MISSING SCENES from the PILOT
GHOST AND MRS. MUIR Susan Griffith
Captain Daniel Gregg stood at his telescope, scowling at the sunny day. He
had not been in a good mood since finding out that Gull Cottage had been rented
out, WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION!! His eye sharpened, seeing a packed white station
wagon driving up the winding road and stopping at the gate. A young boy
clambered out, followed by his equally fair-haired sister. The two adults got
out too, and all four stood at the stone wall, eying the cottage. The younger
woman had a thrilled look on her face, not matched by the older one. The
Captain went down near them to hear their first comments about the house.
"Oh, Martha!" the young woman breathed in wonder. "This is even MORE
charming than I imagined! Gull Cottage!"
The older woman sniffed. "Now that we know where the gulls live, where do
WE?"
The boy commented, "I never seen a house like this before."
Again Martha spoke dryly. "NOBODY ever seen a house like this before."
The younger woman paid no attention to the others' comments. With her eyes
still on the house, she opened the rickety gate and stepped into the yard.
"It's EXACTLY what I had in mind. A dear, gentle, lovely little house!"
Captain Gregg retreated to the upper room again ... he needed to rethink his
position. This widow, whom he had been so intent on scaring off immediately,
was gorgeous! And she liked his house! Maybe he should let her stay a little
longer ... just to see what else she had to say after seeing the INSIDE of the
house! Then he glowered again as Claymore came up in his smoking vehicle. The
three adults conferred for a few minutes, the Captain learning the name of the
younger woman -- Carolyn Muir. The three then came towards the house. The
Captain listened in to the conversation again as Carolyn came first into the
house. "Oh, Martha, look ... it's enchanting!"
"It is?"
Seeing the boy start up the stairs, the Captain went up there and opened a
door with a slow creak. For an instant the boy paused, then continued on. He
peeked into the first room, then carried on to the next -- the Captain's own
bedroom.
The Captain materialized by the telescope, a deep frown on his face as he
looked at the lad. "What are you doing here? Who are you?"
"I'm Jonathan Muir. My sister is Candy. We're moving in."
"This is my house! I don't want you here!"
"We're resting it, Mom said." the boy said stubbornly, if incorrectly.
"Wresting it from ME!" the Captain shouted, but the boy didn't back down.
"Who are you?" he asked bravely and politely.
"Captain Daniel Gregg. I repeat, this is my house! I built it and lived here
and died here long before you were born...and I intend to stay here BY MYSELF!"
With that, he disappeared...more to see whether or not the lad would be scared
than because he had finished the conversation.
Jonathan slowly made his way over to the telescope. He hesitantly put his
hand out to touch it, then seemed to change his mind, and turned around to go
back downstairs. Content that at the least the lad was not going to wreck
things, the Captain went to listen in to the conversation of the adults again,
as they made their way from the kitchen to the living room.
Again the beautiful woman, Carolyn Muir, entered the room first, being
obviously the most eager to see everything. Her glance fell first on the
portrait of the Captain, and she drew in her breath sharply.
As the others followed her in, she said, almost to herself, "What a
magnificent man!"
"Who is it?" asked Candy in wonder.
Claymore said hastily, "The original owner of Gull Cottage, my great-uncle,
Captain Daniel Gregg."
"He's very handsome," said Carolyn, moving closer, never taking her eyes off
the picture.
"Handsome is as handsome does!" quoted Claymore, nastily. The Captain almost
kicked him, but Carolyn was speaking again.
"I'm sure Captain Gregg did very handsomely!"
At this point, Martha went over to the windows and opened the shutters and the
windows. "Maybe he'd like some fresh air."
Candy went over and bounced on the seat. "Look, a window seat! I love this
house!"
"I'm going to paint these walls sea-green..." Carolyn mused. At that point
Jonathan came up to her, staring hard at the portrait of the Captain over the
mantel. Carolyn bent down to him. "What do you think of him, Jonathan?"
"I don't think he likes us." the boy said soberly. Captain Gregg felt like
applauding. The lad understood!
"He's not alive anymore, darling. He died before any of us were born."
Carolyn explained.
"I know. He told me." Jonathan said matter-of-factly.
"What?" Claymore was astounded.
Captain Gregg had had enough of THIS bilge-barnacle. He appeared to Jonathan
only. "Tell your mother I want to see this blasted house ship-shape and bristol-fashion
before she leaves!" he roared.
