"Claymore's Doing"

("Ladies' Man" Missing Scenes)

Carolyn went out to the garden after the children and Martha had left for Schooner Bay. It was a lovely day. She was still buoyant from the night before, when she had managed to match Claymore with a couple of her college friends. Feeling sorry for the poor man, when the Captain had suggested a way to give Claymore's confidence in his romanticism a boost, Carolyn had arranged to go out with Claymore to a movie and "accidentally" run into Paula and Betty. Those two had been willing to play along, and Carolyn was anxious to hear how things had turned out.

She had clipped a small bouquet of flowers when she heard a car

coming up the road, and soon recognized Claymore. He was laughing as

he pulled the car up to where she was standing by the stone wall.

"Hi, Claymore," Carolyn called.

"Hi, Mrs. Muir." Claymore climbed jauntily out of the car.

"How was your evening last night?"

"Oh hoh," he laughed. "Fabulous!" He sat on the wall in front of

her. "However, it was even better for Paula and Betty!"

Obviously the scheme had worked ... Claymore was oozing confidence

now! "Well, that should prove to you that you're not the washout that

you thought you were with women!" Carolyn said, rolling her eyes a bit

as she played along with him.

"I finally accepted the fact that I have some strange animal

magnetism that DRAWS women to me!" Claymore boasted.

Smothering a grin, Carolyn shook her bouquet teasingly at him. "I

always thought you did!" She crouched down to clip a few more

flowers.

"It's partly the eyes." Claymore leaned back along the wall in a

dramatic pose. "They're so fiery and restless. Mrs. Muir, does this

do anything for you?" and he whipped off his sunglasses. His weak

right eye blinked rapidly for a moment.

"Fantastic!" Carolyn agreed.

"Ha ha, isn't it?" He put the glasses back on. "It's so funny,

Mrs. Muir. The answer came to me in a flash ... what my trouble had

been all this time."

"Oh? What was that?"

"You see, Paula and Betty have class. They RECOGNIZE class. Up

until now, all my dates have been beneath my level. But that's all in

the past now." Claymore sat up quickly, and jumped off the wall to

crouch in the Gull Cottage garden beside Carolyn. "That's why I'm

here." His hand seized her wrist, and his voice suddenly dropped to a

low, intimate level. "To see you ...Carolyn."

"Me?" Carolyn began to draw back, suddenly unsure of what was

happening, but VERY sure she did not like it.

"Now, don't play it cool, when your pulse is pounding and the blood

is racing through your veins at the very sight of me!" Claymore's one

hand still firmly gripped her wrist. With the other hand, he pulled

off his sunglasses again, trying to dazzle her.

"Claymore! What's gotten into you?" Carolyn tried in vain to shake

off his hand as she got to her feet. Claymore, however, stuck with

her, putting his glasses back on.

"Paula and Betty told me just how much you've spoken about me."

His finger came up almost accusingly in her face. She backed up a

couple of steps, but he followed, still clutching her wrist. "Is that

true?" he demanded.

"Yes..." Carolyn began.

"And last night," he continued, releasing his hold, but still

advancing so that she was forced to retreat across the lawn haltingly,

a step at a time, "did you or did you not practically BEG me to take

you out -- even PAY for me?"

"Well..." but she was not allowed to finish.

"And weren't you insanely jealous when I stayed behind with the

girls in the malt shop?" By now, Carolyn had stopped under a tree.

"Jealous?!" Carolyn was flabbergasted. Where on earth had Claymore

come up with such ridiculous ideas?! If Paula and Betty had said

anything ...

"Don't worry, Mrs. Muir, your dream has come true. I will pick you

up at seven. Be ready..."

"But, Claymore," she tried feebly to protest.

His hand covered her lips. "Don't fight it. It's bigger than both

of us." he spoke theatrically.

Eyes wide, a dumfounded Carolyn shook her head slightly to dislodge

his hand, unable to come up with anything to say.

Claymore snatched a few petals of the bouquet that Carolyn had been

holding to her chest as a sort of shield. "These are just lovely."

Then he swept away, and tried to jump over the wall. But his dramatic

exit failed. His leg smashed into the stones, and he was forced to

limp out of the gate. "Bye!"

Hiding her laugh behind her bouquet, Carolyn suddenly heard the

Captain behind her, imitating Claymore with great success. "Don't

fight it, my dear, it is bigger than both of us! That OAF!"

Since Claymore had by now driven away, Carolyn laughed aloud,

dropping the flowers from her face. "Do you believe it? What a

switch!" Shaking her head over the contrast of today's swaggering

Claymore and yesterday's would-be monk, Carolyn started across the

lawn to the front door, the Captain pacing with her.

