Chapter 9
Louisa and Pippa were on playground duty and it felt like the hottest, stickiest summer's day so far. Louisa wasn't feeling a hundred percent; she'd been feeling washed out and exhausted, and her back seemed to be forever aching now. No matter what she did, nothing relived the aches and pains but daren't say anything to Martin.
'You ok, Lou? You like as white as a cloud!' Pippa worried.
'Oh, I'll be fine thank you.' She sighed. She didn't feel fine but carried on in true Louisa style.
'Hey that talk I had with good old Ellingham did the trick then!' Pippa winked and looked rather proud of herself.
'What?'
'A little birdie told me, well several birdies actually, have told me that you two are back together. Abracadabra.' Giving a little smirk.
'What? We're not back together.' Louisa felt a bit cross that every time, the locals just had to make up tales or speculate or feel qualified to comment.
'But you're living together!'
'Yes, because Pippa, look at the state of his house!' She pointed to the house from the playground, now boarded up and taped off to deter anybody that might take it upon themselves to investigate.
'Hhhhm..' Pippa wasn't convinced.
'And it will be a while until he's allowed back to the house. Or anybody for that matter. Martin's er, legal loss type of person has deemed it unsafe and estimated that repairs could cost up to £60,000. But they're taking care of it.' With that, she took a sharp in-breath. A sharp pain right across the bottom of her back and near her right hip. She tried to hide it but of course Pippa missed nothing.
'Oh god! What's wrong?! What do you need?'
Louisa laughed whilst rubbing her back… 'I need a hot water bottle and a two-week holiday in the Bahamas.'
'Don't we all' they both laughed.
One person who never laughed on the playground or anywhere for that matter, was Mr. Buckley the acting head teacher. He called Louisa's name from the school's front entrance. 'Miss Glasson. Could you be at my office at 16.00 hours today please? Without fail. Thank you.'
He looked particularly serious, Louisa worried.
XXX
Martin sat at Louisa's kitchen table with his newly bought laptop, trying to get all the necessary documents to his loss assessor. He sat with everything in it's place and a small cup of espresso. Everything in his life had turned upside down but he was determined to keep his routine, getting up, eating and sleeping at the same time each day. Then, the all-familiar grey hat with the even grey-er hair appeared from nowhere.
'Hello Doc. Fancy seeing you 'ere.' Bert let himself in, joining Martin at the table.
'What are you doing? Get out. This is not your house. And it's not mine so leave.' Martin never understood why they all did this. They just strolled in, without invitation and without any consideration that they may not be wanted. Joe Penhale was another. Were they all born in barns next to each other?
'Miss Glasson not here then?'
Martin gave him a cold stare, 'Why do you people always do this? What do you want?'
'Well there's something that I've been meaning to discuss with you. Yoga.'
Martin sighed heavily with his look of thunder.
Bert continued…. 'The trouble is, Doc, is that me and you, we're career men. We're always neglecting ourselves to provide for our community. To see our folk right!' he said passionately.
'I don't neglect myself.'
'So how about me and you start up our own business? Yoga classes for the over 50s ! Haha brilliant!'
Martin looked horrified 'I'm not over 50. No, absolutely not.'
'No offence or anything, Doc but you're in no position to refuse any proposition.' Bert really was trying his luck now and he knew it. But he felt as though they had been friends for a long time now and could be honest with each other. 'And….. I've come up with a simple yet brilliant brand name….. Martin & Bert's yoga!' Bert genuinely did think of it as an exciting new business plan.
'Yes. Very imaginative. Now go away. I'm sure there's some mobile skip somewhere that is just waiting to be rummaged through.'
Bert knew he wasn't going to get anywhere but had tried all the same. He pulled a face at the Doc and then got up to leave as he tutted.
'Oh Bert. There's been something that I've wanted to discuss with you also. The fire. It's under investigation but if it reveals that the cause of it was that washing machine, well, I will be holding you responsible.'
Bert's jaw almost hit the ground. He looked horrified and couldn't quite believe what he was being told. 'But Doc, you can't. I said I would take a look at it which I did, therefore yo…..'
Martin cut him short, 'Goodbye'.
XXX
'Take a seat, Miss Glasson.'
Louisa smiled and sat at the other end of the desk; the end that she didn't know so well. She never admitted it but it always felt so strange being in there and not being headmistress, but it was fine, she was just so happy to be back. But she was worried sick. Why had Mr Buckley called her into the office? Had she done something wrong? Maybe he thought she should start her Maternity leave now?
