When they arrived at the house, Daniel stopped the carriage at the front gate to let everyone out. Claymore was the first one down and managed to trip again, nearly falling flat on his face before the captain grabbed his arm. Reverend Farley stepped out behind him to make sure he was all right. Ralph was next, and assisted Marjorie, but showed his displeasure when Daniel stepped in to help the rest of the family.

"Captain, can we come with you to take care of the horses?" Candy asked.

"Yeah! We could help," Jonathan added.

The seaman looked to their mother, who nodded her agreement. She'd watched the children doing their best, all morning, to be on their best behavior in front of their grandfather, and decided they could use a break.

"Yay!"

Ralph watched the exchange, and it only added to his annoyance toward that 'sailor' and his son's wife. He promptly took Marjorie's elbow and started toward the house.

Daniel helped Martha down, who, after thanking him, hurried ahead, anxious to resume her meal preparations. Carolyn was the last to leave the carriage. When he took her hand, their eyes met, giving each the strength and assurance that they would come through this day together. As she reached the ground, he winked and kissed her hand.

"My dear, we'll join you once we're finished in the barn."

"Thank you, Daniel," she responded. Then more softly said, "I love you."

"I love you too. Everything is going to be fine," he assured her, gently squeezing her hand.

As the carriage moved around the corner, Carolyn followed the others into the house. When the door opened, Scruffy darted out looking for Candy and Jonathan, and when he realized they were in the carriage, he ran through the yard and over the wall to follow them to the barn.

Martha immediately made her way to the kitchen, while the hostess showed their guests into the living room. In typical fashion, the men gathered around the fireplace and, after a few awkward moments, began discussing the news of the day. As the talked, Ralph offered the two men a cigar, which Claymore quickly accepted and Reverend Farley politely refused.

Seeing the look on her daughter-in-law's face as a match was lit, Marjorie spoke up.

"Ralph, if you and Mr. Ebenezer are going to smoke, perhaps you should go out on the porch. It's a lovely day with a nice breeze coming off the water. Besides, not everyone appreciates the smell of a cigar the way you do."

Claymore immediately started for the door with Reverend Farley. Ralph, with a match burning between his fingers, glared at his wife and his daughter-in-law, as if he were going to argue the point. After a slight hesitation, he threw the match in the fireplace in disgust and followed the other men out.

"Thank you," Carolyn said to her mother-in-law. "I don't mind the aroma of pipe tobacco, but some of those cigars . . ."

"You're welcome, dear. I understand and couldn't agree with you more. I do wish you could have seen your face when Ralph lit that match," Marjorie chuckled.

"Mrs. Muir!" Martha called out, causing both women to turn toward her.

Coming into the room, the housekeeper looked at the younger woman.

"Mrs. Muir, can you come into the dining room and help me put the extra leaves in the table? We're definitely going to need them today."

"Of course! That is certainly a two-person job."

"If you don't mind, I'll come with you. I'd like to take another look at that beautiful room," Marjorie said, following them out.

XXXXX

In the dining room, the table had been cleared, and the extra leaves were leaning against the wall. Carolyn and Martha got at opposite ends and attempted to pull the table apart, but it wouldn't budge. After a second try and no movement, the younger Mrs. Muir peered under the table to figure out what was wrong. Standing up quickly, she looked at the other women.

"It's stuck. I think we'd better have Daniel take a look at it. I wouldn't want to damage anything," she said. "Marjorie, would you mind going to the barn to ask Captain Gregg if he could come back to the house?"

"I don't mind at all," she said, happy to help. As she walked toward the door, Carolyn added.

"Don't feel you need to hurry back. As a matter of fact, while you're out there, have Candy and Jonathan show you their favorite spot down by the pond; it's lovely."

Marjorie gave her an odd look as she made her way out.

Turning back to the room, Carolyn noticed the puzzled look on Martha's face. She had been looking beneath the tabletop and moved her hand to fiddle with something before standing up straight again.

