Chapter 2 Just Conversation
In the wheelhouse, over a glass of madeira, the captain asked Carolynn, "Do you think Martha is disturbed by her weight, or does she merely complain for the sake of complaining?"
"I don't think I've ever heard her say anything about it. She seems pretty comfortable in her skin to me. Why, did she say something to you about it?"
"Ah, I understand. Mere banter."
"Just so you didn't agree with her complaint, everything should be fine."
"Blast! I offered to assist her lose weight."
"Captain, considering your status as a ladies' man during your life, you really stuck your foot in your mouth with Martha."
"Madam, I never once romanced a woman who had reason to complain of her appearance."
"Your charm is underwhelming me."
"As is yours, at the moment. Rather than bickering, you might help me to set things right with Martha, and help me to avoid these feminine traps for misguided comments regarding appearance."
"Let me think."
"Perhaps I could give her a box of chocolates as a symbol."
"A symbol of what?"
"Avoiding speech yet letting her know it's no concern to me how she looks."
"Avoiding speech is good, but the rest needs work. Daniel, maybe I can help you figure this out for yourself. Is there anything about your own appearance you'd change?"
"Certainly not."
"Of course, why did I even bother asking?"
"What about you, my dear?"
"Oh no. That's not something I want to share."
"So there is something? I can tell you with certainty you're perfectly beautiful."
"In that case . . . I wish I was taller and didn't have a birthmark."
"You're stature is utterly charming. I've never seen your birthmark though. Perhaps if I could glimpse it I could reassure you that . . ."
"No!"
"Ah, feminine wisdom. You choose to leave it to my imagination."
"Don't even imagine it!"
"You brought it up, my dear. Besides, policing imagination seems an unworthy goal for a writer."
Carolynn tried to hold in a grin. He was impossible, but Gull Cottage would be so dull without him.
