Chapter 14

Sorry for the long delay other story postings from other stories delayed mine. I feel all writers deserve their time in the limelight so I try not to post till 24 hours after a post.

This is an extra chapter; the current one was over 10,000 words and I was not happy with parts, so I posted the part I was happy with and will continue to work on the hard part.

Always, I love your comments. The muse is happy. Hopefully, Web74 will help me with a future chapter; a bonus to my 100th reviewer. Thank you to everyone reading this story.

'Cause I can feel you breathe
It's washing over me
Suddenly I'm melting into you
There's nothing left to prove
Baby all we need is just to be
Caught up in the touch
The slow and steady rush
Baby, isn't that the way that love's supposed to be
I can feel you breathe
Just breathe…

Faith Hill – 'Breathe'

ME/LE

Skunk at the Garden Party

I am sitting at the table scrolling through documents of the trust on my computer when the beep of the lock sounds and Joan bursts in.

"Where is Louisa?" Joan asks as she enters the suite.

"Lying down, resting. I ordered soup and salad for lunch; it should be here shortly."

"Good, I'm famished. I thought Margaret would be here by now, she slipped out before we noticed her departure," Ruth announces as she walks into the suite behind Joan.

"I told her this morning before the procession arrived she was no longer welcome. The business with dad was the only reason I put up with her. Now that it is over I do not wish her intrusion any longer."

"Good riddance, but I think she will turn up again like a bad penny," says Joan as she sits down on the sofa.

"Yes, she is like 'a ghost at the feast' for you Martin," remarks Ruth in a sarcastic voice.

"Will you two stop with the idioms for now!" The unwelcome memories flood through my thoughts until I feel the tugging on my trouser leg, looking down I see Phillip holding onto me for dear life after his rumble from Joan's side of the suite where Poppy was quietly playing with him. I pick him up and instantly he takes hold of my ears and looks into my eyes and smiles. Clearing my throat, "Hopefully today was the last time I see her."

Joan continues with her last idiom, "Well today she was like the 'skunk at a garden party', acting like the bereaved wife taking center stage. Marty what did she mean when she said "she will enjoy her new lodgings"?"

"Joan, I believe she thinks now she has a claim on the farm, but as Ruth and I mentioned she does not. I don't think Alistair provided her with any information from the will, more than likely not as she is not in the will. She is and you should know this 'she shouldn't put all her eggs in one basket," I say with my usual sneer.

Ruth smirks and then makes a thoughtful suggestion, "Martin we should call Alistair and have a sit down with Margaret."

"What do you mean?"

"Provide Margaret with enough information to stop her from harassing you or Joan. Let Alistair share some of the trust information, like the trust, is on hold for your future offspring and that it includes everything Christopher had in his name or would inherit; nothing on the exact properties. Phillip and your future children are not listed by name, and we will ensure Alistair understands he does not provide Margaret with Phillip's name at the meeting. We need to grab control now or she will be knocking on your Portwenn door demanding money."

"I think that is a good idea Martin," Louisa voices as she enters the room, frightening me and Phillip as we didn't see or hear her entering.

Ruth mumbles in a laugh, "Talk about mirror images."

Louisa walks over to me and kisses Phillip, "I'm sorry sweetheart I didn't mean to frighten you."

"I just didn't expect you to be awake is all," I say and then realize she is talking to our son. Everyone in the room laughs including Phillip. He looks at me with that smile that melts my heart and proceeds to pat my cheeks, "Eliup no crii".

"Is Phillip a brave boy?" I ask. He shakes his head in agreement and giggles.

"Martin, Margaret will understand the trust as it is the same as fathers. She and Christopher tried very hard to have it overturned when they found out they were not receiving a single half-penny. You were and father had his lawyer be the executor so Christopher and Margaret couldn't touch the money for themselves. They didn't pay for your education at boarding school; the trust paid for the public school you attended. You chose to use the money for your medical school education when you came of age. You see Martin, 'Father' didn't care for Margaret, that is the disagreement between them and why the trust was set up the way it was and why Christopher couldn't be buried in the family plot," Ruth says as Joan nods her head in agreement.

I slowly walk over to the nearest chair, afraid I will collapse holding Phillip. "I knew of the money when I came of age, but I didn't know any of the other. Now I understand why dad sent me to the solicitor to get the money I needed when I finished early with my 'year 13'at sixteen and wanted to go to University."

