Rating: T
Serves Claymore Right!
July 1976
13 year old Jonathan was in an
excellent mood when he got home. Martha
had just come down the stairs when
the boy came in the front door. He
was happily humming, almost as if
he was happy about something quite
funny. Martha was totally
perplexed by Jonathan's humming because she
had never heard him doing that.
Immediately she asked, "What's the
matter, Jonathan?"
"Oh Martha, glad to see you." the
boy invaded her question.
"Jonathan, I ask you again, what's
the matter?" the housekeeper was a
bit indignant.
"Alright, alright, Martha, I'll
tell you but I think the whole family
should hear what I have to say."
Seeing Martha's curious face, he
added, "Okay, it has something to
do with Claymore Gregg. More will
come when the whole family is
present."
He didn't know that his sister was
already in the living room. She had
heard her brother and now peeked
out the living room door. "Did I hear
right? Something about Mr.
Gregg?" Candace asked curiously and
saucily. "What is it? Has he left
Schooner Bay for ever or what?"
"Candy!" Jonathan cried, "Like I
told Martha before, I'll tell the
whole story when the family is
complete. Where are Mom and Dad?"
"Arrg!" Candy was a little sour.
"Mom and Dad are upstairs with young
Daniel. But you both know when Mom
is feeding him, she doesn't want to
be disturbed." Seeing that Martha
was no longer curious, she finally
said, "Alright, I'll go and will
let both know when they'll come
downstairs. Oh, and should
you both hear a terrible yell from me,
then the Captain has keelhauled me
and then let me jump overboard."
Grinning, she hurried up the
stairs in the direction of the master
bedroom.
"Well then, Jonathan, in the
meantime, why don't we make ourselves
comfortable in the living room and
wait for the rest of the family."
Martha suggested. She could hardly
wait to learn the news about
Claymore.
On the upperdeck, Carolyn was just
feeding little Daniel Elias with
the bottle when Candace came
buzzing into the room. Daniel, who was
standing by the telescope and
watching while his wife was feeding
their son, was a little indignant
when he saw Candy. "Young lady, has
no one told you to knock before
you enter your parent's bedroom?"
"Sorry, Dad and Mom. I know I
should have." she apologized.
"Well, since you are here, young
lady, what did you want?" Carolyn
asked when she finally faced her
daughter. She was not enthusiastic at
all at being disturbed while
feeding young Daniel.
"Oh, Jonathan is just back and has
some news about Claymore, he said.
He'll tell only the whole story
when the complete family is present."
"News about Claymore?" Daniel was
startled. "Then you are excused for
your impetuous boarding, Candy.
Tell Jonathan that your mother and I
will be down in a minute."
"Okay. And sorry again for the
interruption. I see my other little
brother is very hungry." she
couldn't help but teasing and ran
grinning out of the room before
some one could punish her for that.
Happy that Daniel hadn't
keelhauled her, she made her way below.
"Now wait, Candy." Carolyn called
after her daughter. "Now Daniel,
what do you think the news could
be about Claymore?" Carolyn asked,
still feeding young Daniel.
"I don't know, my darling. But I
think we will learn it when we go
below. And I see our son has
finished his meal," Daniel added
lovingly. "Will you let me hold
him while we make our way downstairs,
my dear?"
"Of course, darling. Well young
man, you should burp first before
Daddy carries you." Carolyn said
in lovely tones to her son. Like
a
genuine seaman, young Daniel
obeyed the command of his mother and
burped, an enormous one like an
old sea-dog. "Oho, seems to me you
liked your food quite a bit, young
man. Well then, Daniel, let's go
downstairs."
After Carolyn had got up from her
chair, Daniel took the little boy
out of her arms and carried him
very protectively in his arms. The
baby fell asleep immediately in
his father's arms.
"Oh Daniel, you are a wonderful
father." Carolyn said dreamingly when
she saw their son peacefully
slumbering in his father's arms. "Well
then, let's go below and see what
news Jonathan has about Claymore."
