Beginning, Previous Section, Section VI

Part XXIV

Posted on Sunday, 27-Sep-98

New York City: July 17, 1998

ndrew broke his resolution not to leave the island until after the wedding three days later. The lack of privacy on Nantucket was the overriding problem: he couldn't seem to find any time to be alone with Thea! David kept on reminding him that baseball season was still in full swing and he needed to support the Red Sox with him and speculate on the possibility of Roger Maris' home run record being broken that season by Mark McGwire or Sammy Sosa.

And Thea was constantly being drawn away by her sister and Daphne to talk about the wedding. Even his mother jumped into the act on occasion, suggesting little details and relating small stories from her own wedding to the Admiral. If he had been given more opportunities to see Thea alone, Andrew was sure that he would not begrudge his mother time to get to know better her new daughter-in-law. He might have even been pleased by his mother's attempts to make Thea feel more comfortable. And he did notice all that she had done in this regard. Thea had been very nervous about meeting Helen as her mother-in-law to-be, especially after all that had happened on the boat ride with Connor Douglas. Mom didn't let her son down, however. She was completely welcoming and approving.

And the Diana and Daphne were wholly caught up in the wedding preparations, even down to offering their own wedding dresses for Thea to wear, volunteering to drive back to New Jersey where the dresses were stored. Of course, there were several polite arguments about who's dress would be more suitable for Thea and would need fewer alterations to make it fit. Andrew listened as Thea's weak suggestions that she buy her own dress were met by stunned silence, followed up with discouraging reminders about the fact that a wedding dress can't be bought in three weeks. Andrew recognized that the two women were probably right about this and tried to give up wishing that Thea could wear something that was completely her own.

Andrew occasionally wondered if he and Thea weren't just a bit insane when it came to planning a wedding in three weeks, but then remembered the fact that he had been waiting for this moment for over four years. Regardless of how small, strange, and disorganized the actual ceremony was, he was determined to be married to her in three weeks.

But the fact remained that he had spent hardly any time alone with her! They were constantly a part of the large, cheerful group, never able to leave together without being followed. Even his proposal to her on the beach that night had been observed by the crowd!

Andrew thought back to that summer they spent in New York City together. Even though her parents had insisted that she come back to New Jersey each night, they still had found enough time to share. And all of that time had been alone or as an anonymous part of an audience. Andrew remembered spending a great deal of his free time trying to discover inexpensive events to take her to. A friend of his had taught him how to learn where the free movie passes would be given out, bringing him along and explaining to him all about the interesting sub-culture that bought the newspaper only to learn where the freebies were and lining up hours beforehand just for the opportunity of getting two tickets to a screening. They had seen a great many movies that summer. But Thea had also loved seeing "Shakespeare in the Park" and going swing dancing in the plaza in front of Lincoln Center.

Andrew remembered how protective he had been of his time with Thea, refusing to introduce her to many of his friends because he wanted to keep her all to himself. She would often tease him about either being embarrassed of her or being embarrassed about his friends. This could never be the case, however! He was quite proud of her. And was appreciative of the sacrifice she was making for him. It wasn't easy for her to spend so much time commuting between her home in New Jersey to her job in New York just so she could have a reason for seeing him in the evenings. He knew that she often went home exhausted and woke up the next morning not much better. He wouldn't have asked so much of her, but it seemed to be the only way.

Andrew had to admit to himself that he had not yet been able to forgive her parents for changing Thea's mind for her, even though Thea had recently explained it differently. It was not that they had been able to change her mind against him as much as they planted a seed of caution that made her want to stand back and think about it for a moment. She had not lost faith in him.

And he had assumed that the seed had been filled with doubt and had punished her for it! Andrew shook his head and realized that he had only himself to blame for the last four years. And he wanted to repair the damage that those four years had done.

But it wasn't easy to do this in front of so interested an audience! He had to get her away from their families, if just for a little while. He didn't need that much time; just enough to convince her once and for all that he was never going to leave her again. He wanted to give her back all of the confidence she had lost when he had done so and he wanted to do it before their wedding.

The next morning, Andrew suggested that they fly down to New York City for a few days. He was pleased to see how quick Thea was to agree. Her dark brown eyes widened and lit up with delight as she stood in her sister's kitchen, feeding Little David with a bottle. He wondered if it was the thought of being alone with him that made her eyes shine even more brightly at him. She really had the most beautiful eyes, large and deep. He sometimes felt as if he could fall right into them and never climb out. Really, how could she ever expect to be inconspicuous with such remarkable eyes? Andrew never could understand her need to go unnoticed. He certainly couldn't help noticing her at David and Diana's wedding. In fact, he remembered watching her through the entire ceremony, feeling both amused and intrigued by the expression of her eyes. He especially remembered when she had rolled them at the bride and groom as they walked down the aisle. Andrew had fallen in love before the salad course. Dancing with her that evening, watching her expressive eyes begin to glisten with a dawning happiness, was just icing on the cake.

Andrew still maintained that he didn't recognize her on the set that one day because she was hiding her lovely eyes behind a pair of dark sunglasses. And how could he have imagined that she would dye her hair red that day? He remembered his confusion with a large degree of embarrassment and pain. It was clear just how frustrated she was with his slip; it was almost as if he had driven her into the arms of Connor Douglas in that moment. And it had been into his arms, hadn't it? Andrew recalled following them later, lying to himself and Crystal about scouting locations, and finding her dancing with that man. Connor had even kissed her on that night! But that was a memory that he just couldn't stomach. He pushed it away, returning to the present and Thea feeding her nephew in her sister's kitchen. Now that was a more pleasant vision. Little David certainly had taken to his Aunt Thea. She definitely had a way with children.

"When do we leave?" she asked, sounding as if she was prepared to run and pack her bags that instant and be ready to go to the airport in half a minute.

Andrew felt his smile grow wider at her willingness to drop everything and go with him. She must be as frustrated as he was by the eternal presence of their friends and family. But he wasn't ready to leave just yet. He had a few plans to make first. He was not going to take Thea on any more cobbled-together cheap dates. This time, they were going to enjoy New York City in style. He could afford it now. And there were a few other things that he could do while they were there.

He looked down at Thea's slender fingers, holding the bottle for her nephew, and recognized that there was something missing. He would need to fix that.

Andrew made all of the arrangements and chose to be cheerfully enigmatic about his plans. All that he revealed to Thea was that they would be gone for three days. Subsequent proddings as to what she should pack forced him to tell her that she would need a nice dress to wear if he took her out to dinner. That was as far as he was willing to go, however. She would just have to wait for the rest of the events to unfold.

