A Day in a Dream
March 26, 2019 – After completing my latest story, Prequel to a Dream, I realized I needed to add a few characters from that story to this one and make a few small changes for continuity purposes. Also, I was never happy with the very end of the story, so I've changed the dialog before the fade out. It's still the same story, just updated. Enjoy.
Author's Note
I recently re-discovered 1968 – 1970 TV series, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, thanks to the GAMM group on Facebook. I loved the show when it first aired, and suspect it is where my attraction to men with beards came from. If you've seen Edward Mulhare as the Captain, can you blame me?
When I found out the entire series was available on YouTube, I immediately binge-watched it, from the first to the fiftieth episode, and then watched them again – and again – and again. One of my favorite episodes is "The Ghost of Christmas Past," but after viewing it several times, I knew this wonderful episode, and its premise, should have been explored more, and the episode much longer. It was incomplete. Carolyn Muir and Daniel Gregg on the same physical plane at the same time? The possibilities are endless.
This is my attempt to correct that oversight. The characters in this story are those originally seen in "The Ghost of Christmas Past," written by Jean Holloway, and two more characters from a later episode. (I'd hate to start my first effort with a 'Spoiler Alert', so I'll make the proper acknowledgement at the end). A special thank you goes to Mary for helping me with the editing and the advice she gave me about the FanFiction process.
I do not own the characters from The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. They are the property of the estate of Josephine Leslie, aka R.A. Dick, 20th Century Fox, and/or the NBC/ABC networks. I make no profit from this story. The characters of First Mate, James Horan, his wife Marguerite, Sarah Farley, Seamus Armitage, and Colm Donegan are mine. Like many others fans of the show, I just want to keep the story of Carolyn Muir and Daniel Gregg alive. This is my first Fan Fiction effort. Your feedback is appreciated.
Background
Christmas, 1969
Captain Daniel Gregg, the resident spirit of Gull Cottage, Schooner Bay, Maine, wants to give the family who share his home a gift for Christmas. Being a ghost, without any means, there was nothing he could give them except a dream that would show them how he felt about them. The family includes Carolyn Muir, a young widow, her children, Candy (9 years old) and Jonathan (7 years old), their housekeeper and good friend, Martha Grant, their dog, Scruffy. In addition to the family, Claymore Gregg, their cheapskate landlord and self-proclaimed distant relative of Captain Gregg was gifted with the dream.
The story is set in the late 1860's during Captain Gregg's lifetime, and borrows its plot from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Claymore is the miserly Scrooge character. Carolyn is a poor relation who works for her 'Uncle' Claymore. Captain Gregg is the returning sea captain with plans to marry Carolyn, but no ring has been given and no date has been set. Martha Grant is the Muir family's housekeeper and good friend. Carolyn's children are Carolyn's children, and Scruffy is their dog. The baby boy is a foundling 'Uncle' Claymore found and wanted to give to the orphanage, but Carolyn takes the little one in.
In the original episode, the dream ends Christmas morning with a kiss between the Captain and Mrs. Muir on the front porch. Our story picks up shortly before that.
Despite the early hour Christmas morning, Martha Grant was up working diligently preparing food for this very special Christmas day. Over the noise of metal on metal, as a batch of muffins went in the oven, she thought she heard the sound of sleigh bells and left the kitchen to investigate. Crossing the hall, she peered through the opened door of the living room and saw Santa completing his work by the tree.
Jonathan and Candy, hearing the bells from their bedroom, were coming down the stairs, carrying Scruffy, but stopped on the landing when they saw her.
"Martha, we heard sleigh bells," Candy said.
As the bells jingled again, from their vantage point on the stairs, the children saw a man in a red suit cross the doorway.
"It's Saint Nicholas!" Jonathan announced.
"What's he doing?" Candy asked.
Martha watched the figure moving across the room and looked back at the children.
"He's going UP the chimney!"
"Oh, we just missed him," the disappointed boy complained.
"Can we come down and see what he's left us?" Candy asked, seeing an opportunity.
Above them on the stairs, Carolyn appeared carrying the baby and answered the question.
"How about now?"
The children wasted no time rushing down the stairs and into the living room. There, they found Captain Gregg putting a final decoration on the Christmas tree. With shouts of glee, they went directly to the gifts awaiting them.
Martha and the seaman exchanged Christmas greetings as he crossed the room to Carolyn and the baby. Pulling a silver teething ring out of his sweater pocket, he raised it above the little ones head.
"There, for the baby."
"Oh, what a pretty rattle!" Carolyn exclaimed.
"It's a present from the Bey of Tunis."
"Really? For you?"
"For my household," he replied.
"Ahhhh. Well, on behalf of the baby, thank you."
As they stood together in the doorway, there was an unexpected knock at the door.
"Now who could that be at this time of night?" Martha asked, as she went to answer the door.
