Chapter 12

A few days later, Carolyn was sitting in the living room going over a few letters when the children walked in.

"Mom, we can't find Captain Gregg," Jonathan announced.

"He's not in the wheelhouse?" Carolyn asked, looking over at them.

"Nu-huh," the boy shook his head.

"We looked all over the house and outside," Candy said. "And even Scruffy can't find him," she added. The dog at their feet barked in affirmation.

"He's been gone a lot lately," Jonathan said, forlornly.

"Yes, he has, hasn't he?" Carolyn pursed her lip. "But…well, I suppose, he can come and go as he pleases, he is a grown man after all…erm…I mean a grown ghost."

"But he didn't tell us the end of his story last night and he always does," the boy added.

"That is odd," Carolyn admitted. She knew how much the captain enjoyed regaling the children with stories and he never missed it.

"We're getting kinda worried, mom," Candy said. "I mean, what if something's wrong? What if he's sick or something?"

"I don't think ghosts can get sick, honey," she replied, trying to sound much more confident that she actually felt. With this latest dispersing act, she too was concerned that something might be wrong with the Captain.

"Well, they might," Jonathan exclaimed. "What if he really is sick? We don't know any ghost doctors!"

"I'm sure he's fine," Carolyn said, trying to sound confident. "I'll tell you what, I'll go looking for him. You go and play outside and I'll come and tell you if I find him," she said.

"…Okay," Jonathan sighed heavily and his sister gave a reluctant nod.

"Come on, Scruffy," Candy said to the dog.

Carolyn pursed her lip when they were gone and stood up from the sofa. She turned to the portrait of the Captain above the fireplace and sighed.

"Say whatever you like," she muttered. "But ghosts are far more trouble than women," she said. She got no answer, which was strange so she went in search of their resident ghost.

"Captain?" Carolyn called out as she walked to the stairs. "Daniel?" she tried again. "Daniel? This is no time for hide and seek."

She checked every room and found them all empty, just as the children had said. Finally, Carolyn came to the wheelhouse and looked around as she walked further into the room.

"Daniel?" she called out.

"Yes?" the captains' disembodied voice enquired and she startled.

She let out a shocked breath and put her hand over her now racing heart. She'd hardly been expecting a reply and she looked around for him but couldn't see him anywhere.

"Where are you?" she spun around looking for him but failed to see him.

"I am here," he said.

"Where 'here'? I don't see you."

"That does not necessarily follow that I am not here," he replied.

"I really don't want to have a conversation with thin air," she sighed.

"How very fortunate, then, that you are not," he said.

"Daniel…"

"Very well," he said and then, he appeared standing in front of her. He looked at her with an expectant expression and she nodded in relief.

"Thank you," Carolyn said. "Now…I think you and I need to talk," she said.

"About what?" the Captain raised an eyebrow. "The weather? The children? Scruffy? Martha's growing infatuation with Mr. Peevey?"

"I'd hardly say she's 'infatuated'…fond of him, I'd say…but, no, not about that," she said.

"What, then?"

"Your…disappearing act," she said, carefully.

"An act? Madam, I am not a magician prone to parlour tricks," he bristled.

"And I'm not exactly prone to patience right now," she snapped back.

"This is hardly my fault. I have not disturbed you all day…"

"No, in fact you've been uncharacteristically silent…quite often, lately. Don't tell me, you were called away again? All of last night and all of today? The children were expecting you last night and they're upset that they couldn't find you earlier. I realise that you don't have to tell us where you all all day, I'm not trying to pry; I'm just worried," she tried to explain. "Actually, come to think of it…you don't look well, you're pale…" she said, scrutinising him.

And, in fact, he was quite pale and he was almost faintly transparent.

"Not this nonsense again," he rolled his eyes.

"It's hardly nonsense. I can see right through you!"

"Once again, I assure you, that I am concealing nothing, I was simply…"

"I mean, I can literally see through you, look," Carolyn said.

Daniel raised his hands and saw that he was indeed, not quite a solid form. And in fact he was becoming increasingly transparent every second that he stared at his hands.

"Ah," he swallowed, reflexively. "Yes…now…"

"Please just tell me the truth. You've been acting strange for a while now and we're all worried. If there's something wrong then we'll fix it. We can't help if you won't tell us what's happening. Can ghosts just…I don't know…fade away and never come back?" she asked, growing agitated with every question that came to mind.

"Calm yourself, madam," he said, stopping her before she could ask another question. "I am not fading nor am I passing into the light as many spirits choose to do," he said and with great effort he began to take on a more solid appearance once again.

"And…you're sure?" she asked, noticing the change.

"Perfectly," he assured her. "I have remained here for over a century. Neither mediums nor storms nor idle threats have forced me out. Not even the Sea Vulture could destroy me. What on earth do you suppose could be powerful enough to challenge me?"

"You weren't this bad when the Sea Vulture was here," Carolyn said. "You lost your powers but you didn't vanish…or…or turn…transparent!" she waved a hand at his translucent form.

"Some might argue, that it's perfectly normal for a ghost to be transparent," the captain replied, petulantly.

"You are the most stubborn man I've ever met," she sighed.

"Believe me, the feeling is more than mutual," he retorted.

Carolyn took a calming breath before looking away and out of the window. She pursed her lip for a moment before she spoke again.

"You're not going to tell me anything, are you?" she asked.

"There is nothing to 'tell'," he replied.

She gave an unsurprised nod and then turned to leave. She walked back towards the door but stopped when he called out after her.

"Wait," he said. She didn't turn around to face him and said nothing. "Is it not sufficient for me to say that I am in no danger? Neither are you nor any one else residing in this house."

