The Muirs returned to the living room shortly before it was time to go into dinner. Their daughter-in-law discretely watched them, looking for any indication that something was amiss. While not overly exuberant, neither seemed distressed; Marjorie was even smiling as she walked into the room. Ralph was a step or two behind her, and Carolyn wasn't surprised that he didn't have a smile on his face. Thinking about it, she couldn't remember seeing him smile much since Friday. When he and Marjorie first arrived, his pleasure at seeing Jonathan and Candy seemed genuine, at least momentarily. Since then, he'd been nothing but the disagreeable old cuss she knew him to be. Looking at him now, his demeanor seemed different; he didn't look as gruff and foreboding as he had been.
She didn't know what to think. A few minutes earlier, she thought she'd heard his raised voice, but now, she was questioning that impression. She'd gone upstairs to tell them dinner was almost ready and, as she came down the steps toward the nursery, she thought she'd heard Ralph shouting. She couldn't make out what he was saying, only the angry tone. Not wanting to impose, she considered going back downstairs but, in an instant, it grew quiet again. She'd waited a few moments to be sure, then tentatively approached the guest room, and knocked softly. No one opened the door, but Marjorie did respond and sounded perfectly fine.
'Could I have been mistaken?' she wondered.
She glanced at her father-in-law again, and although he wasn't his usual gruff self, he did look out of sorts. Something was definitely off, and she couldn't help wondering if it had to do with Marjorie being with the children . . . and Colm. As Daniel had observed, Ralph never seemed to have trouble finding something to be annoyed or angry about, and she knew all too well that his mood could change in the blink of an eye. It wouldn't have surprised her at all if he were angry about Marjorie spending time with her old friend.
In the midst of Carolyn's musings, Martha appeared at the door.
"Mrs. Muir, Captain Gregg; dinner is served."
"Thank you, Martha," Carolyn replied. Looking around the room, she spoke to her guests, but her gaze rested on her children. "I hope no one minds, but, while we will be eating in the dining room today, the meal will be casual. We'd like you to sit wherever you'd like and just relax and enjoy yourselves."
More than one man in the room sighed in relief, but there was one who rolled his eyes at the lack of decorum. Candy and Jonathan, oblivious to how anyone else felt, smiled happily knowing they weren't going to have to eat in the kitchen, away from everyone else.
Daniel offered his arm to Carolyn, which she happily accepted, and the couple led the way to the dining room.
Ralph, meeting Marjorie's eyes, soften the look on his face, and wondered if she would allow him to escort her. When she smiled and slipped her arm through his, he was satisfied she'd gotten over her little snit and had calmed down. What he didn't notice was that her well-practiced smile didn't reach her eyes.
Colm watched the couple's interaction and wasn't the least bit impressed with Margie's husband. As he watched them leave the room, he saw Martha keeping an eye on them . . . and him. They shared an understanding smile, and he presented his arm to escort her to dinner. Accepting his offer, they fell in step behind the Muirs, the children followed, and Reverend Farley and Claymore brought up the rear.
XXXXX
Upon reaching the dining room, Ralph stopped at the foot of the table to see how the 'free-for-all' was going to work. The lack of formality at dinner, though a minor thing, was enough to set him off again. Not only would he have to put up with the distraction of children during the meal, but Carolyn was not sitting at the head of the table, as etiquette required, she had relinquished her place to that 'captain.'
He watched with annoyance as Daniel held the chair to his right out for her. Then, when the children looked like they were about to start fussing over who would sit on the man's left, a brief look from the seaman brought them both up short. Without hesitation, and manners far beyond his years, Jonathan held the chair out for his sister and calmly, without a word of complaint, took the seat next to her.
While Ralph didn't want to share a meal with the children, he was teetering on the edge of control as they made it perfectly clear who they wanted to spend time with. A look of pure hatred came over him as he watched his son's children interact with a common sailor.
