Chapter 14

The bath was lovely for with plenty of bubble bath and a good scrub I felt like more than just dirt had been washed away. A lot of my fatigue and disappointment seemed to go with the dirt down the drain.

Hearing various bumps and thumps words, I could tell that Ruth had taken James down and was fixing his breakfast. In a short while I heard heavy footsteps come clumping upstairs and from a couple of choice words and grunts knew that Martin was stripping out of his soiled suit.

Soon there came a knock on the bathroom door. "Louisa?"

I was just out of the bath and wrapping in a towel. Martin had spoken about redoing the bathroom to include a shower stall, or at least incorporate one over the tub, but in the mean time I didn't mind washing both body and hair in the tub. "Yes?"

"Uhm…" he was saying as I opened the door. I'd wrapped a hand towel about my wet hair and with the towel around me I was covered. He stood there in boxers and vest, braces** holding up his soiled socks. I didn't know how many men anymore who wore old fashioned braces but my husband did. I sensed that he dressed much as his grandfather might have.

His eyes flicked away when he saw me. "Ah, you've bathed."

"I have."

His attention was diverted by my crumpled dress on the floor. "Your dress; it's ruined."

I shrugged and kicked at it. "Fit for the bin." He bent down and picking it up, shoved my poor white dress into a red plastic bag.

"That's what you use for medical waste," I observed.

He shrugged.

"Oh, right; all that blood." As I said it I saw his mouth twitch. "Might be for the best. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Sure?" I noticed a sheen of sweat appear on his face but also that he had a huge bruise on his left wrist so I took it in my hands. "Oh, dear. You did get hurt."

Again came a shrug. "Nothing."

Looking down I saw his knees were abraded as well. "And rolled down a hill."

"More fell."

"Paracetamols and ice?"

"My aunt is feeding James and will cook breakfast for us when we are ready for it."

I nodded. "Good. Famished."

He tied up the neck of the bag and dropped it on the floor. "I'll wash and shave."

We stood there inches apart, me holding his hurt hand, so I kissed his grimy cheek. "Husband."

"Louisa… I'm all filthy."

"Doesn't matter." I smiled and kissed him deeply, pressing against him. "You're fine just the way you are."

Our kiss got longer and longer and one thing led to another stopped only by Martin's protests that he was dirty and I was clean. Sighing I let him go and retrieved the bath towel which had slithered to the floor during our clinch.

I saw him watching me from the corner of his eye as I rewound the towel around myself. It's okay, Martin, you can look, I thought, but he was always shy. Almost always; even in bed in the dark. But when he got going… well that's my story to keep.

I left him to his wash-up, so after drying my hair and dressing I went to the kitchen. Ruth was holding James on her lap and he gave me a huge smile when he saw me.

I scooped him from her arms and from the expression she gave me I think she was relieved. "Hello, big boy!" I nuzzled his face and he laughed. "Ruth thanks soooo much for watching him." My son smelled like young warm skin, baby shampoo, and clean clothes; heavenly.

Ruth nodded, her face giving me her trademark crooked smile. "Now, tell me about it; the blood, the dirt… all that. You two looked like war refugees. Whatever happened?"

"Felt like it. Could I have some juice?" I sat down gratefully, still holding James. I yawned. "Very tired."

She put a large plate of fried eggs, bacon, grilled tomato, and toast on the table before me. "Now et up, dear. But you have to tell all."

"Where to begin?" James started squirming so I put him on the floor and he started scooting about playing with a stacking toy from the bin in the corner. "Right. The lodge was, you knew that, was lovely. I'm sure Bert told you all about it. But the fireplace was blocked up and the place filled up with smoke. It was awful. We couldn't stay there and had no mobile signal so we couldn't call Bert to get us. We had to use shank's mare* to find help."

Ruth looked at me over the rim of her teacup. "Looked to me a murder was committed along the way."

Well hadn't I felt like killing Martin? "Nooo. But we did get lost in the forest, and after blundering around for God knows how long we finally found a house; sort of a house. There was this old man living there all alone; a hermit really. He had no phone either and then he got hurt. That's where the blood came from."

Ruth shook her head but was nearly chuckling. "Quite the honeymoon, eh?"

I lowered my voice and whispering told her about Martin having to perform emergency surgery.

She smiled sorrowfully. "Good Lord. Saved the man's life, you say?"

I stuffed crunchy bacon into my face and it tasted so good. "Yep. Then we had to get him to hospital. We used his wheelbarrow to carry him. Finally, early this morning, out on the moor we came across a lorry who had radio reception and he called for an ambulance. A policeman brought us back to the village."

