by Lucy Langton
“This is a fine place,” Ada observed as she stood in the common room, looking all around her. There was a large cobblestone fireplace that took up the majority of the west wall. Simple furniture filled the space to include two wing-backed chairs near the fireplace and a dining table for four situated in the middle of the room. There was a simple kitchenette in the corner with a dry sink and wood stove. Pots hung over the stove with a mixture of fresh herbs. Towards the back of the stone cottage was a quaint bed with white linens. An end table was next to it where the water basin and porcelain pitcher rested.
“It reminds me of my cabin when I was sailing,” Flint teased. Ada could agree that it was a small space, but it contained everything they would need for their trip. Flynt picked up their trunks one at a time before setting them at the end of the bed. Ada made her way into the kitchen area to see what she would have access to in order to make them their meals. A trip to the local marketplace would be required, or they would have to eat their meals at the inn.
“Shall we take a walk into the town?” Ada asked. “We should see if the marketplace is still occupied with hecklers.”
“How about a walk down to the beach?” Flynt suggested instead. “We can dine at the tavern tonight and go to the marketplace in the morning.”
Ada smiled as Flynt walked over to her and took her hands in his. He leaned down then and placed his lips gently to hers, and for the moment, Ada was content to simply experience the pleasures of being kissed by her husband. She was starting to have different ideas for their afternoon activity when Flynt broke their kiss and looked down at her with hooded eyes.
“I love you, Ada,” he whispered.
“And I love you, too,” she replied. Taking her by the hand, Flynt led her from the house and down the stone steps leading to the beach below. Ada soon became transfixed by the water, the sound of the rushing waves as they hit against the beach, and the sand that felt to mould around her travelling boots as she stepped off the last stone step and onto the surface.
“It’s so windy,” Ada observed as they walked hand in hand towards the water’s edge, careful not to step into the surface as the water rushed up the shore.
“There is nothing to stop the wind until it hits the edge of the cliffs,” Flynt explained. “It is the wind that carries the ships from coast to coast because it never seems to stop until landfall.”
“That must be why sailors keep their hair so short,” Ada said as she tucked the ends of her hair into her bonnet, not wanting to be whipped by it any longer.
“Yes, that is a necessity. After having my hair cut short when I first joined the Navy, I have been hesitant to cut it again,” Flynt explained.
“That does help me understand why you prefer it longer now,” Ada said as she looked up at him, seeing how his brown hair moved in the wind. He reached up and tried to hold it in the back, but it looked rather an uncomfortable position to stand to see the water. So, she pulled the ribbon from the middle of her travelling gown and used it to secure his hair for him.
“Thank you,” he said over the sound of the wind. Together, they walked hand in hand along the beach, watching the water crash against the shore before running back out to sea. It was unlike anything Ada had ever seen before, and much more magnificent than any painting she had seen of the sea.
When they grew tired of walking along the beach and taking in the splendour of the water, they took the stone steps back up to the top of the edge and made their way into the town. The sun setting over the water turned the sky into shades of pink and orange. It was a sight unlike anything Ada had ever seen because she could see the sun touch the horizon of the water and reflect along the surface as though it was made of glass.
“Sounds like music this evening,” Flynt said, drawing Ada’s attention away from the setting sun. She looked towards the tavern and saw the glow of candlelight spilling from the windows and open door onto the dirt road they were walking along. She heard the sound of a violin being played and looked forward to seeing whatever performance was being conducted that evening.
The feeling of warm air surrounded Ada as they stepped into the open door of the tavern. Ada was pleasantly surprised to see a small group of people dancing the cotillion. Many of those that danced wore red uniform coats, making Ada think that men must be residing at Brighton with a local militia group. Flynt led them over to an empty table while they hailed a tavern maid to bring them a plate of whatever food was being served that evening.
“What a lively place for a seaside town,” Ada remarked as she observed the large tavern room. It seemed as though all of Brighton had come to enjoy the evening at the tavern with a bit of music and good food.
“I would have never imagined the militia being here,” Flynt observed. The moment he received a tanker of the tavern ale, he was quick to partake of it. Ada slid his tanker over to her the moment he set it down, giving him a strange look.
“Does it make you feel uncomfortable to be amongst the officers and soldiers?” Ada asked as his eyes focused on the ale in her hands.
“I’m not fond of spending time around those in uniform,” Flynt confessed, looking up at her. Ada could see the worry in his eyes and tried to think of what to do.