Marjorie was still holding his arm and felt him go tense. Looking up at him, she could see how angry he was, and who it was aimed at; she knew he could blow at any moment. He obviously couldn't be bothered to pay attention to what she'd told him just a few minutes ago. To get his attention and remind him, she intentionally stepped on his foot to break his concentration. The action startled him, and his head whipped around to look at her. She met his angry glare with a furious one of her own and, without a word, let go of his arm. Her words to him came back to him as he watched her purposefully move away from him.
Colm had helped Martha to the seat beside Jonathan and was preparing to sit next to her, when she quietly told him he might find himself sitting next to Mr. Muir if he sat there. Neither thought that was a good idea, so, taking her suggestion, he made his way to the other side of the table with the intention of sitting beside Carolyn. As he walked around Ralph Muir, giving him a wide berth, Margie suddenly stepped in front of him to take a seat away from her husband. Unaware of what had just transpired between the couple, the seaman instinctively held out her chair and received a radiant smile from her for his efforts.
Carolyn had been watching and, although her father-in-law looked somewhat deflated when Marjorie moved away from him, his eyes flashed in anger when Colm stepped in to help her take a seat. She wasn't sure inviting the retired seaman to sit beside Marjorie was a good idea but decided it was preferable to having the two men sit next to one another. She smiled at Colm and invited him to sit next to her, which put him between herself and Marjorie. She was definitely regretting her decision to let everyone sit where they wanted.
Reverend Farley, in his usual quiet manner, had been observing those around him and casually spoke to Mr. Muir to distract him. Placing his hand on the older man's shoulder, he drew him into conversation and, as they talked, invited him to sit down. Ralph took the seat at the end of the table, which was as far away from the captain as possible. The clergyman walked around him to sit on his right, next to Martha, hoping that engaging him in conversation would keep his line of sight away from Colm and Mrs. Muir.
Claymore found himself the only person still standing and quickly took the remaining seat between Ralph Muir and his wife. The glance the men exchanged indicated the seating arrangement didn't please either one of them.
Carolyn sighed in relief that Ralph's anger had been defused, at least temporarily, and was grateful for Reverend Farley's calming presence. As she looked around the table, she realized no one seemed to be the least bit interested in sitting next to her father-in-law.
'Perhaps,' she thought to herself, 'I should have made a seating plan and put him in the kitchen by himself.'
Smiling, she addressed the clergyman and invited him to say the blessing. He graciously accepted and, as she put her hands in her lap to pray, she relaxed further when she felt Daniel's hand cover both of hers and give them a gentle squeeze. They exchanged a loving gaze and bowed their heads as Reverend Farley began to pray.
"Heavenly Father, we thank You for this beautiful summer day, and this gathering of family and good friends. We pray that, throughout this day, we can walk in Your grace, full of Your love, mercy, and compassion. Allow us to walk with You so our lives look more like You.
Father, as we share this wonderful meal, cooked with loving hands, we ask that you bless this food, those who prepared it, and all who share in it. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen."
Quiet conversation started around the table as the food was passed. The centerpiece of the meal was a beautiful beef roast, accompanied by mashed potatoes, Martha's amazing gravy, and her melt-in-your mouth rolls; all of which were Jonathan's favorites. The vegetables were from the well-stocked root cellar the captain's former housekeeper, Mrs. Westfield, had put up the previous summer.
As usually happened at a meal prepared in the kitchen of Gull Cottage, the first topic of conversation was how delicious everything was. Colm ate a reasonably good meal most nights at the boarding house, but it certainly wasn't the caliber of Martha's cooking, and he was the first to complement her.
The 'sailor's' opinion of the food was actually something Ralph could agree with. He added his own appreciation of the meal, along with a good word about the wine being served, and even used Martha's name in the process. Before she could say 'thank you,' everyone else joined in, raving about how delicious everything was, which both pleased and embarrassed the gifted cook.
As they ate and the conversations veered from the wonderful food to other subjects, Ralph looked over his wine glass and watched as Carolyn's 'captain' spoke knowledgably about any topic that arose, and he had to admit to himself that the 'interloper' was well read. In addition to speaking effortlessly with the adults, the seaman engaged the children in his discussions and participated in theirs. In Ralph's mind, the subjects his grandchildren talked about were painfully boring and confirmed that he was correct in allowing only adults at his dinner table.
