.
"November 28th".
"Ah, November 28th. That is a musical sounding day indeed, as well as a rousing day for a birthday!" He then walked over to her, clicked his heels together and bowed slightly, "My very best wishes on your special day." He struggled a bit with the next words, "Oh, Madam, if I could but kiss your hand, I would." He stared into her eyes. The color in Carolyn's cheeks jumped to the top of the thermometer above her brilliant smile, as the chills, which had disappeared, stampeded up her spine again.
"Thank you, Captain."
"You must forgive me, my dear. I am ill-prepared for the occasion, which by all accounts should be glorious. However, it is still your birthday, is it not? The day's not over yet."
"True." Carolyn smiled laying her nightgown on the bed and feeling much better that Captain Gregg finally knew. "Tell me, Captain, in your time, what did men like you give women for their birthdays?"
"Truthfully? I only happened upon the instance once, with Vanessa, but I do know that the etiquette of my day does not bear any resemblance to yours."
"Oh, how so?" Carolyn made herself comfortable on the edge of her bed.
"Bestowing gifts upon one another was beset by a ridiculous ledger of rules, often producing preposterous results. But I remember correctly, a man could lavish a woman with flowers any time he wished, but giving a gift for the birthday was different and must have always carried some significance. And always, giving a birthday gift to lady would be considered highly improper, unless of course, the woman was his betrothed or the couple were already husband and wife."
"Oh," Carolyn sighed, "I take it then, that since we're not engaged or married, I can't expect anything from you. I wouldn't want to be responsible for you breaking tradition."
"Tradition! Hang the blasted rules!" The Captain threw up a hand nearly shouting, "I've lived my life by my own principles! I've always given whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and to whom I wanted!" He softened his tone, "Had I known you in my time, dearest lady, I would have undoubtedly claimed complete ignorance of etiquette authority and showered you with anything your heart desired."
Carolyn almost choked as her heart leaped to her throat. She decided then, that if the Captain could be courageous in his words, she could be, too.
"Had I been there, Captain, I wouldn't have needed anything… only one desire would have made me happy," she admitted boldly.
The two of them then merely gazed at one another in a subtle understanding, undeniably exchanging between them a mutual longing for what could never be. Captain Gregg spoke huskily, the slight catch in his throat evident.
"In this century… my dear, I shall continue to do as I see fit… however I am able."
Carolyn swallowed hard, an annoying stinging growing in her eyes.
"That's the spirit!" she responded, hoping to chase away the clouded moment. The Captain too, needed to move away from reality. Carolyn followed him with her eyes as he moved to the telescope area again.
"As I was saying, Madam, the nature of the birthday gift was most important and would depend on circumstances, of course. Hypothetically, if you were my fiancé, I could think of nothing finer than to take you out on a night on the town, with both of us dressed in our finery, a good restaurant at hand and a token of my heart to present to you. Not unlike your sojourn tonight."
"Sounds wonderful, Captain."
"However!" The Captain put a finger up, "If we were married…"
"Go on," she said as seaman stepped from the platform and sat beside her on the bed. Looking dreamily at her, he soaked in the warmth her emerald eyes and she let herself respond in kind, drowning in the blueness of his.
"Well ?" she asked, her heart jump-starting into hyper-drive again.
"…Yes, if you and I were married, I daresay, I might set a precedent by breaking one of my own rules and allow you on board my ship. We'd sail south on a course to Charleston, a glorious city I remember well. I would book a fine hotel for us and after a sumptuous dinner, I'd… take you for a walk."
"A walk!" Carolyn said surprised. She hoped he might have had more romantic intentions in mind, like… dessert in their room.
"Yes, a walk with me… in Charleston," he said firmly, "Don't knock it 'til you've tried it."
Carolyn smiled at his humor. "I'd settle for anything as long as I was with you."
"And I you, my dear. Now… shall we walk?"
At that moment, something began to happen to Carolyn. Her eyes became bright and haunting. She looked passed the Captain as if she were peering into the distance, seeing and savoring the memory of another time, perhaps another place. She felt odd, as if she were neither here nor there, feeling only the Captain's voice surrounding her, encompassing her completely, his deep tones rolling gently and sometimes savagely into her heart.
