Chapter 36

Martin stood waiting at the end of the platform where Louisa's train was due to arrive at any moment. It was the beginning of the evening's rush and the station was packed. Fridays were always the worst at Paddington. There were of course the usual commuters heading home after a long workday, but on Fridays there were also the weekenders headed out for a brief respite in the west country. Even in the middle of January, there were crowds of them with weekend bags jostling to catch the train to take them out, away from the hustle of the city.

Being taller than average did have its benefits, and as he watched the passengers alight from the train, he spotted Louisa descend the train and head his way. He moved to meet her, his lips curving upward ever so slightly at the sight of her. He raised his hand to catch her eye and she saw him, smiling gloriously in recognition. They met up halfway down the platform where they stopped to greet each other. "Louisa" Martin sighed and gazed down at her hardly believing she had actually come to spend the weekend with him.

"Martin". She smiled back up at him into his gentle eyes, happy to see him and grateful to have him to guide her out of the station.

He reached out as if to hug her, grazed her arm and then thought better of it there amongst the hoards. Instead he leaned over, "Let me take your bag. The taxi rank is just this way. We can take a cab to my flat where you can get settled before dinner. I made reservations for half six so you will have a little time to freshen up after your journey."

It was a short ride to Martin's flat and they rode quietly but happily. Louisa slipped her hand into his, and he glanced over and gave hers a slight squeeze. Although she was tempted to engage him in conversation, she understood that he was uncomfortable discussing their affairs while in the taxi. Most drivers have heard and seen it all, but Martin preferred to keep his privacy.

They pulled up to a lovely older building and Martin inserted his key and opened the door. The porter greeted him enthusiastically, "Evening Mr. Ellingham. How are you today?"

Martin nodded in recognition, "Well." He gestured toward Louisa, "Mylow, this is Miss Glasson. She will be visiting this weekend."

Mylow was surprised to see such a lovely woman with Mr. Ellingham; he rarely had visitors and even more rarely were they beautiful women. But he was a professional and kept his surprise to himself, smiling cordially and giving Louisa a slight bow in recognition. "Welcome Miss Glasson, Call me Mark. If I can help you with anything during your visit, don't hesitate to ask. Enjoy your visit."

Louisa was surprised to receive such a cordial welcome from him. Her experience with building attendants had never been pleasant and she responded, "Nice to meet you as well Mark."

"Right" Martin muttered. "We'd better get upstairs and get settled. Don't want to be late for dinner."

The lift opened onto a lovely wide hall landing on the sixth floor where there were doors leading to four flats. Martin went to a far door and opened it, motioning for Louisa to enter. He flipped a switch lighting the foyer and salon. He took her heavy winter coat and hung it up and then removed his own and hung it as well. "This way, Louisa. I'll put your bag in the guest room and leave you to freshen up."

Louisa followed him slowly into the flat letting her eyes wander from wall to wall, trying to get a glimpse of his home. At first glance it was very spare, neat and tidy, just like the man. Once in the spare room, he turned around to show her the wardrobe and the location of the en-suite and noticed her lagging behind. "Louisa?"

"Oh, coming, coming. Just having a quick look around." She scampered to catch up.

"I want to show you where everything is."

"That's nice, but I want to greet you properly now that we are alone." He was dressed in one of his usual dark suits, looking distinguished and elegant and irresistible. She laid her hands on his suit front and looking up kissed him tenderly on the lips.

"Yes...umm ...yes", he answered, briefly flustered before regaining his composure and returning the kiss. She circled her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss and he gently placed his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. They both could have stayed there all night, but that wasn't prudent. Martin was hungry; he knew he would get surly if he didn't eat on time so he pulled away, "Louisa, we really do need to dine this evening. The restaurant is just a short walk away, but we must leave by 6:15 to arrive on time.

"Right. I'm famished. I don't know why travelling makes me so hungry. All you do is sit on the train, but I could eat a horse."