Thea was not too surprised when the prop-engine plane from Nantucket touched down at the Marine Air terminal at LaGuardia or by the water shuttle that they boarded to take them to Manhattan instead of a taxi. These were all predictable ways of traveling from Nantucket to New York and she wouldn't consider them to be out of the ordinary.

The horse drawn carriage that he had hired to take them to their hotel from the water shuttle's landing next to the 59th Street bridge might get a rise out of her.

He was not disappointed. She was surprised when he steered her over to the horse and driver, looking suitably anachronistic amid the black Lincoln town cars and limousines that were waiting for the other passengers. The driver, in a shabby top hat and tailcoat, recognized him instantly and greeted them both as if they were old friends.

"Andrew, how did you arrange this?" Thea asked him as he helped her up into the carriage.

"The stable is actually located here," Andrew explained. "And the driver has to drive over to the park anyway. He might as well pick up a fare while he's doing it."

"But how did you know that?"

"An old friend of mine just made a film with a horse drawn carriage in it. He got to know their routine pretty well. This is one of two stables in the city." Andrew hopped into the carriage and placed the bags on the seat facing them. "They harness up here and drive over to the Park."

Thea nodded her head, taking in the information, but looking distracted as she did so. She was concentrating hard on recalling something. "Andrew, the only hotels near Central Park are ridiculously expensive," she said finally, "Where are we staying?"

Andrew smiled wickedly as the driver maneuvered the carriage into the congestion of 61st Street. "Don't you always stay at the Plaza whenever you're in the City?"

She looked sternly down at her nose at him, a gesture that she must have perfected over two years of reprimanding student behavior with a glance. He was glad that he wasn't one of her students, he could just think that such a glare was cute without having to worry about what she might do to him if he didn't straighten up. "Andrew, can we afford that?" she asked.

"Of course!" he exclaimed in surprise, suddenly realizing that Thea had no idea about how much his financial situation had changed. She still thought that he was scrimping by, a penniless filmmaker just starting out in a difficult profession. "Remind me to let you take a look at my investment portfolio," he said.

"Your investment portfolio?"

He nodded his head, holding on to the side of the carriage as the horse's pace quickened in order to get through the intersection with Second Avenue before the light turned red. He looked over at her and decided that he needed to explain further. "I never took my success for granted, Thea, and I never expected it to last. I've been socking money away for the last four years, just in case my next film flopped and people decided not to hire me."

Thea's eyes widened, betraying the fact that she had not thought of that. Had she really not considered the fact that he had become quite rich? It was a humbling thought, but one that brought no pain. In fact, he had the opposite reaction: it was wonderful to think that Thea would still marry the penniless director that she once knew. His financial situation still had no bearing on her decision to marry him.

"Of course, I would be richer if I had been able to take a few French frigates like Captain Wentworth," he teased lightly, causing her to punch him in the arm. After reading the book, he had taken to making comparisons between himself and Frederick. It was all in fun, though, and Thea didn't seem to mind it at all. She had gotten over the fact that her life had seemed to be plotted along the same lines as a Jane Austen novel. She rolled her eyes at him disparagingly and let him place his arm around her shoulder.

"So, have you ever stayed at the Plaza?" she asked.

"A few times," he admitted. "I haven't been back to New York that much in the last four years." Thinking back over those visits instantly dampened his spirits. "You don't know how much I wanted to call you whenever I was here," he said softly, remembering it with some pain. "Every part of the city seemed to remind me of you."

"Then why didn't you?" she asked.

Yes, why hadn't he? There was only one answer to that. "I was too proud. I didn't want to come crawling back just to be rejected again," he looked ahead, watching the traffic pass on Madison Avenue.

Thea reached over and took his hand and held it in her lap, "You wouldn't have been rejected," she responded quietly.

Andrew felt his heart leap incontrollably and he had to turn back towards her. She wouldn't have rejected him. He was an idiot for not trying earlier!

At least she was there with him now! And she was looking at him earnestly, her eyes saying so much. And they were alone, or at least very nearly. No one would think anything of two people kissing in a carriage. New Yorkers were used to ignoring everything out of the ordinary. Andrew placed his hand on the back of her neck and gently brought her towards him, allowing himself all the time that he longed for on Nantucket. Their kiss deepened and he felt Thea responding with a fearless, unashamed passion that matched his own.

They broke apart only when the carriage stopped in front of the Plaza. Andrew and the carriage driver helped her down and the doorman collected the bags. That Thea was a bit awestruck at the thought of staying in such a grand hotel was evident to Andrew as he took hold of her hand and led her through the opened doorway. Her eyes appeared to be caught by the brilliance of the crystal chandelier as they passed through the foyer and her steps became more hesitant as they entered the palm court where high tea was already being served.

"I'll check us in," Andrew whispered in her ear, loosening his grip on her hand so that she could feel free to wander around and become used to the opulent surroundings. Thea smiled at him weakly and moved off to admire a large vase of flowers standing in front of a mirrored wall. Andrew wondered what Thea's favorite flower was as he followed the doorman to the front desk.

Andrew collected the key from the desk and, leaving the bags with the desk to be sent up later, wandered back to where he left Thea. She was nowhere to be seen, however, something which sent a chill of apprehension running down his spine. She wouldn't have left, would she? No, that's ridiculous, Andrew calmed himself down. He couldn't think of any reason why she would want to leave him. She probably just wandered down the hallway and was now in the gift shop or the ladies room.

But he felt quite relieved when he actually did find her in the gift shop, laughing quietly over a copy of Eloise by Kay Thompson. Andrew smiled as he watched her read. He remembered that picture book from childhood. It was the story of a precocious little girl who lived in the Plaza with her loving and well-intentioned English nanny who was unable to keep the young girl out of mischief. She was just the type of girl who would think nothing of pressing all the buttons on the elevator door or ordering everything on the room service menu. Eloise was quite naughty, but everyone still seemed to love her.

Thea's eyes glanced up from the page and caught Andrew staring at her. He smiled and could think of nothing more wonderful than the prospect of being married to Thea. Of course, there was the prospect of having children with Thea. He walked over to her and took hold of the book, "We could name our first daughter Eloise," he said warmly.

Thea looked back skeptically, "You don't actually like the name Eloise, do you?"

Andrew shook his head, "Not particularly," he admitted, "But her name would always remind me of this moment."

