Mother had been insistent that we travel up to Newport with the rest of the guests, so even though we could barely move after we woke in the late afternoon, we had to get everything packed to leave the next day. The party had lasted late into the night, and as the hosts, Will and I had to stay awake to bid farewell to every guest as they left, so that it was already light by the time we had been able to head up. Our brief moment in the hallway that night was the last time we had been able to be around each other for a prolonged time that night. More men wanted to dance with me, then they wanted to have a smoke and a whiskey with Will and quiz him about his plans for the future. The other society girls had already begun their flattery campaigns, cornering me to enthuse about my dress, the flowers, the music, all in an effort to get that most coveted title, bridesmaid.
So it was exhausted and quiet that we showed up at the station to join Mother in our private car. Several other families had their cars attached to the train as well, which meant that we had to be ready to accept visitors at any point. Will and I were reduced to playing cards while we waited for anyone to come in. I blearily looked down at my hand, mumbling my next bet. Will grunted, "Call."
"Really, how did you ever learn poker my dear?" Mother said as she flipped the cards on the table over.
"How did you?" I grumbled, knowing I was going to have to fold the next round unless I got Will to give in first.
Mother clicked her fingers on the table, "It was very popular back in Omaha. Of course I would never gamble, but it was something to play. It's your call, my dear."
"Check." I dropped my cards back to the table, looking across at Will. His stubble was coming in, Reggie had been so busy packing all of Will's new clothes that he hadn't had a chance to shave him last night and the morning hadn't given much of a chance either. I remembered how it felt to have his stubble rub against my cheek, prickly and scratchy but in a pleasurable way. It seemed that way with us, where I was smooth he would be rough, where I was soft, he was hard. God, I missed feeling him like that.
"Raise." Will tossed a couple of chips in, in truth a couple of teaspoons from a silver service kept in the car, a small grin breaking out on his face when I tossed my cards after them. He flipped over his hand revealing that nothing he had matched the cards Mother had dealt, "Ana, we're going to have to keep playing if you're going to fold to a pair of twos. You obviously need more practice."
"Congratulations, you beat me." I groaned, leaning back in my chair. "Mother, can't I catch a nap on one of the benches? Things were so busy at the house that I barely slept."
"And what if we have visitors?" Mother pulled the cards back to herself, shuffling them. "I can hardly have you laying out on a bench."
"What if I were to sit with her and let her lean on me?" Will caught my eye, "That way she could rest but still be ready for callers."
"I suppose," Mother sighed, dropping the freshly shuffled deck of cards onto the table. "I did bring a book along, and we only have a few hours left before we arrive." Will nodded his thanks, and pulled me over to the bench, drawing my head down to his shoulder.
Once I was settled next to his ear, I whispered to him. "Do you remember the last time we were on this bench?"
"I'm not going to let you fall and take me with you again, Ana." He whispered back, "Not with your Mother right there. Now, get some sleep. I'll wake you if anyone comes in." I muttered my thanks, breathing in what I could catch of his cologne. He hadn't applied much today, and the little wisps I could catch were bright and clean. It, along with the slight rocking from the train, was enough to lull me to sleep. I was so tired that I didn't even dream, only waking when I felt Will brush his hand across my cheek. "Ana, the Vanderbilts are here. Please wake up before she tries to claim me again."
I blearily blinked my eyes clear, noting that Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt were currently engaged in a polite discussion with Mother while they waited for me to rouse myself. I yawned, "How far out are we?"
"An hour, they wanted to pay us a brief visit before we arrive." He stood, helping me up. His voice was still low when he spoke though, "You were snoring a little."
I felt a blush color my cheeks. "I'm sorry, sometimes when I'm exhausted-"
"It was adorable," He squeezed my hand, "Very quiet, and you would say things sometime." He must have seen my eyes go wide, "It was nothing to worry about, my name and your mother's, very reasonable."
"Ah, Sleeping Beauty awakes." Mr. Vanderbilt boomed as we approached the group, smiling widely.
I gave a small smile in return, "My apologies, after the ball and packing to make sure we didn't miss any of the season up here, I could barely rest!"
Mrs. Vanderbilt reached over to give my hand a soft pat, "Oh not to worry dear, our darling Liz is fast asleep in our car right now!" The conversation was exactly like every other conversation I'd had since I'd returned and had callers. Banal, shallow, but containing enough edged comments to make you overly conscious of what you said. Will seemed to have embarked on the route that silence was golden, only speaking to agree to some statement or other. Mrs. Vanderbilt did manage to get him to agree to let her daughter come calling on us, and that was obviously the main goal of this visit because they shortly after excused themselves back to their own car to prepare for our arrival in Newport.