When finally they both made their
way downstairs, Carolyn had put her
right arm around Daniel's waist.
Once in the living room, they made
themselves comfortable too. Daniel
junior was still slumbering in his
father's protective arms.
Martha stopped herself from making
a lewd remark on this loving idyll.
But she was still grinning. She
would never have thought that such an
irascible man as Captain Gregg
would get the opportunity to be such a
warmhearted father. Martha was
daydreaming, but Jonathan's voice
brought her back to reality.
"Now that we're all here, I'll
tell the news I have of Claymore.
First, when Danny and I were in
town, we saw a strange station wagon
stopping before Claymore's office.
The driver's door opened and a
female got out." Seeing the
questioning faces of the family he
continued. "The best is yet to
come. You won't believe what this
female took out of her car, too,
and then made her way into Claymore's
office."
"What was it, Jonathan?
Hurry up and say it!" Martha's curiosity
had
grown.
"I'll tell, if you would
let me, Martha."
"Sorry!" came Martha's short
answer. Like Candy, Carolyn and Daniel
she waited with tension for the
bomb.
"It was a baby." The bomb had
burst.
"A baby?" His mother gasped in a
low voice.
"Yes, a baby. But guess whose
baby?"
"Whose baby, Jonathan?" now Candy
was very curious.
"Claymore's!" Jonathan called a
bit loudly "Sorry." he apologized,
seeing his little brother moving
in dad's arms. "I didn't want to
make Daniel Elias awake."
"It's alright, lad. Your little
brother still sleeps. You see, you
haven't awakened him." Daniel
calmed the boy and then asked. "How do
you know that it was Claymore's
baby?"
"I'll tell if you won't punish me."
"We won't." his mother said.
"Well," Jonathan continued. "Since
I was curious what that female
wanted in Mr. Gregg's office with
the baby in her arms, I wanted to
follow her. Danny noticed and
tried to stop me but he didn't succeed.
I asked him if he didn't want to
know too what that female was up to,
he said NO. I couldn't help but
call him a COWARD. And he answered
'Alright, call me coward but I'm
not a spy.' He really did say 'SPY'.
I'm a SPY, HA. So one word gave
the other and we both had a fight. And
I finally said to Danny 'better a
spy then a coward'. He didn't like
that, turned around and ran away,
insulted."
"Good lad." Daniel said grinning
because the word COWARD was well
known to him. He remembered with a
shudder back to the first evening
Carolyn and he had met and she had
accused him of being a coward.
Being unimpressed by the loud
voices around him, Daniel junior was
still slumbering in his father's
arms and Carolyn had to smile at that
lovely picture. "What happened
next? I mean, after the Shoemaker boy
had left."
"Oh yes, after Danny was gone, I
follow the female. The door to
Claymore's office was open a
crack, so I peeked in to see and hear
what was going on in there. What I
got to hear was incredible. The
conversation was something like
the following: 'Susan Miller, what are
you doing here again? I thought
you told me that you didn't want to
see me again after your visit last
year.' Noticing the baby on her
arms, he continued. 'Who is that?'
The lady was very angry and yelled
at Mr. Gregg very ironically. 'Oh
I see, you do remember me. Claymore,
this is your daughter, Melissa.'
Then Claymore yelled back. 'My what?
You are joking, Susan.' Then the
lady spoke very fiercely back. 'I'm
not joking, Claymore Gregg. This
is your baby, that I'm very sure off.
And don't you dare deny it. I
remember last year perfectly well and
you should too.'
"Last year!" Martha interrupted
Jonathan. "What should Claymore
remember about last year?" Then it
hit her and she thought, 'Oho,
Captain Gregg also used that
elixir on Mr. Gregg. That devil.' And now
she was reminded with much
amusement of the erotic chaos in town which
she and the captain had caused,
and the results which had followed.