Thea looked at him questioningly. "What's so special about this moment?" she asked.

Andrew cocked his head to one side, "Maybe nothing, maybe everything. There's something very special about being able to find you waiting for me, reading a book in a gift shop." He knew that he wasn't explaining himself well, but perhaps what he wanted to say couldn't be explained. It had everything to do with her being there, her trusting him enough to give him a second chance, and him finally realizing that she was always going to be where he could find her.

Thea smiled and looked back down at the book. It was apparent that he hadn't clarified anything for her, but it didn't really matter. She looked back up at him, eyes sparkling with mischief, "Perhaps we could call her Lise for short?" she asked.

Andrew laughed at that and placed his arm around her, steering her towards the cash register in order to buy the book. Of course if they named their daughter Eloise, then his favorite aunts, Alice, Peg, and Rachel might be offended. He always promised that he would name any daughters after them. And, of course, there was Cousin Cassie to be considered as well.

"We could always name her Anne Elizabeth," Thea mused as they left the gift shop, thinking about her favorite Austen people.

Andrew nodded in agreement. "Anne would be particularly appropriate."

Thea giggled, "And Freddy, if it's a boy."

They boarded the elevator, both looking over at the floor buttons and considering the same thing: pushing them all once as they had jumped out on their floor. But the people riding with them looked particularly nasty and mean. Andrew was sure that they wouldn't see the humor in it.

So they behaved themselves as they exited the elevator and walked down the hallway towards their own room. Andrew opened it and stood to one side as Thea walked in. The room was an indescribable wonder, opulent, but not ostentatious and Andrew could see that they had been given a window that looked out onto the Park.

Thea didn't seem to care so much about the room. As soon as Andrew closed the door, she flung her arms around him, obviously wishing to continue what they had started in the carriage. She pulled him nearer and planted several sweet kisses on his lips. Andrew felt his heart leap, surprised at this unexpected, aggressive side of Thea. He threw the keys on the floor, took her in his arms, and returned her kisses with a few ones of his own.

Thea took charge and maneuvered him towards the overly large bed and pushed him onto it. Andrew raised his eyebrows and smiled, reaching out for her arm so that he could pull her down with him. She flopped down next to him and began adjusting the pillows for his head, attempting to make him as comfortable as possible before continuing with whatever she had planned. Andrew snuggled against them and reached up to touch Thea's face, running a finger down the curve of her cheek lovingly. A lock of her auburn hair fell against his hand as he did so, soft and light against his skin. She was so lovely. How was it that only he and Connor Douglas had seemed to figure that out? It was completely mystifying to him how she had managed to stay single for the last four years. Did she not have men beating down her door to get to know her better? Perhaps all the men in Tenafly were near sighted or blind? Andrew was eternally grateful to all those vision-impaired fools in New Jersey that had managed to let Thea pass by.

"What would you like to do tonight?" Andrew asked, knowing that this question was quite rhetorical. He had already purchased tickets for a Broadway show for tonight.

Thea placed her head in the crook of his shoulder and sighed blissfully. "Stay in and watch movies," she said confidently.

"What?" Andrew asked, raising his head so that he could see her face.

"I want to order take-out food and watch videos," Thea repeated, smiling up at him.

Andrew looked at her perplexed. This wasn't in his plans at all! She was supposed to want to go out that night and then be very excited about the prospect of seeing a play. "Really?" Andrew asked.

Thea nodded, looking very sure of her decision. "Would you like Chinese or pizza?" she asked.

"Wouldn't you like to go out tonight and maybe see a musical?" Andrew attempted.

Thea shook her head. "I don't want to go anywhere tonight, Andrew. I want to stay here in this bed and watch a video."

"But we're in New York City!" Andrew tried.

"And we're alone!" Thea countered. "And we haven't been alone in so long. I just want to be with you tonight."

Andrew shrugged his shoulders, defeated, but not really caring. How was he supposed to go against reasoning that was delivered with such sweetness? He looked down at her, realizing what a wonderfully perplexing creature she was. Was he really being allowed to spend the rest of his life attempting to figure her out? It seemed like too precious a gift to be given. "Okay," Andrew conceded. "Chinese it is."

Thea smiled in triumph.

"And is there any particular film that you would like to see tonight?" he asked,

"Oh yes!" Thea admitted enthusiastically, "I'd like to see anything by that wonderful director Andrew Carroll. I've heard so much about him!"

Andrew rolled his eyes and groaned, masking the fact that he was really very flattered that Thea wanted to see his work. Of course, he had always assumed that she had seen his films during their first release. Hindsight made him recognize the fact that this was a ridiculous presumption. Why should she have? They weren't dating any longer and had left each other on very bad terms. He was certain that he would not have set foot in a movie theater to watch her films had the situation been reversed. But he seemed to hold Thea up to a higher standard. He thought of her as kinder, more understanding than himself. It had been a real disappointment when Thea had admitted to not having seen any of them. It had made him recognize just how much he wished to know her opinion of them. In fact, he realized that he would imagine what her opinion might be while he made them. His mind on the set constantly wondered what Thea might think of this or if Thea might approve of that.

Her opinion mattered a great deal to him.

"You can groan all you wish, Andrew," Thea whispered in his ear. "But that's what I'm going to be doing tonight. If you aren't interested, then you can go find a bar and watch the Red Sox play."

Oh, he was interested! The thought of spending an entire night alone with her in a hotel room with no distractions but a few copies of his films, was a dessert almost too sweet to be tasted. He reached over and grabbed her, rolling her closer to him.

A knock at the door interrupted them. Their bags had arrived.

Thea's eyes brightened with mischief and she stood up from the bed. Andrew followed quickly, opening the door and pulling out his wallet for the tip. The bell man placed the bags just inside the door and then returned to the entrance, waiting for other instructions.

Thea picked up her overnight bag and was about ready to walk off to the bathroom, but then returned to his side. She pulled down his head, wishing to whisper something into his ear. "I haven't told you what I want to be wearing as we watch movies tonight," she said breathily.

Andrew's eyes widened involuntarily. Now this was something that he would have never expected! He was suddenly very eager to get rid of this bell hop and get on with the business at hand. He watched his fiancée as she crossed the room and walked purposefully into the bathroom.

"Will that be all, sir?" the attendant reclaimed his attention.

"Yes," Andrew whispered, not looking away from the bathroom door, but then realized that there was some unfinished business. "Do you like musicals?" he asked, turning towards the young man in the hotel uniform and pulling out the pair of tickets he would now not be using tonight. "Perhaps you could find a use for these? They're very good seats."