Standing on the porch was Claymore.
"Merry Christmas, Martha," he greeted her heartily.
Handing her a gift of a Christmas goose, and pointing to a ledger in his hand, he proclaimed he'd also brought 'the golden egg.'
In much the same way the Dickens character, Ebenezer Scrooge, was visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, Claymore had a frightening visit from 'The Ghost of the Conscious He Use to Have,' the night before, and was attempting to change his ways. Seeing Carolyn by the living room door, he walked over to her and the Captain.
"Ah, my dear niece . . . I am taking out adoption papers on the baby, and you will raise him," he declared and explained he was giving her $50,000, more or less, for the baby's upbringing.
The Captain, his face unreadable, watched as Martha declared Claymore's generosity a miracle, and Carolyn told her uncle he was 'the most generous man in the whole world.'
Claymore then announced he was closing the office for the entire holiday season and told his niece she could take the next day off.
Carolyn chuckled at his 'generosity,' and Martha offered to take the baby from her. As the little one was handed over, she thanked her friend and turned back to the men.
"We have some presents for you!" she informed Claymore.
"Are you sure you have the right uncle?"
"There's only one like you to a family," the Captain remarked dryly.
Feeling the intended slight, Claymore left them standing in the doorway and went into the living room.
Carolyn and Daniel shared a smile and followed him to enjoy this special time with the children.
XXXXX
Once the presents had been opened, and the children were occupied with their gifts, the Captain spoke softly to their mother.
"My love, would you care to join me on the porch to welcome the new day?"
"I would," she replied, her face brightening as she looked up at him.
Arm and arm, they made their way out of the room, leaving the children and Uncle Claymore to their gifts. As he opened the front door, Carolyn stepped out on the porch ahead of him and waited as he closed the door. Finding her right by his side, Daniel took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. Time stood still as they gazed at each other – a thousand unspoken words said with one look.
"Merry Christmas, my love."
"Merry Christmas, Daniel," she whispered, moving toward him.
As they came together for a kiss, the front door suddenly opened behind them. The couple quickly stepped back, their eyes sharing the humor they found in their situation. Staring up at them was Jonathan.
"Mom, Captain, the toys Saint Nicholas brought are great! The ship is really 'yar,' and it even has wooden seaman with it. Sir, would you like to come in and take a look at it with me?"
"Aye, lad, I would. We'll be in, in just a bit."
Hesitating, Jonathan stood where he was, as if expecting to be invited to join them. The seaman had been away for months, and the boy didn't want to miss any time with his hero.
Looking at Carolyn, and then down at her son, the Captain smiled.
"We'll be in shortly, Jonathan."
"Okay," the lad replied as he went back inside and slowly closed the door behind him.
Chuckling, the couple picked up where they'd left off. Daniel placed his hands on her waist to draw her close, and her hands went around his neck, but before their lips could meet, the front door opened again. A softly spoken, "BLAST" could be heard from both as the small boy reappeared.
"I forgot to tell you; Martha says breakfast will be ready in a few minutes."
They both looked down at the boy.
"Thank you, Jonathan," they said together.
The door closed again, and the Captain took his love by the hand and led her away from the high traffic area. Standing at the porch railing, Carolyn stared out on the bay and the dawning sun. Coming up behind her, Daniel stood at her shoulder.
"Did I tell you how lovely you are?" he asked.
Smiling, she turned to face him.
"I'm so glad you came back for Christmas."
"I had to," he softly replied. "From the first moment I saw you, I knew that you were the one."
"It seems unreal doesn't it?" she asked, her voice filled with wonder.
"Perhaps, my darling, because it is only a moment in a dream."
Without hesitating further, he took her in his arms and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. As they separated, she reveled in the feel of his arms around her and rested her head on his chest. He gazed down at her tenderly.
"I love you, Carolyn."
Savoring the moment, she stared up at him, moved her hands up his chest, and behind his neck.
"I love you too, Daniel."
Lost in her captivating green eyes, he realized he'd misspoke.
"I was wrong, my love. Being here with you, is so much better than a moment in a dream."
He pulled her toward him capturing her mouth with his own. The kiss moved rapidly from gentle, to one that more than hinted at the need and desire both felt. When they came up for a breath, there was an all too familiar rustle at the door. They rested their
foreheads together and laughed quietly, accepting their fate, as both Candy and Jonathan ran out to them.
"Martha says breakfast is ready, and it's time for you to come in," they announced.
Daniel, accepting their time alone would have to be postponed, smiled at the children.
"Well then, we mustn't keep her waiting. We wouldn't want our food to get cold now would we?"
As they went into house, Daniel thought to himself, 'I am so blessed. After all these years, I've finally found the one my heart has been searching for . . . the woman who touches my very soul . . . but there is absolutely no way I can wait until New Year's Day to claim her as my own."