“Would you like to dance while we wait for our food to be brought out from the kitchen?” Ada asked. Flynt looked towards the dancers and ended up shaking his head. “Then hold my hands.” Ada laid her arms out on the table and extended her hands towards him, her golden wedding band shining with the light from the candle on the table.
Flynt obeyed her suggestion, resting his hands in hers. She laced their fingers together and gave him a smile. “I want you to just focus on me then,” Ada said in a soft voice. “For all we care, we are the only two people here tonight.” Ada watched as Flynt’s eyes surveyed the room quickly before focusing on her once more.
“And what would you have me think as I gaze upon my beautiful wife?” Flynt asked with a raised eyebrow, his voice low so only she could hear him over the violin player and the movement of the dancers.
“Perhaps you would like to consider what we should do upon returning to the cottage,” Ada suggested in turn. She watched as a steady smile grew upon Flynt’s face until all he could do was focus on her. When their food was brought to the table, they unclasped their hands and leaned back in their chairs. Flynt paid the woman, looking away from Ada for only a moment before they turned their attention to their food.
“I would make sure to eat plenty, my dear,” Flynt said with a smirk upon his lips.
“And why is that?” Ada dared to ask.
“Because I am certain you will need all your energy this evening for what I have planned for us,” Flynt explained. Shivers ran over Ada’s body at her husband’s words. Her stomach filled with butterflies over the anticipation of what Flynt was thinking.
Though it was rather unladylike, she ate her food with much haste in an effort to return quickly to the cottage with Flynt. He in turn chuckled at her enthusiasm, and the moment they were both finished, they left the merry tavern with thoughts of finding their own entertainment for the evening.
~*~
The morning following their wonderful night together, Flynt woke with a sore back. He smiled despite the discomfort from all the happy memories that came with the little pain. True to his word, he had acted upon every thought that had come to mind while they had dined together. And in turn, they had spent much of the night in the throes of passion, exploring all sorts of new, delicious things to do to one another.
“We must go to the marketplace,” Ada said as she rolled over and faced him in bed, completely bare as when they had finally fallen asleep in the early morning hours. She yawned lazily as she stretched her hands over her head, exposing her beautiful body.
“Yes, we must. Or else we will have nothing to eat and very little energy to do anything today,” Flynt agreed as he rolled from the bed and began to pull on clean clothes.
“I like the idea of doing not
hing at all. However, we will become starved before the end of the day and forced to return to the tavern,” Ada said as she eventually moved from the bed and began to dress as well.
The mention of the tavern reminded Flynt that there was a local militia group. The thought of seeing men in uniform did not settle well with him. However, he knew that they needed to feed if they were going to enjoy their holiday in Brighton.
Once they had cleaned up after their night of lovemaking and had dressed for the day, Ada collected a basket to carry their things from the market before they set off from the cottage. Flynt led the way through the town, leading Ada by the arm. She smiled brightly as she took in the scenery, the sound of the sea crashing against the shore a constant echo. Flynt thought she looked lovely in the pale-yellow dress that accentuated her figure beautifully.
As expected, the centre of the town was filled with countless seller stalls with hecklers calling out their wares. There were plenty of stalls that were selling ingredients they could use to make simple meals. However, a sea of red became visible in the marketplace as plenty of men in uniform meandered about as though they had nothing better to do.
Flynt gritted his teeth as he walked Ada from stall to stall. He did his best to comment when she made a statement about the quality of the goods. But his thoughts were not really focused on their task in hand. Therefore, he allowed Ada to make all the choices, placing coins in the hands of the sellers when it was necessary.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Flynt,” Ada said as they walked back to the cottage together, her basket full of food for them.
“I was just uncomfortable is all,” Flynt said, not really wanting to talk about the matter while they walked out in the open.
“When you see the militia, those men in uniform, what do you start to think about?” Ada pressed. He tried to take a deep breath, not to allow his discomfort to ruin their holiday. But he felt himself losing the battle as his thoughts continued to race.
“They are men that haven’t seen battle,” Flynt confessed when he felt there would be no way for him to either avoid the conversation or forget his thoughts until he spoke his fears out loud.
“They are young and naive, without the knowledge of what their leaders will demand of them once they sail across the sea to fight Napoleon’s forces. It is hard to see how merry they all are, quick to flirt with young ladies or boast about their skills when they haven’t even seen a single battlefield.”
