The lady in the Bay ( re-write and updated. )

This was updated from Bram Stoker not so well known novel; Lady of the Shroud. I discovered the novel among a pile of old books in a shop, paid for it and read it. This is my re-write on it. I done some update from the version I did eight months ago.

Cheers

I never thought that one day I would had stayed in an old castle perched over a low cliff overlooking a small bay. Its my inheritance as I am the last in the Baldwin lineage; a gift not of love but of family tradition that I am needed to continue to administrate the wealth of the family heirloom which unfortunately include this castle in its will. I have never been here before as my parents were estranged from the family soon for them to be leave here for over twenty five years. It was the time before my birth. If not for the name that was attached to my Mother's name, I would not be standing there on this balcony looking at the incoming drift of the mist from the sea.

"Master James, you must come in. The coldness of this land is not of that in London or Glasgow." The man reminded me my two previous abode during my young and then adult age. I looked over at the man who had just dragged me in literally from the balcony.

Jenkins was the current caretaker of the Castle and had been in his family care for four generations now. He was in his sixties and yet he choose not to procreate the next generation for reasons he never disclosed to anyone. But despite his age, his bones still permits him to mount the numerous stairs and walked the corridors of this place without much of a complaint. The faithful servant does not wait for my answer when he closed the Victorian glass doors.

"Victorian design in a old castle? Surely, Jenkins. This is out of place in this castle and only this room. I expected some Highlander design would be more suited."

I shrugged my shoulder and walked towards the nearby coffee table.On it was a glass of whiskey set by the older man for me alongside with the beautiful crystal glass bottle. I picked up the glass and took a swig of it. The drink warmed up my body as it was within these walls, that I felt the coldness of the place. I looked to my servant who had latched the glass door now. He saw me looking and turned to looked at the marvel design on the glass door.

"Aye, a refinement which your father did for your mum's stay here. She was of the London society and she vainly need the feel of her old scene when he married your father. So without hesitation, your father took to task on the works. They are brought from London at great expanses but your father's love for your mother would had spared all the pennies for her comfort. Her favorite room was here as she will knit her scarfs for your father while waiting for his return by boat to pick us up from London." I remembered those scarfs she did for my father as it was her only pleasure then besides waiting for him. He does has a tendency of losing them at sea or where he was, as he is clumsy with his personal things. I remember when I was young, Mother used to rock me by the cradle as she knit. It never cross my mind then that all my fore fathers has perished at sea including my own father.

"Jenkins, you been with us all your lifetime. Tell me how did my father died. And his too. I never got to know the whole version." I had then poured my second glass and sat down comfortably in the same chair once occupied by my mother. Jenkins looked at me with his cold stare and then mumbled to himself about the need to know what may be mine.

"Jenkins, please speak up. I am not of hard hearing but your voice is too low even for the rats in the castle who may fail to hear you too."

The old servant walked away from the door to the book shelf. The shelf have been filled with books of my family generations and for the last twenty five years of my absence, I believed it seen more dust than readers to it pages. Jenkins reached for a small thin volume book with the spine binded by thick threads on the upper shelf. He took it down from the shelf and wiped it clean of the dust with the lapels of his jacket. Jenkins then walked to me with the book and handed it to me.

"Its your family diary from the days of one of your great grandfather; the one who built this castle. It will tell you of the legacy and also of the curse that befalls all the first born son of the family." His voice all raspy was eerie to my ears then but I took no caution of it.

I took the thin volume from his hands and placed it on my lap. I wanted to ask the man more of what he meant by my legacy but he was hurrying on the way out without a second glance. It was unbecoming of him, as he hardly leave my side when I am here in the Library. I casually took another sip of my drink and snuggled my body comfortably on the armchair for what may be a long read. I reached for the book cover and then I heard a sound which I am most familiar.

'James Baldwin.... beware....~'

"Mother?" I stood up and looked around me.

It was her voice and yet she can't be here. No, I shook my head. Its the drink and the cold air which have given me the shivers at times. She can't be here and its my mind playing the trick of me hearing her voice. She was laid to rest two years ago after a long battle with her illness. Twenty years of hardship with my father always at sea its toll on her. She was ill most times, and finally bed stricken the last three years. It was near her death that she told me to see the attorney, Mr.Grenville. A task I was to perform on her death and with my consent, she slipped that day from me.

