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Chapter 36

August 2014 (Later That Day) Port Wenn Primary School

Louisa stood by helplessly as Martin gathered James and his various accoutrements.

"Martin, I'm pregnant, not physically disabled."

Martin shot her a brief look of puzzlement.

"Well, of course of you're pregnant Louisa. If anyone should know that, I think it would be me."

He resumed the task at hand.

"Here let me carry that." She quickly snatched the bag of nappies and slid them over her shoulder.

Martin shot an annoyed glance at his wife.

"Louisa..."

"Martin, can't I just carry this one thing?"

"No."

With a sudden but clumsy movement, he attempted to grab it from her, only for Louisa to pull it back out of his hands.

"Martin!" she said. "Behave yourself..."

"For heaven sakes Louisa!" he grabbed at the bag, which she quickly moved away from him. "Give...me...the nappies!"

Louisa and Martin had engaged in a rather lively game of tug-of-war for about a minute before they realized that Aunt Ruth was watching them with a mixed expression of shock and humor.

"I do recall Joan telling me that you had some bed-wetting issues Martin, but I thought for sure you'd outgrown them by now."

Martin looked down at the bag, still firmly in Louisa's grasp.

"Oh..umm...they're for James...not...for me..."

Ruth smiled bemusedly. "Well, I suppose I'll have to take your word on that nephew."

Louisa and Martin looked at each other sheepishly.

"Martin, you can't possibly carry James and all of his stuff," Louisa said gently.

"Easily solved!" Ruth burst in once again. "I've been wanting to spend some time with my great-nephew." She put out her arms for the baby, and, with a nod from Louisa, Martin placed James gently in her arms.

Her eyes suddenly grew wide

"Oh my...he's much heavier than the last time I carried him."

"Oh...Ruth...if he's too heavy..." Louisa bit her lower lip.

"No, no dear...I'll be fine...you run along and relax before the ceremony. This a big day for you, and I'm sure you'd like some time with your thoughts. She gently nodded her head toward the school building.

Louisa nodded appreciatively and handed over the nappie bag to Martin.

"I'll see you all in a few minutes then," she said with a weak smile, and headed off toward the front entrance.

(Same Time) Bodmin Moor, Cornwall

Doug Tremethyk let out a sigh as he sat down on a rock.

"I'm sorry to say it Constable, but I think we've been here before."

Penhale furrowed his brow and took out his map for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Umm...well..."

Doug hung his head.

"So we're going in circles?"

"Umm..." Penhale consulted the map again. Sure enough they had made circled back to where they'd been nearly an hour before.

"Well, typically in operations like this, going in concentric circles is..."

"We're lost..."

"Well..."

The man rolled his eyes.

"It's already 5:30."

Penhale looked at his watch. He sighed.

"We'll miss Louisa's resignation ceremony for sure at this rate."

"Louisa...is that you're girlfriend or something?"

"Who? Louisa? No-no..." the constable insisted emphatically.

"I mean back in the day I sort of...you know...liked her..."

Doug groaned quietly. It was bad enough that they were hopelessly lost in the wilderness. But lost with this so-called policeman yabbering his ear off-that was cruel and unusual punishment.

"No. Louisa Ellingham, the Head Teacher up at the school in Port Wenn. Well, former head teacher after the ceremony tonight. She's married to the Doc."

"Doc Martin?"

"Yeah...You know the one your wife works for?"

"Oh...umm...yeah...right."

"Constable?"

"Yes, sir?'

"If we don't find my wife soon, she won't be working for anyone."

Port Wenn Primary (20 minutes later)

Louisa brushed her hand across the desks in the dark classroom, picturing each student that had sat in each seat.

She remembered vividly many moments when she yearned for a few minutes of peace and quiet, a brief escape from the controlled chaos of the classroom. Today, she would have given nearly anything to see these chairs filled once again with a group of the loudest most fidgety kids she'd ever taught.

Finally, she stopped at a desk in the front of the room.

Years ago, this had been where her desk was located.