The attention the captain paid Jonathan and Candace, and the comfortable relationship they had with each other, annoyed their grandfather greatly, even though he had no interest in spending time with either of them. As if that weren't enough, everyone in the room, including his wife, accepted the role the seaman had claimed in the lives of his son's family.
He was fuming over, what he considered, the captain's overreach into his life when the sound of his wife's soft laughter caught his attention. Glancing in her direction, he saw her engaged in conversation with Carolyn and the 'broken-down' sailor. It seemed these 'men of the sea' were imposing on every aspect of his life, and he didn't like it; nor did he appreciate the genuine smile he saw on Marjorie's face when she looked at her 'old friend.' Realizing that her laughter and smile weren't something he had been the recipient of for a very long time, he frowned and took another sip of wine.
For more than thirty years, things hadn't changed much between Ralph and Marjorie. Almost since the day they were married, he had treated her the way he treated all things he considered his property; she was his to do with what he wanted. After the first year, he didn't have much use for her unless they were out in public, but, even then, he often deserted her in search of someone he thought would be more interesting to spend the evening with. Long ago, even before she'd given him a legitimate son and heir, he'd grown tired of having a wife. He hated 'sameness' in his life, so he'd spend his days working at growing his business, and his nights wherever, and with whomever, he wanted. Other than his original goal of marrying for money, having a wife and family responsibilities had never figured into his plans.
As the different conversations went on around him, his thoughts drifted back to when he was a much younger man, in the earliest stages of making a success of himself.
When he'd become engaged to Marjorie, she wasn't from the social class he'd expected to marry into, but she came from a family with a solid reputation, and her father was well respected, if not wealthy. She was young, seventeen or eighteen, and a pretty thing with a figure that any man would want to get his hands on. In his mind, her beauty almost made up for not being able to marry into a prominent Philadelphia family.
He had worked hard to put himself in the position to marry well – attending the right balls, making the acquaintance of young men from wealthy families so he could meet their sisters, and ingratiating himself with the affluent customers where he worked. He thought he'd positioned himself perfectly to meet a prospective bride, but, when he did make progress charming a suitable young woman, he could never get past the introduction to her parents. Rejection after rejection he was reminded that he didn't have the background the upper classes demanded for their daughters. Being looked down upon had a definite impact on him, and it became something that bothered him his whole life. However, it didn't stop him from treating people he felt were below him the same way.
After finally accepting his social limitations and admitting he would have to work to make his fortune instead of marrying into it, he began considering his next course of action. One day, the solution came to him in the beautifully wrapped package of Miss Marjorie MacKenna. She'd come into the bank with her father, who was a regular customer, and they were introduced.
After that first, brief meeting, Ralph decided he would build upon the casual relationship he had with Owen MacKenna in an effort to claim the man's extremely attractive daughter. It might take longer for him to get where he wanted to go, but Marjorie MacKenna would keep his bed warm, and look good on his arm, while he worked to move himself up the business and social ladders. He was determined to show the wealthy families, who had rejected him, just how wrong they'd been.
He made a point of waiting on Mr. MacKenna whenever he came into the bank. He would ask his advice on different matters related to his career plans, while complementing and flattering him on his own expertise. It hadn't gone on long before Marjorie's father became so impressed with the young man that he raised the idea of the young man marrying his daughter; Ralph never had to say a word.
When approached with the suggestion, the young Mr. Muir didn't jump at the chance; he continued to present himself as a thoughtful, honorable man. He asked for time to consider the proposal and told Mr. MacKenna that, if he were to agree, he wanted to be sure it would be acceptable to Miss MacKenna. If she indicated, in any way, that she didn't want to marry him, he was adamant that he wouldn't have anything to do with forcing the young lady into an arranged marriage. That attitude alone had convinced the girl's father that he'd selected the perfect suitor.
Ralph left Owen MacKenna waiting for more than a week before letting him know that, if she were willing, he would be honored to marry his daughter. The two men arranged for the courtship to commence, and the couple began the usual social rituals.