"My dear, imagine the two of us on that evening, on our walk, strolling through the park on the water's edge, with the moon hanging low over the trees. The whisper of the sea breeze is softly calling our names. We are urged to kiss."
Carolyn nodded imperceptibly. The Captain continued.
"There then, would emerge our own sweet beginning to a passionate night that lay ahead, before the dawn would seep in and the dream fade away."
He hesitated before speaking again, letting her musings take shape clearly in her mind. This also allowed him time to watch her, but only for a moment. Finding himself compelled beyond his own boundaries, he took the liberty to lean in close to her lips, so close as to keep only a parchment's distance between his mouth and hers. How tantalizing her lips were! And yet, how confounding their predicament. He couldn't help but think the world was at times as wonderful as it was cruel.
But Carolyn smiled, her lips curving up in the way that always sent his ectoplasm racing into the twilight zone. And this was a relief and joy to him, for somewhere in her vision she witnessed him, fully knowing his wants and desires too. Pleased with a certain amount of pride, Captain Gregg laughed softly, for even in his afterlife, he still had his touch with women.
Carolyn breathed in heavily and sighed as the romantic scene progressed in her mind's eye. She was experiencing much more detail than the Captain relayed to her. Many of the images were of her own making, but were combined with the recipe of his. They flowed effortlessly and generously from both their hearts. As Carolyn's imagination soared with the help of the Captain's, he continued to gaze at her, his eyes again dropping to her mouth. Everything she perceived, he was sensing, too.
With a small chuckle then, the seaman asked out loud, "Are you there, Madam? You may snap out of it at any time."
Carolyn didn't seem to hear him and promptly focused her gaze on his lips. Subconsciously, she began to lean toward him, her hand coming up to touch his face. In a reflex action, the Captain attempted to catch her hand to stop it, but her hand slid right through his, landing with a heavy pounce on the bed. The moment was ripe to bring her back home.
"As I said, Madam, you may come back now," he implored her again.
Carolyn slowly shook her head, moaning plaintively, vaguely aware of her surroundings. She made no real effort to shake herself out of her hypnotic mood any sooner than she had to. Captain Gregg realized she would need help.
"Ahem," the seaman coughed, "How shall I say this, my dear… The honeymoon's over?"
"O-oh," Carolyn cooed dreamily, raising a brow, "Honeymoon?"
"Merely a figure of speech, Madam, nothing more. That's it now... come along."
She focused on the Captain's face, and then blinked a few times, suddenly conscious of her nearness to him. The closeness startled her and she pulled back wondering what had happened. Captain Gregg was grinning from ear to ear.
"Ha-hah, Madam! You're an insatiable wench! Tired indeed. If I'd have let you go on, we'd have tangoed all night! You're a regular wildcat! By heaven's, I can't wait for the Firemen's Ball!"
"What?!" Carolyn's face burned red, "You're not serious!"
"I am!" The Captain then winked and stood up. Inspired by their little adventure, he decided to provide Carolyn with a tangible reminder of her special day. Moving to her desk, he pulled a rose from her flower vase and tossed the blossom in her direction. She caught it.
"Bravo! Splendid catch!" He nodded clenching his hands behind his back.
"Captain Gregg?" Carolyn asked somewhat relieved at least, that he wouldn't make more of a spectacle at the ball than he already was. She could never be sure.
"Mmm?" he hummed.
"You have exquisite taste in gifts," she brushed the rose against her cheek.
"Why thank you, my dear, though on this occasion, I'm not altogether sure who did the gift-giving," he stated, but more than satisfied that the time they'd spent together would linger long into her dreams, the seaman vanished abruptly from her sight. "Good night..." his voice said, playing softly against her ears.
"Oh it was," she answered to the air, "It was."
Carolyn gazed at the rose in her hand and twirled it's delicate stem between her fingers. The fragrant petals above released their unmistakable perfume bringing a smile back to her face. Dreamily, she sighed and flopped herself back on her antique bed, remembering the Captain's gift.
The End