"Mrs. Muir, what are you up to? The only thing wrong here is the latches are in the locked position. We don't need the captain to help us with that."

Carolyn said nothing; just waggled her eyebrows and smiled, indicating she was, indeed, up to something. Catching on, Martha chuckled as her friend walked to the opposite side of the table and unfastened the latch.

XXXXX

Daniel and Colm were brushing the horses, working quietly, while Candy and Jonathan gave their full attention to Splash and Bonhomme. Seeing Marjorie come into the barn, the men stopped what they were doing and greeted her with a bow.

"Mrs. Muir," they both said.

"Captain Gregg. Colm."

Candy and Jonathan, not adhering to formality, followed Scruffy over to greet her.

"Hi Grandmother! Did you come down to see the horses?" Candy asked.

"Yeah, come see Bonhomme up close. He's a great horse," Jonathan said, taking her hand and pulling her over to the stall. "The captain is going to teach us to ride him."

"He's teaching us how to drive the cart right now," Candy put in. "Soon, we'll be able to take it into town."

Marjorie allowed the children to lead her to the beautiful horse and, after introductions were made, gently ran her hand down Bonhomme's blaze, as she spoke softly to him. Always appreciating a gentle touch, the horse lowered his head, to give her better access, and enjoyed the attention.

"Oh, before I forget," she said, talking over her shoulder. "Captain, I was sent down here to send you back to the house. Carolyn and Martha are having trouble opening the table to add the extra leaves."

Daniel looked at her, surprised.

"I can't understand what the problem could be," he pondered. "That table was handmade in Boston, especially for that dining room; it normally works flawlessly. I wonder if she forgot . . ." He stopped abruptly, realizing what his lady must be up to. "I'd better go see what I can do to help; it can be tricky. Colm, would you . . .?"

"Aye," he smiled. "I'm almost done with this one. I'll put 'em in the pasture once I finish them both."

"I can do it for you, Captain!" Jonathan volunteered.

"Thank you, lad," he said, handing him the brush. "Once the horses have been taken care of, why don't you both show your grandmother around the back of the property? It's a good day for a walk."

"Yeah!" Candy exclaimed. "Grandmother you haven't seen much more than the house. We can take you down by the pond!"

"Or we could go for a walk on the beach!" Jonathan suggested.

"I would enjoy going to either one of those places with you," Marjorie smiled.

"Maybe we can all go for a walk on the beach after supper," Daniel suggested.

"Yeah, that would be fun!" the children said together.

"Colm, can you escort Mrs. Muir and the children?"

"Aye," he smiled glancing at Margie.

"Thank you. We'll see you up at the house when you finish the tour," Daniel said, hoping this was what Carolyn had in mind.

XXXXX

On the porch, Ralph and Claymore were puffing on their cigars, discussing business – real estate specifically – while Reverend Farley sat quietly and took it all in. Both men were trying to prove the superiority of their business acumen. At times, it seemed each wanted to say more about their practices but, with a glance at the pastor, let their unspoken comments drift away with the cigar smoke.

Changing the subject from business to something that would include the clergyman, Ralph asked Reverend Farley how long he'd been in Schooner Bay.

"My wife and I were assigned here two years ago, this month," he answered. "And you, Mr. Muir, have you always lived in Philadelphia?"

"No, I'm originally from Camden, New Jersey."

"What took you to Philadelphia?"

"Camden is right across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, and, as a very young man, I knew if I was going to make a success of myself, I should be in one of the biggest cities in the country," he said, then added pompously, "And, obviously, I was correct."

Reverend Farley didn't miss the man's arrogance and, ignoring it, turned to Claymore.

"Mr. Ebenezer, as I recall, you moved from Philadelphia to Schooner Bay."

"Yes, that's right."

"Was this your destination when you set out, as Philadelphia was for Mr. Muir?"

"Oh, heavens no. I left Philadelphia to make my fortune and initially set out for Boston."

"Why would you leave a city like Philadelphia?" Ralph Muir asked in disbelief. "Before the turn of the century, it was the biggest city in the country."

