The Morning After…
A Ghost and Mrs Muir Story
By TunnelsOfTheSouth
※※※※※
"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love—then make that day count!"
Steve Marabol
Carolyn sat on the side of the bed in her new room, trying to decide what to do for the best. She'd changed into her nightgown but was loathe to simply give in and slide between the sheets like an obedient child.
An imperious Captain Gregg had driven them from Gull Cottage on their first night and then he'd brought them back on some kind of baffling whim.
He'd won this round, but Carolyn wasn't about to allow him to win that easily. She was still determined they were all leaving, first thing in the morning, if he didn't agree to move out and leave them in peace.
"Surely there are places where ghosts could go?" She sighed.
Despite her rash words to an unrepentant ghost, where could she and her family go? And to whom?
"I have a lease," she repeated her own statement, looking around at the shadows hanging in the corners of the room, beyond the lamplight. But they appeared to be unoccupied.
"Oh, for heaven's sake! Trust a cowardly ghost to run out on an argument he wasn't winning!" Carolyn had already called him a coward tonight, a name the captain had deeply resented.
"Very well, Captain." She folded her arms, frowning up at the ceiling. "I will admit you're right on two points. The house is run down and stands in serious need of repair. It can be fixed up. And it is ideal for the children. But we cannot possibly live here, with you. Surely you must understand that." She waited, but there was no reply.
Of course, her brave words were useless. The annoying captain had cut off all means of their escape. Their car refused to start and the telephone was dead. The children were back in their beds, and Martha had stated she wasn't going out again tonight.
"I can try to call us a cab, in the morning. There must be a train back to Philly." Carolyn stood, pushing the folded covers back further. "I know my decision is for the best and you do, too. If you'll only admit it," she said to the shadows.
It didn't make her feel any better. "I doubt you'll miss us, once we're gone. You said you never wanted us here in the first place. We will leave you to your haunting."
Curled up on the mat beside the bed, Scruffy moaned and twitched in his sleep. Carolyn envied the dog his total lack of concern.
She looked toward the Captain's prized telescope. "I trust you've also retired to bed. Or wherever it is that you haunt at night..." She checked the room again, for any sign of movement, but nothing stirred.
※※※※※
Daniel paced his Widow's Walk restlessly, making and rejecting each and every decision. He was no closer to any kind of answer. He felt so unlike himself. He was usually a man of such sound decision and judgement.
Why couldn't he decide something that seemed so simple? He wanted them gone. Mrs Muir had stated she was more than willing to leave. Without the family beneath his roof, constantly getting under foot and distracting him, his life would go back to how it had always been. Blessedly peaceful and serene. Just the way he liked it.
"That's it!" He finally threw up his hands. "They've evicted me from the sweet enjoyment of my own house!" He shook his head.
"Blast!" His hands clasped tight on the railing. "Blast and confound the woman! Why does she plague me so?" He frowned up at the moon, before dropping down through the roof to enter the children's room.
Along the hallway, Carolyn had got into bed and was about to lie down, when she heard the Captain's voice. She frowned. He sounded very close and he was talking to someone.
"Oh, no!" She put a horrified hand to her lips. "He's in the children's room!"
Propelled by the desire to protect her children, she pulled on her dressing gown, before hurrying out of the bedroom and tiptoeing toward the next room. The half-open door allowed her to spy without being discovered.
With the storm gone, pale moonlight shone in through the window. She could see that Candy and Jonathan were sound asleep in their beds. Beautiful lullaby music, with a feeling of the sea, filled the room. She gasped when she saw movement.
Daniel was sitting on the end of Candy's bed. His voice gentle, even tender as he continued, "When you wake, you won't think of me as anything unusual. And you won't be frightened. In fact, you'll find me quite likeable. I was considered a very amusing fellow, in my time…"
He stopped when he became aware he was being observed. He got up and turned to find Carolyn had pushed the door open fully. She was standing in the open doorway, watching him.
"You know, I could almost believe that..." she said, softly. She smiled at him wistfully.
He couldn't prevent answering her smile with one of his own. It banished the wary and confused look in his eyes.
"You finally smiled," Carolyn gasped. "For the first time, you smiled at me."
"Madam, I find you witty, charming and beautiful…" Daniel began, in a clipped tone.
