Carolyn Muir woke up in her new home and looked frantically around. 'That man, the man who had come into her home. He was the owner Captain Daniel Gregg. How could that scoundrel Claymore had done such a rotten thing to her and her family?' she worried as she looked around at the room.
The house was everything that she had ever wanted. It was secluded but close to town and the view from the balcony was absolutely unbelievable. As she went out through the glass doors and stood on the balcony she fell more in love with the house. The brass telescope that stood there unmoved since the original owner had once stood there. You could look far out to sea from there, and she could envision him standing there watching as the ships came in.
There is a feeling when you come into a new home. This home had felt like her home since the moment she had entered it. She had felt that the home had been waiting for her. Everything seemed strangely familiar and she was not going to move out without a fight.
She could smell the coffee brewing and could hear Jonathan and Candy downstairs. Everything seemed so familiar to her. It was as if she had been there for a long time not just one night. As she walked down the stairs and entered the large kitchen she smiled at her family. Candy smiled at her and told her "I love this house. My room overlooks the ocean, I don't want to ever move from here."
Jonathan smiled and said "me either. It has so many places for me to explore, I can't wait." he told her.
Carolyn looked at her children and smiled "I don't want to have to ever move either." With that she looked over at Martha who huffed and just said "It will be interesting living in a museum with all the old relics. It is a good place for a good old fashioned haunt." she then turned and went back to making breakfast.
Carolyn Muir did not have the heart to tell the children about what had happened that night after everyone had gone to bed, but she knew that the Captain would be back there and soon. She ate her dinner and decided to go upstairs and give Mr. Claymore Gregg a call.
Claymore Gregg had not slept well that night. Captain Gregg had been in no mood when he had left. Now, he was stuck with the Muir family who he was going to have to find a house for and the Captain. He and the Captain were cousins but had never gotten along. He could not let the Captain stay at the Connor home for free . He then had a thought, perhaps the Muir family could move into the Connor house. No, she was a widow and could never afford the rent that he wanted to charge for the place 'oh what to do." He was startled by the ringing of the phone. He hoped that it would not be the Captain or Mrs. Muir but he was wrong. It was Mrs. Muir.
"Good morning Mrs. Muir. How can I help you?" Claymore asked nervously.
"I had a visitor last night a man by the name of Captain Gregg. He says that you did not have his permission to rent this house out and he wants me to move. I have moved here all the way from Philadelphia and have no intention of moving out. What can we do to remedy the situation?" Mrs. Mur asked him. She wanted to yell at the man but knew that it would do her no good. But she was going to stand her ground and stay if she could.
Claymore was stammering and stuttering when he told her "I did not know that he was going to return. He has not been in Schooner Bay for the past three years and nobody had heard from him. Of course, I have other properties that I can offer you, but the rent will be higher." he told her.
Something in Carolyn blew this time "Mr. Gregg I have a signed lease with a deposit and a rent receipt, if we can not come up with an agreement I will be forced to contact an attorney." she warned.
This made Claymore a real wreck now. He knew that a lawyer at the very least would get her deposit and rent back. If she had a good lawyer he could be sued. This would not work. With that he told her "Don't worry about it right now. The Captain has a place to stay and my cousin and I will work together and figure something out." and with that the two of them hung up the phone.
Claymore sat at the desk with his head in his hands. "What was he going to do?"
Carolyn Muir had just hung up the phone when Martha came upstairs and told her that there was a gentleman downstairs who wanted to see her. "He said that his name was Daniel Gregg and that he had spoken to you last night." she told her with a questioning look.
As Carolyn entered the living room she looked over to see the man who had come into her bedroom the night before. He was the handsomest man she had ever seen. He had blondish red hair and deep blue eyes. He was tall with a good physique. As she entered the room he stood up and offered her a seat on the couch.
The Captain turned his head and looked directly at her. His piercing blue eyes seemed to look right into her very soul. It was all that she could do to keep her eyes on him without melting. He had a very sincere worried look on his face as he looked at her and began to speak. Madam, I want to apologize for my actions of last night. When I found you asleep in my bed I should have immediately left. You caught me by complete surprise." he looked at the woman next to him and found it hard to concentrate on the problem at hand. She had blonde hair blue eyes and the kindest face that he had ever seen. She was the vision of beauty inside and out and he knew it.
Carolyn cleared her throat and said "I do not believe that we have been formally introduced. My name is Carolyn Muir and I just moved her to Schooner Bay yesterday from Philadelphia." and with that she offered him her hand. It was a silly thing to do and she thought that he was going to shake it. But, he took her hand gently and kissed the top of it. The kiss sent chills throughout her body. She could barely hold herself up.
The Captain was proud of how he had always handled women. He had many a woman who had tried to win his heart, but no one had ever won it. This woman had only been a part of his life for a matter of minutes and he thought that he could stay there at Gull Cottage with her for the rest of his life. 'Daniel get hold of yourself' he thought to himself.
There was a knock on the door and Martha brought them each a cup of coffee. They were glad to have a chance to have something to distract themselves from the tension in the room. You could feel the vibes between the two of them and this was something that they needed to discuss in a normal tone. Emotions would not work. The two of them were in a bind through no fault of their own.
Once the coffee was poured and they had both taken a long sip the Captain spoke. "I have had time now madam to think about the situation. Claymore has given me a house just a quarter of a mile down the street to live in and so for now I am all set. But this house is in bad need of repair and I do not feel right allowing you to stay here while it is in this condition. With your permission I would like to allow you to stay here while I work on the house."
Carolyn knew that he was doing this to be kind but she was very grateful. "Thank you Captain. Perhaps Claymore will find someplace else for us to live in the meantime. That will work out good for our family. I have not been here for more than a day and I feel like this is my home. I love the old house." she told him.
The two of them smiled and he promised that he would be as quiet as he could while he worked. He would be back the next day and begin the repairs. With that he left and Carolyn smiled as she watched him walk down the walkway. 'Had she met the man of her dreams?'