I did as per her wish and it was from there I was made known of my inheritance. My mother hid me from my inheritance until her near death hours and for that I have harbor a rage in me for her selfish thoughts We were living on meager takings and yet riches beyond my dreams was there for me to take.I still remembered her dying whisper as she told me she did it for my own good. She did not elaborate on it as she drew on her last breath then. I gave her the proper funeral rites and left London for here on the next day of her burial. As I sat in the train to the Highlands, I thought of my words to my mother at her grave.

"Alas, mother; you do not know of my problems as a young man with an ailing mother to take care of. Our meager allowance from my main line of work could only pay a portion of your treatment but I partake in other works to supplement it. The lure of fast money took it toll on me as my indulgence to get rich made me more debt ridden and the creditors impatience grew. I faked a story of vast sum of money upon your death which they took to be real. It was my tale to buy me time, but the tale I was to weaved turned out to be true. I had them all paid and took my balance to leave the desolate place which we lived for ten years. I needed a new start like you did when we left Glasgow."

'the book.... Beware.....~'

It my mind again. I took up the glass and gulped it all. If I am going to see ghosts, let me be drunk than sober. Then I recalled the book. I forgotten about it. I took it up and untied the string that held the thin volume intact. I turned the cover and saw the writing of my great grandfather on it.

He wrote these words;

'Forgive me for this as I was rash then. But the damage was done and the payback need to be drawn. Could I had gone  back to avert this? I had tried many a times but the end could never changed. I leave you this so that you will know its my fault but there are good to it as well as bad. Read for your sake and keep it safe for the family sake...... Warren Mathew Baldwin 1782.'

I looked up from the book and saw the portrait hanging over the fireplace. He does looked like a pirate, rogue, and plunderer. I raised up my cup and salute the man who build this castle.

"Pardon me, my great ancestor. I shall refill my glass now." I placed the book down and took up the bottle to pour myself another full glass. Then I picked up the book again, and turned the page to come.

It was the first entry of Captain Warren Mathew Baldwin, HMS Orion.

'Heave those oars, you lazy dogs. We ain't here for the wenches or the rum. We have a villa to pillage for its gold." I turned my back to the men as I looked at the shore where we land the boats. Its empty of any grenadiers and that to me spells well. I looked to my right and see the two shore boats are also rowing in tandem to be first on the shore. But mine are more than a length of theirs.

We hit the shores, and I was the first to alight but i wait for no man. I ran to the high walls and looked for the entrance to go in. I found the wooden gate which allowed the villa guests to come to the beach, but for today its our entry to their home. I find it locked with a chain and lock but my cutlass has not seen a lock that can withstand her blow. The chain breaks on my lovely Mary on impact. I looked at back my bunch sea dogs and motioned them to follow me to the big house. We ran up the steps and came upon the big house. But none dare to venture beyond as there seemed to an aura around it. An aura of evil that we pirates has seen in those shady huts in the swamp lands of Jamaica.

"There are bad vibes, Captain." I looked at my our local seer of the unknown. Jesse we name him but he was picked not for his predictions but for his knowledge of the coastline. "Its the home of the Siren. If we go into her lair, we are her's to served for eternity and not one generation but many more to come."

"Superstition, Jesse. Those are words to scared the man but not us as we been to hell and back. So what is another tale when the pickings are rich here." We been lucky to escaped the Spanish Armada with our bow intact although we lost more than our sails. Half my men in suffering to go home but none dares for fear of shame of a empty case. So this is our last stop before we embark for the lights of Dover, and one so called seer tells me its taboo to go in. "So be it, Jesse. You and the men stayed here as I plunder the house and its inhabitants. What I cannot carry would yours and theirs."

I seek no more advice as I walked to the house. Its doors and windows are opened and the curtains billowed by the winds that drift from the sea. I may be a scoundrel of the sea, but I am also a man of faith when back on England land. I reached for my cross of faith hidden beneath my vest and I held it to my lips. I utter the words of my faith as I stepped into the house. Its plush in furnishing yet it looked untouched for ages. I made my way further in and looked into every room. I find items of value from silver to gold, but not a living soul holds them dear from me. I could had sworn I felt fleeting souls passing through me but it could be the imagination from the advice of Jesse that prompts it.

