Chapter 15 - Up and Away to America

Louisa settled in her airplane seat after stowing her carry-on bag in the bin overhead and setting her big purse under the seat in front of her. She was wedged in between an older woman by the window and a man sitting in the aisle seat. Both had smiled at her when she indicated she was to be the third passenger in their row. The woman was beautifully dressed in matching jacket and trousers, pale green with a lovely flowered shawl draped around her shoulders. The man was wearing a suit.

Just like Martin, she thought. And while Martin was always formally dressed, Louisa favored more comfortable clothing. And that's how she had packed. Not for big city living, but for a sensible stay in a rural area. She was looking forward to wearing the clothes from her shopping trip with her teacher friends. Also sunglasses and a hat for outdoors and good shoes for walking.

She could not believe when she set foot on ground again it would be in the country that she had dreamed about visiting when she was growing up. Standing on the beach in Port Wenn or high on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, she longed to see what was on the other side of that vast expanse of water. New York City, the Grand Canyon, Disneyland, Hollywood, the Wild West.

Was she going to any of those far off places she'd heard about and seen pictures of in magazines or on a movie screen? No, not her, not Louisa. She could almost hear Martin snicker as she told him where her summer holiday would take place. Not the East Coast nor the West Coast of the United States, but right smack dab in the middle. She would arrive in Chicago, the largest city in the Midwest. But her final destination was a small farming community. Probably as similar to Portwenn as Chicago was to London. And Martin certainly made it known that he preferred a city to a rural area, and she suspected how embarrassing it was for him to be confined in Portwenn when he had lived and worked in London as a renowned surgeon.

But he hadn't snickered when she'd told him her news. He had been gobsmacked! Not a word for the longest time. He'd sat at her table immobile as she picked the lamb chop up off the floor that had skidded off his plate when he stabbed at it with his knife after she had blurted out her news. Deciding how and when to tell him that she would be on holiday in Millersville, Illinois, USA had been a difficult decision for her. She feared she had ruined their evening together with her hasty, unplanned announcement just as the meal she had carefully prepared for him had begun.

That had not been the only thing to upset her plans. Almost immediately after she'd scooped the lamb chop off the floor, Cameron jumped through her open window to get to Martin. That dog absolutely adored Martin. In spite of all Martin's shouts and protest whenever Cameron made his appearance at Martin's side, the dog was undeterred in his affection and determination to be with Martin. It had been up to Louisa to grab Cameron's collar and drag him to her door to put him back outside.

But the evening had not been ruined. Just the opposite. It had begun with Martin presenting her a bouquet of daisies, a sweet, unexpected gesture. And then, for the first time Martin had mentioned how he felt about her. He had described a feeling, his feeling for her as fondness. She thought of him often as he said those words to her, a bit shyly ... or perhaps it was a bit hesitantly. Martin was not used to understanding his feelings, much less talking about them out loud. That had been a start.

But, oh, the ups and downs they had in this relationship, and especially in these past days right before this trip. Some days she could not wait to get away from Portwenn and just forget about Martin. She could see now that that was going to be difficult. She had a new sensation to ponder, for she still felt the touch of his lips against hers when they parted at the Bodmin train station. He had turned into her kiss which she was going to plant on his cheek. How lovely that had been, and her arms longed to hold him as she watched him walk away.

Only a few people remained in the aisle to be seated. Then the cabin attendants could complete the boarding process by closing the overhead compartments.

The older woman by the window turned to her and asked, "Is this your first flight?"

"Noooo," Louisa replied as she remembered her first meeting with Martin. That had been on an airplane flight from London to Portwenn. His face leaning toward her rushed to the forefront of her thoughts. How different she felt now than she had then. Oh, she had been as rude as he was. But how was she to know he was a doctor, the very doctor that would settle in her village of Portwenn.

I should reply to my seatmate, Louisa reminded herself. Martin needed to disappear from her mind just now. Did she want him to? I should be thinking of my holiday, my destination. I should get out my itinerary and review it. Louisa turned in her seat.

