Chapter 10

A few days later, Carolyn finished the work she had committed to do and she and the Captain had begun to plan out the first few chapters of the book that very day.

It was now a calm, cool evening and the captain and Carolyn were standing on the balcony, looking out at the sea.

"Here, madam, is to a job well done," the captain held up a glass of madeira for Carolyn to clink her own glass against it.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"I do believe we've made rather fine progress," he remarked.

"We've only just started," Carolyn replied, "There's a long way to go yet. And we're going to change the title."

"Why are you so fixated upon the title?"

"Blood and Swash?" she raised an eyebrow, smiling.

"Rather accurate, don't you think?"

"We'll work on it," Carolyn rolled her eyes.

"I concede nothing," he said, petulantly.

"Of course not," she pursed her lip, trying not to smirk.

Before they could say anything else, they heard a car approaching and soon, they recognised Claymore's antique convertible drawing up to the house.

"Blast. A perfect evening ruined, I'll keelhaul the blaggard!" the captain rumbled and thunder struck in the sky

"Now, don't be hasty, maybe he's got a good reason..."

"I doubt that very much."

"He's really not all that bad, you know. He's been making an effort lately and I really think..."

"Huh," the ghost scoffed.

"Coming?" she asked, walking off to meet Claymore downstairs.

"Claymore, what a nice surprise," she smiled at him as she came down the stairs.

"Yes, delightful," the captain grumbled, appearing at the foot of the stairs with his arms crossed.

"Argh!" he yelled and stumbled backwards when the captains appearance startled him, as usual. "H…hello…Mrs. Muir," Claymore said when he'd recovered enough to speak, "Err...hello, uncle Daniel," he added, timidly.

"I've told you never to call me..." the ghost growled.

"Look err...the thing is...I don't care," he replied, "There, I said it. Hah!"

"Why you miserable..."

"Well, that's what you are. You're my great, great uncle and I'm your great, great nephew and there's nothing either of us can do about it," Claymore said. "I am a Gregg," he added.

"Well said," Carolyn smiled, encouragingly at him but the captain glared at her.

"I've been working myself up to this all week and I...I brought you your stuff back," the man declared, wringing his hands together. "It's all in my car out there, well everything I could lift. There's a few boxes bigger than me in the cellar, I think my dad hid them there."

"What on earth..." Carolyn furrowed her brow.

"I've had enough okay, I can't take it anymore," Claymore shook his head, staring at the ghost.

Apparently even Claymore had a limit. Last week he and the captain had been arguing over an antique lamp that Claymore wanted but the captain claimed that it was still his. The ghost had levitated Claymore out of the house, through the roof of his car and down the lane. None of that was a new occurrence by any means but Claymore had clearly reached the limit of his fear and his patience.

"Can't take what, you spineless..."

"That!" Claymore yelled and pointed at him. "All my life you've made it clear that you hate me and I'm tired of it," the man said, nervously fidgeting.

"Maybe we should sit down," Carolyn suggested and she ushered them both through into the living room. "Would you mind?" she looked expectedly at the captain and then at the fireplace. The ghost pointed at the grate and it lit itself instantly.

"Maybe if you weren't such a cowardly, lily livered..." Daniel began angrily and a roar of thunder shook the house.

"I'm not brave!" Claymore yelled back. "I never was and I never will be! I'm probably going to faint when this is all over and I can already feel a migraine coming on. But I've had enough, you hear me! You're my only living err...well, you're the only relative still around..."

"No self respecting Gregg would willingly admit to cowardice!"

"What's the point in even trying not to be?! No matter what I do, it's never enough. People here think you're some kind of King Arthur...legendary figure and I'm supposed to live up to that?! Oh, Claymore, your uncle was the strongest man in New England? Oh, Claymore, your uncle sailed all round the world before he was 30, why haven't you? Captain Gregg this, Captain Gregg that...it drives me crazy!"

"Well...I suppose I am rather a difficult figure to live up to," Daniel preened.

"Huh," Claymore sorted and shook his head. He sat down and stared into the fire burning in the grate. "I never asked to be a Gregg, y'know," he muttered, "And I never wanted a haunted house either. But we're both stuck with each other, like it or not. I'm...trying to be better. But you don't help when you keep yelling at me!"

"He's got a point, Daniel," Carolyn said and the fact that she used his name wasn't lost on Claymore but he wisely chose not to comment.