I spied the stairs to the upper level and I proceeded on with care and caution, Many a times we wake the dead when we stepped on the loose boards and they will come screeching for our blood. But none of these boards creak or squeak as I walked the upper level. Every room and corner I checked and nothing I could find. Until I came to the final room at the end of the hall.

I opened the door and walked in. Its empty of any furnishing but of one lady in a blue frock sits on the only chair in the room,. I finally found my host and she is a lady of ravishing beauty. I walked towards her and raised my cutlass to her neck. She flinch nor speak as the tip of my weapon rest on her lower neck. I lowered the tip of my cutlass down to her neck to the strings that held the blue frock to cover her body. I picked at the string to loosen it. The knots came apart like strings of the pasta in the hands of the master.

It fell aside and what I saw was not what I envisage. There was nothing there beneath the frock but the scenes of the blue sea with the waves rolling on it. I pulled my weapon back and find myself not in the house but on the sea on a moon lit night. I struggled to keep afloat among the moving waves and see no sight of anything I can rest my body on. For once in my lifetime, I really felt fear of the unknown. How can it be that one moment I am in the house and now I am floating in the open sea.

"Captain Baldwin, your eyes does not deceived you. You are in the open sea and you are to die soon unless.... "

I heard the voice and not the source. I swam around and yet I see no one within my sight. I held onto my cutlass and  nicked it on my left arm.

"Aargh! That hurts." The pain was real yet the scene cannot be the same. I was in the room and now I am in the sea. "Who are you? And what do you want of me?"

"I am the one they named as the Siren.You have invaded my sanctum in your pursuit of wealth. For that I am unpleased. But I am not without compassion. Give me your first born male of his generation on his thirtieth year to serve me in servitude and I give you riches beyond means."

I am back in the room but this times its laden with cases of gold and silver of every design. The lady still seats there but her frock was tied to the neck again. My foolish dream and my foolish act. What is one son when I can have many with more wives. Its the wealth I looked on then and not the love of the family.

"May I serve you, my lady?" I went on my knee and bowed before the one who called herself Siren.

Later I was to know that I have condemned my family to the pit of Hell with my greed. I did returned to England with a shipload of wealth. It w as not long later I married a local lass who was to borne me my first heir to the family name. It was also then I remember my curse to sacrifice my son when he is age of thirty. But when I looked at the bony child in my wife's arm, my heart sank on the thought of such sacrifice. Its with that I chose to seek the cure for my curse.

I traveled afar for it but none could be found and those which I thought would work are either fakes or empty promises. On the day of my eldest son turning thirty, he was found floating in the river face down. But he has left two child behind; a son and daughter. I turned to my grandson and looked into his blue eyes. I can't allowed him to die at that early age. I may be elderly but I am not dead as yet.

I continues my search ever hopeful. Then it was I heard of the Lady of the Blue Bay. I went there next and listened to the older folks tale. The Lady in Blue is a kinds soul who comes forth to help the locals with their fishing and travels on the sea. She was claimed to be twin sister of the Siren and had the good in her. She may be my savior from this curse and I must see her. I visited the bay every day but she does not appear. Soon I bought the land and build the castle overlooking the bay.

It was on my grandson thirtieth birthday that I met her. I was with my grandson to walk the bay for one last time before he was to die. Lucas was his name and he know not what of the fate that was to be fall him. Suddenly, the Siren appeared and she laid claim on him. I pleaded with her to take mine but the Siren was ignoring me. She took hold of Lucas and pulled his soul from his body. I was on my knees crying for God's mercy but she still ignored me. But the Lady in the Bay arrived. The lady took hold of the Siren and wrenched her away from the dying young man.

"Be gone, sister. You taken one too many. I will not allow this." The Siren was pushed further back by the sister. But the Siren is stronger than her sister. The Siren overcome her good sister and pounced again on the dying man. She extracted one last time his soul and cast his lifeless body into the bay. She then glared at the sister and back at me.

