"BLAST it Martha! This is exactly what you promised me you would not do – why in heavens are you always taking in strays?"
Knowing the initial response she'd be facing, Martha had purposely put the Captain's favorite lobster fricassee on the menu for his dinner back. "Now, now Captain Daniel," she said with her back to him as she fussed with the makings on the stove, "surely you recall, when your dear grandparents passed, you promised Caleb and I would always have a home. How can you have made that promise so faithfully without knowing who I am? Now hush or your favorite dinner will be a hash, not the fricassee your grandmother made you – and you know for certain I am the ONLY person who knows her secret recipe. Surely that's worth a wee bit of consideration for a sad, woeful lost lass?"
It's just as well as the Captain wasn't looking at the wide grin Caleb had as he trundled up the stairs with the Captain's dunnage.
Recognizing that he had lost the argument long ago, he turned and shouted up to Caleb as he disappeared onto the upper landing. "And make sure you get the dog cart unloaded carefully. I've brought back some truly special treasures. There's a one of a kind medieval fire screen that took hours to haggle to get it. Treat it carefully!"
Turning back to the kitchen, and realizing Martha had no intention of facing him, he shrugged. "Come woman," he said in his most beguiling voice, "I promise, I'm not truly angry. I've been at sea almost a year. I'm delighted to back in my own four walls. Just explain to me what brought THIS stray to our door."
"Hello", he heard from the stairs, "I imagine you must be the Captain I've heard so much about."
He turned and suddenly couldn't recall of any reason why in the world he was ever angry. He stood quietly assessing this surprise guest standing on his stairs, but couldn't go any further than her astonishing green eyes. 'I always hoped to see those eyes one day', he mused. 'How is it I sail the world, see a hundred ports, but only find her under my own roof?'
Carolyn who had reached out her hand to her benefactor with the expectation of shaking his hand in thanks, found her hand hovering in mid-air. Clearly it was the Captain, he looked too much like the portrait to be anyone else, but there was something more. Was it the bemused shine in his eyes, as if he knew a special secret he was wanting to share?'
"You going to just stand there with the lady holding out her hand?" Martha chortled. She had a good sense of what kind of women the Captain found compelling, and had assumed this Carolyn would be of interest, but she'd never seen him quite so instantly taken with anyone before.
"Uh, yes, quite right Martha," he said, bending over Carolyn's hand, but never letting his eyes leave her own.
"Captain Gregg, is it?" "Indeed and you are?"
"Well that's the question isn't it", Martha answered for them both.
"No Ed, we've seen no sign of anything. Nothing on the shore, nothing anywhere." She paused and listened carefully. "Yes, I'll tell the family that there have been no signs of any one being reported found across all of Maine. That won't make them happy, but it'll give them hope, as it does for me too of course. Thank you. I promise there is a pie of your choosing when this is all finished." Smiling, she added more softly, "You're the very best Ed, thank you!"
Gently handing up the phone, she noticed both Candy and Jonathan hanging over the upstairs rail. "Sorry you two, no news. But honestly that's good. It's still likely she got stranded and with the power still out all across the coastline, she just can't reach out to us yet."
"Like fun", Jonathan muttered. "I hate it when grownups don't just say the truth. What do they think we are, kids or something?" "Yeah" Candy nodded in agreement. "And when the Captain can't find her, what in the world does that have to do with power anyway?" Looking back at her brother, "Did grandfather say if he was going to get that private detective?" "Nope", Jonathan frowned back at her, "the Captain did one of his 'magic waves of his hand' and suddenly both he and grandmother agreed it wasn't a good idea."
"OH jeez, he just makes me SO mad sometimes", Candy snarled. "Yes, I know we think he's a great guy, but having to always keep this secret gets so old sometimes."
Listening to the children from the Master Cabin, Daniel Gregg allowed himself a rueful grin, 'You're not alone' he thought. As he reached for the telescope again, the room suddenly slipped out of focus, and he slid into her desk chair. Holding his forehead he tried to make sense of what he was feeling . . . remembering. "No, not possible, can't be . . ." Yet the memory became clearer, a new part of history was happening and unfolding to him in the moment.
"JONATHAN – CANDY! Tell Martha I believe I know what has happened!"