Each of the three held a rather distinct feeling about the Centennial Games and as they explored how the events of those few days affected them, the answers were quite different, and surprising.
The next morning, as he buttoned the top button of his shirt, Claymore bent to rub an aching spot on his calf. "Sure – he makes me win the award, but I get all the aches and pains. What does HE get to feel?" Pausing, he peered into his mirror, tilting his glasses down and staring into his eyes, he nodded to himself, "What does he get to feel? It's obvious, isn't it?" Picking up the uniform hat off the dresser, he spun it around in his hands. "He gets to feel manly, powerful, a true man's man. It has to be true, how else could he also have the most beautiful woman in Schooner Bay? The look in her eyes when we were dancing, well when ALL of us were dancing," he sighed aloud, "it was obvious, wasn't it?" Holding out his arms, and beginning a waltz with a phantom partner, he counted out, "One, two, thre. . OW!" as he whacked his toe against the bed frame. Flopping on the edge of the bed, he nursed his toe, grumbling to himself. "I could show her, be a manly man, in my own way of course . . ." he paused as the phone rang and he hobbled over to pick it up. "Whoever you are don't you know how early it is?" Tilting his head he paused, listening, "Delbert, what in the world do you expect ME to do? Start a posse and go seal hunting? What am I a cave man?" Standing up at attention, he smiled to himself, "No actually, I AM the man for the job. Meet you at the quayside in an hour." Hanging up the phone, his eyes took on a suspiciously conniving look, "today, I WILL be a real Gregg, battling the forces of nature and destruction! Now where are my Cocoa Puffs?" Leaning over, he picked up the cereal bowl and let himself dream of facing danger and showing Carolyn Muir what an admirable man he truly could be.
Fortunately, Carolyn Muir was totally unaware of the impact the previous evening had upon her landlord. In fact her thoughts, as she swirled around the master cabin, holding her evening dress in front of her, were entirely focused upon the sea captain that Claymore so clearly resented. Humming a waltz, she carefully hung up the costume in the closet, stood in the early morning sunshine in her favorite yellow silk nightgown, and waltzed quietly over to her desk where she reviewed her notes for a story in progress. Picking up a pencil, she made careful check marks at various points as she scanned the page, "Sailors instead of 'seamen', yep, that'll get him. Saying they were in a storm instead of a 'squall', guaranteed to upset. Walls, not 'bulkhead' - he'll be furious I didn't remember that one!" Turning the page face down by the typewriter, her mischievous grin grew wider as she settled into her desk chair. It has taken her a while to figure a way to restart their friendly arguing, their companionable bantering after the PTA episode. And now, after having more or less spent the previous evening dancing in his arms, she was even more dedicated to the idea. "Nothing more fun than making up after a fight," she whispered, standing up to open the curtains, "it won't be everything I could hope for, but at least I get to hope again!"
A few months ago, the Captain and Carolyn might have been able to sense their connection on the topic, but in the troubled time after Seagirt left Gull Cottage they might have been in another universe, another network of reality. Now that they seemed set on calmer seas, Daniel Gregg equally looked forward to resuming their previous close relationship. Without realizing it, he also was humming the same waltz softly coming from the master cabin. He had clearly disappointed Jonathan and Candy when he declined to join them on their shoreside adventure, but now nothing was going to dissuade him. Their waltz, despite the uncomfortable necessity of Claymore also being present there, or rather their waltzes the previous night had shown him they could renew their connection. Now that the day had begun, and the children were out and about, he wanted to take every advantage of having her to himself, and he sat impatiently in the attic, waiting for her to arise. While he honestly hadn't a clue about what his next step would be, he trusted the beautiful day outside would present its own inspiration in due time.