"Foolish move, old man. My sister is my better half but she is weak from her years of loneliness. So despair on with your curse as it would never be lifted." The Siren was soon to float away from the bay. I got up on my knees and thanked the Lady in the Bay for trying to save Lucas. But the Lady came to me with tears in her eyes.

"I failed not you, sir, but of my sister from her vile ways. She is right as I am weak from the years of solitude. But I will overcome her one day when I am learned the way to do it. I shall be your guardian of your son till their death but I also promised you that one day I shall be able to find the effort which to overcome her and break the curse." She was soon floating away.

It was my great grandson then, Patrick Mathew Baldwin who came to my rescue.  

I soon find a different set of handwriting. It was to be that of my great grandfather, Patrick Mathew Baldwin.

I sat by the dying man as he told me of this diary. He said its mine and was to be given to the next newborn first male of the generation. As I was one, I took it from him but he made me promise not to read it until he was past of life and buried in the ground. I adhered to his instructions and only opened then diary much later in my life. It was the year my age turned twenty five and I was a father of my first born; a male. As I was cleaning this library for his arrival back from the hospital, I spied on the diary which was handed to me. It was then I read the content and I was concerned on the so called curse.

I remember that night when we went looked for my dad and his dad. The search part were scouring the grounds around the castle while I was in the library with my mother. I was only eight then. Kelly and myself saw a white moth on the wall and we jumped at it. It flew out the library and into the corridor. We gave chase and Kelly wanted to collect the butterfly net. So we to split and I followed the moth as it flew ever slowly in front of me. Soon I find myself in the garden and then down the steps towards the bay. It was there I saw the two ladies fight over my father. Then the lady in the dark blue gown won and she grabbed my father. I saw her dragged something out of my father and then she was gone. I was stunned by the sight and later I ran out to the bay screaming for my grandfather.

Now twenty years later, I am recalling that night as though it just happened last night. Since that first read, I been coming to the bay nightly and calling for the Lady in the Bay. But nothing was to appear before me until tonight. It was the third night to the night I am to die when she came before me.

I am who you seek but I am not able to help you. So please forgive me.

I looked at the apparition before me that floats above the water. I smiled at it and told her I am fine with the curse. I invited her to tell me more on herself and how she became what she is. It was a long tale that took three nights but I will list down briefly of what she said that mattered.

Her name was Georgina and her twin sister, Miranda. They are both sea witches from the deep. They were banished to the smaller seas because of a crime that Georgina committed. She has betrayed the love of her lover who happens to be the Sea Witches Queen. So in retribution, the Queen banished them here but Georgina got the worst of it. She can only survive in this bay but Miranda can do so anywhere except the deep. Before they were banished, the Queen said to them;; 'your punishment can only be lifted with the amendment of your feeling.' The Queen did not elaborate on the statement and they were sent off.

Now Miranda was upset that she was punished for a crime she did not commit, but because of her linked to Georgina, so she turned to create hardship for the ships who sailed her sea lanes. She was soon to be known as the Siren, and for all the ships she crashed, she kept their valued items for herself. As for Georgina, her banishment allowed her a small bay which is also the refuge for many small boats in the storm. Georgina lure the sailors caught in the storm with her sweet voice as she guides them in to the safety of the bay. That was how she earned the name Lady of the Bay.

She knew the hardship of a bad catch so she lures the fish in for the stranded fishermen too. But of late the sea is not the place to fish as the boats get bigger and they now ply the open vast ocean. So the Lady in the Bay is left very much alone and she hid herself in the bottom of the bay to avoid being seen. She does come out when she is called but she hardly get these nowadays. She heard my calls but she ignored me as she knows she could not anything to stop the curse.

So I asked why did she see me now.

She said even though she is without an answer to my curse but she sympathized me for my curse. She felt that her banishment cause the curse on me. She does not deny jilting the Queen when she was not longer in love with the Queen. Its the Queen herself who imposed on the love on her forever but Georgina felt it was too demanding on her. She said that if she had given up, then she would be set free to choose her own destiny. She declared her new feelings and does not want to deceived the Queen but yet the Queen went against her will onto it. For that she was punished with the banishment.