"Blast, not you too," he lamented.

"Well, he is your family. And our friend," she replied. "And he did bring you your things back," she added.

"After having taken them in the first place."

"Most of that was my dad, not me...okay, I took some but...but so did he!"

"That's as may be, but you chose to keep it."

"Legally, it's mine!"

"Blast legalities, I am still here!" the thunder roared and the lighting flashed outside the windows again.

Claymore jumped in his seat and shuddered, staring at the angry ghost.

"Daniel," Carolyn rolled her eyes. She turned back to Claymore and put a hand over his shaking one. "You said you're not brave, Claymore, but coming here took a lot of courage," she told him.

"T...t...thanks..." he stammered.

"Bravery!" Daniel scoffed. "Bravery is sailing amidst a hurricane. Bravery is fighting in a battle knowing that it could be your last day," the ghost replied, haughtily.

"Maybe so," she said. "But Claymore is terrified of you but he's still here trying to make things right. Don't you think you should at least try and..."

"Blast," the ghost turned away from them. He sighed and after a moment, he spoke again. "I don't...hate you, blast it all," the ghost remarked.

"Huh?" Claymore blinked, confused.

"Don't make me say it again, you..." he stopped himself. "I dislike you for your greed and your attitude but...I don't...hate you," he grumbled.

"Y'don't?" Claymore asked, stunned, "Could've fooled me."

"I worked blasted hard at this town and my career. A life at sea demands sacrifices and lord knows I made my share. I worked hard all my life to get where I was and I've a right to be proud of it. Every office I held and every promotion I ever received was earned, not bought. But you...you bribed your way into every office and respected aspect of this community and yet you take no pride in the work. You frustrate me that all you care about is your bank balance when there are so many, far more important things. You have an opportunity to be someone great and it doesn't seem to interest you at all. I despise the fact that you have so many opportunities to better both yourself and this town and you simply don't care to do so."

"What if I don't wanna be someone great? That's not why I have to be on the town council or a justice of the peace or the fire chief or any of it. I have to do all that stuff and not 'cause I wanna be 'great' or for the tax forms. Although it does help with those. I have to do it all because if I don't, I always get compared to you! Some of us just want a quiet life at home with the occasional holiday but oh no, what do I get? A haunted spook shack and a spook with a shadow about a hundred miles high that I can never live up to!" Claymore exclaimed, breathing heavily.

"I had no idea you felt like that," Carolyn said, sympathetically.

"Yeah...well, I do," he replied.

"I have tried, Claymore, truly, to make you see the error of your ways. Your greed does you no good. It does your honourable family name an injustice and yourself a disservice. Does it aid this town? No. Does it benefit you or your happiness in any way? No."

"I know...that why I...brought you all your stuff back..."

"You and your spineless father never should have stolen my property in the first place."

"I know," Claymore said through clenched teeth. "And I'm...sorry...uncle. I brought it all back...even though most of it is pretty valuable and...well, it's all here. I even bought back all the stuff I could find that I'd sold...all of it...with money...and it cost a fortune. But I did."

"Claymore," Carolyn said, stunned.

She and the others had to admit that the man hadn't been quite so bad, especially after the 'almost' wedding. He'd been slightly more understanding and generous, well for him at any rate. Carolyn knew that when he came round to join them for an evening meal it wasn't simply because he wanted to scrounge a free dinner, it was because Claymore genuinely liked them and wanted to spend time with them but it was easier to use money as an excuse than to say otherwise.

"I even bought all the old family records I could find. I figure if you're gonna write this book for real, they'd come in useful," Claymore told Carolyn. "I err...figure I could err...help," he added.

"And partake in the royalties, no doubt," the ghost scoffed.

"That's very kind of you, thank you, Claymore. I'd love for you to help," Carolyn said and the man beamed happily at her.

"Oh, by the powers," Daniel threw up his arms in frustration.

"Look, I'm not saying I'm going to run off to battle or anything, but I'm trying, okay?" Claymore said, "Can't we just call it a truce? I'm waving a white flag here."

"I think you should give him a chance," Carolyn told him.

"Yes, well you would," he mumbled.

"I know, I'm a hopeless, sentimental female," she said, dryly.

"Aye, indeed you are," the captain nodded and they shared a silent, fond glance.

