LET'S SAIL AWAY.....by Terri

Rosamond carefully packed her things in a suitcase. She jumped up and down on it, trying to get it to close. She slid on top of it and pressed her knee into it. It bulged.
Then the lid sprung open and sent Rosamond flying across the room. John came in as she was picking herself off the floor. She stood up quickly and rubbed her rump.
John tried to suppress his laughter. "Just what do you think you're doing?"
Rose stood there looking innocent. "Nothing. Nothing at all."
John took in her suitcase and the clothes hanging out the side. He said exasperatedly, "Rose, you do NOT need all those clothes. We are only going for a week."
Rose pushed him out of the way and continued to cram her clothes into the suitcase.
"Right. Seven days. Seven evenings. Seven evening dresses."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Do you see me packing seven suits?"
Rose sat on her suitcase and bounced up and down. John reached over and caught her in mid-bounce. He set her carefully aside. "Allow me, madame!"
Within thirty seconds he had her bag zipped and locked. Rose stood in awe. "How did you manage it?"
John said, "It's leverage. And I am stronger than you. Are you about ready? We have to leave for the airport in 45 minutes."
"Just-as-soon-as-I-close-this-case..." Rose hopped onto another case.
Eleanor knocked on their door. "Come in!"
Eleanor looked at the luggage Rose had. "Rose, I hope you know there is a two-bag limit in check-in at the airport."
John groaned. "Here we go again!"

Eleanor and Rose bumped their luggage down the stairs. "Jerry is supposed to pick us up and then we go over to pick up Roger and Bethia."
Rose held Julie and kissed her goodbye. "You be a good angel for Grandma Celeste, my angel girl."
John swung Will between his legs. "And I am counting on you to help Poppy William and Grandma Celeste. Be a good boy. Make me proud, son."
"OK, Daddy!" He gave Rose a big hug. She kissed him and said, "Stay close to home, Will. You don't go outside unless Auntie Marilyn is with you."
To William she said, "I wouldn't put anything past Henry, especially since he knows I am going out of town. Watch him. If Henry steps one foot in the yard, send the dogs after him."
Eleanor looked out the window. "Jerry's here. Let's go!"
Celeste took Julie from Rose. "Go, my dears, and have a wonderful time!"

Roger carried out their luggage and he and Jerry loaded it in the back. Bethia smiled, "Everyone ready?"
John turned to Rose and said, "Look! Bethia only has two suitcases. Why did you need four?"
Rose ignored him. Eleanor said, "Look, we are all going to have a wonderful vacation. No drama, no arguments. And by the way, John, why don't you guys have your golf clubs?"
"Cheaper to rent them. We don't want to lug them around an airport."

Within one hour they were all checked into the airport and boarded the plane. Within two hours they were in Miami and boarding the ship. They all went to their staterooms freshen up. As the ship began to pull away from the harbor, Bethia clapped her hands. "This will be ever so much fun! I am with my favorite people in the world!"
Roger leaned against the guard rail. "Yeah, how much trouble can we get into on a cruise?"
John said, "Yeah. How much trouble can happen? We're on vacation!"


THE ADMIRER..............by Coralynn

Marilyn sighs and thinks, maybe I should have gone on the cruise, it sounded so appealing. Ah well, who would I have taken with me? Luke? He's too busy composing the third movement of his 10th symphony. Patrick? He's a busy guy, besides, if I asked him, he'd misinterpret it as my having more interest in him than I really do.
Celeste comes inside after having collected up the days mail. "You people sure do get enough catalogues!" she exclaims, dumping a huge armfull of mail on the table. Sorting through it, she tosses a few things at Marilyn, who lazily begins to sort through the stack.
Three catalogues and a couple letters. One is actually an ad. She tosses that in the wastebasket. Opening the other one, she brings out a sheet of paper, upon which is typed:

My love is of a birth as rare
As 'tis for object strange and high: It was begotten by Despair Upon impossibility.
Magnanimous Despair alone Could show me so divine a thing,
Where feeble Hope could ne'er have flown But vainly flapped its tinsel wing.
And yet I quickly might arrive Where my extended soul is fixed,
But Fate does iron wedges drive, And always crowds itself betwixt.
For Fate with jealous eye does see Two perfect loves, nor lets them close:
Their union would her ruin be And her tryannic power depose.
And therefore her decree of steel Us as the distant polse have placed,
(Though love's whole world on us doth wheel) Not by themselves to be embraced.
Unless the giddy heaven fall, and earth some new convulsion tear,
And, us to join, the world should all Be cramped into a planisphere.
As lines, so loves oblique may well Themselves in every angle greet;
But ours, so truly parallel, Though infinite, can never meet.
Therefore the love which us doth bind, But fate so enviously debars,
Is the conjunction of the mind, And opposition of the stars.

"WOW, who sent this?" she shows the paper to Celeste, who reads it and shows her the small letters at the bottom, "Looks like an email address to me!" she says handing it back.
"Oh yeah, there is an email address. Think this person wants me to contact him or her?"
"It's a 'him' for sure, Marilyn. And why not? It sounds like someone has a huge crush on you. Someone who loves poetry, too."
"But what if it's a stalker?"
"Then use a new email address, not your usual one, and see what comes back," Celeste suggests.
Marilyn chuckles, goes into the computer room, makes up a new email address and types in MH2003@msn.com
"Let's see, what shall I say? Uhhhhhhh, how about.....Hi there, fellow poetry lover. I just received your poem and it is very lovely. Thank you so much, M."

"Just 'M'?" Celeste laughs, "My dear girl, this person knows who you are and has your house address, surely he knows your name."
"True. I sure hope I'm not setting myself up for something dangerous here!" Marilyn hits 'send' then turns off the computer.
"Wonder if he'll send more poetry?" Celeste muses, "If I were you, I'd check your email box several times a day. This could be verrrrrry interesting. An admirer with a poetic soul."
Marilyn swats her with a stack of papers and walks out of the room, calling over her shoulder, "Celeste! You're a hopeless romantic!"
"Who, ME?" Celeste laughs.