In the beginning, Ralph spent time at the MacKenna home, with the young lady's father present. As the relationship quickly progressed, the couple went on supervised carriage rides, picnics, and dances. He charmed Marjorie as thoroughly as he had charmed her father, and in a short time, marriage was proposed and accepted.
After a simple wedding ceremony, the newlyweds set up housekeeping, and Ralph immediately let it be known that 'he' was king of the castle. Initially, Marjorie put up a fight to hold on to what little independence she'd had in her father's house, but her new husband was very exacting in what he thought was acceptable behavior for his wife and what was not. She eventually gave up the battle, accepting her subservient role as his wife, and found herself going along with whatever he wanted, just to keep the peace. Whether it related to him starting his own business with the modest inheritance she had received, purchasing larger houses in more affluent neighborhoods as their finances improved, or the raising of their son as he grew into his teens, she usually acquiesced to her husband's wishes.
In his mind, that's the way marriage should be. He paid little attention if she disagreed with something he wanted to do, which was rare. What he said was how it would be, and that was that. Throughout their years together, he had lived quite happily under those conditions and had no plans to change.
'Now, after three days in this dusty old barn, and renewing a friendship with her late sister's insipid fiancée, she wants to team up with Carolyn and her 'captain' to tell me what I should do!' he fumed to himself. 'I'll be damned if I'm going to let two women, and a couple of 'sailors,' get in the way of me taking what is mine!'
Though, he'd only been thinking to himself, in his anger, he forgot where he was and slammed his fist on the table, causing his dishes and silverware to jump. The noise brought all conversation to a halt, and everyone turned to look at him.
Candy and Jonathan turned back to each other quickly, and Daniel heard the lad ask his sister if he'd done something to upset their grandfather. Leaning toward both children, he quietly told them, whatever was wrong with Mr. Muir, it had nothing to do with them. They both smiled a bit shakily and avoided looking toward the other end of the table, focusing instead on their mom, whose presence always helped calm them.
Ralph looked up, meeting the eyes of his wife first.
"Are you all right, dear?" she asked with obligatory concern.
"Yes. I . . . I do beg your pardon . . . Everyone . . . I . . . ah . . . don't know where my mind was," he replied. Looking away from Marjorie, his gaze was met immediately by Daniel Gregg, whose stare was strong and steady, and aimed right at him.
"Daniel . . ." Carolyn said quietly, hoping that would be enough to hold his own temper in check.
When he purposefully put down his fork, without taking his eyes off Ralph, she had no idea what he was going to say or do.
"Mr. Muir, are you sure you are all right?"
Ralph looked around the table. All eyes were on him except those of his grandchildren, who were uncharacteristically interested in the tablecloth pattern. He would have liked nothing more than to have it out with that damned 'sailor,' right now, but didn't want to do it in front of the others, especially his wife.
"Yes, thank you. I'm fine," he said looking at Daniel. "Please, won't you all go back to your conversations? I do apologize for the interruption."
Everyone took their cue from the captain, who nodded, picked up his fork, and took a bite of roast beef. Candy and Jonathan looked up at him and received a smile and a wink, which helped them relax. Carolyn smiled at the children and Daniel, discretely placing her hand on his in thanks.
As the others went back to their conversations, Marjorie was concerned about what she thought, or rather who she thought, Ralph had been thinking about before he allowed his anger to disrupt dinner. She kept glancing at him to be sure he had really calmed down but didn't feel settled until she saw he'd been drawn into conversation with Reverend Farley and Mr. Ebenezer. It looked like, at least for the moment, he had control of himself, but, knowing him as she did, she wasn't sure how long that would last.
Turning back toward Carolyn, she met Colm's eyes. He didn't say anything, but she could see his concern for her. It had been a long time since she'd been the recipient of so much compassion. Carolyn, the captain, Candy and Jonathan, and even Martha had been kinder to her, these last few days, than her husband had been in a long time; perhaps more than she deserved. Now, seeing Colm's concern for her too, she was feeling overwhelmed. She gave him a crooked smile and took sip of water to alleviate the lump forming in her throat. The last thing she wanted to do was add more drama to the meal.
