Jack and Bridgid Arrive at the Glen
by M and Bridgid
There was an unbelievable smell in the air this morning. Bridgid leaned over the rail of the Lady Emma and drew a deep breath. The sea smelled so clean here in Australia and she got the feeling that she was truly home. She could see the docks now and her excitement was piqued. What would this new life bring for her and her family?
Inheriting this land with her cousins was just the beginning of the story. Though it happened months ago things were finally coming together. It was the day they’d arrive in Coffs to make the trip to their new cottage at The Glen.
Commander Jack Aubrey wouldn’t fly unless it was absolutely necessary. Aside from that he had a point about all of their personal belongings coming with them on the ship. There’s no way they’d be able to bring everything on a commercial flight. He was right and she loved sailing anyway, almost as much as she loved Jack.
She felt his hand wind around her waist from behind the moment the ship bumped against the dock.
Placing her hand over his she leaned back into his chest. "Thirty or so more miles to go and we’ll see just what our cottage looks like, Jack. I don’t know if I’m more anxious to see that or to see my family. Thank you for bringing me here."
"Madam, tis you who brought me." Aubrey leaned in to snuggle her neck. "The morning is beautiful as are you, it bodes well my love." Jack had been with her every step of the way as the cottage was being built, he was as anxious as she to see it now. Not long. He turned her to him and kissed her deeply. "Whatever happens, my Siren, your family can only enhance what we have now."
He gave her chills but her smile was warm enough to fix that. "I can’t wait for you to meet them all. I can’t wait to see your new home." She paused to engrave this moment into her memory. He was perfect, everything was perfect right now and she knew better than anyone that things could change at the drop of a hat.
"Jack, I don’t see the trucks at the docks. Did you order them?"
"Yes I did but not for today, I wanted you and I to be alone when we saw our new house." For once in his life Aubrey was worried, he knew where his heart lay. Wherever she was he found his home. He wanted and needed to get to the place they had designed together. Not hers, not his but, theirs. Their home together and he had a prize that was itching in his pocket to give her but, the moment needed to be right.
She was worried about not having her belongings, pots pans and the likes but she
was sure everything would be fine if he thought so. Of course spending time with
him alone in their new cottage would make up for any lack of kitchen ware for
sure.
"Do we have a car to get us to The Glen?"
He had arranged a Land Rover what he had not bargained for was a Range Rover.
Without him saying anything more, she noticed only one vehicle parked in the marina lot. "Don’t tell me we are taking that behemoth, Jack. Oh, man, I love it. Can I drive, please, please?"
The Commander smiled. "If I let you drive will you promise me we will not be apprehended by police officers?" In truth he would have liked to drive the monster himself but, the sight of Bridgid jumping up and down on the quay, made him smile. There would be time enough for him to take the wheel.
Now, she knew that they’d hired a sheriff to patrol their new village but he had not arrived at the Glen yet so with all honestly she could answer him with a resounding yes. "Jack, I can promise you with all my heart that we will not be apprehended, abducted or even pulled over by any kind of law enforcement." With a grin she reached for his hand. "Keys, please?" He may be in for the ride of his life.
He handed her the keys with a modicum of trepidation but he would not go back on his word. Climbing into the passenger seat he made sure he fastened his seatbelt. "Well my dear, as soon as you are strapped in we should start, there is not a moment to lose."
The sailor always liked a challenge, and this indeed was a challenge. The move the Glen would be a new beginning for them and he hoped they would settle there. The cottage had been built to their exact specifications but they had yet to see it. There was also the small question of their neighbours.
Her foot was to the floor before he savored the thoughts he had. She buckled and steered at the same time. Let’s face it, Bridgid was an adrenaline junkie. She was a half mile down the road before the look on his face changed. The quick glance she made his way was followed by a stream of giggles as a crop of fast hopping boomers came up alongside of them.
"Look at that!" she took one hand off the wheel long enough to point and the Rover balanced up on two wheels. Laughing harder she wiped the resulting tears from her eyes just in time to see the gum tree dead ahead. "Holy shit!" Swerving at once she guided the four wheel drive around the tree and leveled it off. "Damn this is fun. Gosh I love you." Where the hell did that come from?
Madam," Jack shouted as he reached in his pocket for the switch of leather he always carried with him, "I would prefer to arrive in one whole piece rather than several." As he tied his hair back and tried to recover from the sight of the strange animals and the near death experience of being wrapped around a gum tree the car hit a stone in the road and swerved to the left. "Turn into the spin Bridgid," Jack shouted louder as he lurched for control of the wheel.
She took both hands off the wheel with a squeal of joy. "Save me, Jack!" She teased, chirping like Pauline having one of her perilous fits. "You love it don’t you. It’s like a Nantucket sleigh ride ...woohooo!"
Placing both feet on the brakes she skidded to a stop. Her chest was heaving with the excitement of the ride. "Oh boy I could use bourbon and a smoke. That was almost as much fun as …" Bridgid bit her tongue before she brought up some details about an encounter they had below decks during the journey to Australia. "The only thing that ever excites me more than this kind of stuff is …you, Jack. " Okay, she actually blushed a bit but she did her best to hide it. Leaning over to kiss the side of his mouth, she caught site of a shimmer in the corner of her eye. It was the sun bouncing off the windows of their cottage. She drew back, her heart thumped and she let out a contented sigh as she said "Guess what, love. We’re home."