KICKIN' BACK......by Terri

Rosamond, Eleanor and Bethia were sitting on lounge chairs in the upper deck sipping strawberry daiquiris. Except Bethia who had a strawberry fizz. Whatever that was.
Eleanor smiled contentedly. "This is the life! We've been on board for 24 hours and nothing has happened. No trouble. I LOVE IT!"
Bethia laughed, "Think Montgomery, Henry and Daniel had this much peace and quiet?"
Rosamond stretched her arms over her head and smiled. "No, I'll bet they were at each other's throats the whole time! What do you girls want to do today?"
Eleanor said, "Let's go to the spa and get the works! Facial masks, seaweed wraps...everything! OH! And that volcano stuff that you get into and sit in the altogether. I hear it really sloughs off the dead skin!" Bethia looked up. "Here come the guys."
Jerry, Roger and John were laughing. "That's the way to play golf! You don't have to keep trying to find your golf ball."
Eleanor said, "You guys and your golf games. Grown men swattting a ball with a club trying to get it in a little gopher hole in the middle of grass."
John laughed. "What about you girls, wrapping yourself in seaweed?"
The girls looked sheepish. Bethia asked, "How did you know?"
John said, "That was the first thing that caught my wife's eye."
John then did an imitation of Rosamond's voice. "OOOOH! John! Look at that! A seaweed wrap! They certainly have enough of it! Do you think they send the stewards out to harvest it?"
Rose swatted him with a towel. "I DID NOT!"
Jerry looked at the other two and grinned. "I guess they won't be interested in our news, will they?"
John and Roger shook their heads. Roger said, "No, they'll be too 'wrapped up'!"
The girls began to clamor. "Is it jewelry?" Rose asked.
Eleanor said, "I know! Streisand is appearing on stage!" Bethia said, "We added Antigua to the itinerary!"
"Nope, nope and nope!" Roger said. John said, "Shall we tell them?"
The guys looked at their three expectant and upturned faces.
Jerry said, "Oh, why not! Ladies? Put on your finest. For tonight we dine at the captain's table!"
Rose looked crestfallen. "No jewelry?"

Jerry exclaimed, "It's not everyone that gets invited to dine with the captain. It's a privilege."
Rose said, "Privilege, smivelege! Eleanor and I have both slept with a king. You think eating dinner with a captain is such a treat?"
John frowned. Rose was immediately sorry. "Sure, why not?"
Jerry said, "It's formal, so dress in your fanciest!"
All three women scrambled and got up.
Roger yelled, "Hey, where are you all going?"
They shouted over their shoulders. "To get wrapped up!"


Bethia stood in her slip and looked at herself in the mirror. She turned sideways and sighed. Roger was putting his tie on. "Roger, do I look fat?"
"Hmmm?"
"Do I look FAT to you?"
He put his arms around her. "No, you look serene and content. Kind of like the Mona Lisa. You know it was thought that she was pregnant when that portrait was painted, don't you?"
Bethia took her royal blue silk maternity dress off the hanger. "I have three months left. These babies are kicking up a storm. I'll bet they are boys."
"Or very rambunctious girls."
"Can you help me with my zipper?"
Roger obliged and stood back and looked at her. "You look..perfect!"
"Perfect enough for the captain's table?"
"No."
"WHAT?"
"You are wasted on the captain. But perfect for an admiral's table!"

Eleanor looked through her luggage. "Just where did I put those emerald green suede pumps?"
Jerry reached behind the chair. "Here's the left one..."
Eleanor looked under the dresser. "..and here's the right!"
Jerry said, "You know, El, this is our first trip together."
Eleanor put her earrings on. "But not our last, I hope!"
Jerry grinned. "Most definitely not. Eleanor, you ever think about marrying me?"
Eleanor looked for her bracelet. "No."
"You never think about it?" "Yes, I think about it. The answer is no."
"Really? Why not?"
"Because I am having too much fun. Let's face it, Jerry. You have your place. I have mine. If we were married we would be in each other's face all the time. We are both independent people. I have my sportscaster career and you have your real estate business."
"Too true. My kids would like to meet you."
"And I'd like to meet them too. Next time they come to visit, we'll do dinner."
Jerry kissed her. "I'm so glad you are smart enough to keep the status quo."
Eleanor smiled at him. "Is there such a thing as too much fun?"
They laughed and headed for dinner.

"Darling, how many dresses do you have to try on?"
Rose stood there with a pile of clothes on the bed. "I have nothing to wear!" she wailed. John marched over and picked them up. He dropped them one at a time on the bed. "Blue...purple..."
"That's not purple, that's lilac!"
"....red, green, black, black, black..."
"So I like black!"
"...burgundy, and let's not forget this one...blue-grey-purple?"
"Periwinkle. It's periwinkle!"
John dumped another suitcase on the bed. "With shoes to match. How you managed to get a pair of periwinkle shoes is a mystery to me, Rose!" She snatched the shoes away from him. "It's not easy! The pain was in trying to get a dress to match the shoes!"
"You don't mean....?"
Rose sat on the bed and looked distraught. "John, I have an incurable disease."
John sat down and took her hands. "What? You're not sick, are you?" She nodded. "Yes. They have yet to find a cure. It came out of the Philippines."
John said, "Is it...fatal?"
Rose sighed. "No, but you'll wish it was. It's called a shoe-aholic!"
With that she fell on the bed and dissolved into giggles.
John threw her dresses off the bed.
"Really had you going on that one,didn't I?" she laughed.
John smiled grimly. "The price I have to pay, huh?"
Rose laughed, "Got that right! Now, which dress?"
John said, "I like the red."
Within fifteen minutes, Rose was dressed and twisted her hair into a French twist.
John paced the floor. "Come on, Rose! The captain waits for no man!" Rose clasped her diamond tennis bracelet on. "Well, sorry--but the captain will wait for me!"
John yanked her to her feet and put her shoes on her feet. "If I have to sling you over my shoulder and carry you down to the captain's table, I will do it! Because we need to be there in five minutes."
Rose stood up and put her hand on the door. "Then let's go. Far be it for me to disappoint the captain of all people."
John laughed, "I hear if people are late, they have to walk the plank!" Rose said as they were going down the hall, "Sure, John, sure....just as likely as we are to meet pirates!"