Louisa stares at her husband, this is the first time he has spoken of when he started University, and then a conversation she remembers with Chris Parsons about Martin when they were at medical school. 'This gangly boy sitting in the auditorium and we all thought he was visiting his uncle the profession because he couldn't be more than eighteen if that'. Martin was that boy and then another memory comes to mind, 'Martin was the youngest of our class, but he out-performed all of us by being first in our class.' Now she starts to wonder why Martin is with her, in her mind, she is not close to being his equal and now he has conquered his haemophobia will he want to live here again with his equals performing surgery.

Ruth notices how quiet Louisa has become, diffidently not her usual self. What have we been talking about that would cause the girl to have that discontented look on her face? Maybe I can convince her to take a walk with me later. "Martin when do you plan to take your father's ashes down to the Thames," she asks.

"I thought we would go tomorrow afternoon after you and I see Alistair."

"Why don't you and Joan take care of it today after lunch? I can stay here with Louisa. Maybe my dear we can finish the research on the properties."

Joan looks over to Ruth, knowing her sister so well, there is a reason for this change in plans. "Yes Marty, let's get this grisly business over with today," Joan states agreeing with Ruth.

I look over to Louisa and notice her odd look, "Louisa would you like to go or stay with Ruth?"

"I'mmm… tired, so I should stay here. Poppy can watch over Phillip, so Ruth you could go with Joan and Martin instead of babysitting me. I will just take another nap."

"Up to you Louisa, but I may take a nap too, let the young people go out on the boat. Not quite my cup tea; water and a boat," Ruth comments looking at Joan for assistance.

"Louisa it is better someone is near in case you become ill or something," Joan hurried added. Joan and Ruth look at me, as I continue looking at Louisa. I have seen that look before and am now worried. It is her run-away look. What was our discussion that would cause her to want to leave? He is so busy thinking that his aunts can't get his attention. A knock on the door interrupts his thoughts. All eyes turn to Martin except for Phillip, he leans over and starts to fall off balance which brings Martin out of reverie and quickly takes hold of him before he falls off his lap. Martin finally realizes that he missed something when Joan gets up, "Don't mind the door Marty, I'll get it. It is probably just our lunch."

Joan opens the door and steps back as the waiter brings in the trolley and sets up the lunch, I hand Phillip over to Poppy and proceed to pull out Phillip's food from the fridge.

"Phillip let's get you settled in your chair and eat your snack while your mum and dad eat their lunch."

The adults eat lunch without the usual conversations between the women, which even seemed odd to me. What did I miss… I go over each discussion in my mind and can't figure where Louisa would have hurt feelings that she would look at me like that. Think Ellingham… we discussed money, dad and grandfather's argument, my schooling; I can't think of anything. I need to make sure Ruth and Poppy stay with Louisa and Phillip while Joan and I are gone. I will talk with Louisa on our evening stroll after tea. With my mind settled, I look over to my wife again and carefully reach under the table, out of my aunt's view, and take her hand in mine. She looks up from her meal, looks me in the eye, and gives me a forced smile. I notice that nobody is paying attention to us,

"Louisa, you are my rock and I'm yours. Please don't leave me," I say in a quiet timbre hoping she wouldn't think I was begging.

There are tears in her eyes that she is trying to hide. I squeeze her hand and nod towards our room; we will talk now and get this issue settled before I need to leave. She realizes what I want and puts her fork down and turns getting up, "Joan, Ruth please excuse us."

I follow closely behind Louisa into our room and close the door behind me. I reach out to her and take her into an embrace, putting my face close to the nape of her neck, and gently kiss her before asking, "What have I done to hurt you."

She steps away a bit so she can look at my face, "Martin why are you with me?"

Slowly my mind rewinds the earlier conversations and the only thing I can come up with is my money, my inheritance, "Louisa I don't understand your question. I am with you because I love you, always have, always will. Why do you ask, if it's the money…"

"No Martin it's not the money," she says as she interrupts. "Intellectually you are so far above me, so I can't understand why you chose me."

Now I understand, it is her self-doubt again so I decided to ask my question that haunts me every time another man talks, touches, jokes with her,

"Louisa, why are you with me? You are so beautiful and I'm socially inept oaf," there I said it. I continue to look at her and there is that tall tail sign that we are on the same page. She is troubling her lower lip, we are both dealing with our insecurities.

"Martin I worry I'm not good enough for you with my education well below yours and you know everyone today at the funeral had that look and were saying, 'he married below his station to that country bumpkin'."

