Chapter 2 – Main Course

Morwenna tucked into her baked chicken and it was very tasty. She saw Al take a bite of his roast beef and watched as his eyes swam with delight.

"Oh, this is good," he said. "Been quite a while since I had a nice bit of beef."

She smiled. "Plenty of fish in Portwenn."

"Sometimes too many, or is it too much?"

"And how is Portwenn Fishing Holidays doing?"

Al sighed then leaned towards her. "Truth be told it seemed like such a good idea."

"And it's not now? You, I mean, we put the business plan together. That is I helped you organize it, a little."

"You did. I needed help with it, and after you helped me sort it, Ruth went for it." He smiled and lifted his glass to her. "Cheers."

"Thanks," she answered.

"You gave me a couple of good ideas, which helped." He shook his head. "But Ruth put a ton of cash into the farm converting it to a B&B. The place was literally falling down. Poor Joan, Martin's aunt, I know she didn't have much money; but who does?" He took a drink of beer. "The electrical service and panel were shot, windows and doors warped and leaking, the roof was a horror, and all that was holding the boiler together was rust and a prayer."

"Kinda guessed that," Morwenna replied. "And?"

"We've had a few guests. After the first disastrous couple…"

Morwenna tried not to laugh for hearing what had gone wrong was funny. "But you did your best and everybody has to start somewhere." From mice in the farmhouse, to a broken nose, and then getting Tazed by Penhale those poor people had a helluva a visit. She looked at him with sympathy.

He shook his head. "At the bottom, sure, but lord-a-mighty, it's so much bloody work. And even if the place is empty, which it is most weekends, it's a big place. Always somethin' to do. Paint, fixin' this and that."

Morwenna beamed at him. "But when Joe, Janice, and me pitched in to help you get the painting finished? Surely that helped."

Al nodded. "That was grand." He picked up his glass and held it towards her, so Morwenna clinked her glass against his. "Cheers again." He lowered his glass. "I think if there was a married couple runnin' the place it might go a lot easier." He raised his glass to his lips.

Morwenna took the opening and pounced. "Why Al Large? Are you proposing to me?" She watched his face turn red as he almost choked on the beer in his mouth.

"No! No… I mean… arghh." He coughed after he got air past the beer that had gone down the wrong way.

Morwenna bored in. "Just that many hands make the work light. Like the woman could take the guests fishing, help 'em with their tackle, and such, while the hubby stayed home cooking and cleaning."

That did make him laugh. "Right. Sure." He watched as her eyes twinkled. "What do you know about fishing?"

"Not that much." She leaned forward putting her elbows on the table to get closer to his face. "But I could learn."

He smiled. "I'll remember that."

She took another bite of her chicken. "Maybe you need a professional out there? Somebody who knows about running things; an organizer."

Al nodded. "Cost a bit, wouldn't it? And help don't come cheap. And who would want to move to Portwenn?"

Morwenna felt her face take on a sly smile. "Oh, I don't know. Somebody local? A villager?"

Al shook his head. "Morwenna Newcross are you making a pass at me? You're pushing awful hard. What you got in mind?"

Now it was Morwenna's turn to get nervous. "Oh no, Al, I'm just…"

"Tit for tat, old girl."

"I'm not old," she blurted out.

"No, you're not," he ducked his head in agreement. "Not at all." She was younger than Pauline that was for sure.

The waitress came to the table just then, interrupting them. "How are your dinners?"

"Fine," Al told her, but truth be told he'd barely touched his beef and his stomach felt like rubbish. It wasn't the food he knew.

"Yeah, very…," Morwenna gave Al a look. "Very tasty."

The waitress said, "If you two are interested, we have a very nice baked berry crumble, for two. If you'd want that, I'd best put the order in now."

Al frowned, "Oh, I don't know." He scratched the back of his neck.

Morwenna nodded. "Oh yes, please. That sounds nice."

After the waitress left them, Al mumbled, "Staying for afters then?"

Morwenna finished the last of her wine. "Sure, why not?"

Al blew out his breath slowly. "You are… ahem… different."

"Told you, I'm on a roll."

"Where did that come from?" he asked then tackled his meal. Might as well eat because so far he felt like he was spinning his wheels.

Morwenna smiled deeply. "I read this book and I went from there."

"A book? I don't know when's the last time I read a book."

"What was it? The book you read?"

He sighed. "Gosh, it was mystery. Murder, mayhem, detectives; that sort of thing."

"Was it any good?"

"Suppose."

"Who did it?"

"Hm?"

"The murder?"

"Uhm, it was the coroner."

"What?"

"Yeah the police coroner did the crime."

Morwenna nodded. "Well that's a surprise."

"It was. Sorta like you asking me, when I'd ask you out on an actual date."

Morwenna felt her face grow warm. "I… did I say I got a pay rise?"

"No! Really?"

She nodded. "I told the Doc how I was organizing, doing really well at my job, ordering surgery supplies, riding herd on the time-wasters who fill up surgery, making up his schedule…" Her voice ran down. "You know."

"And the Doc went for it?" He shook his head in wonderment. "Ho, ho! Fantastic! Maybe…"

"Maybe what?"

"Maybe I'd better watch out?" He winked at her. "You being all authoritative and everything." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Perhaps you might just have plans on my virtue?"

Startled she automatically reached across the table and slapped his forearm.

"Owww. That hurt."

"Al Large I am NOT that kind of girl," she hissed. "Sorry Al. But I'm not."

He grinned as he ate another piece of beef. "I know you're a good girl, Morwenna. Your grandad raised you up right." At the mention of her late grandad he saw her eyes tear up. "Hey, I'm sorry. Really."

She brushed at the sudden wetness on her cheeks. "Right." She dabbed at her face with a crumpled tissue from her handbag.

Al looked at while she composed herself. "I…"

She held up a hand. "It's just…" she sighed, "it'll be a year next month."

Bollix! Al, good job, he thought. Bloody fool! "Sorry. Forgot."

She sniffled then put the tissue away. "Even with Janice in the house, I still expect to hear him clumping around. Poor old duffer."

Al reached over the table and took her hand, which lay limply under his fingers. "Gets you don't it? Dad – well he still misses my mum."

Surprised at his touch, Morwenna squeezed his fingers. "But here we are."

Self-consciously he withdrew his hand, and cleared his throat. "How was it that you grew up with your grandad?" He saw her wince. "You don't have to…"

"No," she sighed, "it's fine. My mum and dad left, and my grandad - well he always lived with us since I was a baby - and 'bout the time I was five, they left. We lived down in Penzance, see? Grandad got a job as paymaster at the quarry up here. That's why we moved to Portwenn."

"I see."

"And I been a Portwenn girl ever since." She dipped her head. "I suppose my folks had better things to do."

Al scowled. "They ever…"

"Come back? No. They call me once in a while." She picked up her empty wineglass and swished the dregs around the bottom of the glass. "Sent a real nice bouquet for the funeral though."

Al studied his fingernails closely, took a deep breath, and then told her, "Then I'm the lucky one. To have you here, in Portwenn; a successful medical practice manager, and a self-made woman as well. Bloody marvelous."

A noisy foursome walked past them, drowning out what she answered in her quiet voice.

Only she heard her words. "Thanks Al, and I think you're marvelous as well."