Author Note: A grateful thanks to my fellow author Upeasterner for the imagery of the closet scene I expanded upon in this chapter!

Chapter 11 – Prudent

And it was prudent that she wondered about the fraternity, as they were at that very moment debating in great detail the impact of her life with her Captain.

"It is criminal!" one elder shouted from near the top of the circular room, its walls lined with towering white Roman pillars, their tops disappearing into the swirling mist above. "Allowing this to go forward disrupts the very nature of time, life and even eternal fate in both realms!"

"Criminal?" countered another, "Rather a long needed correction across millennia. We were never meant to be so separated by death, or what is referred to as death. Souls that are connected need to deserve to be forever joined. Who are we to deny that reality, that love?"

"Brothers of the spectral fraternity," Geoffrey interjected, looking up and around at the gathering. Their style and clothing reflected their original eras in life, but no matter their origins, their role was to speak for the eternal, not just their earthly perspectives. 'But,' he thought ruefully, 'that is sometimes hard to hang onto in a heated emotional debate.' "Please!" he enjoined, "Set aside your emotions, your judgments. What we face here is nothing less I believe, than the dawning forefront of a new age, an evolution that will blur the separation between what we have defined as life and death. Surely, the examples, the simple facts of what is happening today within Gull Cottage, that such a thing is even possible, should serve as testimony that reality is not what it has been in the past. We need to observe, accept and support this point of transition as our worlds become one."

"NEVER!" "Impossible!" "Who are we to refute life and fate?"

The lively dispute continued, as Geoff sat down in exhaustion. "I've been 'dead' for over 150 years," he thought in frustration, "surely it is wrong to have to work so very hard now?"

"Gentlemen!" called out the presiding elder, "that is quite enough. All of you know the vast majority of you approved moving ahead with this 'experiment' and the rest agreed to withhold challenge until the testing period was concluded. It may well be proven that we are at the nexus of a pivotal shift. I suggest we turn our attentions to other matters and let things proceed as they will."

"I second your wise counsel," Geoff agreed, standing again and moving into the center of the circular speaking floor. "My friend and his mate are working diligently to make certain the true facts of their relationship remain private. At this moment I can assure you that they represent no danger at all, at this time."

"And that psychic?" challenged a balding, round faced man with wide mutton chop sideburns sitting quietly near Geoff, "if you hadn't exceeded your authority it all might have gone to perdition Collingsworth!" "Come; come; now Van Buren, I've already explained all that to the satisfaction of the elders. It is clear that someone out there amongst the fraternity has been sharing privileged information, else the psychic could not have been aware of things afoot."

Grumbling to himself, the man looked around the gathering, and finally stood to speak to the assembly. "My fellow members let us end this squabbling. If we are witnessing a shift between the worlds, it will be clear soon enough and whether the activities in Gull Cottage are known or not it will make no difference at all. At best, it is what Geoffrey predicts, at worst, just a bit more rabble-rousing. Does anyone disagree?" "I do not, I support this view!" Geoff spoke out, unable to restrain himself.

The presiding elder rose, "Collingsworth, I ask you one final time to silence yourself. This issue, no matter your profound opinion or feelings, is not yours to decide. Kindly cease acting as it you might be able to make that decision on your own! And for you Martin, you were merely a one term President of the United States, and your voice has no power here beyond your own single vote. Let it rest!"

Geoffrey settled unhappily near the entrance, the shadows of the pillars falling across his face. He sat thinking about his friend and wondering, wishing and hoping his future with Carolyn would allow for a happier ending than he anticipated today.

Carolyn was enjoying the quiet, trying to envision what the spectral gathering would be reviewing, and perhaps deciding about their lives, when she was startled by a thud, followed by an angry "BLAST!" "Daniel, is everything alright?" Carolyn asked, still soaking amongst the bubbles in her bath. Opening the door to the bathroom, Daniel stepped inside, holding his nose. "All is well M'dear," he said clearly preoccupied. "Daniel, what happened?" Sitting on the toilet seat, he looked discomforted at her, "Nothing serious, just something I could have avoided, but seem unable to remember." "Remember?' she asked, settling back down among her bubbles. Grinning sheepishly, he gave his nose another tweak, "That I no longer walk automatically through doors – and my nose pays the price for my forgetting."

Laughing softly, she raised her leg, watching the bubbles fly through the air, "and to what do I owe the pleasure of your company Captain? I don't recall that you ever felt the need to keep me company here."

"And you would be most mistaken about that Mrs. Gregg; in fact I was always keenly aware of the moments you would relax in a hot bath." "Daniel, you didn't!" she said, somewhat pleased yet a little shocked at the revelation. She was bemused to see him blush and stutter a bit, "No, I never, you don't think. . ." "You didn't then? Not here, not when I was changing in that blasted closet?" Slamming the folder in his hand down on the sink she watched him stand suddenly, his eyes flashing, "Madam, if you truly believe I would be capable, would actually behave in such. . ."

Knowing that it might well make him even angrier, but unable to stop herself, Carolyn slipped under the water to hide her burst of laughter. Only after he ceased his rant, did she slowly surface, peeking up at him. "I am truly sorry," she offered, "I was just teasing, but I must admit I've missed the old Captain Gregg, and while mind you I have no complaints about my husband," she reached out to touch his hand, "the grumbling, sexy martinet who used to storm about Gull Cottage hasn't been around since everything changed. I'm glad to know he isn't gone forever."

"Hardly likely," he growled, "not with a woman around who insists on being quite so very female in nature. You don't truly think I would have ever taken liberties with you in that way, do you?"

Tilting her head, she took a considerable time before answering, "Well, I don't think you were actually in the closet with me, but from time to time I felt certain you were just there, on the other side of the door. Perhaps imaging what you couldn't see on the other side?"

Sitting back down, he gave her a long considered look, "I wasn't aware you were able to sense me quite that well." "To be honest, sometimes I wondered if it was me hoping you were there, if we were ever going to be able to make this, as they say 'work'." He stretched out his hand, and held hers, wiping the bubbles aside with his thumb. "So then, it was true for both of us then – I wonder what would have happened if we had spoken, had shared what we felt from the beginning?"

"Frustration, LOTS of frustration, I think," she said smiling. "We had enough of that without words, I can't imagine what it would have been like if we had actually been able to speak."

"Perhaps so, as Geoffrey always was prompting me, 'things turn out for the best', and so it seems with us," he said, reaching over to give her a gentle poke on her nose. "So my Captain," she said gently reaching up to touch his own nose, "you came in for a reason?" Giving her finger a kiss, before returning it to the soapy water, he leaned back, "I did. My first story feels ready for your review," he said picking up the folder, "and I thought you would be happy and relaxed, and in the right mood to be a positive reviewer of my work."

"And my lounging here, in the 'altogether' amidst the bubbles wasn't what made you try to pop in?" "M'dear that will always be of interest, but this very second, it is your literary abilities, not your other quite substantial gifts and talents that drew me here."

"You won't mind a few water marks as I read?" she asked, taking the folder from his hand. "I'm a man of the sea, M'dear. Water and I are old friends." Kissing her hand, he turned, closed the door and left her to discover what his imagination had created.

Chapter 12 in progress