"It is a big city, but when you come from a large family, it can seem small and closed in. I wanted to get away and prove myself."

"How long ago did you leave?" Ralph asked, curious about the timeline.

Claymore looked off in the distance, calculating the years.

"I guess it's been about 25 years now."

"So, your sister had already married Brad Williams?"

"Yes. Carolyn was probably three or four when I left."

"Why in the he . . . Why, in heaven's name, would you leave Philadelphia when your sister had married into the Williams family? If you'd have gone to work for your brother-in-law, you could have written you own ticket instead of ending up in a backwoods town like this."

Claymore looked at him, stunned that anyone would question his decision . . . as if it were any of Ralph Muir's business anyway.

Reverend Farley, seeing Mr. Ebenezer's reaction, stepped in.

"Now, Mr. Muir, everyone makes choices based on what they believe is in their best interest."

"That's right. Why didn't you stay in Camden? It's grown to be quite an industrial town in its own right. You could have made a fortune there just as easily as you made it in Philadelphia," Claymore swung back, petulantly.

"You can't honestly be saying that my choice, to make my fortune in a city the size of Philadelphia, compares with your decision to move up here . . . to the middle of nowhere?"

"Now, gentlemen," Reverend Farley said, attempting to calm the waters.

The two men looked at each other tensely, then quickly backed down. Ralph let it go, because he didn't really care why Ebenezer came up here, other than it's where his son's foolish wife moved his grandchildren. Claymore let it go, because he had often wondered if he would have been more successful if he had stayed in Philadelphia.

Without a word, they agreed to change the subject but remained on the porch to enjoy their cigars, and the breeze coming in off the ocean.

XXXXX

At the barn, Marjorie watched as Colm and the children let the horses into the pasture. Scruffy had no interest in being close to that many hooves and sat contently at her feet.

The maze of fencing used to keep the horses contained was interesting, and she still found herself impressed at how adept her grandchildren were at handling the large animals. They seemed to know exactly what to do, and she was sure that had everything to do with Captain Gregg's influence. She didn't recall horses ever being part of their lives at home, except to pull the carriages they may have ridden in. Robert had never shown an interest in horses or any other animal, for that matter.

She sighed as aspects of her son's personality came back to her. He'd been a charming boy, but grew into self-centered man, who rarely considered other people's feelings . . . even hers. He'd also been good at pretending to do what was asked of him. If he did actually do it, he did it because it was a means to an end . . . not that it was the right, or thoughtful, thing to do. With his innate charm, he could usually get his way by appealing to people's vanity and flattering them until they came around. He turned out to be very much like his father in that respect. Although, the more successful Ralph became, the less he used his charm. For a longest time, now, he did whatever he wanted by throwing his weight around, without regard to anyone.

It suddenly occurred to her that she had allowed her son to grow up to be just like his father, and her own father. Carolyn, on the other hand, was doing everything in her power to make sure that didn't happen to Candace, and especially Jonathan. Those two were well-mannered, and as kind and thoughtful as they could be. Although, she had noticed they didn't hesitate to stand up for each other, even to their gruff grandfather. They were very much like their mother in that respect.

She had no doubt the family was in a much better place, here in Schooner Bay, than they had been in Philadelphia. While they had only been gone nine months, it seemed as if it had been much longer and, based on what Reverend Farley said, they were already putting down deep roots in the community. She could see Carolyn was doing a wonderful job helping the children grow up to be fine young people, and she was sure the captain was already having a positive influence on them both . . . no . . . on all three of them.

Focused on her musings, Marjorie was startled when her granddaughter slipped her hand in hers.

"Oh, Candace! You surprised me."

"I'm sorry, Grandmother. I thought you saw me coming."

"It's not your fault, dear, I was lost in thought. It would have taken a stampede to get my attention," she said, smiling at her.

"Grandmother, may I ask you a favor?"

"Of course, Candace. Whatever you want."

"Would you mind calling me Candy?" the young girl asked tentatively. "That's what everyone else calls me; Mom, Jonathan, Martha, my teachers . . . most of the time . . . and my friends."

