Evelyn Rushton watched the landscape flashing by as the train made its way through the countryside. She normally used the four hour journey up from Cornwall to answer fan emails or read but this time she'd spent most of the time deep in thought. When Martin had telephoned her and told her that Kate had been in an accident her heart had almost stopped. It was like reliving the moment almost five years ago when she had got news that her beloved Edward had been killed whilst cycling near Portwenn. He'd loved to cycle and would often go far up onto the moors and be gone for a good few hours. That day the weather had been fine and he'd decided to cycle toward Tintagel for a change as he'd not been that way for a while. She'd kissed him goodbye and gone back to her study to do some work on her book. About two hours later her mobile had rung and his name appeared on the screen. She'd thought that maybe something had gone wrong with his bike. It had happened before that he'd asked her to come and fetch him when he'd been unable to fix the problem. When she answered there was a stranger's voice on the other end. She heard, "Hello…who am I speaking to?"

Evelyn had been a bit suspicious, "Evelyn Rushton…who is this?"

"My name is Police Constable Colin Pascoe ma'am…" and Evelyn's blood had run cold.

The rest of that time was a blur and even now when she thought of it she still couldn't believe she would never see Edward striding up the hill from the village or holding her hand as they walked the cliff path or feel him cuddling her in bed. They had been married for thirty years – she'd been just twenty one and he twenty five when they married - a year later Kate had been born. She'd had a difficult pregnancy and a complicated birth and the doctors had advised her that further pregnancies would not be wise. That had saddened them but Kate had been the apple of their eye and they'd been content.

Hearing Martin on the phone that evening had made her panic. Fate couldn't be that cruel could it? But Martin had put her mind at rest with his calm voice and precise manner. He'd kept his promise and had phoned her every day to give her an update on Kate's progress until she was able to speak to Kate herself. After their initial contact, she'd found Martin to be very shy, almost monosyllabic over the phone and remembered what Kate had told her about him - that he seemed to be a man of polar opposites when it came to confidence and the lack thereof. When he was in doctor-mode, as Kate called it, you wouldn't find a more confident man – he was in charge and precise in his speech and manner but when dealing with people on a personal level it all seemed to evaporate and it was as if he couldn't speak two words together or he just didn't speak at all.

She smiled when she remembered asking Martin during one of his calls how he was feeling…how he was holding up. It seemed to throw him and he stumbled over his words. "Umm…yes…fine…I'm fine…thank you…umm…" It was as if no-one had ever taken his feelings into account before and he couldn't articulate a reply. But what did come across was that Martin cared deeply about Kate. In the days after her accident he'd been with her every moment of the day and night. He'd tried to couch his account of events in doctor-speak but she could read between the words...he must have been just as terrified as she'd been. She was a writer and words and tone were her craft. When he spoke of Kate his voice became soft and velvety – it was gentle. Yes he cared…a lot.

When Kate had first shown an interest in Martin, Evelyn had done what most people did these days when they wanted information: she Googled him. And what she'd found was impressive. From various professional biographies she gleaned that he was highly respected in his field and he'd published papers quite extensively going back many years. He was only just turning forty and had been top in his field for a number of years already. She also read that he was at least the third generation of Ellinghams to excel in the medical field but none had been the prodigy that Martin had been. He'd graduated from school cum laude a full year before his contemporaries, then he'd done the same in medical school. No-one seemed to come close. He had also been the youngest senior registrar in Britain in the last hundred years. Kate had said that in theatre he was amazing – he'd developed and refined techniques in vascular surgery that had revolutionised how things were done. He was now very much in demand to speak and demonstrate the techniques all over the world. Kate had said that it sometimes frustrated him because it took him away from the operating theatre where the actual work lay but that he realised he needed to do it in order to promote his work. Kate was so proud of him and said that Martin appeared to be unaware, and definitely unaffected, by the attention he received. If anything he would become irritated by it. It was one of the things she admired about him, that he took his abilities as a matter of fact and never looked for attention – in fact the total opposite was true. It always surprised him and sometimes annoyed him when the spotlight was on him and not on the work. According to Kate, Martin was the least vain or self-absorbed person she'd ever met, unlike most of the surgeons she'd worked with.