As Carolyn was saying, "He likes to pretend..." to Claymore, Jonathan burst
out with the Captain's request.
"The Captain says he wants to see the blasted house ship-shape and bristol-fashion!"
Everyone laughed, and Jonathan turned to go. Martha said, "Listen to him!
He's been here ten minutes and already he's an old salt!"
She left the room with the children, and Carolyn and Claymore turned to
follow. As they did, the Captain let a chuckle roll through the room. Carolyn
turned back. "What was that?"
Claymore was scared and flustered. "The, uh, wind...in the chimney. It'll
keep you up all night, the noises!"
"Well, that'll be a welcome change from city noises!" Carolyn smiled. "Let's
go upstairs."
Again the Captain retreated before them up the stairs. Carolyn went up
quickly, Claymore following, brushing away the cobwebs that draped over him,
saying, "Well, there's really nothing to see, Mrs. Muir. This part of the house
should have been condemned years ago! These stairs are unbearable!"
Carolyn grinned. "It'll keep us in shape." The Captain nodded from his
invisible position. And she was in exquisite shape right now! Carolyn went
into the first room and looked around. "What a charming room for the children!
Oh, it's lovely! Was it originally the nursery?" she turned an inquiring face
to Claymore. Captain Gregg almost choked.
"Oh no, hardly!" Claymore muttered. "Captain Gregg was a bachelor."
"What a waste!" Carolyn murmured wickedly, and the Captain's eyes gleamed.
She WAS a feisty beauty, this one!
They moved on, Carolyn putting her hand on the doorknob of the next room just
as Claymore gave a terrified whimper and yelped with a strangled cry, "Wait a
minute! That was the Captain's cabin!"
Carolyn rolled her eyes. "Well, it'll be my room. It's handy to the
children." she explained, opening the door and stepping in. "Oh, what a
MARVELOUS room!" She wandered around the room, gently touching the various
articles of nautical memorabilia she found.
Claymore spoke nervously and quickly. "Mrs. Muir, there have been
disturbances here..."
"Disturbances?"
"And noises..."
"Oh, every house has noises!"
"And happenings...that can't be explained..."
"Now you mustn't let your imagination run away with you!" she spoke firmly,
but a trifle absently. The Captain's eyes sharpened as she neared the
telescope. Would she smudge the lens? She touched it lightly. "Does the
telescope go with the house?"
Claymore winced. "Oh yes, it's stood right where it is over a hundred years.
Oooh, I wouldn't touch that if I were you!"
Carolyn pulled her hand away, looking closely at the telescope. "There's not
a speck of dust! Somebody's polished that!" She shrugged off the conundrum and
moved away to look at some other things.
Claymore sidled over to the telescope and put out his hand. Captain Gregg
swung it around to crack against the back of the man's head, then when Claymore
looked into the wrong end, the Captain made a ferocious face at him. Claymore
promptly let out a screech. "Cancel the lease! Cancel the lease!" and he fled
the room.
Carolyn looked up from the desk, then followed Claymore. The Captain could no
longer contain himself, and his deep chuckle rang out again. Carolyn checked
herself, looking quickly around the room, then went after Claymore.
In spite of Claymore's insistent and almost incoherent babbling about Gull
Cottage being haunted, Carolyn refused to even consider leaving. Instead, she
mustered the children and Martha, giving them their assignments, and together
they proceeded to organize their home. Captain Gregg, infuriated that she
wouldn't leave, delighted in playing pranks on her, such as pushing her gently
back down the outside steps when she was attempting to bring in a heavy load
from the car, blowing soot in her face when she was cleaning the fireplace out,
and tumbling a lot of junk out of the closet on to her when she opened the
door. Because she had changed in to slacks, and he disapproved of slacks for
women, he waited until Martha was washing the balcony bannister and Carolyn was
mopping the porch floor. Then he dribbled water down Carolyn's back where the
blouse didn't quite meet the waistband of her pants. She straightened up
quickly, looking around to see where the water had come from. Martha threw the
entire bucket of water to rinse the floor of the balcony, and again the Captain
caused some water to hit Carolyn, dampening her spirits somewhat. Then he tired
of such antics and retreated to the wheelhouse to sulk.