THE PILGRIM SOUL...........by Coralynn

Marilyn rushes into the kitchen with a collection of pages printed out from the computer.
"Listen to this one, Celeste!" she rifles through till she finds the right sheet, then reads: "Come to me in the silence of the night; Come in the speaking silence of a dream...."
"Christina Rosetti!" Celeste states.
"You know that? Wow, yeah, it says here that's who wrote it. Let me try another one.......Oh this one is lovely......'When you are old and grey and full of sleep, And nodding by the fire, take down this book, and slowly read, and dream of the soft look Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep. How many loved your moments of glad grace, And loved your beauty with love false or true, But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you, And loved the sorrows of your changing face......'"

"William Butler Yeats!" Celeste tells her dreamily.
"Why'd it take you so long with this one, weren't you sure?"
"OH, I was sure when I heard 'when you are old and gray and full of sleep,' but you recited it so beautifully I didn't want you to stop."
"Let's see if you can identify another one....I'll try to find a hard one....."I can't be talkin' of love, dear...."
"Esther Mathews!"
"Right! There must be something this person sent me you don't know......let's see.......'What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why, I have forgotten, and what arms have lain under my head till morning; but the rain is full of ghosts tonight..."
"Edna St. Vincent Millay! One of my favorites."

"You're tough to stump! Let me try one more...."
"Listen, Marilyn, you can stall all you want to with your 'name that poet' game, but I want to know if you're going to take this guy up on his invitation to a poetry reading down at the bookstore in town. Are you?"
"How'd you know!?" Marilyn is surprised.
Celeste walks over and whispers in her ear, "It's in the story!"
"Ohh yeah, huh....between your being psychic and that online story, nobody can put one over on you, Celeste. So, you think I should go?"
"Absolutely! You're meeting him outside the bookstore, it's not like you're meeting in a dark alley somewhere."
Marilyn lets out a sigh, "Yeah. But what if I have him built up in my mind as some kind of knight in shining armor who just happens to have exquisite taste in poetry? I didn't even read the Shakespeare sonnets to you or the Elizabeth Barrett Browning..... or...."
"So GO, you silly goose!" Celeste insists, then goes to the hall closet, and, taking Marilyn's coat from it, starts helping her put it on.
"OK, but if he's an axe murderer, it's on your head!" Marilyn kids her as she starts for the front door.


Marilyn drives to the middle of town and parks. Tossing her carkeys into her handbag she locks up and walks the two blocks to the bookstore. She sees a lit window showing old editions, something she would like to collect. But, that's for another day. Right now I have to meet my mystery date.

THIS OLD HOUSE.......by Coralynn

just like that, too?"
"Sure! But for right now, let's go someplace warm where we can talk. You said you had an idea for a new book and I want to hear it."
"Oh yes, it's an old family legend....." he begins as they put on their coats and leave the house.

They settle on a restaurant outside of town, and, walking in, appreciate the warmth and ambience of the huge stone fireplace along one wall.
"Maybe you need one like that!" she kids him as they take their seats in a booth set into a nook.
"This is private. Makes me think of those guys who take girlfriends out to restaurants and don't want to be seen by anyone...."
"Why wouldn't they want to be seen?"
"Their wives wouldn't appreciate being told, that's why! But...tell me now, what's the idea you have for your new book?"
"OK, this is an old family legend.....in my mother's family...she had a gr/gr/gr/gr/gr/a lot of greats Aunt named Maggie, no, it was Mageara, I think........who was a tragic character. Lived in England, of course."
"What was so tragic about her?"
"The story goes that she met a pirate and fell madly in love with him, some pirate named Rhys something-or-other. He swept her off her feet, and by the time he put back out to sea, she was pregnant, but didn't know it yet. When she discovered it, she was horror stricken, and finally said 'yes' to the man who had been admiring her all along, a regular local guy, you know, one who works, obeys the laws, a real upstanding chap. Now, I'm not sure whether he knew she was pregnant at the time of their marriage, he may have been, but the big thing was that he treated the children like they were his own."
"Children?"
"Twins."
"Oh, OK."
"The tragic part was that she never got over her love for the pirate. The story goes that she went out to the cliffs almost every day to see if her lover was returning, grieving over her loss."
"She didn't like her husband?"
"Oh yeah, he was great, but she still loved the pirate. Must have something to do with the romance of danger, which pirates represent bigtime."
"That is so sad!" Marilyn tilts her head and feels something akin to the pain that woman long ago must have felt, "what happened at the end of the tale?"
"I'm still trying to figure that out," he answers.


PARLEY TIMES FOUR.....by Terri

Rosamond's eyes grew big in alarm. "John! JOHN! Oh, John, what have you done?"
John stood there bewildered. "I didn't do anything! I was just looking in my pocket for your lipstick!"
Eleanor said, "Did you bring your time-travel coin with you, John?"
John looked in his pocket. "I had it right here...but where is it now?"
Jerry looked in the moonlight. Silhouetted against the inky night, a schooner was looming closer. Against the moonlight the skull and crossbones shone ominously.
"LOOK!" he shouted.
All four of them stared. Rose wailed, "John, you sent us back four hundred years..we are on a ship in the 1600's! And we're English!" A voice shouted down from the crow's nest. "PIRATES! PIRATES TO THE STARBOARD SIDE!"
Dozens of sailors and crew members scurried about. The captain appeared at their side. "I must insist, the four of you lock yourselves in my private quarters!"
John started to say, "You don't understand.."
The captain shouted, "I UNDERSTAND PERFECTLY!! PIRATES ARE ABOUT TO BOARD OUR SHIP! GET IN MY QUARTERS AND LOCK THE DOOR AND DON'T COME OUT FOR ANYTHING! ANYTHING, DO YO UNDERSTAND?"
He pushed the four of them in the captain's quarters and they locked the door.
Rose and Eleanor huddled in the corner. For once Eleanor was speechless. John and Jerry sat next to them. Cannons fired into the side of the ship. John crawled over to the captain's log. He quickly and frantically thumbed his way through the log.
"&*(%*@!! We are aboard the Bristol Queen! Captain George K. Randolph!" Jerry crawled over next to him. He looked over quickly. "John, the date is February 14, 1610!!!" John paled. "I sent us back in time. Oh no! Eleanor, do you have your time travel coin?"
Eleanor shook her head wordlessly.
From above the sounds of bodies hitting the floor were heard. Screams abounded. Cannons fired cannonballs. One of them hit the side of the captain's quarters. Rose and Eleanor screamed.

