NOTE: On the title page of the final script for Curious Cousin it also has a previous title of Who Was That Man I Almost Saw?

I thought that was an appropriate title for this chapter. Thanks for reading and liking what I do for joy!

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Chapter Thirteen

Who Was That Man I Almost Saw?

"It is insupportable that the woman imposes herself on us like this…" Daniel took a turn around their bedroom. "Without so much as a by-your-leave!"

Carolyn sat at her desk watching his restless pacing. "Harriet's only doing as she was asked." She shrugged. "My family suspect I haven't been telling them the truth. They seem to think I invented my generous benefactor, the mysterious, recently deceased, sea captain."

Daniel's frowning eyes glinted briefly with wry humour. "Yes, well, that part was most certainly true. I did die and I did leave you all my treasure."

"And that's the only part we can never tell them the truth about." Carolyn raised her brows. "Remember the last time she was here? You pushed Claymore into pretending to be you and now we're stuck with the idea that you're his two-timing scoundrel of a twin brother. Except he looks nothing like you. So, you can't appear to Harriet as yourself to convince her all is well."

"Confound that miserable wart!" Daniel turned to raise his fist at the closed windows. "He has no sense of decency or family pride!"

"If Claymore had his way, he wouldn't even be a Gregg. You know you go out of your way to annoy and harass him."

"It's the least he deserves," her husband replied hardly. "He would cause us mischief in any way he can. Why, I've got a good mind to go down there and—"

"You must leave Claymore out of this mess, for now," Carolyn counselled quickly. "He's angling for something he wants and using Harriet to get it. We just have to figure out what that is."

"He wants this house back. With you and the children gone, back to Philadelphia. That would suit him very nicely. Then he could sell up and take great pleasure in watching the place being pulled down around me."

Daniel returned to the chair beside her, sitting down heavily. "I've got a good mind to vaporise that bag of treasure I paid him with. That'll show him not to meddle in my affairs."

"If it were only that simple…" Carolyn whispered. "I had hoped it was all behind us and we could live our lives in peace…"

"My dear…" Daniel shook his head slowly. "When you find love, real, true love, you must do everything in your power to hang onto it. And my powers are quite considerable…"

He extended one hand to take hers. "Speaking of affairs…" He carried her hand to his lips, kissing the back of her fingers lingeringly. "I would wish fervently, that we could be alone together, tonight. You know how much I want to make love with you again. Your soft beauty haunts my imagination and my heart as no other woman ever did…"

"Yes… I feel just the same…" Carolyn sighed gustily, as his lips moved to caress the erratic pulse beating fast in her inner wrist. "I want to love you again, so much. But, Daniel, I…"

"I adore it when you say my given name…" her husband murmured as he continued his exploration of her soft skin, trailing kisses slowly up her bare arm. "Just say the word and I will consign that woman to perdition and let the devil deal with her. Then we will have our peace."

"Oh, don't tempt me…" Carolyn murmured as his lips settled on the curve of her shoulder on the way to her mouth. "But you know I can't…"

"There is no such word…" Daniel moved higher.

Carolyn's small store of resistance began to crumble. She managed to say, "We… would need to lock the door…"

"If it means we can finally go to bed, together, I would fasten unbreakable chains around this entire house and then I would take you in my arms…" Daniel raised one hand to point toward the door as his seeking lips settled a breath away from hers. "Consider it done…"

"Yoo-hoo, Carolyn…?" There came an urgent knocking on the door. "Oh, Carolyn? Are you in there?" Harriet called out from the hallway. "Who's that you're talking to? I know I heard voices…"

"Blast and damn her prying eyes!" Daniel exploded, hissing his displeasure as he immediately returned to his spirit state and dematerialised in a huff.

The door to the bedroom opened at the same moment. Harriet peered in, looking puzzled. "You know, it's just like the last time I stayed here. I kept hearing voices, but whenever I walked into the room, there's always only you."

"Oh, I'm very much alone…" Carolyn passed a shaky hand across her eyes with a sigh. "I… like talking to myself."

"Mmmmm…" Harriet's deeply curious gaze quartered the bedroom. "You said you were talking to yourself, then, too. But I could've sworn I heard a man's voice just now."

"Oh, no, that was still just me…" Carolyn pulled her scattered senses together enough to roll a blank piece of paper into the typewriter. "I often try to sound out how things might scan before I write them down. That way I can catch what doesn't sound right."