Evelyn remembered her first meeting with him on the doorstep of her home in Portwenn. The man had a natural air of authority and the most direct and unnerving gaze. But she'd also sensed an awkwardness in him – he seemed almost tongue tied - there was no small talk or chatter from his quarter. When anyone spoke he looked directly at them as if he was evaluating every single word and then, if he had something to say, he would respond in one precise sentence otherwise he would just remain silent. At first she'd found his manner off-putting. He was a bit abrupt and difficult to engage with but then she'd realised that Martin wasn't being intentionally rude. He wasn't arrogant or disdainful of the company - he just couldn't participate as other people could. And anyway, to be fair, on the two occasions that she'd been with him, Martin's attention had been on Kate. He'd hardly taken his eyes off of her and she'd seen the utter adoration in his look so she'd not been too fazed about his taciturnity.

Afterwards she'd thought a lot about the blossoming relationship between the two of them. One could hardly meet two people whose personalities were more different. Kate engaged easily with others - she was outgoing and laughed often whereas Martin was the total opposite. She got the impression that he would rather not be around people in a social setting and she wondered if these differences would have a negative bearing on any potential relationship but Kate seemed totally taken with him – she'd told her that Martin was gentle and passionate and had a vulnerability that she was drawn to. When they spoke on the phone Kate would tell her about their outings over weekends and what Martin had said about this or that and it appeared that when he was with Kate he opened up and they talked about all sorts of things. Martin just could not do that naturally with people he did not know.

Kate had obviously found in Martin a man who made her world light up and whom she loved unconditionally. Her conversations with Kate had left her in no doubt about this and that in return, Martin loved her with all that was in him. Kate had intimated something of his awful upbringing and that his withdrawn nature was directly the result of that, but she said that Martin was capable of such a depth of love, he just would not let anyone else see it. Evelyn had picked up on Martin's feelings for Kate. Over the phone she heard it in the way he talked about how she was progressing, that he was 'satisfied with the standard of her care' at the hospital but when Evelyn asked questions that required him to talk about emotions and abstract things about Kate's condition – how she seemed apart from her physical condition – was she mentally and emotionally alright - he'd at first stumbled over his reply. "Umm…yes…she's fine…umm…" then his voice had become soft and, if she had to guess, a little afraid. "She's tearful…yes...and…umm…a little emotional…but she says that…umm…when I'm with her…it's better." He immediately cleared his throat in that self-conscious way of his and became doctor-like again. "Of course there is no medical foundation in that…merely a state of mind…" She smiled. Their relationship would make a wonderful novel she thought. But she would not be the one to write it.

She looked at her watch. She was about half an hour away from Paddington Station and she began to pack away her laptop. She couldn't wait to see Kate. Martin had asked her to come up the day after she was discharged - from what he'd told her, Kate was still extensively bruised and uncomfortable, Her left wrist was strapped up and she had to keep it as immobile as possible. To his great relief her concussion symptoms were much better but he would still monitor it. Dear Martin. She knew that he'd been like a mother hen around Kate. Kate had given her a day by day account of his ministrations and she smiled when she thought of it. But Martin needed to get back to work and Evelyn knew he would feel more at ease if she were with Kate when he could not be.

When the train finally arrived at Paddington and she'd disembarked, Evelyn hailed a taxi, gave the address in Kensington and they were soon on their way. It was getting dark when they pulled up outside the townhouse but Evelyn got a good sense of the elegant terraced townhouses and the beautifully kept street lined with tall trees with their autumn kissed leaves softly lit by street lamps. The taxi driver helped with her luggage and rang the doorbell for her and almost immediately Martin opened the door.

Evelyn looked at the tall, beautifully dressed man standing in the doorway. She smiled up at him and she could see that he looked a bit awkward as if he didn't quite know how to greet her. Do they just say hello or do they shake hands...or what? He stood aside for her to enter and she paused in the narrow space, "Hello dear - it's good to see you," and suddenly stood on tip toe and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Martin went rigid, just as she thought he would. She immediately stepped past him, not giving him time to react or say anything. If he had become part of her daughter's life and had gained her trust and her love, Evelyn would treat him as family – and that's how she greeted family - well for a start anyway, a hug could come later. He'd get used to it. Start as you mean to carry on was always her motto.

A blush tinged Martin's cheeks as he gave that little cough and his words tumbled out, "Yes…good to see you…come in…let me get your luggage…Kate's in the sitting room...go through." Evelyn smiled inwardly at his awkwardness. Kate had not been wrong about him being shy - painfully so.

Martin grabbed the suitcase and another holdall and followed Evelyn into the sitting room where Kate waited. Mother and daughter were embracing and murmuring their greeting. Martin looked on at the genuine affection between the two women – it was almost an alien scene to him and he quickly looked away. His family had never shown affection at all – certainly not to him and he couldn't recall any affection being shown between his parents either – not in front of him anyway.

