I did my best not to pout the next morning when Will mumbled that he would be stepping out for the day. He was very sweet about it, cuddling me in bed. His voice was soft, "Ana, you know I would stay here all day if I could."
I sighed, running my fingers through his hair. "I know."
"But it will be good for you to get out, I'll drive you to the offices and you can have someone there drive you home when you're finished. Work always distracts you, you know that." He shifted to rest his head on my breast. "You won't even notice that I'm gone."
"I will," I mumbled, "But I suppose I can put up with it for a day. It's only today, right?"
"Correct," He pressed a kiss to my shoulder. "And then I'll be right back here. I promised you a good rogering, and I intend to follow through."
The thought of Will pinning me to the bed later mollified me a bit, enough that I didn't complain out loud as I got dressed in one of the nicer dresses I had found in town. It was a bit big around the bust, but it would be a project for me later. I would need plenty of things to do to distract me when Will was out again, tailoring my wardrobe would be a good start. There wasn't much for breakfast, and I found myself missing bacon of all things.
It would have made a nice accompaniment to the plain bread that I gnawed my way through.
Will was incredibly apologetic while he drove us to the offices, "Kate is doing the best she can with the rationing."
"I ship enough food over that there shouldn't be a need for rationing." I grumbled, leaning against him just to feel his muscles move as he drove the car.
Will pursed his lips, "Most of that goes to France, for the soldiers. People here won't starve, but things are rather lean."
"I suppose that means no champagne?" I rolled my eyes, "I could always start up a black market, there's bound to be some extra room on the ships that could be put to good use."
"You do that and Campbell will come sniffing around the company." He cautioned, turning onto the street that would take us to the dock. "I feel like I should keep checking the mirrors for him."
"He's probably back in London." I cast a quick glance to the mirror though, noting nothing out of the ordinary. "But I can tell some of the dock workers to keep an eye out."
"Unless they're in his pocket." Will shook his head, "Just be careful around the docks. I'm sure Welton will be interested to hear about him." He pulled close to the offices, parking in one of the few places that wasn't occupied by a truck. The Rolls-Royce drew quite a few envious looks, but the manager of the company rushing out to greet us drew even more.
Mr. Welton looked much the same, aside from a few threads of silver at his temples. He all but bowed over my hand, "Mrs. Murdoch, we were so relieved to hear of your survival."
"As was I," Will chuckled, "I think we've all had enough excitement for quite some time."
"Indeed," I gave Will's hand a squeeze, "I am looking to do something delightfully boring today while my husband heads out. I don't suppose there are reports and contracts to review?"
Mr. Welton nodded quickly, "Oh yes, I can arrange for some to be brought up to your office for you. Will Mr. Murdoch be staying?"
"I'm afraid I'm off to Portsmouth," Will leaned down, kissing my cheek. "Have someone drive her home when I'm finished, and make sure they don't scratch the car."
I kissed him, "More concerned for the car than your wife?"
"If I was, I wouldn't let you in it." He chuckled, and turned to move back to the main street where he could get a cab.
I watched him go with a sigh, "Well, I suppose we had better get to the boring work." The offices were busy, and it felt rather good to have all of the clerks rushing around as I made my way through. It felt normal. Europe may be at war, I may have been in yet another shipwreck, but the business still carried on.
My office was still the same, freshly cleaned and the curtains open to display the docks below. Mr. Welton held the door open for me, watching as I settled myself behind my desk. "Ma'am, is there anything I can fetch you?"
I looked to a side table, a pitcher of water and a glass waiting by a small plate of rather dry looking cookies. "Only the most boring paperwork you can, Mr. Welton."
"Of course," He chuckled, "I'll tell Mary to bring the contracts I've been avoiding." He exited, leaving me to twiddle my thumbs. Of course, I wasn't much good at that, preferring to stand by the window and watch the goings on below. I could see Abe and Ezekiel's ships, being tended to by the usual flock of crew and longshoreman as they unloaded the cargo.
