Chapter 8

Louisa went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea, while she waited for Martin to come back from his office. She drank hers slowly, but he hadn't reappeared so she went to find him. "Your tea is cold; do you want me to make you another?"

Martin looked at her as though he hadn't heard a word she'd said. She repeated the question and he distractedly replied, "No, I'm fine. I'll just have water."

She looked at him quizzically "Want to share what you're thinking about?" She walked to the chair opposite him and sat down. This time she waited patiently for him to elucidate his thoughts.

"I'm finding it hard to adjust to the change of circumstances, Louisa." He saw her face alter and a sad expression come over it. He rushed on to say that he was delighted with the pregnancy but couldn't reconcile the speed of events with his preconceived notions of the rest of his life.

"Before I met you, I thought I was destined for a lonely bachelorhood life. Doing my job here and living a solitary existence. My father belittled me every chance he got. He said "I'd have to drug 'em to keep 'em." Meaning I'd get no-one to marry me, and that I'd never have a family. My mother called me "a strange little boy," and did her best to keep me out of their way."

"Louisa, I don't know if I can be a good husband to you and a good father to the baby! I don't have the knowledge from my own upbringing to give me an example of what I should be." His anguish was clear to her.

She was devastated by his thoughts, and sat quietly marshalling her own ideas. "Well, Martin it seems to me that you do have a very clear idea of how not to be a good husband/partner from the example set by your parents. If I may say so they were crap specimens both as a couple and as parents. You do have the knowledge of how Joan and Phil treated you during your holidays here. Were they good role models, for you? Also, you've seen how Chris and Carol Parsons live and look after their offspring. Aren't they, what you would call good illustrations?"

He sat and thought about what she'd said. He could use the outlines of those experiences to shape his future behaviour. Looking at Louisa he saw the concern for him and a hint of wariness too. He didn't want to push her away but was uncertain of what exactly, to say next.

"Let's go to bed, Martin. It's been a stressful day, one way or another." She held out her hand to pull him up from the chair. They exited his office and Louisa went up to use the bathroom whilst he locked up.

She was in bed by the time he came in. "I'll just go and.." he gestured to the bathroom. Nodding at him, she waited for his return.

Climbing into bed he lay on his back with his arms by his sides as he had been wont to do in his boarding school. He exhaled and tried to relax but felt as though he was waiting for an explosion from Louisa. What he didn't expect was the kiss on the cheek she gave him. "Martin, do you remember the plane ride coming into Newquay, for your interview?"

He looked warily at her and nodded. "Yes."

"Well, that was when I fell in love with you! Before you'd even spoken to me."

"What? You said I had a problem and you moved to another seat!"

"You kept looking at me but you didn't say anything, and so I thought there was something wrong with you and I was disappointed. When you showed up at the interview, I was surprised by who you were. After the interview was finished you looked at me again and touched my cheek and eye. Martin, the shock of your touch reverberated through me like a wave! You were the first man ever to make me feel like that."

Martin was amazed at her confession. "Acute glaucoma," he said in his medical mode. "I on the other hand, managed to walk straight into a door and made a complete idiot of myself. To be truthful Louisa that moment had a similar effect upon me."

She reached up and stroked his hair as he turned to face her. "I still love you, you know, unless you've been putting stuff in my tea?"

Martin sat bolt upright and protested "I wouldn't..." in an outraged voice.

"Joke, Martin – it was just a joke." She reached up and pulled him back down on the bed, then began kissing him passionately.

"Louisa, I think you are very beautiful and will make an excellent mother. I will always love you. Now, what are you putting in my tea?"

She slapped him playfully and snuggled into him. Sleep was the last thing on their minds.