"Thank you, sir." She nodded in smiling acceptance.
His smile vanished as if it had never been. "I also find you indecisive, careless, and inquisitive!"
Carolyn's open-mouthed expression reflected her astonishment. "I beg your pardon?"
Captain Gregg set his fists on his hips. "Moving in and out of my house, leaving lights burning, and eavesdropping!"
"Eavesdropping?"
"Remember, you're here on trial. I suggest you trim your sails. Good night, Madam!" He vanished, immediately.
"Good night!" Carolyn closed the door, then opened it again. "Sir…" she muttered, to the darkness of the room.
※※※※※
Returning to her bedroom, she closed the door and leaned back against it. "Careless and inquisitive, indeed!"
She was alone except for the dog curled on the mat beside the bed. Not that the idea gave her any comfort. Scruffy was totally oblivious to her state of upset.
"Well, Captain Gregg, I find you both aggravating and utterly intolerant!"
She turned to lock the door behind her. A futile gesture that made her feel a small amount of comfort. Knowing I can keep things out makes me feel secure. When did that start being so true? Was it after my husband died? Or before?
She sighed, as she took off her dressing gown, before slipping beneath the covers and lying down. The bed seemed to welcome her in a warm and comforting embrace.
She wanted to stay awake and wait for the dawn. She tried to stifle a yawn, as she reached to turn out the bedside light. The room settled into multi-layered patterns of darkness and shadow.
She could hear the wind in the trees outside. It almost sounded like a lullaby. She felt soothed, even as she sighed deeply, feeling worn out by the tumultuous events of the day.
The sound of the wind, the distant ocean… Peace. In its way, it's so peaceful, here. So beautiful. Am I now questioning my own decision? Surely I have made the right choice in deciding to leave in the morning? Surely it was better to leave Gull Cottage, and all its frustrating confusion, far behind?
There was no true answer to any of it. "Blast," she declared, without heat.
As she fought to determine the way ahead, her eyelids began to drift shut. She tried to keep them open, to watch the shadowed room, but a deep sense of lethargy suddenly overcame her, and she was asleep in an instant.
In that same moment, the shadows began to change and move. The curtains drew back and the windows opened slowly. The telescope swivelled to look outward toward the dark waters of the bay.
Daniel appeared silently, beside the bed. His expression was pensive and filled with undefinable longing.
He stared down at Carolyn, sleeping so peacefully. In a fleeting moment of weakness, he wished he could join her, hold her close in the darkness, and keep her safe for all eternity. Make her his own, even as he tried to fathom the strength of the strange appeal she held for him.
"I never once allowed a woman on board my ship," he began slowly. "But, if I'd known you a hundred years ago, I would've carried you off to sea, and shown you how beautiful the world can be. I'd have met my match in you. Lord knows, I waited for you and hunted for you. How was I to know you hadn't even been born yet?" His tone held real regret.
Curled on the mat beside the bed, Scruffy raised his head, staring quizzically up at the Captain. In the bed, Carolyn smiled, as she snuggled deeper into the covers.
Captain Gregg recovered himself, and he chuckled wryly. "Oh, ho, you won't remember any of this when you wake up, Madam. You shan't have that advantage over me. How sad, that you were not born in my time. Nor I, in yours…"
He turned away sadly, walking slowly out of the room, through the closed door.
He materialized again on the Widow's Walk above the house. He stared up at the uncaring moon.
A woman on board my ship, at last! With children, no less! I've been boarded, out-manoeuvred and out-gunned! And damn me if I know what to do about it, exactly.
"Blast..."he said without heat.
He resumed his pacing, back and forth, keeping watch over the house, and its sleeping occupants, throughout the remainder of the night. Tomorrow would come soon enough, and he knew there was a looming battle ahead…
※※※※※
Carolyn groaned as she came awake and opened her eyes. Bright morning light flooded the room. She rolled onto her back, draping one arm over her face before she opened one disbelieving eye to stare at the bedroom curtains.
She was sure she'd pulled them all together last night. Now they'd been drawn right back and a gentle breeze stirred through the half-open windows. And the position of the telescope had been changed again.
She frowned at it. "I gather I'm not to have any privacy, even in my own room."
She had intended to stay awake all night, waiting for the dawn. She'd made plans to be out of bed, dressed, and with her determination to round up her family, and leave Gull Cottage and it's ghost, firmly in place.
