After leaving Marjorie to deal with Ralph, Daniel and Carolyn were walking down the hall when he stopped her.

"My love, are you all right?"

"Yes. I'm fine," she replied wearily, slipping into his embrace. "I do want to check on Candy and Jonathan before we go downstairs, though. I can only hope they slept through that sideshow their grandfather just put on. I don't know what we'll say to them if they heard him."

"I'm sure they didn't hear anything that drunken fool said and are still sound asleep," he said, holding her close.

"I hope so."

By her tone, he was concerned the events of the evening had upset her more than she was admitting.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes," she smiled to assure him. "Thanks in large part to you, and the move up here, that difficult period of my life is behind me. Ralph's ramblings just filled in some gaps of what I'd already learned. All I want to do now is move forward. The best part of that time is still with me, in Candy and Jonathan, and now that you and I have found each other, I believe the best is yet to come for all of us . . . the children, me, and you," she smiled. "Daniel, I'm not naïve enough to think the future will be nothing but smooth sailing for us, but I do know you are the man we can trust with our future."

"My love, I will spend the rest of my life providing you and the children with everything you'll ever want or need."

"Daniel, all we really want and need . . . is you. There's nothing and no one we could value more."

He smiled and kissed her softly. The gaze they shared as their lips parted, confirmed their commitment to one another, and the life they would one day share.

They resumed their walk down the hall with their arms around each other. When they opened the door to the nursery, Scruffy glanced up from his bed, thumped his tail at their unexpected visit, and received a gentle pat on the head.

Carolyn looked toward the children, and it seemed they were both sound asleep. Daniel lit the candle, to help her see, but stayed by the door while she assured herself Ralph's drunken boastings hadn't awakened them. Straightening their covers and kissing Candy and Jonathan again, she noted their soft, even breathing and was satisfied they'd slept through it all. Before leaving, she blew out the candle, gave Daniel a soft kiss in the dark, and they quietly slipped out.

Coming down the stairs, they heard the unmistakable sound of dishes clacking together, coming from the kitchen, and found Martha busy washing the cups and saucers.

"What are you still doing up? I thought you'd gone to bed?" Carolyn asked quietly.

"We told you we'd take care of those for you," Daniel added.

"I couldn't sleep," she replied, glancing around at them.

Noticing she hadn't changed into her night clothes, the captain raised a doubtful eyebrow. Realizing she'd been found out, Martha chuckled softly.

"Well, it did get a little loud out there," she admitted, glancing toward the stairs. Then, meeting Carolyn's eyes, she asked seriously, "Are you all right, dear? Your father-in-law's . . . condition . . . certainly loosen his tongue, and he said some terrible things. If he'd have gone on, there's no telling what else he might have ended up telling you. It was quite a show."

"I'm fine, Martha. He didn't say anything that surprised me . . . he was more vulgar than I would have liked . . . but he didn't say anything too unexpected. He just clarified a few things I'd always wondered about."

"And you, Captain?"

"And me, what?"

"Why didn't you flatten him when you had the chance?"

"Martha, I would have enjoyed doing just that," he stated. Then, looking at Carolyn he added, "But cooler heads prevailed."

"I heard," she said and then, with her hands on her hips, she addressed her friend. "Mrs. Muir, you really should have let the captain defend your honor. That man, and his son, deserved a good whipping!"

"Thank you, Martha," Daniel said pulling down his cuffs, feeling he'd been vindicated.

"I couldn't let the captain beat up the children's grandfather, now could I? How would we explain that in the morning?"

"He certainly deserved it!" Daniel and Martha said in unison.

"Shhh!" Carolyn reminded them quietly, with a look toward the second floor. Walking to the sink, she picked up a dish towel and began drying the cups and saucers on the drain board.

"Just how much of my Madeira did he drink?" Daniel asked. "The way he was acting, you'd have thought he drank a whole bottle by himself."

"He did . . . or at least what was in the decanter," Carolyn said, indicating the empty container on the counter.

"It was full when I took it into the living room after dinner," Martha added apologetically.

"Carolyn, you and Mrs. Muir didn't have any?!"

"Not a drop. After he poured his drink, and took the first sip, it never occurred to him that Marjorie and I might like some too. He just kept refilling his glass until the decanter was empty."

"Such a gentleman," Martha commented sarcastically. "You know, when we lived in Philadelphia, I wasn't impressed with either one of them, but, after spending last night and today with them both, I feel sorry for Mrs. Muir. Her husband is no prize."