I had just made up my mind to pester Ezekiel about getting a sample of the candy he was going to take home to his mother when the door opened again. Mary was a pretty little thing, a young girl almost buried by the mountain of paper she carried. She gave me a glittering smile, "Oh, Mrs. Murdoch, we were all so glad to hear you were safe."
"Thank you, Mary." I nodded, gesturing towards my desk. "You can leave those there."
She set them down with a sigh, "Oh, but that does feel good to get those off my desk." She started at her words, whirling to face me. "Not to imply that I wasn't doing my work!"
I held up a hand, "I know what you mean, it's alright."
"It's just, with the war on, there's so much to do." She ducked her head, "I do my best to keep up with where everything is headed, but there's just too much for one person." She perked up though, "It is rather fun to see how everything is broken down into further shipments though, and to read about all the pushes in the paper and know we're feeding our boys in France."
I resisted pursing my lips. "I hope they enjoy the food."
"Oh, they do, ma'am." She smiled widely, "The papers are filled with stories about how our men are so well supplied, and they say they prefer the army food to the stuff from home."
"You read quite a few papers." I remarked, sitting and reaching for the first contract.
Mary nodded quickly, "Oh yes, I read anything I can find about the war."
"You have brothers in the army?"
"Oh no, only girls in my family. One of my sisters is nursing, but I didn't want to do that." Mary sighed, looking up with a glow of patriotism about her. "I help Britain far more by working here than in a hospital."
I almost snorted. "Yes, well, I do have quite a bit to go through, so if you wouldn't mind."
She apologized quickly and flitted out the door, slamming it behind her. I sighed at the sudden silence, glad for her to be gone. She seemed a nice girl, but I did not want to be stuck chatting about the war for hours. Instead, I cracked the window, letting in the sounds of the docks while I began paging through the papers.
Contracts from the British government were first, and I wrinkled my nose the request to hire my ships to begin delivering cargo to France. It would put them at greater risk of U-boats, and I wrote on the folder of them for Welton to decline them in the politest of terms. The next requests were for some of my ships to be hired to transport troops to France, from Canada and beyond. I pulled a sheet of paper and wrote a letter to the officer that had sent the contracts, pointing out how that would violate American neutrality and that while I maintained an office in Britain, neither I nor my ships were British.
It was while I was debating adding a rather rude remark about how this fact was well known, when I noticed a flickering glow across from me. I looked up, seeing Ada sitting across from me. She raised an eyebrow, "I've been waiting for five minutes."
"My apologies," I set the letter aside. "I was a bit absorbed."
"Will isn't here, then?" Ada cast a look around, "I'm surprised he's let you out of his sight."
"He said he had business in Portsmouth."
"You didn't pry?"
"I didn't want to, the less I know about the war the less I worry." I shrugged, "And yet it's all that these contracts are about."
She snorted, "You should have stayed in New York then, instead of coming here."
"You're not the only one who's said that."
"I shouldn't be!" She stood; her lips pursed. "I have no doubt you scared your poor mother half to death and that your father is probably already on his way." She ran a hand down her face, "And the less I say about how this little stunt affected our husband the better."
I glanced to the window, worried for a moment. "Ada, people will hear you."
"The only people who will hear me are the ones I want to." She rolled her eyes, "As it is, I wish you would have remembered our conversation back in New York."
I blushed, recalling how she had urged me to deny Will his husbandly rights. "Well, I mean, I had barely made it off the Lusitania, I didn't have much time to think once I saw him."
"You should have made him grovel." Ada groused, but she had a smile on her lips. "He should have had to beg your forgiveness, then resigned his commission to take you home." She tapped my desk, although it made no sound. "You shouldn't have immediately pulled him into your bed!"
"As if you're one to talk," I shook my head, snorting. "You would have welcomed him back with open arms and then hauled him off to bed."
If ghosts could blush, she was, a slight hint of pink across her cheeks. "I mean, I at least would have made him apologize for what he put me through. You didn't even let hm do that before you dragged him off!"
"I had a bit more on my mind." I chuckled, "But he's been good while I've been here, you know, he does blame himself quite a bit."
"I know," She wavered slightly in the air. "He always has, I don't know why that man seems to think he must shoulder the weight of the world."