Ada’s hand tightened around his arm, and he glanced down at her as they walked together. She seemed to be pondering what he said. It wasn’t until they stepped on the path towards the cottage that she spoke up.
“I would have never thought of them in that way,” Ada said. “You know so much about what it’s like to be in a war that I wish no one would ever have to experience such a thing again.”
“Battles and wars have been fought since the beginning of time,” Flynt said with a heavy heart as he pushed open the door of the cottage. “I cannot even picture a future without such things or the memories of one.”
Together, as they put away their purchases and made a simple meal together, they were sombre. Flynt realized that this was not how he wanted to spend their holiday. He couldn’t help that there was a militia stationed in Brighton, but he could help the way he was feeling and how that directly affected his wife.
Reaching across the small dining table, he took Ada’s hand in his and smiled at her. “When we have finished, let’s go down to the beach. Sometimes you can find seashells. I’m sure Mother would like to see what we can find,” he told her.
“Oh, she would love such a thing,” Ada exclaimed, her face brightening immediately.
“And there are many shops in Brighton besides the marketplace. I’m sure we can discover some new sheet music to take back to Town. Mr Cairns would be pleased to see that you are taking the time to learn new songs,” Flynt added.
“You sure know how to spoil a woman,” Ada teased.
“I know how to please my wife,” he was quick to respond. Ada’s cheeks blushed a deep pink as she giggled, even swatting his hand away as she tried to regain her composure.
“I can attest that you are very good at pleasing me,” she said with a sly smile upon her lips. The dark memories in Flynt’s mind were quickly replaced with the new memories he had made with Ada last night. The moment they were both done eating the cold cuts of meat and cheese with a fresh loaf of bread, Flynt led Ada back to bed to further their delicious discoveries of each other.
Chapter 21
The trip to Brighton felt like it had been a short one by the time they were getting ready to travel back to Town. Ada had enjoyed the days in the sunshine, walking the beach with Flynt to take in the grandeur of it all. The daily trips to the marketplace allowed her and Flynt to plan their meals together and even try their best at baking and using the woodstove.
They laughed together over burnt bread and over-baked fish that was dry and not very flavourful. Most nights, they went to the tavern for the evening meal, and during the late hours of the night, they discovered the endless levels of pleasure.
“It shall be good to see the family,” Ada said once they were settled in the carriage once more with their trunks packed with their clothes and the things they had decided to take back to Town with them. Ada had a small bundle of seashells and several sheets of new music. Flynt had purchased a new pair of leather gloves that he wanted to wear when horseback riding.
“You must be looking forward to having a lady’s maid once more and to rely on Cook for all the meals,” Flynt teased as he leaned over and kissed the top of her head.
“I think I could make a fine cook if I needed to. But making my own cup of tea has been rather difficult. She must be a master at the task for the tea is always splendid at home,” Ada said. If she were to be completely honest with Flynt, she would say that cooking had been the hardest part of staying in Brighton. However, they had both overcome the challenges they had set themselves in order to grow closer together. Ada knew that their time in Brighton would be an experience she would never forget.
“There were many things I discovered during our time in Brighton,” Flynt mused as the carriage started to roll following the snap of the reins as the driver urged the team of four horses forward. “I had learned a lot while in the Navy, when it came to my own care. But when it came to ensuring you were well in addition to my own well-being, it really showed me that I do truly love you. I would not have washed another person’s undergarments if I didn’t love them.”
Ada couldn’t contain her laughter as she thought about all the challenging things they had done together. They had tried their hand at doing their laundry and made more of a wet mess than anything. But it had been enjoyable to bath together once they had been able to get the temperature of the water to be comfortable.
She nodded, thinking that she truly loved Flynt in return and would honestly do anything with him if it meant that he would be happy in return for all the happiness he brought her.
During the days it took them to return to Town, they talked about their experiences together and what their plans for the future would look like. There would be matters of business to address upon their return to Town for their solicitor had urged them to invest in a textile factory that would be built in Newport.
Flynt was more interested in funding voyages that would bring goods back to England, even if the trading routes were potentially dangerous because of the war and the uprising of pirates. These were all decisions they could make together once they returned to Town.
“Dowager Statham will certainly enjoy all the new music I hope to learn,” Ada mused.
“As so will I,” Flynt agreed. “It was the only thing that was missing during our time in Brighton. There was no place for such practice unless we wanted to spend extra hours at the church after the sermon.” Ada laughed at the memory of having to listen to the long and winded sermons of the preacher at the parish church.
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