She smiled at her seatmate and said, "Hello. I'm Louisa. I have flown, but not in an airplane as large as this. It's my first visit to the States.

The woman smiled back and replied, "I'm Clarissa. From Chicago. You're not from London?

"No … Portwenn, a small village in Cornwall."

Clarissa unfastened her seat belt as she said, " Sounds like it's on a coast. I'd like to change seats so that you will see more of what is happening outside."

Louisa didn't know what to say, and the woman's kind face and her voice saying "Please" decided for her.

"Oh, thank you so much. Portwenn is in a lovely area and it is right on the Atlantic Ocean. It's exciting to think I'll soon be flying over the water I see every day."

The plane had started to move. Louisa and Clarissa settled back to listen to the flight attendant explain safety procedures. The forward thrust of the aircraft pushed Louisa back in her seat and she watched the ground underneath rush past and drop away. The clouds very quickly obscured her view out the window.

"I live by water too. Inland." Clarissa explained. "I live right in Chicago and my condo has a great view of Lake Michigan. One of the Great Lakes which we think of as our inland seas. Those lakes form a natural border on the north with Canada for a good long ways."

Louisa was curious. "Have you lived in Chicago all your life?

"Yes, dear. But England feels like a second home to me. I've come often because of my art gallery."

Louisa began, "So you've been in London to buy .…"

Clarissa's voice softened and Louisa saw her eyes begin to tear up. "Not this trip. Just to see a friend who is very ill. She is my best contact in London, but over the years she has become much more than that."

Louisa voiced her wish, "I hope she'll be alright."

"She's not expected to make it."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Louisa said. "What … ? Oh, I shouldn't ask."

"That's okay, dear," Clarissa replied. "Cancer. It gets so many."

Louisa had a quick inner glimpse of Martin, his doctor face very focused and professional. "Hopefully that will change soon. I have a friend who is a doctor. He says research is making great strides in understanding the makeup of cancer tumor cells."

The woman's face brightened, "Do you work with him? Are you a nurse?"

"No, no. A teacher," Louisa explained.

Clarissa got a gleam in her eye that reminded Louisa of seeing Bert yesterday as she was leaving Port Wenn. "Ah, is he a special friend?"

Louisa gave her an honest answer, "I wish I could say yes, but I'm just not sure where our relationship is going. Probably nowhere."

"He must be blind. But there are always other fish in the sea."

Louisa's eyes opened wide.

Clarissa patted Louisa's hand, "Oh, he's the one to worry. Who knows who you might meet while you are away on holiday."

This gave Louisa the opportunity to explain exactly why she was traveling to Illinois.

When Clarissa found out that Louisa would be staying in a rural part of her state, she extended an invitation to Louisa to visit her in Chicago anytime she could get away.

Louisa and Clarissa later chatted with the man sitting in the aisle seat. He was a businessman returning to Chicago after attending a conference on trade in Warsaw, Poland. His stop in London had been only to transfer to this flight home.

Louisa was able to nap on the plane. She'd gotten a pillow from an attendant and as she leaned her head away from Clarissa she found out that the window seat provided a firm support for her head. She had had busy days and she needed this rest.

As the airplane approached Chicago, Louisa was looking out the window.

Louisa remarked to Clarissa, "Lake Michigan. What a lot of water, right in the middle of your country, Clarissa!"

Clarissa explained something to Louisa, "Some people here think everything in the states is bigger and better. That there is nothing the Old World can teach us."

Louisa exclaimed, "The Old World … You mean Europe!"

Clarissa closed her eyes and replied with a smile on her face and a slow nod of her head. "Oh dear, I'm just being quaint. I love Europe and I go whenever I can. But it always takes me a while to adjust to the hustle and bustle here in the states when I get back. I wish you a wonderful time. And I hope you learn lots."

Louisa was bursting with excitement, "Oh, I know I will. This holiday is so special for me! I can hardly believe I'm here."

Clarissa patted her arm, "Come see me in Chicago too, dear."

Louisa beamed as she got her carry-on luggage ready so she could exit the plane. Now she just had to find Mr. Seibert from Millersville who was there to meet her.