IN THE MIRROR
By Susan Smallwood and Susan Griffith

Part 8

Lucy slumped hopelessly against the bench, "I'm so tired, Daniel. I can't see straight or think straight."

The Captain leaned down, trying to catch her eye, "We've only one more chapter to do - better be at it."

But he received no response from her. Straightening up, he put his hands on his hips, and said sternly, "Lucia!"

Lucy looked up and forced a tired smile, "I'm ready, Daniel." She rose and started inside.

"Slave driver." Carolyn muttered. She looked at the Captain. "You are all the same. Men, sea captains ... you all feel you know best."

"As we do." the Captain spoke loftily.

Lost in thought, Captain Gregg paced steadily up and down the room, the tone of his voice rising and falling in turn, "- to all who follow the hard and honorable profession of the sea, to the after-guard

and fo'c'sle alike, to masters, mates and engineers, to able-bodied and ordinary seamen, to stokers, apprentices, ship's boys, carpenters, sailmakers and sea-cooks, I dedicate this volume. The End."

"Madam, why did we not think to put a dedication such as this in OUR story?" the Captain looked at Carolyn.

"Because we didn't write a book which needed it. And this has already been written. We couldn't plagiarize!" Carolyn chuckled.

"The End," Lucy repeated with relief, writing it as she spoke. Putting down her pen, she leaned back in her chair with a sigh.

"Tomorrow you take it to the publishers," he said, standing next to her.

"I hope they like it," she said, passionately, looking up at the Captain. "They MUST like it."

"They will."

She looked down at the manuscript on her lap, "It's strange - I didn't think so at first, but somehow - somehow it's a very wise book."

The Captain went to stand by his telescope, "It had elements of wisdom in it, m'dear. I didn't lead a very wise life myself, but it was a full one and a grown up one." He paused, and pointed out the window with his pipe, "you come of age very quickly though shipwreck

and disaster."

"That you do. That you do." the Captain nodded. "I, of course, DID lead a wise life ..."

"And a full one," Carolyn interjected.

"Aye, and a full one." he agreed with a grin.

"Captain, be quiet and watch, please!" ordered Carolyn.

"I never understood the sea before," Lucy said, approaching him, "or the men who go to sea." She stood across the telescope, looking at him, honestly. "Why did you write the book, Daniel? It wasn't merely

to save the house for me."

He smiled at her, "Partly that. For you and the retired seamen you leave it to in your will. But mostly to help people understand - to MAKE them understand. All those comfortable swabs who sit at home on their beam-ends, reveling in the luxuries seamen risk their lives to bring to them, then despising the poor devils if they so much as touch a drop of rum, and even sneering at the people who try to do them some good - like you and me."

Lucy looked at him steadily, her eyes soft. Suddenly he frowned and changed his tone, "Tomorrow the publishers. Tacket and Sproule in Great Smith Street. And be sure you see Sproule. Owns a small sailing-yacht. Finished fourth in a club regatta once and fancies himself the very devil of a seafaring man." He paused, and chuckled loudly, "To tell the truth, he doesn't know a crojick from a scuttlebutt."

Lucy smiled absently, "Yes, Daniel." She gave the telescope a little push, then stepped out onto the balcony. With a frown of concern, the Captain quietly followed her, the french door closing gently after he passed through.

"Captain," Carolyn said, suddenly, "Have you noticed that this Captain never actually walks THROUGH a door or opens it? It swings open for him, then shuts behind him. I suppose back when this movie was made, they had no way of using special effects to make it appear as if he could dematerialize through a door the way you ..." she broke off. What was she saying?

"It's a simple matter to make the door open and close. Even Elroy had mastered that before he came. It takes practice and artistry to go THROUGH the door." the Captain's voice was smug.

Carolyn chuckled, "And a certain amount of power ... I remember you banging IN to the door when that ship was in Schooner Bay and you lost your power!"

"We will not discuss this any further, Madam." the Captain turned back to the television.

There was a heavy fog, and in the distance a foghorn moaned woefully. Standing at the railing, Lucy listened intently, while the Captain lingered a distance away, eyes on her. Finally he came to stand at her side.

"Now, man, you KNOW you are getting into stormy seas following her out there! By the powers, what sort of a dunderhead IS he?"