Hearing hesitant footsteps on the stairs, he turned as the door pushed open
slowly, revealing Jonathan. "Are you here, Captain Gregg?"
The Captain materialized. "Aye. I'm always here. You may come in."
"Thank you." The boy walked over to a dusty loveseat, sat down and looked
around. "Why is everything so dirty here?"
"Because no one has cleaned it for a very long time. Blast it, boy, do you
think I'm a cleaning lady?" the Captain bristled.
"No. But you keep SOME things clean, like your telescope. And your desk. I
guess important things are worth cleaning, right?"
"Right, lad. A little dust on furniture never hurt anyone." The Captain eyed
the boy intently. He seemed rather subdued. "How old are you?" he barked.
"Six. How old are you?"
Slightly taken aback, the Captain paused a moment, then said gruffly, "One
hundred and thirty-eight."
"That's only a hundred and thirty two older'n me." Jonathan said. "Do you
have any little boys?"
"No. I have no family."
"Just us, now." Jonathan smiled, a trifle sadly. "We have no dad anymore. So
I guess we fit."
The Captain cleared his throat noisily, but Jonathan paid no attention. He
was looking around again. "Why don't you have much light up here? And why
isn't it on?" he added, looking up at the single bare bulb on the ceiling, with
cobwebs hanging from it.
"Bah! Modern inconveniences! Who needs electricity or running water? I hate
electric lights...much too harsh! Give me a candle or an oil lamp any day!" and
the Captain pointed to a lamp which began burning brightly, casting a soft glow
over the room.
Jonathan shrugged. He eyed ship models, and something that looked like a net,
and a statue of a woman stuck to a post in the middle of the room. "What's
that?"
"A figurehead, my boy. It was on the front of my first ship."
"You had a ship?" Jonathan sounded awed and impressed.
Captain Gregg felt flattered. "Yes, I am a sea captain. I had a number of
ships under my command."
"I wish I could go on a boat sometime."
The Captain winced. "Ship, not boat. And give it time...you ARE only six."
Then he rummaged a bit and turned back to the boy. "Here, lad, want to try some
fishing?" and he held out a fishing rod.
"Oh boy, a real fishing rod!" Jonathan's eyes brightened. "Does it have a
real hook and everything?"
"It certainly does!" said the Captain. "So be very careful with it! You
don't want to stick yourself."
"No, sir!" Jonathan held it reverently and carefully. "Where can I try it?"
"Well, we can't go down to the water right now, so how about trying it over
the balcony?"
"Neat!" Jonathan's eyes were shining.
"Neat?" The Captain shook his head. "We'll have you talking like a seaman in
no time, lad! No more landlubber talk for you!"
The two went down the stairs to the second floor, and out the French doors
onto the balcony from the master bedroom. There the Captain showed Jonathan how
to hold the rod, and how to cast it without tangling it in anything. To
Jonathan's surprise, he felt it catch and hold something. A startled shout from
below caused him to peep over the bannister to see Martha with a basket of
clothes, some of which Jonathan had snagged with the hook.
"Sorry, Martha!" Jonathan called. "But we wanted to try the rod!"
"Next time, watch where you're throwing it... into water is always best." she
grumbled, but a grin was splitting her face. "We'll get down to the beach
tomorrow -- promise!"
"Thanks, Martha!"
Jonathan and the Captain retreated again to the attic. "I guess that wasn't a
great idea." Jonathan sighed. "Maybe I'll go see if the painter has finished."
"Off you go. And if he's changed much, I'll keelhaul him!" the Captain
blustered.
Heading downstairs, Jonathan entered the living room where Mr. Peavey was
finishing up painting the walls the sea-green colour Carolyn had envisioned.
"You gonna finish painting today?" Jonathan asked, sitting on the sofa and
watching closely.
"Might. Then again, might not." Mr. Peavey shrugged. He painted for a minute
more, then eyed his work. "Like the colour, son?"
"I like it...but HE won't." Jonathan commented.
Mr. Peavey's eyes followed Jonathan's to the portrait, and he smiled a bit
nervously. "Don't believe in ghosts, do you?"
Jonathan leaned back with his hands over his head. "Might. Then again, might
not." he repeated the man's own words.
