Chapter Fourteen

Louisa entered Port Wenn Primary School the next day in a very good mood, even though the rain was biting, and the chill bore through her clothes. For having been raised in Port Wenn, it was true that even still one was not immune to the brutal nastiness at times of its climate. Yet, things were looking up. She had her lesson planned for the day, her students had done well on their previous assignments, no one was out sick (yet), Alison was cooking good meals, she had new ideas for stopping the Dare Club, and the new janitor/handyman was working out well.

She was not expecting the crowd of staff and teachers waiting for her in her office. She was surrounded as soon as she entered.

"Louisa," Tasha said, "Are you resigning? Moving to London with the Doc?"

Louisa realized the Board of Governance must have leaked out the information.

"I've put in my resignation, yes," Louisa said.

"That's crazy! Leaving the village, your job, your home."

"To be alone with the Doc in London!"

"You love living here, always have. You're not a city girl."

"You'll leave at half term. You won't find a good job in London in the middle of the first term. Likely not for the whole year!"

"You've friends here. You'll be stuck with him alone in London."

"Doc Martin said he'd stay for you. Make him live up to his words. Selfish bastard, wanting to drag you away from Port Wenn."

Penhale had no doubt gossiped about the events at the Castle.

"He's been here four years and hasn't made a friend! You'll be all alone in London, stuck in a flat, baby crying, while he's at hospital all day, having fun."

Someone noted the time, that they were late to their classes and the women left, filing out slowly, one turning around to say, "We'll pick this up at lunch! Don't make the biggest mistake of your life, Louisa."

The rest of the women, exiting, all agreed.

Louisa was shaken. Were they right? Was it the biggest mistake? She didn't teach until the afternoon, so she sat down and went on her computer. She hadn't really investigated jobs available in London, but found a website where she could search for Head Deputy positions, in Primary schools, a bit more leadership than solely teaching. She was pleased to see that some positions were open in the London area, which was quite encouraging, and the pay was decent, the higher grade she deserved. But, on closer look it dawned on her that all of them were looking for people to start in September, the beginning of the new school year. She'd likely spend nearly a year unemployed unless she did substitute teaching, but she'd be in contest with others wishing to do the same. It sank in. She would likely be home, alone, in their flat, in London, caring for James, and with little else to do, if they moved there. Even searching for a new position, Louisa felt rather black and heavy realizing the immensity of filing out resumes, having interviews, and the crushing disappointment she'd probably experience being passed over for other candidates.

What was she doing? She had friends here, a good job, it was her home, and Martin had vowed he'd stay here, for her.

She thought of last night, when he apologized to her, and the ways he was now including her in decisions; he was trying so hard, and Louisa appreciated it so much.

It just worried her that if she said she wanted to stay, who would really be the selfish bastard?

Lunch went smoothly, and since the weather was terrible, the children stayed inside and loudly amused themselves during the break. Louisa was waylaid again by a few staff.

"We've spoken with Stu MacKenzie. You know the Board wants you to stay. They'll rip up the letter and forget all about it if you say so."

"What you see in that tosser Doc, it's hard to figure."

Louisa answered, weakly, "He has his good points."

"His income, no doubt. And he can dress well. If dogs don't rip his clothes off!" The women laughed, and for once, the village gossip seemed tiresome and intrusive.

"It's not funny. The dogs scratched him badly," Louisa said.

"Right, not funny at all." The women paused a second and then burst into laughter again.

"Louisa, you love him and leave him, how many times? You two can't make it work. You're so extroverted and friendly and he's socially impaired. Can hardly get a 'Hello' out of him most times. He's got no bedside manner."

Louisa nodded her head, but inside it was the memory of that second orgasm. But, was good sex truly enough?

"He almost made my sister cry when she saw him the other day. Just because she didn't entirely stop eating the food she's allergic to and had another asthma attack. He nearly bit her head off!"

"You can't spend your life with him. He's so rude."

"You've got a place here, with us. The students love you."

In fact, when the lunch break was done, Tasha came over with a good handful of students, and they had a banner they had made, much like her "Congratulations!" banner for her wedding a little over a year ago.

This one said "WE LOVE MISS GLASSON!" and had flowers and hearts around it in a multicolor display.

Louisa had been a meek recipient to all the pressure of staying. She mumbled a sincere "Thank you" to the children, and then excused herself from her colleagues, and went back to her office, closing the door behind her, and for the first time ever, locking it.

Everything was spinning around inside her, making her feel as if she had just gotten off a carnival ride. And although she knew she belonged there, in Port Wenn, and she'd be alone in London for nearly a year, and she'd have to fight for a job there, what she mostly focused on was thinking that Carmine's sister, who Martin had yelled at, should have stopped eating the food she was allergic to.