Chapter 53

As is often the case at funerals or memorial services, the attendees used the time, not just to remember the departed, but also to reconnect with old friends, and the room had taken on a festive air for several hours, but eventually the guests started to clear the room, making their farewells to Margaret, Louisa and Martin. Many were headed to late rounds, but some had agreed to meet at a local pub and were strolling down the hall laughing and joking as they made their way. It had been a successful affair, Margaret commented to Louisa as she slipped out with the last of their guests to find the ladies room. The catering staff had started clearing the tables a few minutes earlier and they were packing the leftover canapés to be sent to a local soup kitchen. Louisa gathered up the extra programs and the mementoes that had been placed on the tables near the entry and packed them carefully into a box and called Morwenna to let her know it was ready to go to Martin's office where she would ship it back to the Ellingham villa in Portugal tomorrow.

As Louisa conferred with the catering supervisor, going over the bill, she noticed Margaret confronting Martin in a corner near the windows. It was clear from his body language that Martin wanted to escape; his body was inclined away from Margaret and his hands were balled against his side with his fingers twitching, a mannerism that Louisa had learned early on meant that he was agitated and was trying to determine the appropriate course of action. Even as he leaned further away, stepping back from Margaret, she pressed in closer, intent on whatever it was she was saying. By the time Louisa had finished with the caterer, both Martin and Margaret were speaking in a tone loud enough to attract the attention of the staff and anyone passing in the outer corridor. She could hear bits and pieces, Margaret insisting, "It is your obligation …." And Martin's reply, "… if I ever had any … ceased long ago." Whatever the subject was, this was not the place to discuss it and Louisa hurried over to put a stop to it, reminding Martin that they needed to go home and relieve their nanny. "I'm sure you understand," she added to Margaret with a forced smile as she pulled Martin toward the door, not waiting for Margaret to reply.

The short taxi ride home was quiet, neither one wanting to discuss the scene with his mother with the cabbie close at hand. Louisa had given Martin a questioning look as they entered the cab and he had responded with an eyeroll and a whispered "later." She merely nodded her head in response as he gave the driver their address and then leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes. She reached for his hand and held it softly in hers, rubbing his palm gently with her fingers.

As soon as the cab stopped in front of their home, Louisa slid out and traipsed up the stairs, anxious to be home. She unlocked the front door and walked into the foyer of their home, where she immediately shucked off her shoes, tossing them into a corner. She laid her purse and her copy of the memorial service program on the hall table, and turned to face Martin who had followed close behind her. He closed the door, and picked up her shoes, carrying them to the stairs to take up to their bedroom closet later. He helped Louisa with her coat and grabbed her purse, hanging both of them in their respective places in the hall cupboard. He then leaned behind her and snatched the program off the table and stepped into the kitchen to shove it into the bin. She grimaced as she followed his movements with her eyes; he was always picking up after her, something she found annoying at the best of times. When he was particularly frustrated with her, he would mutter under his breath that old adage, 'a place for everything and everything in its place'. Their contrasting attitudes toward clutter was one of the constant thorns in their marriage, a conflict which they had never fully resolved. But this time, he was right, at least as far as leaving the program out where the children, especially James, might see it and have questions.

She sighed. It had been an exhausting day and she was grateful to be home where she and Martin could relax with a quiet family dinner. He joined her back in the hallway, looking even more shattered than she felt. She turned and put her arms around him, "It's good to be home."

He returned the hug, "Yes."

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine." He pulled away and raised his eyebrow, "Glad it's over."

"Me too."

Their peaceful moment was soon burst by the noisy entrance of their children, ushered in by their current nanny Laurie, who had stayed the afternoon to care for the Ellingham offspring. She was carrying Joanie who reached out to her father with a big grin, "Daddy". Martin took his youngest from Laurie while Louisa asked about their afternoon.

Laurie looked at each of the children, one by one as she answered their mother, "We had a good afternoon, didn't we? Joanie had a good nap whilst you were gone. James and Robert worked on their lessons right after they arrived home from school, and then we went to the park. It was a little wet, but the boys found some friends to play ball with and Joanie played on the new equipment they just installed for toddlers. I think she had a good time, didn't you Joanie?" She tugged on Joanie's toes, making the little girl laugh.

"Thank you so much Laurie. We'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Yes Mrs. Ellingham, tomorrow morning, nine sharp."

She headed out the door and Louisa turned to Martin, "Guess we'd better get supper on the table. I made one of Joan's casseroles. Just need to pop it in the oven for a few minutes. James would you set the table whilst I pull out the vegetables I prepared earlier and pour the drinks."

