IN THE MIRROR
By Susan Smallwood and Susan Griffith

Part 10

The train entered a tunnel and the Captain's voice abruptly pierced the darkness, in an indignant imitation of Miles. "Cheeroh!"

As soon as the train was out of the tunnel, Lucy looked over at Captain Gregg, who was sitting next to her, glowering. "Oh, so you've been eavesdropping."

"Feminine literature!" he raged. "What does he mean, feminine literature?"

"He had no way of knowing it's your book," she said, soothingly.

"Brass, he says!" the Captain continued, angrily. "I'll polish his brass for him! And the way he was smirking at you. Like a cat at a fishmongers! You should have slapped his face."

"Why? I found him rather charming."

"Rawther charming!" he mimicked. "Now you're beginning to talk like him."

"How in blazes do you want me to talk?" she asked sharply.

"That's better."

"Sometimes I wish you would encourage me to talk like that." Carolyn gave the Captain a side-long glance.

"Madam, YOU are a lady." he repeated.

"I think you're being extremely childish," Lucy stated, huffily.

The Captain sat up straight, "I'm only trying to protect you from your own worst instincts."

"Oh, you men make me furious! You said exactly the same thing to me! And, now that I remember, you ALSO said that Sean was smirking at me!" Carolyn exclaimed.

"As he was!" retorted the Captain.

"I can manage my own instincts, thank you."

"What made you lie to the blighter?"

Lucy looked at him in shock, "I didn't lie to him."

"You did." he insisted. "You told him he was Anna's favorite author. You know very well that she hates 'Uncle Neddy' and reads nothing but 'Dead-eye Dick Rover of the Spanish Main'.

"Well, I had to say something."

"You should have pushed him out of the cab." The Captain rose, and moved to the seat on the other side of the compartment. "In another minute, I would have."

Lucy watched as he folded his arms and glared out of the window, before a sudden smile crossed her face. "Why, Daniel, I believe your jealous!"

"Of course I'm not jealous!" he nearly shouted. "Do you take me for a blasted schoolboy? Besides, jealousy is a disease of the flesh."

"Could have fooled me," Carolyn muttered. The Captain ignored her comment this time.

"I've never known you to be so disagreeable." Lucy said, her eyes still on him. "And today, of all days."

"What's so wonderful about today?" he grumbled.

"The book, Daniel. Mr. Sproule liked the book."

"I told you he would."

"Now I can buy the house," she crossed the compartment, and sat down next to him, "just as we planned."

"Not sure I want you to have the blasted house after all." he replied, moodily.

"Please, Daniel -" she said, with aggravation.

"She should just stop begging him. I certainly wouldn't keep up. What a childish display!" Carolyn sniffed. Inwardly, however, she realized she was still wishing she had the nerve to call HER Captain by his first name.

The Captain stared out the window, "I suppose, being a woman, you can't help it."

"Can't help what?"

"Making a fool of yourself."

"You stop sulking, Daniel." Lucy said, heatedly. "You yourself said that I should mix with people, that I should see - men."

"I said MEN, not perfumed parlor snakes."

The Captain chuckled. "I'll have to remember that insult!"

"He's a man," Lucy said, firmly, "and a very nice one."

The Captain rolled his eyes, then slumped further down in his seat.

"Anyway," Lucy went on, "I shall never see him again." She ignored the Captain's loud snort, and smoothed out her skirts.

Just then, a gentleman bearing great resemblance to a turtle opened the door. "Sheer off, you blasted mud turtle!" Captain Gregg shouted. "There's no room!"

The gentleman was insulted, and said with dignity, "I beg your pardon, Madam!" He slammed the door as he went out.

Lucy glanced over at the Captain, a smile creeping over her face. He tried to remain stern, but as she began to giggle, he threw his head back and roared with laughter.

"Well, that rid them of THAT man, I must say." grinned the Captain. "But I am not sure about that other one. The perfumed parlour

snake."

"He didn't seems so bad," offered Carolyn, rather half-heartedly. Personally, she thought he seemed rather sleezy. Smarmy. Something

about him rubbed her the wrong way, but she wasn't sure just what it was. He tried to be so pleasant, but Carolyn was wiser to the ways of

supposed charmers than she had been when very young. Some men were naturally charming, like the Captain. Charming, but very aggravating. So aggravating that she would not give him the satisfaction of knowing just how charming she thought him. Not often, anyway. She sighed, remembering the night she had told him that if he were alive, Gull Cottage would be a palace. She had certainly fallen for his line

THAT night. Except that she honestly didn't believe it was just a line for him. He did care for her deeply. She knew that.

"What are you thinking, Mrs. Muir?" the Captain interrupted her thoughts with an amused question.

Carolyn jumped. "Oh! Oh, nothing. Must you keep calling me Mrs. Muir and Madam? At least Lucy gets called Lucia!" Then she cringed. Why had she asked that?

"I beg your pardon, my dear." now the Captain was very formal all of a sudden. "I did not mean to upset you..."