"No, he's not, and I have a feeling the rest of their visit could get very uncomfortable for Ralph and, as a result, everyone else. From the look on her face, this may be the first Marjorie knew anything about the kind of a man Robert grew up to be. Depending on how much she heard, she may know that Ralph was proud of how his son lived his life and helped him cover up the consequences of his abhorrent behavior. It's possible he's been deceiving Marjorie most of their marriage, or before. If that's the case, his son did a wonderful job of following in his footsteps."

"Surely, she already knew the kind of man her husband is?" Martha asked. "Although, he's proved himself to be much worse than even I thought he was."

"I used to think they were two peas in a pod, but I'm beginning to see things differently, after what we've experienced this visit. I can't imagine why she ever married him . . . he treats her horribly. The only thing I can think of is he fooled her the same way Robert fooled me," Carolyn speculated.

"I suppose that could explain it. Even the most desperate woman would hesitate to get involved with a man who behaves the way he does. I can't imagine her accepting his proposal if she really knew the type of person he was."

"Unfortunately, there are too many men in the world like Ralph and Robert Muir . . . and women too," Daniel added. "They'll say and do anything they can to obtain money, power, or status and don't care who they use to get what they want."

Carolyn agreed and gazed lovingly at him, knowing she would never have to worry about her Daniel being less than the honorable man he was. While thinking of him and the other admirable men she knew, she was reminded of the long-ago friendship between Marjorie and Colm that had been discovered earlier. Deciding she'd had enough of Ralph Muir for one day, she intentionally nudged the conversation in different direction.

"Daniel, we haven't had a chance to tell you, but Candy took her grandmother on a tour of Schooner Bay today. When they were walking through the park, they ran into someone Marjorie knew years ago in Philadelphia."

"Really? Is it someone we know?"

"I'd say it's someone you know very well," Martha told him, interested to see his reaction to the news.

"Who?"

"Colm!"

Daniel was as surprised as everyone else had been.

"But . . . How?"

"Do you remember telling me about his engagement ending so tragically? It turns out, his fiancée was Marjorie's older sister, Abbie. I didn't even know she had a sister and, from the way she talked about Colm, I'd say she had been very fond of him. I wish you could have seen her face when she was telling Candy and me about him. She was only eleven or twelve when her sister and Colm became engaged, and it seems he made quite an impression on her. He was at sea when Abbie died during an influenza outbreak, and the family never saw him again. She hadn't seen him in all this time."

"That doesn't sound like Colm," Daniel replied. "When he finally returned to Philadelphia, he would have called on the family to pay his respects."

"I don't think he had a choice. I got the impression her father didn't approve of his oldest daughter's fiancé. Marjorie explained that he was not pleased that Abbie was engaged to a 'sailor.'"

"That's a shame but, unfortunately, not uncommon in some social circles. James had the same problem with Marguerite's parents, but they eventually changed their mind and gave their blessing."

"Daniel, I got the impression Marjorie would have enjoyed spending more time with Colm, so they could catch up. I wish we could give her that opportunity."

"Why don't you invite him to Sunday dinner?" Martha asked. "We already have Claymore coming; what's one more?"

"Claymore is coming to dinner tomorrow?!"

"Yes. I'm sorry, Daniel. I had to use it as a bribe so he would let me off early yesterday. Ralph and Marjorie's train arrived at four, and I didn't want to just leave them there, waiting for an hour and a half."

"The miserable skinflint . . . and the drunken sea slug too?! What a fun afternoon we're going to have with that blasted pair!" he said in disgust.

Carolyn and Martha couldn't help but laugh.

"But at least we'll have you to balance out the two of them, my darling," Carolyn teased with a smile.

His expression softened immediately; she could tease him all she wanted when she looked at him like that and called him 'darling.'

Martha, picking up on the change between the couple, coughed discreetly.

"I think I'll go to bed now. Captain, you will be leaving soon, won't you?"

"Unfortunately, yes. We wouldn't want to give that foul-minded sea slug any ammunition to malign Carolyn's good name."

"Daniel, you don't think he'd try anything like that, do you?"

"That arrogant sot may have been drunk, but he not only admitted to forcing his son to marry you, with the goal of improving his business through your father's connections, he bragged about it! And when his pride and joy was literally caught with his pants down, he demanded 'his Bobby' convince you to elope before you and your parents found out what a reprobate the boy truly was."

Carolyn noted the way he said her late husband's name, and it left no doubt of the contempt he had for both Robert and his father.

"My love, I don't trust Ralph Muir, and I don't want you to either."

"You don't have to worry about that; I don't trust him," she sighed. "And I haven't for a very long time."

Martha walked around the counter and affectionately touched Carolyn's arm.

