Will found himself thanking God for the fact that boilers needed to be cleaned, that it took several days to do it, and that Bligh hadn't complained about him taking a room at an inn for the week's leave he had been granted. Will needed to be off that ship, if only for a few days, otherwise he was going to go mad.

There were also a few other matters to attend to, but the first was the crumpled telegram in his pocket.

William,

I don't know exactly when you're getting in, but Mrs. Murdoch thought it would be soon. I'm staying in town until I can see you, I have her letters for you. Please call me when you're in and we can set up a time to have a pint together.

James

The telegram had come in with the rest of the mail, and the senior officers had smirked to see that Will had finally not gotten the large packet of letters he had routinely been getting. Will glanced up, confirming that the pub he was about to enter was the right, and pushed the door open.

He wasn't the only officer in, nor the only sailor, and it took him a minute to spot James at a table towards the back. He gave the younger man a grin as he sat, "You know, that uniform blends in fairly well."

James blushed, "I, I didn't want to stand out. People started questioning me on the train."

"Ah," Will shook his head, "Anyone questions you here and I'll put them on the ground for you."

"Thank you, sir." James reached into his jacket, pulling out a packet. "From Mrs. Murdoch, I also brought along some presents from her, they're back in my room."

Will curled his fingers around the letters, almost wanting to bring them up and see if he could smell her perfume. "Thank you, James, but why is she making you play courier?"

"Because someone's been reading your letters," He must have seen Will's brow furrow, "Oscar thinks its Naval Intelligence, blacking out sensitive information. But Anastasia doesn't like it, so she wanted me to run her letters up and bring yours to her."

Will wrinkled his nose, "You'll miss your wedding if you keep doing that. You've set a date, haven't you?"

"The second of January, it's a Saturday." James smiled, clearly thinking of Liz. "And I was just the first one, someone from the offices will take over for me."

"You must be excited; it's coming up soon."

James spluttered as he drank his beer, almost spraying Will before he brought his napkin up. "I'm bloody terrified!"

Will chuckled as he watched James wipe the beer off the table, "Terrified of what? You've been to enough of those society parties."

"It's not that." James flushed, and Will was suddenly struck by exactly how young he was. Younger even than Ana, and Will was glad that James was not involved in the war, at least for now. He wanted him to keep that innocence.

Will raised an eyebrow. "The wedding night?"

"Yes, I," James seemed to want to look anywhere but at him. "I remember a few things that Mr. Lightoller said at your stag party."

Now Will couldn't meet his eye, "Lights enjoys shocking everyone into silence."

"Is it true though? With lifting their legs?"

Will could feel himself turning beet red. "Well, some women, I mean, they do like it."

"I want Liz to like it." James muttered, turning the glass in his hand. "I know it's supposed to be painful their first time, but I don't think it has to be. Is there some way for me to make her enjoy it?"

"There is." Will admitted, sipping his beer and doing his best to keep his voice down. "There are plenty of ways, and it doesn't have to be painful their first time." His next words were barely a whisper. "Ana's wasn't."

James perked up at that, "Then what do I do?"

"Christ, James." Will ran a hand through his hair. "This isn't the place for that talk."

"Well, it's not like I'll see you again!" James paled, quickly backpedaling. "I meant before the wedding, that's all. I'm sure I'll see you again, once we win the war."

Will held up a hand, forestalling any other talk. "We can talk tomorrow. I need some help with something and I could use your help."

"Of course, sir, with what?"

"Ana's birthday is at the end of the month, and if you're taking my letters back, I'd like to send you with a present. We can head into Edinburgh tomorrow, and talk about it there."

With the awkwardness gone, they finished their beers and set a time to meet in the morning. Will kept the packet in his jacket, because he knew Scotland well and was quite prepared when a slight drizzle started. Fortunately, the inn he had found wasn't far, and he was grateful that the radiator was buzzing away when he got into his room.

He pulled the packet from his jacket, slit the initial envelope holding everything, and pulled out the first letter.