It hadn't originally been her assigned seat. Caroline Bosman and Danny Steel had put her up to yet another disruptive prank, and, furious, Mrs. Hodgett had moved her to the front of the class. Of course, then Mrs. Hodgett had gotten pregnant and Ms. Fern had taken over as a long-term sub.

It was here, in this very seat, as she watched the kind, beautiful, highly intelligent young schoolteacher hold her students spellbound with fun-filled math games, dramatic experiments, and fantastic stories of far-off lands, that Louisa had decided that school was tolerable, learning was fun, and that one day she too would a teacher, just like her hero, Ms. Fern.

Many years had passed since Ms. Fern too had married and moved far away, but the dream of one day having a career as a teacher in Port Wenn had been kept alive

And now...now it seemed her career was coming to a close.

A tear dropped on the desk.

"Why is this so hard?' she thought. 'I love my family, and I know Pippa will do a great job." More tears.

Gosh she was going to miss this place, these sweet children, her wonderful, supportive, understanding co-workers.

"Mrs. E?"

Louisa whipped around. At the back of the room stood one of her Year 4s, looking up at her with a concerned expression.

"Mrs. E, why are you crying?"

"Wellll..." Louisa said, wiping her eyes. She gestured for the little girl to take a seat, and slowly squeezed into an adjacent desk.

She looked the little girl in the eyes. "It's just I'm going to miss all you guys."

"The little girls eyes grew wide. "All of us?'"

"Yep, all of you."

"Even...Tommy Bettings?"

"Even Tommy Bettings. It's not easy leaving you all," Louisa said with a weak smile.

The little girl's face frowned.

"My mum said when we moved here from Bude that leaving is never easy, but sometimes it's what you gotta do."

"Well, your mummy's a very smart woman," Louisa said, drying a fresh tear.

The little girl nodded.

"What are you calling the baby again?"

"Joan. Joan Ellingham."

"She's getting really big now Mrs. E. Is she gonna come out soon?"

She took the little girl's hand and slowly began walking toward the door.

"Pretty soon. Hopefully, she'll hold out for the ceremony!'

They both giggled.

Port Wenn Primary schoolyard (15 minutes later)

"And now, our Head Teacher, Mrs. Louisa Ellingham."

Martin briefly clasped Louisa's hand in his and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"Louisa...you'll be fine...um...I mean...great," he whispered.

She sighed smiled bemusedly.

If Martin thought she could do it-and he didn't usually lie-then she was confident she would be fine.

"Right. Yes. I can do this."

She waddled the few steps to the small podium and looked out on the sea of students, parents, and townspeople.

She cleared her throat and wiped her eyes for what felt like the thousandth time.

"Normally, as I'm sure my husband and the board, and many of you can relate firsthand, I'm not hard-pressed for choice words..." she said, to laughter from the audience.

"But this evening is a bit different...This evening I'm saying farewell to some of the most wonderful people it has ever been my honor to meet..."

Bodmin Moor (Same Time)

"Did you hear that?"

"Did I hear what?" Doug said, exhausted and fed up.

Both were silent for a moment.

Suddenly the two looked at each other.

"You mean that low rumble that sounds like an engine?"

Penhale nodded.

Doug listened for a moment longer than headed for the sound.

"Doug, what about Gwenn?"

"It'll be dark soon. We need to get back to town...organize a search party..."

"Right!" Penhale said springing up a low hill after the man.

Suddenly Doug stopped.

"Sure enough, there's a road. And a tractor! This might be easier than I thought."

Penhale rushed up the hill to join Doug.

Suddenly, his foot caught on a stone.

He crashed onto the hard ground and rolled down the steep slope into a small ravine.

"Good heavens!" Doug said racing down the hill, only to lose his footing as well and slide to the foot of a bog.

He groaned loudly.

"Doug, is that you?"

"Yes, Penhale...it's me," he said exasperatedly. A dark form resembling the policeman crashed through some ferns.

"Are you okay Doug?"

"Oh...well...it's almost pitch black, I'm covered in mud, and I'm stuck at the bottom of a boggy ravine in the middle of nowhere...but...yeah...otherwise."

"Good."

Doug sighed.

"Umm...Doug...I think I might have found Gwenn..."

To be continued...

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