Chapter 1
Martin felt his heart lurch as he bent and picked up today's post off the mat before Pauline arrived. The envelope was addressed in her distinctive hand.
"Oh Louisa, why did we say goodbye to one another?" he wondered out loud for what must be the hundredth time. That little question had kept him awake many a night as he tossed and turned forever entwined in his dreams against her beautiful pale body while he played with her long dark hair that even now as he closed his eyes he could see falling over her shoulders and onto her breasts.
"What can she want?" It had been over 3 months now since they had said their goodbyes and he had watched her walk away from him down the path, her wedding gown swaying as she moved. It had taken a superhuman effort not to strangle that annoying Dry Cleaner prattling away as though it had been just another day in Port Wenn. That hadn't been just another day, it was the day he had lost her forever or so he had thought.
He was about to rip open the envelope when Pauline chose that precise moment to arrive.
"Sorry I'm late Doc, Al was all over me this morning"
"Pauline I have absolutely no interest in your love life so please spare me the details and open up the practice as quickly as possible. When is the first patient due to arrive?" As he said this he was idly tapping Louisa's letter against his other mail. Pauline cast a glance at the envelope and she also recognised the large looped handwriting of Louisa Glasson. Martin saw her looking and quickly put Louisa's letter in with his other correspondence and growled at Pauline "Well?"
"Well what?"
"First patient. What time?"
"Oh, oh yea right first patient. Right you are Doc. Give me a minute or two to get my computer on". She quickly headed to her desk to turn it on. Of course, she had only needed a glance. Louisa Glasson's hand was immediately identifiable to a large proportion of the Port Wenn community either you had been taught by her or you were a parent and had received letters or report cards written by her. Pauline had been in her last year of primary school when Louisa Glasson had returned from Teaching Training College in London so she had only been with her for the one year but you never forgot a hand like that, especially when it had been full of praise for your role in the summer pageant. She had been on cloud nine for several days after that, even her Mum was proud of her.
"Mr Kernow, at 8:30."
"Mmmm well let me know when he arrives. I shall be dealing with my correspondence in my office. I am not to be disturbed." And with that Martin headed off to his office closing the door with a loud bang.
He stared at the letter in his hand. There was only 15 minutes until Mr Kernow arrived and he now found himself scared to open Louisa's letter. He sat down at his desk and quickly opened all the pharmaceutical begging letters well that is what they amounted to in his opinion. All he wanted was the facts and he would make his own mind up whether to prescribe them to his patients or not. Decisions like that should be based only on the efficacy of the medication and not what fancy gadget / outing / sporting event was being touted. These all quickly went straight in the waste paper bin. Not even worth shredding.
Ten minutes to go. He stared at the envelope on his desk. He quickly picked it up and removed the letter before he could change his mind. He lifted it to his face and inhaled deeply. It smelt of her perfume. "Oh God she always smelt so good."
He carefully unfolded it and started to read.
Dear Martin,
I hope that you are well…
Chapter 2
"Dear Martin" – well that's a good start thought Louisa as she sat at her desk during the lunch hour at her new school.
"I hope that you are well" – bit formal but I'm not sure how I am going to tell him?
Dear Martin, Hope you are well…. and sitting down as I am 3 months pregnant with our child so I thought it was high time I finally let you know just in case you were wondering how I was and whether I had completely dropped off the edge of the planet!! – Well obviously that approach won't work even though he likes to get straight to the point.
She tapped the pen to her chin in an absent minded sort of a way as she stared out at her new environment. No gulls, sea, boats and cliffs here, no just an urban sprawl extending as far as the eye could see. Not even enough room for a little bit of grass for the children to play on, as though to have a little piece of Mother Earth visible would somehow desecrate some city taboo somewhere. It was the coast that she missed most being so far from home, the landscape and the beautiful scents carried to her from the onshore breezes. Well that and him.
She hadn't realised just how much she missed him until the other day. She had been making her way home on the tube and had momentarily glanced up and her heart had jumped. At the far end of the platform impossibly beyond her reach she had seen him. He was just getting off the train and heading, well striding towards the exit blond / grey head high and impossibly tall. She knew as soon as her heart began to thump in her chest that it had been him, her body knew even before her brain kicked in enough for her to call out "Martin" but it was too late and he was gone while she was trapped in this sea of humanity during the rush hour being pushed towards the doors.
