Chapter 18

Although he had been enjoying this very sociable wedding event, George Montford finally sidled over to John Frederickson to mutter, "I have to get back to the office, John. Someone has to hold the fort..."

John grinned at him. "Thanks, George. I'll just concentrate on my wives, today. Tell your ladies they are welcome to stay on here for as long as they want."

"They may appreciate that, John. I'll tell them."

George got back to the company office, and found among his "IN" material a message from the fishermen at the harbour, asking him to call on them. He phoned the number immediately, and found himself speaking to a Pierre Bernard. The Frenchman said, "We remembered speaking to you some time ago, about fertilisers, sir. Is it peut-etre ... convenient to do so again?"

George was prepared. "Most certainement, Pierre. Matters have changed, and the threat offered to you and your shipmates has gone. The perpetrator – le criminel - has been banished to Earth, and his fertiliser company is now under new management. I am one of the new company directors, and we have renamed it as "Rehome Fertilisers".

"Pourquoi, monsieur? – Why, sir?"

"We have links to "Rehome Deliveries, so it seemed a good idea, Pierre. You know, it may be receptive to your ideas for a fertiliser, my friend."

"That is encouraging, Monsieur Montford. We have avec succes –successfully - formed a fisherman's group into a company to market our inedible catches. Some of that will be suitable for a fish fertiliser, and there is the kelp we are collecting for your own firm. We have also discovered that some kelp and other seaweeds are seen as delicacies in some localities, so we envision them being marketed as a niche market on Earth, and perhaps to some of the population here."

He paused. "May I enquire why you have a become a director in a fertiliser company? I understood your company makes boxes, monsieur. Les boites seem unusual for fertilisers."

"Correct, Pierre. It was after speaking with your colleagues that we wondered about those parts of the kelp that could not be used for box making. It was what we call a by-product – un produit derive, I think? We decided that it could become a kelp fertiliser, and as the new owners of Rehome Fertilisers also own our company, it was noted that they could work together profitably, to the benefit of both. I expect that your organisation could also benefit. Rehome Fertilisers could offer a range of fertilisers for different agricultural requirements.

The new Managing Director of Rehome Fertilisers is Madame Angelina Frederickson, but she is currently at a wedding reception. Shall I tell her to expect a call from you in the next few days?"

"That would be satisfactory, Monsieur Montford. Merci, et au 'voir."

George composed a memo to Angelina and sent it to her office, marked: for immediate attention on return. As he completed that, he gradually became aware of something that had been nagging his subconscious. Someone had been missing from the wedding, and he finally realised whom it was – Ebenezer de la Torre, the consumer director of Rehome Fertilisers. That puzzled him: Ebenezer seemed a very conscientious man to George. It was out of character for him not to appear without saying something to his friends and colleagues. George wondered if there was something wrong. Had Ebenezer been taken ill? He determined to find out, and looked for the man 's phone number.

He made the connection, and waited while it rang, and rang. He was about to shout his phone when Ebenezer came on. "Hello?" This was extremely terse for a normally gregarious man. George spoke: "Ebenezer. George Montford here. I missed seeing you at the Frederickson wedding. Are you all right, sir?"

Ebenezer sounded panicky. "Not really, George. I am at the hospital. My lady friend tried to commit suicide today."

"Tried? ... I hope she will recover, Ebenezer. What happened to cause that?

"I used the wrong words, George. Unforgivable for a former diplomat! I told her that I was asking my intended to come from Earth and marry me. It did not go down well. She went into a tantrum, and stormed off to the bedroom and locked herself in. At first I was not too concerned, but when I heard nothing for a while, I tried to open the door, and she would not reply. I went and got a hammer, and bashed the lock until it broke, and I got in. I found my girl lying in the bathroom with blood pouring from her wrists. I thought I was going to lose her, George!"

"What did you do to save her?"

"I got tape and wrapped it round the cuts as tight as I could manage: the blood made it difficult to get it to stick! She was nearly unconscious so I wrapped her in a blanket and carried her to the tractor, and headed to the rail halt. I was on my phone the whole way there, trying to get help. I was put through to a train that was coming from Metropolis, and the driver was encouraging. He speeded up, telling his passengers he had a medical emergency to pick up, so that they had better stay calm and be cooperative. He arrived in ten minutes, we got her aboard, then he put the train in reverse. He had warned the track people that he was doing this as an emergency run, and to have an ambulance at the Metropolis station with blood supplies. I was able to tell him what blood group she was. George, I am damn sure he broke all speed limits getting the train back to Metropolis!"

"If you are at the hospital, Ebenezer, I presume she is in good hands."

"She is being closely watched for brain damage, George. They have been pouring blood back into her. I am at my wit's end with worry for her. I don't want to lose her: I never thought she would react like that."

George took a deep breath. "My friend, can I ask you a personal question? Have you ever discussed marriage with your unfortunate lady friend? Does she have a name, by the way?"

"Marriage? No, I don't think so. I never thought to mention it. Why?"