"It's not me I'm worried about," she said, quietly.

"Won't you turn around?" he asked.

"I'm going to let the children know that I found you. They were worried," Carolyn told him, not answering his question.

"Carolyn…" he began to say but she was already walking across the room towards the open door.

Before she could walk through it, the door swung shut by itself and she gave an exasperated sigh.

"What?" she asked, a little irritated. He'd made it perfectly clear that there was nothing more to say and now he was the one trying to prevent her from leaving.

"Don't leave angry at me, my dear," he said.

"I'm not angry. I asked you what was wrong and you won't tell me, so that's that," Carolyn shrugged. "And now I need to talk to the children to stop them from worrying any more than they already have. So, will you open the door please?"

"A moment," the captain said, and moved across the room to stand beside her. "I cannot stand to see you distressed," he remarked, with a frown.

"Then don't look," she couldn't help but snap. "Disappear again, and it won't bother you," she added.

"Now that really was beneath you," he said.

"I have to go," she said, quickly, looking away from him. "I have to get some work done…" she said and tried to wrench open the door, but it wouldn't budge. "Open the door," she demanded.

"Carolyn…"

"Daniel, I can't stay in here all day. I really do have other things to do today. I have other things to worry about besides you," she said. "I have to get this chapter finished for the book…I need to post the draft we have so far…There's more bills downstairs that just arrived and I can't possibly pay them all. The children need money for a school trip and the car needs fixing and…And you asked me to call you 'Daniel'," she said, staring at him. "You danced with me and showed me your ship when you've always said you'd never allow a woman on board. And I thought…" she stopped.

"Yes?" he asked, gently.

"I knew it wasn't going to be easy," she stated. "And I knew that it probably wasn't sensible for us to even acknowledge anything between us but I can't keep lying to myself. But I didn't kiss you on a whim, even if it was in a dream or whatever you call it, it was still real. And even if it wasn't, I'm not that kind of woman," she said.

"I know," the captain said, moved by her agitated confession.

"But you keep disappearing, so I don't know what to think. I don't know if you're in some kind of trouble or something terrible is happening to you…or if you're having second thoughts and trying to let me down gently, and if that's the case then I'd prefer that you be honest," Carolyn told him.

"I travelled the globe a hundred times over searching for a woman like you. It took my death and hundred years of solitude to find you. I would sooner suffer at the hands of the devil himself before I would simply cast you aside," he assured her, genuinely. "Please never doubt that."

"Then why do you keep disappearing?" she practically begged him for an answer.

"A spirit can get into a fair amount of trouble for…attempting to become attached or involved with the living," he said, lightly tugging at his ear.

It wasn't exactly a total lie. His spectral peers did indeed know that he had formed an attachment to Carolyn and that he cared for her very deeply. But that was as far as it went. They were intrigued, yes, certainly very curious, but he wasn't in any trouble. But Carolyn didn't know that, did she?

"What kind of trouble? What do you mean?" she asked, quickly.

"Nothing that I cannot handle and nothing that will cause you any disruption," he assured her, smoothly.

"So…that's where you've been? With…other ghosts? Because we…we're…" she trailed off.

"Yes," Daniel inclined his head, internally cursing his own secretive plan when he saw her concerned expression.

"Well, what do they want? What if…"

"Carolyn, dear lady, please do not worry," he said, stepping close to her, close enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with her. "I am more than capable of handling those blaggards and it is no business of theirs where or whom I choose to haunt," he said.

"I didn't realise anything like this would get you into trouble," she sighed.

"Don't think on it for a moment longer, they are hardly worthy of your consideration. It will cease eventually, until then, we simply endure it as best we can. They will loose interest. It's simply quite dull being a spirit and they like to poke their overly long noses into other peoples' affairs to pass the time."

"You make them sound like little old ladies watching their neighbours through the windows," she gave a quiet scoff.

"Yes, that is exactly it," he smiled.

"So, that's it then? You're sure that's all it is?" Carolyn asked, not quite convinced.

"Yes, and now that you have weaselled the truth from me with your feline wiles, might we please return to normality," Daniel said.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" she asked, quietly.

"I had no wish to worry you. Heavens knows this is hardly conventional and did not wish to give you any further difficulties. Perhaps also, my own selfishness was to blame. I searched for a lifetime to find the one woman with whom I could share my existence and now that I have found you, I had no wish to loose you because of my peers," he said.

Pondering that for a moment, Carolyn supposed that it made senses she knew nothing of how the other ghosts functioned collectively as she could only take him at his word.

"Hmmm," she hummed and looked at him. "Well, alright then. But you should know, ghosts don't frighten me, so even if you had told me before, I wouldn't have changed my mind," she told him.

"Yes," he grinned. "You certainly have more spirit than most of my peers," he said, dryly and she rolled her eyes. "So, am I forgiven?" he asked with a small smile.

"Ask me again, tomorrow, and we'll see," Carolyn said. "Now, will you please open the door so I can tell the children you've not abandoned ship?" she asked.

He stood aside, dramatically and waved a hand at the door, making it swing open on silent hinges.

"Thank you," Carolyn gave him a satisfied smile.

"Will you join me here tonight, for a glass of Madeira?" he asked her before she could leave.

"I'd like that," she said.

"7'o'clock, not a moment later," he held up his index finger.

"7'o'clock," Carolyn agreed and gave him a fond smile before she finally left the attic.

When she was gone, he let out an exasperated sigh.

"Oh…blast me for a liar," he hissed and looked up the rafters above his head.