Even the small life within her had responded to the sight of Martin and she had felt a small flutter for the first time. She knew that the baby was responding to the changes in his environment triggered by her emotional reaction to seeing Martin (she was even sounding like Martin) but she took it as a sign from their child that he wanted to finally be acknowledged.
She was now past any risk of miscarriage and even Martin couldn't seriously suggest an abortion. It had been those two things that had stayed her hand in the past. She wanted this child so much. Not just because it was possibly the last chance for her to have a child of own but really because it represented a beautiful moment when she and Martin had been a couple and were thinking about spending the rest of their lives together. She could never destroy such a precious thing but she knew instinctively that if she had told Martin earlier he would have reverted to the safety of his medical training rather than open up his heart to her. It would have been almost the first thing that he would have said to her she was sure.
She was also fairly sure that his second statement or question would have been "So do you want to get married, then?" She could hear him even now in his deep tones. She sighed. He was so old-fashioned, so public school, so pompous, so … responsible and dutiful. It made him Martin, and she really admired it in him as a doctor but not as a husband or life partner. No, she wanted Martin as much as ever but she needed to be certain that Martin wanted her, Louisa, despite everything and not because of some old world sense of honour and duty.
The bell was ringing for the end of break so she quickly gathered up the letter and packed it away. She would have to tackle it this evening after her school marking.
Chapter 3
"Dear Martin,
I hope that you are well.
I guess that you are wondering why I am writing to you? Well I have something to say and the only way I can get the courage to tell you is with this letter. I know if I saw you face to face you would find some way to stop me from saying what needed to be said.
Do you remember when we first met? No not on the plane, later after the panel review. You asked me whether the vision in my right eye was a little blurred? I said, "Yes" and you reached over pulled my eyelid down and looked into my eyes…. "It's acute glaucoma", you pronounced after a few seconds.
I knew then that you were special and I also knew that I would like to get to know you better. It happened that fast. When I saw you walk into the bar door as we parted I knew that these feelings were reciprocated.
How could I have known then that it would take 3 long years for you to finally admit your feelings for me, and only after I had poured 2 bottles of your Dad's wine down your throat. All those wasted years Martin when we could have been together if only you could have been brave enough to admit what you felt and stop hiding behind all that medical jargon.
I can still hear you against the evening birdsong, and see the way that you looked deep into my eyes, no evasion, no self-protection only the truth. I knew that you spoke from the heart. "All I think of all day is catching a glimpse of you. Oh Louisa, I love you, I love you". Of course, you went and ruined it all the next day by claiming I had some sort of psychopathic disorder.
Oh Martin, do you ever regret the things that you have said and done in the past? I know that I look back at all those lost opportunities that you quashed almost as soon as they were born because of your insecurities. Yes I am blaming you, Martin.
Remember my bad breath in the taxi? My urine like perfume and the best one yet. "Could you be pregnant?" you asked. "No, how could I be?' I mean what were you thinking when you asked that? I thought that we were a couple on the verge of a physical relationship with each other and you thought I was playing fast and loose with all and sundry.
Joan told me about the girl that you wanted to marry who left and went to Canada for her career. I didn't leave for my career. I left Port Wenn to give you space even though it was the only home I had ever known. I didn't want to leave but it broke my heart to watch you day after day, coffee in hand staring out over the bay.
You know I saw you last week on the platform at Moorgate and my feelings were as raw then as when we left each other 3 long months ago. I can't get you out of my mind. Distance and time are not the great healers everyone says that they are.
I have always been really proud of you as a doctor, and for all the lives that you have saved but I will always be glad that you developed your "minor blood issue" because it led you to Port Wenn and me. I feel that you and I were destined to meet and be with one another. We were meant to be happy, Martin. We were meant to be happy with each other.
I want to come home and be happy. I want to come home to be happy with you, Martin. Can you save two more lives by starting again?
All my love,
Louisa.
Martin stared at the paper in his hand. She wanted to come back and be with him.
"Doc, Doc.. Mr Kernow. It's half past 8… Doc, Doc" He was woken from his reverie by Pauline hammering on the door.
"What, what,… yes, yes show him in".
He found it difficult to concentrate throughout morning surgery. All of the patients who had recently developed an apprehensive approach to a visit to the doctor and who only applied for an appointment out of sheer desperation were pleasantly surprised this morning. The Doc seemed to be relatively disengaged. He still listened to your symptoms but he just gave you some advice or wrote out a prescription and passed it quietly across the desk before showing you out.