"Goodnight, you two. You can let me know how many to expect for dinner, in the morning; or better yet, I'll just plan for extras. If we have any food left over, it won't go to waste. We can send some of it home with Claymore," she reasoned. "Oh, and just so you know, I've already checked the house. All you'll have to do is lock the door when the captain leaves."

"Thank you, Martha. Goodnight," they called to her as she left the room.

XXXXX

The couple finished putting the dishes away and then made their way to the living room. Settling on the couch together, Daniel's arm automatically went around Carolyn, and she snuggled against him; her head resting on his shoulder

"How much longer will your in-laws be here?" he asked.

"They haven't said, but I can't see them staying much past tomorrow. The children will be going to school Monday, I have to go to work, and I've already said "no" to his 'gilt-edged proposal.' If they stay longer than that, it would be very awkward; especially after Ralph's behavior since his arrival, not to mention tonight's performance."

"I had originally hoped they would want to talk tonight, if for no other reason, to change your mind about turning down his 'proposal.' I would have liked to get it out of the way, but that certainly wasn't going to happen."

"No, it wasn't. Maybe tomorrow, although, I don't know that it will be an easy conversation. I can't see him accepting my decision without putting up a fight . . . An ugly fight."

"Don't you worry about him, my love. One way or another, we'll send Ralph Muir on his way. How he leaves will be entirely up to him," Daniel said, kissing her hair while his hand caressed her arm. "If we are going to speak to them tomorrow, we're going to have to monitor his drinking. I want him to have a clear head when we talk. We don't want a repeat of tonight, nor do I want him guzzling anymore of my Madeira!"

"I just worry what he might do to get his way. As we already know, he'll go to any lengths he deems necessary to get what he wants. It sounds like he thinks it's a foregone conclusion that we'll move back, and he's started making plans. He told me he's already enrolled Jonathan in Dexter Academy . . . the boarding school they sent Robert to . . . and that he's been accepted. He also thinks it would be a good idea to send Candy to Miss Porter's school, to make her more suitable for the lifestyle she would be living," she added in disgust.

"When he was making his case to send them away, he was practically giddy when he told me about it. In his eagerness, he slipped and told me we should think of the 'contacts' the children would make. He quickly corrected himself and changed it to the 'friends' they would make, but his objective was painfully clear."

"Well, that certainly clears that up. I was wondering, if he is so determined to have you and the children return to Philadelphia, why he would want to send them both off to boarding school," Daniel replied. "Although, I'm not surprised he wants to use the children, and probably you too, to expand his business contacts. My love, whether that's his plan, or he has something else in mind . . . he won't succeed. Everything is going to work out fine; we'll see to it. As you said earlier, 'How can the result be anything else when we work together?'" he said holding her close.

"You know, I've never understood the whole idea of sending children away to school," she said. "I want Candy and Jonathan raised in a loving, family atmosphere, not some cold institution where they're just another student. A boarding school, even with the best reputation, can't provide the security and comfort that being surrounded by those who love you can.

"I can't imagine only seeing them on school breaks. I want to be with them every day. I look forward to sharing meals with them . . . hearing about their day . . . learning about their friends . . . finding out what makes them happy . . . or what might be bothering them. I want to put them to bed every night and know they are safe and warm. Basically, I want to know my children, and I want them to know me, so they never doubt that I will always be there for them. They learned early on they couldn't rely on their father.

"You're a wonderful mother, my dear, and Candy and Jonathan know how lucky they are to have you."

"And we're blessed to have you. Daniel, I know I've said this before, but I can't say it enough. Since we've known you, you have been more of a father to Candy and Jonathan than Robert ever was. You're the father we all wish they'd had from the beginning," she said, snuggling closer.

"From the moment Jonathan saw you at the Seafarer Games, you became his hero . . . a man he could look up to. You're everything a boy could want . . . and a girl too. They both see in you what they never saw in their father; a man who respects women and doesn't hesitate to show how much he cherishes those he loves. I was so afraid they would grow up thinking all men were as cold and uncaring as Robert. They've always had my dad and some of my cousins to look up to, but they aren't the constant in their lives that you are. I can't tell you what a relief it is now that they have you."

"You all have me . . . forever and always. My love, you already know how important you and the children are to me. All of you, including Martha, are the family I prayed I would have one day but had given up hope of finding. Now, I can't remember what my life was like before we met and don't want to imagine a future without all of you. You are my world, and I will cherish you for eternity," he said, kissing the top of her head.

After having revisited her difficult past because of her father-in-law's presence and drunken ramblings and knowing how fortunate she and the children were now, Carolyn's emotions got the better of her.

