Martin pulled into the car park and once again unfolded himself from the rental along with several bags of groceries and the apple pie Aunty Joan insisted that he take. He and his aunt had had a very nice brunch and visit earlier in the day, and now he was looking forward to spending the evening with Louisa. Aunty Joan had been very curious about his day with Louisa, especially since she had heard about the incident at the football pitch. News of his identity and his comments on playing techniques had reached her within minutes after they had left the field. She insisted on telling him how several of the villagers had called her to tell her about meeting him, and how several more couldn't wait to tell her about the scene he caused. Not only had he embarrassed Louisa, but evidently he had mortified Aunty Joan as well. "Louisa accepted my apology for shouting, and I hope you will also, but I was right to call them on it. No child should be banging his head against a flying football."

"Oh Marty, I am sure you are right, but there are better ways to let people know about the problem than by yelling at them, or calling them stupid." She sighed, knowing he wouldn't change. "Oh well, what's done is done". It was time to learn more about his afternoon and evening with Louisa. Probing to find out what Martin thought about her, she changed the subject. "So how was your afternoon with Louisa? Other than the football pitch where did you go?"

He answered matter-of-factly. "She showed me around her school and then through the lower part of the village near the Platt. We walked the path along the sea, and then had supper at the pub. Very pleasant day."

"The pub wasn't too raucous for you then? What do you think of Louisa?" Joan was couldn't contain her curiosity, desperate to know if Martin was interested. She would love for him to find someone as caring as Louisa with whom to share his life. She was more than willing to push him to think of her that way.

"Pub was fine; not too crowded; food was adequate." He paused a moment mulling over his Aunt's question. "What do you mean about Louisa? What should I think of her?" There was something in the way his aunt asked that confused him.

"I mean do you find her attractive, interesting to talk with? I'm not sure that you and she would have much in common. Will you see her again?"

"I can't really remember what we discussed ... hmm ... the village, the sea, her school, and my summers here with you when I was young…that sort of thing. And yes, we are getting together at her house tonight. I offered to cook her supper. Do you think I could take a few vegetables from your garden? And I offered to bring some fish. Where is the best place to buy fish this afternoon?"

Martin had moved much faster than Joan had ever thought he would. She had the sudden thought that he might be a womanizer just like his Dad, and just as quickly she dismissed it. She refused to even consider that he could have turned out that way. "I take it that you are interested in her".

Martin blushed at his aunt's implication, and replied indignantly, "Aunty Joan! I hardly know her. She invited me for dinner and I thought it would be impolite to refuse."

Joan chuckled and sighed in relief; in some ways he was still the very proper little boy that she remembered from years ago. "No", she thought, "very unlikely that he's the cad his father was, or may still be." "Yes, very mannerly of you to accept. You do realize that you are spending more time with her this weekend than you are with me."

He hadn't thought about it, but Aunty Joan was right. He had come down to spend the weekend with her, his beloved aunt, and here he was spending time with someone he barely knew rather than getting reacquainted with Joan. Remorsefully he admitted, "Yes you are right. I will call her and cancel tonight's plans. The main purpose of my trip was to visit with you."

"You will do no such thing! I couldn't be happier that you are friends with Louisa. She is a wonderful, warm, caring woman. I hope you can be friends"

"Yes, she is. You know…," He paused, not certain how to ask what he wanted to know without alerting his aunt to his true feelings, feelings he still hadn't completely admitted to himself, "You know, um ... I am surprised that she isn't married. Too devoted to her school perhaps?"

'No. I don't think that's it. She was married once, to her childhood sweetheart. It didn't last. They divorced. Oh, it must be almost ten years ago."

"Why?"

"Well you'll have to ask Louisa that, won't you? I don't know everything."

"Hmm."

Now that he had told his aunt about his day with Louisa, he felt free to discuss what was really on his mind. "Aunty Joan, I couldn't help noticing how run down the house is. There is no reliable hot water, the paint is peeling off the walls, and the stairs are unstable. I'd like to help you make some repairs."

"Marty, it's sweet of you to offer, but you'd hardly have the time, even if you came down every weekend. I didn't know you were a handyman as well as a renowned surgeon."

"Of course I'm not. I wouldn't make the repairs myself. I'd hire someone and pay them to do it."

She shook her head vigorously. "No, no, no. I couldn't accept your money."

Martin exhaled in exasperation. "Really, what else am I going to do with it? They pay me much more than I need for my simple lifestyle. I have to invest it somewhere. Actually fixing up the farmhouse might be a good investment. I had forgotten how peaceful Cornwall is. I wouldn't mind spending more time down here. It would be a tranquil spot to work on my research papers, but I'd like to be comfortable whilst I am here. Of course I could always spend my money staying at a hotel if you'd rather."

Joan admitted that she'd rather he didn't spend his money at a hotel. She would love to have him visit more regularly and stay with her. That afternoon when they returned from the restaurant, they walked around the house and Martin made a note of what needed fixing. As they walked, he began to think of other improvements that could be made to make it a comfortable family holiday home, not that it was likely he would ever have a family. Although ... in the back of his mind, absurd as he knew it was, he could see himself and Louisa spending holidays here with their family. With a shake of his head, he sent that thought packing. No matter what turn his life took, fixing up the farm house would be a good investment, a comfortable home for his Aunt's remaining years and later on, a valuable rental property in the summer high season.