Compared to the station in New York, the one in Newport was nothing to write home about, but the people getting off were. Ladies in the latest fashions swanned by on the arms of tycoons, servants wrestled luggage into rented trucks and wagons, and lurking around every corner was a reporter with a deadline for the society columns. In deference to the fact that we didn't spend the whole year in Newport, we had not purchased an auto for the cottage which meant a coach was waiting for us. Will handed Mother and I up before joining us, although Mother had taken the spot by me so Will had to sit across from me for once. He looked out the window as we set off towards the shore, "My God, these are cottages?"
"Yes, just a humble little cottage for these humble families." Mother laughed as we rolled past massive estate gates that led through grand parks before ending at even more massive mansions. Some even had guards outside the gates to keep off the reporters, or to keep whatever family hangers on away. We trotted past the most fashionable houses, past even the older ones that actually bore some resemblance to an overgrown cottage. Mother couldn't help but smile as we took a road alongside the beach, seeing people out enjoying the day. Girls in the latest swimming costumes reclined under umbrellas or held onto ropes in the surf and squealed as the waves lifted them, while men in their own costumes tempted them back in with sweets and drinks.
The beaches fell past though, as the carriage continued on past the now rocky shore. I moved to the window, looking out. "We're coming up on our cottage now. It's a bit out of the way, but it's also more tame than what you saw." Will couldn't see it though as it emerged from the distance, the white boards with their navy trim, the porch that wrapped around the whole ground floor. The house stretched up three stories, with smaller bunkhouses for the servants and the carriage house set some distance away. When we stopped though, and he handed me out, I watched him grin as he took in the surroundings. "Well, what do you think?"
"I think your father must have selected the site." He gestured out to the ocean, "Only a sailor would rather be an hour from town but have his own safe harbor to stay in regardless of the weather."
"Close, it was Grandfather." I chuckled, "But Father did expand the boathouse." The boathouse was the pride of the estate, with space for not only the yacht but rowboats and smaller sailboats to be laid up over the winter. Or in rough weather, but Will was right, this was the safest harbor that could be found near Newport, aside from the town itself. A curl of land stretched across the way from the house, forming a small cove and keeping the rough seas at bay. Rearing up at the end of the point was a lighthouse, painted a bright blue and white, promising safe waters to ships in need of them. Which meant that our yacht, newly varnished and painted, bobbed safely at her mooring on the private dock that marched away from the beach.
"Anastasia, you are not spending all summer in the boathouse again." Mother clucked as she stepped up the porch, "You will have obligations, not to mention we will have to make trips back to the city. The ship launching, your wedding dress, you cannot spend your days reading books or helping the boat handlers with everything."
"You haven't let me do any of that since I was twelve." I groused, taking Will's arm as we entered the foyer. If everything in New York was dark wood and bright gold, here it was the opposite. Varnished pine floors, nautical artworks in bright colors, this had truly been designed as a retreat from the city. Except the city had come to the retreat, which meant that even though I wanted to spend time with Will showing him all around the property and the yacht, I was reduced to ensuring that the servants had our clothing settled, while Mother dealt with speaking to the cook about what needed to be purchased for our stay. I was completely exhausted by the time I managed to sit on my bed, the quilt wrinkling under me. I looked up as the door opened, "Will! Please, come in."
"Ana," He stepped through, quickly sitting next to me. "I hope it won't upset you, but they've put me in your father's room."
I felt a slight twinge in my heart, "It's alright, there's not too much space here. And you will eventually be family." I felt his arm slip around my waist, and I let myself lean on him again. But this time we were alone, so there was no one to notice as I rubbed my cheek against his. "God Will, this feels so good."
"I'll mark you all up," He tried to pull away but I followed. "Ana, your mother will see."
"I've told her we've not gone beyond kisses." I wrapped my hand around the back of his head to hold him still as I pressed my lips to his prickly cheeks. "She seemed fine with it. Have you ever grown this out?"
"I had a mustache, once." He turned his head, catching my lips. "Ada hated it."
"Maybe you need some calvary whiskers," I traced my finger down from one of his sideburns, over his lips and to the other one. "Although, I've never kissed a man with a set of whiskers. It must be very itchy."
"Ada didn't like it, she said it was like kissing a broom." He muttered as he brought a hand up to cup my cheek, returning to kissing me. I sighed into it, smiling as I felt his tongue poke into my mouth. I hummed my approval, teasing it with mine before deciding to take advantage of his distraction by grabbing the lapels of his jacket and pulling him further above me. I felt him start, but then the kiss was so much deeper and I felt his hand move for my hair, tangling in the airy style as he-
"Mr. Murdoch, stop that at once." Mother's voice cut through the air like a whip, "And you Anastasia, you promised to keep things respectable."