Part XXV

Posted on Sunday, 04-Oct-98

New York City: July 18, 1998

The next evening Andrew found himself racing through the crowds along Fifth Avenue in an attempt to get back to Thea in time. His errands had taken much longer than he had expected and he even had to leave a message with the front desk to tell Thea that he would be late and call the restaurant and reschedule the dinner reservations. He was quite flustered by the time he arrived back at the hotel.

Andrew had regretted having to leave so early that morning, especially since Thea had still been curled up in bed, completely asleep. But he had to start early if he were to get both things done. Especially since his first appointment took him to New Jersey.

He had hated the thought that she might wake up and be upset at his not being there and hastily scrawled her a note and stood it up on the bureau, hoping that he had chosen the most obvious spot in which to place it. In the note, he thanked her for making the decision to stay in last night.

And it had been a really good decision, much better than his plan of dinner and a musical. Andrew hadn't regretted for one moment having given away their tickets to the man who brought up their bags. In fact, he felt pretty good about having done that, the bell boy could barely afford his rent, much less two tickets to "Rent," last year's humble East Village "LaBoheme" that made it big on Broadway only after the playwright's tragically sudden death. The bell boy had been appropriately thankful, almost overly so, causing Andrew to wonder if he wasn't one of the many unemployed actors still hoping to make it big on Broadway. That suspicion was quickly affirmed when the bell boy looked at the tickets and realized just how good the seats were. Only a person involved in the theater would know that.

Andrew had known that he had exchanged those seats for one much better. He and Thea snuggled in bed for the rest of the afternoon and late into the evening, distracted only by occasional video watching and Chinese take-out eating. The grateful actor/bellboy had proven to be very useful in procuring copies of his films and a take-out menu. Watching his pictures with Thea had been quite an experience. She had proven to be a discriminating critic, choosing to take charge of the remote control, stopping the tape whenever she had a question for him or a comment to make. She was quite insightful, admiring the parts that had pleased him as well, and tactfully questioning him about the sections that he wished had been done differently. Andrew began to see his work with her eyes and the new perspective gave the material new life. He wondered how differently things would have been if she had been with him during the last four years.

But Andrew was tired of being regretful. She would be next to him now, just as she had been last night. And she had chosen to wear nothing but a silky pink gown for this private screening of his work! The filmy dress seemed to suit her very well. It was seductive, in a sweet, almost innocent way. She, almost shockingly, forced him into a similar state of undress: he wound up spending the entire evening wearing nothing but the white terry cloth robe that the Plaza left in the bathroom for guests.

Andrew could not recall a more comfortable evening. Or a more surprising one. He really hadn't expected Thea to have so many plans up her sleeve! It was obvious that she had been thinking of what to do during their little getaway almost as much as he. Here he had been planning all of these surprises for her and wound up being the one surprised.

As Andrew rode the elevator back up to their floor that evening, he reminded himself that he was not yet finished with his own surprises. Tonight he was determined to be one to do the surprising. Thea would not be allowed to have all the fun.

Andrew fumbled clumsily with the lock, releasing it only after a struggle with the keycard. He opened the door and his eyes looked around the large room, seeking her out. He sighed, relieved, when he found her standing next to one of the windows. She must have been sitting on the sill, admiring the view when his keycard sounded in the lock. She looked as if she had just stood up and was still self-consciously smoothing out the skirt of her dress.

And what a dress it was! A deep ocean blue, it made the most of her warm coloring. The straps were set wide, creating short, capped sleeves on her shoulders and a large, portrait neckline. She had also put her hair up into some sort of a twist, with wispy tendrils escaping around her neck. The sight of her nearly took his breath away. He gulped and had to reorganize his perception of her once again. He had always recognized the fact that she was an attractive woman, but in this dress she was absolutely stunning. He was almost afraid of taking her out of the room where other men could admire her.

Thea walked towards him, a nervous smile playing across her face. He knew that she wanted his opinion and he was more than willing to give it to her. He raised his eyebrows and smiled at her appreciatively.

"I bought a dress," she said, standing in front of him.

"So I see!" he responded, sensing that he was now grinning idiotically. "It's lovely. You're lovely in it."

She looked down in some embarrassment, still not used to accepting compliments. "Actually, I bought two dresses," she said shyly.

"Two?" Andrew asked.

Thea fingered the deep aqua material, "The other one is long and white," she revealed.

Andrew felt his eyes widen. She was able to find a wedding dress? "Really?" he asked, still grinning like a fool.

Thea nodded, starting to smile as well.

"Where is it?" Andrew asked, looking around the room.

"Oh no," Thea negatived, "I'm having them send it to Nantucket!"

"You don't trust me?" he asked wickedly.

"No," she shook her head. "And I want it to be a surprise."

Not willing to stand apart any longer, Andrew took her in his arms. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

Thea stood on her toes to kiss him teasingly on his nose. "Yes, I am," she responded.

"Well," he said, placing a kiss upon her nose in reciprocation. "Tonight's my night to surprise you."

"So, where are you keeping all of these surprises?" she attempted.

"You'll find out," Andrew said, taking her by the hand and leading her out of the room, barely remembering to shut the door on their way out.

Thea was kept in the dark until the taxi that Andrew had hired pulled up in front of the World Trade Center. It had been a very long trip from midtown Manhattan to the bottom of the island and Thea was completely mystified by the time they reached Chinatown. She had shot him several quizzical glances while watching the New York streets fly by. "We aren't going to Brooklyn, are we?" Thea had asked at one point.

But as Andrew helped her out of the cab and paid the driver, he realized that the sight of the twin towers would make everything clear to her. "You're taking me to the World Trade Center?" Thea exclaimed as he joined her on the sidewalk.

Andrew nodded and grinned, pleased that he had been able to keep a secret from her for that long. "Did you know that there's a restaurant in Tower Two?" he asked, taking her arm and escorting her towards the entrance.

"Windows on the World?" Thea squeaked in awe, looking straight up and recalling the correct name of the expensive restaurant.

"On the one hundred and first floor," Andrew affirmed. "They say that it has a great view." he understated.

It was a great view. The lights of the city were just starting to grow brighter as the sky in the distance dimmed into the twilight's smoky gray. Andrew watched as a helicopter flew past several feet below them. He looked over to see Thea's eyes widen and take in the view.