"But your voice couldn't possibly resonate like that." Harriet approached the desk. "So deep and masculine…" She sighed deliciously. "So sensual and primitive…"

She put a wondering hand to her lips. "I hesitated to even come in. It sounded almost as if, whoever he was, he was making love to you. Right here, in this very room…"

"Oh, Harriet, you know I write women's romantic fiction articles. I usually like to keep it light. But sometimes I'll add a line or two, just to spice things up a little. I… I'm thinking of maybe branching out into writing a novel or two."

"Yes, well, Hazel and I have read some of your more recent articles. That Maiden Voyage story certainly was an eye-opener. She was appalled and we were both so embarrassed. It must be the strange atmosphere of this old house. Sometimes, it's almost like there's a man living here that we can't see."

Harriet's pale cheeks flushed with discomfort. "But even that story had nothing quite like what I just heard before I came in here. It all sounded so, so… raw and emotional." She shuddered. "He was seducing you with his voice."

"Oh, Harriet, really…" Carolyn managed a shaky laugh. "I'll take that as a compliment on my work. Maybe I will try my hand at writing a romance novel."

"But I thought you said were now well off, thanks to your dead friend, that sea captain. You don't need to make a living now." Harriet looked around the room again. "Oh, my, what lovely roses."

She indicated the vases of red and white wedding blooms. "Who's been sending you so many gorgeous flowers? Your mysterious lover?"

She crossed to the dresser to admire its pile of fragrant petals. "And they smell wonderful." She drifted her hand through them thoughtfully. "You know, if I didn't know better, I could almost swear there's been a wedding going on, here."

Harriet turned to study Carolyn's expression for any clues. "I mean, Claymore Gregg did say he had his suspicions that something big had gone on at this house last night. But he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Is there anything you want to tell me?"

"I liked them, so bought myself some roses…" Carolyn attempted to turn her cousin's suspicions aside with a shrug. "Is that such a crime? I can assure you nothing went on here, last night. Go and ask Martha, if you don't believe me."

"Perhaps…" Harriet walked back toward the desk, her thoughtful gaze closely studying the contours of the pillows on the neatly-made bed. "Of course, you surely wouldn't have gotten married again without inviting the family. Not after the last time."

She nodded. "But you know, dear Carolyn. If I didn't know better I could almost swear you're hiding some man from me, in here."

"Oh, Harriet…" Carolyn shook her head. "Whatever will you say next?"

Her cousin's brow wrinkled in puzzlement. "Very well, I really must ask you, just who was that man I almost saw when I first came into the room? I mean, I could almost swear I saw him holding your hand and kissing you. He looked like he wanted to ravish you…" Her flushed cheeks deepened in colour.

"As always, your vivid imagination is working overtime!" Carolyn laughed shakily. "All you heard was me sounding out my article. All you thought you saw must have been a moving shadow and you jumped to entirely the wrong conclusion. I can assure you I haven't got married again and there's no man in here."

Harriet looked unconvinced as she leaned closer. "Can you? Can you, really? I wouldn't mind, of course. But it would explain a lot of your very odd behaviour whenever I'm around. You know you can tell me anything. I can keep a secret."

"Harriet…" Carolyn sighed. "There is no man in here," she said again, slowly, emphasising the point. "But please, feel free to look around, if you don't believe me."

She waved a hand at the room. "I can say for sure that there's no one here but us two women." She shrugged. "Maybe you'd better start with the closet. You never know he might be hiding in there, among my dresses. Or he could even be outside, on the balcony, waiting for you to leave so he can come in and ravish me." She turned to point at the closed windows.

"Dearest Carolyn," Harriet tut-tutted. "You know I didn't mean to upset you."

Despite her words, she did turn to study the closed closet door. "But we don't keep any secrets from each other. My good friend, Violet is just the same. Always putting such a brave face on things, trying to make me feel better about leaving her to come and see you. Sometimes, I really do get the impression, that some people don't really want me around…"

"Oh, surely not…" Carolyn crossed the fingers of her free hand beneath the edge of the desk. "Why, Violet's one of your oldest friends. She would only want you there to help her if she relapsed back into her most recent illness."

"I suppose so…" Harriet looked comforted. "She is such a very dear friend and so very brave. I do worry about her at times, all alone in that great big house. But you're my priority now."

She shook her head. "I only came to tell you was that the children are in bed and I've read them both a story."