Pauline was worried. Something was wrong with the Doc. It must have been that letter from Louisa Glasson.
"I'm going for a walk. I'll be back in time for afternoon surgery. Call me if anything crops up." Martin announced as he showed the last patient out of his office and passed through to the waiting room on his way out.
Pauline made a quick decision. She dialled the number and waited for the call to be answered. "Hello Mrs Norton? It's Pauline. I think that there is something you should know….."
Chapter 4
"Hello Marty"
"Aunty Joan. Come in. I thought that you were coming over on Thursday. Did your plans change? If it wasn't convenient I could have changed the date."
"No I just thought that you might need some company tonight, someone to talk to." Martin looked at her in a puzzled state.
"I heard that you got a letter from Louisa, today" she continued.
"Who from? The postman? Pauline? This wretched village. Doesn't anyone mind their own business?" he was angry that his privacy had been breached once again.
"Marty, as I keep telling you. You and Louisa are their business as far as they are concerned. The state of your relationship with Louisa directly affects how you relate to your patients. How many have you lost since Louisa left? They have also lost a very fine Head Teacher in Louisa, someone that has grown up in the village that has effectively been sent away by you, an outsider."
"I never asked her to leave. She went of her own accord." he muttered defiantly.
"Yes Marty but she left because of you, don't you see that. As far as Louisa is concerned you wear your heart on your sleeve and the whole village knows it, and they can see how very unhappy you are without her. They just want things back to normal and for Louisa to return home. Of course, they would also prefer it if you weren't so irritable all of the time…"
"That's what she wants to do as well.
"Wants to do what?"
"Louisa. She wants to come home too." As he said this he handed his Aunt the letter from Louisa that he had read and re-read many times since this morning.
Joan carefully read through the now fragile document. She looked up at her nephew and wondered if now was the right time to tell him.
"Well what do you think? Do you still want Louisa?"
"I dream of her almost every night. Everywhere I look in the village I see her. She haunts me but I won't make her happy. We both realised that when we called off our wedding. We couldn't make each other happy"
"Yes, I know that's what you thought at the time but this says that she is unhappy without you and still in love with you. She obviously has now come to a different conclusion. Look how happy you both were in those 3 weeks leading up to the wedding."
"I don't want to talk about it. Let's just eat shall we?"
"Okay, okay I shan't say another word"
He lay looking up at the ceiling in his bedroom for a long time after his aunt had left. Slowly he started to drift off. As usual it was Louisa who summoned him to sleep. She looked different now. She looked tired and pale but most of all she looked sad. Was she looking after herself? Was she still taking her iron tablets?
Yes he still wanted her, and how badly he missed her especially when they had been alone in his bed. It was here that he could open up to her and be "normal". He didn't have to hide his feelings with her there. But those moments were oh so brief during those 3 short wonderful weeks. Those damned villagers constantly interrupting them. Maybe if they had had more moments with each other like the first time that they had made love then things would have turned out differently.
His parents had been cold and distant with him his whole life. Only Aunty Joan and Uncle Phil had openly expressed their love and joy of spending time with him each summer. He had slowly realised that this was what love was like, unconditional and wonderful to share. This was what a child and his parents should share but his parents had quickly killed any love that he had for them by her callous indifference and his violent bullying behaviour. After his beloved Aunty Joan and Uncle Phil had been taken away from him, he learnt very quickly that it was easier to bury all those type of feelings deep down and never let them out.
Only with Louisa had he started to feel that it was safe to start to feel those things again but only in private. Louisa had been right about Edith in her letter. She had hurt him when she had gone abroad but looking back he could see that his love had not been returned in equal measure. She was as cold hearted as his mother and as career orientated as his father. It would have been like marrying his parents. Only Aunty Joan and Louisa loved him in spite of all that he said and did. Aunty Joan the voice of his conscience and Louisa the voice of his heart.
As Martin lay there he made a decision. He wanted Louisa more than he was prepared to admit publicly. If they were both unhappy apart then they should try and be happy together, not that he understood happiness in the same way as most people would describe it but being alone with Louisa made him feel…. good inside. With that decision made he allowed Louisa to pull him into her ghostly embrace. "I wonder where you are?" he asked.
