Chapter 18: Louisa

Monday Midday

"Louisa!"

"Martin! What are you doing here?"

He was taken aback by the question. "I might ask you the same thing! You said you'd call when you were ready to come home, and I'd pick you up at the station."

Louisa felt elated to see Martin, unexpected as it was, but she could see that he was hurt to run into her like this without warning.

She wanted to throw her arms around him, run her hands through his close cropped hair, and pull him close for a happy-to-be-back-home kiss. Most of all, she wanted to tell him her story: how she was once a shy adolescent, whose Mum had deserted her and whose Dad spent his time with dodgy friends making dodgy deals; how when she was 15 she met a boy who understood what that was like, because his parents had also left him emotionally stranded to make his own way.

It was just about 20 years ago. Her older brother Tommy had left school the year before and left Cornwall soon after, going off to join Mum in Spain and then tramp about the Mediterranean. Dad had managed to get charges of receiving stolen goods dismissed. He had eventually convinced the judge he had no idea the discount car parts he had been selling were stolen, however he still ended up with a month-long sentence for twice failing to attend his court hearings.

Looking back as an adult, Louisa realized she was lucky to avoid being put into care. She was used to Dad occasionally staying out for a night or two so she was able to cook for herself, get her homework done, and get herself off to school in his absence, but this was the first time he had been away so long since Mum had left.

Young Louisa was feeling lost. Her best friend Isobel had recently moved away with her family and she was aware her other girlfriends vaguely knew of her father's dishonest ways, thanks to village gossip. She was too ashamed to confide in anyone.

Then one day the new boy showed up at school. Lost in her own thoughts, Louisa kept her eyes down in the crowded corridors at Wadebridge School and when she rounded a corner she collided with him and their books went flying all over. Stunned at this sudden intrusion of the outside world into her private misery, she expected this lanky, spotty stranger to be angry at her. Instead, his sparkling grey eyes lit up at the sight of her and he gave her a warm and generous smile. He collected all their books and belongings, asked her the way to the dining hall, then asked her if they could have lunch together.

Soon they were inseparable. He would buy her fish and chips, for which she was secretly grateful since Dad had left little money at home for groceries. She was tutoring him in maths, even though he was a year ahead, because she had always excelled at it and it was his weakest subject. And then she was confiding to him everything about her home life and he told her all about his own dad, who deserted the family and got himself killed in a car crash, and his mum, a would-be artist who took up with a series of boyfriends and brought the two of them out to Cornwall to be with the latest one.

Young Jago had a natural charisma, even then. He quickly made friends at his new school and drew the attention of lots of girls, but he fancied Louisa and she fancied him back.

One Saturday he asked her out on a picnic on the grass by the cliffs. They shared sandwiches, a bottle of cider he had nicked, and a kiss. It was her first kiss – and there were a few others after that.

Unlike her girlfriends, whose fathers would have looked askance at them keeping company with this boy, she had no parental supervision. She had to supervise herself, even after Dad got out and came home, but she was responsible and mature for her age. Even so, she was a 15-year-old girl experiencing first love. She began to think about what it would be like to be with Jago, to have her first time be with him, and she began to imagine how it would come about. In her mind, it would be a romantic celebration of the end of school term. She would be 16 by then. She could invite him to her home when she knew Dad would be gone all night, make a romantic dinner (nothing too complicated or expensive), complete with candles. They could share a bottle of cider or two, and see where things went from there. She wondered whether Jago was experienced and if he had access to condoms. If he didn't, maybe she could take a bus to Delabole, where no one knew her, and she could get up the nerve to buy them there. She wanted it all to be perfect.

Then on the last day of school, he never showed up. She found out through the grapevine his mum had had a row with her boyfriend and furiously packed up and moved her and Jago back to London.

Jago wrote to her, explaining and apologizing. They corresponded briefly but soon lost touch. It was her first experience with a broken heart but in time she got over it and was even glad her youthful seduction plan fell through. She became interested in Sam Penhale for a while. Dad cleaned up his act and got a job repairing boat motors. She began to seriously look into applying to university. In short, life moved on.

