A/N – WHEN I POSTED CHAPTER 6 TEN DAYS AGO, I THINK THERE WAS A GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM AS STORY ALERTS WEREN'T SENT. YOU MAY HAVE MISSED THIS CHAPTER. Thanks to H for letting me know and hopefully you will receive alerts for this chapter. Thank you for reading.

Chapter 7

Louisa awoke to the sound of loud knocking at the front door. She was disorientated at first, but then saw a note that was sitting next to the glass of water on the coffee table. The note read:

"Louisa. I have been called out on a house call. Hopefully I won't be too long. Please wait for me. Martin."

The knocking sounded a second time. Louisa opened the door to discover Mrs Tishell holding a box of medical supplies. She was wearing high heeled shoes, an elegant dress, copious amounts of jewellery and makeup, bright red lipstick and her hair was elaborately curled. She also smelled strongly of perfume and was wearing a white, lace cervical collar.

"MISS GLASSON!" cried Mrs Tishell, turning a pale shade of grey as she stared at Louisa's stomach.

She immediately dropped her package and began to sway precariously. She reached for support against the wall. Louisa rushed to her aid, grabbing her arm and escorting her inside.

"Mrs Tishell! Are you ok? Come inside and sit down."

She carefully placed Mrs Tishell in an arm chair and handed her the glass of water. Mrs Tishell took several erratic gulps, spilling most of it down her front.

"So ... you're back?" gasped Mrs Tishell, unable to modify her shocked expression.

"Yes... I didn't realise you did home deliveries," commented Louisa, warily.

"I do like to provide personalised service to Dr Ellingham. These supplies have been delayed for several days. I thought he may need them quickly."

"On a weekend?"

"Well, he is on call until midday today."

Louisa looked at the clock. "It's half past twelve."

Mrs Tishell remained silent but continued to stare at Louisa's stomach in a disapproving way.

"I was going to come down and see you today, Mrs Tishell. Is there something I can take to stop me wanting to go to the toilet every five minutes?"

"Any other symptoms?" asked Mrs Tishell, offhandedly.

"Well ... I'm ... pregnant. How do you mean?"

Mrs Tishell rolled her eyes. "Anaemia, constipation, haemorrhoids, heartburn, hypertension, gingivitis, thrush?"

"Well, maybe a bit of heart ..."

"Backache, headache," interrupted Mrs Tishell, standing up and getting into the full swing of her tirade. "Nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, flashing lights before the eyes, swollen ankles; these are just a few ... some selections ... if you like ... of the symptoms of pregnancy."

"I do have some of them."

"Oh," scoffed Mrs Tishell, with derision, "and it's taken you by surprise?"

"No ... but..."

"It is what happens ... when you get yourself pregnant," remarked Mrs Tishell, deprecatingly.

"I didn't get myself pregnant!" cried Louisa with distress.

"No?"

"No!"

"And how is our good doctor taking it? Much as you would have hoped? Not a church wedding, I would imagine, this time! Not in God's house!"

"THERE WILL BE A WEDDING, CHURCH OR OTHERWISE!" boomed Martin from the open doorway, his face red with anger.

"DR ELLINGHAM!"

"I would appreciate, Mrs Tishell, if you would restrict your visits to consulting hours. Please leave. And I don't want to hear of you upsetting Miss Glasson again!"

"Right you are, Doctor. I didn't mean to upset her. She is such a poppet."

Mrs Tishell left with haste, making sure she slammed the door thoroughly.

"Louisa, you are shaking," said Martin, with concern.

"I think I'm ok."

Martin led her to the sofa. "You need to sit down. Don't upset yourself. It's not good for the baby." Martin felt Louisa's pulse and lay the back of his hand on her forehead. "You are flushed. I can't really give you anything. How about a glass of water?"

"Actually, I really fancy a cup of coffee."

"Caffeine isn't healthy for the baby ... or you either. Can I give you decaf?"

"Yes, Martin. That would be fine," said Louisa with an imperceptible sigh.

While Martin busied himself at the coffee machine, he was acutely aware of how different the house felt while Louisa was there. During the past six months the house had felt cold, unfriendly, quiet, sterile and more like a surgery than a home. He was conscious of how much he was enjoying Louisa's presence, her chatter and her familiarity. The house felt warm, cosy and domestic. It felt like a home.

"I'm sorry I had to go out and leave you. I didn't want to wake you," he said eventually.

"That's fine. I only woke up a few minutes ago. Was it a difficult case?"

"No, something quite routine. It probably could have waited until surgery opens on Monday. I'm sorry that Mrs Tishell upset you. I will go down and have a talk to her."

"No, that won't be necessary. She does puzzle me sometimes, though. She has lived here many years and has always been nice to me, but the past few years she has become quite distant. Often when I go into the pharmacy she is abrupt, bordering on rudeness. I can't work out what I have done to alienate her. I was thinking ... possibly ... menopause? But then again, she always seems perfectly lovely to you so it can't be that, I suppose."