Marjorie looked at her granddaughter's anxious face and suddenly realized that she and Ralph were probably the only ones who called her 'Candace.' Getting to know her better this trip, she realized her granddaughter was more of a 'Candy' than the stuffy 'Candace' Ralph insisted they call her.

"I don't mind at all, Candy," she smiled. "But I don't know if your grandfather will agree. Candace was his mother's name, you know."

"Well, that's okay if he wants to call me that because of his mother, but I would really like you to call me what everyone else does. Mom, Martha, and my teachers only use 'Candace' if I'm in trouble," she smiled.

"Then, by all means, I shall call you 'Candy,'" Marjorie said, hugging her. "But, if I slip and call you 'Candace,' just remind me. I promise I'll get it right, eventually."

"Okay! Thank you," she said hugging her.

Jonathan came running up just ahead of Colm.

"Are you ready to go, Grandmother?"

"I am! Are you gentlemen ready?"

Jonathan laughed at being called a 'gentleman,' and Colm smiled, resting his hands on the lad's shoulders.

"Great! Let's go," the boy said, taking her hand.

Candy took the other and looked around for the dog. She spotted him sniffing around Bonhomme's stall and called to him, "Come on, Scruffy!"

XXXXX

Daniel came in through the back door to find Martha busy at the stove.

"I understand you need my help with the dining room table," he said, smiling conspiratorially.

One look at his face had her chuckling.

"You two say I don't miss much, but I have to admit the same thing applies to you, Captain. Are the children taking their grandmother to the pond, or the beach?"

"How did you know the choices?"

"Mrs. Muir mentioned the pond when she sent her mother-in-law to the barn to get you."

"And the beach?"

"Was Jonathan there?"

"Of course."

"Then he would want to go to the beach. That boy can't get enough of it, especially now that the weather has finally turned."

"You really don't miss much," Daniel smiled broadly. "They're on their way to the pond. I told the children that we would take a walk on the beach after dinner."

"That will satisfy them both," she agreed.

"So, where is my damsel in distress? Still in the dining room?"

"Yes, she's setting the table."

"And our other guests?"

"They're out on the front porch, smoking Mr. Muir's nasty cigars. I'm glad they didn't light them in the house. It would have taken forever to air things out."

"Ah. I'll remember that," he said, tugging his ear.

"Oh, Captain, I didn't mean your pipe tobacco. That's actually pleasant . . . most of the time . . . but those cigars of Mr. Muir's are quite pungent. I had to shut the front window to keep the smoke from coming in with the breeze."

Not knowing what to say, Daniel made to leave.

"I suppose, I should check on the lady of the house."

She turned toward him with a thoughtful look on her face.

"You know . . . I like the sound of that, coming from you."

"Thank you, Martha. I do too . . . very much," he smiled and left for the dining room.

XXXXX

Candy and Jonathan stayed with their grandmother and Colm, chatting as they walked to the pond. Instead of talking about school or their friends, they told them about their chores, the driving lessons the captain was giving them, and how much they liked living in Schooner Bay . . . Gull Cottage especially. Marjorie listened carefully, knowing this wasn't something Ralph would want to hear. She was going to have to find time to talk to him before he made a fool of himself . . . again. She knew this family wasn't interested in going anywhere.

When the pond was in sight, the children, with Scruffy leading the way, ran ahead to collect good skipping stones, so they could show their grandmother and Colm what they could do.

"Those two can certainly talk," Marjorie said, looking at him.

"Aye, they can."

"They seem very comfortable with you, Colm."

"We're old friends," he smiled.

She looked at him, slightly puzzled.

"We saw a good bit of one another when they lived with their uncle."

"Oh, that's right. I'd forgotten about that. Mr. Ebenezer's house certainly isn't very big, is it? I can't imagine how they managed."

"It was a tight fit, ta be sure, but they made do as best they could. The capt'n's lady is very capable."