"Because he's too good of a man to have been through everything that has happened to him." I sighed, thinking of Will and the way he seemed to take every event as his own personal failing instead of something that simply happened.
Ada, flickering the light from the window, nodded. "Do try and help him with that, when you can."
"I will. Will you be visiting often?"
She was almost fully faded away, "I will try, and Ana, if any Anzacs need help, do what you can. They're so far away from home, they deserve a kindness."
"I will, Ada." I smiled, "And please made sure everyone on your side knows we think of them often." She gave me one last grin and a nod before she faded completely. My office felt much smaller after she left, and I did my best not to sigh as I returned to the monotony of paperwork.
Will had made sure he got to Portsmouth early enough to have a moment to check in on the Unicorn before his meeting with Admiral Huntington. He didn't expect anything to be amiss, and was glad to find it was so. Tyne had a brief report of the progress the gunnery men had made on the work he had given them to tide them over until their leave, Nettles had left a thorough rundown of the work that had been done on the engines and Ives was glad to show Will that every turret had been scrubbed from top to bottom, and there was not a speck of cordite dust anywhere outside of where it should be.
He even showed Will that he had repaired a locking mechanism on the hoist that had been broken, keeping the cordite isolated all the way to the barrel and lessening the chance of any errant flame causing an explosion. Will commended him for that, and reminded himself to write up Ives for some kind of reward later for his work.
But now it was time to speak to Admiral Huntington, and Will was quite sure he wasn't going to be getting a pleasant write up for what he was going to ask. If anything, he'd be lucky to not lose his command. So, he was rather nervous as he waited to be called in, and saluted Huntington with precision. "Sir."
The admiral nodded to the chair, "Captain Murdoch, please sit."
Will did, doing his best to keep his legs from jostling. "Thank you, sir."
"I didn't expect to see you back here so soon," Huntington looked to a book on his desk, tracing the date. "Your leave isn't up for another week, I figured you'd still be enjoying it."
"I am enjoying it, sir." Will took a breath, "In fact, I've come to ask for an extension."
Huntington looked up with a glare, "Two weeks should be more than enough, Captain."
"I understand, sir, but I am not asking for myself." Will shifted, "It's more for my wife. She's been through an immensely trying event and I would prefer to have a little more time with her before coming back."
Huntington tapped his desk, "I'm aware of that, sailors gossip more than housewives it seems. I'm quite glad she's safe."
"As am I, sir."
"Can't tear yourself away from her, though."
"Sir, I hope you understand I wouldn't be asking for this if I didn't think it was needed." Will sighed, fighting the urge to rub his temples. "Anastasia was gravely affected by the Lusitania, and I worry that she will not be fully recovered before I come back. She had a spell of," He paused for a moment, looking for the correct word. "Intense melancholy when I left New York."
Huntington raised a brow, "Most sailor's wives do, but they get over it."
"Sir," Will twisted his hands together, "Please, I beg of you."
"Captain Murdoch, just be plain. Tell me exactly why your worry about your wife being alone."
"She saw a friend of hers crushed to death," Will snapped, "She spent hours in that water, freezing, until she got pulled out by the grace of God. She won't be going back, so I am going to have to leave my wife alone, in a country foreign to her, still mourning her friend and recovering from her ordeal. I simply want one more week with her to settle her in, that's all."
Huntington leaned back in his chair, pursing his lips. "Well, that makes things much simpler." Will watched as the admiral rolled his eyes up the ceiling, his fingers fishing out a cigarette to place between his lips. "You do understand, that if I do give you this leave, I can't make this allowance again."
"I do, sir."
"And that you would be unlikely to receive another leave beyond a day or two for at least a year."
"Yes, sir."
Huntington looked at Will, cocking his head as he lit up. "I suppose I can see my way to it, given the extenuating circumstances." He shuffled through some papers on his desk, "Of course, I can't exactly say the reason for it, but the Unicorn was being considered for a refit to allow for fuel oil instead of coal. I can approve that and send her in, that will take a week."
Will let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you, sir."
