Carla was very good at helping with the locks but it was clear to me from her continued absent-mindedness, that her thoughts were very much on other things namely, the meeting to discuss a settlement with her case. Her promised surprise for the weekend never materialised but I didn't push it. I was there for her whenever she might need me.

Even arriving in Manchester and checking into a hotel for a few nights failed to lift her spirits.

She tried her best to show some interest in the places we went but I could tell that it was a strain so we ended up back at our hotel in the middle of the afternoon. Carla just headed for the bed and fell asleep. I didn’t disturb her because I knew that she’d spent a lot of the previous night wide awake.

Since the phone call from her lawyer, it was very clear that she was not enjoying life very much at the moment.

As a result, it fell to me to organise things and to keep her occupied if I could. It wasn’t easy and I just wished that we were back on Roxy and had a huge flight of locks to traverse. We weren’t and that was that.

---

Monday came around and I felt a lot happier when we got Roxy underway again. Her batteries were fully charged and even Carla had managed a few smiles that morning.

I navigated Roxy out of Manchester and stopped at a mooring on the edge of the city.
“I won’t be very long. I have a package to collect at a place two streets away.”

She just nodded her head.

I disappeared on my little errand. I was collecting another Battery Management System. This was for the forward battery set. Until now, Roxy had been working on one set of Batteries. Because of their weight, I’d had half on them installed in the bow to even up the loading but the Boatyard had only received one unit in working order. The replacement had been shipped to Manchester for me to collect and connect up. Once the forward batteries were charged, Roxy’s range would double.

I returned to Roxy and headed west along the Bridgewater Canal. Even explaining to Carla that this was one of the first canals that were built to carry goods, in this case, coal into Manchester failed to get much response from her. It seemed that the closer we got to the meeting on Thursday the more anxious she became.

I really wanted to tie up Roxy and get us down to Maidenhead but there were no mooring close to a major railway station until we reached Wigan.

Our journey that day was relatively easy and that allowed me to replan what we would do in the next few days. I gave the helm to Carla and went below where I got my maps and phone out.

While I was in the cabin, I booked a mooring for Roxy on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal close to the centre of Wigan. I booked it for a week starting that night. An online timetable showed that we could travel down south by train from Wigan just as easily as we could from Preston.

After working on a few alternatives I settled on a plan for the rest of the week. Then I went up into the cockpit where Carla was staring into the distance.

“Hello again, fancy some tea?”

Those few words seemed to bring her back into the real world.

“Sorry, I was miles away.”

“That’s ok. Why don’t you go and make the tea then we can talk.”

“That sounds ominous?”

“Not at all but I’m trying to help you get through this.”

“And I’m being a selfish bitch.”

I went to speak but she stopped me.
“I get like this when my back is against the wall.”

"Your back is not against the wall. They are talking about a settlement, not us. They need to cough up for what he did to you. You did nothing wrong and deep down I know that you know it."

Carla managed a small smile as she disappeared below to make the tea.

---

She returned with the mugs of tea and some chocolate biscuits. At least she was trying.

“Ok, what is your cunning plan?”

“My cunning plan is that we both travel down to Watford from Wigan tomorrow morning. The mooring I’ve booked is only a few minutes walk from the railway station. Then I rent myself a car and I take you to your home. You can stay there until Thursday morning when I'll collect you and we go over to Maidenhead. The meeting isn't scheduled upstart until eleven so that gives us plenty of time. We go to the meeting and get a deal. Then you can decide what you to do next.”

“Are you saying that you don’t want me here? I wouldn’t blame you after the way I’ve been behaving these past few days.”

“Not at all,” I said smiling.
"I have Roxy and have a narrowboat, will travel but once this case is over there are some decisions that you have to make. I can help but I can't make them for you. You have to do what is right for you. If that means you not returning here and continuing the journey with Roxy and me then that is what will happen. I'd love to have you by my side but only if you want it from the bottom of your heart."

“You are so sweet to me.”

I smiled.
“I try to be of service M’Lady.”

That got a decent reaction from Carla. We hugged each other for several minutes. Thankfully, I’d throttled Roxy right back and we gently coasted into the bank.

“What are you going to do? On Wednesday?”

“I’ll probably go into London and see Jonathan at the gallery and give him the bad news.”

“What bad news?”

“Only the fact that I’ve not lifted a paintbrush since completing the last of the pictures for the show and that was ages ago.”

“Didn’t you do that painting for your accountant?” asked Carla.

“I did. Sorry. I’ve just not found the inspiration to paint in recent months. As the saying goes, nothing rocks my boat very much.”

“And that’s down to me isn’t it?”

“No, it isn't."

I took hold of her hands.

“To be perfectly honest, I was struggling for inspiration with my landscapes long before I met you so, you don’t have to worry about me. The one with the more immediate concerns is you and that meeting in a few days.”

Carla didn’t reply so I tried another tack.

“I’m going to be there with you every step of the way. The last thing we want is some men taking advantage of us poor women now do we?”

Carla took a second to process what I’d said. Then she laughed.

“You are good. Really good. Thank you for that.”