"Yes, she is," she replied, her eyes following the children. "Colm, you've known Captain Gregg a long time, haven't you?"

"Since he was a wee lad."

"Really? I assumed you'd met when he became a seaman."

"His father was an old friend, and I met Danny and his mam when Alex brought the family home from Ireland. The capt'n would have been of about five at the time."

"And he sailed with you when he went to sea?"

"Aye. It was a year or two after his pap died. He was thirteen or fourteen when he first sailed, and he took ta it like a duck ta water," he said, opening up, which was something he rarely did with most people. "He was a bright lad, and he's a smart man. Anyone who knows him, or sailed with him, would tell you that, and Danny moved up the ranks fast. He's an excellent seaman, and a natural leader."

When she didn't respond, he looked down at her.

"He's a good man, Margie. Ya don't have a problem with him 'cause he's a seaman, do ya?"

"No, of course not."

"Your husband, then?"

"He hasn't said anything directly, but I'm sure it will come up. He doesn't think anyone is good enough to take our son's place."

"How long's it been?"

"A little over three years," she said quietly.

"I am sorry for your loss."

"Thank you, Colm. How did you get through losing Abbie?"

He was quiet for a few moments; only replying when her eyes met his.

"I don't know that I ever did," he said softly. "And you?"

"Abbie?"

"Both, I suppose," he said quietly.

"Like you, I don't know that I ever will. There are some losses you never do get over," she said holding his gaze. "Father's letter about Abbie passing must have been a shock."

"He'd written to me before, demandin' I break our engagement. I just thought that's what he was writin' about again. When I read the letter, I didn't believe it was true. I thought he was tryin' ta get rid of me with a lie, but when Seamus got a letter from his wife, askin' how I was taking the news, I knew my Abbie was really gone." He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "The truth is . . . it broke my heart."

She stopped walking and gently placed her hand on his arm. After all this time, she could still see the pain of his loss. Not sure how to respond, he patted her hand and started walking again. Marjorie, feeling she'd embarrassed him, let her hand fall to her side.

"We received your letter afterwards, but you never came by."

"I wanted to pay my respects, if not ta your father, ta you and your mother. In his letter, he wrote he never wanted me to darken his door again and said he'd have me arrested if I did."

She wasn't surprised to hear that.

"I did try, though."

Startled, she looked up at him.

"I returned to Philadelphia, later that year, and came around to the house. 'Twas the middle of the day, and I'd hoped he wouldn't be around. I wasn't gonna stay long, I just wanted to give my condolences to you and your mother, but your father answered when I knocked. As soon as he saw me, he got angry and wouldn't let me in. When I tried to reason with him, he shoved me off the doorstep; he wasn't gonna listen to anythin' I had to say. In the middle of our 'discussion,' a policeman happened by. Your father claimed I was trespassin' and demanded he arrest me."

"He had you arrested?!"

"He tried, but the officer was able to calm him down and then walked me away from the house. He did advise me not to come back, though."

"I wish I had been the one to answer the door."

He smiled at her.

"Aye. So do I."

By this time, they were standing near enough to the pond that Candy and Jonathan started showing off their stone-skipping skills. They were both pretty good; Jonathan actually had one skip three times. His excitement was written all over his face when he told them it was his best throw ever.

"Come on, Grandmother; you try!" he called to her.

"Oh . . . I don't know . . ." she hesitated.

"Margie, where's the girl I used to know . . . the one with the constant smile . . . who wouldn't hesitate to try somethin' that looked like it would be fun?" Colm asked.

In his eyes, she saw the young man who had won her sister's heart, and, if she were honest, the first man to have stolen her own young heart.

"All right. I'll give it a try, but you have to come too."

"'Twould be my honor," he said playfully and, without thinking, offered his arm.

Chuckling, she tentatively took it, and they walked to the pond, keeping an eye out for good skipping rocks along the way.

XXXXX

Daniel stepped into the dining room to find the table set but no sign of Carolyn. Assuming she'd gone to another part of the house, he was turning to leave when he heard her unmistakable voice let loose with a curse.