"Thank you, Harriet." Carolyn nodded. "That was very sweet of you to help out. Now I simply must get this article written. I'm already behind in my work."

She wasn't about to confess she'd retired early to her room to get away from her cousin's prying questions and have some private time alone with her husband. Now that too had been rudely interrupted.

"Oh, of course. Then I'll leave you in peace…" Harriet reassured her, turning away. She stopped to look back. "And those memoirs you mentioned?" she asked, her eyebrows rising.

"What memoirs?" Carolyn frowned distractedly.

"The last time I visited you told me you were using those letters written by that man in the portrait downstairs to compile his memoirs." Harriet studied her expression closely. "Then you told Emily and Brad that you're intending to write the story about that other old sea captain of yours. The one who left you enough money to buy this house."

"Oh, those memoirs…" Carolyn shook her head. "Yes, I'm still getting my notes together about both of them. They're a work in progress."

She looked significantly toward the door. "But I won't get any work done if I'm not left alone to finish my article."

"Oh, oh, of course. Don't let it be said that Harriet Williams ever gets in the way at any time." Harriet hurried toward the open doorway. "But I would be curious to read those memoirs when you've finished them. I'd like to know something more about the man who liked you well enough to leave you the money to buy this big old house."

She looked around the room again before frowning at the roses. "You really do seem to have an affinity for dead sea captains."

"I'll let you know…" Carolyn began to type. "When I've finished them."

"Thank you, dear…" Harriet paused in the doorway. "But apart from the roses, I can see you still haven't changed a thing about this room. It's… it's all still so dreadfully masculine and seamanlike. You would never know this is supposed to be a lady's room. Surely now, since you own the house, it's time for a complete make-over? I know I could help you with that."

"Thank you, but I happen to like everything just as it is," Carolyn replied repressively. "I enjoy having these things around because they provide some inspiration."

Harriet stared at her for a long moment. Her mouth worked, but nothing came out at first.

Then she said, "Oh, I see how it is. Surely you're not intending to write more stories like that scandalous Maiden Voyage?" She pressed one hand to her lips, looking close to tears. "Your mind's been warped and tainted by this house and that man's painting downstairs! Oh, why did the family ever allow you to run away from Philadelphia?" She hurried from the room, closing the door sharply.

Daniel reappeared immediately after the door shut behind their unwanted house guest. "I swear I would happily feed her to the sharks, but she would only give them indigestion."

"Ssshhh…" Carolyn waved an anxious hand. "Her bedroom's right next door. She'll hear you and come back in."

She looked toward the closed bedroom door. "She's already far too suspicious. She heard you talking to me before and her seeing the roses has aroused all sorts of fresh suspicions."

"Oh, don't worry, my dear, she cannot hear me now. I am back in spirit, so only you can see me."

"Then we're doomed for being together tonight." Carolyn sat back in her chair defeatedly. "If we locked the door, I'm sure she's quite capable of walking along the balcony from her room and looking in through our window. She's so sure I have a man hidden from her somewhere in the house and she's determined to find him."

She shook her head with a mirthless laugh. "No wonder poor Violet struggled out of her sickbed to appear well enough to get rid of her."

"Violet?" Daniel raised his brows. "I don't believe I know the name."

"She's one of Harriet's oldest friends. They've known each other since childhood. She lives just along the coast in a big old house that she refuses to part with. Whenever she's under the weather or feels in need of some company, she phones Harriet. They have a mutual dependency on each other. But then Harriet always manages to overstay her welcome because she's lonely too."

"Then this Violet deserves a medal, for putting up with that." Daniel waved a dismissive hand at the door.

"Oh, Harriet has her good points," Carolyn qualified. "She's a very attentive nurse. It's just that she always goes too far. She needs to be needed, hence her descending on us all. Sadly, she'll soon wear out her welcome here as well, because she just cannot help herself."

"Well, I never made her welcome," Daniel countered. "If you remember, Madam, I was fully prepared to sink her before she even entered the house."

"Yes, and that would have been as big a disaster like the sinking of the Titanic." Carolyn shook her head. "Harriet and Claymore together make for some very bad medicine. But we will have to swallow it until we can work out a solution."

"Then I will sadly bid you goodnight, my dear…" Daniel gazed longingly at the bed. "We need to work out an antidote and soon. Or I won't be held responsible for my actions…"

He dematerialised slowly; his deeply frustrated gaze fixed on his wife. Carolyn compressed her lips as she slumped at her desk, cupping her chin in her upraised palm.