'Mysterious Baby Boom in Schooner
Bay' had read the heading in the
Beacon at the beginning of the
year.
"Martha, would you please let me
finish?' Jonathan was a bit angry
because he didn't want anyone to
spoil his fun.
"Sorry, Jonathan." the housekeeper
apologized.
"Okay. Where was I? Oh, yes. Then
Claymore fired back, 'What are
babbling about, Susan? The
last I remember was that you told me
you
didn't want to see me again.'
Claymore acted very innocent. And then
Ms Miller had fired back. 'So you
really want to tell me you don't
remember that we ended up in your
bed after you attacked me like a
wild bull just after I had gotten
into your office. And that we had
made...."
"Stop, Jonathan, don't say it."
his mother called with a faintly
flushed face because she could
imagine exactly the wild love scenes
which would have taken place in
that bed. Daniel noticed it and knew
exactly what Carolyn was thinking.
And he knew that she knew right
then what the cause was for
Claymore's wild desire. Both looked at
each other. Daniel was prepared
for a full broadside but none came so
he was relieved that she had
forgiven him for that attack.
Carolyn thought, 'Oh this lovable
devil. In this special case, I
cannot be simply angry with him.'
Martha, immediately noticing the
upcoming erotic tension between Mrs.
Gregg and her husband, cleared her
throat discreetly.
"Mom!" the boy grumbled. "Alright,
I won't say it. But may I finish
with the rest?"
"Of course, you may." Daniel
encouraged the lad.
"Thanks. After this Ms Miller had
accused him, you know what I mean,
the good Claymore was so upset and
indignant that he yelled back, 'I
have no idea what you mean about
last year.' And then, I don't know
how it came about, but it seemed
to hit him like lightning and I think
he suddenly could remember last
year again. Suddenly Claymore got
white like the wall and it seemed
he realized that perhaps this child
really was his. And then he
fainted."
"Typical Claymore, when he thinks
of his money, he suddenly can
remember everything again. And
nothing better occurs to him but to
faint." Martha spoke very
ironically.
"Martha!" Carolyn said warningly
but with a sly grin on her lips.
"Please let Jonathan continue
because we want to hear what the
reaction of Ms Miller was after
Claymore fainted."
"Oh yes."
"Thanks, Mom. Well, the lady was
very upset about Claymore's cowardice
and spoke very fiercely to the
unconscious Claymore. 'We are not
finished yet, Claymore Gregg. I
will stay so long in this town that
you will have to admit that you
and I ....' Jonathan stopped there
because he saw the warning glance
of his mother and then he continued.
'And you can count on it, I won't
give up so fast. You will admit that
Melissa is your daughter, believe
me.' And with that, Ms Miller left
the office in a wild rage.
"Oho, Jonathan, I don't hope she
didn't see you as she came out of the
door." Candy was saucy. "I can
well imagine the purposeful lady would
have been quite beautifully
furious with you, had she caught you
snooping."
"Candace, don't tease your
brother." Carolyn said in a warning tone.
"It's alright, Mom." the lad said.
"I know perfectly well what Candy's
trying to tell me. For your
information, Candy, she didn't catch
me.
I think Mr. Gregg is in very big
trouble now."
"And I know who has maneuvered him
into that mess." Carolyn sat there
looking saucily at her husband who
wasn't prepared to face her because
in the meantime Daniel Elias had
awakened again and was looking into
his father's eyes.
"Who, Mom?" Jonathan was curious.
"Oh Jonathan, can't you think of
it?" Candy had an idea who the one was.
"Oh!" was the lad's short answer
when it suddenly hit him.