After a brief kiss, Carla said,
“I have been a bit of a sourpuss haven’t I?”

I smiled,
“Only if you say so!”

That earned me another kiss.

“Now… what’s this about travelling tomorrow?”

"We can get a train from Wigan to Birmingham and change for a service that takes us to Watford Junction. You can sleep in your very own bed for a couple of nights while you prepare for the meeting. Knowing… or rather experiencing a few lawyers over the last few years… you will want to go into that meeting fully prepared for the thing. You don't want those bastards to get one over on you after what they did to you.”

Carla smiled back at me.
“Ok. Pep talk over. Don’t we need to get a move on if we are going to get to Wigan?”

---

Our journey down to Watford the following day was fairly uneventful. Carla sat with her eyes closed for most of the trip. Every so often, she would open them and refer to a folder that was open in front of her. I admired her way of working but was fearful of the stress it caused her. The Carla that had briefly appeared to me the previous week was a totally different and thoroughly more likeable person than what was sitting next to me.

Carla’s flat was very comfortable and had all the hallmarks of a career woman. Some soft feminine touches. There was very little sign of the real Carla or rather the one that had exposed itself to me onboard Roxy. I knew the one that I preferred.

“Are you sure that you won’t stay here?” asked Carla as I prepared to leave.

“I’m sure. Your single bed and a two-seater sofa is hardly adequate for two people. I have a hotel already booked and I’m going to Bletchley Park tomorrow. You are welcome to come along?”

“Ok, I get you about the bed and no, I won’t come with you tomorrow but thanks for the offer.”

I gave her a loving kiss before saying,
“I’ll pick you up at seven on Thursday morning. Then we can be sure of getting to Maidenhead in good time and even get some breakfast and catch up with your lawyer before the settlement meeting.”

“Thank you. For everything.”
“I don’t know what I’d have done without you.”
Then Carla gave me a good kiss.

---

[Thursday morning at the offices of Pepper, George and March, Solicitors in Maidenhead.]

“Time to go in,” said Carla’s Solicitor, Chantal Morgan.
"The opposition is due in a few minutes."

Carla looked at me.
“I’m afraid you can’t come in with me. They have requested it be just four people in the room. Two of us and two of them.”

“That’s fine, I’ll wait here. There are a few million law magazines that I need to catch up on,” I said jokingly.

“Don’t let them bore you to sleep,” said Chantal.

“I’ll try not to let that happen.”

I gave Carla a brief kiss.
“Good luck darling.”

“Thanks.”

Carla and Chantal went into the room assigned for the meeting and closed the door behind them.

I sat down feeling distinctly uncomfortable in my new clothes. Chantal had called me the previous afternoon and persuaded me to buy some ‘respectable’ business clothes if I was going to blend in at her offices. So, here I was in a business suit and everything. This wasn’t me at all. It felt so… so restricted. My feet were already hurting due to the new shoes that came with the outfit but I had a job to do at least that was the plan.

The ‘opposition’ arrived right on time. Six, not two people marched into the meeting room and closed the door behind them.

To me, that didn’t look good for our side. I heard raised voices coming from inside the room. Then the door opened and four of the other side emerged not looking very happy with themselves. I fully expected that they’d leave but they didn’t. Instead, they plonked themselves down on the chairs near me.

Then they started talking about the case. So much for confidentiality. I tried to listen in but without appearing to be doing just that but could not hear them very clearly.

I relaxed and concentrated on the magazine. One article dealt with a case of contract law that had gone all the way to the Supreme Court. They had decided that a 100-page contract for an item costing under £100 was extreme and that many of the clauses regarding warranty were impossible even for experienced lawyers could understand. The contract was declared null and void and that the makers of the device were liable for the repairs to the device. The language used was as dry as the Sahara Desert and the whole thing could have been dealt with in about 500 words fewer than it was.

Suddenly, the door to the room opened and one of the two men inside came out. From Carla’s description, this was the man who had assaulted her in the lift. He was not happy.

“That woman is telling so many lies. I’ll make her life impossible. She’ll never get a penny from me. I'll make sure that she'll never work in the law again or my name is not Leyland Miles III. I only squeezed her ass once for Christ's sake."

His accent was very American.

His colleagues acted like sycophants and agreed with everything he said.

I pulled out my phone and sent Carla a text quoting him directly. The man was a pig through and through. Chantal was a very experienced lawyer in this area and it appeared that Carla’s former employers were amateurs by comparison.

Mr Leyland Miles the 3rd was called back into the room. He was not happy.

Even though the door was closed, I could hear raised voices. At least one of them belonged to Leyland Miles. By the tone of his voice, he was not taking defeat lying down.

The noise subsided and Leyland Miles III came out looking very red in the face.

“Come on,” he commanded to his colleagues.
"This is a farce, a stitch-up. I did nothing wrong."

He glared at me as he stormed past me.
“What’s your problem bitch?”

He didn’t wait for a reply and disappeared down the stairs. Four of his colleagues slowly followed him out of the building. Their faces were expressionless.

The meeting inside the room concluded a few minutes later. The remaining representative of the ‘opposition’ clearly didn’t look satisfied with the result when he passed me.