"I couldn't agree with you more…" She sighed.

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Harriet settled into the chair beside the telephone in the foyer. She picked up the receiver and dialled a familiar number, listening to the dial tone. She sniffed tragically.

"Oh, Hazel!" she exclaimed the moment her call was answered. "It's even worse than we feared!" She dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief. "Poor Carolyn is trying to put such a brave face in it, but I can feel how much she's suffering. She's so on edge and talking to herself. I feel like I'm intruding on something very personal."

She sighed tragically. "Right now, she's up in her room, surrounded by huge vases of roses, writing some kind of terribly explicit story as a substitute for a real romance. It's going to be that dreadful Maiden Voyage all over again. You should have heard what I heard just now. It would've made a sailor blush; I can assure you."

She pressed one hand to her flushed cheek as she listened to her sister giving her opinion. "Ah, ha… Yes, yes, I know. I'll do my best to convince her that Philadelphia's the only place she needs to be. We can get her the right help, there. We do need to get her away from here, from this house. If Violet hadn't kept me for so long, I would've been here sooner to deal with the situation."

She listened again. "Yes, I know she's already bought this big, old place. Claymore Gregg told me all about it. But he also said he's very willing to buy it back from her for the right price. I think it would be for the best. I cannot leave her here at the mercy of that dreadful man, Captain Gregg."

She sighed dramatically. "I'm very much afraid she's gone and married him in secret and now she's too ashamed to admit it. You know, I'm almost sure her wedding ring looks like it's brand new. I just haven't gotten a close enough look yet, to be sure. It's almost as if she's hiding that from me, too."

Daniel appeared silently behind her. His hands flexed into fists at his sides. For Carolyn's sake, he would not harm her cousin, but the temptation was almost overwhelming.

Beyond the house, lightning flickered and thunder rolled. A wind began to howl as the rain suddenly sheeted down.

"You hear that?" Harriet stammered, looking around in fear. "Even the weather here seems to have a mind of its own. It was fine just a moment ago. Oh, Hazel, I really don't like it here…"

"Good…" Daniel smiled grimly. "Then leave!"

The storm intensified as he listened to the ongoing conversation, hearing all the things he never wished to hear again. The talk of his family being forced to leave Gull Cottage because of him. He stroked his beard, trying to decide what was the best course of action as Harriet ended her call and got up to hurry toward the kitchen.

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"Oh, Martha, I really wish I knew what to do for the best…" Harriet mused, sitting at the kitchen table over her third cup of coffee. "Carolyn said I should come and talk to you."

"I'm not sure what's got you all worked up." The housekeeper frowned at her in confusion. "I don't even know why you've come back here. Everything's been fine and dandy."

"I'm here for Carolyn," Harriet replied tragically, pulling at her handkerchief. "I think she's been so horribly let down by that awful Captain Gregg. Such a two-timing scoundrel preying on lonely, defenceless women…" She dabbed at her eyes.

"Who on earth gave you the idea she's been let down by anyone?" Martha's eyebrows rose incredulously. "I think you've got totally the wrong end of something very fishy. The Captain's always been a true gentleman. He would never do anything to harm Mrs Muir."

"But Claymore Gregg told me all about his dreadful twin brother. He said that I needed to get back here immediately to save Carolyn from making the worst mistake of her life if she decided to marry him."

"Ah, so it's Claymore behind all this… I should've guessed." Martha nodded her complete understanding. "That man's been holding a grudge ever since Mrs Muir bought the house from him. He'll do anything to make trouble. I really think you need to take anything he tells you with a big handful of salt."

"You might say that, but shouldn't he know what his own brother's really like?" Harriet worried the lace edge of her handkerchief. "He told me the Captain's ship's in port and yet we haven't seen anything of him up here at the house. Don't you think this would be the first place he'd call if he really was in love with Carolyn?"

"Who told you he hasn't already been out here already?" Martha shook her head. "You've only been here for five minutes."

"Well, his brother was very sure he hasn't visited. How could I allow Carolyn to marry such a man?"

"I can't really see how it's your place to do anything about any man Mrs Muir chooses to see," Martha said repressively. "She's free to make her own decisions."

"Yes, well, we both know how her last marriage turned out," Harriet said significantly. "I always felt that Bobby was not the right man for her, either."