"Well, don't concern yourself, my dear." he said. "When he comes

back this evening, you tell him the truth, and I will usher him to the

door."

Carolyn shook her head. "Oh, the truth would shatter him. It

would break his heart!"

"He has to learn the truth somehow." the Captain pointed out.

"Well, I don't know." Carolyn stopped on the porch, and thought a

bit. "You know, knowing Claymore as we do, there might be another way

to discourage him. What would you say is more sensitive than his

heart?"

"His wallet." The Captain nodded, his eyes lighting up as he

perceived the genius of her plan.

"Exactly!"

"Women!" he shook his head. "I'd hate to have you NOT on my side

with your schemes."

"Well, we DID want him to have confidence. We can't just take it

away from him now because he has the wrong idea about me."

"So you are not interested in him?" came the rhetorical question,

spoken in a very dry voice.

Carolyn narrowed her eyes as she glared at the Captain. "You know

EXACTLY what I think of Claymore!"

"Like most women, you have been known to change your mind." he

spoke loftily. "Women haven't changed since my day. They tend to be

rather frail creatures. And all women, including you, need a man

around to make them feel complete. Even such a pitiful excuse for a

man as Claymore."

"I don't NEED a man!" Carolyn flared up. She turned and stormed

into the house, slamming the door behind herself.

A few hours later, while she was typing in her room, Carolyn felt

instinctively that the Captain was in the room with her. She

straightened up, and his voice came softly in her ear, "My dear, you

have been working non-stop for a couple of hours. I suggest you take

a break before lunch ..."

Rubbing her neck, Carolyn ruefully admitted that he was right. He

seemed to have decided to ignore their last little tiff, so she

wouldn't bring the subject up either. Too often, these days, it

seemed they were bickering. "Yes, I could use a walk on the beach, I

think. Is Martha back yet?"

"I don't believe so."

"Are you coming with me?" she stood up and looked questioningly at

him.

"I'd be delighted, madam."

They made their way down to the beach and started along northward,

away from Schooner Bay. Carolyn was making small talk, telling the

Captain some more details of her plans for the evening with Claymore.

"I still say it's a good thing he's no true descendant of mine.

Suave runs in my family, and Claymore definitely does not have it."

the Captain grimaced. "I did my best with him ... but then, as I told

him, very few men are as suave as I am."

"Not to mention modest." Carolyn murmured, a trifle wickedly.

"Some of us have a way with ladies. Others can never learn. I

think we both know which category that simpering ninny falls in!" the

arrogance in his voice was unmistakable.

"Women can generally tell them apart." commented Carolyn airily.

"Not desperate women. Women who NEED a man. Like widows..." he

stopped suddenly, facing the sea and not Carolyn. "I beg your pardon,

Madam. That was rude of me, and quite untrue in your case ..."

Carolyn ignored him, picking her way over a particularly rocky part

of the beach. "Oops!" One rock she had stepped on rolled out from

under her.

The Captain spun to face her, looking ready to grip her arms.

"Avast there!" he warned. "You have to watch where you're stepping,

Madam!" His voice dropped to an intimate growl.

In this electric moment, Carolyn could only fasten her eyes on his

jacket lapels ... then his smiling mouth when she made herself look

higher. And higher still...blue eyes to wallow in. She could drown

in this sensation of infinite strength, hers for the asking. Then,

startled, she wondered where that last phrase had come from. She

couldn't possibly ask!

"Take it slow and easy, my dear," he advised, and turned away.

Resentment flared as she heard the amusement in his voice -- an

insufferably masculine smugness that he could make her aware of him,

make her body respond to even the illusion of his! I suppose he

thinks I'm the typical starved little widow, Carolyn thought a trifle

bitterly. But if she DID hunger, it was for something much deeper and

more essential than a male body, no matter how superb!! "I do NOT

need a man!" she muttered under her breath. "Not even an aggravating

GHOST of a man!"

"Did you say something?" he asked, looking back at her with an

inquiring air.

"No, Captain." Carolyn refused to let him see that he had riled her

yet again. "Umm, maybe we've gone far enough. I still want to finish

that article before supper, and I'm sure Martha will be home now and

waiting lunch for me."

"As you wish." the Captain's gaze was warm on her. "I enjoyed our

walk ... and I must admit, you DID come up with an excellent idea for

scuttling the romantic notions that skinflint is harbouring. I look

forward to this evening."

"I just hope I can pull it off." Carolyn said, softly. "Without

hurting him."