Colm had taken it all in and couldn't help wondering what kind of life Margie had been forced into. At the very least, Ralph Muir was a foul tempered, arrogant man, and that made the seaman worry about what else Marjorie's might be capable of. The man exuded disdain for everyone, his daughter-in-law and grandchildren included, and his behavior toward his wife was troubling. The man was a bully, of that he had no doubt, and Colm decided it would give him a great deal of pleasure to put him in his place. He was surprised at how restrained Danny was being; he'd seen him verbally rip a man to shreds for less. His old friend was showing a completely different side of himself, and that behavior was a direct result of the presence of Carolyn and the children; the family he had so quickly claimed as his own.
XXXXX
Much to everyone's relief, the rest of the meal was uneventful and finished on a high note. Following the main course, they were treated to a wonderful dessert of custard tarts; a new recipe from the cookbook Daniel had brought from England.
After the delicious dessert and coffee, the men were encouraged to move into the living room, and, although Daniel, Colm, and Reverend Farley offered to pitch in, Carolyn insisted they go with Ralph and Claymore and leave the cleaning up to them. With the help of Candy and Jonathan, they cleared the table and returned the dining room to order but, when they offered to help Martha in the kitchen, they were quickly shooed out of her domain.
Instead of joining the men, the ladies, with the children and Scruffy, slipped out the front door to enjoy the fine weather. Carolyn led Marjorie to the swing, while Candy and Jonathan went to play in the yard until it was time for the walk on the beach.
"Oh, what a beautiful swing!" her mother-in-law exclaimed, running her hand over the smooth wood as she sat down. "I noticed it as we've passed by but never looked at it closely. This appears to be brand new."
"It is. It was a Christmas gift from Captain Gregg, but we didn't hang it until he returned last week."
"He made this for you?!"
Marjorie noted the shy smile, as Carolyn nodded, and put her hand over hers.
"You've found yourself quite a man."
"I have. I'm glad you think so too."
Her mother-in-law looked at her. There was so much she wanted to say.
"Carolyn . . . I . . . I . . . I want to apologize to you."
"Apologize? Whatever for?"
"Oh, I think you know," she said patting her hand. "I . . . I haven't been very fair to you over the years, and I'm finally realizing how wrong I've been. I'm so sorry for everything."
Carolyn didn't know what to say but tried anyway.
"Marjorie, I . . ."
"You don't have to say anything, dear; please let me finish," she said stopping her. "Last night was eye opening for me, on many levels. I've known, almost from the day I married, that Ralph wasn't the man he pretended to be when we first met. I hope you believe me when I say, I truly didn't know the kind of man Robert had become, nor the role his father played in his indefensible deception."
Their eyes met, but Carolyn's held no judgement of the admission.
"I'm not going to make excuses, but I would like to tell you a few things I should have told you long ago," she explained, hoping for her consent. Receiving a nod, she continued. "I'm not sure if you know this or not, but my marriage to Ralph was arranged by my father."
The two women exchanged a look – sadness clearly showing in Marjorie's eyes.
"After losing my brothers and Abbie, Father was determined not to leave the selection of my future husband to chance," she said, noting the surprise on Carolyn's face.
"You had brothers too?"
"Yes. I'm sorry. I should have told you about them years ago. They were both young when they died," she explained.
"Oh, Marjorie. I'm so sorry."
"Thank you, dear," she replied, fighting the emotion that still affected her after all these years. "Anyway, Father was adamant that his only son-in-law was not going to be, in his words, a 'common sailor.' My mother was my defender, and the only chance I had to marry for love, but, when she died there was no one to rein my father in," she paused, momentarily, and felt a slight squeeze of her hand from her daughter-in-law.
"Ralph worked at the bank where Father did business, and the two of them became friendly. In the course of their business transactions, my father decided that this was the kind of man that I should marry. Ralph was very driven and had grand plans for his future; he'd often ask Father's advice . . ." she explained, her voice trailing off as the memories flooded back. Shaking them off, she continued. "Anyway, the courtship began, and, I wouldn't say I was swept off my feet, but Ralph was attentive, kind, and treated me well. Father and I had already talked about it, so, when the proposal was made, I knew where the idea originated. I had just turned eighteen, and I suppose I was very insecure. I'd lost my only remaining sibling when Abbie died, and Mama passed a short time after that. Father was all I had left, and I wanted to please him. I was afraid I would lose him too if I refused to go along with the plan. As it was, he died about six months after Ralph and I married, and I lost him anyway."