But the day of my death comes near. So I had to hand this down to my first born son that he will opened it one week before his thirtieth birthday. At least he could had enjoyed life up the last week of his life.

The diary was to continue with my father's writing as I recognised it from his past letters.

I, Bernard Mathew Baldwin found this in the personal case of my father, Patrick Mathew Baldwin II which was sent to us on his death at Somme 1916 at the age of thirty. It ironic that he would die in a puddle of water in the trenches of Somme. It took us ten years before we can open the case and checked his contents. My Dad was an adventurer of the land as he travels far into the desert and also the high mountains. It was one of his excursion that he found my mum and eventually they married. I was born the day before he was to leave for France with the new Regiment. I remembered him asking to pray as a family at the local church for his safe journey across the channel. He was nervous but he talked a lot to my mum.

Today, I am reading his diary of my great grandfathers'. Its also today that I understand why we live by this castle overlooking the bay. So we are cursed by this Siren lady and we stand to die on our thirtieth year. But I am adding to his diary for my next generation that there is no such thing as a curse. I am ten today and I will do the things on the sea as I pleased. My room is lined up warships of all design and its my wish to be a sea captain one day. I shall defile this curse and begone with its beliefs. September 12th 1925. 

November 11th 1945, was the day we called an end to World War II. I been through it from the start in 1939 ;from the beaches of Dunkirk on 4th June 1940 to June 6th 1944 D-day landing. And yesterday I cross the channel for the umpteenth times and never once I was in fear of the sea. I am still short of ten days to my 30th Birthday bash at London which after that I will bring back my wife and son to the Castle. I knew Martha dread staying at the castle but its free from the bombing in downtown London here. I have with me her seventeen scarf that cover my neck as I rode the destroyer on the open seas. The only siren I heard was that of the ship when we are warned of approaching enemies vessels. But never once did I ever cringe on the thought of the Siren which fore fathers spoke about. I am updating this diary to be sent back with my belongings while I await my family arrival from London. This case will now be taken care of by Jenkins until I am in need of it.

That was the last entry in the diary. I was to know that Dad died in a freak accident when he fell overboard from his ship at the port.

I looked at the clock as it chimed midnight to the listener. I looked at my bottle of whiskey which is half empty now. I placed the diary on the side table and got up from my seat. I stretched myself and then walked over to the Victorian glass door. I stood there to looked at the bay with the moonlight adding ambiance to its beauty.

It was then I think I saw the silhouette of something moving on the bay. I unlatched the glass door and ran out to the garden. From there, I made my way down the steps and towards the bay. I saw her standing there looking very forlorn. I walked up to her and she turned around.

"Hello, my name is James Mathew Baldwin."

She glanced back at the bay and then leap into it. I was shocked at her action but I also followed suit. I am dressed in my cashmere sweater and dark pants but I am not letting go that easily. My jump got me beneath the cold water of the bay and I find myself being dragged down by the wet sweater. I pulled at it and took it off as I looked around for my ghostly apparition. I saw her there at a distance of twenty paces and swimming away. I pushed my body forward to pursue her but then my leg got cramped. Its the cold and I can feel the cramp coming up my left calf towards my torso. I struggled to swim but the pain was intense. I was also running out of air in my struggles and I was sinking. I had thoughts of dying. I was not even thirty yet.

I blacked out.

I woke up to see myself in my room. It was morning and my body raked with pain. I saw Jenkins rushing towards me. He stood before and pushed me down on the bed.

"You are not to leave the bed. Those are the order of the doctor. You have a high fever and God forbid it, you did not die at the bay. WHAT IN GOD'S ACT THAT YOU MAKE YOU GO THERE AT NIGHT?" Then Jenkins quiet down as he felt he should not be shouting at me as I am his employer and not some servant in the kitchen. "Did you read the diary?"

I nodded.

"Blast the darned curse. My work is not done as yet. As from now you will not leave your room and under no circumstance, leave this bed too. If you need to pee, the spittoon over there. And don't squirt over the rug please." With that Jenkins left the room and I was at peace.

But wait.

I remember the lady. She was there. She looked at me but she ran away.

Why?