Home, that word sounded good to him. A place they could be together for more than the odd long weekend. He sat back and undid his seatbelt before grabbing her shoulders and turning her to face him. "We should savour this moment, remember it, lock it into our hearts," he told her before claiming a deeper, longer kiss than she had given him. When he finally let her go he smiled. "Now, let us ashore and explore our haven." He was as excited as she but, he was a man and he was British, a little decorum was called for.
Completely punch drunk from the kiss, Bridgid didn’t bother to get out of the Rover until he showed up, tapping on the window. "What?" she sat there dumbfounded for a moment. When he opened the door for her she near fell out on top of him. For as long as they’ve known each other, he still had that effect on her. What was it, six, eight years? Who was counting?
Linking her arm with his, she stabilized herself. She looked at him then at the cottage, then back at him. "I’m speechless. I can’t wait to see the inside. I can’t wait to see what you’ve planned."
For some odd reason he stopped fast just in front of the cottage door.
"What is it? Don’t you have the keys?" she asked.
"I do of course have the keys my dear, but I am waiting."
She cocked her head, all confused like. "Waiting for what, an invitation?" She stepped back, bowed and righted herself. "Sir, may I be the first to invite you into the Aubrey-Morgan residence? Welcome." What the heck did he have up his gold buttoned sleeves?
He bowed in return. "Why thank you my lady and the invitation is much appreciated however, I believe there is a formal tradition to be observed on such an occasion, perhaps the colonies have yet to hear of it, although, I was lead to believe that it was common to our foreign cousins too." His tongue was very firmly in the side of his mouth, and as much as he wanted her inside this exchange was far too much fun to halt early.
"What?" Doubting Tomasina crossed her arms over her chest and tapped a toe. "I know you, Jack Aubrey, and sometimes you are so full of bilge water that it comes out your assssssears. So, what is this tradition that I’m not familiar with?"
Jack lifted his right hand and slapped it over his heart. "I am disappointed madam, I had thought you would know how a couple should traditionally enter their new home together, I see I am wrong, ah well, tis a price I am prepared to pay." He removed his hand and whilst he placed his left arm behind his back, he inclined his head drew his right hand through a semi circle and said quietly, "after you my dear Bridgid."
Her eyes followed his hand like a cat watching moth. She started to step forward but stopped, thinking ‘what if he was right? What if this was a tradition that she was unaware of?’
"You reckon we could fit through the door together? I mean neither one of us looks like we’re undernourished." The expression on her face was one of utter perplex.
My dear, I hope you are not alluding to my weight; a man needs substance to command a ship of His Majesty's Navy. I suppose we may fit together if we approached sideways." He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up before he exploded, another few moments and he would be done for. It had been a long journey and he had a great desire to inspect the bedroom.
She placed her hand over her mouth to suppress her laughter. "No, I think you’re weight is perfect, Jack and I think I get what you’re saying now. You want to carry me over the threshold. How romantic." Throwing an arm around his neck, she raised one leg. "Okay, go for it. I’m ready."
"I carry you? My dear lady, 'tis this not your land and therefore your home? Tis is not you who should carry me or are you not strong enough?" The laughter was beginning to rumble from his belly and he had to bite his lower lip to keep from laughing out loud.
Her brow furrowed and she stepped back. "Me, carry you?" She squeaked. "Well okay, if you wish." She turned her neck until it cracked then reached out and laced her fingers together to do the same to her knuckles. Stepping up to him she did her best to figure out which way she would lift him. He stood fast and she could tell he was laughing.
"Bastard!" she teased with a giggle, then bending her knees she got below his center of gravity and lifted him like a fireman would lift a victim. It only took three seconds before the two of them were on the ground in a heap.
"Whose idea was that?" Bridgid spitted and sputtered the lovely Australian soil from her mouth. Why was he laughing so hard?
Aubrey found himself facing her and some of that soil she spat out landed on him. Still laughing he dusted himself off. "Well Siren, if that is your idea of exchanging bodily fluids I will have none of it. He pushed himself to his feet and held out his hand to her. Once she was righted he lifted her into his arms and kicked at the front door, it opened easily. As he hoisted her to get a better grip bent and whispered, "Don’t be too impressed, I arranged for the door to be left open."
Once again she was dumbstruck by him. The way he lifted her so effortlessly into his arms and carrying her as if she were as light as a cloud made her feel so protected. The rumble in his voice made her feel equally wanted. Oh boy, she sure hoped that wasn’t wishful thinking because the only thing on her mind right now was not ready for prime time TV.
"Jack, at the risk of sounding sappy, you’re doing something to me right now. I’m having some pretty interesting thoughts about us and it has nothing to do with exploring this…" She took a fleeting glance around before she locked her eyes on his face again. "…beautiful cottage of ours." Lordy, from this angle he looked so magnificent. His eyes were steady and piercing, his chin was strong and his mouth was so inviting. If she were hooked up to an EKG right now some nurse would be calling for the crash cart.
The Commander knew that look, he had seen it often, this magnificent, annoying, funny, beautiful and intelligent woman was his. He had memorized the layout of the cottage and as he walked them through to the kitchen he knew he would find the stairs that would lead them to the master bedroom. Had he not had her in his arms he would have bounded the stairs two at a time, as it was he carried her steadily and slowly to the top. Turning right he found the room he wanted and walked towards the huge bed. Gently he let her down onto the soft white duvet before pulling his shirt over his body. "Now madam," he growled, "let us welcome each other home."
TBC