They spent most of their dinner trying to identify all of the neighborhoods and landmark buildings that they could see from their vantage point. Even though Andrew had been away from the city for four years, he found that he still had a good understanding of which neighborhoods lay where. He realized that he had not looked up at the tops of buildings enough while he lived there to be able to recognize them from this viewpoint. When it came to the buildings of New York City, Thea knew as much as Andrew, which simply meant that they could argue about their identity even more, asking everyone from the waiter to the wine steward to settle their disagreements.

It wasn't until they had selected dessert from the dessert tray that Thea must have realized that she had absolutely no idea what Andrew had done that day. "Where did you go so early this morning?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

It was the right time to reveal all. "I took the train to New Jersey," he admitted.

Thea's eyes widened. "Why?"

"To finally get the opportunity to meet your parents." Andrew said softly.

"Really?" Thea said, looking perplexed.

Andrew nodded and looked down, fingering the stem of his water glass. "I've been very angry at them for these last four years, for managing to persuade you against me." he looked up, "And I realized a few days ago that I really needed to meet them before the wedding and put it past me."

"You needed to forgive them?" Thea whispered.

"Yes," Andrew confirmed, remembering every anxious moment he had on the train ride out to Montclair that morning. He wasn't able to stop recalling the last train ride he had taken out there and how differently it had ended then. He couldn't help but be apprehensive at the idea of finally meeting Thea's parents and attempted to lighten his mood on the train ride by imagining them as Sir Walter Elliot and Lady Russell. He had been moderately successful, laughing out loud at the idea of Sir Walter taking up his copy of the Baronetage and insisting that someone as disreputable as a filmmaker had no place on its vaunted pages.

Andrew's seat mate had looked over at him when he had started chuckling out loud, more curious than frightened. Andrew had realized that he didn't look like the average lunatic in his reasonably expensive Italian suit, selected that morning in order to give the soon-to-be in-laws an idea of his comparative wealth and security. Andrew didn't have that many suits in his wardrobe, but the ones that he did have were quite respectable, purchased to impress producers and other film backers during Hollywood power lunches.

Mr. and Mrs. Moore were nothing like Sir Walter and Lady Russell, much to Andrew's relief. It was almost as if they were determined to be pleased with him and his plans for his life with their daughter. They seemed almost apprehensive as well, eager for him to like them in return. Mrs. Moore was very excited about the wedding and wanted to hear all about the plans. Her dark brown eyes matched her daughter's and Andrew found it impossible to look at her and remain angry, not when there was so much of her daughter in her.

More than ever before, Andrew wished that he had not taken that train back to the city four years ago, leaving Thea alone on that platform. If only he had insisted that Thea take him home to meet her parents. Could he have convinced him then? He should have at least tried!

"And were you able to forgive them?" Thea prodded him back to the present.

Andrew smiled slowly, "Yes," he said and watched Thea's shoulders relax. He realized that it was probably causing her some pain to have her fiancé and her parents not able to meet. "In fact, they want to meet for dinner before we return to Nantucket."

Thea smiled at him in relief and Andrew reached into the pocket of his suit coat and pulled out a bright aqua-colored box tied with a white satin ribbon, the distinctive color heralding the fact that he had spent quite some time that day with the jewelers at Tiffany's. In fact, that was the reason he was late in picking her up. It had taken him some time to pick out the perfect ring and then some time for the perfect ring to be sized for Thea's small finger. Her mother had been very helpful when it came to Thea's ring size. Andrew placed the box on the table in front of Thea. "In fact, they gave me their permission to give you this."

Thea sat quietly, hands still resting on her lap. Looking down, she stared at the box for almost a full minute.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Andrew asked, somewhat worried at her silence. Didn't she expect to get an engagement ring sooner or later?

Thea looked up at him and only then did Andrew realize that tears had started to form in her eyes. She stared at him in some confusion, her gaze betraying the fact that she wasn't sure of what to do. It was then that he realized that she still didn't believe that he had actually come back to her. After four years of telling herself that he was lost to her, it was difficult to accept a different way of thinking. Even after the proposal on the beach, all of the wedding plans, and everything that happened yesterday during their amazing night together, Thea was still frightened of admitting a new reality to herself. Who knew what might happen if she let her guard down long enough to recognize a new truth?

"Open it," Andrew prompted gently, "It's yours."

Thea stared at him, eyes betraying her skepticism. Was this all really hers?

"Open it. It's yours," he repeated to her, knowing that the same could be said of his heart. Surely he could eventually make her realize that he was completely hers?

Andrew watched as she tentatively reached towards it, timidly taking hold of the white satin ribbon and slowly tugging it open. He watched as one tear splashed down on her cheek and she took off the lid. He watched as she lifted the ring out of the box and held it between her thumb and index finger.

Thea's tears were flowing in earnest now and Andrew realized that she had no idea of what to do next. He reached over and took her hands in his. "You can put it on now," he said, "It's yours."

Thea bit her lip and allowed Andrew to guide the ring towards her left hand. He slipped it on her finger for her, "It's yours," he repeated, knowing now that this was exactly what she needed to hear.

Thea nodded and gulped, trying to stop crying, and staring down at the ring. Andrew, still holding on to her hands, looked at it as well. "Do you like it?" he asked.

Thea nodded solemnly.

It was a beautiful ring, a large sapphire surrounded by diamonds, deep blue, almost exactly matching the color of the dress that she was wearing. That was serendipitous enough to mention. "It matches your dress," Andrew noted.

Thea's shoulders shuddered with laughter, instead of tears. She looked straight at Andrew and shook her head. "It matches your eyes," she said, starting to smile.

Andrew smiled back at her, wondering why he hadn't thought of that.

Part XXVI

Posted on Sunday, 18-Oct-98

Nantucket Island, MA: March 21, 1999

"Wake me up when they get to the real awards," Thea Carroll groaned and leaned back on her husband Andrew's shoulder, closing her eyes in disgust. The Academy Awards seemed to get longer and more ridiculous every year, she thought, the organizers only paying lip service to the idea of moving things along. Last year Thea recalled that they had actually brought back almost all of the winners of the best actor/actress categories as well as the supporting actor/actress winners for a special 'Oscar winner family portrait.' The camera panning from face to face had taken up more than ten minutes of air time. She shook her head in disgust at the memory, "Really! The winner's speeches are hardly anything compared to all of the extra time wasters!"

Andrew chuckled good-naturedly, putting one of his arms around his wife, "If you think sitting through the television broadcast is insufferable, imagine having to sit patiently in audience for over five hours. At least we can escape to the kitchen for snacks."