"Louisa, that country bumpkin accent of yours is what I love the most. You have a charming lilt to your voice, when you speak there is a soft, barely detectable West Country lilt. I love the way you say my name when we make love, I love your extra emphasis of the "T" in my name."

I reach out to touch her cheek, a gesture Louisa recognizes as an intimate one for me, I still have difficulty with emotions when I am near her. "I couldn't be prouder to have you as my wife. We have talked about my education before and I believe you are my equal and in many ways you out excel me. I have come up in the world since meeting you and learning from you. The best example is I now speak in complete sentences instead of my usual with one-word answers," I say with a raised eyebrow proving to my wife I can tell a joke.

"Oh, Martin," and just as good at teasing she adds, "You needed to learn to speak in complete sentences so I can tell the difference between my two Ellingham men."

"Please tell me why you are with me, as my insecurities are just out of view most days," I plead.

"Martin where do I start… I love the way you care for me, our family. You take that seriously and it shows you are a very loving man. I know you listen to the villagers and they can't understand what it is that I love about you… it is the way you look at me like I am the only woman on this earth, it makes me feel special especially now that you actually say you love me, I feel luckier to have found you. It is the little things you do without even thinking about it… like you open my door, lend me your hand to help me up, and I love many other things but the list is too long to tell you all of them. Remember when I came back and you said I could stay with you until I found my place and because you thought I would fall on the steps using the loo late at night you traded rooms with me; Martin that showed me, love. Our first night sharing the bed and the idiotic way you drew a line in the duvet to keep you on your side of the bed to give me my privacy; Martin that showed how you respect me. You have never insisted on the physical side of our relationship and I have appreciated it…sometimes but not always. At first, I wondered because you never initiated sexual relations like most men I have been with and I'm not saying they forced themselves on me… now I understand why it took so long for you to feel comfortable, you are a shy man."

As she spoke of my qualities I have lowered my eyes, embarrassed with her observations, suddenly feel her hands on my chest, moving up over my shoulder into a hug. "Martin, I overreacted and let my head tell me I wasn't the woman you needed now that your phobia is gone and you are here in London, I was going to tell you…"

I place a finger over her lips, "Louisa Ellingham do not ever think you are not woman enough for me. I can't live without you. You are as important as the air I breathe, if you leave me I will suffocate and die."

I lean down taking her lips between mine and kiss her deeply, "Louisa all I want to do at this moment is make love to you, so I can display what you mean to me, but I can't without hurting you. I will show you later tonight how much I need you; let me do a bit of research when I get back," I say with my horny smile. Now I don't know what it actually looks like as I never seem to have a mirror but it seems whenever I think of making love to Louisa, she says I have a horny smile on my face.

"You do that, my rock," she says while thinking he has that look that I call his horny smile and I can't wait until this evening.

ME/LE

Shortly after Louisa and I return to the table, Joan and I depart with my father's ashes; Ruth spoke to William Shawcross setting up the ash burial for later today instead of tomorrow. Before we leave I speak quietly to Ruth, urging her to use her expertise to help Louisa with her insecurities. Joan and I are in a hackney that William Shawcross sent to drive us to the boat we are using for the ceremony, I am not comfortable with this ordeal, "Joan exactly what do we do when we are on the boat with the ashes?"

"Not exactly sure, but I assume when the boat is out on the river we will be told to pour it over the side. Now I did see this happen in a movie once so I have one suggestion, keep it low facing away from you or you will get a face full of your father," she says with a smile.

"Mmm… sounds terrible."

We finish the trip in silence, each in our little world. Mine contains anger and can't wait to be done with this absurdity my father decided to put me through. All my life my father gave me pain, ridicule and bullied me relentlessly; I was never man enough for him. What did that mean? I remember what Louisa said earlier regarding my qualities and what she loves about me and compare them to my father and other men. Is it I'm a different kind of man? Some of the qualities Louisa mentioned that she loves are also quantities she said are old-fashioned. My father taught me some of them like opening and holding doors, lending my hand but I have always felt that I needed to do these things for the women I love; I do them for Louisa but also Joan and Ruth. Maybe as Louisa said it is just my personality, I care for them. I remember doing them for Edith, but early in our relationship she told me to stop and I did, was it because I didn't love her. Louisa said something about men trying to force themselves on her, what did she mean. Did my dad try to force himself on her in the lift? I can't see myself ever forcing myself on Louisa or any other woman. That might be why my father thought I wasn't a man? I couldn't just use a woman just to please myself but dad seem to have no trouble and I remember hearing the stories in the hospital changing room of others bragging on different conquests they had and they were married men, like my father. If this is what he meant by 'be a man', or 'grow a backbone' then I will never be one. I will discuss this with Doctor Hayes and Louisa when we return to Portwenn.

