Chapter 4

Louisa walked around to the rear entrance of the surgery and entered. She hung her coat on the peg and went into the kitchen. Martin turned and looked at her, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

She beamed at him and said everything was in place for her to leave at 2:30 on Friday.

"Good. I'll have Pauline cancel my patients from then on and rearrange to see them next week. I got some fish from the fishmonger, I thought I'd do a fish curry with rice, if that's all right with you?"

"That sounds good, Martin. I'm going upstairs to have a shower and change. Year 2 were a bit enthusiastic with their paints, today!" She twirled, showing him her paint spotted dress.

Martin frowned, but knew enough to simply agree with her and resume his cooking.

Later as they sat on the couch, she asked him how his day had been. "Usual complaints, idiotic mothers allowing children to poke things into their ears, patients who don't listen to my instructions. As I say, a normal day!" Martin was exasperated by the villager's inability to think for themselves or listen to proper medical advice. They'd rather get their info from Caroline's radio show, or from the lurid magazines at the supermarket checkout, than listen to someone who actually knew what they were talking about!

Louisa sighed. This was something she'd heard many times from Martin and she wished he could accept that this was the way it had always been in Portwenn. She knew from the gossip that went around that the inhabitants were beginning to listen to him but it would be a slow process before he would see a marked improvement in their behaviour.

"I heard that our headmistress, Joanna, has given in her notice, so her job will be advertised soon." Louisa looked at Martin to gauge his reaction, but nothing showed on his face. She pressed on, "I'm thinking of applying for it."

At that, Martin looked at her in surprise. "What about the baby? Assuming you are pregnant that is?"

"Oh Martin, just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I have to give up work altogether." Louisa laughed at him.

"But who will look after it? I obviously can't as I don't know when I may be called out to an emergency and I have patients in the surgery the rest of the time! Besides, I don't know the first thing about babies, anyway."

"We can engage a childminder to look after it when we're at work, so we don't have to worry about it."

Martin looked thoughtful, "Where will you get one from? I'm not sure there's anyone in the village I'd like to entrust with our child! I hoped that you would stay at home and look after the baby. I believe that you will make a wonderful mother and our baby couldn't be in better hands," he explained.

"No, I want to stay at work. So, to me, a childminder makes good sense. There are a number of girls in the village who would jump at the chance to earn some money, and we can vet them, to make sure they would be suitable."

Louisa smiled at him encouragingly but he didn't look at all convinced.

In fact, Martin was surprised at how dismayed he felt. Once the likelihood of a baby had been mentioned he'd assumed that Louisa would be staying at home to look after it. Now that it was more than a theoretical proposition, he'd thought that she would be swayed by her maternal instincts and want to look after it, providing the best care. He thought back to his own mother who had lost no time in palming him off to a nanny and resuming her charity work and socialising without a backward glance. Martin reviewed his lonely childhood self, without the benefit of a close relationship to his parents, and no siblings or friends to play with. He didn't want to inflict that onto his unborn child.

"The job's not been advertised yet, Martin. Joanna told me she wouldn't be leaving until next year. I still have time to think about what to do if I am pregnant." Louisa explained.

"Hmm, I'm feeling a bit tired and want to go to bed now. Are you coming, or staying up to read a bit?" Martin looked hopefully at her and Louisa suppressed a knowing grin to follow him up the stairs.