My Dearest William,

Forgive me for pulling James into my deception, but I could not stand to see your words marked out anymore. I barely even know what you're doing, or what has been happening. The papers here are so focused on France and Belgium but never mention the North Sea. And so, I have come to this.

Liz was able to convince James to agree to it fairly easily, after I let them have some time alone in one of the guest rooms. I promise, nothing over the line occurred, but James would have agreed to anything after I made them leave the room.

I've included a picture for you, the Vanderbilts threw a costume ball and I went as Britannia. I hope I made a decent job of it, you'll have to tell me. I'm at least more clothed than Liz was in the picture she gave James! Then again, I've already done that. Unless you would like more pictures like that? I would be discreet, of course, but if it would be some comfort to you, I can have them taken and sent.

Just keep them private.

Your harbor, who wishes you nothing but safety and her love,

Ana

A thin piece of cardstock was tucked inside the envelope, and the drew it out. Ana looked out at him from a photograph, doing her best to look dignified and regal. A thin spear was in her hand, a shield propped against her leg, and a helmet rested precariously on her head. Will smiled when he saw the thin chain around her neck, he had no doubt the pendant was tucked into her bodice. He wished the camera could capture more detail, he wanted to see every bit of her, he wanted to make sure she had color in her cheeks, that she wasn't too thin. As it was, he could only be sure that she was healthy and thinking of him.

And plotting.

Will set the letter aside, pinching the bridge of his nose. At least this problem was taken care of, if only Ana could help him with thing on the Peterel. But he hadn't written her anything about what ship life was like, she didn't need to worry about it. He'd dealt with worse, and he could deal with it for as long as needed, even if it did give him a headache.

There was a cure for that though, and Will slipped a small cardboard sleeve out of his trunk when he laid down that night. He'd made sure they were safe practically every time he'd entered his cabin, for he didn't want anyone to see them.

Ana, bare and smiling at him, back before they'd even been engaged. She'd been so trusting, and Will had to admit he'd thought her a little naïve when he had first saw those pictures, but now he was glad for it. When he gazed at those pictures, let his eyes linger on the swell of her breasts, the curve of her thighs, he could almost feel her. The smoothness of her skin, the warmth of her as he gently grasped a breast. He could hear her sigh in his ear, the moan at the end of it, and he groaned as he laid back in bed.

His own hand was nothing compared to her, but he could at least give himself some relief.

The next dawn brought an appropriately dismal Scottish morning, and Will could not have been happier. He started his day with porridge, kippers and even sipped a small beer, and it tasted all the sweeter because he knew days like this galled Bligh to no end.

He was a Scot, though, and a little rain would not put him off of what he had planned. So he locked his room, pulled on an overcoat, and then pulled his hat low over his head to keep off the rain. He could see James waiting for him at the corner, and the two of them started walking down to the docks where a ferry could take them into Edinburgh.

James glanced over, "Can we talk about it now?"

"Later." Will grunted, handing a few coins over when they reached the ferry. "When I have a whiskey in front of me."

He puzzled over exactly how to go about that while the ferry started them across the river. He could always speak of it in clinical terms, he'd seen a few diagrams in books that gave the medical names for everything involved. But the act itself wasn't cold and clinical, it was warm and rather messy, but loving.

So, he would have to find some way between giving the lad a lecture and getting as drunk as Lights had been to get through it. He shook the thoughts from his mind when the ferry pulled up, and managed to flag down a cab for the both of them. A brief consultation with the driver brought them to an area of town with some nicer stores, and the cabbie gave them the name of a department store to visit as well.

James pulled his hat down over his face, shivering slightly as they got out. "What are you looking for, sir?"

"Not sure," Will shrugged, "And you don't have to call me sir, Will is fine."

"Alright, Will. It's just a bit hard not to, what with the uniform and all." They trudged along, and James paused to look in a store. "She likes books, we could take a look in here." Will followed him in, and they perused the shelves for a bit. James spoke quietly as they did, "Would Anastasia like some poetry? Liz mentioned she had a few books of it."