All I wanted to do was talk. But soon I find myself asleep. It was not the sound of Jenkins that woke me up but the rattling at the window. I opened my eye and looked at the source of the sound. Its was the window and it was rattling.

"Jenkins....." But my voice is hoarse and I could not find myself able to get up. I slowly move my body with slow pain racking movements to leave my bed towards the window.

It was her at the window.

I reached the latch and unlocked it. She opened the window and floated in. I was by then too weak to stand and fell onto my knees but my body did not touched the floor as she swept me in her arms. She carried effortlessly to the bed and laid me down.

"Lady..... I..." The lady hushed my lips with her hand while she did some movements to the air in the room. Suddenly I felt a light breeze that surrounded me although the weather outside was freezing. The air around me was warm and comforting like that of the mother's arm. I felt drowsy but I wanted to talk to her.

I must had fallen asleep as the next thing I knew was the callous hand of Jenkins pushing me to sit upright.

"Its time for your medicine and why did you not ring me," Jenkins pointing to the rope by the bed. "I would had come and close the window. Or lit up the coal stove for you."

I did not answer him as my mind was still on the event last night. That night and the subsequent nights, I would pushed myself to the window after Jenkins has left to unlatch the window. There I would sit by the chair and await her arrival. I knew she would come as I find myself later floating in the air and to my bed. I would find myself sound asleep as if I am in my mother's womb.

But on the fourth night, I was feeling better.

That night I sat on the bed to see her. She came as I expected but she did not expected me to be awake.

"You are awake. Then I must go." She turned to float away but I called her by her name.

"Georgina, please stay. I need to talk to you. My thirtieths birthday is three months away. I need your help."

Georgina paused at the window ledge and floated there.

"Georgina, I knew about the curse but I cannot do anything about it....without your help. Please stay....for a while."

She just floated there and then she spoke.

"I can't help you as there is no cure to the curse. I had tried many things but none seems to work."

"But you could spend sometime with me as I am lonely here and there is nothing really to do. More so now that I am ill from my silly stunt of jumping after you." That made her smile as I can see from the reflection in the window. "You are beautiful and I would like to be your friend. We shall not talk of the curse but only of things that will make us happy."

She remain floated there but I can see she was not in a rush to leave. I did not know why but I kept on talking about myself from young till now. I spoke of my selfish life while she remain floating but she did listened to my tale. I found myself hoarse and asked if she could get me a drink from the side table. She turned to look at the side table and then floated there. She took the glass and floated towards me. I took the glass and thank her for the help. She floated to the window and looked out.

"I got to go."

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Georgina did not reply and was soon floating towards the bay.

The next night she came like the previous night. We met many more nights with me doing the talking while she just listened.

Soon it was to change on that terrible night with the heavy storm and lashing wind.

I stood by the window with an extra cover over my weaken body to harbor from the storm and I left the latch unlocked. I waited for her and counted the stars. She did not turn up that night. My thoughts went out for her and her safety. It was a long night while I confront the cold draught that slide through the window.

It was near dawn when I saw her. She was not like before but in a dishevel condition. Her long hair were in a tangled and the gown was torn and wet. She was shivering in the cold unlike before. I pulled her inside the room before closing the window. I had her wrapped with my thick blanket but she shivered inside her body.

"Georgina, you need to remove the wet gown. I can give you something dry to wear instead. We can hang that over the coal stove to dry." She nodded to my request. I found extra strength to rush to my wardrobe and brought out my heavy overcoat. I gave it to her and she stared at me.

"I am sorry. I shall be turn to face the wall there and you may change. I apologies as I have no screen for you." I walked to the far corner and faced the wall with my nose against it. I could the rustling of the clothes and the heavy thud on the floor as the wet gown falls to her feet. I heard the sigh of relief as she put on the heavy coat.

"May I turned now, Georgina?"

I heard the slight acknowledgment to turned to face my lady in a brown over sized coat. She hold the front lapel tight to her neck as modesty calls for it. I offered her a drink of whiskey which she accept. Then I took her wet gown and draped it on a chair facing the coal stove. I asked her how she was feeling which she replied she was better now. I offered her a chair but she declined and prefer to stand floating.