As the two women went to sit on the sofa Martin watched from across the room and noticed for the first time just how alike they looked. In Evelyn he could see exactly how Kate would look when she was in her fifties. They had the same colour hair although Evelyn's was a little grey now and she wore hers much shorter than Kate's. Her skin was still smooth and her figure trim and firm so she obviously took adequate exercise even for a writer who must be desk-bound for much of the day. Her face was expressive and her eyes were bright and reflected her emotions just as Kate's did. And her mannerisms were the same - the need to touch and the full attention she gave her daughter was just how Kate engaged with him when they were together. He felt a twinge of something he couldn't quite identify. It was a good feeling. It felt comfortable…safe…like a protective aura…a sense of belonging. He gave himself a shake. Nonsense!

Evelyn sat on the sofa and chatted to Kate while Martin took her luggage upstairs to the room he'd prepared for her. He switched on the bedside light and looked around to make sure everything was satisfactory. He checked the bathroom again – yes the fresh towels were in place. Kate had asked him to buy some flowers which she'd arranged in a vase and he'd placed it on the little table in the sitting area of the room. The heating was on a comfortable setting and he would show Evelyn later how everything worked so she could adjust it to her liking.

He went back downstairs to check on the supper. He'd prepared grilled salmon and roasted vegetables. Kate had assured him that her mother loved salmon. He'd already set the table and when he was satisfied that everything was ready he went to the sitting room and asked them to come through.

Evelyn stood up. "I'm famished Martin and it smells absolutely delicious."

Martin went to help Kate up and she smiled up at him and reached up and stroked his cheek. He dipped his chin and looked to see if her mother had noticed. She had and was also smiling at him. He gave a little cough and hovered behind Kate as she made her way to the table.

The table was perfectly set. Martin uncovered the serving dishes and everyone dished for themselves. Usually he and Kate didn't talk much at dinner but Martin saw a different side to her with Evelyn there. They talked quietly about her trip up to London, about Portwenn and their friends there - who was doing what and about so and so who'd had a baby and someone else who had left to study overseas. They talked about Evelyn's recent trip to Scotland and posters she had seen at Paddington advertising an exhibition on medieval stone masons at the British Museum.

"Are you interested in that sort of thing Martin?" Evelyn asked. After a pause he said, "Yes". Then when both women looked expectantly at him he added that he always made a point of visiting cathedrals from that era wherever he travelled.

Evelyn nodded and said she also did that. "When you are feeling up to it Kate, perhaps we can all go to the exhibition together?" She looked at Kate across the table and then at Martin.

Martin stared back at her, his mouth opened then closed again then he looked at Kate who came to his rescue. "That's a great idea, isn't it Martin? You must let us know when you are not on call." Yes, he said and took a sip of water.

Once they had eaten Martin started to clear the table but Evelyn stood up and told him firmly to take Kate to the sitting room and let her tidy up. He protested but Evelyn fixed him with a look that reminded him so much of Kate when she was determined about something. She raised her chin and narrowed her eyes and said she was quite capable of packing the dishwasher and putting things away. "Now off you go…" And with a quiet, "Yes..." he did as he was told.

They all sat for a while after supper and Martin listened as Evelyn told them about her new book which was set at the time that Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland was being built. Martin was interested as he had read up extensively about the Knights Templar and their influence on modern times. But after a while he could see that Kate was tiring and he said quietly that perhaps she should call it a night and she'd nodded.

Martin showed Evelyn to her room after he'd made Kate comfortable. She was delighted at the beautifully made up room and she marvelled at this formal and erudite man. He'd gone to so much trouble to make things comfortable and ready for her arrival. "Thank you Martin – everything is just perfect."

The rooms in the townhouse were spacious with big windows which she was told looked out onto a park at the rear of the building. It was too dark to see anything now. The townhouse had been beautifully renovated and had modern bathroom facilities and plenty of wardrobe space. When she went to unpack her suitcase and opened the doors to one of the wardrobes she saw some of Kate's shoes neatly packed in the bottom. She smiled. Girls and their shoes! These must be extra pairs for 'special' occasions.

After taking a shower, Evelyn slipped under the crisp, clean linen and switched off the light. She could just hear the very faint hum of the city muted by the double glazing on the windows. It was a much different soundtrack to that of Portwenn with its noisy gulls and the sound of the sea in all its moods.