Mr. Peavey chuckled. "That old sea-dog don't scare ME none!" he boasted, then
turned back and picked up his brush, which Jonathan had watched the Captain turn
upside down in the paint can. Biting back a curse, Mr. Peavey wiped his hand
clean, then gingerly wiped off the brush, obviously wondering how he had managed
to do that. He put it back on the can while turning back to Jonathan. He
opened his mouth to say something, but before any words came out, the brush rose
from the can and floated before his disbelieving eyes. Then it came closer,
brushed paint on the front of his coveralls, then painted his nose. With a cry
of terror, Mr. Peavey tore out the door, ignoring the small boy sitting quietly
on the sofa, watching.
Captain Gregg gathered up the pails and hurled them at Mr. Peavey as he
clambered in the truck, then went back for the cover sheet and draped it over
the terrified man. Then he started the vehicle and sent the painter on his way
back to town. This was how to get rid of unwanted people in the house! The
Captain supposed he SHOULD just pack up the Muir family the same way...but they
were beginning to grow on him. Jonathan already worshiped him, and that was a
good feeling. And Carolyn was certainly something to look at! The little girl
was very mischievous-looking, and already had the look of her mother in her
face. Martha made him laugh ... and the house was clean now! Women and
children DID have their place, sometimes. And yet, he couldn't be TOO easy on
them! After all, they had boarded his vessel without his permission! Just
thinking of that, his mood darkened, as did the weather. Storm clouds gathered
in the twilight, and soon a full-blown thunderstorm was in progress.
When Carolyn was putting the children to bed, the Captain was nearby,
although he would not materialize. She tucked both of them in, then a
particularly loud clap of thunder and flash of lightening cut out the
electricity. Jonathan sat up in bed. "It's Captain Gregg, it's Captain Gregg!"
"No, it's a power failure, dear." Carolyn said calmly and soothingly. "You
have to expect things like this in an old house. That's why I put candles all
around."
Jonathan lay back in the bed. "Captain Gregg hates electric lights." he said.
"How do YOU know?" Candy demanded from her bed.
"He told me." Jonathan answered.
"Mom, he's trying to scare me! Make him stop!" Candy cried.
"Jonathan, stop trying to scare your sister." Carolyn said, obediently.
"I'm sorry." Jonathan said. "G'night, Candy."
"G'night, Jonathan."
"G'night, Mom." Jonathan continued.
"Good night, Jonathan." she answered.
A very loud clap of thunder sounded again. Candy scrunched her eyes shut.
Jonathan looked up at the ceiling. "G'night, Captain Gregg."
Candy shot up in bed again. "Mom, he's doing it again!"
"Jonathan, stop it!" Carolyn ordered.
"Don't tell ME, tell HIM!" Jonathan said.
"All right now!" Carolyn was clearly exasperated. It had been a long, hard
day. "I want you BOTH to go to sleep. And you, too, Captain Gregg!"
The Captain was astounded at her temerity. Telling him to go to sleep? He
growled his disapproval in the thunder rolls. This was going too far -- he'd
have to have a talk with her, and let her know the rules of his vessel!
Going downstairs with a candle, Carolyn heard a window shutter banging in the
storm. She entered the living room and the wind blew out her candle. She
jumped, then moved to shut the window, latching it. "I know you're there!" she
spoke aloud, her voice only trembling a little.
The window blew open again with a severe gust of wind. Carolyn went back and
closed it once more. Then she spoke crossly. "Stop acting like an adolescent!
If you have something to say, SAY IT!" There was a pause, only the thunder
rolling. "Well, if there's anything I hate," she tossed her head as she headed
out the door, "it's a cowardly ghost!"
She was almost out of the room when the Captain found his voice and ordered,
"Light the candle!"
Carolyn stopped in her tracks, and looked around, peering into the dim
light.
"Light it!" How DARE she accuse him of cowardice!
She fumbled for the matches, finally succeeding in getting the candle lit. A
shadowy form appeared across the room, becoming clearer as the candle burned
brighter. "C-Captain Gregg?" she stammered.
The Captain spoke arrogantly. "Madam, you called me cowardly. It was not
only rude, it was inaccurate."
"Well, I..." she attempted to speak, but he continued on as if she hadn't
bothered.
"I may have been a scoundrel, but I was NEVER a coward!"
Carolyn took a deep breath. "Your nephew, Claymore Gregg, SAID you were
here, but..."
The Captain roared his disgust. "That miserable wart? That spineless toad?