Chapter 5
Louisa had finally finished the letter and sent it off straight away. She had dithered for ages over whether to include her address or not but decided against it for the moment. She wanted to give Martin time to think about what she had written. "Act in haste, repent at leisure" is what her Dad had always said, which reminded her that she was due to see him again this weekend. This had been one of the few good things about coming to London. She could now visit her errant parent, as despite his rather long list of shortcomings she was still very fond of him.
"Louisa, my love. So you got my Visiting Order all right then. It's smashing to see you darling even if it is only for an hour once a fortnight."
"Hello Dad, How are you? "
"More to the point girl how are you? You look very pale and tired. Is anything wrong?"
"Well I haven't been sleeping very well recently, and what with the new school and housing I have found it quite tiring"
"Louisa, you should never have left Port Wenn. It's your home, and although I will never be welcome there ever again everyone loves you. What made you leave? Was it that Doctor I saw you with when I was down last time? You know on the cliffs."
"Yes in a way. We were going to be married and it all fell apart at the last moment. We parted good friends though and I will go back one day but for now it is too upsetting to be so close to him."
Terry Glasson could see that his daughter was obviously still deeply in love with this man even though most of the village thought he was a complete tosser. He had found that out pretty early on in his brief reappearance in the village. Terry had been quite surprised by Martin's inability to hide his contempt when he had met him that time in the surgery while he was trying to get Jonathan medicated. The Doctor had just refused to listen; he had been so arrogant and self-righteous. Well there was no accounting for taste and his daughter was obviously completely smitten by this man. He wanted desperately to help her but knew he was powerless stuck inside these walls. He also realised that she was unlikely to accept any friendly suggestions from her dear old Dad given his track record of disastrous results in the past.
They chatted away the remaining time discussing her early childhood, always a safe topic as her mother had still been around, and Terry loved to reminisce about his beautiful wife. Louisa avoided talking about Martin and he avoided talking about his incarceration which was quite a feat given their current location.
At last the bell rang for the end of visiting time, and as is customary, the inmates stay seated while the visitors all file out. When the last visitor had left, Terry got up and filed out with the rest of the prisoners. As he did so one of the more congenial Prison Officers commented on Louisa's great beauty.
"Lucky she takes after her mother then Terry. Who's the lucky chap then?"
"What do you mean?"
"The father."
"What are you talking about?"
"Sorry Terry but I thought you knew. I overhead one of the women who searches the female visitors congratulate your daughter on her impending happy event."
"I'm going to kill that bastard if I ever get my hands on him. Leaving my lovely Louisa in the family way and abandoning her."
Louisa had been reluctant to tell her father about the baby. He would have just gone on about what a complete bastard Martin was to leave her in that state, and that the child needed it's father whether he liked it or not. She didn't want to argue with him in front of the other families. How could she explain that Martin had no idea that he was about to become a father, and that in all reality he would jump at the chance to make an honest woman of her? That was the problem. She wanted him so badly but did he want her as badly? A shotgun wedding was not what she wanted.
Chapter 6
Martin had made the decision to try and find Louisa and to bring her back to Port Wenn. Unfortunately for him he only had one clue and three people who might know where she was but would they help him? She was definitely in London but where in London?
There was her father who was at Her Majesty's Pleasure. The last time they had parted company was after Martin had disarmed his psychotic friend Jonathan from both the gun and the explosives. Martin knew Louisa's father as a liar and a cheat who regularly broke his daughters heart by his easy lies.
Then there was the Architect or was that the Archangel Danny? Again, no love lost there either. Although, Martin had saved Danny's life, Martin had been petrified that Danny had been a keen contender for Louisa's hand and he thought that Danny would need very little in the way of incentive to try and steal Louisa away once more.
Finally, there was that pompous friend of Louisa's, Holly. Again he had saved her life but he was certain that Louisa would have turned to her friend in her hour of need when she had first arrived in London. Would she help him find her, he wondered. Well there was only one way to find out.
He went online and wrote to the Prisoner Location Service in Birmingham supplying all of the necessary information to try and locate Terry. It was up to Terry Glasson whether he would accept the contact or the disclosure of his current place of incarceration.
A trip to the wall of cabinets in the surgery resolved Holly's contact details and he knew that Joan would be more than willing to talk to Muriel and find out the Architect's address.
Within a week Martin had all of the addresses, had arranged a locum for the surgery and was ready to leave for London. On the morning of his departure he received a plain brown envelope stamped with HM Prison. He quickly opened it and found inside a Visitation Order from Terry. It was arranged for next Tuesday. He was quite surprised that Terry had organised this without Martin contacting him directly but thought no more about it.