"I think that's stretching the truth a bit too far," Martha replied severely, standing up to collect the empty coffee cups and carrying them to the sink. "You two were really looking forward to the wedding, preening yourselves over your part in making the match."

She shook her head. "You were the ones most put out when you heard they'd eloped. You were all set to be the best bridesmaids anyone had ever seen."

"Well, we would have been," Harriet replied defensively. "It would have all been so perfect."

"Maybe…" Martha washed the cups and dried them before putting them away. "But if the only reason you're here is to make more trouble for Mrs Muir, I'll be the first to help you pack your bags and carry them out to your car in the morning. She doesn't need that kind of help."

Harriet twisted her handkerchief between her hands. "But the family relies on me to make sure she's all right. Emily and Brad phoned me. They were so worried when Carolyn wouldn't agree to go back home with them. They were sure she's gone and got married in secret again, and now I'm very much afraid she's done just that…"

"Pull yourself together, Harriet. There hasn't been any such wedding," Martha stated the lie firmly. "Go and check down at the town's registry office if you don't believe me. But this is exactly why Mrs Muir took the children and left the big city two years ago. Because you and Hazel were always interfering in her personal business like it was any of yours."

"I… well… we were only trying to make sure she didn't make the same mistake again," Harriet muttered. "She did say she wanted peace and quiet to write her articles. But it's all so remote and wild, out here. I mean, where did that weird storm come from?" She pointed to the kitchen window.

She frowned as she listened for a moment. "Oh, it's stopped now. How odd…"

Martha ignored her observation. "And Mrs Muir also left the city to stop her family trying to marry her off to the likes of that wet blanket, Owen Mitford."

"Owen is a decent enough man and he loves her," Harriet defended stoutly. "He hasn't married since Carolyn left."

"She gave him no reason to wait for her." Martha shrugged.

"Well… yes, maybe…" Harriet frowned.

"So, all this worrying is for nothing." Martha hung up her dishcloth. "And I would be very careful how you tread. Your cousin is no longer the sort of woman who allows herself to be pushed around. And she has people on her side now that you don't want to go upsetting with your malicious gossip."

"People like the Captain?" Harriet frowned worriedly.

"Yes, him for one. He loves Mrs Muir very much and will do anything to protect her. Upset him and he'll make you very sorry for your unwanted interference in his affairs."

"Oh…" Harriet clapped a disbelieving hand to her cheek. "You make him sound positively medieval."

"That's one way to put it." Martha shrugged on the ghost of a laugh. "Let's just say he has some old-fashioned ideas about certain things. And a very short fuse if his temper's aroused. If he ever finds out that you've been doing your best to blacken his name with Mrs Muir…" She left the rest of the sentence hanging significantly.

"But, her wedding ring…" Harriet countered in a mystified tone. "I was so sure it looked new…"

"No big mystery there. She lost her old one out in the garden somewhere a few weeks ago," Martha replied smoothly, walking toward the kitchen door. "We all searched, but couldn't find it. So, she bought a new one to replace it. You should have asked instead of jumping to the wrong conclusion."

"Oh…" Harriet looked deflated. "But, I was so sure…" She sighed gustily. "If only I could really meet the Captain. Sit down with him and have a proper talk, woman to man. Then I could tell the family she's in a safe pair of hands and they're not to worry."

She waved one hand helplessly. "But, he's always dashing off somewhere, like he doesn't even want to be here. Surely you must've noticed. Emily said that when they met him he did the same thing. If only I could be really sure he truly cares for Carolyn and she's not just another notch on his telescope."

"Well, you won't be meeting him tonight. All sensible folk are in bed by now," Martha replied, stifling a yawn as she turned out the lights. "I'm sure, in the morning, you'll see everything is just as it should be."

She stood back to allow Harriet to go before her toward the stairs. At the same moment, she felt someone with a man's beard kiss her soundly on the cheek and heard the echo of a rich masculine chuckle.

"You're very welcome…" she whispered, smiling at the shadows.

"Did you say something?" Harriet paused halfway up the stairs to look back at her.

"No, nothing. I was just talking to myself," Martha replied as she walked toward her own room. "Good night."

"I really don't know what's wrong with all the people in this crazy old house!" Harriet declared hotly. "They're always talking to the shadows and never to me!" She continued on her way with a huff of displeasure.

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