Will turned around, studiously examining a book on Scottish history so that James wouldn't see how much he was blushing at the moment. "Poetry is something that Ana and I enjoy together, I wouldn't want to remind her of me and make her start missing me more."

"Oh," James turned back to the shelves, and slowly began asking Will what kinds of books Ana liked. Will smiled to think of her, she was always flitting to something new. A new history, a new adventure novel, and even though she groused about them, she did read the occasional romance. After James had drawn that out of him, the did manage to find a few books. Will also found a slim volume that he had the bookseller send to his inn, something for James later.

It didn't seem enough though, and they wound up in the department store the cabbie had recommended. Wil shook his head as they walked through, because if he felt this familiar with a store like this then he really had been around Ana for too long. It used to have been that he would have been uncomfortable walking through the doors, and yet now a salesman was leading James and himself to the ladies department.

Will dismissed him once they had reached it though, because he still had some spine and could shop for his wife on his own. Although James was a great help, pointing out that he shouldn't look at any clothes really, but accessories. He couldn't have them tailored here after all, James was due to leave soon and if he wanted his gifts taken back with him, he needed to have them all now.

Will lifted a pair of gloves, smooth deep red leather with shining onyx buttons. "I think she'd like these."

"Does she wear red?" James cocked his head, "Or maybe she can wear black with them?"

"I think she might during Christmas." He straightened the fingers of the gloves as he placed them with what he had already selected. A warm shawl with long fringe, a tam-o-shanter that would make her laugh, and a wide, patterned belt.

But he still wanted more for her.

Will wanted to bury his wife in gifts, to let her know through what he gave her that she was everything he thought about during his long watches in the cold nights at sea, that when his mind grew tired of the endless patrols, he remembered being with her. When Will sat down and listened to the other junior officers talk about the politics of the Navy and the war, which he hated because their discussions, much like their patrols, were pointless, he pictured Ana across from him at their table, smiling and laughing.

If he couldn't be by her side, then he could at pretend he was.

"You know, James," Will shook his head, looking over. "Why don't you buy a few things for Liz? I'm sure she'd like a present. I'm off to go look for a few more items for Ana."

Will left James happily looking through shelves and racks, and he headed deeper into the racks of clothing. He'd been shopping enough to know that stores generally kept ladies underthings tucked away, and he wanted to send something to Ana to let her know that there wasn't a day that went by that he didn't want her. So, he found himself surrounded by chemises and combinations, all of them stolid and practical.

Which was ill suited for him currently.

He moved through the racks, no doubt spooking a few ladies who were doing their own shopping, looking through a seemingly endless amount of plain and boring clothing. But he kept at it, and his persistence was rewarded. For there was a small display, tucked out of the way, that featured chemises that were decidedly not practical.

Strips of lace barely held together by even more lace, decorative bows, organza and sheer fabrics that would show what was underneath them, they were completely obscene and Will greedily grabbed several in Ana's size. He'd get leave sometime, he'd head back or she'd come over, and he'd have her wear them. He'd sit and watch her pull them on, drink her in greedily so he could remember what she looked like, and then he would rip them off and take her to bed.

When this damn war was over, Anastasia wouldn't be able to walk for a week.

Fortunately, James held his tongue when he returned, and even helped carry the packages into the cab. Will had the driver take them back to his inn, for he wanted to include his letters in the packages and write one more for Ana that night before James came in the morning to take them with him, back to Southampton and back to New York.

He found a decent restaurant for their dinner, and it was luckily free of officers. He sighed happily when a round of whiskey was brought before the food they had ordered, and even James made a noise of appreciation after sipped it. "That's quite good."

"We're in Scotland, lad." Will let a bit of the burr creep into his voice. "It's rare to find a bad whiskey here."

James nodded, "Are you happy to be based here?"

"I think I'm the only one who is." Will shrugged, "But I think we're all glad to be around Britain instead of the colonies."

"I can imagine." James sipped his whiskey again, "Word about the Coronels reached New York right before I left."