Martin put Joanie down, who protested crying "Up Daddy, up."

He leaned down and stroked her cheek, "I'm just going upstairs to wash my hands. I'll be right back to help Mummy with dinner." He glanced over to Louisa to make sure she understood.

She held out her hand for Joanie and responded, "Yeah, right. Come on Joanie, you can help James with the table."

As Martin trotted up the stairs, Louisa turned her attention to the children and dinner preparation and soon all were seated at the table. Fortunately, the boys had lots to share from their day. Robert in particular wanted to discuss the astronomy lesson introduced to his class that day, a lesson about the solar system. They were going to make a model of the solar system with papier-mâché to hang in their classroom, and he had all sorts of information as well as questions about the differences in the planets. James remembered doing the same project when he was in Reception, and he was eager to share his knowledge. He suggested that he help Robert build his own solar system model at home. Martin and Louisa were happy to let the boys monopolise the conversation, a pleasant distraction preventing any reflection on the events from their own afternoon. Even so, they did have to temper the boys' enthusiasm every now and then to remind them to finish their supper before they went off to do some research for their project on their mother's tablet.

Later that evening after the children were all in bed, Martin and Louisa took their tea into the lounge and recalled the day. "I think the memorial went well, don't you?"

"A complete farce." Martin grumbled.

"Oh dear. I know it was a trial, but you held up well. Your mother was pleased with the turnout."

"Gawd. Simpering and fawning. It was disgusting."

"Martin." She was using her schoolteacher's voice now. "I understand your reluctance to honour your father, and you have good reason. We won't go into that now. But he was a respected surgeon and he deserved to have a proper send-off. We gave him that."

"Humph."

"And your mother deserved some recognition for the work she did with the auxiliary. Let her have her moment. She won't have another."

"Louisa." Now he was using his stern surgeon's voice, and she expected him to launch into a rant. Instead he stared at her with the forlorn look he had when he was truly disheartened.

"I know, I know." She put her mug down on the table and wrapped her arms around him and held him close. "We will deal with her later. Tonight, let's just be with each other." She looked up and wiped a tear that had slipped down his cheek and then kissed him ever so delicately.

"Yes." He wrapped his arms around her and rocked her gently back and forth.

Dealing with his mother was going to be a challenge. As it turned out, the confrontation that Martin had with his mother after the guests had left was about money, Margaret making several demands regarding her financial situation. She had already met with Christopher's solicitors and knew the arrangements he had made, such as they were, for her continuing maintenance. She reminded Martin of his responsibility to help her when Christopher's funds ran out. When Louisa stepped in, dragging Martin from the room, Martin had just rebuffed his mother telling her," My obligations to you, if I ever had any, ceased long ago." Of course, they both knew that Margaret's demands wouldn't stop with Martin's blunt refusal. She would continue to pester him whenever she had the chance. It was up to Louisa and Ruth to keep Margaret's expectations realistic. She and Martin would put her off until Ruth returned when, with Ruth's help, they would sell the villa and make the final financial arrangements.

Ruth … Louisa smiled when she thought of Ruth. She was so pleased and happy for Ruth who was on her honeymoon with a wonderful man. Louisa and Martin had met Peter at a holiday gala right after Joanie was born and found him charming. When she told Ruth of their encounter, Ruth was distressed to learn that his wife had recently passed away and she called him when they returned to London. She met up with him over lunch one day shortly thereafter and again over the next year, in London and a few times in Portugal during her visits to help find nursing care for Christopher. They started seeing each other regularly both in London and in Cornwall, where he and his late wife had purchased a small home near their son's primary care practice on the north coast, not far from the Ellingham homestead. This past Christmas, the Ellinghams had hosted Peter and his family one evening, and they were thrilled when he and Ruth announced their engagement. Ruth was glowing; Louisa had never seen her so happy.

They had planned a small family wedding in the late spring, but when Christopher died in March, they discussed postponing the wedding in order to attend the memorial service. Louisa and Martin both convinced them that they should carry-on with their plans, and they were married just three weeks ago and were now on their honeymoon sailing the Mediterranean. They would extend their trip with a week-long tour of gardens in Provence before returning to London and their new home. Ruth and Peter were proof that it was never too late to find love.

Martin and Louisa settled quietly into the sofa pillows, still holding onto each other. Martin had put on some of his favourite classical tunes to play. The pieces he had selected were gentle, calming compositions, surrounding them with a comforting ambiance. She found the music relaxing after a stressful day. One piece she particularly favoured started to play, "Bach?" she asked.