"Is that a hint for me to go get you some snacks?" Thea asked.

"Maybe," Andrew teased, smiling. "Would you like some more wine?" he asked, holding up the hall-full bottle.

"I wouldn't want to fall asleep and miss it," Thea considered her empty glass and wondered if she could have another without getting too sleepy. And she wasn't about to miss it! After all, it wasn't every day that a girl's husband was up for an Academy Award for Best Director. Well, actually it would only be half of an Academy Award -- the other half would go to Scott, who had taken over for Andrew during the editing phase of 'The Pirate Queen.' Andrew and Thea had already seen Scott on television, proudly escorting his date Crystal Sloane through the gauntlet of photographers that lined the entrance to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Crystal, Thea had to admit, looked gorgeous in her silver lamé gown, every inch the glamorous Hollywood starlet. Crystal certainly did know how to pull off a dress.

But that's as far as Thea was willing to go with her appreciation for the charms of Crystal Sloane. The fact that Andrew had once dated her was still a sore spot for her, although he had been quick to say that he didn't know what he had ever seen in Crystal and that he had never been as happy with her as he was now with his wife.

And they were very happy. The last seven months had passed by as quickly as a dream, with Thea barely able to believe her own good fortune. This sensation struck her often in the morning, when she woke up turned towards his sleeping form. She could hardly stop herself from reaching over to touch his face at those times, running her fingers along his cheek, just to prove to herself that he was there. She woke him up frequently by doing this, his blue eyes looking at her, fuzzy with sleep. He'd blow her a reassuring kiss before closing his eyelids again, trying to steal a few more minutes of rest.

"We're taping the show, aren't we?" Andrew asked pragmatically, bringing Thea back to the present. "You could always watch it tomorrow."

"Yes," Thea said slowly, "But I want to share it with you the moment that it happens."

Andrew rolled his eyes in mock-frustration. "That's what I love about you, Thea, you're so sure about things!"

"You used to call it 'quiet confidence'," she teased him. "And what's wrong with believing that you have talent?"

Andrew just shook his head as Thea used his own argument against him. She giggled at that, wondering when exactly it was that their roles had reversed. Most days it was Thea who was optimistically cheerful about life, with Andrew sounding slightly more cautious. She felt that they had a lot to be optimistically cheerful about, however. The completed version of 'The Pirate Queen' had opened during the Christmas season to rave reviews and a sizable share of the box office draw. Only then did Andrew mention to Thea that Connor Douglas had purchased the rights to Andrew's screenplay with a larger interest in the film. Andrew now owned a sizable portion of the blockbuster and that return was now paying off for him quite nicely.

Andrew had also formed his own production company that fall with a friend of his from film school and they were scheduled to start filming 'Northanger Abbey' that summer in England, right after the end of Thea's school year. Andrew wouldn't hear of beginning the shoot without Thea by his side, especially since it had been her idea to do Jane Austen's earliest novel, and one of two that hadn't been produced in the last three years.

Thea could barely contain her enthusiasm for the project and found it even more difficult to keep her mind inside the classroom. But then, she had been somewhat distracted ever since the her marriage.

It goes without saying that the students and their parents as well as the other faculty members were surprised when Miss Moore had come back to Tenafly with a husband. But they were completely floored when Daphne Slocum revealed to almost all of the community that Thea's husband was a well-known film director, and that they should all get used to calling her Mrs. Carroll. How it had all occurred had been the talk of the faculty lounge for most of the month of September, with Daphne never tiring of describing the courtship of her dearest friend. Of course, Daphne's role in bringing them together was always carefully noted, as was the fact that Daphne was the only faculty member privileged enough to actually attend the Nantucket wedding. Thea always blushed when Daphne got to that part and found herself guiltily stumbling around, attempting to explain that it was such as small, quick wedding that she hadn't had time to invite any of her other friends.

It had been a wonderful wedding, however, and Thea admitted to herself that it wouldn't have been nearly as special if it had been larger. If there had been a longer guest list, she and Andrew might have had to actually rent a church or a banquet hall instead of holding it on the beach in front of the two cottages, with chairs carried out from both houses. It was a strange assortment of furniture and Daphne had teasingly threatened to drag one of the lounges down from a deck and recline in it during the ceremony. To dissuade her from doing just that, Thea had finally asked her to be her attendant along with Diana. David, of course, was asked to be the best man.

The informal nature of their wedding became even more casual as the day lengthened. Thea had discovered that going barefoot in the sand was preferable to the wearing the white satin shoes that she had purchased to match her dress and had left them in the house, a decision that was quickly imitated by the rest of the group. By the time the ceremony began, discarded socks and shoes littered the cottage decks and everyone was feeling the sand between their toes, including the minister. Thea couldn't help giggling every time she thought of the absurd picture they must have made that day, the shoeless men walking around in suits and ties and the women considering whether or not to take off their silk stockings.

Being back in the Carroll's Nantucket cottage for a short Spring Break vacation brought the event back to Thea with an almost unbearable sweetness. It had been an absolutely perfect wedding, one that suited her and Andrew in every way. Andrew had looked very handsome as the shoeless groom in charcoal gray suit, his eyes shining with admiration as he watched his bride come near. Thea had been very gratified by the expression on his face as she walked down the sand towards him and was glad that she had found the sleeveless silk shift with the scooped neckline. It was elegant in its simplicity, a big change from the very ornate dress that she almost had to borrow from Diana.

And now, as Thea looked down at the sapphire stone resting on her left hand along with the two bands of gold she recalled the sensation of having Andrew place it on her hand and tell her that it was hers.

Andrew had reminded her of that often. In fact, he had spent much of the fall reminding her that his heart was as much hers as was the piece of jewelry on her finger. By the time Christmas came, Thea had learned to believe it. A part of Andrew was hers for the rest of his life. No one could take that away.

"Here it is," Andrew broke in on her reverie, sounding almost nervous about what was to come. He used the remote to turn up the volume on the television as Thea straightened up in order to listen closely to the presenters. The pair of former Oscar winners walked to the podium and began announcing the nominees for the best director award as Thea turned towards Andrew and wondered again if he regretted the fact that he had chosen not to attend the ceremony.