A man of habit, Martin booked into his usual hotel where he could be assured of the utmost cleanliness and privacy.
Chapter 7
Danny lived in a new development on the side of the river close to where all the renovation was going on for the Olympic Village. The flats were smart and modern, and in Danny's neighbourhood there was an old church that had survived the Blitz. "Still bothering God, I suppose". Martin had not announced his visit to his rival in advance so that he could catch him unawares.
Martin pressed the buzzer to Flat no. 6. Danny bounded up to the door and used the intercom to find out who was waiting outside. "Oh Martin it's you. Just wait while I buzz you in." Danny was waiting for Martin when he arrived and ushered him in quickly. On the face of it Martin thought that Danny seemed pleased to see him but for the life of him he couldn't understand why.
Martin didn't believe in beating around the bush so came straight to the point. "I'm looking for Louisa. Have you seen her in the last few months?"
"Yes. She stayed over for a few days, back in October. She said that she needed a place to stay while she waited for her old college friend to return from abroad. She was hoping to get a job at her school, I believe. Why do you want to know?
"As I said I am looking for her, that's all"
"She told me that you two had broken off your engagement on your wedding day. I was sorry to hear that. She was in an awful state when she turned up here. It took me ages to get her into bed"
"What the hell do you mean?" shouted Martin as he stepped towards the Architect. Martin didn't go in for physical confrontation and if anything he tended towards the cowardly, a result of the constant bullying from his father but he found that when it came to defending Aunty Joan or Louisa he was able to summon up quite a reasonable response, and of course he was over 5 inches taller than Danny. Just then a small head appeared around the corner of the door. "Everything all right Danny?"
"Yes Lucy. Come in and meet Martin. Martin is the doctor from Port Wenn who saved my life a few years back, God be praised"
As the woman advanced into the room it was readily apparent that she had a distinctive waddle, a very unfortunate side effect from her very advanced pregnancy.
"Martin, this is my wife Lucy. As you can see we are soon to be blessed by God".
"Pleased to meet you." Martin found it very difficult to admit that he had been wrong at any time but especially to Louisa's ex boyfriend. "Do you know where Louisa is or went to after she left you?" pleaded Martin.
"As I said, she was going to stay with her friend Holly and see about getting a job. Sorry but I don't know much more than that. Would you like to stay for some supper? I think that we have more than enough to go around. We have invited some others over for Bible reading this evening so you are sure to have an uplifting experience"
Martin tried not to grimace and the "oh God" was held firmly between his teeth. "I am sorry but I have arranged to eat with some business colleagues. I must go" and with that he marched quickly out of the flat and onto the street. Thanking his lucky stars that he had survived that encounter with all of his atheism intact he quickly made his way back to his hotel. He would tackle Holly in the morning.
Chapter 8
"Oh Lou you can't be. How can you be? Surely as a school teacher in the State system you spend hours drilling into the heads of the great unwashed all the finer details of contraception?"
"Holly, I'm a primary school teacher. We don't do Sex Ed until Grade 8. You should know that. Anyway we did use contraception but obviously it wasn't very effective"
"Yes but darling, Belts and Braces, I always say. Condoms for disease but for Heaven's sake the pill for pregnancy."
"Well it was all very last minute and there was no way I was going to ask my boyfriend to prescribe me the pill in advance of actually sleeping with him. A mistake that I now acknowledge but who knew we could be so productive at our age."
"Well I hate to say this to you Lou, but you'll have to leave the school as soon as you start to show. My class of parent won't like having an unmarried mother on the staff. Bunch of hypocrites in my view but that is the reality in this neck of the woods. I have some contacts in the state system locally who are a little less picky shall we say."
Louisa had not been surprised by her friend's attitude but she was a little hurt that in such an anonymous place like London that she was forced to be hidden away like some pariah. Why was it wrong to carry the baby of the man you loved? Why was it better to kill it for the sake of convenience or social niceties? In many native societies around the world no woman married until she had produced a child as no man would want to have a barren wife.
She had more or less been offered the job at the local state primary almost immediately as they had another teacher about to go on maternity leave, ironically. The children she met were more like the youngsters that she had taught in Port Wenn so this increased her feelings of homesickness even more.
Louisa had been forced to move sooner rather than later as her pregnancy showed quickly on her. She had had her initial booking visit with the local clinic and had left clutching two very precious scans.