Martha shook her head and thought,
'What a family! Nothing like an
erotic nonsense in the head.' And
then her conscience bothered her
again. 'Now Martha, it was you who
set the whole thing into motion. If
you hadn't used that cookbook in
the first place none of this would
have happened. Quite honestly,
Martha, admit that you are terribly
happy about the whole situation
and that everything has developed in
the family how you have always
wanted it. And you must admit that you
have played with the idea of being
Cupid since you first met Captain
Gregg.' This was too much for Ms
Grant. "Alright, alright, I admit
it." this she called out loudly.
"What do you admit, Martha?"
Daniel asked curiously without looking up
because he was very busy engaged
with his son. The little boy gripped
after daddy's beard again, he
found him so fascinating. "No Daniel
Elias, you shouldn't do that.
Carolyn, I think you better should take
him before he...., you know what I
mean."
"Of course, I do, Daniel." and she
took the little boy out of his
father's arms.
"Mom, can I take Daniel
Elias? Perhaps Jonathan and I should play
a
little bit with him so you three
can have an uninterrupted adult's
talk. Well, we could play in the
alcove, so we wouldn't be too far
away, if that's okay?" Candy
suggested.
"Oh yes, that would be just fine."
Mrs. Gregg was enthusiastic about
her daughter's suggestion. "Here,
take him, Candy. But remember no
wild playing." Carolyn warned as
Candy took Daniel junior into her arms.
"No worry, Mom. Both of us will
look after young Daniel. Right,
Jonathan?"
"Of course. I would protect my
little brother with my life if anyone
tried to hurt him." The lad said
like an old sea-dog. And all three
vanished into the alcove.
"Well then, now that we are alone,
I ask you again, Martha, what do
you admit?" Daniel wouldn't give
up his quest to learn what was
bothering the housekeeper.
"Did I really say I would admit
something?" Martha tried to play the
innocent.
"Yes, you did, Martha." Now
Carolyn beat into the same notch because
she also was curious about what
was still bothering the housekeeper.
"Oh. Then I must really have said
it." Ms Grant was just intended to
give a statement when a car
stopped with squeaking tires in front of
Gull Cottage. She was relieved
about this interruption and hurried to
the front door because she knew
whose car it was.
"We are not finished yet, Martha."
her employer called after her. "And
now to the both of us, Daniel, I
must really say that you have
Claymore put in a terrible mess.
But I can't be angry with you because
I know why you did it, darling. I
am very tempted to see how Claymore
will free himself out from this
awkward situation."
"Quite simple, darling. He has to
face it like a man and a Gregg by
marrying that lady." Daniel was
saucy. Hearing Claymore's exciting
voice, he continued. "Here he
comes. Seems he wants help from us and
Martha seems to punish him for
being such a coward."
"Quite seriously, Daniel, you're
right. Claymore should really
consider marrying that woman and
being a father to that little child
he has been shown." Hearing
Claymore's cry for help, Carolyn
continued. "Daniel, we really
should help him before Martha makes a
complete wreck of him. You know
she can be very aggravating. She can't
endure it if a man impregnates a
woman and then won't marry her."
Carolyn had a longing look in her
eyes when she said that.
Daniel couldn't resist that look,
so he took her in his arms and
kissed her. But that idyll didn't
last long because a terrible cry
from the hallway interrupted it.
It was Claymore's cry for help
because Martha and he had a very
terrible argument about his love
affair. "Claymore Gregg, you are a
big coward. You want help then I
will give you help." Martha was in
full fly. "Face it like a man and
marry that woman and give the child
a father. And don't dare to say
something about money. You have
impregnated that girl and now take
the consequence. After all I've
heard, this Susan Miller won't
give up so quickly. She looks like a
very courageous woman to me. And I
must say that lady compares to you
very perfectly. A coward and a
courageous woman. Let me say, perfect."
Claymore was completely beside
himself because he wasn't prepared to
bump into such a purposeful and
energetic Ms Grant. He couldn't stand
it anymore and yelled. "Mrs.
Muir!" because he didn't know that his
uncle and Carolyn were married and
had a child.