Ruth stared at me and after long silent moments said, "Poor things. What a horror."

"Yeah, Gothic almost. Fog, dark, eerie sounds. Do you know if when Martin was a boy, did he take fright from a horse?"

"Horse? I've no idea. Why'd you ask? Joanie would have known."

I slathered a toast soldier with blackberry jam and bit into it. "Just wondered."

Ruth watched me as I polished off my breakfast. "Want more?"

I ducked my head. "Can I?"

"May I," she corrected. "Plenty left." Martin came in just then looking very presentable, but for no tie or coat; but the dress shirt and suit trousers were his usual wear.

I'd put on a simple top, jeans and my trainers. Quite the step for Martin to go tie-less as he was always so formal. I gave him a grin and once or twice he nearly smiled back.

"More bacon then and toast? May I?" I asked sheepishly, for Martin still kept an eye over what we ate, and how much.

Ruth refilled my plate then handed Martin a similar dish, but with eggs.

He slumped down across from me and stared into space for a moment, then picked up his fork. "Ruth," Martin muttered then began to methodically eat his meal.

Aunt Ruth rolled her eyes. "I understand that you two had quite the adventure."

"Uhm, yes. It was…" he started.

I butted in. "As I said Ruth it was stressful, yes." I didn't want Martin to go off about what a fool idea the honeymoon trip was. He'd said as much several times during our wanderings. I yawned. "We'll have to drive out there later. My mobile…"

He looked at me and the lines around his mouth relaxed a little. "We… got… through it," he muttered.

His aunt patted his shoulder. "At least you're home now."

Martin coughed. "Louisa, as I was finishing up with the eye case, Al Large stuck his head in and said he and Bert would be going to the lodge to clean it up. Bert's terribly afraid of a damage charge. So I asked him to find your handbag and mobile."

"Oh? Well..." I bit into another piece of toast, my fourth. "That will take them a while."

Martin sniffed. "Likely. Bert will also bring a cake over later, seeing as we skipped the wedding cake." He scowled. "Fool Bert, taking our luggage with him!"

I held up my hand. "It's okay, Martin."

He frowned.

"They meant well, nephew," Ruth added.

I was starting to yawn again.

Ruth bustled about the room, putting things into James' pushchair.

"Ruth?"

The old woman smiled. "You two must be knocked out. I'll take James for a stroll, right? About the time he needs a feed I can take him up to my place." She peered at us wide-eyed. "That alright?"

I said, "You don't have to."

She smiled. "Dear it's not about having to; it's wanting to." Ruth gave me a quick hug then scooped up James. "Come great-nephew. Let's leave your married parents alone for a few hours." She took up his nappy bag, grabbed a bag of toys, rummaged about in the fridge, and packing child and gear on the pushchair was gone in a flash.

Martin closed the door behind her. "That was quick. Strange. Ruth isn't usually so… uhm, handy or helpful with our son."

"She wanted to do something nice."

"Louisa, we are perfectly capable of taking care of…." He stopped I suppose from the look I gave him. "What?"

I wiped my mouth, rose, and crossed the room. Putting my arms around him, I pushed him back against the counter, and looked him right in the eye. "Hullo."

"Hello."

"Husband."

"Wife." We stood there like that for a few seconds then he ducked his head. "What's this about?"

I kissed him deeply then broke our lip lock, and taking his hand, took him upstairs. When we got to our bedroom, I held out my hand. "Mobile."

"Oh." He handed me his mobile from off the dresser.

"Did you lock the door?"

He nodded. "Oddly enough I did."

I peered at his mobile for a few seconds then turned the ringer off. I put the thing down and then smiled at him. "Just you and me. Sunday. Surgery is closed."

His arms went around my waist. "I… uhm, see."

"Do you?"

His answer was an amazing kiss. As he drew me down next to him on our bed, I just hoped day two of our marriage would go better than the first day had.

An old saying popped into my head as his hands slid under my blouse while I buried my face in the folds of his neck.

Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible.

Perhaps it was time for hopes to come true. I certainly prayed they might. High time.

Author's Notes

-*- Above I have replaced 'knickers' with 'boxers' since a reviewer pointed out that knickers are ladies' things. I am quite certain Martin would wear boxers!

* Shank's mare – Walking instead of riding. ( Have just been informed Shank's mare is the American way of saying Shank's pony - the British way. Oops! )

** Braces – Used to hold up men's socks; a rather old fashioned men's wear accessory. An elastic loop circles the calf of the leg below the knee and a clip is attached to the sock to prevent it from sliding down.