It didn't go unnoticed by Claymore, nervous as he was, he hadn't missed the fact that she had called him 'Daniel' more than once, and a man would have to be blind not to notice such a look. It hadn't exactly been an expression that had been directed at him before, but contrary to popular belief, Claymore Gregg wasn't quite stupid or totally blind.

"But he is your family," Carolyn said to the captain, breaking the silence. "Just the same as this family is. And it's the right thing to do," she finished.

"Oh, blast," he grumbled. He grimaced and turned, leaning his arm on the mantle of the fireplace and staring into the burning embers for a moment. "Fine," he growled.

"Wh...really?" Claymore blinked.

"Yes, really, you...gah," the ghost scrubbed his hand through his hair.

"Thanks, uncle, you won't regret it, I swear," he said, excitedly.

"See that I don't," the captain spun around quickly and gave Claymore a piercing glare.

"You won't, scout's honour," Claymore leapt up from the sofa. "I'll even bring in all the stuff out the car, just you watch," he ran out.

"Carolyn, how exactly did you coerce me into this?" the ghost sighed.

"I didn't 'coerce' you into anything."

"Oh, females," he bemoaned.

"You know it's the right thing to do," she repeated, patiently ignoring his comment.

"Gah," he grumbled.

"I know you don't hate him," Carolyn said, walking over to him. "I know he annoys you sometimes...okay, a lot of the time," she corrected when he scowled, "But he's family."

"Aye, but...he's a dreadful nuisance."

"So...you're admitting that he is your family," she said and he glared at her, unimpressed.

She smiled and held up her hands in mock surrender. "White flag?" she said, fluttering her eyelids.

"Lord, save me from women and their wiles," the captain sighed.

"My wiles had nothing to do with this," Carolyn scoffed. "You're a good man and so is Claymore...most of the time," she grinned.

"I'll remember that you said that, my dear, when he demands the rights to all of the royalties for our book."

"I suppose I'd better go and help him," she said.

"You'll do no such thing, this is his 'white flag,' and it should be fully earned."

"If he puts his back out, we could end up having him here for another week. You remember how much fun you had last time?"

"Ah," the captain rubbed his beard. "Indeed, I do. But it is not suitable work for a lady," he said, vanishing.

Carolyn went to prop open the front door and heard Claymore practically squeak in shock when the captain appeared right next to him. "Stand aside...nephew," the ghost said.

"Hey, you called me..." Claymore exclaimed but thunder rumbling in the distance stopped him. "Okay, okay," he muttered, sheepishly.

The bags and boxes all squashed into the car suddenly vanished and then reappeared neatly stacked in the foyer. "Handy," Claymore noted.

"Be warned, Claymore," the captain turned to him with stormy eyes. "If you renege on this uncharacteristic act of decency, I'll wreak such havoc on you that would make Lucifer himself appear to be a saint," he said, with a face like thunder.

"Mhhhaaaa-ooooo," Claymore shuddered and put a shaking hand over his mouth. "Oh…I w…I won't…I mean I…I…"

"You quivering mass of jelly! Speak!" the captain commanded.

"Y…yes…yes, sir," Claymore saluted. "Speak…speak…what…what was I saying I…oh, dear…" he stammered.

"That you've turned over a new leaf," Carolyn supplied.

"Yes! That!" he exclaimed. "Well, I'm trying…and it's costing me a fortune and…I mean, I'm trying! Honest!"

"I am not so easily convinced as sentimental females," Daniel said, and Carolyn simply smiled at him. "You've a long and difficult task ahead of you," he said.

"R…right…" Claymore blanched.

"Now, weigh your anchor before I change my mind," the captain said, tilting his head towards the door.

"Uh-huh…sure thing…" Claymore nodded quickly and then stumbled towards the door. He just about remembered to close it behind him as he ran down to his car.

"I've a feeling that this is going to be far more trouble than it's worth," the captain sighed.

"We can give him a chance at least, can't we?"

"A little late to be asking me now, isn't it? After you've already twisted my arm into giving him this blasted chance in the first place," the captain grumbled.

"Well, when it all goes pear shaped, you can have the last laugh when you get to gloat about it and say that you were right all along," she replied. "And that my female sentimentality is useless after all," she added with a smirk.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," he said, his eyes meeting hers for a moment of sincerity. It only last for a second or so before he gave a small skirt of his own. "Though, I shall keep it in mind once my victory becomes apparent, that you have forfeited all rights to complain," he added, playfully.

"I'm sure you will," Carolyn said, dryly.