I waited until he was well out of sight before getting up and entering the office where Carla and Chantal were seated.

“Hello?”

Chantal smiled at me.
“Come and sit down.”

“Leyland Miles the Third called me a bitch on the way out of the door. He wasn’t very happy.”

“He should be very concerned. The so-called settlement conference was anything but that,” said Chantal.
“They came armed with all sorts of accusations including these.”

She pushed two photos across the table to me.

They clearly showed Carla and me kissing while we were onboard Roxy.

“They must be worried if they have stooped to this level. Being a lesbian is not illegal is it?”

"He… Leyland Miles threatened to go public with the fact that you are actually a man. They did their research very well. Very well indeed," said Chantal.

I looked at Carla.
“I’m sorry for getting you into this mess.”

Carla shook her head.
"It isn't your fault. If you remember, it was me that kissed you first. It is their problem, not ours as Chantal reminded them."

“What happened at the end? Something happened to make Leyland Miles storm out like that?” I asked.

“I reminded him of his duty of care to all employees and that the evidence clearly shows sexual assault and that there was more than enough to convict him of that crime in a court, including your testimony to what he said when he came out of this room.” said Chantal.
“Then he said, then I’m on the first flight out of here. This would have never happened back home in Texas. There men and men and women know their place.”

“Ouch,” I said.

“Exactly,” said Carla.

"With Mr Miles out of the way, his partner caved in and agreed to a settlement that Carla is happy with and thanks to your text, any chance of an NDA being part of the settlement went right out the window. Mr Miles will be asked to leave the partnership without a settlement and the remaining partners will not oppose our report going being sent to the Law Society who may well ban Mr Miles from practising law in this country," said Chantal.

"Won't he just hop on a plane back to Texas and start-up there?"

“We will send a copy of the case records to the Texas Bar Association. If they do nothing then at least they have been warned. Leyland Miles comes from a long family of Lawyers and Politicians in Texas so, my guess is that they will just ignore it but he will be fully aware that we do not have a statute of limitations on crimes in this country and he may risk being arrested should he return," said Chantal summing up.

Then Carla said,
“If he says another word about this then all the gory details will go to every TV station in Texas. Several of them will only be too willing to broadcast it.”

“Nasty,” I said.
“From my brief encounter with him, he deserves to be disbarred both here and in Texas.”

I looked at Carla.
“Are you happy how it went?”

"For a while, I almost wanted to call the whole thing off but now, I'm starting to realise that we got what we wanted… actually more because of the lack of an NDA."

“What happens next? What if they don’t pay up?”

“What happens next is that we go back to our lives and try to put this behind us,” said Carla.

“If they don’t pay, then I’ll see them in court. I have an agreement signed by the senior partner in the practice which will make him personally liable for the money. They’ll pay up even if it really hurts them to do so. He knows that I will not take them skipping out on this agreement lightly. He is well aware of my reputation in this field,” said Chantal.

“Thanks for your help Chantal,” I said standing up.

“Where are you going?” asked a slightly panicky Carla.

“I’m going to get the car and I’ll be out front in about ten minutes. Then I’m taking you home because you look drained.”

Chantal smiled and nodded her head at me.

“Thank you.”

---

Some two and a half hours later, I made sure that Carla was home safely and had plenty of food in her home.

“Where are you going?” she asked as I put my coat on.

“I’m going home to Roxy. You know where I am but you need time to get your head straight. I’ll be in Preston on Monday and then going north. I might even go all the way to the end of the canal but that remains to be decided. I’d love for you to be with me but I think that you need to go and see your family. Be with them and get your head straight about what you want to do with your life.”

“But…” said Carla.

“I love you Carla but I don’t want to be there for you on the rebound from this only to have you leave me a month or two months down the line. I’ve seen how doing your Lawyering excites you. Being with me on Roxy makes that impossible and at the moment, the idea of me not being on her and moving around scares me witless.”

I gave her a long kiss. I hoped that this wasn’t a goodbye kiss but only time would tell on that one.

---

My journey back to Wigan was hard. Hard in that, I wanted to cry and crying in public was not something that I ever wanted to do.

Much of my being was telling me that I’d done the right thing when I left Carla like I did but a large part of me was saying just the opposite. I managed to keep the tears and emotions at bay until I was back onboard Roxy. Then it all just seemed to come out. I didn’t poke my head outside Roxy’s cabin until the following Monday morning. I knew that the hormones I was taking had made me more emotional but I never thought in my wildest dreams that it would be that bad.

---

Roxy and I left Wigan on Tuesday morning hoping to reach the junction with the Lancaster Canal or more accurately, the Rufford Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal which leads to the Lancaster Canal but my heart wasn’t really in it. Going through only a few locks became a chore. I tied up Roxy at a mooring in Parbold feeling that life was such a chore.

I know that I shouldn’t but I drank a whole bottle of wine that night. It didn’t help. Neither did the fact that Roxy’s waste system was full and needed emptying.

The only thing I could think of as the cause of my malady was that I was in love with Carla.

[to be continued]