"I suppose there's really nothing for it," she muttered as she sat up to push her fingers through her hair. "The day, and the ghost, both have to be faced."
She pushed the covers back and got out of bed. Scruffy had left the mat. No doubt he was with the children…
"The children…" Carolyn put a hand to her mouth, remembering the previous evening's encounter. "Oh, no…" She grabbed up her dressing gown and pulled it on, tying the sash at her waist with unnecessary force. "That blasted ghost needs to be told a truth or two!"
She crossed to her mirror, to drag a brush through her hair, before leaving the room and hurrying downstairs. Voices could be heard, coming from the kitchen.
Carolyn entered quickly to find Martha busy serving the children their breakfast eggs at the kitchen table. It all looked normal and serene. Almost as if nothing unusual had happened last night and she'd finally found the haven she'd be searching for.
"Hi, Mom," Jonathan waved to her.
"The storm's gone." Candy indicated the bright sunshine beyond the kitchen windows. "We're gonna go down to the beach and look for shells. You want to come with us?"
"I don't know if we'll have time for that…" Carolyn began.
"Oh, good, you're up." Martha turned to her with a questioning look. "We thought we'd let you sleep, after last night. You didn't seem yourself, jumping at shadows and running out of the house in the middle of a storm as if the very devil himself was after us all. I thought you liked this house."
"I…" Carolyn shook her head. "Yes, it was a little crazy last night, wasn't it?" She looked around the room, but there was no sign of the irascible ghost. "I'm not sure this is the right house for us, after all."
"Oh, I don't know. I'll admit it's kind of quirky." Martha shrugged as she returned the empty pan to the stove. "But packing up and moving out to heaven's knows where, on a whim, seems to be becoming a pattern with you. You do remember how quickly we left Philadelphia to come here to the middle of nowhere?"
"That was a matter of necessity," Carolyn replied, moving to sit in an empty chair at the table.
Both her parents and in-laws had been pressuring her in turns to live with them. She had begun to feel as if she couldn't breathe and her work was suffering. She didn't wish to hurt anyone, but she was striving to achieve her own independence and a new life since her husband's untimely death.
"Thank you." She accepted a cup of coffee and a plate of buttered toast from the housekeeper with a grateful nod. "You know how much Bobby's parents wanted us to live with them. And then there are my own parents…"
"Well, you couldn't have fled further from civilisation if you tried." Martha poured herself a cup of coffee. "We could've found a house in Bangor."
"This is a pretty house," Candy put in. "I really love it. I don't want to go and live in Bangor. Or anywhere else."
"And the Captain says if we behave ourselves and don't get underfoot, or do any more eavesdropping, he's willing to allow us to stay on trial," Jonathan offered helpfully. "He's given his word."
"He's trying to scare me again, Mom," Candy complained. "Make him stop!"
"Jonathan, you know better." Carolyn addressed her young son over the rim of her coffee cup. "There's no such things as ghosts. We all know that."
"Well, you'd better tell the Captain!" the boy declared, jumping up from his chair. "'Cause I don't think he knows he's not real. Come on, Candy." He ran from the kitchen before anyone could stop him.
"Aw, Mom, tell him there's no ghost…" Candy declared, before pushing back her chair and running after her brother. "Hey! Wait for me!"
They could be heard slamming out of the house, with Scruffy barking at their heels. Martha brought her cup of coffee to the table and sat down in a vacant chair.
She shook her head. "The boy's been talking non-stop about that Captain Gregg ever since we arrived. You know, the sailor man in the picture in the parlour. Like he actually exists and is haunting this house. Demanding we make this place ship-shape and Bristol fashion, indeed."
She glanced around the antiquated kitchen. "Mind you, I could be pushed into believing in him if I had any kind of imagination." She shrugged. "Which I don't." She went on sipping her coffee with an air of confirmed indifference.
"Well, I think it must be this house," Carolyn commented with a forced air of unconcern. "It makes us think we're imagining things." She too looked around the kitchen, but for a different reason.
"All right, then. Common sense must prevail. This house is going to take a lot of work to get it back into shape. Question is, do we stay or do we go?" Martha watched her employer. "We haven't unpacked yet. You were so certain last night that we were leaving, and not looking back, I left the bags."