"Yes, Prelude No. 1, very soothing."

"It is beautiful."

"Yes." He had released her and slid his arm around her shoulders and was holding her hand, playing with her fingers.

"This is nice."

"Mmm …"

"Do you have any early procedures tomorrow?"

"No, but I do have rounds at half seven, and then consultations all day starting at ten. I should be home early around five, barring any emergencies."

'Perhaps we could spend an hour with the children in the park when you arrive home?"

"We could. I will let you know how the day goes."

Louisa yawned and snuggled into his side. "It's been a long day. I'm really tired. Are you ready to retire?"

He let go of her hand and reached over to pick up their mugs. "Yes. Why don't you go up? I'll put these in the dishwasher and join you in a minute."

"Okay." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and rose to go upstairs and prepare for bed.

xxxxxxx

The next evening everything was back to normal. They spent a few moments strolling in their neighbourhood park after Martin arrived home with Joanie in her pushchair and the boys playing tag with several of their friends. Dinner was a quiet affair with the boys discussing the facts they had gleaned after school for their planetary project and their parents discussing plans for the weekend. Afterwards, Martin secluded himself in his study to prepare for two challenging procedures scheduled for early the next morning, and Louisa prepared the children for bed and their nightly story-time ritual in which Martin read from one of their many favourite books. After they were in bed, Martin returned to his study and Louisa settled herself in the lounge with a book of her own. After an hour or so, she heard him power down his laptop and store his papers in his bag. She wandered into his study and balanced herself on a corner of his desk. "All ready for tomorrow?"

"Yep."

She drummed her fingers on his desk and looked at him, "I've been thinking."

He looked back at her with a pained expression. It wasn't often that she came into his study and even less often that she perched on the corner of his desk. She had something she wanted to discuss and she could tell he was bracing himself for something serious.

"Yes?"

She had been trying to think of a good way to approach him with her idea, but nothing had readily come to mind. Might as well just be out with it. "I've been thinking. Every February, when we go to visit my mother, Margaret offers to host the children for an afternoon at her community swimming pool. I have always declined her offer and I know she is disappointed."

Martin cleared his throat, "Louisa." His voice was stern.

"I've been thinking that I should take her up on her offer next year."

"No, absolutely not. I do not want her to have any contact with the children."

Louisa stood up and leaned back folding her arms against her chest, "Martin, I think it would be a kindness; she has no one else, and it would only be for two hours at the most … and … and the children would enjoy playing in the pool."

"Louisa, you don't know her well. You have no idea the damage she could inflict on the children." He drummed his own fingers on the desk nervously.

"I would be with them the entire time and would assiduously supervise her interaction with the children, assiduously. If she were to say or do anything that could possibly upset them, I would leave immediately and refuse her future requests."

He unfolded himself from his chair and stood, staring down at her and balling his fists at his side, "Even so, I would really prefer you refrain from exposing her to the children."

"She always asks after the children. I think she is really interested in getting to know them."

"Don't be fooled Louisa. Showing interest in the children is undoubtedly her way of ingratiating herself with you, getting you on her side to convince me to help her with money. The only person she cares about is herself."

Martin's assertion shocked her and she glanced down at the floor in thought. She had felt that Margaret's interest in the children was sincere. It hadn't occurred to her that Margaret might be manipulating her in such a way, and she needed time to reflect on her relationship with Martin's mother.

She lifted her face toward his, and they stood facing each other for a short minute before Louisa reached out and took his hands in hers, searching his eyes with her own, "I do understand and I will seriously consider your concerns. I will be very careful when I interact with her. Next February is still almost a year away. A lot can happen between now and then."

"Yes, it can."

"Ruth will be back soon and will help Margaret sell the villa and find new accommodations. She may not even stay in the same compound."

"Possibly."

"Yes, well." She shrugged her shoulders and screwed up her mouth, then gave him a gentle kiss. Who knew what the next year would bring? They could cross that bridge when it came. She turned to leave the room, and then pivoted back towards him "I'm going to make some tea. Would you like some?"

"Of course. I'll help."

She gave him one of her brilliant smiles that he loved so much and turned to go to the kitchen. He followed close behind, his hand resting lightly on her waist. "I think I will put on some music. We could dance a bit before going up … if you'd like."

She turned and grinned with a knowing look, a twinkle in her eye, "Oh yes. That would be fun."

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and he turned toward the lounge to select some suitable dance music.