Hearing a discreet sniff, Daniel looked down to see a tear rolling down her cheek. Without a word, he gently placed his hand on her chin. Beginning slowly, he kissed the tears away, and then turned her tears into giggles by peppering her beautiful face with more kisses. When he stopped, their smiling eyes met, and they rested their foreheads together. The contentment of just being together, even if they did have to be on their best behavior, made everything right with the world. After a few moments, they shared a soft, warm kiss, and held each other and continued to talk.

"Other than dinner, what are the plans for tomorrow?" he asked.

"I thought we'd go to services in the morning; we usually do," Carolyn replied, thinking it an odd question. "I thought we had a standing date for church when you're home?"

"Of course, we do, but how will you get everyone to town?"

Looking up at him, her eyes opened wide as she realized they'd never all fit in the jaunting cart.

"Oh, Daniel; I hadn't thought of that."

"No need to worry; I'll get a carriage from the livery and bring it up to the house," he said, quick with a solution. "I suppose we won't know if Ralph will be joining us until morning."

"I think that's a safe assumption."

"If he's awake in time to join us, he has better recuperative powers than I would expect him to have," he said. "You'd think, at his age, he would have learned to hold his liquor better. Based on his behavior tonight, it will be interesting to see how much he remembers about it when he does wake up."

"He really did have a lot to drink this evening. I think he had three glasses of wine at dinner before he started in on the Madeira."

"Please tell me the wine was something cheap you picked up at the Inn."

"I'm sorry, Daniel; we brought it up from the basement."

The look on his face almost made her chuckle.

"How many bottles?"

"Martha brought up two, but she didn't have any, and Marjorie and I only had a half a glass each, so we only opened the one."

"Thank goodness for that. I'll have to see what I can come up with before tomorrow. I'll not have that lush drinking our good wine and liquor like it's water."

"Yes, dear," she chuckled.

"Madam, are you laughing at me?"

"Yes, dear," she laughed harder.

"Why you . . ." In an instant, his mouth met hers and the laughter stopped as they reveled in being together again, touching and drinking each other in, and quenching their desire as best they could. When Daniel broke the kiss, their eyes were smiling, and he gently tapped her chin with his index finger. "I suppose, I'll forgive you this time but, please, don't make a habit of serving our best liquor to the likes of that undeserving sot."

"Yes, Daniel," she replied and kissed him before snuggling close again.

"Now, back to tomorrow. I suppose we'll have to bring Claymore back to the house with us. Unless, of course, you prefer he find his own transportation," he said, stealing another kiss.

She caressed his beard as she smiled at him.

"Can you imagine his reaction to that suggestion?" she chuckled. "I can't really see him spending the money to do that, can you?" she asked.

"No, certainly not that penny-pinching skinflint. Are you sure you're related to him? Perhaps your grandparents found him on a doorstep, or something, and took him in, not realizing what kind of money-grubbing sand shark he'd turn out to be."

She giggled into his chest.

"You don't really mind giving him a ride, do you?" she smiled.

"My love, he is not my favorite person to spend an afternoon with, but, for you, I don't mind bringing him up to the house. However, I do hate having to take him back to town. If I do, I either have to leave early with him, or listen to him whine when I chose to stay later. In either case, you and I never have a chance to be alone."

"I know it would be a bother, but you could come back up to the house."

"Coming back to you is never a bother," he said; his eyes communicating his feelings more than the words. "But I don't think doing so, while you have guests, is a good idea. Your in-laws might find it a bit forward if I showed up late again."

"Oh, that's right," she sighed.

"Were you serious about inviting Colm to join us for dinner?"

"Yes. I think it would be good for both him and Marjorie. I'm hoping to see him at church tomorrow and asking him then."

"That's assuming he'll be there."

"He usually is."

"If that's what you want to do, I'll stop by his boarding house on my way back to the Inn and extend the invitation. He might appreciate having a little notice," he smiled. "You know, he just could be the solution to our transportation problem."

"How would he be the answer to getting Claymore home?"

"My love, Colm could take him back to town in the carriage and return it to the livery, allowing me to stay here with you. I could bring Splash up with me in the morning to ride back to town later."

"That would be the perfect solution but, by the time you get back to town tonight, don't you think it will be too late to call on Colm?"

"Not at all; he's a blasted owl when it comes to staying up late. I've no doubt he'll still be out on the porch, visiting with some of his mates."

"Do you think so? With all the fog?"

"Madam, we are men of the sea. A bit of fog can't keep us from doing what we want to do. Sometimes the atmosphere it creates can even enhance one's pleasure," he said waggling his eyebrows.

"Oh, really?" she smiled as her hand moved up to his neck. "Do tell," she said, pulling him toward her.