Disclaimer: Doc Martin is the property of Buffalo Pictures. I own nothing except my imagination.
Honour Among Thieves - Chapter 24
"I need to talk to you about something Louisa," Martin told her one evening. He'd been going over and over things in his mind trying to decide the best way to go about things. In the end, he'd done what he always did at times like this– he'd asked Joan for her advice.
"Do I just keep all this to myself, to save her the worry and heartache? But then if she finds out that I knew and didn't tell her, how will she react?" he'd asked Joan. Martin felt torn between protecting Louisa, and his gut feeling that honesty was the best policy. Secrets had a nasty habit of revealing themselves at the worst possible moment, and then biting you on the backside in his experience.
"You have to tell her Marty. Believe me, I've learnt the hard way over the years that secrets can fester and poison a relationship. Just try and be as sensitive as you can about it hmm?" were Joan's words of wisdom.
So here he was, sitting with Louisa in the kitchen. Luke was asleep upstairs, and as Martin wasn't on call, he'd switched his mobile off to ensure they weren't disturbed.
"What Martin, what is it?" Louisa was a bit worried by how serious Martin looked. Well his face was nearly always serious, but this was different, he was tense and she could tell he was worried about something.
"I've got something to tell you, and I don't want you to worry," he said as he took her hands in his.
"Oh God, Martin you're scaring me, are you ill or something?" All sorts of terrible scenarios were now running through Louisa's mind.
"No, no nothing like that," Martin quickly reassured her, thinking to himself 'I'mnotmakingaverygoodjobofthis,I'mjustscaringher – maybeit'sbestjusttocomeoutwithit'
"It's about your father actually. I have some news about him – it's good news and bad news I'm afraid," Martin started to explain.
"Dad? What news? What do you mean?" Louisa couldn't begin to think why Martin would have any news about her Dad unless...
"Is he ill then, and they let you know because you're a doctor?" she tried to fathom out.
"No Louisa, just let me explain from the beginning, I think that's best. When you received the letter from your father informing you that he was back in jail allegedly because he'd been set up, my first inclination was relief if I'm honest, relief that he was back behind bars and out of the way. However, on reflection I concluded that there was just a small possibility that he could be telling the truth. No doubt he has mixed with all sorts of unsavoury characters during the course of his criminal career, and it struck me as entirely feasible that some other crook could have an old score to settle with him. Therefore I instructed my legal firm to look into representing him, and if he was innocent of the charge, do everything in their power to clear him to enable him to be released again. There is usually some way a good lawyer can find some technicality, some mistake in the paperwork, to enable the charges to be dropped, that's how all the rich and famous get let off the hook."
Martin paused to gauge Louisa's reaction so far. She was just listening to him trying to take in what he was telling her, so he continued.
"Anyway, what has transpired is that your father is indeed innocent, he was set up. Apparently when he planned the robbery that he was jailed for, he was stepping on someone else's patch, someone else was planning to rob the same warehouse. So now, to show him who the boss is, they've stitched him up to teach him a lesson, show him who is more powerful," Martin explained.
"But if he's innocent, your lawyers can get him off then, can't they?" Louisa said hopefully. Martin hated to see the hope in her eyes, knowing that he was going to dash those hopes now.
"Well here's the thing, Louisa. Terry doesn't want them to get him off, he's pleading guilty to the charges and has refused to let my lawyers help him," Martin told her.
"Why? Why on earth would he do that, he was thrilled to be out on parole when I saw him, he hates being inside," Louisa struggled to understand.
"Apparently he knows exactly who has set him up and why. How it works is that if he accepts what they have done to him, it will mean that the score is settled, the slate is clean. However, if he contests the charges and they are dropped meaning that he goes free again, the gang concerned will find other ways to get even. He believes that other ways of getting to him could mean harming his family. Hurting you. So he's decided that he will just finish his prison term and know that the score is settled." Martin waited to see if the words had sunk in.
"So dad's doing it to protect me, he's going back inside to protect me?" Louisa looked at Martin for confirmation.