Carolyn sighed. "Any plans I may have will be useless if the telephone doesn't work and the car refuses start."
"I checked it first thing and it works now. So, you go and call that Claymore Gregg fellow and tell him to get out here and fix the car. If he'll come. He was as jumpy as a cat on hot tin, yesterday. He couldn't wait to get out of here. Can't see what set him off." Martha frowned. "You have his number."
"I certainly do." Carolyn finished her coffee and stood up. "I've called it often enough over the last few weeks making the lease arrangements. Yesterday he demanded I take my check back. I've got a good mind to accept his offer."
"Thank heavens! Now you're finally, you're seeing sense. I approve entirely." Martha nodded. "Go and phone him quick, before he changes his mind and we're stuck here. You know it's for the best. Bangor, here we come."
"Yes, it is for the best, isn't it?" Carolyn shrugged. "We do need to be sensible…"
She desperately wanted to go after Jonathan and ask him what he knew about one annoying ghost and where he was hiding. But she doubted she could separate him from playing games with his sister. It would have to wait.
She retreated to the foyer and went to pick up the receiver of the antiquated telephone. She held it to her ear, sighing with relief when she heard the hum of the dial tone.
She quickly dialled Claymore Gregg's number, praying he was home. As she waited her gaze quartered the foyer, studying every corner.
"Claymore Gregg speaking," her landlord announced, as he answered her call.
"Ah, Mr Gregg? It's Carolyn Muir."
"Ah yes, of course," Claymore replied warily. "My newest tenant. Um, what can I do for you this morning, Mrs Muir? I am a very busy man."
"It's my car, it won't start." Carolyn crossed her fingers behind her back. "We will be needing it today."
"I'm afraid that's not my department," Claymore responded quickly. "I'm far too busy with other matters. You'll need to phone the garage for a car mechanic."
"I tried to call one last night, but the telephone went dead during the storm, along with the electricity," Carolyn said patiently. "I told you about it when you phoned me. You said it was a clear night in town. I still find that very hard to believe, given the magnitude of the storm we were forced to endure."
There was a long silence, before Claymore asked, "Um, Mrs Muir, did, ah, something happen last night to upset you?"
"I…no. What sort of thing do you mean?"
"Never mind," Claymore avoided her question. "You were so very sure yesterday that Gull Cottage was just the place for you. In fact, you insisted upon it, even after I tried to return your check. May I remind you, Mrs Muir, that you signed a lease for the house? A two-year lease that is binding and unbreakable."
Carolyn gripped the receiver. "But yesterday, Mr Gregg, you were demanding I take my check back and return to the city. Why have you changed your mind?"
"My dear lady, I gave you a fair opportunity to back out. If you wish to terminate your lease now, I must inform you that I will be keeping your money. The first and last month's rent is forfeit. I leased the house to you in good faith and I still have to pay for the upkeep of the place until I can sell it."
"Well, I think the upkeep, as you call it, has been sadly lacking of late." Carolyn glanced around at the remaining cobwebs and thick dust.
"As I said, I'm a very busy man. I get out there when I can." Claymore cleared his throat. "Of course, any new owner may do as they please with the house. Then I will be happy to see it wiped from the face of the earth."
"Ebenezer Scrooge," Daniel Gregg observed grimly, materialising on the staircase above Carolyn. "That man has not a modicum of common decency. He is no kin of mine. He must not be allowed to touch a single nail of my ship. I have already said, Madam, that I will allow you to stay on trial."
Carolyn jumped and gasped. "But, that's so unfair!"
"I don't see how," Daniel observed, leaning on the bannister to look down at her. "I am being completely fair and above board. On the other hand, Claymore Gregg is a money-gouging sand shark who would sell his own mother, if the price was right. He is more slippery than an eel. He will keep your money and think himself quite the good fellow."
"You cannot keep my money, Mr Gregg." Carolyn turned her shoulder to the ghost on the stairs. "It took all my savings to get us here. I will need that money to make a fresh start."
Claymore clicked his tongue in annoyance. "If you'd read the very fine print at the bottom of your lease, Mrs Muir, you will find that I most certainly can."
"Well, I think that's the most despicable and underhanded thing I've ever heard! Goodbye, Mr Gregg!" Carolyn slammed the receiver down.