"John, we're going to be killed down here!" Another cannonball whizzed by and exited out the other side. Water started to leak in. "WE'VE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Jerry yelled.
Eleanor shouted, "NO! That captain told us to stay here!"
John pulled Rose to her feet. "Jerry's right! If we don't get out of here, we'll drown! Let's see if we can find some rowboats...has to be some somewhere!"
Eleanor snapped, "John, why couldn't you keep your time-travel coin at home?"
John was beyond words. "I-I'm sorry! I just thought I'd cover all bases...I didn't know! I DIDN'T KNOW!"
The water was pouring in. Jerry said, "We have to take our chances! It's throw ourselves on their mercies or we drown!"
John and Jerry rammed their bodies into the door and it gave way. They wended their way up the steps.
"Let's get out of here like yesterday!" Jerry whispered.
A figure of a man loomed silhouetted in the doorway as they ran up the stairs. It boomed out, "'Allo, mateys! I dare say ye all are the precious cargo!"

The four of them stood before the pirate. He surveyed the women up and down. "Ye'll be more than precious cargo! Ye'll be priceless!"
Rose and Eleanor scanned the deck. All around them were bodies of the crew. Captain Randolph was in the corner with his throat slit. Rose screamed and Eleanor put her fist in her mouth to stifle her outburst.
"I-I think I'm going to faint!" Eleanor whispered, "Do we dare pull out the old 'I am with child' routine again?" Jerry whispered. "No, that won't cut the mustard with this dastardly crew."
John held Rosamond next to him.
Another pirate appeared. "Ah, Smead! What have we here!" Smead reached out to touch Eleanor's hair. "This red-head will fetch a fair price on the Barbary Coast!" The other pirate nodded in Rosamond's direction. "Whaddaye say about that one?"
Smead looked her up and down. "Fetch a good price too but red-heads are a luxury commodity. Blonde 'un is a bit skinny. Bonny but thn as a rail." Jerry started to say, "Look here...." but Eleanor silenced him with a pinch.
Smead and the other pirate, Laddy, looked at each other. "Shall we run the gents through now and be done wit' them?" Laddy asked.
Smead drew his cutlass. "Sure enough! Two less to take to the Renegade."
Rose spoke out. "Parley!"
Smead and Laddy both looked at each other quizzically. "Parley?"
Rose said, "Parley. That means..."
Smead and Laddy said, "We KNOW what it means, Missy. What we means is what do ye want to do wit' it?"
John spoke up. "The four of us request a parley with your captain. That means no harm can come to us until we have a conference with your captain. We all invoke the privilege of parley."
Smead laughed nastily. "Ah! Ye wants to see the captain...and see the captain ye shall!"

Smead shined the lantern on the men. He just about dropped it when he shone it in John's face. "Faith and Begorrah! Laddy!"
Laddy turned around and grew pale. "By alll that is holy. Am I believin' me eyes? Could it be?"
Smead was stunned. "Captain Morgan, as I live and breathe! Last I saw ye was on that tiny spit o' land and ye was gettin' smaller and smaller!" Laddy looked closely "How did ye escape? And ye knew of the code of conduct--NO WOMEN ON BOARD on pain o' death."
Eleanor, Jerry and Rose looked at John. John shrugged his shoulders and gave them an I-don't-know-what-they-are-talking-about look. Smead backed up and put his hands up. "It weren't me idea, cap'n. I always liked ye." Laddy said, "The cap'n will want to know of this. That be a fact, mates! Now let's go!"
The four of them picked their way through the wreckage. The pirates were looting and plundering the dead. As the women walked by with Smead and Laddy, the pirates parted like the Red Sea. When John passed, a collective murmuring was heard.
"It's Captain Morgan!"
"Ol' Rhys come back from Hades!"
"Cap'n ain't gonna like this!"
"Hey, the mutiny weren't my idea.."

Rose clutched John's hand. "For God's sake, John! Where is your time travel coin?"
John desperately searched his pocket. "I feel a small tear in the pocket. It must have fallen out!"
Eleanor turned. "We just need to bide our time and hope Roger and Bethia can get Celeste to figure out where and when we are!"
Jerry whispered, "Who is this Morgan guy?"
John said, "I have no idea but I must look like him. Sounds like he met an unfortunate fate."
Smead turned around. "NO TALKING IN THE RANKS! Just because you invoke parley doesn't mean 'parlez-vous'!"
They boarded a small skiff and set out for the pirate ship. Within ten minutes, they were on board. The four climbed over the side. Smead said, "Wait here. I'll inform the cap'n you are here and want a parley."

He went below and came back in fifteen minutes. "Cap'n is most anxious to parley with you." The four of them started forward.
Smead held up his hand. "Not all of you. JUST HIM! Morgan!"
John pointed to himself. "Me? Just me? I am NOT this Morgan. My name is John Gwinnett and this is my wife Rosamond and my friends Eleanor and Jerry. We come from...England."
Laddy looked closely at Jerry. "Ye have a strange accent. Ye not be English, eh?"
Jerry thought quickly. "I am from northern England. Completely landlocked. My accent is the result of a speech impediment in my youth. Tongue-tied or something like that."
Laddy looked doubtful. "Uh huh."
Smead grabbed John by the shoulder. "Ye be goin' in ta the cap'n now, Morgan."
John said, "I am NOT leaving my wife with a bunch of barbarians."
Laddy and Smead snorted. "The cap'n will not be glad to hear ye have taken this bonny lass as your wife," Laddy said.
Rose began to regain her spirit. "Why should the captain care? All John is a captive."
Smead said, "Let's get this parley over so we can dispose of the gents and take the ladies as our commodities. Many a a-rabs pay lots of money for them. Especially the red-head."
Laddy took John by the shoulders and shoved him through the captain's door.
The captain was sitting in the chair with a pirate hat on his head. His booted feet were on the table and a parrot sat on the edge of the chair.
Laddy announced, "The gent that requests parley. And captain, ye got a hell of a surprise waiting for ye!"
John stood there and said, "Captain, I request parley and the opportunity to negotiate the release for me, my wife and my friends."
The captain stood up. He took off his hat and long strawberry-blond hair cascaded down.
The captain said softly, "Captain Rhys Morgan. I always knew you'd come walking back through my door again. But how you got off that island is a mystery to me."
John stood there with his mouth open, not knowing what to say. The captain said, "Well....aren't you going to kiss your Molly hello?"