As we return to our hotel, Joan asks, "Martin, how did you feel seeing your mother today? You know I could go with Ruth tomorrow and meet with her. There is no need to see that woman again."

I think about it for a moment, formulating a response, "I… today brought back many memories from my childhood and not one was pleasant. Louisa helped and buffered mum each time she tried to attack me so tomorrow I am sure she will be unpleasant with me. No Joan, I need to face her one last time."

"I think Poppy and Phillip can keep an eye on Louisa tomorrow, I am coming with you two. I will not let Margaret hurt you again," she says in her defiant tone.

I take her hand and squeeze it, "Yes… mmm… good."

"Martin… I was wondering if you notice anything familiar with Mr. Shawcross?"

"No, not really except he needs to lose a bit of weight; he looks to be middle age and he can start developing of few medical issues if he is not careful. Why?"

"Oh, it was just something Ruth mumbled after meeting him last week. It is probably nothing."

ME/LE

As her husband and Joan depart Louisa sets her computer on the table, Ruth hands her the fob and together they sat and started their research. Poppy and Phillip went into his parent's room for a nappy change and hopefully a short afternoon nap. All the walking Phillip requires a bit of sleep during the afternoon. So after a short story, Poppy laid a sleeping Phillip in his cot. Coming into the room she states, "Phillip is asleep, if you don't mind I will go to my room and grab a book to read while you are working. I don't want to disturb you with the telly."

"Why don't you take a break and stay in your room, we can text you when he wakes. We will keep an ear out for him," Ruth suggests.

"Oh… okay," she replies as she looks towards her employer for guidance.

"Poppy, Ruth is right. You had to mind him all morning and as you said with him walking now I know you are constantly on alert to keep him out of trouble. We will be fine," Louisa responds. It will give me some privacy to ask Ruth for help. Louisa waits for Poppy to leave, signs knowing this is going to be difficult, "Ruth, I need some help… help with my self-esteem… ooh…"

"Louisa tell me what you think is the problem."

Louisa stares down at her wedding ring then slowly starts to turn it, "I don't understand why Martin is with me. He could have any woman he wants because as far as I am concerned he is a fantastic man. Yes, I know he isn't the typical handsome man but his other qualities that far outweigh anything physical."

"I don't understand," Ruth probes.

"His education, intelligence, his physicality… he is almost two meters tall… those qualities are very important to most women so I can't see why they weren't breaking down his door. When he came to Portwenn, the women thought he was the typical Londoner but I immediately saw a posh, well-dressed handsome man and couldn't believe he wanted to come to our village."

"If I recall, Joan said you were on his interview board and voted against him becoming your village GP."

"Oh that… that is because he has no bedside manner, he is rude and only talked of us as bodies, but now I know that his rudeness is Martin just telling the truth and his body's comment comes from being a surgeon. He said with the help of Doctor Hayes the reason the haemophobia started with a patient that he saw with her family. She tried to ease their worries of losing her and the next time he saw her lying on the operating table, he didn't see a body but a mother, a wife, and couldn't operate. "

"You said everyone thought he was rude, that could be why most women wouldn't bother with Martin. You found his gentler side by getting to know him. I don't believe most women would take the time. Many women have a list of the perfect man they want to know and marry, and I don't believe Martin would be on many of those lists but for some reason, he was on yours and vice versa.

Holly's list comes to Louisa's mind.

Joan and I have always talked about Martin in our weekly calls. We feel the world has always been against him starting with his parents. I know about Edith, his first love but I don't believe was love at all. More like they had so much in common, education – intelligence – studying to become doctors, Martin thought sex meant, love. As far as we knew she was his first, for a young man this can be an overwhelming emotional time and you know Martin is not good with new emotions. Joan talked about their visit, his engagement, and her quick departure to Canada when pressured for marriage. As far as we know he never let himself feel that emotion again until you came into his life."

"There is more to the Edith story that I learned about last year. Edith found out she was pregnant not long after Martin proposed but she didn't tell him until she was leaving and didn't want to marry him. Martin was heartbroken first with her denial of marriage and then her announcement that she didn't want children especially by him and aborted that problem earlier that year."