Will resisted the urge to curse. "It's all anyone's been able to talk about here."

"It's one of the few bits of news that didn't focus on the trenches to show up in American papers." James glanced up, "Anastasia scoured the papers, to make sure you were safe."

"She worries too much." Will grunted, "I've never even seen a periscope while we've been out on patrol."

James was quiet for a moment as their dinner, roasted steaks and vegetables, were set before them. "Is it hard work?"

Will shook his head, cutting into his steak. "Not particularly, but it's constant. I swear we've been over the same section of ocean fifty times. We run drills for the torpedoes and the guns, but they're always dry." He could see James knit his brow. "We don't fire the guns, just practice loading them."

"And navigate?"

"That too," Will sighed, "To be quite honest, I felt like I was doing more when we worked for White Star, or Dalian Shipping. At least our crossings had some purpose, but this seems pointless."

"It's not though," James set his fork down, the clink of it against the plate making Will look up. "The blockade is a crucial part of our strategy, if Germany can't get supplies, then they'll end the war or starve."

Will took a closer look at James, seeing a light in the young man's eyes. "James, have you been reading the papers?"

"There was nothing else to do while I waited for you." James looked back to his plate, concentrating on his food. "While I sat around and did nothing."

"You know you're doing something." Will pursed his lips, "Ana needs good men to see her ships across, and Britain needs the food on them."

"I know, but," James furrowed his brow. "I want to do more."

"Liz wouldn't like to see you go." Will grabbed a piece of bread that had been left on the table, mopping up the juice from the steak on his plate. "I didn't have a choice." He hadn't told James about the offer the Consul had made, there was no point. Will was here now, he had to live with it.

James finished the last of his whiskey. "Richard has already been after me about that, he wants me to sign some agreement to not join up."

"You shouldn't join up." Will finished his own glass. "You're too young for this, and Liz would lock you up somewhere if you tried it."

James perked up a bit, "Speaking of Liz, she wants you to see if you can get leave to come to the wedding. Anastasia would be overjoyed."

Will tried to ignore the way his heart gave a little pang, for he would love to come home and surprise Ana. "I don't think I'll be able to."

"But you haven't even asked."

"It would cause more trouble if I did ask." He threw down a few bills on the table for their tab. "Now, come on. I've got a bottle of whiskey back in my room, and you wanted to have a talk."

Back at the inn, Will poured both of them another drink, although he poured his more heavily. James, already flushed a bit from the drink before, tapped his fingers against the glass nervously. "So, how should I go about it, with Liz?"

"Do you know how to do it?"

"Well, I know the basics." James purses his lips. "I enter her, and I finish. But I don't want Liz to dread us sharing a bed." He looks decidedly away from Will. "I want her to enjoy it like Anastasia seems to, with you, so how do I manage that?"

"Slowly." Will took a slug to provide some liquid courage. "Think of a man in the bedroom like a match, and a woman like an over. You can be ready to go at a moment's notice, but she takes time to be ready." Will tried to fight the image of Ana dragging him to bed off. "Sometimes they'll be excited and ready quickly, but Liz will probably be nervous. Have you two done, well, anything?"

James blushed, more crimson than pink. "We've done some things, I've touched her."

"Below her shirtwaist or between her legs?"

"Her, ah, her breasts." James ducked his head. "She seemed to like it."

"They do." Will took a moment to think. He would have to detach himself from everything he said in order to say it, otherwise he would be sitting here stammering all night. So, he downed half his whiskey and poured some more. "They especially like if you kiss them, and they like them touched in general."

"So, I should touch her there, anywhere else?"

Will held up his hands, pressing his fingertips together and the pads of his thumbs, and then stretched them out vertically. Held together like this they formed a diamond with a rounded bottom, an approximation of a woman's parts. "This is roughly what they look like, between their legs."

At that James looked up, intently studying the shape of Will's hands. "Really?"