"You have a gentle heart, my dear." the Captain's voice was low and

he smiled tenderly at her. Carolyn felt her irritation with him melt

away. She returned his smile with an enchanting one of her own.

"Thank you."

Together they walked back up to Gull Cottage. Martha was home and

she and Carolyn had lunch, then Carolyn shut herself in her room

again, insisting she only had a couple of hours work left, and she had

to finish!

Just before seven, Martha hurried the children upstairs so the

three of them would be out of the way when Claymore arrived to take

Carolyn out for their date. Carolyn had confided in her friend that

she meant to turn him down, and really didn't need any distractions.

Martha, amused by the story, had agreed to Carolyn's request.

The interview with Claymore went just as Carolyn and the Captain

had planned. Carolyn drew on all her acting ability to fawn over

Claymore. He almost choked on his sherry at one point when Carolyn

said something about, "after the wedding..."

"When did I go TO the wedding?" he spluttered. Then he assumed a

devil-may-care attitude, trying to act like Gregory Peck. He told her

he was a playboy and must belong to ALL women, everywhere. In a

dramatic gesture, he shattered his glass into the fireplace and walked

out.

Carolyn feigned hurt and puzzlement, following him to the door of

the living room, but Claymore gently took her by the shoulders and

turned her away. "Turn around, my child," he said. "Turn around, and

don't look back."

When he had made his escape, Carolyn picked up her sherry glass and

toasted the Captain who appeared beside her.

He returned her grin, saying, "I do hope that you'll be able to

recover from this ... heart-rending incident."

Posing dramatically by the fireplace, Carolyn said grandly, "I'll

try, Captain. I'll try! But it won't be easy! You see, there are

only TWO Gregory Pecks!" She drained her glass, then threw it into

the fireplace.

"You are a wonderful actress, my dear. You almost had ME convinced

that you were seriously considering Claymore as a possible husband!"

Before Carolyn could respond, she heard Martha coming down the

stairs. "Mrs. Muir? Did I just hear Claymore leaving? He spun his

tires trying to get away! You must have REALLY scared him off ...

although I admit, this house seems to have that effect on him all the

time."

Carolyn went into the entryway to meet Martha, grinning at her.

"Well, let's just say he didn't go into paroxysms of delight. I

merely mentioned all the money he would be able to spend, not to

mention a villa in Spain and school in Switzerland for the children

..."

"Very nasty of you, to be sure." Martha said, approvingly. "Well,

the children are asleep. As usual, Schooner Bay night-life is too

much for me." She yawned. "I think I'll turn in myself."

"I'll just go sit on the verandah for a while. It's a nice night.

And, after all, I was expecting to go out tonight!"

"Of course. That's why you ate supper with us." Martha nodded.

"Goodnight, Mrs. Muir."

"Goodnight, Martha." Carolyn waited until Martha went to her room,

then she caught up a sweater from the hall table and let herself out

of the house. She was only out for a moment before she was aware of

the Captain beside her.

"Do I get a weather report tonight, Captain?" she teased him.

"The sky is studded with stars, the air is balmy ... and in the

light of the full moon, you are exquisite, my dear."

The rather unexpected ending took her breath away. She glanced at

him and found him regarding her with a serious look on his face.

"Thank you," she murmured, faintly, looking away from the intensity of

his eyes.

He drew closer. "I COULD quote that bubbleheaded booby and say,

æNow don't play it cool when your pulse is pounding and the blood is

racing through your veins at the very sight of me.' And I dare say it

is possible that statement could be true right now." His low, ardent

drawl sent shivers through her body. Carolyn swallowed hard.

"Captain..." she spoke in almost a whisper. Her hands shook and

she clasped them together. "I ... you ... we ..."

"Lovely words, those three."

"You know," Carolyn forced the words out of trembling lips, "we

really owe all this to Claymore."

"What in blue blazes are you babbling about? Claymore? That

cringing barnacle who hasn't the sense to..."

Smiling at the Captain's bluster, Carolyn said softly, having

regained her equilibrium, "Yes, if Claymore hadn't advertised Gull

Cottage for rent, I'd never have seen it and responded... and I'd

never have come here. We really DO owe everything we have together to

him. Here we tried playing matchmaker for him, and it turns out that

HE was the unlikely matchmaker himself!"

"Oh, what fools mortals be...!" the Captain muttered.

"I think you're misquoting, Captain."

"Aye." Then his eyes were on hers again. "Too bad we owe so much

to a Gregg pretender, someone with no class, no elan, not one ounce of

..."

"Suave." Carolyn cut in, saying the word with him. And both of

them laughed heartily together.