"Blast! Blast! Blast!"

Smiling, he walked quietly around the table to where she was kneeling. Her back was to him, and she was looking at the stack of dishes in the bottom of the china hutch.

"Madam, how many times do I have to tell you that 'blast' is not a lady's word?"

Not having heard him come up behind her, the sound of his voice startled her, and she fell onto her bottom as she turned around. Realizing he'd heard what she said, she placed her hand over her mouth and blushed brighter than he'd ever seen her blush before.

Trying not to let her see him smile, and failing miserably, he cleared his throat before speaking.

"Now, what seems to be the problem?"

"Oh, Daniel!" she said, embarrassed that he'd heard her display of pique.

"My love, I'm sure I can assist with whatever has frustrated you so. What can I do to help?"

"I'm just being silly. I've got to get these large platters out and, of course, there are twenty other things that have to be moved before I can get to them."

He couldn't help himself, and a chuckle slipped out before he could stop it.

"Daniel Gregg, don't you laugh at me," she warned, returning to her knees and attempting to stand.

He offered his hand, but, in another show of pique, she refused his offer but fell into him when she stepped on her hem. His arms went around her, and, as their eyes met, all the frustration and annoyance drained from her. She relaxed against him and started to chuckle. Joining in, he held her close.

"Are you letting the stress of the Muir's visit get to you?"

"I didn't think I was, but I must be."

"Has anything happened since we got home?"

"No, I haven't seen the men since they went out on the porch. I suppose Ralph's crude behavior last night, and his attempt to exclude you in church this morning, bothers me more than I thought," she admitted. "Daniel, I feel like a storm's brewing, and we're going to be right in the middle of it."

"My love, we may be in the eye of the storm, but we will come through it together."

She smiled up at him and received a sweet kiss for her effort.

"I'm so thankful they came for a visit now . . . when you are here with us."

"Carolyn, we already know you can handle your father-in-law. You already have."

"Oh, I know; I just feel more confident with you by my side," she said resting her hands on his chest. "In one respect, it has been less stressful than I expected the visit to be."

Daniel couldn't have been more surprised, and she smiled up at him.

"Marjorie has been an unexpected pleasure. Spending time together like this has given us a chance to get to know each other better. For whatever reason, we never took the time before now."

"After Ralph's performance last night, I'm sure she's had a lot to think about."

"You're right. Things have been very cool between them today," she told him, as her hands made their way up his broad chest and wrapped around his neck. "I hope I haven't added to it by inviting Colm to join us for the day."

"My love, by giving Marjorie and Colm the chance to catch up, you've done a kind and thoughtful thing. Don't let that dour man's attitude cause you any regret. From what I've seen, if something's not annoying him, he'll find something that will, and I'm afraid his behavior is probably nothing new to his poor wife."

"I'm sure your right. Thank you, Daniel," she said, content in his arms. "I love you; you know."

"I do, and, for that, I will be eternally grateful. I love you too," he smiled, kissing her again. "Now, let's forget about Ralph Muir for now and tell me how I can ease your distress with the dishes?" he said, stepping away from her and squatting in front of the cabinet.

Not ready for the moment to end, nor in letting an opportunity pass her by, Carolyn ran her hand gently down the back of his head and her fingers started playing with his curls. Her light touch was like a bolt of lightning hitting him. With a shiver and quick intake of breath, Daniel reached for her hand and, in an instant, pulled her down into his embrace. The position he was in wasn't the best, though, and he lost his balance. With her in his arms, they fell against the hutch. The clatter of dishes was quite loud, but, fortunately, it didn't sound like any had broken.

From her position in his lap, Carolyn took one look at him, resting against the hutch with his arms securely around her, and tried not to chuckle.

"You know . . . when an opportunity presents itself . . . We really should make it worth our while," Daniel said, with mischievous look in his eyes, and began kissing her playfully.

They kissed and laughed, but it wasn't long before the tone changed. His lips brushed against her ear, as he spoke in a low tone.

"Have I told you how lovely you are?"