"Marjorie, I'm so sorry," Carolyn said softly.
"Thank you, dear, but that's the way it seems to be for some families. At the time, I thought things would turn out all right. I had a husband, after all; someone to share my life with who would support and protect me."
"But it didn't work out the way you expected." Carolyn said quietly, in a knowing tone.
"No, it didn't. After Father died, any pretense Ralph made of being the kind, thoughtful man who courted me stopped, and two years into the marriage it was still only the two of us. There were no children, no son to carry on the family name, and he didn't hesitate to blame me for not fulfilling my responsibilities. We had a huge argument, and, for the first time in a long time, I stood up for myself, which surprised us both. I told him making a child required both a man and woman; that it wasn't something I could do on my own," she said, sharing a smile with her daughter-in-law. "Well, as you can imagine, that only made him angrier, and he stormed out of the house. It was weeks before he returned, and, when he did, he asked my forgiveness and, for a while, things were better. It was a few months later when I realized I was with child. I prayed it would be a boy and that Ralph would finally settle down and stay at home with me and the baby."
"Robert?"
"Yes. He finally got his son and heir."
"Did that make things better between you?" Carolyn asked.
"No. All it did was give Ralph an excuse to stay away more. He had little time for me and even less time for Bobby."
Both women were quiet for a while; each lost in memories of a shared past they didn't realize they had both lived . . . separately.
"I loved that boy, and with no other children, I'm afraid I spoiled him terribly. Then, when he was thirteen or fourteen, Ralph finally took an interest in him, and any influence I had over him became extremely limited. I should have fought for my son, but I didn't. I let both of them have their way, and now I know what a terrible mistake that was. Bobby grew up to be just like his father, and, Carolyn, for that I am so very sorry."
"Marjorie, I didn't realize, until this visit, that you and I were living in similar circumstance. I'm sorry. I wish I'd have known sooner, I . . ."
"My dear, that was my fault, not yours," her mother-in-law said, cutting her off. "I allowed my situation to make me bitter, and I'm afraid I wasn't very welcoming when you and Bobby started courting, or even after you married."
"Let's not lay blame. Everyone makes decisions in the hope that it's the right thing to do. Sometimes, even when it doesn't look like it was, circumstances change, and we find that everything we've been through has brought us where we were meant to be."
Marjorie looked at the smile on Carolyn's face.
"Well, that's certainly true in your case. I can see you are exactly where you are meant to be," she said, meeting the younger woman's smile. "My dear, finding a man who adores you and your children is a true gift. The fact that he's successful and comes from a prominent family is nice, but it doesn't bring happiness like having a man who loves you the way I believe the captain does you. I will say, though, when the man who adores you looks like Daniel Gregg, you are an incredibly lucky woman."
Their eyes met and they began to chuckle, but it turned into a hug as the two women wordlessly acknowledged their shared disappointments with the Muir men. Any and all past slights were forgiven and forgotten in that moment.
As they were pulling themselves together, Candy and Jonathan ran up on the porch and sat on the swing with them. Scruffy circled around a few times and finally settled in a spot not far away.
"Mom, do you think we could go for a walk on the beach now?" Jonathan asked.
"Sweetheart, it really hasn't been that long."
"Gee," Candy replied. "I thought everyone would want to go right after dinner."
"Kids, I don't think the men are quite ready; they're still inside talking."
As the words were spoken, Claymore came out the front door, closing it loudly behind him. Candy and Jonathan looked at each other, hopeful that his arrival meant everyone was finally ready to go to the beach. Their mother noted her uncle's mood and was quite sure his arrival had nothing to do with going for a walk.
Seeing his niece and her children with Mrs. Ralph Muir, Claymore sighed, knowing he couldn't ignore them, and walked over to the swing.
"Uncle, would you care to join us?"