She lay thinking about Kate. She'd been relieved to find that she was much better than she'd expected and was greatly comforted by how Martin looked after her. The man adored her. It shone in his eyes when he looked at her, it was in his soft voice when he spoke to her and Evelyn had no doubt at all that he loved Kate very much. It was a look she'd seen in Edward's eyes so often. It was most comforting to think that her daughter had found someone who loved her with the same devotion that she and Edward had shared with each other - very comforting indeed.

ooooOOOOoooo

Martin got ready for bed and when he finally left the bathroom and went through to the bedroom Kate was lying on her side watching him. Her hair was splayed out over the pillow and he couldn't wait to run his fingers through it. He slid into the bed beside her and lay on his side so that they were facing each other, their heads close together on the pillows.

"I hope this evening hasn't been too much for you?" he murmured as he put out his hand and played with a strand of her hair. "You will tell me if you are in pain won't you? If your head starts hurting…"

Kate stroked his cheek. "I'm fine…really. I am a bit tired…but in a good way." Her eyes were soft and filled with tenderness. "Thank you Martin."

He frowned slightly, "What for?"

"For everything. For making my mother feel welcome…for preparing her room…for cooking such a lovely meal," she touched his lips with the tips of her fingers, "for looking after me…"

He ran his hand through her hair and cupped the back of her neck. "It's nothing…"

"It's not nothing…you're an extraordinary man." She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Hold me Martin."

He frowned. "Umm…maybe not…"

She narrowed her eyes.

Whenever she asked him to hold her in that tone of voice, it always led them down a passionate path. "Umm…you are still recovering." He gave a little cough. "And besides your mother is across the hall…"

"So? Both doors are closed." She waggled her eyebrows at him.

Martin's eyes went wide and round.

Kate smiled mischievously. "You don't expect to live like a monk while my mother is here do you? Mmm? I don't want that..."

Her hand slid slowly from his shoulder down his arm and onto his hip then under his t-shirt and up his bare chest. "Mmm…I love your chest…so smooth and strong…" she whispered. Her hand slid down to his belly and under the elastic of his pyjama pants.

He jerked back. "Kate…!" he whispered urgently.

"Mmm?"

"We shouldn't…"

"Shut up and kiss me Martin…" she said smiling and her eyes were languid. She leaned in until their lips met in a deep and tender kiss…slow and sensuous. Kate's caresses were driving him insane and when he opened his eyes he could see hers were half closed with desire.

"I don't want to hurt you." His voice was deep and breathless.

"You won't." She tugged his pyjama pants down and slipped her leg over his hip pulling him closer until they joined and he gave a soft groan of pleasure as they became one. They made slow and gentle love lying on their sides, their eyes locked and their caresses soft and tender. Martin's hand cupped her bottom pulling her closer. He was careful not to put pressure on her bruised side. Their mouths explored slowly and they whispered words of love until they slowly and inevitably reached their peak. Kate buried her head in his neck to stifle her cries of pleasure as the ecstasy overtook her and she heard him groan softly against her hair. Afterwards they lay close together until their hearts settled back into a calmer rhythm. Kate heard Martin's breathing even out and knew he was falling asleep. She looked at his face in the darkness - he looked relaxed, his brow smooth and her heart was filled with tender love for this gentle and enigmatic man. She never got tired of looking at him. There were so many layers to him and she hadn't yet found one that she didn't like. They each evoked different responses in her but he was a good person right through. The timid and scared little boy in him was slowly showing his face and starting to trust but she knew it would be a long while before he came fully out of the shadows. And that was fine by her. She also knew that he would be a little tense with her mother being there but on the plus side her mother wasn't an intrusive or demanding person. She always just blended in and was practical and good company. She was sure that Martin would eventually relax around her. She hoped so because they were the two people she loved most in the world.

Kate waited until she was sure Martin was asleep then slipped carefully from the bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up. She looked at her face in the big mirror over the marble-topped basin cabinet. The bruises on the side of her face looked hideous but only because they were now all the colours of the rainbow. Martin had said that it meant that she was healing fast. Her wrist was also still strapped up but didn't cause her any discomfort or inconvenience. Under her sleep-shirt the bruises down the left side of her body were the same mottled colour as her face and it still hurt when any pressure was applied. She would be stiff for a while to come but generally she felt a lot better than she looked. She'd been lucky. She thought of the gorgeous man lying in the next room and felt so grateful for his care and his concern for her. As she slipped into the big bed next to him he stirred and his arm went out and pulled her close and he murmured her name in his half sleep. She lay back and felt his warmth and smelt his clean male scent and she felt content and full of love for him. She fell asleep with a smile on her lips.

ooooOOOOoooo

Apologies for the lengthy delay between posts - other commitments had to take priority for a while. Thank you too for all the supportive PMs and reviews! It is very encouraging and I appreciate them very much.