'So, how are you finding things since being back?' Mr Buckley was a Londoner and Louisa knew he wouldn't engage in small talk for too long.
'Yes, good thank you. I know all the kids and they know me so, that's half the battle' They both nervously laughed.
'The thing is, Miss Glasson, is that I know you're very near the beginning of your Maternity leave….'
Before he could finish the sentence, Louisa jump in, 'Yes, and I'm very capable of finishing the term and….' She didn't know whether it was because her aches and pains were making her a bit grouchy or whether the impending birth was making her a bit too highly strung, but she realised what she had done. She smiled and apologised, allowing Mr Buckley to continue.
'I have no question as to whether you are capable, Miss Glasson. And you will be entitled to paid leave regardless of your decision.'
'Decision?' she tilted her head.
'Unfortunately, I feel as though my time in Portwenn has come to an end. I've loved it of course, but I'd like to experience more of the country. So, Louisa, would you consider taking the role of acting head until a replacement is found?'
She wasn't expecting that and was lost for words but how could she refuse? Something that she loved so much.
'Eer, er well, yes! Of course' They both laughed nervously again.
'One thing though, we still wouldn't have anybody to cover your part-hours, so that comes with the job. Would that be ok?'
Louisa didn't know what to say, 'Er yes, of course.'
'Brilliant! I know it's not the best timing in the world for you, but you just ask for help if you need it. I'll still be here until the summer holidays, wrapping things up, tying up loose ends, you know how it is!'
'Yes' Louisa smiled.
'I'll let the school's committee know and then just, hand everything over to you. Of course headship entails the overseeing of everything and we're also in the process of employing new cleaners for the duration for the summer holidays. But of course, I need not explain, if anybody knows a thing or two about this school, it's you.'
The conversation ended on a high note and Mr Buckley seemed very pleased with the outcome. But as Louisa made her way out of the school, she wondered what on earth had she just done? And how would she explain this to Martin?
XXX
Just like any other night in their newfound 'normal', Martin and Louisa both sat at the table, tucking into fresh fish and vegetables. Louisa was in her comfiest pyjamas whilst Martin stayed in his suit right up until bedtime, of course. They'd both finished their meals and Louisa invited Martin to sit on the terrace with her; it was still so hot, but it just seemed the perfect night to sit and watch the world go by. Well, Portwenn anyway. Louisa could have devoured a glass of chilled wine, but the hot chocolate would do for now.
'Let's talk, Martin' she said softly, smiling at him.
Martin looked uncomfortable but tried to start the conversation 'Er, yes. Have you considered any type of lock lately?'
'Lock?' she was confused.
'Bert Large and Penhale just walk in whenever they see fit, amongst others.' He did not approve.
'Oh' she giggled 'No, no, I don't mean err locks, er necessarily. Tell me a bit about you,' she laughed again 'I mean, this is crazy, we're having a baby and we've hardly ever talked. Not really.'
She tried to make him feel at ease; she wasn't trying to make him feel guilty or inadequate in any way. She just simply wanted to talk to him.
'Tell me your earliest memory' She wondered.
'Oh er, well there are a few but I think the first is err, when Mary took me to the nearby river. My parents were leaving for Portugal for 3 months and I became upset so Mary took me to the river, and encouraged me to swim in it. As I approached the water, she splashed me. She was laughing, she seemed amused. I was not.'
'Mary? You haven't mentioned that name before? Louisa tilted her head.
'Oh, Mary, yes. She was my nanny. She looked after me from the age of three, until I left for boarding school at the age of ten. And she was very kind to me.'
Louisa felt so sad because she could see he was sad. There was a deep sadness in his eyes. As if, the only person that made his childhood worthwhile was his nannny. Not his mother or his father, or any grandparent, but his nanny. And she just couldn't understand it; how could two parents treat their only child this way? How could they hate their child? Louisa's upbringing had been far from perfect, but she never felt as though her parents hated her. Maybe she felt an inconvenience at times, maybe parental love wasn't always on the top of their list, but she never felt hated.
And at that time, nothing felt more natural and so she took that first step. She leaned forward and kissed him. She looked into his deep eyes, expecting him to pull away but he didn't. He kissed her back and reached slowly for her hand. They held each other in a tight embrace; nothing else in the world mattered at that moment.