"Thank you, but no. I just came outside to get some fresh air and clear my head."
"Are you ready to go for a walk on the beach?" Jonathan asked excitedly.
"A walk? On the beach? No, I don't think so."
"Oh," the boy said, his disappointment obvious. Looking for any sign of hope, he asked, "Will the others be coming out soon?"
"I hope not," Claymore said quietly but not quietly enough that the others didn't hear him. Realizing what he'd said out loud, he babbled a bit before finally saying, "I really don't know."
Before anyone could reply, the front door opened, and Reverend Farley and Colm joined them on the porch. Marjorie and Carolyn looked at each other, realizing that Ralph and Daniel had been left alone together.
"Would you gentlemen care to join us?" Carolyn asked as she stood.
"Thank you, Mrs. Muir, I'd like that very much," the Reverend said and carried one of the wicker chairs over to the group, while Colm started to do the same.
"Please, one of you take my place. I need to go inside for a moment," Carolyn said and moved toward the door
"Colm, why don't you take the swing?" the Reverend suggested. "I'll be fine in this chair; it looks quite comfortable."
"Do you want to go for a walk on the beach?" Candy asked the seaman as he motioned for her to scoot over next to her grandmother, so he could sit down.
"Aye, lass. I'd like that very much," he said, glancing at Margie and sharing a smile.
"Oh, boy!" both children exclaimed. "What about you, Reverend Farley?"
"I always enjoy a walk on the beach and would be honored to join you."
As Carolyn was passing Claymore, he touched her arm to stop her.
"Are you sure you want to go in there? It might not be a good idea right now."
"Yes, I'm sure. Would you feel better coming with me?"
"Ah . . . ah . . . I . . . um . . . no. No, I'll stay out here if you don't mind; it's less stressful."
She nodded and went inside, leaving him staring at the closed door.
XXXXX
Carolyn was surprised at how quiet it was in the house. She didn't know what she'd been expecting, but it certainly wasn't silence. She tentatively walked to the living room, curious as to what she would find. Stopping in the doorway, she saw Daniel sitting casually in one of the wing chairs, smiling, and Ralph standing at the mantle, obviously agitated. As she entered the room, the captain stood to greet her, startling Ralph.
"I hope I'm not interrupting?" she asked.
Ralph turned at the sound of her voice, surprised by her appearance.
"No, my love. As a matter of fact, we're finished here . . . for now," Daniel said calmly, his rich baritone almost believable.
Carolyn looked at him, wishing she knew what was going on.
"The children are ready to go for a walk on the beach and were hoping both of you would join us."
Daniel glanced at Ralph, and then turned back to her, smiling. As he started to answer, his words were cut off by her father-in-law.
"I don't think so, Carolyn. The captain and I still have a few things that need to be discussed. If everyone is going to be out of the house, it would be a good time for us to have a private conversation."
The seaman looked at Ralph. Outwardly, he looked calm, but she knew, by the look in his eyes, he was angry.
"Since I suggested the children could go for a walk on the beach after dinner, I will be going with them. Whatever you and I have to say to one another can wait; Carolyn and the children come first," Daniel replied in Ralph's direction and turned back to her. "My love, I would be pleased to accompany you, Candy and Jonathan, and anyone else who would like to come along."
Joining her at the door, he glanced casually back at her father-in-law, who was obviously not happy, and added, "Are you sure you won't join us?"
"No. I'll stay here," he grumbled.
"It's beautiful outside; if you're not coming with us, at least sit out on the porch and enjoy the day," Carolyn suggested.
He didn't reply or move, just watched as the 'sailor' took his son's wife by the hand and left the room.
After the couple let Martha know where they were going, Carolyn excused herself and ran upstairs to change her shoes.
"Is everything all right, Captain?" Martha asked, drying her hands.
"You mean with Mr. Muir?"
"Yes. He didn't sound too pleased a few minutes ago."
"Is he ever?"
"Not that I've ever noticed," she replied dryly.
"Don't worry, Martha. I'll make sure all of this is resolved before I go back to town this evening. It's time the Muir's, at least Ralph Muir, went back to where he came from."