Carolyn rested her head against his and sighed contently.

"I don't believe you have, at least not today," she said in a seductive voice and kissed him. "Mmm, I could stay like this for the rest of the afternoon."

"My love, I long for the day we can do just that . . . in a more comfortable setting, of course," he smiled, leaning in for a more serious kiss.

Just as their lips met, and before they had time to react, Martha came barging into the room.

"What was that noise? Is everything all right?" she asked. Not seeing anyone, she was confused until she heard movement coming from the other side of the room. Walking around the table, she spied the captain, on the floor, leaning against the china hutch, with Mrs. Muir in his lap. They looked like a couple of kids who had been caught red-handed. With her hands on her hips, she scolded them.

"Mrs. Muir! You have a house full of guests, which include your uncle, your in-laws, and Reverend Farley for goodness sake! What are you thinking?!" Realizing they hadn't been thinking at all, she shook her head and went immediately to her employer. "Come along. Let's make sure you're presentable before someone else comes in," she said, taking her hand.

The couple exchanged a guilty look, and Daniel's hands held her by the waist to keep her steady as Martha helped her up.

"It was an accident," Carolyn tried to explain to her friend, who looked at her doubtfully. "Really!"

"Hmm," Martha said looking at her appearance to make sure nothing was out of place.

The captain got to his feet and took up their defense.

"I can assure you, dear lady, that was not planned."

She didn't respond immediately, just gave him 'the look.' After a few moments of dead silence, she finally spoke.

"Captain, perhaps it would be best if you joined the men on the porch, while Mrs. Muir and I get the serving dishes out."

"No, Martha. I know you have other things to do. Please allow us to do this for you; we will give you no further cause for concern," he replied. "Once we get what you need, I promise you, I will join the men and leave you both to your work." Remembering the group included Claymore and Ralph Muir, he added, "Or . . . perhaps . . . I'll just seek out the good Reverend for a more pleasant conversation."

That brought smiles to both women. While Martha considered his proposal, a cough from the door caused all three of them to turn around.

"Excuse me. Is someone in need of my services?" Reverend Farley asked sticking his head in the room.

Martha smiled broadly.

"Yes, Reverend; your timing is perfect. Captain Gregg was just saying how he was looking forward to joining you in a few minutes," the older woman explained.

"Wonderful! Daniel, we haven't had time to talk since your return," he said; relieved not to have to rejoin the other men, or at least not alone. "Is there anything I can help with in the meantime?"

"The captain and Mrs. Muir were just going to get the serving dishes out. Perhaps you can help him with that while she and I take care of things in the kitchen.

"I'd be happy to."

"Before you go, Martha," Daniel said, giving her his own 'look.' "Can you clarify exactly what pieces you'll be needing?"

"Of course," she said, while he crouched down and took in the neatly stacked china.

"Let me guess; you need the large platters on the bottom of the pile."

"Yes, please, and eight of the serving bowls."

"Blast," he said quietly, causing Carolyn to giggle.

Martha and Reverend Farley were surprised by her response, but no explanation was forthcoming.

"Come along Mrs. Muir. I have a few things I could use your help with . . . in the kitchen," Martha said, taking her elbow. "Thank you for your help Reverend . . . and you too, Captain."

"You're very welcome Mrs. Grant," the Reverend replied, as Daniel watched his lady walk away.

With a heavy sigh, he began pulling things out, handing the requisite bowls to the clergyman and setting the other items on the floor. Putting aside the medium platters, he finally reached the largest ones on the bottom. After handing them up, Daniel returned the unneeded dishes to the hutch while the Reverend took the others over to the table.

"I suppose we should join Mr. Ebenezer and Mr. Muir on the porch?" Reverend Farley said, as the captain joined him. It was definitely more of a question than a statement.

"Why don't we take these dishes into the kitchen and make sure the ladies don't need assistance with anything else, first. I'd hate to leave them shorthanded," the seaman suggested.

The two men smiled at each other.

"Captain, that is an excellent idea."