Chapter 25

On the flat, paved surface, Amanda walked hurriedly, creating distance between her and Lee as she laughed loudly, ignoring his question. The truth was, she and a few friends snuck up to Newport without her mother ever knowing to attend a weekend-long party. It was the only time she had ever gotten very drunk to the point where she was sick and hungover the next day. As she passed McAuley Hall she broke into a steady run, her feet rhythmically pounding the pavement beneath her, her heart beating fast, the memory of that weekend fading away as the path wound along the rocky coast before her.

She could hear Lee behind her, calling her name, but she didn't dare turn around. The heavy salty air filled her lungs and the sun was warm on her face. Suddenly, Amanda stopped running. She just stood and looked out across the ocean until Lee finally caught up to her. "Hey! You okay?" he asked, his voice thick with worry.

Amanda turned and looked at him, smiling from ear to ear. "I couldn't be better! This… this is perfect!" she exclaimed just before she pushed up onto her toes and kissed his lips in a brief but emotion-filled kiss.

Lee narrowed his eyes and looked at Amanda. He put his hands on her shoulders, heaving slightly as she continued to catch her breath from running. "Amanda, what's going on? Why did you…" he started to ask, but the twinkle in her eye told him she was hiding something still.

"That trip… let me guess. Dotty didn't know, did she?" Lee challenged, a smile teasing the corner of his mouth.

Amanda laughed loudly again and looked out across the water once more. "No, she didn't know. We snuck up here one weekend and I'll be honest, I don't remember a whole lot because I had too much to drink. I'm not even sure who drove home the next day. I spent most of the ride, holding a plastic bag, trying not to get sick again," she admitted as she brushed her hair off her face while the wind blew gently around them. "That was my only memory of Newport, but I couldn't tell Mother that. Now… now I have wonderful memories and the week has only just begun."

Lee put his arms around her, dropped his chin on her shoulder and said, "I promise never to tell Dotty if you promise you won't run away again. I mean, I can't have my wife running off on me, now can I?"

Amanda reached up behind her to bury her hand in his hair as she brushed her lips against his cheek. "Oh, Sweetheart, I'm sorry. I just needed… " her voice trailed off as she shook her head. "I'm not sure what I needed because I have everything I need right here with you."

Lee captured her hand in his, turned and brought her fingers to his lips. "Well then, Mrs. Stetson, let's keep walking and get you something, I know, you're going to need," he declared.

Amanda giggled and dropped her eyes as she asked, "And what is that?"

"Lunch, Amanda, you're going to need lunch by the time we finish this section. Now let's get going before we start drawing attention to ourselves," Lee stated. He emphasized his point with a nod of his head at the young family walking toward them.

Amanda took a few steps away without releasing his hand. She gently tugged him along, until he fell in stride with her. They walked hand in hand once more, marveling at the sun rising high in the sky, setting the water ablaze with glittering refractions of light. Lee had to squint at the brightness until he turned to see Amanda's face. She was looking to her left at the stone steps, cutting into the cliff beside them. She pulled out the pamphlet again and read, "The story of Forty Steps is that they were built by David Priestly Hall so his children could get to the beach from his property. In 1840 he gave the City of Newport a public right of way to the steps. They later became a meeting place for workers at nearby estates during the Gilded Age. The steps were originally constructed of wood and then iron which were destroyed in the Hurricane of 1938." She looked up at the stairs and back down at the glossy paper in her hand. "It also says they have plans in place to start renovations on them once again."

"Well, they still look to be in good shape, but I'm not an engineer. What's next on that map of yours?" Lee peered down at the paper.

"Well, we can either go up from here to the street or continue on to something called Mary's seat and just beyond that is Easton Beach. It says here the bus will stop there every thirty minutes. So, what do you want to do?" Amanda asked, her eyebrows high.

"Let's keep going. All this fresh air feels great!" Lee gently tugged on her hand. Amanda folded up the map and put it back in her backpack before they continued on. They stopped to watch a small private helicopter land on a helipad located in the backyard of one of the large unidentified homes.

They continued to walk again, stopping once to help catch a friendly golden retriever who had escaped from his owner, his leash dragging behind him. Lee gripped the worn leather tightly when he heard someone calling him. They got the dog to walk with them until they met up with his owner. "Sorry about that. Jake gets excited when the seagulls dip down and he pulled that darn thing right outta my hand," the older man explained.

Lee handed the leash back to the man, patted Jake on the head and replied, "That's okay. He looks like he's a good boy. Enjoy the rest of your walk." He stopped and bent down on one knee facing Jake one last time. He rubbed the pup behind his ears and said, "Be good now, Jake." He stood, wiped his hands on his pants and waved as Jake and his owner continued past them.

Amanda linked her hand in his elbow and rested her head against his shoulder. They walked along for another thirty minutes until they reached a sharp bend along the shoreline. Behind them stood a large white edifice which Amanda found on her map and identified as 'The Cliffwalk Manor'. She pulled out the pamphlet once more as Lee nodded and rolled his eyes. Playfully she swatted at his shoulder as she found the information she was looking for.

"The manor is one of the most historic mansions in Newport, Rhode Island and one of the top landmarks in Rhode Island. In 1870, New York Congressman, John Winthrop Chanler started construction on the "cottage" that would one day become The Manor at Cliff Walk. For a brief period, it functioned as the Tolethorpe School for Girls, served as a summer home to Bishop Francis Patrick Keough, operated as an apartment building to house Naval officers, and was even used for a short time as a historical museum, among others," she read.

"That's some cottage. I'd hate to see the heating bill for that in the winter," Lee joked. "Does it say anywhere on that pamphlet where we can get a cold drink? It's getting warmer as the sun is heading higher, although that breeze feels nice, I'm sure it'll feel different once we're off the cliff's edge."

Amanda shielded her eyes and looked further up the walk. She could see cars passing by and commented, "Well, I think that's the main street up there so we must be close now." She folded up the map one last time and zipped her backpack closed. "Let's go before you dehydrate," she teased.

With a renewed enthusiasm, they walked the last few hundred yards toward Easton Beach where Lee spotted a beach shack still open, cars lined up near the front. He gave Amanda's hand a tug and said, "I'll race you" just as he started jogging. Amanda quickly caught up and they playfully chased each other as they closed the gap and the aroma of French fries and seafood assaulted them. Amanda's stomach rumbled noisily. "Hey, calm that down, will you?" Lee teased once more but rubbed his own stomach, trying to fight off the same response.

They waited in line, scrutinizing the handwritten, makeshift menu scrawled on a large board beside them. They both settled on lobster rolls with French fries and a small order of Rhode Island style calamari with hot peppers and garlic butter along with soft drinks. Once their number was called, they settled themselves on a nearby picnic table to eat.