Ruth makes a noise as she inhales quickly from this shocking news. "Louisa, I would never think Martin would tell you something as personal as that."

"He wanted to marry me when I came back to the village pregnant from our engagement time together and I thought he wanted to marry because he felt it was his duty. He opened up to me when we saw Edith one day at the hospital and he felt he needed to explain their relationship. He told me about their engagement then got very emotional and said 'that is why he wanted to marry me, not because I was pregnant, it was that I kept the baby even though we weren't together. You kept my baby and Edith aborted ours.' You see the main reason I called off our wedding was I thought Martin didn't want children and when I found out I was pregnant, I was afraid to tell him because I thought he would demand the abortion. I almost held it against him that evening I came back. He mentioned that it was too late for abortion... I was wrong in my assumptions and Martin showed me what our life would be like together in the following months."

"You said you don't know what Martin sees in you to be with you, but you just explain a major reason. I only met you last week. I knew some things about you from Joan, but I have watched you two during a very stressful time and I believe you are good for each other. You each have your individual strengths and the combination works well as a couple. I see how much Martin adores you, something I thought he never could do with his background. We must give his Doctor Hayes the credit. With his help, Martin can express his bottled-up emotions and it seems you also help him do that. Does he help you when you seem to be insecure?"

"Yes he does, better now that he communicates his feelings with me. I thought he would be like everyone else that entered my life; abandon me. I think I need help with this issue, I was going to ask Doctor Hayes for a referral… do you know someone."

"Yes my dear, I will find someone to help you. The important part is done; you are asking for help the rest will be easier. Let's finish our research then decide what we are having for dinner."

ME/LE

By the time Joan and Martin return, Ruth and Louisa knew the worth of three separate properties, along with partial ownership in a business property, which came to no surprise to Ruth; she figured out the connection last week.

"Hello you two, how did it go? Joan, you remembered to tell him about the windage and elevation didn't you." She laughingly smirks.

"Yes she did, you don't see any ash on us do you," I say in a sarcastic tone.

"Have you two figured out the properties or do you need some help," Joan asks.

"We just finished and were deciding on our meal, what do you think you will want Martin," asks Louisa.

"I thought since Poppy is here to watch Phillip, we could do dinner out," Martin suggests.

"That is a good idea and we can talk over what Louisa and I have discovered," Ruth says as she looks over to Louisa, who seemed to make the same connection about a certain person.

"I will make reservations at the "On the Terrace at the Four Seasons", it is close, Joan and I can order our steaks, and Martin your usual and it will be a treat for Louisa, the menu has a wide range of items since I'm not sure what you prefer. Martin here is the best part, I'm buying," and with that Ruth was off with phone in hand into the room she is sharing with Joan, with her sister closely behind her.

"How are you doing," I ask as I walk up to my wife giving her a proper hello with my aunts out of the room. I let my lips linger and slide them to just below her ear and nibble gently.

"Mmm… I am fine Martin. I spoke to Ruth and asked for her help with my problem, thought you should know. I'mmm… I noticed something when we were going through properties, did you know that your father was connected with William Shawcross' business," Louisa asks as she pulls me over to the table to show me her computer screen.

I sat down and looked it over, realizing what Joan was asking earlier. "Louisa, did you see something similar with Mr. Shawcross, I'm asking because Joan mentioned something about Ruth asking."

"There were diffident similarities and add William Shaw. Your dad sure got around. The other property we discovered a Dawn Hudson lives there like William does not pay rent for her lodging."

"What did Ruth say about this?"

"Nothing, which I thought was strange but you know Ruth, she is analyzing it all and knew it before I had an inkling."

"We can ask Alistair tomorrow before we meet my mother. Come on let's clean up for dinner," I say as I look around and notice their bedroom door ajar, "Louisa where is Phillip?"

Louisa looks up from her computer, "He is asleep in his cot. We should wake him or he won't sleep tonight. I'll call Poppy and have her watch him while we change."

I walk into our room and gently lift my son from his cot and place him on our bed. I stroke his back waking him slowly, "Phillip," I softly call him, "Wake up." Slowly his eyes open, he pushes himself up and yawns, then his irresistible smile spreads across his face, "Dadda," he says as he reaches up to me. "Phillip, you are very wet, let me get a clean nappy to change you." Together I walk over to his chest of drawers and pull out everything I need to change him and walk back to the bed to start, "Phillip how did you sleep. You must have over-exerted yourself walking around today to take a second nap," I say as I change him. His only response is his giggles, he seems to think everything I do with him is funny. Louisa says it is the different facial expressions that cross my face when I encounter his different offensive smells. I am finished snapping his pants, pick him up, and walk out of the room when I hear a knock at our door, I expect it is Poppy and answer it. Phillip's face lights up when he sees her face and reaches out for her.