MOOSE FINDS A TREASURE.........by Coralynn

Moose/Matthew, after returning to his house, decides to go through some of the boxes of memorabilia sitting dusty in the attic. Perhaps he can find more about the family legend, if perchance any of it has been written down anywhere. The idea of writing a romance novel about this story is beginning to take over his mind.
He climbs the stairs to the attic, and, once there, switches on the only light, which comes from a bare bulb hanging in the middle of the room. He glances around and sees old boxes piled in the far right corner.
He walks to the area and wonders which box to open first, but instead of giving in to his usual indecisiveness, blows the dust off the one on top, which sends him into fits of sneezing for several moments.
Lifting the first book from the box, he can barely make out a title, but it looks like Shakespeare, so he sets it aside and looks for something more personal, something that may help him in his quest to find more material for the book he wishes to write.
After rejecting several more volumes, he sees a very weather-worn diary.
"This could be it!" he says to the empty room, opening it gingerly, gathering up the pages that fall from the binding as he turns them.
Around the middle of the book his eyes catch sight of the name 'Megaera.' He examines the page, carrying the book closer to where the one source of illumination is eminating from the bare lightbulb.
".....Megaera gave birth to healty twin boys, which displeased her parents, scandalized as they were by the paternity of the children..."
He turns to the next page, but instead of the story continuing, the page appears to be missing. He looks through the loose pages that fell out when he first opened the book, but there's nothing on any of them referring to Megaera. Drat! he thinks, just when it was getting good, too!
Before he quite decides the book has nothing more to offer, he sees a note at the back of the book, which reads......"parchment papers of Julia Megaera to be found at....." then the words fade out totally.
"Parchment papers?" he says loudly to the walls, "My God, parchment lasts forever! Now if I could find those...."
He lays the diary gently on top of the box from which it was taken, and opens a second box. These books look to be ancient versions of encyclopedias, but he still takes them out, one by one, and stacks them on the floor.
He sees something at the bottom of that box which looks like parchment. Could it be? Megaera's parchment?
He lifts it from the box and sees that something, perhaps rats, have chewed around the edges, but the writing in the middle is still legible. He again stands under the one light bulb and reads, aloud this time,

"To Rhys, my love,
I scan the horizon for your return.
Your vessel does not put into the harbor, and my heart is heavy missing you.
I wouldst leave home and hearth to be with you, my beloved,
but you do not appear.
Your babes pull at my skirts,
their eyes your eyes, their hair your hair
and my heart breaks.
Return to me, my only love, return and heal my heart.
Youre Meggie."

"MY GOD!" Moose/Matthew yells out, "This is the woman! This is written in her own hand!" then calms himself and wonders, Where did my x-great grandmother get this anyway? Was she a sister? What? I need to find out more.....I need to find out how this whole thing ended. At least our family legend about her walking to the cliffs to scan the ocean for her pirate's return is boosted by this parchment. OK, so she doesn't say he's a pirate exactly, but he very well could have been, in fact, I'd bet money on it.


DUDE LOOKS LIKE A LADY....by Terri

"Wh-what are you talking about? Molly? I'm sorry--but I have never laid eyes on you before in my life." John shook his head.

Molly came from behind her desk. She said sarcastically, "Yeah. Sure. Rhys Morgan, you always were a blackheart. It broke my heart to leave you on that island." She sighed. "BUT--it had to be done!" She walked over to John and stroked his hair.
"Rhys--you still take my breath away!"
John backed up. "I'm sorry, Madam--Captain--but I don't know what you are talking about. My name is John Gwinnett and I live in the United States. New York to be exact."
Molly looked confused. "United States? Where is that? You actually left Wales?"
John thought quickly. That's right--I'm now in 1610. There WAS no U.S. then.
John corrected himself. "Actually I live...I live in Somersetshire, England. I am John Gwinnett and my wife is Rosamond."
Molly sneered. "Come off it, Rhys! Who do you think you're fooling? You promised me we would rule the seas together. Forever. You and me. Then you reneged on your promise." She shook her head. "I just can't take you anywhere. Cursed be the day we drydocked that two months in Penzance."
"Penzance?"
Molly continued her diatribe. "What do you mean, 'Penzance?' You know damn well what happened. I should have kept a better eye on you. You managed to hide more than your share of the booty in those caves. And you'd just have to hide it in the caves on the property of the Earl of Cornwall, no less!"
"Captain Molly, I don't know about any of this."
Molly continued. "So is that the woman you threw me over for? That blonde strumpet? No wonder I couldn't find you nights...days, too. And you waited till we were out to sea to tell me that you were quitting the renegade business and going back to Penzance and asking for the hand of your precious Megaera. Megaera! The strumpet you dumped me for. Well, I'm sorry all to pieces. If I couldn't have you, she couldn't have you either!"

Molly sat down and leaned back. She fed the parrot a piece of apple. "You do remember our parrot, don't you? Salty? Hey, Salty..remember Rhys?"
Salty eyed John with a jaundiced eye. "SQUWAKKK!"
John said triumphantly. "There! That should prove it beyond a doubt! Your parrot does not recognize me."
Molly looked at Salty. "What does he know? He's a bird-brain. And now...parley is over. For now."
John looked up hopefully. "You'll let the four of us go?"
Molly laughed derisively. "Go? GO? No, Rhys, shall I let you go so you can live in the lap of luxury with your lady love and your ill-gotten booty? I think not! But one thing..I want to talk to your 'wife'. If she is that. I want to talk to Megaera. SMEAD!"
Smead came in. "Yes, cap'n?"
"I'm done with Captain Morgan..for now. I want you to bring in the strumpet."
Smead scratched his head. "Which strumpet, cap'n?"
Molly took out her cutlass and stroked the blade. "The blonde one. The one Morgan calls his 'wife'. Oh, and Rhys? You are dismissed..until I need you."