"Don't say I didn't warn you." Captain Gregg looked smugly satisfied.
"Oh, go away and leave me alone!" Carolyn waved her hand at him.
"You look upset." Martha appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. "What did Claymore Gregg say?"
"That's he's not a car mechanic," Carolyn snapped.
"I gather he's not coming out, then." Martha shook her head.
"No, he's not. And he also said, if we try to leave, he'll keep my money," Carolyn stormed. "He said it's in my lease!"
"Ah, I see. Then I guess we're staying," Martha reasoned with a sigh. "We both know the sorry state of your finances. I've finished the dishes, so I'll go on up and unpack our cases before you change your mind again. All this coming and going is making my head spin."
"Thank you, yes. I'll be up to help you shortly…" Carolyn replied absently, trying to ignore the large, masculine presence watching her from the stairs with an air of satisfaction.
Martha climbed the stairs without comment, but her expression said she was still confused about their current circumstances. She turned out of sight at the top of the stairs.
Daniel moved into Carolyn's line of sight. "I think you will find, Madam, that if you go outside and check, your horseless carriage is now in perfect working order. It was a small matter of returning what I removed from it, last night."
"Thank you, Captain. A lot of good that will do me now," Carolyn replied crossly. "It seems we're trapped here." She glared up at him. "With you."
Daniel descended the stairs to stand beside her. "Is the very thought of enduring my presence in this house that abhorrent to you, Madam?" he asked softly. "I thought we could rub along quite well together, with certain allowances."
"I don't know," she replied honestly, wiping a hand across her eyes. "I've never tried living with a ghost before."
"As I have not experienced having my peace so well and truly destroyed." Daniel shrugged. "We seem to be at an impasse."
He frowned at her suspiciously. "Here, are you crying again? I told you I can't stand to see a woman cry. Why are you upset now?"
"Claymore said if we move out, he'll sell the house. He said he would be happy to see it demolished. Why would he do that to such a lovely old house?"
"To spite me, Madam," Daniel replied honestly. "You see, I know Claymore too well of old, to my cost. Of course, he will sell up, because it will fatten his coffers and remove me from his sorry life for good. Or so he thinks."
"But if the house is pulled down, what will happen to you?"
Daniel leaned back against the wall, folding his arms. "Why, I will become rudderless, Madam. Cut loose from my moorings and allowed to drift away, at the careless mercy of the winds and tides."
Carolyn regarded him quizzically. "Don't you think you're rather overselling it, just a bit?"
Daniel's lips curled faintly. "This is my ship. I am the master here. It has suited me very well for more than one hundred years. I have nowhere else to go."
"Now you can see my position. Since Claymore Gregg insists on keeping my money, I too have nowhere to go. Unless I throw myself on the mercy of my family, which I am loathe to do." Carolyn raised her shoulders helplessly. "It appears we are stuck with each other, for now."
"It does seem that way, Madam." Daniel shook his head. "But any new crew aboard my ship must follow my rules and requirements. I have already made a number of allowances for your womanly frailty. You must remember you are a mere female."
"Crew?" Carolyn's eyebrows rose to her hairline. "I see."
She shook her head. "I'm going upstairs to get dressed. If we are to stay here, there's a lot of work to be done to make this place habitable. Excuse me, I won't be long. We are not finished with this argument." She moved past him, heading up the staircase.
"I was afraid of that…" Daniel watched her out of sight. He raised one hand to stroke his beard thoughtfully, considering his options, before dematerialising.
※※※※※
Carolyn returned to the ground floor, now dressed sensibly for cleaning duties. She had left Martha unpacking the children's cases in their bedroom.
Carolyn hurried into the parlour. "Captain…? Captain Gregg, where are you? I need to talk to you."
Captain Gregg materialised before the empty fireplace. "What is it now, Madam?" he asked wearily.
"Yesterday you took it upon yourself to frighten away my painter, Mr Peevy." Carolyn pointed to the half-finished paintwork on the walls. "I demand you allow him to return as soon as possible."
"You began this work without seeking my consent. I saw nothing wrong with my original paintwork," Daniel replied evenly. "It has served me very well."
"When I hired Mr Peevy, I had no idea of your existence," Carolyn countered reasonably. "But, I refuse to live with a half-finished house. This colour is called sea-green. I think it will do very well."