The idea to watch the televised broadcast from the comfort of his parents' cottage in Nantucket had been his own, voiced to Thea almost as soon as he opened up the invitation from the Academy. He told her that he had already been to his share of Hollywood award dinners and Oscar parties and that he much preferred the idea of spending a quiet night alone with Thea. Of course, when pressed, he admitted that he felt as if 'The Pirate Queen' weren't his film any longer. He had moved past it and, while he was glad to see it doing so well, was already looking forward to other projects. "Scott should be the one to accept the award," he reasoned. "After all, he was with it all the way."

Thea didn't bother to mention the fact that it was Andrew's idea in the first place, and it was his screenplay, not Scott's, that formed it.

Instead, she chose to accept the fact that her husband had indeed "moved past" it and was looking forward, instead of into the past. She leaned in towards the television screen as they began showing a film clip from each nominated film. Connor's studio had chosen to show the scene with the Rose in the storm, a particularly tense moment with Crystal hanging onto the mast. Thea bit her lip, remembering just how dangerous that storm had been and how she had spent that evening on the floor of Diana's kitchen, pleading with the bit of ivory to reveal itself to her.

The bit of ivory -- Thea hadn't thought about it in ages! She could barely remember when she saw it for the last time. She concentrated and realized that she hadn't looked at it since the day that Daphne arrived on Nantucket! Where was it now?

She realized that it must be where she had left it in Diana's cottage last summer. She shook her head, wondering why she seemed doomed to continual selective forgetfulness.

For a fleeting instant, Thea wondered if it would have changed in the eight months since she had last looked at it, but then the clip finished and the crowd applauded politely as the camera panned over to show Scott sitting next to Crystal in the audience and the presenter announced both his name and Andrew's. Thea would have taken issue with the smattering of applause, had she not been more occupied with watching the presenter begin to fumble maddeningly with the seal on the envelope.

It seemed like an eternity before the presenter managed to mangle the envelope sufficiently to remove its contents. She read it to herself silently before flashing the audience a bright smile and intoning the words, "And the winner is --"

Andrew reached over for Thea's hand as she went on with the next, "Andrew Carroll and Scott --" she completely garbled that man's last name before going on, " -- for 'The Pirate Queen!"

Thea hugged Andrew joyfully, not even bothering to watch the television as Crystal did the same before she helped propel Scott onto the stage. But then it was time for the acceptance speech, and both Andrew and Thea turned to watch it.

That Scott was suitably shaken was apparent. It seemed as if he were close to tears as he attempted a beginning and had to stop and collect himself before going further. "First of all, I'd like to thank my mom and sister for always believing in me," he stammered, "And, of course, my soul mate, Crystal."

The camera turned towards Crystal who was beaming up at Scott, tears in her eyes. Thea fleetingly wondered if she actually had become a soul mate to him and hoped, for his sake, that she had.

"But the bulk of this award belongs to Andrew Carroll." Scott said soberly. "It was his vision that we're honoring tonight, not mine."

Thea looked over at Andrew, who just nodded slowly, emotions too close to the surface to do anything else.

"And it belongs to his wife, Thea," Scott went on. "If it hadn't been for her -- courage, this all would have ended in tragedy."

Thea gulped, knowing exactly of what Scott was speaking, but quickly realizing that no one else would have any idea of how to interpret this cryptic piece of information.

Not even Andrew knew!

Thea looked over at Andrew and realized that he was staring directly at her, eyes widening in surprise.

Scott was escorted off the stage after that, and Thea was left with her confused husband.

"What did he mean?" Andrew asked, shocked.

"I --" Thea began, and then immediately stopped, not sure how to explain.

Andrew's jaw dropped and it seemed as if he realized that, eight months ago, there had been a question on his mind that he had never managed to ask her. Perhaps it had hardly seemed important after all that had happened in their relationship. "That's right! How did you know that lightning was going to strike the mast?"

Thea gulped audibly and looked away.

"Thea," Andrew, placed his hand on her arm and forced her to turn back to him. "What is it that you didn't want to tell me?"

Thea said nothing to this.

"And you can't tell me now?" a pleading tone sounding in Andrew's voice. "Surely we trust each other enough."

Surely she did trust him. Didn't she know him well enough to realize that he might just accept her strange tale as the truth?

Then Thea remembered that she had managed to convince Diana. "I have something to show you," Thea said quietly. "But, it's over in David and Diana's cottage."

Just as somberly, Andrew went to get the spare key that his parents kept to their neighbor's cottage and escorted Thea to the other house.

"It's in the bedroom that I used last summer," Thea explained as he opened the door and turned on the living room light.

Andrew followed her down the hall and into the room, watching as Thea went over to the dresser and found the white box in the top drawer along with the photo album.

Thea took a deep breath and began. "I bought this piece of scrimshaw last May at Mystic Seaport." she opened the box and took the piece of ivory out, regarding it closely. It hadn't changed since she had shown it to Diana and looked just as it had when she purchased it. She briefly wondered if it hadn't all been a dream. The magic seemed far away now.

She opened up the photo album and assured herself that the progression that she had watched had occurred. It was the only proof that she had now that the etching had ever transformed.

Andrew held up his hand, palm up, and Thea placed the piece in his hand.

"It looks just like the Rose," he said in surprise.

"It is the Rose," Thea affirmed. "But I didn't know that until the day of the storm."

Andrew looked up questioningly.

Thea sat down on the bed and pulled him down next to her, opening the photo album on his lap. Andrew looked at the pictures and nearly dropped the ivory bit on the floor. "What is this?" he asked, bending down further to study them closely.

"The etching started changing after I bought it. But the changes were so slow and confusing that I didn't comprehend them at first." Thea explained softly. "At first, it only drew in a horizon line. But then a harbor town formed on the horizon."

Thea pointed at the picture that she had taken not long after arriving on Nantucket. "This is the one that I took right before I met you again."

Andrew looked between the ivory piece in his hand and the picture of it in the album. "It's Nantucket harbor," he said, voice filled with awe.

"Can you imagine what I thought when the ferry pulled into the harbor that day, and I realized that the piece of ivory had been showing me Nantucket."

"It's no wonder that you looked like a deer caught in the headlights on that day." Andrew recalled.

"I looked stunned because I was seeing you again!" Thea admitted.

Andrew shook his head in self-disgust. "And I was very cold, wasn't I?"

"Yes," Thea agreed, but it was too painful a subject to be dwelt on any further. And she still hadn't finished explaining it all.

She touched the piece of ivory with one finger, stroking it. "I was so angry at it the next day."

"Why?"

"Because I didn't understand it and it frustrated me," Thea said, not wishing to say any more about her mental state on that first night, the night that she didn't get any sleep because she was too busy trying to cajole the bit of ivory into revealing a purpose and hoping that its purpose was to take her far away from Andrew. "So, I hid it in my suitcase and forgot about it."