John was escorted back to where the other three were sitting on the deck, their backs against the ship. Jerry whispered, "How did it go?" John shook his head. "The captain is a woman."
All three said, "WHAT?"
John said, "She seems to think I am this pirate named Rhys Morgan. From Wales. Turns out they were lovers and he dumped her for a woman named Megaera. A common Cornish name. Happens to be my mother's middle name."
Smead snarled, "YOU! Blondie! The cap'n wishes to parley with ye."
Rosamond pointed to herself. "Me? Why me?"
Smead belched. "Why not ye?"
Rosamond squared her shoulders. "Sure. Why not. Lead me to the b...the captain. Bring it on!"

Smead escorted Rosamond to the captain's quarters and shoved her through the door. "God be with ye, doxy!" and slammed the door.
Rosamond's eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness. The candles were lit. Molly got up and walked around, looking her up and down. Rosamond took a deep breath. Just calm down...you've faced Matt Dillon and you faced Pompeii...maybe you can appeal to her woman-to-woman..
Molly continued to stroke her blade. "So..you are the whore Rhys left me for. The reason I had to maroon him."
Rose stood straight. "Ma-maroon? You marooned someone? The man you loved?"
Molly stared at her. "Loved? LOVED? Past tense? Nay, my little harlot. STILL love. STILL! And will win again."
Rosamond said, "How can you make someone love you?"
Captain Molly McCormack continued to stroke the cutlass and practiced a few parry-and-thrusts. She laid it down. "Oh..there are ways."
Rosamond looked her in the eye. "What do you intend to do with the four of us?"
Molly looked thoughtful. "Well, as it stands now...I think you two women will be sold on the Barbary Coast."
"The Barbary Coast?"
"Yes. That is a Mediterranean coast of North Africa that is famous for Moorish Pirates. Flesh trade is a big commodity there. The two of you will probably end up in a harem."
"WHAT?"
"Oh, it won't be so bad. See, I could just make you walk the plank. But then what would be the profit in that? No money. Just revenge. I sell you to the Arabs and I get revenge AND money! And the satisfaction that Rhys will be tortured by the memory of you lying in some shiek's arms."
Rosamond's mouth dropped open. "But...but John is NOT this Rhys person. You are making a mistake!"
Molly laughed without humor. "Sure. Right. Same face. Same body. Same voice. Same walk." Molly leaned forward. "If it looks like a duck and it walks like a duck and it talks like a duck, believe me, strumpet--it's a duck!"
Rose started to panic. "But what of Eleanor? Jerry?"
"Who?"
"The red-head and her..her cousin. They are total innocents in this."
Molly rubbed her neck. "Hmmm..that's true. You're right..they ARE innocents."
"Then you'll let them go?"
"Hell no! That red hair is worth a lot of money among the Arabians. And the guy--strong, well- built. And I can use a second mate. Yes, he'll do nicely, might even give him a share of the booty. Lots of Spanish treasure in these parts. And now...parley is over, Megaera. For now. Oh, don't worry--I won't starve you. Can't. Wouldn't do for you to lose what packaging you have."
And with that, Molly shoved Rose out of the quarters.


UNRAVELING THE MYSTERY...........by Coralynn

Moose realizes he can't stay up in the attic much longer, as the room is so cold. He runs down to the closet and dons his thickest jacket, hoping it will buy him some more time, then goes back up to where he has several boxes open, the contents scattered around on the floor.
One of the boxes is made of real wood, not cardboard as the others are. The lock doesn't look like it would be hard to break, but he has no tools, so he runs down to the garage where he quickly picks up a variety of tools, plus a flashlight. Returning to the attic, he begins to wrestle with the lock, trying various tools till finally it breaks apart and falls on the floor.
He opens the top, which is full of scraves of all colors and materials. He doesn't want to dirty them by laying them on the floor, so he runs his hands around under them to see if there is anything else in that part of the box. His fingers hit upon something metal, which he lifts out and scrutinizes. The metal appears to be part of a ship, just which part he isn't sure, but it has the appearance of something that could be bolted onto one of the rails. He turns it over and over, wondering about it. Laying it aside for later, when he can investigate on a website that explains the small parts of a ship, he again feels around the bottom of the top container. He feels something ring-shaped, which, when he pulls on it, reveals another container lower in the box.
The scarves obscure his view, so he reluctantly pulls them all out and piles them on another box, hoping the dust from the box doesn't soil them.
"Now, what do we have here?" he says, amazed.
There is a pile of about 5 ot 6 drawings, very finely done. He turns on the flashlight and examines the first one. It's of a house, a very lovely cottage. He looks at the second one, which is the drawing of a dog with almost every hair detailed. Somebody sure had artistic talent, he muses.
He almost stops breathing at the sight of the third one, which is the face of a beautiful young woman with hair piled on her head, tendrils falling around her face, lace around her throat. He squints at the insciption on the bottom: J.M.S.
"J.M.S?" he asks the empty attic. Were those my x-gr/grandmother's initials? I'd better take some of this stuff down to my computer room because not only am I freezing even with this thick jacket on, but I think I have our family genealogy somewhere on the computer. I hope so, anyway.
He lifts the wooden box to carry it down the stairs when he hears something hit the floor with an almost musical sound. He bends down to retrieve it and realizes it's a man's golden band. A wedding ring? What? Whose?

Entering his computer room, he turns on the overhead and plugs in the space heater. Marilyn will just have to understand, he thinks. It's much easier to examinine the contents of the box now. He looks inside the band of the man's golden ring and sees a faint inscription, very small, too small to see unaided, so he gets out his magnifying glass and tilts the ring so that the words become large enough to read.
"Wait....that's the first word........for me.......wait for me? HUH?!"


MISSING IN ACTION!.....by Terri

Bethia and Roger headed for breakfast. "What shall we do today, Roger?" Roger pulled the chair out for Bethia. "Well, my love, we are in port in St. Croix today. Shall it be more shopping?"
Bethia said, "No, I think I want to go to a Caribbean reggae club. Let's see if the others want to do that. Or if they have more snorkeling planned."
Roger looked at his watch. "It's 8:15. They must be sleepyheads." Bethia said, "They must have discoed the night away with Captain Nelsen. Let's give them 15 more minutes before we ring their rooms."