"As an old married man, Ebenezer, I can tell you the answer. The girl is in love with you, and thinks you are going to throw her out, when you talked about your "intended" from Earth. That is why she was suicidal: she thought she had lost you to the other woman, and in that case, her life was over, in her mind."

"Oh! Oh, my God, I never thought. She is only nineteen. And George, her name is ... Isabella Fortuna. She is an orphan from Warsaw, Poland."

"That reinforces my point, dear boy. She is alone, and sees you as her only family. No wonder she slit her wrists, if she thought she was being rejected. In her mind, she was dead."

"But George, I never intended for her to leave. My home is her home."

"I bet you never told her that, Ebenezer. You single men are so self-centred, imagining the world revolves around you. Women see the world in terms of relationships, and you are Isabella's ONLY relationship. You had better get to her as soon as you can, and reassure her that she is not being rejected. If you want my advice as a happily-married friend, Ebenezer, You should seriously consider having two wives. You could tell your Earthwoman that due to HER previous refusal to come with you, you have a girlfriend who is going to become your wife, come what will. Say that you still want her to come and marry you, but she will have to share you with Isabella. I don't really want to interfere, my friend. I simply want to help you make a good decision for yourself, and your ladies."

Ebenezer let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, George. Your esteemed wisdom is what I needed. For the first time in my life, I was myself lost, not knowing what was wrong nor why. I felt so useless, but you have set me back on the rails. I must ring off and try to get to speak to Isabella."

"Right, do that. Bye."

George sat back, satisfied with his mission of mercy. He reflected that Ebenezer had been blind to the girl's dependency on him. The fact that he had never mentioned her name before was significant: he was trying to pretend she was not important to him. Ebenezer's reaction to the shock showed he DID care for Isabella. Now, if he could recognise his serious attachment to the girl, Ebenezer had a chance of happiness.

George wondered who should be told a little of this tale. The other Directors had to know something, if only to stop them prying. He could get Mary Kempe to tell the Governor, for information only, and her business partner, Pam. If he told John, he could break it gently to Angelina.

He got on the phone to John, disturbing him at an awkward moment. "George, you idiot! I have my new wife in my arms at the moment. This had better be good, old man!"

"It is, John. This is for information only, to be only told to the Directors – which is what I am doing now. Ebenezer de la Torre's live-in girlfriend is in hospital – suicide attempt. She slashed her wrists when Ebenezer stupidly told her he was inviting his "intended" from Earth, and she thought she was being rejected. I have spoken by phone to Ebenezer. The man was terrified for her. He loves her but didn't want to admit it, even to himself. It looks like she will pull through, but let's not bother Ebenezer for a while, eh?"

"Oh, God, what a mess! I agree, George. I hope you gave him some good advice, from your long experience with women?"

"John, you assume too much. I STILL don't know much about women, after all these years of being married. However, I did offer some advice, man to man. We shall see if he pays any attention to it. The man is competent at every other aspect of life, but he is not good at dealing with women, I am afraid to say."

"Never mind. You did your best, George. Do I tell Angelina?"

"If you would, please, John, but gently. I don't want Ebenezer being harangued or lambasted for being a fool. I have to phone Mary now. Bye."

The call to Mary Kempe was a bit more gentle, and he had to stop her from dashing to the hospital to offer support, but she eventually understood it was a man thing, and Ebenezer had to make his own mind up about his life.

Ebenezer did indeed have to think carefully. He had not previously looked at the friendly Isabella Fortuna as a potential wife. Granted, she was most satisfactory in bed, but stupidly he had assumed they were both simply enjoying themselves. He never expected she would fall in love with him. His own reaction to the suicide attempt showed him an important factor: he hated the idea of losing her. He must have fallen for her during these months she had lived with him and shared his bed.

He thought back to her arrival. She had come to him as a housemaid, to help him keep the house clean and tidy. How did she end up in his bed? He remembered back to when he was helping her by turning the heavy mattress of his double bed, and he had lost his balance as the mattress fell down after the turn. He had banged against her, and they both fell to the carpet, with him on top. She had automatically grabbed him as they fell, and she now continued to hold him to her. He became aware of her breasts pressing against him, and his own suddenly erect penis responding to the nearness. He kissed her without thinking of doing it, and she responded, kissing him back and pulling him ever closer.

When he had a chance to speak, he started, "Isabella – ", but she blurted out, "Oh, Mr de la Torre! Be gentle with me." At that point he became aware that she wanted him to take her, and his own personally enforced celibacy overwhelmed him. He began stripping her, starting with her top, mauling and kissing her breasts when they appeared.

It quickly progressed to her lower regions. She helped him to remove her panties and directed his painfully erect penis to her wet opening. She wanted him inside her immediately, so he took her on the carpet, there and then. He realised as he did so that her gasp of pain after he entered her was significant. It told him she was a virgin. She had sacrificed her long-guarded maidenhood to him.

From that day, she no longer used her own room, but joined him in bed every night – and at other times as the mood took them. She told him she was taking medication for uneven and painful periods, and that this also had uses as a contraceptive pill, so they had no need to worry about pregnancy.