"Ah, I see," Daniel mused. "My opinion is to be ignored in my own house."
"Not at all," Carolyn reassured him. "I simply expect us to try and compromise on things that don't need to be turned into a contest of wills."
"You are seeking to outmanoeuvre me," Daniel replied grimly.
"I doubt I could ever do that," Carolyn was quick to reassure him, with an innocent look. "I am merely a frail woman, as you recently reminded me."
"Do not try to flatter me, Madam," the captain warned. "When I was alive, I forbade any woman to ever board my ship. I do not see the need to change my confirmed opinion of your sex now."
"That must have made you very lonely." Carolyn shrugged. "And in case you haven't noticed, this is a house, not a ship."
"Your son said the same thing to me, the moment we met. Need I remind you that, no matter the description of this abode, I am still in command here."
"I doubt I will ever be allowed to forget it."
"At last, we have an understanding." Daniel nodded sharply. "I am thankful for that. Now, if you will excuse me, I—"
"Ah, Captain…?" Carolyn put out a hand to detain him before he vanished. "This house is a mess. You're not going to help us with any of the cleaning?"
"Me?" Daniel gasped. "Help with swabbing the decks?" He looked thunderstruck. "Belay that, Madam. You cannot seriously entertain such an absurd notion. I command here, I do not serve."
"Very well. I thought you might say that." Carolyn's lips twitched as she tried to conceal her amusement at his outrage. "But I do expect your co-operation while we make this blasted house ship-shape and Bristol fashion as you so eloquently commanded."
She studied his mutinous expression. "All I ask of you is that there will be no more tantrums or storms. No more cutting off the electricity because you don't like how it works. We need it."
She folded her arms before continuing, "And there will be no ejecting my workmen from the house until they have completed their tasks to my satisfaction. Do we have a deal?"
"Very well, Mrs Muir." Daniel bowed stiffly. "Your terms of engagement are acceptable to me. I will retire to my wheelhouse and try to block out the din you are all going to make. But, remember, you are here on trial, only."
"Thank you, Captain." Carolyn smiled, pleased to have won the first round.
"Save me from all women!" Daniel threw up his hands in disgust before he vanished.
※※※※※
Two weeks later, a dark and stormy night was making driving almost impossible. A car crept up the road leading to the front gate of Gull Cottage, where it came to a shuddering halt. The driver tried in vain to get his car started again.
Beside him, a young woman leaned forward to peer through the downpour towards the front door of Gull Cottage. An argument with the driver ensued which the young woman won.
The man opened his door and climbed out, carrying a flashlight. The young woman scrambled after him, pulling her cream woollen coat over her head. Together they dashed through the rain for the shelter of the cottage's front porch.
Standing out of the downpour the young woman took the coat from her head to shake the wet out of it. "Oh, honey, this is miserable," she declared. "I knew we shouldn't have done this."
"Oh, come on," her companion declared stoutly. "This is going to be fun. Think of the stories we'll have to tell our grandchildren."
"We should have gone to Bermuda like my mother said."
"Oh, it's going to be all right." The young man turned and walked toward the front door. "I'm sure these people will help us."
They stood together as he used the door knocker with some force. The sound echoed hollowly throughout the house. Their summons was met with a brooding silence.
"Maybe nobody lives here…" The young woman looked doubtful.
"There's somebody here. Now, don't worry."
A sudden clash of thunder made the young woman turn to look nervously about. She walked to the edge of the porch. "Oh, Harvey, this place is creepy. We're just stuck out in the middle of nowhere."
"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" Harvey came up behind her, grinning with intent. "Like one of those old horror movies, where the young couple comes up to the old, deserted house on a dark, stormy night…" He lowered his voice spookily. "Oooowwhhhooohhh…"
"Oh, Harvey, don't!" The young woman turned on him, looking totally freaked out.
Harvey chuckled. "It'd be funny if the door opened all by itself and there was nobody there…"
"Harvey, please…" his companion begged.
At the same moment, a strangely ominous creaking sound could be heard behind them. They both turned to see the front door moving slowly open, and they could clearly see that there was no one there…
※※※※※
"It sounds plausible enough tonight, but wait until tomorrow. Wait for the common sense of the morning…"
H.G. Wells