Related to ME? NEVER! I am an only son of an only son! I never met Claymore
Gregg's grandmother in my life! I've been trying to tell him that for years,
but every time he sees me, he faints!" Seeing Carolyn eyeing him carefully,
almost in disbelief, he winked at her. "I'll say this much for you," he added,
roguishly. "YOU haven't fainted."
Carolyn swallowed. "Disappointed?" she queried, somewhat sarcastically.
"Now, don't go too far! I've been easy on you. That's because you've said
one or two ... intelligent things since you've been here." He stroked his beard,
reflectively. "Damned unusual thing for one of your sex!"
Speaking coldly, Carolyn said through gritted teeth, "I take it you don't
like women!"
"It's impossible to LIKE women!" he laughed. "Love ‘em, yes. Like ‘em, no!"
"You must have been a very aggravating man!"
"Perhaps. To women. I was never tied to an apron string, nor put by the
fireplace like a pet poodle -- though, of course, many TRIED."
He enjoyed bragging about his past exploits.
"I suppose you had a girl in every port?"
"Ten, twenty ... half a hundred if I wanted." he laughed.
"What happened?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her. "Were you
murdered by a jealous husband?"
"No." His face dropped. "I kicked the blasted gas heater on with my blasted
foot. There was a southwest gale blowing -- I had to close my bedroom window.
The coroner's jury brought in a verdict of suicide because my confounded
cleaning woman testified that I always slept with my windows open!" He leaned
closer to Carolyn, beginning to shout again as the old anger rose inside. "How
would SHE know how I slept? She was a hundred and ten with a WART on her nose!"
Carolyn quickly turned and shut the living room door. "Please, don't yell!"
"Oh, the children can't hear me..." he shrugged.
"Now that we've moved in, I hope you'll be kind enough to do your haunting
elsewhere!" Carolyn spoke firmly.
"Elsewhere?" the Captain was aghast at the thought, then infuriated. "You do
your LIVING elsewhere! I spent my life savings on this house! I meant it to be
a home for retired seamen!"
"Well, then, you should have put that in your will!" retorted Carolyn.
"I didn't leave a will."
"Why not?" she asked.
Frustrated, he roared again. "Because I didn't mean to kick the blasted
heater with my blasted foot!"
Carolyn blazed up herself. "Well, it's not MY fault you kicked the blasted
heater with your blasted foot!"
Stunned by her words, the Captain calmed down a bit. "Blast is not a lady's
word!"
"BLAST!" she cried out. "Blast! Blast! We CAN'T leave! We've spent all
our savings to move here!" Tears began to gather in her eyes, and angrily she
blinked at them, trying to dislodge them.
The Captain was shocked. "Now look...here, belay that. Don't... don't CRY!"
Carolyn turned away. "This is ridiculous! There's no such thing as a
ghost!"
Drawing closer, the Captain peeked at her face again. No mistaking the
tears. "Never could stand to see a woman cry," he murmured, as if to himself.
"From the moment I saw this house, I seemed to belong here." Carolyn was
saying quietly, through her tears. "It was as if it were welcoming me, asking
me to rescue it from being empty..."
Taking a deep breath, Captain Gregg surrendered to the inevitable. "Very
well, you love the house. That counts for you. And you have spunk. That
counts for you, too! You can stay. On trial!"
"Thank you." Carolyn smiled tremulously. Then she added after a second,
"When can you pack?"
The Captain swung around towards her again, anger gathering once more on his
brow. "Pack? ME?"
"Well, we can't all live here as one big, happy family!" she protested
angrily. "Either you go, or WE go!"
"You're not turning ME out on the beach! I said you could stay -- I'm being
reasonable and fair. You are being UNREASONABLE and UNFAIR! Women never
change! The smartest thing I ever did was to remain a bachelor! Good night,
Mrs. Muir!" and with a hiss, he vanished, fuming. How dare she try to order him
out of his own place? What nerve! He had no intentions of leaving! If she
didn't want to stay, she could just leave herself!
Soon there were candles being lit, and commotion over the house. She had
obviously kept her word, and was going to leave. Good! Who needed someone like
that anyway! He was master here, and had no intention of handing the reins of
authority over to anyone -- especially a WOMAN!
The last one out the front door, Jonathan looked around and up the stairs.
"Goodbye, Captain Gregg." he said sadly, closing the door behind him.