Martin cleared his throat, handed Louisa the coffee and sat down next to her. They remained silent for several minutes, intent on their own reflections while they sipped their coffee.

Martin broke the silence. "So ... er ... how was London?"

"Exciting at first. I met up with all my old uni friends, which was great. Then I did all the touristy things again and I was very busy settling into the new school. But after a while, the novelty wore off and I got a bit fed up with the hustle and bustle. I think I'm a country girl at heart," said Louisa, with a small laugh.

"So have you resigned from the London school?"

"Yes. I actually have an interview on Monday with the new headmaster at Portwenn."

"Do you think that's wise? You will get very tired now you are entering your third trimester. Don't you think you should take a few months off to rest? If you are worried about money I could easily ... er..."

"No, it's not the money. I'm quite secure financially. I really don't want to spend the last three months sitting around, doing nothing. I know plenty of women that say that the last few months just drag on and they get bored. I think it's better to stay physically and mentally active."

"Don't overdo it."

"I won't."

"And what about afterwards?"

"Well, I've got to actually get the job first. The baby is due in the summer holidays, so after that I will see what the school is offering and how I feel."

"You don't have to go back, Louisa. You could take a year or two off, if you wanted. As I said, I would be more than willing to... support you." Martin could feel Louisa bristling up. "Yes, I know you like your independence, but I am the child's father. I want to help."

"Thank you. I will think about it, but let's see how things work out after the birth. I also know women that have had busy, challenging careers and then take time off to look after their children and don't cope well. I really want to keep my career options open."

"Yes. Post natal depression is a common occurrence amongst new mothers. By the way, is it true that the new headmaster is renting your house?"

"Yes. He still has a six month lease, so until then, I am officially homeless," said Louisa with a laugh.

"No you aren't. You have a home right here."

Louisa laughed again. "It's ok, Martin. I wasn't hinting, you know. I have plenty of options. Joan said I could stay with her, although it is a bit far out. Or I could get a room at The Crab. I also have friends that I'm sure would be willing to help."

"No, I mean it. I would like you to be here. If you could stay, that would be ... good ... that would be ... nice," stuttered Martin, taking a gulp of his coffee.

"That's very kind of you. Well ... how about I stay for a while and see how things work out? Is that ok with you?"

"Yes, that's fine."

The clock struck one o'clock.

"Would you like some lunch?" asked Martin.

"Maybe later. I'm not that hungry right now. I would like some fresh air and exercise though. I think I will go for a walk."

"Can I come with you or would you prefer to be alone?"

"I'd like you to come with me. I think I will go to the top of the hill. I have missed Portwenn so much. I want to go to a vantage point where I can see the whole village."

"How about I drive you up there and we can take a leisurely walk around the coastal path? I think it is probably a bit too steep and tiring for you at the moment to walk up the hill."

"That's a good idea."

Martin had another reason for wanting to drive Louisa. He wanted to avoid as many busybodies as possible. Obviously, the news that Miss Glasson was pregnant to Doc Martin would get out eventually and spread like contagion, but for the moment, his aim was to have Louisa as rested and stress free as possible, before being examined under the Portwenn microscope. He could rely on Aunty Joan to keep quiet; she would want to protect Louisa as much as possible. Also, based on her devastated expression, he doubted whether Mrs Tishell would be spreading the news far and wide.

Martin was relieved to find that there was no one on the hill. They sat down on the bench that he had occupied the previous night.

"You are sitting in the exact spot that Isabel sat when her waters broke," recollected Louisa, with a laugh.

Martin immediately stood upright as if hit by a bolt of lightning.

"It's ok, Martin. I'm sure months of rain would have rinsed the bench thoroughly."

"Er ... yes," replied Martin as he carefully sat down again.

They sat in silence. Louisa allowed the atmosphere and ambience of her surroundings to soak into her very soul as she felt six months of tension, stress and tiredness ebb out of her body. Her mind felt clear and uncluttered. Her niggles and worries seemed to fade into insignificance. She inhaled deeply of the fresh salty air, feeling alive and rejuvenated for the first time in many months. Sitting next to her, Martin heard a hiccup and was alarmed to see a tear trickle down her cheek. He reached over and held her hand.

"What is it, Louisa? Please don't upset yourself. Is it something I have said or done," he enquired, with concern.

"No, Martin. I just 'got' Portwenn back, all at once. I feel a bit overwhelmed, that's all. I have missed it a lot more than I realised. It's beautiful."

"Yes, it is," answered Martin, still staring at Louisa and tenderly wiping away the tear with the back of his finger. "So very beautiful."

"I am so glad I have come back to my friends and my village to have my baby."

"Our baby, Louisa," corrected Martin, increasing the pressure on her hand.

"Yes, Martin. Our baby," replied Louisa, emotionally, as she rested her head on Martin's shoulder.

To be continued