Chapter 9
"Excuse me Head Mistress but a Doctor Ellingham to see you".
"Oh how nice another potential parent, and a doctor too" thought Holly as she asked her PA to show Doctor Ellingham in. She put on her best face and smile broadly as she walked around her desk to greet and shake hands with this potential new parent.
"How do you d…." The words died on her lips and the smile dropped "oh it's you. Dr Delight". She returned to her desk and sat down. She motioned Martin to the seat opposite her.
"So how can I help you?"
This irritated Martin enormously as it was completely obvious to any person with half a brain that he was looking for Louisa, and if he did have any children (which he didn't) then this woman would be the last person he would entrust them to.
"I was told that Louisa had come to you looking for work a few months back. I want to speak to her."
"Oh well yes Louisa did come here a few months ago but she left for another school a few weeks back in the state sector. Unfortunately, my parents have rather high standards that I strive to maintain."
"What is that supposed to mean? Louisa is one of the most gifted teachers you're ever likely to encounter, and would shine out as a jewel amongst this dung heap that you call a school". Martin realised that he should be trying to cultivate Holly for any useful information but the insult was out before he could stop himself. How dare she?
Holly was seething under the surface but felt that she owed Louisa some loyalty for her past friendship, and it wasn't Lou's fault that she loved this insensitive oaf. It was all those bloody hormones.
"Mrs Tindall" she called out, and once more her PA arrived at her door. "Dr Ellingham is leaving, please show him out", and with that she left her office. Martin stood up and followed Mrs Tindall out.
"Oh Dr Ellingham, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with the Head (well anyone who was half deaf could have heard the shouting) but are you looking for Ms Glasson?"
"Yes, yes I am"
"Well you could try the local primary on the High Road, I think that it is called Nelson Mandela Primary School"
"Well thank you. Mrs Tindall", and Martin turned to stride away.
"Oh and Dr Ellingham can you tell her Good Luck from me as I didn't have a chance before she left, and Good Luck to you, too." She quickly turned and went back to the outer office.
"What on earth is the old bat on about? Good Luck for what?" It was gone four in the afternoon already so a quick look at the local primary confirmed that he would have to return tomorrow. He would have to come in the afternoon as he was due to visit Terry Glasson in the morning. Martin was hopeful that he would be able to see Louisa before she left for the day.
Chapter 11
Louisa had travelled down to Cornwall on the train as far as Plymouth. She got a taxi to Port Wenn and arrived at Martin's surgery shortly before 5pm.
"Hello Pauline. I'm looking for Martin. Is he in with a patient?"
"Ms Glasson! No the Doc disappeared a few days ago. He went off to London on Saturday. There's just the Locum on duty."
"Oh, I see. When is he due back?"
"Not till the end of the week, I think. Caused a hell of a stink him leaving like that. Right after he received your letter." She looked at Louisa expectantly but no more information was forthcoming so continued on "Even though he has been let's say less than his usual cheery self since you left, the villagers are quite used to his moods so they were wondering when he was coming back"
"Sorry Pauline you'll have to tell the village that I have no idea", Louisa was really annoyed with Martin. She didn't even bother to wonder about how Pauline knew about her letter. She had lived in Port Wenn most of her life after all. Why had he decided to disappear to London right now of all times, when they had important things to discuss.
"Good night Pauline. Can you call me on my mobile if you hear from him? Thanks." With that she was gone.
"Hello Joan. Yes it's me Louisa. I was wondering have you heard from Martin recently. Pauline says that he has disappeared to London. No I'm in Port Wenn over at the pub. Well I was planning to stay at the pub to wait for Martin but it would be lovely to come and see you. Can you pick me up or shall I get a taxi? Okay see you in 20 minutes outside the pub on the quay"
Chapter 11
'Thank you so much Joan for asking me over. I am rather tired and I didn't want to face the grilling I would get over at the pub."
" So Louisa I suppose you missed him in London?"
"Do you mean to say that he went to London looking for me?"
"Well what did you think he would do after your letter? Your not surprised that he showed it to me are you? "
"No not really but I thought that he would stay put so I could come to him. I deliberately left my address off the letter so he couldn't just write or visit. It's so unlike him to act like this. How is he hoping to find me?"
"Danny, Holly and your father"
"But he hates all of them"
"Yes but he is desperate to find you, and that shows just how desperate."