Captain Gregg materialized on the stair landing. After a moment, he blew out
the candle at the bottom of the stairs, and listened to the car drive away. All
seemed quiet in the house now. Empty. Blast it all, she was right! The house
WAS begging to be rescued from its emptiness! HE was feeling empty now! He had
to get her back! And with that thought, he was at the wheel of her car,
wrenching it around in spite of her heated resistance so that the car did a
u-turn on the road and soon was back at Gull Cottage.
"You changed your mind!" Martha was astounded.
"Oh, no, I didn't!" Carolyn said, curtly.
As they got out of the car, the Captain turned back on the electricity to
welcome the family "home". While the others huddled in the kitchen and Carolyn
tried to use the phone, Captain Gregg unpacked a couple of her suitcases from
the car and carried them up the stairs. She saw them go past, and, slamming
down the receiver, ran up after them. By the time she burst into the bedroom,
he was peering out with the telescope, seemingly indifferent to everything that
had been happening.
"How DARE you bring us back!" she cried.
He turned leisurely. "What, you back again? I thought I had gotten rid of
the lot of you."
"Why did you stop us?" she spoke furiously, approaching him at the telescope.
"Stop you? You're mistaken." he said, mildly.
"I insist that you spirit our things right back into the car!" When he did
not answer immediately, she clapped her hand over the end of the telescope so he
could no longer look out of it.
Finally he looked at her. "I'm not surprised that you forced your way back
in here. After all, it's a marvelous house..."
"With a ‘marvelous' ghost!" she mimicked.
"And you're in so deep!" he continued smoothly. "First and last months'
rent. All that money wasted."
"That is no concern of yours!"
"I admit that the house is bit run down." he spoke again, paying no heed to
her fury. "But it can be fixed. And it's ideal for the children."
She picked up her suitcases. "You don't WANT us to leave, but you won't
admit it!" and she turned to leave.
His voice came after her softly. "And you're afraid to stay, but YOU won't
admit it." She turned back in surprise. He immediately pressed his
advantage. "Well, I might as well let you spend the night...."
Her lips tightened, and she dropped the cases at her feet again. "I don't
NEED your permission. I have a lease."
"Quite." He tried not to smile. He was winning! "Well, I'll keep watch on
the bridge, right above our room..."
Colour suffused into Carolyn's face, her eyes widened and she faltered, "OUR
room?"
Captain Gregg raised an eyebrow. She WAS enchanting! "Well, it was my room
at one time." he reminded her mildly. "No need to blush, madam. After all, I'm
only a spirit." But if he WEREN'T, what he would do to her!
"But, I see you!" her voice was faint.
"Only an illusion. Now you see me, now you..." and he disappeared with a snap
of his fingers.
"You come back here!" she cried out.
"As you wish." came the quiet, melodious voice from behind her. She turned
her head to look at him, then faced away again.
Speaking firmly, Carolyn said, "I won't agree to stay unless I'm completely
free to go."
Now it was the Captain's turn to speak quietly. "My dear, when you REALLY
want to go, I won't be able to stop you."
"You stopped me this time!" she swung back to him, eyes on his.
"Did I?" he questioned, softly and insistently. "Did I?" Reading the
confusion in her eyes, he smiled, and disappeared.
It wasn't long before things settled down in the house once more. Waiting a
while after the light went out in the main bedroom, the Captain appeared in the
room. Carolyn was asleep on his bed. Would that he could share it with her!
Carefully and quietly unlatching the window, the Captain opened it slightly, and
then stood watching her sleep. The moonlight streaming in the windows
highlighted her beautiful face. Certainly he was attracted to her beauty,
gracefulness and femininity... but somehow what truly captivated him was her
determination, independence and intelligence that matched his own! She was no
clinging vine like the women of his day, swooning over the slightest thing! Her
courage and fearlessness came through everything she did.
In heartfelt tones, the Captain murmured aloud, "I never once allowed a woman
on board my ship, but if I had known you a hundred years ago, I would have
carried you off to sea and shown you how beautiful the world can be. I've met
my match in you. Lord knows, I waited for you, and hunted for you. How was I
to know you hadn't even been born yet? No...you won't remember any of this when
you wake up, madam. You shan't have that advantage over me. How sad, that you
were not born in my time, nor I in yours!"
After a few more moments of dreaming by her side, he took up his post on the
widow's walk, guarding "his" family for the night.