"He's caring." Carolyn retorted.

"Do I need to weigh anchor near you always, just to prove I care?" he demanded. "What has he come to? Tied to a woman's apron strings!"

Carolyn smiled wryly, "Next you'll be saying he is just a pet poodle..."

"He's lost all right," the Captain said, quietly. "With the captain cursing a blue streak and wondering why he ever went to sea instead of opening a grocer's shop like a sensible man." he paused and listened to the foghorn. "Treacherous, fog in the channel. I'd rather face a nor'easter."

"Still, it's honest, the sea. It makes you face things honestly, doesn't it?" Lucy said.

An expression of worry passed across the Captain's face, and he glanced at her for an instant. "There's something on your mind."

"Yes," Lucy said, turning to face him, though his eyes were directed out towards sea. "What's to become of us, Daniel - of you and me?"

"Nothing can become of me." he looked down at her, wistfully. "Everything's happened - that can happen."

"But not to me. When we were writing the book, I was happy. We were accomplishing something together. But now - when I try to think of the future - it's all dark and confused - like trying to see into the fog."

Carolyn bit her lip, and tucked her feet under her. The Captain glanced over at her, frowning, then looked back at the movie.

The Captain looked at Lucy shrewdly, then back to sea, frowning deeply. "You've been working too hard, cooped up too long in this house. You need a change of scene."

Lucy looked up in distress, "But I love it here!"

"You should be out in the world more - meeting people," after a pause, he turned to her and added quietly, "seeing men."

"Yes!" The Captain spoke up quickly. "She SHOULD be out."

"I have no desire to see men." Lucy said quickly, looking away from him.

"I know the feeling." Carolyn spoke as if to herself. "Who could possibly compare?" Then she shook herself, and looked over at the

Captain, trying to smile. "Besides, he'd probably borrow some of your tricks, and drive any men off!"

"Me? Madam, are you accusing ME of interfering with your life?" the Captain sounded surprised, and again, both laughed lightly. It

helped to diffuse some of the emotions both were feeling as they watched the scenes unfold on the television.

The Captain moved towards the house, and looked Lucy over tenderly, "You should, Lucia," he said, with a smile. "You're a confoundedly attractive woman - or hadn't you noticed? Really, m'dear, you owe it to yourself."

Lucy remained unconvinced, but was warmed by his praise. "Yes, Daniel." She started to go in, but paused next to him, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he said softly, watching the door close behind her, then gazing back out to sea. "M'dear."

To her horror, Carolyn felt tears pricking her eyes. She blinked rapidly, hoping the Captain hadn't noticed.

Going to her desk, Lucy fingered the manuscript, only looking up when the chronometer began to chime. With a sigh, she dropped down into the Captain's chair, "Oh, Daniel," she whispered. "I'm afraid we've gotten ourselves into an awful fix."

"I must say, I quite agree with her there! How could he have ...?" the Captain suddenly seemed to notice something in Carolyn's

demeanor, and he peered intently at her. "My dear, you are not CRYING, are you? Over this preposterous playacting?"

Carolyn swiped at her eyes. "Of course not!" She stood up, stretching out her legs. "I'm thirsty. Would you like some water, Captain?"

"I still have half a glass of wine." his look was speculative.

"I suppose I drank mine too fast." Carolyn avoided the Captain's eyes, and hurried out to the kitchen.

So, Lucy had fallen in love with her Captain, just as she, Carolyn, had ... NO! She could not think like this! Lucy, too, was aware of the danger and the frustration and the impossibility of such an occurrence. And yet, love seemed to sneak up unawares. Being thrown together so much, how could it not come? Hoping Lucy had a way to regain her equilibrium, one that Carolyn could emulate, Carolyn squared her shoulders and went back to the living room to find out

what would happen next in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

The office of Tacket and Sproule Publishing was a grimy stone building, which was home to several other businesses as well. Picking her way through the bustling London street, Lucy approached it with

relief. Going in, she climbed a narrow flight of stairs and dodged a well-dressed gentleman who came charging down. As he passed her, he stopped dead and gaped, before following her back up.

"I smell a rat already." the Captain said to Carolyn, who nodded slowly.