"When are you due?" asked Joan, a woman not known for having the wool pulled over her eyes.
"What. I mean how? "
"I may not have had any children but I've seen hundreds of pregnant women in my time. So?"
"In July I think, but their not sure about the dates yet as it is too early to tell."
"When are you going to tell Martin?"
"That's just the problem. I want Martin but I don't want him at the end of a shotgun. You know how honourable he is. How do you think that he will take it? I mean about the pregnancy?"
"Well there is only one way to find out isn't there? Martin needs a family whether he thinks he will be any good at it or not. What he seems to forget is that everyone is practising their entire life to be parents or children, and I don't include Martin's so-called parents in that comment. No one is perfect. You just have to keep trying. Look, Martin has gone a hell of a long way out of his comfort zone to find you. I think that you can safely say that he is yours but you need to tell him about the baby as soon as possible otherwise he'll think that you misled him."
"I'll show you to your room tonight. You can keep your head down here during the day tomorrow and I can drop you off at the surgery after Pauline has closed up. I don't suppose that you kept your key? That's okay you can have mine for the time being. He's flying back tomorrow according to his messages this evening so you can speak to him when he returns. He thinks that he has found you and is confident that he will be able to talk to you tomorrow afternoon. A word of caution don't ring him tomorrow, wait for him to return. He needs to go through this searching to fully realise your worth to him."
"Goodnight then"
"Goodnight Joan, and thank you"
"Well you are carrying my future Grandchild, after all"
Louisa slept fitfully in the unfamiliar surroundings but it still felt good to be back in Cornwall. How on earth was she going to tell him without him exploding?
Chapter 12
Martin packed his small carryon luggage and left the hotel. He headed straight for Wormwood Scrubs. After leaving his luggage in a secure area and surrendering to a pat down he was allowed into the Visitor Area.
He recognised Terry Glasson immediately. Terry looked up as Martin entered and motioned him over.
They both sat looking at each other for a moment or two. It was Martin who broke the silence. "I'm looking for Louisa. Have you seen her or do you know where she is?"
"Well what if I have and more to the point why do you want to find her?"
Realising that Terry maybe the last chance for him to find Louisa he decided to concede some of his privacy. "Let's just say that Louisa and I had a minor misunderstanding and she left Port Wenn. I want to try and get her to come back."
"If I could help you find her and she decided that she did want to go back to Port Wenn. What then? What have you got in mind to do with my Louisa?"
"Mr Glasson, your daughter is a mature woman. She is quite capable of making her own mind up on what she wants to do, and I don't see that it is any of your business. Will you help me or not?"
"Martin. Can I call you Martin? Martin see that rather large man over there?" Martin swivelled around in is chair. A man that engulfed the chair in which he sat and from Martin estimations would top 6'8" if he stood up stared at Martin from across the room. Martin returned his attention to Terry.
"Shotgun over there is due for release in the next month or so, and he has ever so kindly agreed to check up on my little girl. I say "my little girl" because Martin, a father always sees his daughter as his little girl no matter how old she gets, and he sees it as his duty to protect her from complete arseholes like you. You'll know that soon enough. You see convicts don't like people who mess with their families while they are inside. It makes them very angry. Lucky for you Louisa has made it very clear that she loves you in spite of your shortcomings, something we both share, I think. So I am quite prepared to let bygones be bygones as long as you do right by her."
"I was trying to spare Louisa from being unhappy by not marrying her, but now I realise that was a mistake as much as Louisa. That's why I am trying to find her. Do you know where she is?"
"Yes, I can get a message to her in a day or so. I think that you should leave now"
Martin started to get up out of his chair. As he did so Shotgun also stood up. Martin saw that he had been correct in his estimation. Martin moved towards the door aware that all eyes followed him. "Really it was like living in Port Wenn. Every one seemed to know your business", he thought.
"Oh Martin" Terry called "Congratulations by the way, and send Louisa my love when you see her".
A puzzled Martin left the prison, and quickly made his way to the school. He went to the office area and managed to ascertain that Ms Glasson had gone home for family reasons.
Martin had no idea whether home meant here in London or Port Wenn but as the school wouldn't disclose her address then he had no alternative but to head back to Cornwall on the 7:55 pm to Newquay as he had planned initially.