"Of course, you'll have to inform your stokers that they'll be shuffled around the fleet." Huntington said it so matter-of-factly that Wil almost didn't notice.
But he hesitated, thinking of that man on the London bus. "Do I have to lose them, sir?"
"You won't have coal for them to shovel, what use could they serve? Fuel oil can be monitored by a few engineers, that's a huge benefit."
Will considered that for a moment. "I could spread them to other departments, damage control and gunnery would be my initial thought. There's always a need for more hands in those areas."
Huntington rubbed his nose, "You're the one who gets to inform them and work them into these new areas. Consider it a condition of your extended leave." He waved his hand, "Now, get going back to that wife of yours."
Will stood, adjusting his uniform. "Yes, sir. Thank you again."
"Just bring her with you when you come back, I have to meet this woman who has you so thoroughly wrapped around her finger."
Sitting at the dining table, I tapped my pen against the letter I had just finished. I had written a brief note to Oscar to attach to Will's letter, asking him to give the money clip to Alfred's family and to let them know how bravely he had acted in his final moments. The longer one though was to Mother, and I hoped that it wouldn't hurt her too badly. I had written about how sorry I was for not heeding her advice, that she was right and I had acted a fool, but the vast majority of it was a justification of my choice to stay.
I could have told her that Will had ordered it and I was obliged to obey my husband, but I knew that wouldn't hold water with her. If Will had ordered me to do something I didn't want to and grown angry when I refused, I would have left him. We may have fought about him going to war, but Will had never asked me to do something I hadn't at least considered.
So, I had written about how I could better manage the company from here, that it was a chance for me to be close to Will and see him more often, which would be better for my health. I even told her about how Sylvie was going to teach me all the various duties of a housewife, and I hinted that childcare would be included and would be a useful skill someday. I wrote her about how I could take up nursing and help provide comfort to the men coming back over, although I was unsure how I would do that.
I was considering that when the front door opened, sending Rigel racing to jump up onto Will. He was laughing as he hoisted a brown wrapped package, "Down! Down! Just a moment, you greedy thing."
I came up, taking it from him and earning myself Rigel's attention. "How was your trip?"
"Wonderful," He kissed me, wrapping an arm around me. "I talked Huntington into one more week of leave, we can have an early anniversary."
"Oh, that's wonderful!" I kissed him at that, "And what's this? Some treat to celebrate?"
"Not for us," Will took the package back, tearing the paper open to reveal several large bones. "Beef ribs, for the hero here." Rigel perked up at that, following Will as he headed out into the small yard out back. He sat ramrod straight when Will held up a bone, and Will snorted. "Good boy, and I hope you don't mind that they're a bit small."
Rigel did not care, taking off with one of the cut-up ribs while Will piled the others where they could be easily grabbed. I rolled my eyes watching Rigel, "You know he's going to dig a hole and bury it."
"He can tear the yard up," Will turned his back on the dog, his eyes finding mine with a speed that sent a thrill through me. "It will just be a good distraction while we entertain ourselves."
I raised an eyebrow, "You seem very confident that it will take some time."
"I intend for it to."
"Perhaps you should eat something before, to keep your strength up." I couldn't help myself, smirking at him. "I managed to smuggle away some sweets and tea from one of the ships, if you think you need it."
He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me to him. "Perhaps for after, I can imagine us both quite famished." He didn't stop touching me as we went back inside, not for a minute. When I filled a kettle with water, he had his arms wrapped around me, nuzzling my neck and making me spill the water.
I shivered as one of his hands moved down to pluck at my skirt, "Will, don't you want me to get the tea started?"
"I want you to stay right there." He murmured, his breath heavy against me. I shivered again, pushing myself back against the hardness I could feel in his trousers. "God, Ana."
"Will," I breathed, pulling one of his hands to my breast. "You want me here?"
"I want you anywhere." He replied, hands lifting my skirt up and passing them it into my custody. I fumbled with it for a minute, managing to tuck it into its waistband and get it out of the way. Will hardly seemed to care, his hands gently forcing my legs apart and unbuttoning my combinations.