Will's lapels slipped from my hands as he pulled away, and I groaned to lose his lips. "Mother, it was just a kiss. Nothing beyond that, I promise."
"And that was why he was leaning over you, on your bed." Mother raised her brows, unbelieving. "He was practically laying on you!"
"I pulled him over me." I stood, facing her. "Will did nothing wrong. I was the one who kissed him."
"Is that true, Mr. Murdoch?"
I heard the bed creak as Will shifted on it, "Ana did kiss me, I swear to you Mrs. Dalian, we have sworn to go no farther than that until the wedding."
"Promises are all well and good until you've got the woman you love under you on a bed," Mother's voice wasn't cruel, but it wasn't kind either. "A promise cannot stand up to lust. Even decorum can fail against that, as you should well know Anastasia." I dropped my head, shame coursing through me. I had no doubt any time I had with Will would now be limited even further, all in the name of protecting me. Even though I wanted nothing but him, alone with me, with no one coming in to monitor us.
"Mrs. Dalian," Will stood, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Ruth, I swore to your daughter the night of the sinking to find her again. And I swear to you now, Ana's virtue is not in any danger from me. I am not some green boy who knows nothing about women, nor am I some rake to seduce your daughter and leave her. But please, you have to allow us some time alone together. I doubt we've even had an hour without someone around us since we got back."
"Ana's virtue has already been attacked twice and barely saved," Mother stepped up to Will, striding past me and staring at him. "I know you are not one of those men, but you should be able to understand why I wish to protect her. If someone were to see you like that, and to learn of what happened before, she would be nothing in their eyes. I am trying to guard her reputation."
"I do understand your reasoning Ruth," Will met her gaze, "And I wish to protect her too. I have already sent a letter to Henry Reichster, informing him that if he comes anywhere near Anastasia again I will kill him. Even if he sends her a gift again, I will not let it get close to her. No one will hurt Ana again, not as long as I am here. And I would sooner die than raise a hand to her myself."
"Sends a gift again?" Mother turned to me, her voice hard. "Anastasia, tell me." I mumbled out the story about the necklace, the letter, what had been said during the attack. I started shaking again, not as bad as before but enough that Will drew me into his arms, ignoring Mother for a moment as he spoke quietly to me, brushing his fingers through my hair as he reassured me that he would not allow anything to happen. She watched as Will held me to him, as I pressed my face to his chest and tried to compose myself before I soaked his waistcoat. Her voice was much gentler when she spoke, and I felt her hand on my shoulder. "I believe I have misjudged you, Mr. Murdoch. But I still must insist on separate bedrooms."
Will pulled himself from the soothing noises he had been making as he stroked my back. "Of course, Mrs. Dalian, but does that mean that Ana and I may spend at least some time alone?"
"Nothing beyond kisses, and not on any bed." She sniffed, and reached over to brush her fingers agains my cheek. "My dear girl, perhaps it would be good for you to take Mr. Murdoch on a tour of the property at the moment? If you can be back by dinner, that is. Half an hour, no more."
I tried to give her a smile, "Yes Mother, we can." This time I was the one led Will, back down through the house and out onto the grounds. Instead of taking his arm though, he placed it around my waist as the sand underfoot crunched. I looked across to him, the ever present sea breeze ruffling his hair. "Will, what you did back there. Thank you. I've missed this."
"As have I," He grinned, "At least your mother trusts I won't immediately ravish you the second we're out of sight." He was leading us along the beach, following the curve of the cove. He pointed to the lighthouse, "Was that your grandfather too?"
"Oh yes, and any ship is welcome to anchor here when the weather is foul." I stared up at the lighthouse, the ever present light off for the day. "Don't you recognize our colors? Grandfather said he felt it was the least he could do after he bought the land."
"It must be a welcome sight then." We had almost reached the lighthouse, and Will was leading us up to the door. "I don't suppose you have a keeper?"
"Oh yes, but he only comes out at night to light the lamp. He's also the gardener." I laughed as he opened the door, ushering me inside. The climb up the circling steps seemed shorter than it had been when I was a child, and Father had brought me up to show me the massive lamp. I watched Will walk to the wall of windows, sitting on the massive windowsill that circled around the room. I joined him, pulling my dress under me so that it didn't tear. I sighed, leaning into his chest as he pulled me to him. "I used to come up here all the time and just look out for hours."
"I can very easily see you up here, with the windows open and a book in your hands." He rumbled underneath me as he spoke, "Look, there's a ferry headed out. Must be headed back to the city."
"And there's a yacht, maybe it's Mr. Perry actually doing something." I chuckled, watching the small sailboat skillfully crest a wave. "Or not."
"I can't wait to get onto your yacht." Will pressed his lips to my ear, "And to get you trained as a sailor."