Andrew looked at her, still confused.

"The next time that I pulled it out was the night of the storm." Thea went on, "It had changed drastically by then. The sky was dark around the ship," she described, tracing her finger around the etching, "And there was a bolt of lightning that connected with the mast."

Andrew gasped. "The middle mast?"

"Yes," Thea said. "That's when I knew that it was the Rose and that you were in danger."

"So, you drove down to the harbor to tell me," Andrew recalled.

"And you wouldn't listen."

Andrew winced at that. "So, you told Scott."

"I never did explain to him how I knew what was going to happen," Thea said, "But he had been so frightened by the thought that Crystal could be harmed, that he didn't need to know anything further."

"And then he saved her life."

"Yes."

Andrew sat silently for a moment, looking down at the piece of ivory still in his hand. "That's quite a story," he said eventually.

"But do you believe it?" Thea pressed, half fearing what the answer might be.

"How can I not?" Andrew said, looking at Thea intently.

Thea sighed in relief.

Andrew shook his head regretfully, "It's amazing," he breathed. "I exhibited an amazing lack of perception during that summer, and everything still worked out well for me."

Thea felt herself wanting to smile as Andrew went further.

"Crystal was kept safe, 'The Pirate Queen' became a hit, and I was given a second chance with the only woman who I could ever love," Andrew summed it up succinctly. "And with hardly any exertion on my part."

Thea could feel the corners of her mouth slowly turn up.

"In fact, I believe that I owe most of my happiness to this little piece of work." he said, folding it into the palm of his hand.

"That and Daphne Slocum," Thea giggled.

"And Jane Austen for creating the plot in the first place," Andrew returned teasingly.

Thea shook her head at that and put her arms around his shoulders in the hopes that he could be convinced to give her a kiss.

She wasn't disappointed. His return of her affection was as long and sweet as she wished. He broke apart only after she was completely satisfied.

"There is only one more thing that I would like to know," Andrew admitted.

"What's that?" Thea asked.

"Where did this come from?" Andrew said. "Do you have any idea?"

"None," Thea said, recalling her own frustrating attempts to learn the piece's history. "I even took it to a scrimshaw expert."

Andrew considered the piece, rubbing it lightly with his index finger. He turned it over and looked at the back. "Why didn't you ever take the price sticker off?" he asked, pointing to the label.

Thea looked at it. "I don't know," she admitted.

"Can I do it now?" he asked permission before beginning to pick it off with a fingernail. It peeled off quickly, revealing letters underneath.

"There's writing!" Thea exclaimed in surprise.

"To Jane from 'Fly." Andrew read aloud, sounding mystified.

"Jane?" Thea gasped.

"Jane?" Andrew echoed.

"She did have a brother named Francis!" Thea recalled. "He was called 'Fly' by his family!"

"Didn't he grow up to be a --" Andrew began.

"-- A sea captain!" Thea breathed, stunned. She looked up at Andrew.

"Surely it's just a coincidence?" Andrew attempted weakly

"Do you really think it is?" Thea asked.

Andrew considered the question for a moment, before shaking his head. "No," he admitted. "I'm starting to believe that there's no such thing as coincidence."

Part XXVII

On board HMS Elephant, somewhere in the Atlantic. May 27, 1818.

He had dreamed of his sister again last night. Waking up in a cold sweat, Captain Francis Austen opened the tiny porthole in the aft of the ship and breathed in the cold, salt-stung air. Its crispness revived him instantly. This had been the fifth one in as many days, hadn't it?

Frank got up and walked over to the fresh pitcher of water, filled earlier in the evening by his cabin boy. He poured some into his glass and took a long sip, recalling the dream as being particularly vivid. But then, hadn't all his dreams been more vivid, ever since he had retrieved that package from Cassandra in Portsmouth.

Jane's will had been proved in December, with Cassandra being given the bulk of her small estate, something for which Frank was grateful, his sister and mother needed as much assistance as they could gather. Cassandra had thought to dispense little mementos of her sister to all the brothers and most of the nephews and nieces. Frank received back the scrimshaw corset busk that he had sent Jane last year, with a note telling him just how much Jane treasured it during her last days. She had found it particularly useful while writing Persuasion, a visual reminder of the Navy, the environment of her Captain Wentworth and his Naval brothers.

Frank looked over at his desk and saw the corset stay, just where he had left it last night. He went over and picked up, lightly fingering the etching of his last ship. He rolled it over in his palm and read the identification, "to Jane from 'Fly".

Frank sighed. He missed his family. He missed his sister.

Maybe that's why his dreams have become more vivid: his longing for life on land was being played out in his unconscious thoughts.

But he had a tour of the Americas to make before he could return to England and his little cottage near Portsmouth. That trip stretched ahead of him interminably.

He thought back on the man who had etched the corset busk for him during his last tour. Llewellyn, the Welshman. Now, there was an odd bugger. He was glad to get rid of him and almost pitied the poor captain he had sent him off with. But he had been able to carve the most exquisite objects, the man was an artist, not a sailor.

And he would have been better off in his Welsh mountains, where magic appeared to be as part of life as milk from cows and fish from the sea. Magic had no place on board a naval ship, but Llewellyn couldn't help but see it in every corner and read it in every movement.

As he said, he was an odd bugger.

Frank fingered Jane's corset busk, staring down at the etching of his last ship. It was his last ship, wasn't it? Frank held it up to the light, carefully examining the figurehead. His last ship had the bust of a young woman on it's prow, this etching appeared to have the trunk of an -- elephant!

Frank nearly dropped the corset busk on the floor as he recognized the animal's head from his current ship. Llewellyn had drawn this ship? Had he known that Captain Austen would eventually be posted on it?

No, how could he have known? And Frank had specifically told him to carve a picture of his current ship.

And the Elephant was nowhere near at the time of carving!

Could the etching be changing?

The idea sickened Frank with fear. He didn't like things that he couldn't explain.

Frank placed it back on his desk, without examining it further. He needed air, lots of fresh salt air. He would think on this later. Maybe he needed to get rid of the corset busk as he had gotten rid of Llewellyn. Should he throw it overboard or attempt to sell it at the next port?

Air. He needed air.

THE END

References

Mystic Seaport

Travels with the Rose

Anne Bonney

Kendall Whaling Museum

Nantucket

For SCOTT - October 18, 1998