"That's how it seems, yes. He has declined all offers of help, so will continue his prison sentence." Martin had been surprised by Terry. He'd assumed that he would jump at the chance of having the charges against him dropped, but he had been adamant, he wasn't going to take any chances of them hurting his daughter. Martin had to begrudgingly admire the man, he was just as protective of Louisa in his own way as Martin was.
Terry had been very surprised when he'd found out who had instructed the fancy lawyer on his behalf. He would have assumed that Martin would be happy to see him rot in jail for the foreseeable future rather than contaminate his pristine life. He must be doing it for Louisa's sake, he must really care about her, Terry came to the conclusion.
"Louisa, I didn't tell you about all of this straight away until I'd found out a bit more, I didn't want to raise your hopes if it turned out that in fact your father was guilty as charged. I hope you understand my reasoning, I don't ever want to see you as upset as you were when you got Terry's last letter," Martin told her emotionally as he squeezed her hand.
"Right, no, I suppose not..." Louisa didn't quite know what to think. "So what made you try to help dad, I know you can't stand him, you think he's a low life, a liar, and a criminal. I think that was how you described him wasn't it?"
"Well, I can't stand most of the villagers, but I always try to do what's right, and to do my best for them. Terry is your father and Luke's grandfather whether I like it or not, and I thought it only right to establish his possible innocence on this occasion if it was within my power," Martin said.
"Why do you always make out that you hate everyone, and that you don't care, when actually underneath you are a very caring person?" Louisa asked him. She was still trying to take in the fact that Martin had been trying to help her father, and that her father was trying to protect her.
"I care about youLouisa. Here you are, pregnant with our baby, having all this worry. Part of me didn't want to tell you about all this, to protect you. Ignorance is bliss as they say, but I didn't want to keep any secrets from you. I don't want us to have any secrets from each other," Martin told her.
"No, I don't either. I'm very sad about dad being back inside, but I guess it's his choice. He has mixed with some bad lots over the years, so I guess his past has come back to haunt him. But I'm proud of you for trying to help him, it can't have been easy for you to admit to having such an awful relation to your legal people, it must have been very embarrassing for you." Louisa had had many years of being embarrassed by her father.
"Sod what they think. Anyway, at least this time Terry was telling the truth about being set up, you can at least console yourself with that," Martin said.
"For all the good it's doing him, yes I suppose he was telling the truth for once. I'll just have to see what happens when he finally does get released from prison, whenever that's going to be now," Louisa said with a big sigh.
"We'll have to see you mean. Maybe we'll be able to give him some assistance if he really does try to go straight. From a distance that is, I have no desire to see him set up here in the village I'm afraid," Martin told her honestly. The man was staying in prison for Louisa's sake, so Martin felt he owed him some sort of help on his eventual release.
"No, he's more at home in London anyway, he was always a fish out of water in the village, and people here have very long memories," Louisa agreed.
"Maybe you can write back to him again, reassure him that you are Ok and then tell him about our new baby coming," Martin suggested.
"You really are trying aren't you Martin?" Louisa said as she put her hand up to his cheek gently.
"Trying – as in trying your patience?" Martin asked, thinking she didn't like how he had handled the affair.
"No silly! I mean that you are trying to be kind and caring, which I know doesn't come easily to you. I think you're showing me that there are lots of different types of caring and loving," Louisa explained.
"In what way?" Martin wasn't sure what she was getting at, but thought it sounded as if she was pleased with him.
"Well, I know that we have been enjoying a lot of the physical side of love lately, and nice as that is, what's more important in the long run is the thoughtful and selfless kind of love that you've just shown me by trying to help my dad. I know you can't really have wanted to do it, but you did it for me. And it makes me love you even more than before Martin. You really are an extraordinary man." Louisa put her arms around his neck and hugged him.
"Oh. Right. I see." Martin felt pleased that he seemed to have done the right thing as far as Louisa was concerned. He hugged her back gratefully. Best not to say anything more, chances are he'd only put his foot in it and spoil things, he decided.