I wriggled against his fingers, already teasing my slit. "Let me take all this off."
"Later," He muttered, kissing my shoulder and grinning at the way I jumped when he slid a finger in. "I need you now, Ana."
I moaned as he stroked me, his thumb finding that little bud of nerves and teasing it. "Will, please." I hardly needed to say any more, for he was at my entrance, blunt and hard and sliding in with such a delightful stretch that my head lolled back.
He chuckled as he settled in me, "Enjoying that?"
"Always," I panted as he began to stroke, and I fell forward to brace myself against the sink. Will moved his hands, one to my breast and one to my hips as he began to pound into me. I couldn't help the moans he stole from me, the whispered curses that only egged him on. Our movement unsettled the kettle even further, dumping most of the water down the drain, but I didn't care.
Nothing mattered but Will slamming into me, the sound of my voice panting out his name and the way he groaned out mine. Nothing but the pleasure building in me, a delightful cramping of my muscles that had me weak kneed and almost fully leaning over the sink as Will speed up, chasing his own pleasure.
He found his own release shortly after mine, leaning over me and chuckling. "God, Ana. I think I may need that tea."
I sighed, rolling my head to the side. "Then you need to make it, I can't move."
"Allow me." Will pulled away, his fingers twisting my skirt back to its usual position and he swept me into his arms. He set me down on the settee, brushing his fingers over my cheek. "I'll have tea up in a moment."
By the time he returned with a pot of tea and a plate of cookies, I was at least sitting. Will sighed with pleasure at the cookies, making me raise my brow. "Enjoying them?"
"We get plenty of food, but few sweets." Will mumbled, sipping his tea. "God, I can't remember the last time I had a biscuit, let alone a bar of chocolate."
I filed that away for later. "Oh, you poor thing."
"You have me far too used to caviar and champagne." Will chuckled, getting up from his chair to join me on the settee. I leaned onto him, enjoying the warmth of his body underneath his clothes. His jacket was rather scratchy though, and I plucked at it. Will shifted underneath me, "What?"
"Take it off." I muttered, wishing I could rest my head on his bare chest.
I could almost feel him roll his eyes, but he shifted me off him for a moment to shed his jacket. He raised a brow at me when I gestured to his waistcoat and shirt, but soon both and his collar were on the floor. He grumbled as I laid back down on him, "I think you're getting the plumb end of the deal here."
"Well, what would you like me to take off?" I leaned back, pressing a kiss to his chest. His fingers tugged at my shirtwaist, and I giggled as I shed it. Will wouldn't let me untie my brassiere, preferring to untie it himself. I sighed happily as I felt his hands gently clasp my breasts, enjoying the feel of his calloused hands on my skin.
He seemed to as well, shifting me further into his lap. "God, how are you always so soft and smooth?"
I bit back my initial remark, that to me my skin seemed anything but, preferring instead to grind against him. "I have to be, can't have you straying."
He gave a grunt of disbelief at that, tweaking one of my nipples for just a moment. "Silly little wife, you know I won't."
"So you wouldn't mind if I shaved my head and burned my hands?"
"I'd fall to my knees and throw your skirt over my head all the same." He chuckled, his hands finding the waistband of said skirt. I shimmied out of it once he had unbuttoned it, and my combinations shortly followed. Laying in his arms, naked as the day I was born, was delightful. I could feel my husband growing harder against my rear, and he hissed when I pressed myself to him. "God, you know every time you do that I want to take you."
"Then take me." I turned over in his arms, letting a hand stray down to caress him through his trousers. "Take me, I'm yours Will."
His head fell back as I kept stroking, his hand coming up to my back to press me tighter to him. "Keep talking."
I positioned myself so I could whisper into his ear while I stroked him. "I spent so many nights touching myself, wishing it was you, Will. Not having you in my bed is torture, and part of me wants to stow away and have you ride me every night on your ship. I want to wrap my legs around you and bite your shoulder, I want you to fuck me and use me as you will."
His breath came out in a rush as I drew him out of his trousers, stroking that fevered flesh. "Christ, Ana. Do you know what I've done without you?"