"I'm sorry, Captain. I didn't mean it. Your question just startled me. I was ... well, I was thinking about Miles Fairley, and wondering what it was I didn't like about him. It's nothing I

can put my finger on, just ..."

"Just that he is not what he appears to be."

"How do you know?" she asked.

"I do not KNOW. But I suspect. I met many such snakes in my life. And since. To my chagrin, and theirs."

"Well, you certainly haven't lost your ego, have you?" Carolyn grimaced. "I can't wait to see if this Miles Fairley comes back into the picture."

"I have no doubt whatsoever." the Captain stated. Then he frowned at the television screen. "So much for privacy at the beach!"

In the early spring, the beautiful beaches of Whitecliff-by-the-Sea were crowded with vacationers, people of all ages building castles on the beach, and playing in the water. Anna, dressed in a bathing costume, stood near the piling, watching intently as an ancient fisherman carved her name into the wood.

"Will my name stay there forever, Mr. Scroggins?"

"Mm hm." he grinned a toothless smile at her, "forever and a day. And I've cut it nice and deep so that all the ships at sea can see

it, as they sail along."

"What a nice idea!" Carolyn smiled. "Candy and Jonathan would love something like that. What on earth? What a funny little bathing

hut! I'd forgotten they had such things."

Anna ran into a bathing machine, which stood at the water's edge and called out towards the sea, "Mummy! Mummy! Come see what Mr. Scroggins has done!"

Lucy, waist deep in the water, smiled, "I'll be right there, darling." She started to the shore, and, draping a robe over her wet

bathing costume, followed Anna to the piling.

"Mr. Scroggins says I'll always be here, and all the captains of all the ships will look at me through spyglasses!"

"Why, that's very thoughtful of Mr. Scroggins." Lucy grinned at the old man, "just think of all the lovely shipwrecks we'll have on

this beach. Now, in the meantime, what do ye say to plotting our course for home?"

Anna looked up at her mother with pleading eyes, "Oh, please, Mummy! Mr. Scroggins and I have GOT to build a breakwater in the canal."

"I'd be pleased to bring her home, mum," Mr. Scroggins offered, giving Anna an affectionate pat on the head.

"All right, skipper," Lucy relented. "But mind you're not too late."

Watching Anna dash off, Lucy started for her bathing machine.

The Captain glanced over at Carolyn, who still wore a charmed smile, "You see, Mrs. Muir. THAT is the appropriate attire for ladies at the beach."

Sticking her tongue out at him, Carolyn offered no further comment.

Dressed in a breezy white dress, Lucy made her way down the narrow country road that led toward Gull Cottage. She was still in sight of the beach when a handkerchief fluttering in the bushes caught her eye.

Pausing, she pulled it out, studying it with a frown, then walked ahead again. There, in a little clearing overlooking the beach sat

Miles Fairley, painting. He saw her at once, and rose with a smile, "Well! Life's just one coincidence after another."

"I told you so, my dear! He has shown up again. And, no doubt, up to no good!" the Captain said. "Coincidence indeed!"

"Thank you for returning my handkerchief, Mr. Fairley."

"I've been rather ashamed about having taken it," he said, coming towards her.

"You should be."

"But only as a writer. It's much too obvious a device."

"And in questionable taste." Lucy added.

"But very necessary."

She was puzzled, "I don't see -"

"I wanted to have something of you, till I saw you again."

Ill at ease, Lucy quickly turned to his easel, "You're quite accomplished, aren't you? I should think being 'Uncle Neddy' would

satisfy anyone."

"No, I also paint. Under the name of Renoir."

Carolyn chuckled, but the Captain merely growled under his breath.

Lucy laughed, "you're such a fool!"

"That's the nicest thing you've said about me."

"What, if anything, do you do as Miles Fairley?"

"Play the fool, generally." he said, drawing closer. "Specifically, I behave quite idiotically towards a certain young lady that I fell

in love with - while passing on a stair."

"Mr. Fairley, please." Lucy said, sternly.

"I have no illusions about my conduct. Am I being unforgivably offensive, Lucy?"

"YES!" roared the Captain. Carolyn jumped, but didn't look away from the screen.

Lucy looked up at Miles with wide eyes, "Lucy?"

"That's your name."

"It's been so long since anyone called me that." she said, softly.

"I know the feeling," Carolyn commented, as if to herself. "I'm Mrs. Muir all the time, not often Carolyn."

The Captain eyed her, but she wouldn't look at him.

"No, you've done nothing really unforgivable. It's just that I'm not - no one has ever -"

"Come and take a look at my canvas." Miles said, seating her in his chair, and uncovering his easel.

"Why, it's me!" she gasped. "You've been painting me!" suddenly she looked up at him in shock, "you've been watching me bathe!"

"I TOLD you he was a cad! No gentleman would watch a lady as she bathed! Never in my life or since have I ..."

"Shh!" Carolyn stopped him. Then she gave him a sly smile, "But I'm glad to hear you haven't been peeking in the bathroom since I've

been here."

The Captain's eyes grew rounder, and he opened his mouth, but Carolyn shushed him again.