"Stop that, Claymore. Lower your
voice. Candy and Jonathan are in the
alcove with....." she almost would
have opened her mouth too wide but
stopped because she didn't want
Claymore to find out that his uncle
had a son.
"With who? Spookface!" Claymore
ironically.
"I heard that, you jellyfish."
Captain Gregg was suddenly in the
hallway. "And I know through your
yelling that you have gotten in big
trouble. Really, Claymore, lad,
what has come over you to end up with
a woman in your bed and fathering
a child? And now I see you won't
face it like a man and honor the
lady by marrying her."
"I don't need your advice,
Captain. Why don't you keep out of this
conversation? What do you know
about being a father?"
Claymore shouldn't have said that,
for now Daniel cooked with anger.
He was about to let loose a
thunder storm on his nephew but was
stopped by his beloved Carolyn who
was there just in the moment when
the first lightning was about to
strike. "No Daniel, please, this
isn't worth it. Think of...." she
couldn't finish because Claymore
didn't know that she and Daniel
had a child.
Seeing his beloved's pleading
look, Daniel stopped his tirade even
before it had began. "You're
right, Carolyn, it really isn't worth it."
"Thank you, Mrs. Muir." Claymore
said again.
Martha couldn't hold back
any longer and broke out in loud
laughter.
The situation was also quite funny.
"Martha, may I ask what's so
funny?" Mr. Gregg was angry.
"You and the whole situation."
Martha couldn't stop her laughter,
seeing baby Daniel Elias crawling
out of the living room door into the
hallway.
"Martha, what has come over you?"
Carolyn asked
Without saying a word, because she
was still laughing, the housekeeper
pointed at the floor but so that
only Mrs. Gregg and her husband could
see. Daniel and Carolyn's eyes
followed her finger and both got a
terrible fright seeing their son
crawling down the hallway in the
direction of Martha's bedroom.
Thank God, Claymore was so busy with
his own problem that he didn't
notice the little baby who was crawling
through the hallway. Carolyn
and Daniel looked at each other.
Neither
could do anything at this moment
without Claymore suspecting
something.
Then help arrived in the form of
Jonathan and Candy. "Sorry to disturb
you. Hey, Mr. Gregg." both called
and Candy continued. "We have lost
something."
Mr. Gregg got curious. "What have
you lost, children? Something
valuable?"
"Oh yes, something very valuable."
Jonathan burst out.
"Well, maybe I can help you both
by that search?" Claymore offered his
help because he thought he perhaps
could also profit from finding the
valuable item.
Seeing their parents' horrified
look, Jonathan shook his head.
"Thanks Mr. Gregg, that won't be
necessary. Candy and I can find
that very, very valuable item by
ourselves." Seeing his sister
vanishing in the direction of
Martha's bedroom, he knew she must have
become aware where Daniel Elias
was right now and he said. "Excuse me,
Mr. Gregg, but I think Candy has
found it." then he, too, vanished
around the corner to Martha's
bedroom.
Now Claymore Gregg was very
mistrustful. His mistrust got bigger
hearing some noises which only a
baby would make. "Something very
strange is going on in this house
which I don't know about. And I will
find out what it is."
Claymore had the intention of
making his way to Martha's bedroom but
he was stayed in this attempt
because the housekeeper stood in his
way. She was prepared to protected
the baby Daniel Elias as if he were
her own child. And Daniel burst
the collar. He couldn't hold back his
temper any longer, he would
protect this family in every way,
especially his and Carolyn's son.
"Claymore, don't you dare enter
Martha's bedroom, I'm warning
you!" And Captain Gregg's face darkened
more when his nephew tried to push
Martha aside.
Just at this moment, the cavalry
arrived in the form of the avenging
angel. Susan Miller. A
penetrating knock at the front door made
Claymore wince. "Oh no!" he cried.
"She has found me. I'm ready for
anything but please don't open
that door, Mrs. Muir."