She earned her teaching degree, lived in London with friends, moved back to Cornwall, dated Danny Steel for several years, broke up with Danny when he moved to London, and prospered in her teaching career. She became involved in the community and created her own reputation and standing. People grew to like and respect her for herself. When Dad was accused of stealing from the Lifeboat Fund he turned his back on Portwenn for good and moved away, leaving his now adult daughter to the life she had made for herself. She knew some people snickered and gossiped behind her back that she was naïve to keep her trust in her father. It remained a sore point, but once Dad was gone she largely put his actions behind her.

In the meantime, the boy who had been her first love went on to attend drama school, to have a few small parts in sitcoms and commercials here and there, until he went off to the faraway world of Hollywood to try his luck. Louisa had no idea what became of him until suddenly there he was on the silver screen. An actual, bone fide, larger-than-life Movie Star.

And now here she was despondent over her father's final betrayal of her trust in him and she had a chance to meet up again with the one person who had truly understood her experience with parental dysfunction. He was right here again in her village, like the prodigal son returned home.

When she first showed up at the film set at Wenn Hall she didn't even have to try to get Jago's attention, he spotted her amongst the crowd watching the filming and came right over.

"I know you! Now don't tell me, you were in The Lord of the Rings, weren't you," he said. She blushed. "No, silly! We were at school together."

Jago laughed. "Of course I know, Louisa! Louisa Glasson! I could never forget you!" He hugged her and she suddenly felt better than she had in quite a while.

So when Louisa knocked on the caravan door and Martin opened it, she was surprised but genuinely elated to see him. Martin was constantly on her mind while she was away, but she had to admit she was also bothered by the thought that he simply didn't understand how upsetting it was for her to have to face the truth about her father, how conflicted she was. To Martin her father was just a criminal and as such didn't merit her concern. She knew he thought she should simply cut Dad out of her life and move on.

Louisa wanted to explain all these things to Martin but she was so surprised to see him all she could say was "What are you doing here?" She felt ridiculous as soon as she said it.

"I might ask you the same thing…" he retorted.

Louisa was embarrassed, having meant to get in touch with him before they ran into each other.

"I left a message on your mobile just a little while ago, but I suppose you've been out of range. Caroline Bosman happened to be in London you see, and she texted me last night that there was a movie being filmed in Portwenn and Jago was here, and she was driving back so I got a ride with her rather than take the train. We got home late, I didn't want to disturb you. I thought your Interpersonal Skills course began today."

"It did… er, it's been postponed for now."

Jago and Wynnie were staring at them. "Martin, let's step outside."

Martin followed Louisa down the short steps and into the forecourt. She could see in his eyes he felt betrayed, and he ducked his head in that way he had to avoid showing his hurt feelings, but she couldn't help feeling, well, annoyed. Why should he feel hurt over a missed phone call after all she had been through lately?

Joe Penhale and various members of the film crew were milling about, so she moved away until they were in front of Jago's trailer and she tried to keep their argument low but Martin didn't keep his voice down.

"You've been away so long. I thought you were taking a break from the troubles your father caused, and then I find you all it took to bring you back home was this movie business happening here. I never thought you would be taken in by all this… this ridiculous celebrity worship that has afflicted every other villager!"

"Martin, you make it sound so shallow. Jago Powell and I knew each other back in school. We were… close friends once."

That just made things worse. She could see the hurt escalate to smouldering jealousy, the way it had when he had seen her with Danny months ago. It was no good, she thought. She and Martin simply didn't have the kind of relationship where she could confide this sort of thing to him.

"I don't know why I thought you would understand," she snapped. "Not everyone had a perfect, posh, proper upbringing like Martin Ellingham had."

"What are you talking about? Perfect upbring… you're being utterly ridiculous!"

"Ridiculous, am I?" She turned on her heel, and ponytail bobbing, ran into Jago's caravan and slammed the door.

To be continued…

Notes: "Her older brother Tommy…" In my story Louisa Glasson and the Green Mermaid Louisa has a brother. In the canon no one ever actually says she was an only child.

"Being put into care" means foster care.

The Lord of the Rings: I always thought Caroline Catz looks a bit like Liv Tyler.