At 8:30, Roger asked for a phone. He dialed Rose and John's stateroom. It just rang and rang. He tried Eleanor and Jerry's. Same thing. "That's odd." Roger frowned. Bethia said, "This IS the dining room we were supposed to meet them in, isn't it?"
Roger said, "I don't know why it would change. This is the same one we have been meeting in for the last three days."
Bethia shrugged. "They are probably on their way down now. Let's go up to the buffet. I'm starved."

By 9:00 AM, Roger began to drum his fingers on the table. Bethia nervously twisted her napkin. "Where CAN they be? It's not like them...well, it's like Rosamond, but not the others..to be late. Eleanor is very punctual. You'd think ONE of the couples would be here."
Roger leaned back. "Let's go back to our room, honey, and see if they left word with our steward."

Roger asked their steward, Ricco, if there had been any messages. "No, sir, not a one. Is there a problem?"
Roger said, "No, I'm sure it was just a miscommunication."
Bethia said, "You don't suppose they all decided to try drugs and they all OD'd do you, Roger?"
Roger burst out laughing. "Not hardly! Sit tight, Bethia. We'll get to the bottom of this."
Roger flagged Ricco down. "Ricco, we are missing 2/3 of our party. I know it is a lot to ask--but could you open up their staterooms and just peek in to see if they are OK?"
Ricco frowned. "But sir, we respect everyone's privacy..."
Roger said, "Tell you what. You just unlock the door and then leave. I'll peek in to see if they are alright. Then you can lock it again."
Ricco hesitated, "Well..."
Bethia was near tears. "OH, PLEASE, MR. RICCO!"
Ricco took his keys out and they followed him to Eleanor and Jerry's stateroom. They knocked on the door. No answer. Ricco unlocked the door and stepped back. Roger looked in. The bed was made. He turned to Bethia. "Beth--they never made it back to their room last night."

Bethia was ready to cry. Roger put his arm around her. "Roger! Oh, Roger--could they have all fallen overboard?"
Roger hugged her. He was visibly upset, too. "Come on. Ricco, I need you to open the other stateroom. The one that the Gwinnett's are in."
Ricco was becoming concerned, too. He led them down to Rose and John's room. He unlocked the door. This time all three of them went in. The bed there was made, too. Bethia looked through Rose's dresses.
"Roger--that green dress Rose had on last night. It's not here. And knowing Rose, she always hung up her dresses. It should have at the very least been crumpled on the floor if she had too much to drink and passed out. Oh, Roger, I'm afraid!"
Roger sat on their bed, his head in his hands. "I think I know someone who may be able to help us out!"

Within minutes, Roger made a call to the United States.
"Hello?"
"Celeste! It's Roger."
"Roger! I hope all of you are getting lots of sun and relaxation. How IS everyone?"
Roger said, "Uh, Celeste, we have a bit of a situation on our hands."
Silence. Then-- "OK, What did Rosamond do NOW?"
Roger took a deep breath. "It's not just her. Celeste, they are all missing! Beth and I had a quiet dinner in our room. The others were going to dinner, they were sitting at the captain's table and we were to meet for breakfast. But the four of them never showed up. Bethia and I are beside ourselves. We need you to see if you can locate them."
Bethia grabbed the phone, crying. "Oh, Celeste, please! Find them!"
Celeste said soothingly, "Bethia, it's no good for your babies to get upset. Now calm down. I will call you back within the hour. I am sure there is a logical explanation for it."
CLICK!

Celeste sat there at the table. "William? I need your help."
William came in grumbling. "If I have to fish that one newspaper out of the pond again, I swear--I'll cancel!" He looked at Celeste's troubled face. "What is it, my dear?"
Celeste related her conversation with Beth and Roger. William was exasperated.
"Can't anyone take a vacation without it turning into a major disaster?"
Celeste grabbed his hand. "Come on. We need to fire up the old crystal ball."
Celeste locked her door. William sputtered. "What will the others think if we are in a locked room together, Celeste?"
Celeste looked at him incredulously. "We have four missing people, three of them time travelers, and you are worried about propriety? Get real, William!"
She whisked off the velvet cloth over the ball and warmed it up. "It's very hazy...."
clouds swirled and then parted. "I see....a ship. A very old ship. I see a woman with a parrot. The woman has strawberry blonde hair. I see a cutlass. And I see the name on the ship...Re...drat! I can't read the name! I see four shadowy figures on a deck...looks like...yep, it's them."
She looked up at Willilam, perturbed.
William grew alarmed. "What is it? What have they done NOW?"
Celeste bit her lower lip."I'm afraid the four of them have been captured...by PIRATES!"


PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER..........by Coralynn

Moose waits for the computer to spring to life, then tries to think of the place where his sister's gedcom is located on his hard-drive. He goes into the download area and scrolls around........ahhh......here it is!
HUTCHINS genealogy. Right, bingo!
"I need to find my x gr/grandmother," he says aloud, "I think her name began with an L, but L what?? I can do a search for all the people with her maiden name, but what was that?
In desperation, he dials up his sister in California, who answers groggily.
"MEG!" he begins.......then realizes, "Meg?" Why that name?
"Yes, Matthew, it's Meg. Why are you calling at such an unGodly hour? You realize there's a three hour time difference, don't you? It's 6am here!"
"Sorry about that, I truly am, but I have questions about our genealogy that I need answers for, and I can't wait."
She yawns, "You never showed any interest before......why now.......why at 6am California time?"
"Because I found some old memorabilia up in the attic, and you know that old family legend about the sister of our gr/gr/God knows how many greats/grandmother four hunderd years ago who went out on the cliffs every day to await the return of her lover, who never came back?"
"Yeah, think it's true, or just one of those stories that gets made up and assumes a life of its own? My guess is the latter."
"Well, maybe, maybe not. I need the surname of these women........the maiden name.....so I can do a search in the gedcom you sent me."
"I sent that to you about four years ago and you're just now getting around to looking at it? OK, let's see.....their last name began with an S. Stratford? No, but close. Just a minute, let me put on my robe and look in the paper copies I have......hang on."
Moose hangs on the line impatiently as he pictures his sister slowly putting on her robe and sliding her feet into her slippers, then slowly going to wherever the paper copies are. That woman wouldn't know how to hurry if her house was ablaze, I swear.