"Oh, should I start calling you Master Murdoch then, if I'm to be your apprentice?"
"Hmm, Captain Murdoch sounds better to my ear."
I laughed, sitting up so I could look him in the eye. "Patience, my love. You still have a little bit to go before you're a captain."
"And you, my darling," He rushed forward, holding me in place as he pressed his forehead to mine. "I think you'll make a fine cabin girl." My skin tingled as his stubble brushed up against my cheek, and I shifted myself so that I straddled him as he kissed me, gently at first but I could feel his hands tighten on my waist as he pulled back for a moment. "God, I've missed holding you."
"I've missed feeling you." I moved both of my hands to cradle the back of his head, pulling him back into a kiss. I was swiftly gasping though as he dropped his lips from mine, kissing along my jaw even as his hands dropped down to grab at my backside and press me tightly to him. I rocked against him, feeling him begin to harden in his trousers. Even through the clothes he brushed against me in the most pleasing way, and he muttered curses into my neck. I had thrown my head back, "I've missed this."
"Fuck, Ana." He held me still for a moment, grinding his hips into mine. "I've wanted nothing but this since we got off the ship."
"Just like that Will," I gasped, following his movements as I ground my hips to his, feeling the heat in me build. I heard Will groan underneath me, and I opened my eyes to see him almost slack jawed as he thrust himself against me. But I also saw our shadows, stretching far longer than they had before. I placed my hands on Will's shoulders, gently pushing. "Will, it's late."
"I'm so close Ana," He muttered, "Just a minute."
"Will, we have to get back." I couldn't hide the disappointment in my voice, that I wouldn't be reaching my peak with him right now. I felt his hips still underneath me, "I can finish you if you want."
Will's eyes were glazed as he looked up, "Ana, you don't have to." But I had already gotten off him and set myself to freeing him from his trousers. His eyes were dark as I knelt, and I braced myself for the taste of him as I pressed kisses along his length, then took his head in my mouth, sucking. He was thrusting again almost immediately, "Ana, fuck Ana. You don't, don't have to." I looked up at him, pausing for a moment. He groaned, dropping his head back. "Don't stop, don't stop for the love of God, woman." I set myself to my task, reaching inside his trousers to handle his sack gently as he panted. I could feel him tensing under me, and suddenly he had his hands on my shoulders and was pushing me away as he spent himself on the floor, his jaw tight as he moaned deep in his throat.
I touched my lips, they weren't swollen. Mother wouldn't be able to tell what we'd been up to. Will grunted as he sat back down, tucking himself away. I gestured to his seed on the floor, "What should we do about that?"
"Here," He reached inside his waistcoat, pulling out a new handkerchief. It was only a moment before it was wiped up, and he replaced it in his pocket. "Reggie won't notice, I'll rinse it out before I give it to him for laundering." He reached out, caressing my face as I knelt before him. "God Ana, you're quite the temptress. Are you sure you don't want me to finish you?"
"It will take too long, and we have to get back for dinner." I smiled as I leaned into his touch, "Mother is probably already suspicious, we'll need to be careful about what we say. Next time though?"
"Of course, and your Mother doesn't need to know any of this. All we did was watch for ships from the lighthouse." Will helped me to my feet as he stood, taking my hand again as we started to climb back down. "Nothing more than that." The sun was well on its way to setting by the time we gained the porch, Mother sat in front of a table of hearty food. Will handed me into a wicker chair, smiling at her. "See Mrs. Dalian, back in time for dinner."
"Well you're at least punctual," Mother shook her head as she buttered a biscuit. "I'm afraid we will only have a few days to recover before we must begin making calls to everyone. You were right Anastasia, we have let our connections lapse for far too long. Your wedding is as good a reason as any to renew them."
"Of course, Mother." I pulled my bowl of crab bisque closer to me, inhaling the rich scent. "Who did you have in mind?"
"We've already received an invitation to the Astors party next weekend, and the Vanderbilts will be expecting a visit within the week. The yacht clubs will also be a good chance to speak to many of the families, as will the sporting matches."
Will took a swallow from his glass before speaking, "Will there be races for the yacht clubs?"
"What else do they do?" Mother shrugged her shoulders, "Do you intend to enter?"
"Perhaps, depending on how my cabin girl comes along in her training." Will gave me a rather indulgent smile, quickly cutting off Mother before she could speak. "I promised Ana, and my parents, to teach her to sail it. I've been looking forward to it quite a bit, and if she proves herself, we may be able to outshine them all."
"Then she shall have quite the busy summer," Mother said after a moment, "Is that something you can handle?"
"Oh yes, Mother." I sat a little straighter in my chair, "I can handle all of it. I promise."