We just stared at each other for a while before the sound of thunder came and followed by the lightning. It was then she jumped up and floated to me. For whatever reason, I stood up and opened my arms to her. When she floated into my arms, I clasped her tight to rub her back. I don't know what she felt but for me it was a warmth feeling never felt before.

I felt her feet touching my toes and her body snuggled up ever close to me. I could smell her hair and I could not resist it as I lay my kiss on the top of her head. It must had been sometime which we held each other and then she pushed me ever gently away.

"I must go."

She picked up her gown and floated to the window. I did not asked for the return of my coat but she did said something about it.

"I will leave this in the garden after I have changed."

I wanted to tell her that she could change here but she was gone. I rushed to the window to see her floating towards the bay. Jenkins did picked up my coat that morning form the garden all wet and clammy to the touch.He was puzzled how the coat could have ended there when I am sick in bed. But he did not questioned me on it.

The next night and the night after that, Georgina came to my room and we will chat on anything that will make us happy. But never once we spoke on the curse, the family or her sister. As the nights went on, we became more relaxed with each other presence and now she even jokes with me on my looks and how much I differ from when I first arrived here. She said I looked so uptight and serious that she was afraid to approach me at all. But now I am so relaxed and funny.

The next time I held her was when the storm came again but she dread the thunder and lightning. Every time it happened, she would run to me. In my arms, I held her and soothe down her fear. From our simple hugs, I found the courage to laid my lips on her cheek one night. Its was warm and soft like the many ladies I have lent my kisses to but what surprised me was she took my cue to move her lips to mine. Our lips met and it did not move apart for some time. She pushed me away and left for the bay.

The next night when she arrived, she floated straight into my arms and we kissed like never before. And the nights to come, we will always greet each other with a kiss. And more kisses like lovers do when they meet. It was to last for some more nights until one night when she was with me.

"James, do you know what day is today?" I shook my head and she reminded me.

"Its the night before you turned thirty. If the curse is right,you will die by tomorrow." She pushed me away and got up to go to the window. "I have not got the cure as yet."

I got up and walked to her.

"Does it matter? I am not married and tomorrow I die. I am the last Baldwin. There would be no more curse after that as there are no first born male anymore. I am the last and will be the last. When I die, would you come and fetch me to the Bay. We can lived together for eternity."

"But what of the Castle and the family fortune?"

"I have instructed that on my death, the entire estate will go to Jenkins. He deserved it for being with us for three generations. As for us, these are immaterial as long as we have the Bay to ourselves." Georgina hugged me and then cried.

"Why do you cry, darling?" I asked of her.

"I am so sorry, James. Georgina died that day in the great storm. Her soul was shattered by the lightning which is what we feared most as Sea Witches. That's why we hid in the cove and bays so that in moment of big storms we shelter to like the ships. Georgina in her love for you wanted to see you but she was caught in the open by the lightning during the second storm. She died in my arms and she made me promise to make you from the curse. Its my sister's request that I lifted what was cursed by me."

"I loved her too and yet I could not see her die in vain. Yes we fought but it was never fatal or long the rift. But that moment, she also told me she was heart broken for this is the first time she felt love. I went to see you despite the storm in her place so that I can tell you but the storm frighten me more. I ran into your arms for the same comfort you gave her, but when you kissed me, I had lost myself to you too. I also could not bear to see you hurt as you are now mine. I lain my love for you as if Georgina would had."

"But today, you declared your personal sacrifice to be with her, I cannot find myself doing the same by not telling you the truth. Forgive me, James as I have betray your love for Georgina. For my penance, I renounce your family curse and you may lived beyond tomorrow."

I was taken aback by what she just said.

Georgina dead and all this time I been with another who look like her. I am a fool not to know, but if I did, would I had known what to do.

"Leave, you Siren. You taint our love with yours and I would not want to see you again."

Miranda took her leave in tears and never was seen again.

For fifty years since that day, I have been sitting at the boulder at the bay looking into it. The water still shine as the sunlight sweep over it while the waves are calm holding the fishermen boats as they do their fishing. I never got over Georgina and so remain the last of the Baldwin. I still hold my faith that one day the Lady in the Bay will come for me. She will tell me that its time to joined her in the everlasting depth of love within the water of the Bay.