Once on the plane his mind went back to the first time that they had met and the misunderstanding that had arisen over his staring at Louisa. That had always been the problem, all the misunderstandings. Louisa was right they had all been his fault. He needed to try and work on his communication skills; well at least with Louisa everyone else could go to hell. The flight was due to land at five past nine, and so hopefully he would be back at the surgery by nine thirty at the latest.
Chapter 13
Joan dropped Louisa off just after seven at the surgery. Louisa wasn't sure what time the flight would get back but found herself getting drowsy by eight thirty. She wondered if Martin would mind if she went to lie down in his bed but thought "Sod it" she was tired and needed to put her head down. If he didn't like it at least she would know where she stood.
Martin arrived back shortly after ten as there had been a minor crash on the road ahead of him so he'd been stuck in a small traffic jam. He quickly rang his Aunt.
"Aunty Joan. I am on my way back to Port Wenn have you seen Louisa?"
"Hello Marty. Yes she arrived here yesterday. I left her at the surgery just after seven this evening. I assumed you wouldn't mind putting her up for the night as you have a lot to discuss with each other."
"Erm no that will be fine. How does she look? Is she all right?"
"Well you'll see for yourself soon won't you Marty?" she replied evasively "I must go the 10 o'clock news is just starting. Speak to you tomorrow. Bye Marty. Oh and Marty try to be on your best behaviour for once, engage brain before mouth. Bye then" and with that she rang off.
Martin noticed that there were no lights on downstairs as drew up to the house. "Oh damn she must have got tired of waiting and has gone off to stay at the pub". He let himself inside and went to the kitchen to get himself a glass of water to take upstairs.
As he climbed the stairs he noticed a small chink of light under his door. His heart began to beat a little faster. He quietly opened the door and there she was snuggled into the bedclothes, snoring lightly. He quietly got ready for bed so as to not wake her and turned out the light.
Martin was cold from being outside but he couldn't resist snuggling into Louisa as he had every night since she had gone but this was real flesh and blood. He inhaled deeply. Oh she smelt so good and he felt so at home. "Oh Louisa. I love you. I love you." His hand moved down to the little bump above her pubic bone, and he said, "I love you both." He had finally worked it all out on the flight home to Cornwall. He was going to be a father. This is what everyone had been hinting at. With that thought in his head he drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 14
Martin was always an early riser but found Louisa staring at him from the other pillow when he opened his eyes.
"Hello Martin. You found me then?"
"Yes but I didn't get a chance to say hello properly yesterday" he said as he pulled her towards him and started kissing her.
"Martin, we need to talk. There's something you need to know before we go any further"
"Shhh Louisa. I already know about the baby." he said as he continued to make love to her.
"Yes but Martin its babies not baby. I'm expecting twins, and I don't know what to do." With this she burst into tears.
"Don't worry Louisa we'll manage. We love each other and that's all that matters for now. We'll sort everything out later but for now we need to say hello properly."
Later as Louisa drowsed, Martin quickly went downstairs to make some tea. As he brought the tray upstairs he went into the surgery and collected a few items. Louisa awoke to a very cold sensation on her tummy.
"What on earth? Martin what are you doing?"
"Shhhh". Martin ran the foetal Doppler expertly over her small bump. They held their breath as Martin first found one heart beat and then moved over slightly to pick up another.
"Oh Martin that's beautiful" and she burst into tears again.
"Louisa, will you marry me?"
"Martin, I don't want you to marry me out of some sense of old fashioned honour and duty. I don't need a piece of paper as long as I know that you love me and want to be with us. I don't care how people stare and whisper. This is just between you and me, no one else." At that point a picture of Shotgun popped unbidden into Martin's memory.
"Well you already know that I love you otherwise I wouldn't have traipsed all over London looking for you and humbling myself in front of your ghastly friend Holly, Arch Angel Danny and your father. Who, by the way, was pretty adamant that I make an honest woman of you? He introduced me to a very large chap called Shotgun who was due to be released."
Louisa knew that Martin wasn't the bravest of men and she didn't like to tell him that in actual fact Shotgun was a real sweetie and wouldn't hurt a fly but decided to keep quiet and accepted that she was going to have a "Shotgun" wedding after all.
About a month after Martin's visit, Terry Glasson received an envelope in the post. Inside was a copy of a marriage certificate for Louisa Glasson and Martin Ellingham. Also inside were two small scans labelled "Baby 1" and "Baby 2". Louisa had enclosed a brief note admonishing her father for "putting the frighteners on Martin". She ended the letter with "Both Martin and I hope to see you when you are released".