"Matthew? are you still there?"
"I'm not about to go anywhere, Meg, and by the way, do you have any idea where your first name came from?"
He hears her riffling through papers as she replies, "Some kind of family superstition about always having one girl in each generation named Meg. I have no idea why, but that's the way it's turned out. Ohhhhhh, OK, here it is: It says here that their last name was Stafford. That's right, I remember now. Ahhhhhh, let's see, our God-knows-how-many gr/grandmother was named Lydia Maria Stafford. And, her younger brother was named Charles Winthrop Stafford, and her older sister was named Julia Megaera Stafford. Only three kids.....that was unusual. Ooohhhhhhh, now I see why......their mother died at the birth of Charles. The father's name was Timothy Rawlins Stafford. I don't know if he then remarried or not, but this is the family our line comes from. Is that enough for your curiosity?"
"I think so, thanks so much, Meg. You're a brick!"
"You, too, Matthew. Phone me some time when I'm fully awake, will you? Right now I'm going back to bed. Bye!"
Moose hangs up and looks at the notes he's taken while talking with his sister.
He locates Timothy Rawlins Stafford and his list of three children. There she is! Julia Megaera Stafford, born 1588 Penzance, Somersetshire, England, died......no death date. Oh well, at least I've found her. She has to be the reason each generation has named a girl Meg. OK, now, let's see if SHE has a family, if Meg has bothered to put that information on her tree.
He brings up a page with sketchy information.........she married James....what, no last name??.......1610......the children listed are Charles, whose mother was Mary, b. 1607, Daniel, b. 1610, John,b. 1610, Katherine, b. 1613, Isabelle, b. 1615, Cecily, b. 1617. Not much on the children, maybe because they aren't in our direct line? Looks like Daniel and John would be Rhys' twin sons, and the three girls are probably James' daughters.

His attention then goes back to the wooden box. He looks at the sketches again, and sees that the last one is not a sketch, but a note scribbled on a paper the same size. It reads, "Lydia, please keep these for me. Father won't think to look for them at your house. M."
A-ha! so her father was looking for anything that had to do with her pirate love, was he? Trying to wipe out any traces of him? Well, now, how foolish is that? The traces Megaera carried were in her mind and heart and could never be wiped out.


THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE, YO HO!.....by Terri

Rosamond was escorted back to her spot on the deck by Smead. She looked bewildered as she took her place. John reached for her hand. "What happened?" he whispered.
Rose whispered back, "The captain is one mean mama. She's got it all figured out. We are sailing for the Barbary Coast. She's going to sell El and I to some Arabian shieks. And I don't mean as tent-makers!"
Eleanor's head shot up. "What? I don't consort with anyone unless I want to!"
Rose continued. "Jerry is going to stay on as second mate. So guess who is going to be first mate?"
Everyone pointed to John. John said, "Me? ME?"
Rose nodded. "Yes. Emphasis on 'mate' and I don't mean, like, 'yo ho, matey'"
Smead came up to them. "Ye are invited to partake o' dinner. Foller me."
They all got up, stiff with sitting on the deck floor and covered with sea salt.
Smead said over his shoulder. "Ye'll be dinin' wit' the cap'n."
Eleanor straightened up. "Oh, this I have just GOT to see!"

Captain Molly McCormack was sitting at her table with a bounty of food. There were fresh fruits and vegetables and a pig with an apple in its mouth.
Rosamond looked at the pig and tried not to be sick.
"Ah, welcome to my quarters. You are my guests. Please! Sit down."
The four of them looked warily at each other. Captain Molly smiled. "Oh, please! I swear---I won't bite!"
The four of them sat down cautiously. To John, Molly said, "Oh, no, Rhys! You are sitting by me."
John looked at the others with a 'what can I do?' look.
Food was eaten in silence. Finally, Eleanor decided to play her hand. "I must ask, Captain McCormack,.."
"Please. Call me Captain Molly!"
"...Captain Molly, what did Rhys do that was so awful?"
Molly looked at John and said, "What, are you too ashamed to tell them, my love?" It was all Rosamond could do to keep from lunging at her with her nails extended.
Captain Molly said, "Since Rhys is not willing to tell you the story, I shall..."


THE CLUES JUST KEEP COMING............by Coralynn

Moose sees what could be a drawer near the bottom of the box. No hardware on it to pull it open, and he's not positive it is a drawer, but just in case, he slides a knife into a crease that appears to have been painted over, and jiggles it. Yes, there's some movement, so he runs the knife around the entire perimeter of what he hopes is a drawer, then tries to yank it forward. It shows movement, but not much, so he takes an old crochet hook that's lying nearby, rams it in, then yanks it toward him.
"Yes!" he exclaims, "Look at this!" Since he's alone, no one answers, but that doesn't stem his flow of words.
"These look like letters! They're tied with old ribbon that's been tied so long it's going to disintegrate when I pull on it, but those are the breaks...." he pulls off the ribbon, which does fall apart. The paper of the envelopes is brittle and he hopes that doesn't disintegrate as well.

Gently pulling a folded page from the first envelope, he reads,

"Lydia dear, It's been too long since last we met. We must manage a reunion at Christmastime this year. Would that suit you? I am especially lonely since my boys emigrated to America. They were all that I had left of him. The girls are all planning to leave home as well, two of them are marrying, and soon I shall be totally alone. I don't mean to sound sorry for myself, because I do have James, and Charles lives nearby with his family, but I have an empty place in my heart with the boys moving across the ocean so far away. James is a good man, but, as you know, I have my sorrows, which I do not share with him. Please write back soon, I miss you. Love, Meggie."

Moose looks carefully to see if this letter is dated. He sees a 163, then the last digit is smudged. Has to be when she was about forty- something years old, he calculates.
The letter has been addressed to Lydia. He wonders why it's in this box, then realizes that even a letter from Megaera would be dangerous for her to leave lying around when her father visited. He must have been very intimidating.
He looks at the other two letters, which are more faded and harder to read. He puts them aside for another time when he has time to settle in with a magnifying glass.
His stomach rumbles and he pats it, "OK, OK, I hear ya, time to go out and get some chow!" he puts on his thickest jacket, boots, and coon-skin hat, laughing at his reflection in the mirror, "Davey Crockett here! Watch out world!" as he leaves the house.

on to next part of STORY
Back to Table of Contents

View My Guestbook Sign My Guestbook

Our Sponsors