"Face it, you coward." His uncle
yelled because he was in such rage
about his nephew's impudence.
"Please, Carolyn, open the door and let
the young lady in."
"No, no!" Claymore cried again.
"Please don't!"
"Claymore, you will face it like a
man. And I will open that door."
Carolyn said in a very commanding
tone because she was also very
annoyed with Claymore Gregg and
she opened the door. Before her was
standing a very attractive lady.
"Would you please come in, Ms Miller?
The man you're searching
for is just in here."
Susan was completely perplexed
over such friendly welcome and came in.
"May I ask with whom I have the
pleasure to speak?" she asked. "I see
you know me but I don't know you.
But wait, you must be Mrs. Muir,
the
writer lady. Of course, I've read
the book of the Captain's memoirs.
Excellent book, I must say."
"I'm Carolyn Gregg now, you
understand." Carolyn whispered the lady
into her ear.
"Oh, I see, Claymore didn't know
that. Your secret is in good hands
with me, don't worry." Susan
whispered back. And then she faced
Claymore. "Ah there you are, you
coward. I think I said to you that I
wouldn't let you out of my talons.
You will marry me tomorrow morning
and nobody will prevent it, not
even you. I hope I have made myself
clear. And now, you coward, you
will come with me immediately."
Grabbing Claymore by his right
arm, she drew him through the open door
out of the house. However much Mr.
Gregg tried to escape, he didn't
succeed.
Daniel, invisible to Ms. Miller,
was filled with enthusiasm of the
courage of this woman. Claymore
had finally found his master. When
noticing Carolyn was preparing to
getting jealous, he calmed her. "No
my love, don't be jealous. You
know perfectly well you are the only
one for me." He took his
wife in his arms and kissed her with wild
fire which she returned with hers.
Martha, still present, couldn't
stand it any more. "Put a hold on your
wild desire for each other for
awhile. If you can't stop your wild
desire for each other then I would
suggest you both go above, enter
the master bedroom, close the door
behind yourselves and lock it."
Hearing Martha's commanding voice,
both stop their kissing. "Daniel,
Martha is right. We should really
stop for now and look after the
children."
"Well, darling, but we have not
finished yet."
"Of course not, darling."
"Oh, bless my heart, not again."
the housekeeper yelled.
"What not again, Martha?" Carolyn
was curious.
"Please look down, my dear, then
you will know what Martha meant."
Mrs. Gregg look down and saw what
Martha and Daniel were talking
about. "Oh no, not again." Daniel
Elias was again crawling over the
floor but this time he ended up at
his father's feet. It looked too
funny as the little boy tried to
keep himself firm at his father's
right leg and then tried to stand
up but always landed on his rear end.
In this moment Jonathan and Candy
joined them. "Sorry, Dad and Mom,
Daniel Elias gave us the slip
again. He is simply too quick."
"You both are excused because we
all know what kind of whirlwind
Daniel junior is." The Captain
said and then he picked up his boy and
handed him into his mother's arms.
"Well, I think it's high time we
changed your diaper." Carolyn said
after she had noticed that his
diaper was wet. And Mrs. Gregg vanished
upstairs with her son on her arm.
*****************
Later that evening after the
eventful day, Carolyn and Daniel were
lying together in bed. But they
couldn't make love to each other
because Daniel Elias lay between
them, deeply slumbering. "I know
what you're thinking, my darling."
Daniel whispered with longing in
his voice.
"Oh my darling, I'm so sorry."
Carolyn whispered back.
"Don't be sorry, Carolyn. He is
our son, we cannot be angry with him.
And he has the same beautiful
smile as his lovely mother. And you know
I can't resist your smile. Good
night, my love."
"Well Daniel, he has the same
incredible blue eyes as you do. You know
I can't resist them either.
Good night my love." Bending toward
Daniel, she kissed him.
"Good night, my love"
And both were off to a wonderful
dream which they shared.