"I don't believe they serve horse at Sabine's. Perhaps another time."

She gave him a wry smile and a swat on the arm. "I'll just be a few minutes Mr. Smarty Pants. Shoo."

He made his way to his own room to ensure all was in order before they headed out. He had given his housekeeper special instructions this week, and she had cleaned the guest room that doubled as his study from top to bottom, put fresh crisp sheets on the bed and new towels in the en-suite bathroom. By the time he went to bed Thursday night, he was certain that the flat was as welcoming as possible with flowers on the dining room table and in the guest room. He wanted Louisa to be comfortable while she was here.

It was a cold January night and Martin was pleased to notice that Louisa was wearing the scarf he had given her for Christmas. He knew it would help to keep her warm. They made their way to the restaurant, another one of Martin's hidden gems, a small trattoria specializing in northern Italian cuisine tucked in between two small homey hotels. "I thought comfort food on a night like this would be welcome. They use fresh ingredients and very healthy preparation techniques; any dish you select should be satisfactory. Plus they have the highest hygiene rating."

The staff greeted Martin by name just as they had the first time she had dined with him in London, and she thought to herself how far they had come since then. Once they had settled themselves and given the waiter their drinks order, she commented to him, "Do you come here often? They seemed to recognise you."

"Maybe once a month. I don't eat out often, but when I find a place that serves excellent cuisine, I try to patronise them, and I will bring the occasional colleague along."

"Just like the restaurant you took me to when we first met."

"Yes."

"I was just thinking back to that dinner. I wasn't sure if I would ever see you again. I'm glad you came down to Cornwall last autumn."

"I wasn't going to. I had decided that someone like you couldn't possibly be interested in me, an old funny looking set in his ways bachelor."

"But you did... And you're not funny looking. I think you are very handsome, so sophisticated and distinguished."

"Right." He tucked his chin down and glanced at the menu.

"You are." She reached over and took his hand.

"Hmm. Yes ... well." He gazed back at her and returned to the subject at hand. "Joan caught me off guard, calling me wanting to know when I was coming."

"Glad she did. Of course that first day I was ready to send you back to Joan when you started yelling at Maura about the footballers and calling her an idiot. But I had offered to show you round the village and ... well... I don't go back on my word so I decided I could just soldier on for Joan's sake. But then you apologised and explained yourself and asked me for help and I decided that maybe you weren't so bad."

"I'm glad."

"Me too"

The waiter came by asking if they had any questions about the menu and if they were ready to order. "Give us a few more minutes, will you?" Martin had already made his selection, but he didn't think Louisa had actually looked at the menu since they arrived.

"I know you said everything on the menu is good, but do you have any suggestions? Have you decided yet?"

"As I said, you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu." He then proceeded to suggest several items that he had tried in the past.

They all sounded good to Louisa and then she had an idea, "Why don't we share. Order several items that we can both try. It could be fun."

"Yes. Good idea."

They ordered a salad to share and a grilled radicchio appetiser. Louisa wanted to try the shrimp risotto and, despite his general aversion to red meat, Martin was intrigued with the beef carbonade served with polenta and mushrooms. They decided to wait to order dessert. Somehow they didn't think they would be hungry.

By the end of the meal they were both full, happy with their choices. Martin had happily listened to Louisa describing the beginning of term as she laughed at some of the crazy antics of the new students. She tried to get him to talk about his first weeks back from holiday, but Martin didn't have much to say, just routine surgery and office visits. "Do you not have interesting or eccentric patients that make you laugh, or unusual problems that are challenging? How can it always be routine?"

"Well there are occasional patients or accident victims with unusual presentations, but I can't discuss individual patients...confidentiality issues."

"Oh...too bad."

"Shall we go?" he asked motioning to the waiter for their check.

"Yes. I'm just going to run to the ladies for a minute while you settle up." She rose and headed to the lavatory, but not before brushing his cheek with a kiss, causing him to blush, just as the waiter handed him the bill.