I nibbled his earlobe, making him shudder. "Tell me."
"There are days where I would touch myself every night." He rolled onto his side, kicking his trousers off. "I'd dream I had you there, fucking you into the bed." I almost squealed as he suddenly took me in his arms, rising from the settee to press me against the wall by the fireplace. "I'd hold you up to the windows on the bridge and make you scream."
I wrapped my legs around his waist, not caring that the windows were open to a beautiful early British evening. "Make me scream, Will." He very nearly succeeded with his first thrust, taking me by surprise and driving me up the wall. Instead, I moaned loud enough that Will chuckled, shifting his legs to brace himself as he thrust himself into me.
He groaned when I bore down, intent on riding him as well as letting him fuck me. "Ana, love, you have no idea how this feels."
I jostled in his arms as he thrust himself into me roughly, "I missed this Will, I missed it so much."
"I swear, nothing compares to you." Will's voice was strained. "Christ, I'm not going to last."
"Then finish," I wrapped my legs even tighter around his waist. "Finish, take me up to bed, and I'll do whatever you want if we can do this one more time." He sped up, and I twisted myself around him, doing my best to squeeze him inside me. I must have succeeded, for he shortly groaned and buried his head in my shoulder while he caught his breath.
This time I could at least stand, albeit shakily, as Will followed me upstairs. The clothes were left below, and Will joined me as I stopped in his office to look out the window. I laughed, "I think Rigel is enjoying himself."
Will's hand came up to gently grasp my shoulder, "My God, remind me to never buy him bones again." Half a dozen holes dotted his yard, and Rigel was steadily digging another. Only a few had been filled in, and a several bones hadn't even been touched. Will gave my shoulder a squeeze, "He's having fun, come to bed, love."
I trailed behind him, curling myself around him once he had laid down. Will ran a hand up and down my back, pressing kisses to my lips as we lounged. I let my eyes close, a sleepy smile on my face. "I'm so glad you got another week of leave."
"Mmmm," Will hummed, "It certainly makes the war fade away, at least for a bit."
"You should have heard the girl Welton sent to bring me papers today, she wouldn't shut up about it."
"Well, here it's of more interest, and I know you avoid any mention of it."
"True," I pondered for a moment. "Will, what's an Anzac?"
He dug his fingers into my back slightly. "You don't know?" I lightly slapped his chest, making him chuckle. "Alright, alright. Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, colonial soldiers and all that. There's been hellish fighting in Gallipoli and they've been in the thick of it."
I hesitated for a moment, then remembered the wistful look on Ada's face. "Do you know if any of Ada's family are there?"
Will's fingers dug in harshly, making me shift away from them. "Ana, I-"
"I'm not mad, Will."
He relaxed a bit, "I've kept in touch with her family, some of her cousins are there."
"Write down their names, I'll send them something." I pressed myself back to him. "Unless you mind?"
"Not a bit." He pressed a kiss to the top of my head, his hand moving from my back to lightly run along my side. "Unless you mind this?"
I wriggled in his arms, smacking him and making him laugh. "That tickles!" He continued his assault, leading me to wriggling against him even further, which lead to something stirring and the both of us falling into yet another round of lovemaking. It was dark by the time we were finished, the both of us lying breathless and sweat covered on his bed.
Will barely managed to make it downstairs to let in Rigel and bring the remains of our tea up, and held up a cookie for me to nibble out of his hands. I snuggled up to him after I'd finished it, "You know, it's a shame we didn't despoil your bathroom."
Will spluttered out a laugh, "Christ woman, I'm not a machine. We've gone at it three times, aren't you tired yet?"
"I'm not a bit tired, I have to make as much use of you as I can. You'll be gone soon."
"You don't think I'm coming here and tying you down to the bed every time I have even a day off?" He considered the cookie I held up, then delicately took it from my fingers with his teeth.
"I haven't exhausted you totally?"
"Ana, I went nine months without you. I only had my memory and my hand for company, and I can't do that again."
I laughed, and Will clutched me to him. That was truly the best benefit to staying Britain, being able to see my husband, even if only for a moment. A moment could be enough.