ME/LE

The four of us are sitting at a corner table on the terrace looking at our menus in the restaurant. Ruth and Joan describe which cut of steak they were ordering as Louisa questions our server on the Dover Sole cooking methods. I discreetly listen to their conversation, when I hear the server say something about Louisa's accent. I look over to Louisa to hear her opinion, when the server continues with "You will be very happy any way it is cooked, the sole is fresh from Cornwall this morning and I believe you will enjoy it." Louisa smiles at the server but I'm not sure if she is offended or not. "I will order the fresh Cornwall Sole with Mediterranean seasonings, no butter," I announce to the server. "Louisa what are you having?"

"I thought maybe the Sea Bass, grilled with fresh herbs," Louisa says as she smiles towards me, I notice a slight touch on my leg under the table and cover her hand with my own. While the server takes the aunt's orders, I lean towards Louisa so nobody else will hear, "I love you, my beautiful wife."

While we wait for our meal, I open the discussion my aunts believe I have missed; "Ruth today on our taxi ride back from the Thames, Joan asked a question," looking at Joan I smile, "She asked about William Shawcross and being my usual slow to comprehend self, gave her a medical answer, now thinking about it, I believe I have another half-brother. I would be surprised if my mother didn't notice the similarities when we stood side by side talking this morning. There seems to be no end to my father's dalliances."

"You two look more alike than William Shaw and yourself. What would Margaret say if you three were all standing together in a line-up and Margaret was asked to point out her son," Ruth remarks dryly?

"Martin the question is how we deal with them. I watched the Shawcross fellow and he watched you very carefully today and maybe he also has figured it out. His business portfolio looks stable. He has a good head on his shoulders. Now the property with Shaw is worth talking about but I am curious about the other property where a Dawn Hudson resides. Do you recall any surgical nurses by that name that worked with your father?"

"No, I never paid any attention to my father's women and I don't recall any gossip in the changing rooms, besides with Dad at St. Thomas and I at St. Mary's, we did not have any interaction with the same nurses."

"We have another question for Mr. Cummings."

"We should be done with the face-to-face discussions by tomorrow afternoon. I would like to return to Portwenn the following evening. I believe the trip at night will be easier for Phillip. If Alistair needs anything else he can contact me in Portwenn or call you, Ruth. I should sign an authorization for you with Alistair. Louisa and I will discuss the properties when we have all the information required for appropriate action on our part. We can sell Dad's townhouse now and decide on the others later."

I finish my say for the moment I see our server carrying our meal towards us. I quietly enjoy my meal with the female members of my family and enjoy listening to their banter throughout the meal.

As our taxi pulls up to the hotel, I take Louisa's hand, "Louisa may we go for a stroll before retiring with Phillip for the evening, or would you like to bring him along."

"Poppy more than likely is bathing him as we speak or as already, I would like to be alone with my husband on this stroll."

The aunts take the hint, leaving us to stroll down the pavement, quietly holding hands enjoying a May evening in London, hopefully, my last before I usher my family back to Portwenn. I spent my entire life in different areas of London or nearby, except for the last four and I have been the happiest in the West Country with the woman walking by my side. She is the reason for it. I remember how devastated I was with the loss of my surgical career, sitting on the plane going to my job interview when I noticed the beautiful person across from me, I never thought of love at first sight but she stirred a deep emotion in me. When I touched her face, the jolt I felt knocked me off balance. I was surprised when I first walked through the village and saw her through the window in the building. I spent each day trying to catch a glimpse of her hoping to talk to her but my lack of self-confidence and my nature to say the wrong thing, slowed any advancement of a relationship with her, it was always retrogression. Hollys' medical intervention gave me the last opportunity and I seized it with my impromptu proposal… A night I won't forget, he looks me in the eyes every day. Now married to this woman I am the happiest I have been in my life. London never again will be a home for me. Maybe we can visit when the children are older to visit the many museums around the city. I squeeze Louisa's hand, she leans closer, "We should start back. I did some research and when Phillip is settled I want to show you what I learned," I whisper knowing my horny smile is proudly on my face.

End of Chapter

"Eliup no crii" - Phillip no cry