"Yes, now hold your hands up like this and I'll explain." Will was already feeling a bit toasted from the whiskey, and quickly began describing the various parts of a woman as he pointed to James's hands. "There at the bottom, that's where you'll enter her, but pay attention up here more." He gestured to a point where James's fingers met. "There's a little bump there, and it's what makes ladies enjoy the act."

"Do I squeeze it?"

"No!" Will jerked back, "I mean, Liz might find it painful. Just rub it, gently until she tells you harder. Some women like more attention paid to it than others."

James considered the size of his hands, "I take it they're not this big?"

Will chuckled at that. "No, much smaller."

"Then how will I fit?"

"They, oh hell," Will took another drink. "They stretch, when they're ready. You should start out by putting, well, a finger in her. To prepare her."

"How can I know when she's ready."

Will grabbed the bottle at that. "Ladies, they get very wet when they're ready." He hissed at the swallow of whiskey he took. "It makes it easier for you to fit in them, and if you're worried she won't take you or you'll hurt her, add another finger or two until she says it doesn't hurt. It makes it easier for her when she takes you in, to use your fingers to stretch her beforehand."

"Oh," James's face and neck were fully scarlet. "So, I should focus on her."

"Yes, don't force her or make her think you are."

"I would never!"

"But, when she is ready, go slow. She may still find it painful, but it's very pleasurable once you're all the way in, for the both of you. You will need to give her time to adjust, and you should start slow."

James reached for the bottle, pouring himself another glass. "And at the end? Once I've finished, should I leave?"

Will shook his head, "Don't leave, never leave. Hold her after, tell her how much you love her. She may be a bit emotional, but she'll be happier if you let her finish too."

"They can finish?"

"Yes." Will snatched the bottle back. "But it's not as evident as how a man finishes. If you're in her you can feel her tighten around you, and she'll be very loud and writhing around a lot. You should try and make sure she finishes at least once before you enter her." Will blushed a bit to remember the first time he had brought Ana to her end. "She may be a bit frightened of it the first time, just tell her that once she knows what it feels like, she'll want more if it."

"Let her finish once? They can go another round?"

"Remember what I said about them being like an oven? Women can enjoy themselves many times during the act." Will could almost hear Ana crying his name as she wrapped herself around him, "If you make it so she enjoys it she'll find it much less scary, although she might not let you out of bed."

He slipped his hand into his pocket, pulling out the small novel. "Here, take this. It's a book about some man's adventures with women, and it has some good advice." Will rocked his head to the side. "Now, don't do everything the author says he did, the man's a bit deranged. But it should help with giving you some ideas on how to please her."

"The Romance of Lust," James read, ruffling the pages. "Have you read it?"

Now it was Will's turn to flush deeply. "A bit, someone gave Ana a copy. It helped it make her not scared on our wedding night. If anything, she was excited."

James tucked it into his jacket. "I'll read it, Will." He stood; a bit unsteady on his feet. "And thank you for the advice, I really can't thank you enough."

Will stood as well, catching his balance on the back of the chair. "You can thank me by staying in New York after your wedding and forgetting about joining up." He followed James downstairs, both of them clutching onto the banister a bit too hard. A cab was called, and Will shakily made his way back to his room, sitting at the desk. His handwriting would not win any penmanship awards, but he needed to write this before he forgot all about it.

And before James picked everything up in the morning.

My Dearest, Darling, Beautiful Ana,

God, the night I've had. I had to explain the mysteries of the bedroom to James, and you need to do it for Liz. The last thing those two need is to be fumbling their way through things. I could barely get the words out, but some whiskey helped.

I kept thinking of you the whole time.

I miss you so much, and I often find myself cursing my decision to come over. I should have stayed with you, safe and warm in our bed. Damn my stupid pride, I was happy with you. I will be happy with you again, once this bloody thing is over.

You looked gorgeous in your costume, and I'll be keeping Britannia with me during our patrols. I'm sorry I'll be missing your birthday; I've included some presents. I hope you enjoy them, and if you sent me some pictures of you in them, I would enjoy that.

I'm going to be dreaming of you tonight.

Your foolish sailor,
-Will